The Number of Active Purkinje Cells in the Microelectrod Track as an Indicator of Maturity of the Cerebellum Motor Function in Mature- and Immature-Born Animals

摘要

In experiments on 5 age groups of anesthetized guinea pigs (from newborns to 4 weeks of postnatal ontogenesis),activity of cerebellum Purkinje cells (PC) (IV-VII lobules of cerebellar vermis) was studied in the single track of microelectrode passing through cell layers.It has been shown that as early as several hours afterbirth,in the superficial layer of cerebellar cortex,there are recorded occasional background-active,but functionally mature PC in the form of simple and complex spikes and accordingly reflecting synaptic PC activation by afferent inputs of mossy and climbing fibers.The functional manifestation of the guinea pig motor behavior at this period of ontogenesis is act of their standing.At this period of ontogenesis,in the newborn and one-day old guinea pigs,on average,from 1 to rarely 11 active PC are recorded in the single microelectrode track.At the one-week age,the highest number of active PC in the track somewhat increases,predominantly at the expense of the mean from the total number of cells in the track.In the 2-week old guinea pigs the mean number of active PC in the track somewhat falls,while in the 4-week old and adult animals it again exceeds,although slightly,the maximal number of PC in the track of newborn animals.The relatively high number of active PC at the very initial period of postnatal ontogenesis can indicate importance of motor function in the congenital food-procuring reflex.