脑干蓝斑到前庭神经核的神经环路投射及在压力应激下的激活研究

The Activation of Locus Coeruleus Under Stress and Its Norepinephrine Projection to Vestibular Nuclei

前庭神经核(Vestibular Nuclei)是保持平衡的关键核团,其功能异常与晕动病、前庭偏头痛、帕金森氏病等多种疾病状态密切关联,压力应激往往加重以上疾病的症状并伴随着蓝斑(Locus Coeruleus)去甲肾上腺素能系统的激活。该研究利用转基因小鼠结合病毒示踪显示从蓝斑到前庭神经核的神经投射,并利用酪氨酸羟化酶(Tyrosine Hydroxylase)抗体免疫荧光染色确定蓝斑-前庭神经核的投射为去甲肾上腺素能。结果显示,小鼠在睡眠剥夺压力刺激下蓝斑去甲肾上腺素能神经元被强烈激活,而前庭神经核神经元激活不明显,提示睡眠剥夺可能通过蓝斑-前庭神经核的去甲肾上腺素能神经调制起作用。该结果可为继续探究蓝斑-前庭神经核神经环路在压力应激与前庭神经核功能调控之间的重要作用提供解剖结构学基础。

Vestibular nuclei(VN)is a sensorimotor structure controlling posture and balance.The anatomy and function of VN is closely related to diseases,such as motion sickness,vestibular migraine,vertigo,postural deficits,and Parkinson’s disease.It has been known that stress imposes effects on the function of VN and the progress of these diseases.Since the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine(LC-NE)system is activated by stress,it would be interesting to know whether there is a connection between LC and VN and its possible function.The experiment results showed that LC neurons project to the VN and they are tyrosine hydroxylase(TH)-positive.After subjected to sleep deprivation stress treatment,the mice showed higher cFos activation in the LC-NE neurons compared with the untreated control group,suggesting the important role LC-NE may play in stress-related VN malfunction.This study provides anatomical basis for further neural circuity studies of LC-VN in balance and then its possible involvement in diseases.