Morphological alterations of neurons from the central nucleus of inferior colliculus in Wistar and war strains submitted to repetitive sound stimulation

• Grant number: 19/18428-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): September 01, 2019
• Effective date (End): November 30, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Physiology - Physiology of Organs and Systems
• Principal Investigator: Alexandra Olimpio Siqueira Cunha
• Grantee: Gabrielle Adriani Melo Marcelino
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 15/22327-7 - Analysis of electrophysiological and morphofunctional properties of neurons in the central nucleus of inferior colliculus related to genesis and spreading of sound-induced convulsive seizures, AP.JP

Abstract

Epilepsy affects millions of people worldwide. However, the causes, mechanisms and neuronal processes underlying this pathology remain largely unknown and treatment in most cases is uneffective. Therefore, there is still a great need for studies that focus on the mechanisms that trigger epileptic seizures and epilepsy. While audiogenic seizures are evoked by the hyperexcitability of primary auditory areas, the repetion of sound stimulation may lead to the spread of epileptic activity to limbic areas. In this context, the Wistar Audiogenic Rat (WAR) strain appears as an important animal model in the sutdy of two basic aspects of epilepsy: seizure onset and spread, as epileptic activity recruits distant areas from the original focus. In the light of these facts, this project aims at the investigation of possible morphological alterations in neurons from the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus after electrical activity is recorded with whole cell patch clamp in cells from anesthezided animals. In this project, animals will be submitted to daily sessions of high intensity sound stimulation and after that will be anesthesized and submitted to a craniotomy in order to record neurons in vivo. These cells will be labeled with biocytin. One hour after giga seal formation, animals will be euthanized, brains will be placed in a PFA solution and further processed for histology and the labelled neurons will be reconstructed using Neurolucida software. With the association of these morphological and neurophysiological data, we hope to help in the understanding of important aspects of the role of neurons from the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus in the onset and spread of audiogenic seizures.