Temporal Changes of the Calcium-binding Proteins in the Medial Vestibular Nucleus following Unilateral Labyrinthectomy in Rats

Calcium (Ca2+) is an intracellular second messenger associated with neuronal plasticity of the central nervous system. The calcium-binding proteins regulate the Ca2+-mediated signals in the cytoplasm and buffer the calcium concentration. This study examined temporal changes of three calcium-binding proteins (calretinin, calbindin and parvalbumin) in the medial vestibular nucleus (MVN) during vestibular compensation after unilateral labyrinthectomy (UL) in rats. Rats underwent UL, and the changes in the expression of these proteins at 2, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h were examined by immunofluorescence staining. The expression levels of all three proteins increased immediately after UL and returned to the control level by 48 h. However, the level of calretinin showed changes different from the other two proteins, being expressed at significantly higher level in the contralateral MVN than in the ipsilateral MVN 2 h after UL, whereas the other two proteins showed similar expression levels in both the ipsilateral and contralateral MVN. These results suggest that the calcium binding proteins have some protective activity against the increased Ca2+ levels in the MVN. In particular, calretinin might be more responsive to neuronal activity than calbindin or parvalbumin.

c-fos Expression in Medial Vestibular Nucleus of Guinea Pigs After Unilateral Labyrinthectomy / 听力学及言语疾病杂志

Objective To investigate the c-fos ex pr ession in guinea pigs' medial vestibular neuleus (MVN) following unilateral laby rinthectomy (UL). Methods Twenty-seven SCO guinea pigs were randomly divide d into nine groups, three in each group. After resection of right labyrinth,th e immunohistological staining of c-fos was performed. Fos-like immunoreactivity (FLI) was analyzed at fifteen minutes, and 1?2?6?8?12 and 24 h, and 2 and 7 days after UL. Results Results showed no Fos expression in the control g roup. By contrast, Fos was consistently induced in the UL guinea pigs. Asymmetri cal labeling was found in the bilateral medial vestibular nucleus, with more Fos -like neurons in the ipsilateral MVN of the lesioned side than that in the contr alateral MVN(P

Effects of electrical stimulation of the vestibular system on neuronal activity of the ipsilateral medial vestibular nuclei following unilateral labyrinthectomy in rats

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of electrical stimulation on vestibular compensation following ULX in rats. Electrical stimulation (ES) with square pulse (100 ~ 300 uA, 1.0 ms, 100 Hz) was applied to ampullary portion bilaterally for 6 and 24 hours in rats receiving ULX. After ES, animals that showed the recovery of vestibular symptoms by counting and comparing the number of spontaneous nystagmus were selected for recording resting activity of type I, II neurons in the medial vestibular nuclei (MVN) of the lesioned side. And then the dynamic neuronal activities were recorded during sinusoidal rotation at a frequency of 0.1 Hz and 0.2 Hz. The number of spontaneous nystagmus was significantly different 24 hours (p< 0.01, n = 10), but not 6 hours after ULX+ES. As reported by others, the great reduction of resting activity only in the type I neurons ipsilateral to lesioned side was observed 6, 24 hours after ULX compared to that of intact labyrinthine animal. However, the significant elevation (p < 0.01) of type I and reduction (p < 0.01) of type II neuronal activity were seen 24 hours after ULX+ES. Interestingly, gain, expressed as maximum neuronal activity(spikes/sec)/maximum rotational velocity (deg/sec), was increased in type I cells and decreased in type II cells 24 hours after ULX+ES in response to sinusoidal rotation at frequencies of both 0.1 Hz and 0.2 Hz. This result suggests that accompanying the behavioral recovery, the electrical stimulation after ULX has beneficial effects on vestibular compensation, especially static symptoms (spontaneous nystagmus), by enhancing resting activity of type I neurons and reducing that of type II neurons.

Correlation between electrical activity of type I neuron and c-Fos expression in the medial vestibular nuclei following unilateral labyrinthectomy in rats

To search the correlations between electrical activity and c-Fos expression in the process of vestibular compensation, we examined the changes of those two parameters in the medial vestibular nuclei (MVN) of unilaterally labyrinthectomized (ULX) rats. Spontaneous nystagmus with fast component toward the intact side disappeared gradually within 48 hours. Fourty eight hours after ULX, directional preponderance of the eye movement induced by sinusoidal rotation of the whole body which represents the symmetry of bilateral vestibular functions showed less than 20% by rotation of 0.1, 0.2, and 0.5 Hz, indicating the recovery of symmetry in bilateral vestibular functions. Six hours after ULX, spontaneous electrical activity of type I neurons resulted in asymmetry between bilateral MVN, however, the asymmetry of the electrical activity was decreased 48 hours after ULX. Immunocytochemical staining revealed that ULX produced dramatic induction of c-Fos positive cells in the MVN bilaterally. The number of c-Fos immunoreactive cells in the contralateral MVN was significantly higher than those in the ipsilateral MVN (p<0.0001) 2 hours after ULX. Thereafter, the number of c-Fos positive cells decreased bilaterally and was slightly, but not significantly higher in the ipsilateral MVN at 48 hours after ULX. The present results suggest that both electrical activity of type I neurons and c-Fos expression in MVN following ULX will reflect underlying mechanisms of recovery process of vestibular compensation.