Anatomical organization of the lateral cervical nucleus in Artiodactyls.

The presence of the lateral cervical nucleus (LCN) in different mammals, including humans, has been established in a number of anatomical research works. The LCN receives its afferent inputs from the spinocervical tract, and conveys this somatosensory information to the various brain areas, especially the thalamus. In the present study, the organization of the calf and pig LCN was examined through the use of thionine staining and immunohistochemical methods combined with morphometrical analyses. Specifically, the localization of calbindin-D28k (CB-D28k) and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in the LCN was investigated using the immunoperoxidase method. Calf and pig LCN appear as a clearly defined column of gray matter located in the three cranial segments of the cervical spinal cord. Thionine staining shows that polygonal neurons represent the main cell type in both species. The calf and pig LCN contained CB-D28k-immunoreactive (IR) neurons of varying sizes. Large neurons are probably involved in the generation of the cervicothalamic pathway. Small CB-D28k-IR neurons, on the other hand, could act as local interneurons. The immunoreactivity for nNOS was found to be mainly located in thin neuronal processes that could represent the terminal axonal portion of nNOS-IR found in laminae III e IV. This evidence suggests that nitric oxide (NO) could modulate the synaptic activity of the glutamatergic spinocervical tracts. These findings suggest that the LCN of Artiodactyls might play an important role in the transmission of somatosensory information from the spinal cord to the higher centers of the brain.

Linear magnetic resonance imaging measurements of the hippocampal formation differ in young versus old dogs.

Age-related hippocampal formation (HF) atrophy has been documented on MRI studies using volumetric analysis and visual rating scales.This retrospective cross-sectional study aimed to compare linear MRI measurements of the HF between young (1-3 years) and old (>10 years) non-brachycephalic dogs, with normal brain anatomy and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis. Right and left hippocampal formation height (HFH), height of the brain (HB) and mean HFH/HB ratio were measured by two observers on a transverse T2 fluid-attenuated inversion recovery sequence containing rostral colliculi and mesencephalic aqueduct.119 MRI studies were enrolled: 75 young and 44 old dogs. Left and right HFH were greater (p<0.0001) in young, while HB was greater in old dogs (p=0.024). Mean HFH/HB ratio was 15.66 per cent and 18.30 per cent in old and young dogs (p<0.0001). No differences were found comparing measurements between epileptic and non-epileptic dogs.Old dogs have a greater HB; this may represent the different study populations or a statistical phenomenon. Ageing affects HF linear measurements. A reduction of mean HFH/HB ratio between 18.30 per cent and 15.66 per cent should be considered a physiological age-related process of the canine lifespan. The use of mean HFH/HB ratio could be considered for quantifying brain atrophy in elderly dogs.

Nitrergic neurons in the spinal cord of the bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus).

Nitric oxide (NO) is a freely diffusible gaseous neurotransmitter generated by a selected population of neurons and acts as a paracrine molecule in the nervous system. NO is synthesized from l-arginine by means of the neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), an enzyme requiring nicotine adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) as cofactor. In this study, we used histochemical and immunohistochemical techniques to investigate the distribution of NADPH-diaphorase (NADPH-d) and nNOS in the spinal cord of the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Cells with a fusiform-shaped somata were numerous in the laminae I and II. The intermediolateral horn showed darkly-stained cells with a multipolar morphology. Neurons with a multipolar or fusiform morphology were observed in the ventral horn. Multipolar and fusiform neurons were the most common cell types in lamina X. Nitrergic fibers were numerous especially in the dorsal and intermediolateral horns. The presence of nitrergic cells and fibers in different laminae of the spinal cord suggests that NO may be involved in spinal sensory and visceral circuitries, and potentially contribute to the regulation of the complex retia mirabilia.

Expression of ß2 adrenoceptors within enteric neurons of the horse ileum.

The activity of the gastrointestinal tract is regulated through the activation of adrenergic receptors (ARs). Since data concerning the distribution of ARs in the horse intestine is virtually absent, we investigated the distribution of ß2-AR in the horse ileum using double-immunofluorescence. The ß2-AR-immunoreactivity (IR) was observed in most (95%) neurons located in submucosal plexus (SMP) and in few (8%) neurons of the myenteric plexus (MP). Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-IR fibers were observed close to neurons expressing ß2-AR-IR. Since ß2-AR is virtually expressed in most neurons located in the horse SMP and in a lower percentage of neurons in the MP, it is reasonable to retain that this adrenergic receptor could regulate the activity of both secretomotor neurons and motor neurons innervating muscle layers and blood vessels. The high density of TH-IR fibers near ß2-AR-IR enteric neurons indicates that the excitability of these cells could be directly modulated by the sympathetic system.