Stereotaxic atlas of the brain of <i>Octodon degus</i>

Wright, John W.; Kern, Michael D.

doi:10.1002/jmor.1052140306

Cited by 40 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…Octodon degus, a precocial rodent that is becoming increasingly popular as a laboratory animal (39)(40)(41), displays the same principal brain anatomy as common laboratory rodents (42). Compared with laboratory rats or mice, this species displays closer similarities to human and non-human primate behavior and development (12,(43)(44)(45), such as the presence of cortisol in the blood and the maturity of their sensory systems, which allows them to perceive and respond to familiar and novel stimuli from their environment immediately after birth.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Juvenile emotional experience alters synaptic composition in the rodent cortex, hippocampus, and lateral amygdala

Poeggel

Helmeke

Abraham

et al. 2003

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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A quantitative anatomical study in the rodent anterior cingulate and somatosensory cortex, hippocampus, and lateral amygdala revealed region-, cell-, and dendrite-specific changes of spine densities in 3-week-old Octodon degus after repeated parental separation. In parentally separated animals significantly higher spine densities were found on the apical and basal dendrites of the cingulate cortex (up to 143% on apical and 138% on basal dendrite). Branching order analysis revealed that this effect is seen on all segments of the apical dendrite, whereas on the basal dendrites significantly higher spine densities were seen only on the outer branches (third to fifth dendritic segments). Increased spine densities were also observed on the hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons (up to 109% on the distal apical segments and up to 106% on the basal segment) compared with the control group. In contrast, significantly reduced spine densities were observed on the granule cell dendrites in the dentate gyrus (down to 92%) and on the apical dendrites in the medial nucleus of the amygdala (down to 95%). No significant changes of spine densities were seen in the somatosensory cortex (except for an increase in the proximal apical segments) and in the lateral nucleus of the dorsal amygdala (except for an increase in the proximal basal dendritic segments). These results demonstrate that repeated stressful emotional experience alters the balance of presumably excitatory synaptic inputs of pyramidal neurons in the limbic system. Such experience-induced modulations of limbic circuits may determine psychosocial and cognitive capacities during later life.limbic system ͉ stress ͉ dendritic spines ͉ parental separation ͉ cingulate cortex

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Juvenile emotional experience alters synaptic composition in the rodent cortex, hippocampus, and lateral amygdala

Poeggel

Helmeke

Abraham

et al. 2003

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…For the implantation of microdialysis probes (CMA/11, 2 mm Cuprophan; CMA Microdialysis, Solna, Sweden), the animals were anesthetized with 3% halothane (Eurim‐Pharm GmbH, Piding, Germany) and mounted in a stereotaxic apparatus (LAB standard; Stoelting, Co., Wood Dale, IL, USA). According to the stereotaxic atlas of the degu brain (Wright and Kern 1992), and adjusted to the ages used here, one microdialysis probe was implanted into the left mPFC covering the anterior cingulate and pre‐limbic cortex (coordinates with respect to bregma: juveniles : 1.4 mm anterior, 0.4 mm lateral, and 2.8 mm below dura and adolescents : 2.3 mm anterior, 0.5 mm lateral, and 2.8 mm below dura). A second probe was implanted into the right Nac core and shell (coordinates with respect to bregma: juveniles : 0.4 mm posterior and 1.4 mm lateral and adolescents : 1.3 mm posterior, 1.4 mm lateral, and 7.5 mm or 7.8 mm below dura, respectively).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Early stress and chronic methylphenidate cross‐sensitize dopaminergic responses in the adolescent medial prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens

Jezierski

Zehle

Bock

et al. 2007

Journal of Neurochemistry

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Methylphenidate (MP) is widely used to treat attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder in children. However, basic research has been mainly focused on MP treatment in adult, behaviorally normal rodents. Here we analyzed MP-evoked changes of dopamine (DA) release in the limbic system of juvenile rodents with hyperactive and attention deficit-like symptoms. Using dual probe in vivo microdialysis, DA levels were quantified in the medial prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens of juvenile and adolescent degus (Octodon degus). Acute stress-and acute MP-evoked dopaminergic responses in normal juvenile and adolescent animals were compared with (i) animals showing symptoms of hyperactivity and attention deficits induced by early life stress, i.e. repeated parental separation during the first 3 weeks of life, and (ii) animals chronically treated with MP during pre-adolescence. Our main results revealed that (i) early life stress and (ii) chronic MP treatment during pre-adolescence cross-sensitize limbic dopaminergic functions in adolescent animals. Furthermore, we demonstrated a unique pattern of acute MP-evoked DA release in the juvenile compared with the adolescent medial prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens. Our findings that the functional maturation of dopaminergic limbic function is significantly altered by early life experience, i.e. repeated parental separation and chronic MP treatment, allow novel insights into the etiology of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and into the long-term consequences of MP treatment on brain development.

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“…The principal organization of the degu brain was described in a brain atlas (Wright and Kern, 1992) and is comparable to the rat brain (Paxinos and Watson, 1998). Our quantitative analysis was focused on the pregenual region of the somatosensory cortex (SSC) (Fig.…”

Section: Quantitative Morphological Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Paternal deprivation induces dendritic and synaptic changes and hemispheric asymmetry of pyramidal neurons in the somatosensory cortex

Pinkernelle

Abraham

Seidel

et al. 2009

Developmental Neurobiology

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Similar to maternal care, paternal care is a source of neonatal sensory stimulation, which in primates and rodents has been shown to be essential for developing structure and function of sensory cortices. The aim of our study in the biparental rodent Octodon degus was to assess the impact of paternal deprivation on dendritic and synaptic development in the somatosensory cortex. We (i) quantified the amount of paternal care in relation to total parental investment and (ii) compared dendritic and synaptic development of pyramidal neurons in the somatosensory cortex of animals raised by a single mother or by both parents. On the behavioral level we show that paternal care comprises 37% of total parent-offspring interactions, and that the somatosensory stimulation provided by the fathers primarily consists of huddling, licking/grooming, and playing. On the morphological level we found that, compared with offspring raised by both parents (mother and father), the father-deprived animals displayed significantly reduced spine numbers on the basal dendrites of pyramidal neurons. Furthermore, paternal deprivation induces hemispheric asymmetry of the dendritic morphology of somatosensory pyramidal neurons. Father-deprived animals show shorter and less complex basal dendrites in the left somatosensory cortex compared with the right hemisphere. These findings indicate that paternal deprivation results in delayed or retarded dendritic and synaptic development of somatosensory circuits.

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Stereotaxic atlas of the brain of Octodon degus

Cited by 40 publications

References 44 publications

Juvenile emotional experience alters synaptic composition in the rodent cortex, hippocampus, and lateral amygdala

Juvenile emotional experience alters synaptic composition in the rodent cortex, hippocampus, and lateral amygdala

Early stress and chronic methylphenidate cross‐sensitize dopaminergic responses in the adolescent medial prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens

Paternal deprivation induces dendritic and synaptic changes and hemispheric asymmetry of pyramidal neurons in the somatosensory cortex

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