Biomaterial Database

Magnocellular and parvocellular divisions of pigeon nucleus isthmi differentially modulate visual responses in the tectum. 1995

S R Wang, and Y C Wang, and B J Frost

Laboratory for Visual Information Processing, Institute of Biophysics, Academia Sinica, Chaoyang District, Beijing, PR, China.

The electrophysiological responses of 162 tectal cells to computer-generated visual stimuli were extracellularly recorded from 24 homing pigeons before and after injecting either lidocaine or N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) into the nucleus isthmi pars magnocellularis (Imc) or the nucleus isthmi pars parvocellularis (Ipc). Micro-injections of lidocaine into Imc resulted in a significant reduction of firing rate in 80% of tectal cells, whose excitatory receptive fields (ERFs) were localized within the ERF of the Imc cell where the lidocaine was injected. In contrast, when lidocaine was injected into Ipc under identical circumstances it had no effect on the visually driven activity of 68% of tectal cells. However, when the excitatory amino acid NMDA was injected into Ipc it produced a significant reduction in the visually driven firing of 75% of tectal neurons when their ERFs were within the isthmic ERF, while similar application of NMDA into Imc had no effect on the visually driven response of 94% of tectal neurons. When the ERFs of tectal cells were localized outside the ERF of the isthmic cell where the chemical was injected, Imc-injected lidocaine had no effect in 9 out of 10 tectal cells, whereas Ipc-injected NMDA increased firing in 7 out of 17 tectal cells. Therefore, it is suggested that the Imc-tectal fibers participate in a positive feedback pathway and the Ipc-tectal fibers are involved in a negative feedback pathway.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008012	Lidocaine	A local anesthetic and cardiac depressant used as an antiarrhythmia agent. Its actions are more intense and its effects more prolonged than those of PROCAINE but its duration of action is shorter than that of BUPIVACAINE or PRILOCAINE.	Lignocaine,2-(Diethylamino)-N-(2,6-Dimethylphenyl)Acetamide,2-2EtN-2MePhAcN,Dalcaine,Lidocaine Carbonate,Lidocaine Carbonate (2:1),Lidocaine Hydrocarbonate,Lidocaine Hydrochloride,Lidocaine Monoacetate,Lidocaine Monohydrochloride,Lidocaine Monohydrochloride, Monohydrate,Lidocaine Sulfate (1:1),Octocaine,Xylesthesin,Xylocaine,Xylocitin,Xyloneural
D008839	Microelectrodes	Electrodes with an extremely small tip, used in a voltage clamp or other apparatus to stimulate or record bioelectric potentials of single cells intracellularly or extracellularly. (Dorland, 28th ed)	Electrodes, Miniaturized,Electrode, Miniaturized,Microelectrode,Miniaturized Electrode,Miniaturized Electrodes
D010775	Photic Stimulation	Investigative technique commonly used during ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHY in which a series of bright light flashes or visual patterns are used to elicit brain activity.	Stimulation, Photic,Visual Stimulation,Photic Stimulations,Stimulation, Visual,Stimulations, Photic,Stimulations, Visual,Visual Stimulations
D010856	Columbidae	Family in the order COLUMBIFORMES, comprised of pigeons or doves. They are BIRDS with short legs, stout bodies, small heads, and slender bills. Some sources call the smaller species doves and the larger pigeons, but the names are interchangeable.	Columba livia,Doves,Pigeons,Domestic Pigeons,Feral Pigeons,Rock Doves,Rock Pigeons,Domestic Pigeon,Dove,Dove, Rock,Doves, Rock,Feral Pigeon,Pigeon,Pigeon, Domestic,Pigeon, Feral,Pigeon, Rock,Pigeons, Domestic,Pigeons, Feral,Pigeons, Rock,Rock Dove,Rock Pigeon
D005246	Feedback	A mechanism of communication within a system in that the input signal generates an output response which returns to influence the continued activity or productivity of that system.	Feedbacks
D000779	Anesthetics, Local	Drugs that block nerve conduction when applied locally to nerve tissue in appropriate concentrations. They act on any part of the nervous system and on every type of nerve fiber. In contact with a nerve trunk, these anesthetics can cause both sensory and motor paralysis in the innervated area. Their action is completely reversible. (From Gilman AG, et. al., Goodman and Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, 8th ed) Nearly all local anesthetics act by reducing the tendency of voltage-dependent sodium channels to activate.	Anesthetics, Conduction-Blocking,Conduction-Blocking Anesthetics,Local Anesthetic,Anesthetics, Topical,Anesthetic, Local,Anesthetics, Conduction Blocking,Conduction Blocking Anesthetics,Local Anesthetics,Topical Anesthetics
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
D001479	Basal Ganglia	Large subcortical nuclear masses derived from the telencephalon and located in the basal regions of the cerebral hemispheres.	Basal Nuclei,Ganglia, Basal,Basal Nuclear Complex,Ganglion, Basal,Basal Nuclear Complices,Nuclear Complex, Basal,Nuclei, Basal
D013477	Superior Colliculi	The anterior pair of the quadrigeminal bodies which coordinate the general behavioral orienting responses to visual stimuli, such as whole-body turning, and reaching.	Colliculus, Superior,Optic Lobe, Human,Optic Lobe, Mammalian,Optic Tectum,Anterior Colliculus,Superior Colliculus,Tectum, Optic,Colliculi, Superior,Colliculus, Anterior,Human Optic Lobe,Human Optic Lobes,Mammalian Optic Lobe,Mammalian Optic Lobes,Optic Lobes, Human,Optic Lobes, Mammalian,Optic Tectums,Tectums, Optic
D014785	Vision, Ocular	The process in which light signals are transformed by the PHOTORECEPTOR CELLS into electrical signals which can then be transmitted to the brain.	Vision,Light Signal Transduction, Visual,Ocular Vision,Visual Light Signal Transduction,Visual Phototransduction,Visual Transduction,Phototransduction, Visual,Transduction, Visual