Spike activity of neurons in the ventromedial nucleus (VMN) of the hypothalamus in adult (6-8 months) and aged (2 years) male rats was studied by the in vivo extracellular method using stereotaxic insertion of microelectrodes. In all animals, firing frequency of most VMN neurons increased in response to glucose administration. However, in aged rats, the mean baseline and glucose-induced spike frequencies of VMN neurons were lower than in adult animals. These results support the hypothesis that aging is associated with a decrease in the functional activity of hypothalamic neurons.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Chu Z, Moenter SM. Physiologic regulation of a tetrodotoxinsensitive sodium influx that mediates a slow afterdepolarization potential in gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons: possible implications for the central regulation of fertility. J. Neurosci. 2006;26(46):11961-11973. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3171-06.2006
Farajnia S, Meijer JH, Michel S. Age-related changes in large-conductance calcium-activated potassium channels in mammalian circadian clock neurons. Neurobiol. Aging. 2015;36(6):2176-2183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2014
Hirschberg PR, Sarkar P, Teegala SB, Routh VH. Ventromedial hypothalamus glucose-inhibited neurones: a role in glucose and energy homeostasis? J. Neuroendocrinol. 2020;32(1):e12773.e12773. https://doi.org/10.1111/jne.12773
Kim K, Choe HK. Role of hypothalamus in aging and its underlying cellular mechanisms. Mech. Ageing Dev. 2019;177:74-79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mad.2018.04.008
Krause W.C, Ingraham H.A. Origins and functions of the ventrolateral VMN: a complex neuronal cluster orchestrating sex differences in metabolism and behavior. Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 2017;1043:199-213. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70178-3_10.
Kumar A, Foster TC. Enhanced long-term potentiation during aging is masked by processes involving intracellular calcium stores. J. Neurophysiol. 2004;91(6):2437-2444. https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.01148.2003
Moiseev KY, Vishnyakova PA, Porseva VV, Masliukov AP, Spirichev AA, Emanuilov AI, Masliukov PM. Changes of nNOS expression in the tuberal hypothalamic nuclei during ageing. Nitric Oxide. 2020;100-101:1-6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.niox.2020.04.002
Rizzo V, Richman J, Puthanveettil SV. Dissecting mechanisms of brain aging by studying the intrinsic excitability of neurons. Front. Aging. Neurosci. 2015;6:337. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2014.00337
Sabatier N, Leng G. Spontaneous discharge characteristic of neurons in the ventromedial nucleus of the rat hypothalamus in vivo. Eur. J. Neurosci. 2008;28(4):693-706. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-9568.2008.06389.x
Toescu EC, Verkhratsky A. Parameters of calcium homeostasis in normal neuronal ageing. J. Anat. 2000;197(Pt 4):563-569. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1469-7580.2000.19740563.x
Vishnyakova PA, Moiseev KY, Spirichev AA, Emanuilov AI, Nozdrachev AD, Masliukov PM. Expression of calbindin and calretinin in the dorsomedial and ventromedial hypothalamic nuclei during aging. Anat. Rec. (Hoboken). 2020. Oct. 11. https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.24536
Wang Y, Garro M, Dantzler HA, Taylor JA, Kline DD, Kuehl-Kovarik MC. Age affects spontaneous activity and depolarizing afterpotentials in isolated gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons. Endocrinology. 2008;149(10):4938-4947. https://doi.org/10.1210/en.2008-0308
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Translated from Byulleten’ Eksperimental’noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 171, No. 2, pp. 219-222, February, 2021
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Moiseev, K.Y., Spirichev, A.A., Pankrasheva, L.G. et al. Spike Activity in the Ventromedial Nucleus of Rat Hypothalamus during Aging. Bull Exp Biol Med 171, 251–253 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10517-021-05205-4
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10517-021-05205-4