axonal varicosity density as an index of local neuronal interactions轴突的静脉曲张密度指数当地神经元交互.pdfVIP

Axonal Varicosity Density as an Index of Local Neuronal Interactions 1,2 1,2 1 Zi-Wei Zhang , Jun Il Kang , Elvire Vaucher * ´ ´ ´ ´ ´ ´ 1 School of Optometry, Universite de Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 2 Department of Physiology, Universite de Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Abstract Diffuse transmission is an important non-synaptic communication mode in the cerebral neocortex, in which neurotransmitters released from en passant varicosities interact with surrounding cells. In a previous study we have shown that the cholinergic axonal segments which were in the microproximity with dopaminergic fibers possessed a greater density of en passant varicosities compared to more distant segments, suggesting an activity-dependent level of en passant varicosities in the axonal zone of interaction. To further evaluate this plastic relationship, the density of cholinergic varicosities was quantified on fiber segments within the microproximity of activated or non-activated pyramidal cells of the prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Repetitive 14 days patterned visual stimulation paired with an electrical stimulation of the cholinergic fibers projecting to the mPFC from the HDB was performed to induce persistent axonal plastic changes. The c- Fos early gene immunoreactivity was used as a neuronal activity marker of layer V pyramidal cells, labelled with anti- glutamate transporter EAAC1. Cholinergic fibers were labeled with anti-ChAT (choline acetyltransferase) immunostaining. The density of ChAT+ varicosities on and the length of fiber segments within the 3 mm microproximity of c-F