Neurotoxicity research
-
Neurotoxicity research · Aug 2016
Baicalin Attenuates Ketamine-Induced Neurotoxicity in the Developing Rats: Involvement of PI3K/Akt and CREB/BDNF/Bcl-2 Pathways.
Ketamine is widely used as an anesthetic in pediatric clinical practice. However, numerous studies have reported that exposure to ketamine during the developmental period induces neurotoxicity. Here we investigate the neuroprotective effects of baicalin, a natural flavonoid compound, against ketamine-induced apoptotic neurotoxicity in the cortex and hippocampus of the Sprague-Dawley postnatal day 7 (PND7) rat pups. ⋯ LY294002 abrogated the protective effect of baicalin. These data demonstrate that baicalin exerts neuroprotective effect against ketamine-induced neuronal apoptosis by activating the PI3K/Akt and its downstream CREB/BDNF/Bcl-2 signaling pathways. Therefore, baicalin appears to be a promising agent in preventing or reversing ketamine's apoptotic neurotoxicity at an early developmental stage.
-
Neurotoxicity research · Aug 2016
Ketamine Affects the Neurogenesis of the Hippocampal Dentate Gyrus in 7-Day-Old Rats.
Ketamine has been reported to cause neonatal neurotoxicity via a neuronal apoptosis mechanism; however, no in vivo research has reported whether ketamine could affect postnatal neurogenesis in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG). A growing number of experiments suggest that postnatal hippocampal neurogenesis is the foundation of maintaining normal hippocampus function into adulthood. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of ketamine on hippocampal neurogenesis. ⋯ Finally, ketamine caused a deficit in hippocampal-dependent spatial reference memory tasks at 2 months old. Our results suggested that ketamine may interfere with hippocampal neurogenesis and long-term neurocognitive function in PND-7 rats. These findings may provide a new perspective to explain the adult neurocognitive dysfunction induced by neonatal ketamine exposure.
-
In view of the recent outbreak of Zika virus (ZIKV), there is an urgent need to investigate the pathogenesis of the symptoms associated with ZIKV infection. Since the first identification of the virus in 1947, the pathologies associated with ZIKV infection were thought to be limited with mild illness that presented fever, rashes, muscle aches, and weakness. ⋯ The severity and the rate of spread of ZIKV in the last year has drawn alarming interest among researchers to investigate murine models to study viral pathogenesis and develop candidate vaccines. A recent study by Lazear and colleagues, in the May 2016 issue of cell host and microbe, is an effort to study the pathogenesis of contemporary and historical virus strains in various mouse models.