Neuroscience
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Recently, we have shown the expression of novel chemoreceptors corresponding to the olfactory receptor (OR) and taste receptor (TASR) families in the human brain. We have also shown dysregulation of ORs and TASRs in the cerebral cortex in Parkinson's disease. The present study demonstrates the presence of OR mRNA and mRNA of obligated downstream components of OR signaling adenylyl cyclase 3 (ADYLC3) and olfactory G protein (Gnal) in the cerebral cortex of the mouse. ⋯ Altered OR, ADYLC3 and Gnal mRNA expression with disease progression has also been found in APP/PS1 transgenic mice, used as a model of AD. The function of these orphan receptors is not known, but probably related to cell signaling pathways responding to unidentified ligands. Variability in the drift, either down- or up-regulation, of dysregulated genes, suggests that central ORs and TASRs are vulnerable to variegated neurodegenerative diseases with cortical involvement, and that altered expression of ORs and TASRs is not a mere reflection of neuronal loss but rather a modulated pathological response.
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The transmembrane α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA) receptor regulatory proteins (TARPs) are a family of auxiliary AMPA receptor subunits that differentially modulate trafficking and many functional properties of the receptor. To investigate which TARP isoforms may be involved in AMPA receptor-mediated spinal synaptic transmission, we have mapped the localization of five of the known TARP isoforms, namely γ-2 (also known as stargazin), γ-3, γ-4, γ-7 and γ-8, in the rat spinal cord. Immunoblotting showed expression of all isoforms in the spinal cord to varying degrees. ⋯ Synaptic immunogold labeling of γ-2 was sparse throughout the dorsal horn, with some primary afferent synapses weakly labeled, whereas relatively strong γ-7 immunogold labeling was found at deep dorsal horn synapses, including at synapses formed by low-threshold mechanosensitive primary afferent terminals. Prominent immunogold labeling of γ-8 was frequently detected at synapses established by primary afferent fibers. The spinal localization patterns of TARP isoforms reported here suggest that AMPA receptors at spinal synaptic populations and in glial cells may exhibit different functional characteristics owing to differences in auxiliary subunit composition.
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Acoustic trauma, a leading cause of sensorineural hearing loss in adults, induces a complex degenerative process in the cochlea. Although previous investigations have identified multiple stress pathways, a comprehensive analysis of cochlear responses to acoustic injury is still lacking. In the current study, we used the next-generation RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) technique to sequence the whole transcriptome of the normal and noise-traumatized cochlear sensory epithelia (CSE). ⋯ Moreover, protein expression analysis revealed strong expression of Cfi and C1s proteins in the organ of Corti. Importantly, these proteins exhibited expression changes following acoustic trauma. Collectively, the results of the current investigation suggest the involvement of the complement components in cochlear responses to acoustic trauma.
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Pain encompasses both a sensory as well as an affective dimension and these are differentially processed in the cortex. Animal models typically use reflexive behaviors to test nociceptive responses; these are thought to reflect the sensory dimension of pain. While several behavioral tests are available for examining the affective dimension of pain it is unclear if these are appropriate in animal models of muscle pain. ⋯ When both muscles were inflamed, escape-avoidance behaviors did not develop suggesting that equivalent bilateral pain behaviors cannot be tested with an escape-avoidance test. In the non-inflammatory muscle pain model mice did not show significant changes in escape-avoidance behaviors or learned avoidance, but did avoid physical activity. In the exercise-enhanced pain model, there were no changes in escape-avoidance, learned avoidance of noxious or physical activity In conclusion, we developed several testing protocols that assess supraspinal processing of pain behaviors in models of muscle pain and that are most sensitive in animals with unilateral hyperalgesia.
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LIN28, an RNA-binding protein, is known to be involved in the regulation of many cellular processes, such as embryonic stem cell proliferation, cell fate succession, developmental timing, and oncogenesis. In this study, we investigated the effect of constitutively expressing exogenous LIN28 on neuronal cell proliferation and viability in vitro. Plasmids containing LIN28-green fluorescent protein (GFP) or GFP were introduced into the embryonic mouse brains at E14.5 by in utero electroporation. ⋯ Furthermore, it was confirmed that the LIN28-GFP-expressing cells at days in vitro (DIV)13 were neuronal nuclei (NeuN)-positive mature neurons. Finally, the expression of insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF-2) was induced in LIN28-expressing primary cortical neurons, which was not detected in controls. Taken together, our results indicate that the expression of exogenous LIN28 can promote the proliferation of neural progenitor cells and exert prosurvival effect on primary cortical neurons by inhibiting caspase-dependent apoptosis, possibly via upregulation of IGF-2.