南通大学高永静课题组揭示了前扣带皮层在氮麻醉下的过度运动中的作用。2024年8月19日，《神经科学通报》杂志在线发表了这项成果。

研究人员报告了氮麻醉显著增加了小鼠的运动活动，并且这种效应与压力呈依赖关系。同时，氮麻醉引起了前扣带皮层（ACC）和背内侧纹状体（DMS）神经元的显著激活。值得注意的是，化学遗传学抑制ACC神经元有效地抑制了过度运动。相反，化学遗传学兴奋ACC神经元降低了诱发过度运动所需的高压阈值。

此外，ACC内的活动依赖性神经元的化学遗传学抑制和基因剔除都减少了过度运动。进一步研究表明，ACC神经元投射到DMS，化学遗传学抑制ACC-DMS投射减少了过度运动。最后，氮麻醉导致ACC和DMS内的局部场电位在θ频段增加，α频段减少。这些结果共同表明，ACC内的兴奋性神经元及其对DMS的投射在调节氮麻醉诱导的过度运动中发挥了关键作用。

研究人员表示，氮麻醉是一种神经系统综合症，发生在个体接触高压氮气时，导致运动、情绪和认知方面的异常。ACC在调节动机、认知和行动中具有重要作用，但其在氮麻醉诱导的过度运动中的具体作用及机制仍不清楚。

附：英文原文

Title: Anterior Cingulate Cortex Contributes to the Hyperlocomotion under Nitrogen Narcosis

Author: Peng, Bin, Wu, Xiao-Bo, Zhang, Zhi-Jun, Cao, De-li, Zhao, Lin-Xia, Wu, Hao, Gao, Yong-Jing

Issue&Volume: 2024-08-19

Abstract: Nitrogen narcosis is a neurological syndrome that manifests when humans or animals encounter hyperbaric nitrogen, resulting in a range of motor, emotional, and cognitive abnormalities. The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is known for its significant involvement in regulating motivation, cognition, and action. However, its specific contribution to nitrogen narcosis-induced hyperlocomotion and the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here we report that exposure to hyperbaric nitrogen notably increased the locomotor activity of mice in a pressure-dependent manner. Concurrently, this exposure induced heightened activation among neurons in both the ACC and dorsal medial striatum (DMS). Notably, chemogenetic inhibition of ACC neurons effectively suppressed hyperlocomotion. Conversely, chemogenetic excitation lowered the hyperbaric pressure threshold required to induce hyperlocomotion. Moreover, both chemogenetic inhibition and genetic ablation of activity-dependent neurons within the ACC reduced the hyperlocomotion. Further investigation revealed that ACC neurons project to the DMS, and chemogenetic inhibition of ACC-DMS projections resulted in a reduction in hyperlocomotion. Finally, nitrogen narcosis led to an increase in local field potentials in the theta frequency band and a decrease in the alpha frequency band in both the ACC and DMS. These results collectively suggest that excitatory neurons within the ACC, along with their projections to the DMS, play a pivotal role in regulating the hyperlocomotion induced by exposure to hyperbaric nitrogen.

DOI: 10.1007/s12264-024-01278-z

Source: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12264-024-01278-z