Different Roles for M1 and M2 Receptors Within Perirhinal Cortex in Object Recognition and Discrimination ⇑ Susan J
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Neurobiology of Learning and Memory 110 (2014) 16–26 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Neurobiology of Learning and Memory journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ynlme Different roles for M1 and M2 receptors within perirhinal cortex in object recognition and discrimination ⇑ Susan J. Bartko a,b, , Boyer D. Winters c, Lisa M. Saksida a,b, Timothy J. Bussey a,b a Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing St., Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK b MRC and Wellcome Trust Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK c Department of Psychology and Collaborative Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada article info abstract Article history: Recognition and discrimination of objects and individuals are critical cognitive faculties in both humans Received 11 September 2013 and non-human animals, and cholinergic transmission has been shown to be essential for both of these Revised 30 December 2013 functions. In the present study we focused on the role of M1 and M2 muscarinic receptors in perirhinal Accepted 6 January 2014 cortex (PRh)-dependent object recognition and discrimination. The selective M antagonists pirenzepine Available online 24 January 2014 1 and the snake toxin MT-7, and a selective M2 antagonist, AF-DX 116, were infused directly into PRh. Pre-sample infusions of both pirenzepine and AF-DX 116 significantly impaired object recognition mem- Keywords: ory in a delay-dependent manner. However, pirenzepine and MT-7, but not AF-DX 116, impaired oddity Medial temporal lobe discrimination performance in a perceptual difficulty-dependent manner. The findings indicate distinct Pirenzepine AF-DX 116 functions for M1 and M2 receptors in object recognition and discrimination. Muscarinic toxin 7 Ó 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Muscarinic receptor Muscarinic subtypes 1. Introduction perirhinal cortex (PRh) (Tang, Mishkin, & Aigner, 1997; Warburton et al., 2003; Winters & Bussey, 2005b; Winters, Saksida, & Bussey, The ability to recognize and discriminate between objects and 2006). A recent study by Wu, Saunders, Mishkin, and Turchi (2012) individuals are important cognitive functions, which can be se- conducted in monkeys revealed significant impairments in visual verely impaired in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s recognition following intra-PRh infusions of the M1 receptor antag- disease (Hajilou & Done, 2007; Irle, Kessler, Markowitsch, & Hof- onist pirenzepine but not the M2 receptor antagonist methoctr- mann, 1987; Laatu, Revonsuo, Jaykka, Portin, & Rinne, 2003; Purdy, amine. However, little is known regarding which specific McMullen, & Freedman, 2002). Consistent with compromised receptor subtypes are involved in recognition memory in the rat cholinergic function in such diseases, cholinergic mechanisms have or what the role is of specific muscarinic receptor subtypes in been shown to be important in both recognition and discrimina- perceptual discrimination. Thus the current series of experiments tion (Aigner & Mishkin, 1986; De Rosa & Hasselmo, 2000; focused on the role of M1 and M2 receptor subtypes in PRh- McGaughy, Koene, Eichenbaum, & Hasselmo, 2005; Robbins dependent object recognition and discrimination in the rat. et al., 1997; Vannucchi, Scali, Kopf, Pepeu, & Casamenti, 1997; PRh-dependent recognition memory was assessed using two Winters, Saksida, & Bussey, 2008). Understanding the more specific delays (0 s and 3 h delay) in a standard spontaneous object recog- mechanisms underlying object recognition and discrimination is nition task. Object discrimination was examined using the simulta- thus essential for understanding normal brain function, how this neous oddity discrimination task (Bartko, Winters, Cowell, Saksida, function is compromised in certain neurodegenerative diseases, & Bussey, 2007a) across three levels of perceptual difficulty (Low, and what therapeutic targets might be useful for ameliorating Medium, and High). Since M1 and M2 receptors have high affinity cognitive decline in such conditions. for pirenzepine (Caulfield & Birdsall, 1998; Ehlert, Roeske, & Non-selective muscarinic receptor antagonists impair object Yamamura, 1995) and AF-DX 116 (Araujo, Lapchak, Regenold, & recognition memory when given systemically (Robbins et al., Quirion, 1989; Hammer, Giraldo, Schiavi, Monferini, & Ladinsky, 1997; Warburton et al., 2003) or when infused directly into the 1986; Quirion, Araujo, Regenold, Araujo, & Quirion, 1989; Rege- nold, Araujo, & Quirion, 1989), respectively, these two antagonists ⇑ were infused directly into PRh to examine M1 and M2 receptor Corresponding author. Address: Cornerstone Research Group, 3228 South function in PRh in object recognition and oddity discrimination Service Road, Suite 204, Burlington, Ontario L7N 3H8, Canada. tasks. M receptor function in PRh was also assessed using a E-mail address: [email protected] (S.J. Bartko). 1 1074-7427/$ - see front matter Ó 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nlm.2014.01.002 S.J. Bartko et al. / Neurobiology of Learning and Memory 110 (2014) 16–26 17 muscarinic snake toxin, MT-7 (also called MTX7 and m1-toxin1). Rompun, Dunlops) and placed in a stereotaxic frame (David Kopf Although pirenzepine is considered an M1 specific antagonist, Instruments, Tujunga, CA) with the incisor bar set at À3.2 mm. and its use allows comparisons with previous studies using this The scalp was cut and retracted to expose the skull. Holes were compound, the selectivity of pirenzepine for M1 opposed to M4 drilled, and the guide cannulas were implanted according to the receptors is only 4–6 times greater (Madison, Jones, Tom-Moy, & following coordinates, measured relative to the skull at bregma Brown, 1987; Nasman, Jolkkonen, Ammoun, Karlsson, & Akerman, (Paxinos and Watson, 1997): anteroposterior, À5.5 mm; lateral, 2000). MT-7 is one of the most selective ligands available for tar- ±6.6 mm; dorsoventral, À6.5 mm. The cannulas were secured to geting M1 receptor subtypes (Olianas, Adem, Karlsson, & Onali, the skull using four jeweler screws and dental acrylic. Obturators 2004); it has more than 20,000 times higher selectivity for M1 cut to extend 1.1 mm beyond the tip of the guide cannulas and receptors than any other muscarinic receptor subtype (Karlsson, with an outer diameter of 0.36 mm were inserted into the guides Jolkkonen, Mulugeta, Onali, & Adem, 2000). and remained there except during infusions. Animals were allowed Dissociation of function between PRh M1 and M2 receptors was to recover for at least 7 days before the beginning of behavioral predicted in this series of experiments because M1 and M2 recep- testing. tors have disparate neurochemical functions. Since M1 receptors are located primarily postsynaptically (Alcantara et al., 2001; Hers- 2.1.3. Histology ch, Gutekunst, Rees, Heilman, & Levey, 1994), antagonism of these After behavioral testing, rats were anesthetized by intraperito- receptors was expected to have effects similar to those of scopol- neal injection of 2 ml of Euthatal (Rhône Mérieux) and perfused amine, disturbing the initial encoding of object information. Be- transcardially with 100 ml of PBS, pH 7.4, followed by 250 ml of cause PRh lesions disrupt object processing in object recognition 4% paraformaldehyde (PFA), pH 7.4. The brains were removed, and oddity discrimination, intra-PRh infusions of M1 antagonists postfixed in 4% PFA at 4 °C for 24 h, and then immersed in 25% su- were predicted to impair both object recognition and oddity dis- crose in PBS until they sank. Coronal sections (60 lm) were cut on crimination. Conversely, M2 receptors are located primarily pre- a freezing microtome through the extent of the lesioned area, and synaptically (Mrzljak, Levey, & Goldman-Rakic, 1993; Packard, every fifth section was mounted on a gelatin coated glass slide and Regenold, Quirion, & White, 1990) and function as autoreceptors stained with cresyl violet. Slides were examined under a light (Galarraga et al., 1999; Quirion, Aubert, Araujo, Hersi, & Gaudreau, microscope to verify the cannulae placements, and approximate 1993); therefore, antagonising M2 receptors might increase cholin- cannula tip locations were mapped onto sections by comparing ergic activity in PRh, possibly facilitating performance in object visually with slides from Paxinos and Watson (1998). recognition and oddity discrimination tasks. The series of experi- ments examined the effects of intra-PRh infusions of pirenzepine 2.1.4. Infusion procedure (Experiment 1), AF-DX 116 (Experiment 2), and MT-7 (Experiment For all experiments, the basic procedure was as follows. All 3) in object recognition. The effects of pirenzepine (Experiment 4), infusions took place in a preparation room separate from the AF-DX 116 (Experiments 5 and 6), and MT-7 (Experiment 7) were behavioral testing area. Animals were gently restrained by the also examined in oddity discrimination. experimenter throughout the infusion procedure. The obturators were removed, and the 28-gauge infusion cannulae, which were cut to extend 1 mm beyond the tip of the guides, were inserted into 2. Materials and methods the guides. Bilateral infusions were conducted simultaneously using two 1 ll Hamilton syringes, which were connected to the 2.1. General methods infusion cannulae by propylene tubing. The syringes were driven by a Harvard Apparatus (Kent, UK) precision syringe pump, which 2.1.1. Subjects delivered a predetermined amount of ll to each