Abstract
The effect of electrocoagulative lesions placed in the septum, fornix and fimbria, fimbria and hippocampus on ACh release from the cerebral cortex was investigated in rats under urethane anaesthesia. At least 2 weeks elapsed between the stereotactic placement of the lesions and the determination of ACh output. ACh was determined by bioassay on the dorsal muscle of the leech. No lesion affected the spontaneous release of ACh. The increase in ACh output induced by i.p. administration of amphetamine was abolished by the septal lesion only. On the other hand, the increase in ACh output induced by i.p. administration of scopolamine was strongly reduced by lesions of the septum, of the fornix and fimbria and to a lesser extent of the fimbria. The administration of amphetamine and scopolamine discloses therefore a specific functional impairment of the cerebral cholinergic mechanisms in rats with limbic lesions.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aquilonius, S. M., Lundholm, B., Winbladh, B.: Effects of some anticholinergic drugs on cortical acetylcholine release and motor activity in rats. Europ. J. Pharmacol. 20, 224–230 (1972)
Bartolini, A., Pepeu, G.: Investigation into the acetylcholine output from the cerebral cortex of the cat in the presence of hyoscine. Brit. J. Pharmacol. 31, 66–73 (1967)
Bartolini, A., Weisenthal, L. M., Domino, E. F.: Effect of photic stimulation on acetylcholine release from cat cerebral cortex. Neuropharmacology 11, 113–122 (1972)
Brady, J. V., Nauta, W. J. H.: Subcortical mechanism in emotional behavior: affective changes following septal forebrain lesion in the albino rat. J. comp. physiol. Psychol. 46, 339–346 (1953)
Carey, R. J., Salim, A. P.: Changes in d-amphetamine reactivity resulting from septal forebrain injury. Physiol. Behav. 5, 133–136 (1970)
Guzman-Flores, C. M., Alcazar, M., Fernandez Guardiola, A.: Rapid procedure to localize electrodes in experimental neurophysiology. Bol. Inst. Estud. méd. biol. (Méx.) 16, 26 (1958)
Hemsworth, B. A., Neal, M. J.: The effect of central stimulation drugs on the release of acetylcholine from the cerebral cortex. Brit. J. Pharmacol. 32, 543–550 (1968)
King, F. A., Meyer, P. M.: Effects of amygdaloid lesions upon septal hypermotionality in the rat. Science 128, 655–656 (1958)
Konig, J. F., Klippel, R.: The rat brain—A stereotaxic atlas. Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins 1963
Krnjevic, K., Silver, A.: A histochemical study of cholinergic fibres in the cerebral cortex. J, Anat. (Lond.) 99, 711–759 (1965)
Lewis, P. R., Shute, C. C. D., Silver, A.: Confirmation from choline acetylase analyses of a massive cholinergic innervation to the rat hippocampus. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 191, 215–224 (1967)
Matthews, J. D., Labrecque, G., Domino, E. F.: Effects of morphine and naloxone on neocortical release of acetylcholine in the rat. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 29, 113–120 (1973)
Mitchell, J. F.: The spontaneous and evoked release of acetylcholine from the cerebral cortex. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 165, 98 (1963)
Mulas, A., Pepeu, G.: Disappearance in rats with septal lesions of the stimulatory effect of hyoscine on exploratory behaviour. Brit. J. Pharmacol. 39, 209P (1970)
Nistri, A., Bartolini, A., Deffenu, G., Pepeu, G.: Investigations into the release of acetylcholine from the cerebral cortex of the cat: effects of amphetamine, of scopolamine and of septal lesions. Neuropharmacology 11, 665–674 (1972)
Pepeu, G., Mulas, A., Ruffi, A., Sotgiu, P.: Brain acetylcholine levels in rats with septal lesions. Life Sci. Part I 10, 181–184 (1971)
Pepeu, G.: Cholinergic neurotransmission in the central nervous system. Arch. int. Pharmacodyn., Suppl. 196, 229–243 (1972)
Pepeu, G., Mulas, A., Mulas, M. L.: Effects of subcortical lesions on acetylcholine output from the cerebral cortex in rats. Fifth internat. Congress on Pharmacology Abstracts, p. 179, San Francisco, Calif. July 23–28, 1972
Pepeu, G., Mulas, A., Mulas, M. L.: Changes in the acetylcholine content in the rat brain following lesions of the septum, fimbria and hippocampus. Brain Res. 57, 153–164 (1973)
Sorensen, J. P., Harvey, J. A.: Decreased brain acetylcholine after septal lesions in rats: correlation with thirst. Physiol. Behav. 6, 723–725 (1971)
Szerb, J. C.: Cortical acetylcholine release and electroencephalographic arousal. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 192, 329–343 (1967)
Tracy, W. K., Harrison, J. M.: Aversive behavior following lesions of the septal region of the forebrain in the rat. Amer. J. Psychol. 69, 443–447 (1956)
Warburton, D. M.: Effects of atropine sulfate on single alternation in hippocampectomized rats. Physiol. Behav. 4, 641–644 (1969)
Warburton, D. M.: Effects of atropine sulfate on repeated extinction performance in hippocampectomized rats. Psychopharmacologia (Berl.) 23, 348–356 (1972)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This research was supported by Grant No. 71.00870.04 of the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mulas, A., Mulas, M.L. & Pepeu, G. Effect of limbic system lesions on acetylcholine release from the cerebral cortex of the rat. Psychopharmacologia 39, 223–230 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00421029
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00421029