Ventral Hippocampus (ventral + hippocampus)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Dorsal/ventral hippocampus, fornix, and conditioned place preference

HIPPOCAMPUS, Issue 2 2001
Janina Ferbinteanu
Abstract Conditioned place preference (CPP) is a learning paradigm requiring formation of associations between reward and particular locations. White and McDonald (Behav Brain Res 1993;55:269,281) demonstrated that amygdala (AMG) lesions impair, while fornix (Fx) lesions enhance learning of this task. In the present experiments, we replicated the effects of AMG and Fx lesions, but we also found that complete hippocampal (HPC) lesions interfere with normal performance. Thus, the effects of Fx and HPC lesions on CPP are opposite. This is in contrast with spatial learning in the water maze. Because it has been demonstrated that damage of dorsal HPC interferes to a greater extent with spatial learning than damage of ventral HPC, we also tested animals with either dorsal or ventral HPC disruptions on CPP. Lesions limited to dorsal HPC were followed by impairment on this task. In contrast, lesions limited to ventral HPC resulted in enhanced learning. We argue that Fx and HPC lesions do not have interchangeable effects in all learning paradigms. To explain the complex pattern of results presently obtained, we propose a novel hypothesis regarding behavioral functions of HPC neural circuits. Implications regarding the interaction between memory systems are also considered. Hippocampus 2001;11:187,200. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Antiepileptic drugs combined with high-frequency electrical stimulation in the ventral hippocampus modify pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus in rats

EPILEPSIA, Issue 3 2010
Manola Cuellar-Herrera
Summary Purpose:, To evaluate the effects of high-frequency electrical stimulation (HFS) in both ventral hippocampi, alone and combined with a subeffective dose of antiepileptic drugs, during the status epilepticus (SE) induced by lithium-pilocarpine (LP). Methods:, Male Wistar rats, stereotactically implanted in both ventral hippocampi, were injected with pilocarpine (30 mg/kg, i.p.) 24 h after lithium (3 mEq/kg) administration. One minute following pilocarpine injection, HFS (pulses of 60 ,s width at 130 Hz at subthreshold intensities and applied during 3 h) was applied alone or combined with subeffective doses of antiepileptic drugs. Results:, HFS alone reduced the incidence of severe generalized seizures. This effect was not evident when HFS was combined with phenytoin (33.3 mg/kg, i.p.). HFS combined with diazepam (0.41 mg/kg, i.p.) or phenobarbital (10 mg/kg, i.p.) reduced the incidence of severe generalized seizures and mortality rate, and augmented the latency to first forelimb clonus, generalized seizure, and status epilepticus (SE). When combined with gabapentin (46 mg/kg, i.p.), HFS reduced the incidence of severe generalized seizures, enhanced latency to SE, and decreased mortality rate. Discussion:, Subeffective doses of antiepileptic drugs that increase the ,-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic neurotransmission may represent a therapeutic tool to augment the HFS-induced anticonvulsant effects. [source]


Dissociation of function between the dorsal and the ventral hippocampus in spatial learning abilities of the rat: a within-subject, within-task comparison of reference and working spatial memory

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 3 2004
Helen H. J. Pothuizen
Abstract Lesions restricted to the dorsal, but not the ventral, hippocampus severely impair the formation of spatial memory. This dissociation was first demonstrated using the water maze task. The present study investigated whether the dorsal and the ventral hippocampus are involved differentially in spatial reference and spatial working memory using a four-baited/four-unbaited version of the eight-arm radial maze task. This test allows the concurrent evaluation of reference and working memory with respect to the same set of spatial cues, and thereby enables a within-subjects within-task comparison between the two forms of memory functions. Rats with N -methyl- d -aspartic acid-induced excitotoxic lesions of the dorsal hippocampus, ventral hippocampus or both were compared with sham and unoperated controls. We showed that dorsal lesions were as effective as complete lesions in severely disrupting both reference and working spatial memory, whereas rats with ventral lesions performed at a level comparable with controls. These results lend further support to the existence of a functional dissociation between the dorsal and the ventral hippocampus, with the former being preferentially involved in spatial learning. [source]


Strain differences in the behavioural outcome of neonatal ventral hippocampal lesions are determined by the postnatal environment and not genetic factors

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 6 2001
Graham K. Wood
Abstract It has been demonstrated that not only do rats neonatally lesioned in the ventral hippocampus (VH) develop behavioural hypersensitivity to amphetamine postpubertally, but also that the expression of the sensitivity is strain specific. For example, excitotoxic VH lesions at postnatal day (PD) 7 lead to significant increases in amphetamine-induced locomotion in postpubertal Fischer rats, but not in Lewis rats. However, as it is likely that the effect of strain differences are due to a combination of genetics and environment, we examined the contributions of the environment of the pups in determining the behavioural outcome following neonatal VH lesions. Fisher and Lewis rat pups were cross-fostered at birth, and then at PD7 lesioned bilaterally in the VH with ibotenic acid. anova analysis of postpubertal amphetamine-induced locomotor data revealed a significant effect of the strain of the dams raising the pups but no effect of the strain of the pup. In addition, a post hoc analysis revealed that lesioned Fisher or Lewis rats raised by Fisher, but not those raised by Lewis, dams demonstrated amphetamine-induced hyperlocomotion relative to nonlesioned controls. Observations of the maternal behaviour of Fischer and Lewis dams revealed significant differences in the frequency of arched-back nursing between the two strains. Interestingly, a correlation of the frequency of arched back nursing vs novelty- or amphetamine-induced locomotion revealed that the lesioned rats were significantly more affected by increases in arched-back nursing compared to the controls. The results suggest that the genetic background of the pups does not significantly affect the behavioural outcome following neonatal VH lesions; however, the results do suggest an important role of early environmental variables on the behavioural outcome of neonatal VH lesions. [source]


Muscarinic receptor blockade in ventral hippocampus and prelimbic cortex impairs memory for socially transmitted food preference

HIPPOCAMPUS, Issue 5 2009
Anna Carballo-Márquez
Abstract Acetylcholine is involved in learning and memory and, particularly, in olfactory tasks, but reports on its specific role in consolidation processes are somewhat controversial. The present experiment sought to determine the effects of blocking muscarinic cholinergic receptors in the ventral hippocampus (vHPC) and the prelimbic cortex (PLC) on the consolidation of social transmission of food preference, an odor-guided relational task that depends on such brain areas. Adult male Wistar rats were bilaterally infused with scopolamine (20 ,g/site) immediately after social training and showed impairment, relative to vehicle-injected controls, in the expression of the task measured 24 h after learning. Results indicated that scopolamine in the PLC completely abolished memory, suggesting that muscarinic transmission in this cortical region is crucial for consolidation of recent socially acquired information. Muscarinic receptors in the vHPC contribute in some way to task consolidation, as the rats injected with scopolamine in the vHPC showed significantly lower trained food preference than control rats, but higher than both chance level and that of the PLC-injected rats. Behavioral measures such as social interaction, motivation to eat, neophobia, or exploration did not differ between rats infused with scopolamine or vehicle. Such data suggest a possible differential role of muscarinic receptors in the PLC and the vHPC in the initial consolidation of a naturalistic form of nonspatial relational memory. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Ventral hippocampal involvement in temporal order, but not recognition, memory for spatial information

HIPPOCAMPUS, Issue 3 2008
John G. Howland
Abstract The hippocampus is critical for spatial memory. Recently, subregional differences in the function of hippocampus have been described in a number of behavioral tasks. The present experiments assessed the effects of reversibly lesioning either the dorsal (dHip) or ventral hippocampus (vHip) on spontaneous tests of spatial recognition and temporal order memory. We report that although the dHip is necessary for spatial recognition memory (RM) (distinguishing a novel from a familiar spatial location), the vHip is involved in temporal order memory (the capacity to distinguish between two spatial locations visited at different points in time), but not RM. These findings and others are consistent with the hypothesis that temporal order memory is supported by an integrated circuit of limbic areas including the vHip and the medial prefrontal cortex. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Hippocampal mossy fiber sprouting and elevated trkB receptor expression following systemic administration of low dose domoic acid during neonatal development

HIPPOCAMPUS, Issue 11 2007
Paul B. Bernard
Abstract We have previously reported that serial systemic injections of low-dose (subconvulsive) domoic acid (DOM) during early postnatal development produces changes in both behavior and hippocampal cytoarchitecture in aged rats (17 months) that are similar to those seen in existing animal models of temporal lobe epilepsy. Herein we report further hippocampal changes, consisting of mossy fiber sprouting and associated changes in the trkB receptor population in young adult (3 months) rats, and further, report that these changes show regional variation throughout the septo-temporal axis of the hippocampus. Groups of Sprague Dawley rat pups were injected daily from postnatal day 8,14 with either saline (n = 23) or 20 ,g/kg DOM (n = 25), tested for key indicators of neonatal neurobehavioral development, and then left undisturbed until ,90 days of age, at which time brain tissue was removed, hippocampi were dissected, fixed and processed using either Timm's stain to visualize hippocampal mossy fiber sprouting (MFS) or trkB immunohistochemistry to visualize full length trkB receptors. Multiple sections from dorsal, mid, and ventral hippocampus were analyzed separately and all measures were conducted using image analysis software. The results indicate significant increases in MFS in the inner molecular layer in treated animals with corresponding changes in trkB receptor density. Further we identified significant increases in trkB receptor density in the hilus of the dentate gyrus and area CA3 and report increased mossy fiber terminal density in the stratum lucidum in treated rats. The magnitude of these changes differed between sections from dorsal, mid, and ventral hippocampus. We conclude that low dose neonatal DOM produces cytoarchitectural changes indicative of abnormal development and/or synaptic plasticity that are progressive with age and show regional variation within the hippocampal formation. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Response of extracelluar zinc in the ventral hippocampus against novelty stress

JOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY, Issue 2 2006
Atsushi Takeda
Abstract An extensive neuronal activity takes place in the hippocampus during exploratory behavior. However, the role of hippocampal zinc in exploratory behavior is poorly understood. To analyze the response of extracellular zinc in the hippocampus against novelty stress, rats were placed for 50 min in a novel environment once a day for 8 days. Extracellular glutamate in the hippocampus was increased during exploratory behavior on day 1, whereas extracellular zinc was decreased. The same phenomenon was observed during exploratory behavior on day 2 and extracellular zinc had returned to the basal level during exploratory behavior on day 8. To examine the significance of the decrease in extracellular zinc in exploratory activity, exploratory behavior was observed during perfusion with 1 mm CaEDTA, a membrane-impermeable zinc chelator. Locomotor activity in the novel environment was decreased by perfusion with CaEDTA. The decrease in extracellular zinc and the increase in extracellular glutamate in exploratory period were abolished by perfusion with CaEDTA. These results suggest that zinc uptake by hippocampal cells is linked to exploratory activity and is required for the activation of the glutamatergic neurotransmitter system. The zinc uptake may be involved in the response to painless psychological stress or in the cognitive processes. [source]


Effects of chronic paroxetine treatment on dialysate serotonin in 5-HT1B receptor knockout mice

JOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY, Issue 1 2003
A. M. Gardier
Abstract The role of serotonin (5-HT)1B receptors in the mechanism of action of selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRI) was studied by using intracerebral in vivo microdialysis in conscious, freely moving wild-type and 5-HT1B receptor knockout (KO 5-HT1B) mice in order to compare the effects of chronic administration of paroxetine via osmotic minipumps (1 mg per kg per day for 14 days) on extracellular 5-HT levels ([5-HT]ext) in the medial prefrontal cortex and ventral hippocampus. Basal [5-HT]ext values in the medial prefrontal cortex and ventral hippocampus, ,,20 h after removing the minipump, were not altered by chronic paroxetine treatment in both genotypes. On day 15, in the ventral hippocampus, an acute paroxetine challenge (1 mg/kg i.p.) induced a larger increase in [5-HT]ext in saline-pretreated mutant than in wild-type mice. This difference between the two genotypes in the effect of the paroxetine challenge persisted following chronic paroxetine treatment. Conversely, in the medial prefrontal cortex, the paroxetine challenge increased [5-HT]ext similarly in saline-pretreated mice of both genotypes. Such a challenge produced a further increase in cortical [5-HT]ext compared with that in saline-pretreated groups of both genotypes, but no differences were found between genotypes following chronic treatment. To avoid the interaction with raphe 5-HT1A autoreceptors, 1 µm paroxetine was perfused locally through the dialysis probe implanted in the ventral hippocampus; similar increases in hippocampal [5-HT]ext were found in acutely or chronically treated wild-type mice. Systemic administration of the mixed 5-HT1B/1D receptor antagonist GR 127935 (4 mg/kg) in chronically treated wild-type mice potentiated the effect of a paroxetine challenge dose on [5-HT]ext in the ventral hippocampus, whereas systemic administration of the selective 5-HT1A receptor antagonist WAY 100635 did not. By using the zero net flux method of quantitative microdialysis in the medial prefrontal cortex and ventral hippocampus of wild-type and KO 5-HT1B mice, we found that basal [5-HT]ext and the extraction fraction of 5-HT were similar in the medial prefrontal cortex and ventral hippocampus of both genotypes, suggesting that no compensatory response to the constitutive deletion of the 5-HT1B receptor involving changes in 5-HT uptake capacity occurred in vivo. As steady-state brain concentrations of paroxetine at day 14 were similar in both genotypes, it is unlikely that differences in the effects of a paroxetine challenge on hippocampal [5-HT]ext are due to alterations of the drug's pharmacokinetic properties in mutants. These data suggest that there are differences between the ventral hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex in activation of terminal 5-HT1B autoreceptors and their role in regulating dialysate 5-HT levels. These presynaptic receptors retain their capacity to limit 5-HT release mainly in the ventral hippocampus following chronic paroxetine treatment in mice. [source]