Centre d'Etudes de la SensoriMotricité (CESeM), UMR 8194, CNRS, Université Paris Descartes, Paris cedex 06, France.
Exp Brain Res. 2011 May;210(3-4):423-36. doi: 10.1007/s00221-011-2569-3. Epub 2011 Feb 18.
Numerous studies in rodents have shown that the functional efficacy of several neurotransmitter receptors and the intrinsic membrane excitability of central vestibular neurons, as well as the organization of synaptic connections within and between vestibular nuclei can be modified during postnatal development, after a lesion of peripheral vestibular organs or in vestibular-deficient mutant animals. This review mainly focuses on the intrinsic membrane properties of neurons of the medial vestibular nuclei of rodents, their postnatal maturation, and changes following experimental or congenital alterations in vestibular inputs. It also presents the concomitant modifications in the distribution of these neurons into different neuron types, which has been based on their membrane properties in relation to their anatomical, biochemical, or functional properties. The main points discussed in this review are that (1) the intrinsic membrane properties can be used to distinguish between two dominant types of neurons, (2) the system remains plastic throughout the whole life of the animal, and finally, (3) the intracellular calcium concentration has a major effect on the intrinsic membrane properties of central vestibular neurons.
大量啮齿动物研究表明，几种神经递质受体的功能功效以及中枢前庭神经元的固有膜兴奋性，以及前庭核内和核间突触连接的组织，在出生后发育过程中、外周前庭器官损伤后或前庭缺失突变动物中可以被修饰。这篇综述主要关注啮齿动物内侧前庭核神经元的内在膜特性、它们的出生后成熟以及前庭传入实验或先天性改变后的变化。它还介绍了这些神经元根据其与解剖学、生物化学或功能特性相关的膜特性而分布到不同神经元类型的同时发生的变化。这篇综述讨论的要点是：（1）内在膜特性可用于区分两种主要类型的神经元；（2）该系统在动物的整个生命周期中保持可塑性；最后，（3）细胞内钙浓度对中枢前庭神经元的内在膜特性有重大影响。
