Neuroscience
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Bryostatin-1, a potent agonist of protein kinase C (PKC), has recently been found to enhance spatial learning and long-term memory in rats, mice, rabbits and the nudibranch Hermissenda, and to exert profound neuroprotective effects on Alzheimer's disease (AD) in transgenic mice. However, details of the mechanistic effects of bryostatin on learning and memory remain unclear. To address this issue, whole-cell recording, a dual-recording approach and extracellular recording techniques were performed on young (2-4months) Brown-Norway rats. ⋯ In addition, 8-[2-(2-pentyl-cyclopropylmethl)-cyclopropyl]-octanoic acid (DCP-LA), a selective PKCε activator, also increased the frequency and amplitude of sIPSCs. Taken together, these results suggest that bryostatin enhances GABAergic neurotransmission in pyramidal neurons by activating the PKCα & ε-dependent pathway and by a presynaptic mechanism with excitation of GABAergic interneurons. These effects of bryostatin on GABAergic transmissions and modifiability may contribute to the improvement of learning and memory previously observed to be induced by bryostatin.
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The pre-Bötzinger complex (preBötC) of the ventrolateral medulla is the kernel for inspiratory rhythm generation. However, it is not fully understood how inspiratory neural activity is generated in the preBötC and propagates to other medullary regions. We analyzed the detailed anatomical connectivity to and from the preBötC and functional aspects of the inspiratory information propagation from the preBötC on the transverse plane of the medulla oblongata. ⋯ Intra-preBötC imaging with high spatiotemporal resolution during a single spontaneous inspiratory cycle unveiled deterministic nonlinearities, i.e., chaos, in the population recruitment. Collectively, we comprehensively elucidated the anatomical pathways to and from the preBötC and dynamics of inspiratory neural information propagation: (1) From the preBötC in one side to the contralateral preBötC, which would synchronize the bilateral rhythmogenic kernels, (2) from the preBötC directly to the bilateral hypoglossal premotor and motor areas as well as to the nuclei tractus solitarius, and (3) from the hypoglossal premotor areas toward the hypoglossal motor nuclei. The coincidence of identified anatomical and functional connectivity between the preBötC and other regions in adult and neonatal rats, respectively, indicates that this fundamental connectivity is already well developed at the time of birth.
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Nuclear distribution factor E homolog like 1 (NDEL1) plays an important role in mitosis, neuronal migration, and microtubule organization during brain development by binding to disrupted-in-schizophrenia-1 (DISC1) or lissencephaly (LIS1). Although some evidence has suggested that DISC1 expression is altered in epilepsy, few studies have reported the relationship between NDEL1 and the etiology of epilepsy. In present study, we first investigated the expression of NDEL1 and its binding protein DISC1 after pilocarpine-induced epilepsy in male C57BL/6 mice. ⋯ Moreover, SE also increased the number of blood vessels that fed the CA3 and DG regions of the hippocampus and increased the incidence of abnormalities in capillary network formation where NDEL1 protein was expressed positively. Meanwhile, the expression of phosphorylated ERK (p-ERK) was also increased during the spontaneous seizure period, with a similar expression pattern as NDEL1 and DISC1. Based on these results, we hypothesize that NDEL1 might interact with DISC1 to activate ERK signaling and function as a potential protective factor during the spontaneous seizure period after pilocarpine-induced SE.
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Apart from its role in regulating calcium there is growing evidence that vitamin D is a neuroactive steroid capable of regulating multiple pathways important for both brain development and mature brain function. Vitamin D induces its genomic effects through its nuclear receptor the vitamin D receptor (VDR). Although there is abundant evidence for this receptor's presence in the mammalian brain from studies employing immunohistochemistry, Western blot or quantitative RNA studies there remains some dispute regarding the validity of these studies. ⋯ In addition we have examined VDR subcellular distribution in the gut, kidney and brain from both embryonic and adult tissues. We show that in all embryonic tissues VDR distribution is mostly nuclear, however by adulthood it appears that at least in the gut and kidney, VDR presence in the plasma membrane is more prominent perhaps reflecting some change in VDR function with the maturation of these tissues. Finally the subcellular distribution of VDR in the embryo did not appear to be altered by vitamin D deficiency indicating that perhaps there are other mechanisms at play in vivo to stabilize this receptor in the absence of its ligand.
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Many marine fishes change sex in response to social cues when the dominance hierarchy is perturbed. Arginine-vasotocin (AVT) and the mammalian homolog arginine vasopressin are neuropeptides involved in social and reproductive behaviors across vertebrate taxa. The goal of this study was to determine whether AVT signaling influences aggression and expression of c-Fos, a marker of neuroplasticity, in key brain regions of the social decision circuit in Amphiprion ocellaris clownfish, a species where behavioral dominance precedes gonadal sex change from male to female. ⋯ Manning compound significantly reduced aggression and the probability of winning the contest relative to saline (vehicle) controls. In experiment 2, saline-treated fish displayed approximately twice as many c-Fos-positive cells in the POA and 25% more in the TPp than the Manning-treated fish, no differences were observed in the aTn. Taken together, results suggest AVT signaling is necessary for aggressive behavior and expression of neuroplasticity in the POA and TPp that likely contributes to behavioral dominance and hence, sex change in A. ocellaris.