The role of astrocytes in generation of locomotive rhythm in the lumbar spinal cord

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26670676
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Orthopaedic surgery
• Research Institution: National Hospital Organization Murayama Medical Center
• Principal Investigator: Mikami Yuji 独立行政法人国立病院機構村山医療センター(臨床研究部), 電気生理学研究室, 共同研究員 (20306749)
• Research Collaborator: ONIMARU Hiroshi ; YAZAWA Itaru ; OKAZAKI Shuntaro
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 歩行 / ロコモーション / 脊髄 / 腰髄 / カルシウムイメージング / グリア細胞 / アストロサイト / ニューロン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Locomotion is one of the most important motor functions to maintain activity of daily life. Neural locomotor output is generated in the lumbar spinal cord, yet the cellular mechanism underlying the locomotor output generation is not elucidated. We have proposed a hypothesis that astrocytes are actively involved in generation of locomotive rhythm in the lumbar spinal cord. To examine this hypothesis, we conducted calcium imaging in the isolated lumbar spinal cord preparation of the neonatal rat. Fictive locomotion was induced with NMDA and 5-HT. Cellular activities in the L5 ventral horn were captured under a confocal microscope simultaneously with neural locomotive output from L5 ventral roots. Recorded cells were classified into neurons and astrocytes on the basis of calcium responses to low potassium in the presence of TTX. We found astrocytes that were synchronous with neural locomotive output. We suggest that astrocytes are functionally involved in generation of locomotive rhythm.

Free Research Field

脊椎脊髄外科学