Neurotoxicity research
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Neurotoxicity research · Nov 2015
Diffusion Kurtosis Imaging Detects Microstructural Alterations in Brain of α-Synuclein Overexpressing Transgenic Mouse Model of Parkinson's Disease: A Pilot Study.
Evidence suggests that accumulation and aggregation of α-synuclein contribute to the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). The aim of this study was to evaluate whether diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) will provide a sensitive tool for differentiating between α-synuclein-overexpressing transgenic mouse model of PD (TNWT-61) and wild-type (WT) littermates. This experiment was designed as a proof-of-concept study and forms a part of a complex protocol and ongoing translational research. ⋯ With the cDTI protocol, the ROI analysis showed decrease in all diffusivity parameters in TNWT-61 mice. The current study provides evidence that DKI by providing both kurtosis and diffusivity parameters gives unique information that is complementary to cDTI for in vivo detection of pathological changes that underlie PD-like symptomatology in TNWT-61 mouse model of PD. This result is a crucial step in search for a candidate diagnostic biomarker with translational potential and relevance for human studies.
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Neurotoxicity research · Nov 2015
Cross-Generational trans Fat Consumption Favors Self-Administration of Amphetamine and Changes Molecular Expressions of BDNF, DAT, and D1/D2 Receptors in the Cortex and Hippocampus of Rats.
Amphetamine (AMPH) is an addictive psychostimulant drug whose use has been related to neurotoxicity. Experimentally, AMPH increases anxiety-like symptoms, showing addictive properties. In the last decades, the growing consumption of processed foods has provided an excess of saturated and trans fats in detriment of essential fatty acids, which may modify the lipid profile of brain membranes, thus modifying its permeability and dopaminergic neurotransmission. ⋯ Contrarily, SO/FO decreased these parameters. Increased BDNF protein together with decreased DAT expression was observed in the hippocampus of HVF group. Based on these findings, our study points to a harmful influence of trans fats on drug addiction and craving symptoms, whose mechanism may be related to changes in the dopaminergic neurotransmission.