2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Morphological analysis of modulation of motor activity by reticular cholinergic interneurons
| Project/Area Number |
16K18985
|
|---|
| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
|
| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
|---|
| Research Field |
General anatomy (including histology/embryology)
|
|---|
| Research Institution | Okayama University of Science (2018)
National Defense Medical College (2016-2017) |
|---|
Principal Investigator |
|
|---|
| Project Period (FY) |
2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
|
| Keywords | 網様体 / 脳幹 / コリン作動性ニューロン / 介在ニューロン / 運動ニューロン |
|---|
| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
Cholinergic interneurons in the magnocellular reticular formation of the brainstem project to motor neurons innervating oro-facial muscles. While this interneuron is considered to modulate the neural activity of oro-facial motor neurons, its morphology and neural connection with other brain regions remain poorly understood. In the present study, the connection of reticular cholinergic interneurons was examined in the rodent brain using retrograde or anterograde tracer (Fluorogold or biotinylated dextran-amine). We also investigated the expression of cholinergic markers on large synaptic buttons, that derive from reticular cholinergic interneurons, in oro-facial motor nuclei during postnatal development.
|
| Free Research Field |
組織形態学、神経解剖学
|
| Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
我々が研究対象とするコリン作動性介在ニューロンは，運動ニューロンの活動調節に機能することが知られており，その入力が筋萎縮性側索硬化症（ALS）モデルマウスにおいて運動ニューロンの機能低下を代償する可能性が報告されている．ALSは口腔顔面筋の機能低下と，それに伴う摂食・嚥下障害なども引き起すことから，本研究により脳幹網様体のコリン作動性介在ニューロンの機能が明らかにされれば，障害された口腔顔面筋の運動機能を賦活化する機構が解明されると期待される．
|
