Summary
In order to evaluate the role of cholinergic cortical mechanisms in the shaping of visual cortical plasticity in more detail the present paper summarizes recent studies on the laminar distribution of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors, choline acetyltransferase, and sodium-dependent high-affinity choline uptake sites during postnatal ontogenesis of the visual cortex of monocularly deprived rats using autoradiographic techniques as well as quantitative biochemical methods after separating the different cortical layers by a cryocut technique. The data are correlated to the laminar distribution of cholinergic fibers within the visual cortex as studied by the immunohistochemical visualization of choline acetyltransferase.
The laminar distribution of cholinergic receptor binding in the visual cortex changes during ontogenesis. In adult rats, the highest muscarinic acetylcholine receptor density is found in layer I.
The activity of the choline acetyltransferase is rather uniformly distributed in all cortical layers. Adult activity values are reached at the age of 25 days. In adult rats the enzyme activity is highest in layer V.
In all visual cortical layers the highest 3H-hemicholinium-3 binding to choline uptake sites during the postnatal period studied is already detectable at the age of 10 days, then binding decreases sharply until day 25 at which age it nearly equals the value found in the adult brain. Binding sites exhibit highest density in layers I and IV of the adult rat visual cortex.
Monocular deprivation resulted in significant changes in all three parameters studied with different cortical laminae preferentially affected. The data suggest that the normal laminar development of the modulatory function of cholinergic transmission in the rat visual cortex depends on the presence of physiological light stimulation.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Aurich, M., Schliebs, R., and Bigl, V. (1985) Serotoninergic receptors in the visual system of light-deprived rats. J. Dev. Neurosci. 3: 285–290.
Aurich, M., Schliebs, R., Stewart, M. G., Rudolph, E., Fischer, H.-D., and Bigl, V. (1989) Adaptive changes in the central noradrenergic system in monocularly deprived rats. Brain Res. Bull. 22: in press.
Bear, M. F., and Singer, W. (1985) Modulation of visual cortical plasticity by acetylcholine and noradrenaline. Nature (Lond.) 320: 172–176.
Bigl, V., Woolf, N. J., and Butcher, L. L. (1982) Cholinergic projections from the basal forebrain to frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital, and cingulate cortices: a combined fluorescent tracer and acetylcholinesterase analysis. Brain Res. Bull. 8: 727–741.
Brückner, G., Braulke, T., Miiller, L., and Biesold, D. (1983) A method for the dissection of the embryonic cerebral cortex into individual layers. An application to biochemical studies of glycan metabolism. J. Neurosci. Meth. 7: 215–226.
Carey, R. G., and Rieck, R. W. (1987) Topographic projections to the visual cortex from the basal forebrain in the rat. Brain Res. 424: 205–215.
De Lima, A. D., and Singer, W. (1986) Cholinergic innervation of the cat striate cortex: A choline acetyltransferase immunocytochemical analysis. J. comp. Neurol. 250: 324–338.
Eckenstein, F. P., Baughman, R. W., and Quinn, J. (1988) An anatomical study of cholinergic innervation in rat cerebral cortex. Neuroscience 25: 457–474.
Höhmann, C. F., Brooks, A. R., Oster-Granite, M. L., and Coyle, J. T. (1986) Neonatal basal forebrain lesions in mice induce abnormal cortical morphogenesis. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 12: 1582.
Kasamatsu, T., and Shirokawa, T. (1985) Involvement of β-adreno-receptors in the shift of ocular dominance after monocular deprivation. Exp. Brain Res. 59: 507–514.
Krisst, D. A., and Kasper, E. K. (1983) High density of cholinergic muscarinic receptors accompanies high intensity acetylcholin-esterase-staining in layer IV of infant rat somatosensory cortex. Dev. Brain Res. 8: 373–376.
Lysakowski, A., Wainer, B. H., Rye, D. B., Bruce, G., and Hersh, L. B. (1986) Cholinergic innervation displays strikingly different laminar preferences in several cortical areas. Neurosci. Lett. 64: 102–108.
McDonald, J. K., Speciale, S. G., and Parnavelas, J. G. (1987) The laminar distribution of glutamate decarboxylase and choline acetyltransferase in the adult and developing visual cortex of the rat. Neuroscience 21: 825–832.
Rotter, A., Field, P. M., and Raisman, G. (1979) Muscarinic receptors in the central nervous system of the rat. III. Postnatal development of binding of [3H]propylbenzilycholine mustard. Brain Res. Rev. 1: 185–205.
Schliebs, R., Bigl, V., and Biesold, D. (1982) Development of muscarinic cholinergic receptor binding in the visual system of monocularly deprived and dark reared rats. Neurochem. Res. 7: 1181–1198.
Schliebs, R., Burgoyne, R. D., and Bigl, V. (1982b) The effect of visual deprivation on β-adrenergic receptors in the visual centres of rat brain. J. Neurochem. 38: 1038–1043.
Schliebs, R., Kullmann, E., and Bigl, V. (1986) Development of glutamate binding sites in the visual structures of the rat brain. Effect of visual pattern deprivation. Biomed. biochim. Acta 45: 495–506.
Schliebs, R., Rothe, T., and Bigl, V. (1986b) Dark-rearing affects the development of benzodiazepine receptors in the cental bisual structures of rat brain. Dev. Brain Res. 24: 179–185.
Schliebs, R., Walch, C., and Stewart, M. G. (1989) Laminar pattern of cholinergic and adrenergic receptors in rat visual cortex using quantitative receptor autoradiography. J. Hirnforsch. 30: in press.
Shaw, C., Needier, M. C., and Cynader, M. (1984) Ontogenesis of muscarinic acetylcholine binding sites in cat visual cortex: reversal of specific laminar distribution during the critical period. Dev. Brain Res. 14: 295–299.
Sillito, A. M., Salt, T. E., and Kemp, J. A. (1985) Modulatory and inhibitory processes in the visual cortex. Vision Res. 25: 375–381.
Stichel, C. C., and Singer, W. (1987) Quantitative analysis of the choline acetyltransferase- immunoreactive axonal network in the cat primary visual cortex: II- Pre- and postnatal development. J. comp. Neurol. 258: 99–111.
Walch, C., and Schliebs, R. (1989) Age-dependent changes in the laminar distribution of cholinergic markers in rat visual cortex. Neurochem. Int. 14: in press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1989 Birkhäuser Verlag
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Walch, C., Schliebs, R., Bigl, V. (1989). Effect of early visual pattern deprivation on development and laminar distribution of cholinergic markers in rat visual cortex. In: Frotscher, M., Misgeld, U. (eds) Central Cholinergic Synaptic Transmission. Experientia Supplementum, vol 57. Birkhäuser Basel. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-9138-7_29
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-9138-7_29
Publisher Name: Birkhäuser Basel
Print ISBN: 978-3-0348-9922-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-0348-9138-7
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive