Biomaterial Database

Effect of harmaline on cells of the inferior olive in the absence of tremor: differential response of genetically dystonic and harmaline-tolerant rats. 1991

S E Stratton, and J F Lorden

Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Birmingham 35294.

The genetically dystonic rat is insensitive to the tremorogenic effects of harmaline. This behavioral deficit has been linked to a defect in the olivocerebellar pathway, since few Purkinje cells of dystonic rats show a normal increase in rhythmic complex spike activity following harmaline. In normal rats, the Purkinje cell response to harmaline and tremor are initiated by a rhythmic increase in neuronal firing in the caudal inferior olive. The present single unit recording study was conducted, therefore, to determine if the inferior olive of the dystonic rat is activated by harmaline. Olivary unit responses to harmaline were also examined in normal rats made tolerant to harmaline tremor. These rats are behaviorally insensitive to harmaline and also fail to display rhythmic complex spike activity but do not have the motor deficits of the mutant rats. The spontaneous firing rate of neurons in the caudal and rostral inferior olive of the dystonic rat was significantly slower than that of phenotypically normal littermates. Despite this, all cells recorded in the caudal portion of the medial accessory olive of both dystonic and normal rats showed increased rhythmic activity following harmaline injection. Thus, the failure of the mutants to show harmaline tremor is not due to a failure of the drug to activate cells in the olive. Rather, the data suggest a defect in the subsequent transmission of this information. Unlike the control and dystonic rats, harmaline-tolerant rats failed to show sustained rhythmic activity in the inferior olive. These findings suggest that chronic treatment with harmaline may interfere with harmaline tremor at the level of the inferior olive.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008995	Monoamine Oxidase	An enzyme that catalyzes the oxidative deamination of naturally occurring monoamines. It is a flavin-containing enzyme that is localized in mitochondrial membranes, whether in nerve terminals, the liver, or other organs. Monoamine oxidase is important in regulating the metabolic degradation of catecholamines and serotonin in neural or target tissues. Hepatic monoamine oxidase has a crucial defensive role in inactivating circulating monoamines or those, such as tyramine, that originate in the gut and are absorbed into the portal circulation. (From Goodman and Gilman's, The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, 8th ed, p415) EC 1.4.3.4.	Amine Oxidase (Flavin-Containing),MAO,MAO-A,MAO-B,Monoamine Oxidase A,Monoamine Oxidase B,Type A Monoamine Oxidase,Type B Monoamine Oxidase,Tyramine Oxidase,MAO A,MAO B,Oxidase, Monoamine,Oxidase, Tyramine
D009847	Olivary Nucleus	A brainstem nuclear complex. in the hindbrain, also referred to as the olivary body. The olivary nuclear complex is a part of the MEDULLA OBLONGATA and the PONTINE TEGMENTUM. It is involved with motor control and is a major source of sensory input to the CEREBELLUM.	Basal Nucleus, Olivary,Nucleus Basalis, Olivary,Olivary Body,Olivary Complex,Olivary Nuclei,Complex, Olivary,Nucleus, Olivary,Nucleus, Olivary Basal,Olivary Basal Nucleus,Olivary Bodies
D011922	Rats, Mutant Strains	Rats bearing mutant genes which are phenotypically expressed in the animals.	Mutant Strains Rat,Mutant Strains Rats,Rat, Mutant Strains,Strains Rat, Mutant,Strains Rats, Mutant
D012016	Reference Values	The range or frequency distribution of a measurement in a population (of organisms, organs or things) that has not been selected for the presence of disease or abnormality.	Normal Range,Normal Values,Reference Ranges,Normal Ranges,Normal Value,Range, Normal,Range, Reference,Ranges, Normal,Ranges, Reference,Reference Range,Reference Value,Value, Normal,Value, Reference,Values, Normal,Values, Reference
D004421	Dystonia	An attitude or posture due to the co-contraction of agonists and antagonist muscles in one region of the body. It most often affects the large axial muscles of the trunk and limb girdles. Conditions which feature persistent or recurrent episodes of dystonia as a primary manifestation of disease are referred to as DYSTONIC DISORDERS. (Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, p77)	Muscle Dystonia,Dystonia, Diurnal,Dystonia, Limb,Dystonia, Paroxysmal,Diurnal Dystonia,Dystonia, Muscle,Limb Dystonia,Paroxysmal Dystonia
D004558	Electric Stimulation	Use of electric potential or currents to elicit biological responses.	Stimulation, Electric,Electrical Stimulation,Electric Stimulations,Electrical Stimulations,Stimulation, Electrical,Stimulations, Electric,Stimulations, Electrical
D006246	Harmaline	A beta-carboline alkaloid isolated from seeds of PEGANUM.	3H-Pyrido(3,4-b)indole, 4,9-dihydro-7-methoxy-1-methyl-,Dihydroharmine,Harmidine
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D014202	Tremor	Cyclical movement of a body part that can represent either a physiologic process or a manifestation of disease. Intention or action tremor, a common manifestation of CEREBELLAR DISEASES, is aggravated by movement. In contrast, resting tremor is maximal when there is no attempt at voluntary movement, and occurs as a relatively frequent manifestation of PARKINSON DISEASE.	Action Tremor,Intention Tremor,Resting Tremor,Coarse Tremor,Continuous Tremor,Darkness Tremor,Fine Tremor,Intermittent Tremor,Involuntary Quiver,Massive Tremor,Passive Tremor,Persistent Tremor,Pill Rolling Tremor,Rest Tremor,Saturnine Tremor,Senile Tremor,Static Tremor,Tremor, Limb,Tremor, Muscle,Tremor, Neonatal,Tremor, Nerve,Tremor, Perioral,Tremor, Semirhythmic,Action Tremors,Coarse Tremors,Continuous Tremors,Darkness Tremors,Fine Tremors,Intention Tremors,Intermittent Tremors,Involuntary Quivers,Limb Tremor,Limb Tremors,Massive Tremors,Muscle Tremor,Muscle Tremors,Neonatal Tremor,Neonatal Tremors,Nerve Tremor,Nerve Tremors,Passive Tremors,Perioral Tremor,Perioral Tremors,Persistent Tremors,Pill Rolling Tremors,Quiver, Involuntary,Rest Tremors,Resting Tremors,Saturnine Tremors,Semirhythmic Tremor,Semirhythmic Tremors,Senile Tremors,Static Tremors,Tremor, Action,Tremor, Coarse,Tremor, Continuous,Tremor, Darkness,Tremor, Fine,Tremor, Intention,Tremor, Intermittent,Tremor, Massive,Tremor, Passive,Tremor, Persistent,Tremor, Pill Rolling,Tremor, Rest,Tremor, Resting,Tremor, Saturnine,Tremor, Senile,Tremor, Static,Tremors
D051381	Rats	The common name for the genus Rattus.	Rattus,Rats, Laboratory,Rats, Norway,Rattus norvegicus,Laboratory Rat,Laboratory Rats,Norway Rat,Norway Rats,Rat,Rat, Laboratory,Rat, Norway,norvegicus, Rattus