Neuroscience
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Lateral habenula (LHb) is important for emotional processing. It is a link node between forebrain and midbrain. LHb is reciprocally connected with ventral tegmental area, acting as a regulatory center for the dopaminergic system. ⋯ In addition, the effects of LHb dopamine receptor activation and inactivation on aversive learning and memory were assessed. Our results showed that: (1) activation and inhibition of D1R but not D2R in LHb increased anxiety-like behavior but decreased depressive-like behavior in rats. (2) D1R activation and inactivation in LHb impaired aversive memory acquisition but not consolidation in rats, D1R agonist also impaired aversive memory retrieval in rats. These results might provide new clues about how LHb was involved in emotional processing.
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The Ts65Dn mouse model of Down syndrome (DS) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) exhibits cognitive impairment and degeneration of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons (BFCNs). Our prior studies demonstrated that maternal choline supplementation (MCS) improves attention and spatial cognition in Ts65Dn offspring, normalizes hippocampal neurogenesis, and lessens BFCN degeneration in the medial septal nucleus (MSN). Here we determined whether (i) BFCN degeneration contributes to attentional dysfunction, and (ii) whether the attentional benefits of perinatal MCS are due to changes in BFCN morphology. ⋯ MCS did not normalize any of these morphological abnormalities in the NBM/SI or MSN. Finally, correlational analysis revealed that attentional performance was inversely associated with BFCN volume, and positively associated with BFCN density. These results support the lifelong attentional benefits of MCS for Ts65Dn and 2N offspring and have profound implications for translation to human DS and pathology attenuation in AD.
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Long-term l-DOPA treatment of Parkinson's disease is accompanied with fluctuations of motor responses and l-DOPA-induced dyskinesia (LID). Phosphorylation of the dopamine and c-AMP regulated phosphoprotein of 32kDa (DARPP-32) plays a role in the pathogenesis of LID, and thus dephosphorylation of this protein by activated calcineurin may help reduce LID. One important activator of calcineurin is the Ca2+ ionophore ionomycin. ⋯ Ionomycin also decreased the phosphorylation of three main subunits of the NMDA receptor, NR1 phosphorylated at ser896, NR2A phosphorylated at Tyr-1325, and NR2B phosphorylated at Tyr-1472. Furthermore, the anti-LID effect of striatally injected ionomycin was not accompanied by reduction of the antiparkinsonian action of l-DOPA. These data indicate that ionomycin largely interacts with striatal mechanisms that are critical to the l-DOPA motor response highlighting the role of protein dephosphorylation by calcineurin.
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Our former study demonstrated that Krüppel-like Factor 7 (KLF7) is a transcription factor that stimulates axonal regeneration after peripheral nerve injury. Currently, we used a gene therapy approach to overexpress KLF7 in Schwann cells (SCs) and assessed whether KLF7-transfected SCs graft could promote sciatic nerve regeneration. SCs were transfected by adeno-associated virus 2 (AAV2)-KLF7 in vitro. ⋯ Additionally, HRP-labeled motoneurons in the spinal cord, CTB-labeled sensory neurons in the DRG, motor endplate density and the weight ratios of target muscles were increased by the treatment while thermal hyperalgesia was diminished. Finally, expression of KLF7, NGF, GAP43, TrkA and TrkB were enhanced in the grafted SCs, which may indicate that several signal pathways may be involved in conferring the beneficial effects from KLF7 overexpression. We concluded that KLF7-overexpressing SCs promoted axonal regeneration of the peripheral nerve and enhanced myelination, which collectively proved KLF-SCs as a novel therapeutic strategy for injured nerves.
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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental brain disorder characterized by restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior, social and communication defects, and is commonly associated with difficulties with motor coordination. The etiology of ASD, while mostly idiopathic, has been linked to hereditary factors and teratogens, such as valproic acid (VPA). VPA is used clinically to treat epilepsy, mood disorders, and in the prevention of migraines. ⋯ We also found that dendritic arbors of Purkinje cells were shorter and less complex. Additionally, animals exposed to a repeated dose of VPA performed significantly worse in a number of motor tasks, including beam walking and the rotarod. These results suggest that repeated embryonic exposure to VPA induces significant cerebellar dysfunction and is an effective animal model to study the cerebellar alterations in ASD.