The role of norepinephrine in adult rat somatosensory (SmI) cortical metabolism and plasticity

doi:10.1016/0006-8993(88)91620-4

Brain Research

Volume 443, Issues 1–2, 8 March 1988, Pages 261-271

https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-8993(88)91620-4 Get rights and content

Abstract

Stimulation of rat facial vibrissae increases glucose utilization in the corresponding barrels (lamina IV) and associated columns in laminae I–VIa of the contralateral first somatosensory (SmI) cortex as assessed autoradiographically by the uptake of [¹⁴C]2-deoxyglucose (2-DG). Chronic deafferentation (2 months) by bilateral vibrissectomy with sparing of the C3 vibrissa (SC3) in adult Sprague-Dawley rats produced no change in the rate of LCGU but led to an increased areal extent of the metabolic representation of the SC3 barrel (39%, P < 0.001) and column (31%, P < 0.003) as compared to rats with fully intact vibrissae. In other rats with intact facial vibrissae, 6-hydroxydopamine lesions of the locus coeruleus (LC) depleted ipsilateral cortical norepinephrine (NE) by more than 90% and, 2 months later, led to an 11% and 21% increase in C3 barrel and column metabolic representations, respectively, as compared to the contralateral SmI cortex with intact NE levels (P < 0.05). When bilateral vibrissectomy was combined with a unilateral LC lesion, the SC3 barrel and column metabolic representation on the LC-intact side enlarged as expected but no enlargement occurred on the NE-depleted side (20% difference; P < 0.05). Therefore, the effect of NE on the SmI cortex depends on the status of its afferent input. NE inhibits the spread of metabolic activity beyond the activated barrel and column in the intact cortex, but independently modulates plastic enlargement in the partially deafterented SmI cortex.

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Research reportThe role of norepinephrine in adult rat somatosensory (SmI) cortical metabolism and plasticity

Abstract

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Noradrenaline and functional plasticity in kitten visual cortex: a re-examination

J. Physiol. (Lond.)

The effects of neonatal 6-hydroxydopamine treatment on morphological plasticity in the dentate gyrus of the rat following entorhinal lesions

J. Comp. Neurol.

Modulation of visual cortical plasticity by acetylcholine and noradrenaline

Nature (Lond.)

The effect of neonatal 6-hydroxydopamine treatment on synaptogenesis in the visual cortex of the rat

J. Comp. Neurol.

Laminar differences in sizes, shapes and response profiles of cutaneous receptive fields in the rat SI cortex

Exp. Brain Res.

Effects of 6-hdroxydopamine on visual deprivation in the kitten striate cortex

J. Neurosci.

Research report
The role of norepinephrine in adult rat somatosensory (SmI) cortical metabolism and plasticity