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Activation of the spinal and brainstem locomotor networks during free treadmill stepping in rats lacking dopamine transporter

Authors :
Aleksandr Veshchitskii
Polina Shkorbatova
Aleksandr Mikhalkin
Zoja Fesenko
Evgeniya V. Efimova
Raul R. Gainetdinov
Natalia Merkulyeva
Source :
Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, Vol 16 (2023)
Publication Year :
2023
Publisher :
Frontiers Media S.A., 2023.

Abstract

Dopamine is extremely important for the multiple functions of the brain and spinal cord including locomotor behavior. Extracellular dopamine levels are controlled by the membrane dopamine transporter (DAT), and animals lacking DAT (DAT-KO) are characterized by hyperdopaminergia and several alterations of locomotion including hyperactivity. Neuronal mechanisms of such altered locomotor behavior are still not fully understood. We believe that in hyperdopaminergic animals both the spinal and brain neuronal networks involved in locomotion are modified. Using the c-fos technique, we studied activated neuronal networks of the spinal cord and two brainstem structures related to locomotor control and being under the strong dopaminergic influence, the cuneiform nucleus (CnF) and ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (VLPAG), in wild-type (DAT-WT) and DAT-KO rats. In the spinal cord, most c-fos-positive cells were located in the dorsal laminae II-IV and in the central gray matter (laminae V-VI). No differences were revealed for the central areas. As for the dorsal areas, in the DAT-WT group, labeled cells mostly occupied the lateral region, whereas, in the DAT-KO group, c-fos-positive cells were observed in both medial and lateral regions in some animals or in the medial regions in some animals. In the brainstem of the DAT-WT group, approximately the same number of labeled cells were found in the CnF and VLPAG, but in the DAT-KO group, the VLPAG contained a significantly smaller number of c-fos-positive cells compared to the CnF. Thereby, our work indicates an imbalance in the sensorimotor networks located within the dorsal horns of the spinal cord as well as a disbalance in the activity of brainstem networks in the DAT-deficient animals.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
16625099
Volume :
16
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.98956a68bc04e67a4e3f90d697043c1
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3389/fnmol.2023.1299297