| 1. |
- Adjan, V. V., et al.
(författare)
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Caspase-3 activity is reduced after spinal cord injury in mice lacking dynorphin : differential effects on glia and neurons
- 2007
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Ingår i: Neuroscience. - : Elsevier BV. - 0306-4522 .- 1873-7544. ; 148:3, s. 724-36
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Dynorphins are endogenous opioid peptide products of the prodynorphin gene. An extensive literature suggests that dynorphins have deleterious effects on CNS injury outcome. We thus examined whether a deficiency of dynorphin would protect against tissue damage after spinal cord injury (SCI), and if individual cell types would be specifically affected. Wild-type and prodynorphin(-/-) mice received a moderate contusion injury at 10th thoracic vertebrae (T10). Caspase-3 activity at the injury site was significantly decreased in tissue homogenates from prodynorphin(-/-) mice after 4 h. We examined frozen sections at 4 h post-injury by immunostaining for active caspase-3. At 3-4 mm rostral or caudal to the injury, >90% of all neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes expressed active caspase-3 in both wild-type and knockout mice. At 6-7 mm, there were fewer caspase-3(+) oligodendrocytes and astrocytes than at 3-4 mm. Importantly, caspase-3 activation was significantly lower in prodynorphin(-/-) oligodendrocytes and astrocytes, as compared with wild-type mice. In contrast, while caspase-3 expression in neurons also declined with further distance from the injury, there was no effect of genotype. Radioimmunoassay showed that dynorphin A(1-17) was regionally increased in wild-type injured versus sham-injured tissues, although levels of the prodynorphin processing product Arg(6)-Leu-enkephalin were unchanged. Our results indicate that dynorphin peptides affect the extent of post-injury caspase-3 activation, and that glia are especially sensitive to these effects. By promoting caspase-3 activation, dynorphin peptides likely increase the probability of glial apoptosis after SCI. While normally beneficial, our findings suggest that prodynorphin or its peptide products become maladaptive following SCI and contribute to secondary injury.
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| 2. |
- Agosti, F., et al.
(författare)
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Melanocortin 4 Receptor Constitutive Activity Inhibits L-Type Voltage-Gated Calcium Channels In Neurons
- 2017
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Ingår i: Neuroscience. - : PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD. - 0306-4522 .- 1873-7544. ; 346, s. 102-112
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) is a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that is expressed in several brain nuclei playing a crucial role in the regulation of energy balance controlling the homeostasis of the organism. It displays both agonist-evoked and constitutive activity, and moreover, it can couple to different G proteins. Most of the research on MC4R has been focused on agonist-induced activity, while the molecular and cellular basis of MC4R constitutive activity remains scarcely studied. We have previously shown that neuronal N-type voltage-gated calcium channels (Ca(V)2.2) are inhibited by MC4R agonist-dependent activation, while the Ca-V subtypes that carry L- and P/Q-type current are not. Here, we tested the hypothesis that MC4R constitutive activity can affect Ca-V, with focus on the channel subtypes that can control transcriptional activity coupled to depolarization (L-type, Ca(V)1.2/1.3) and neurotransmitter release (N- and P/Q-type, Ca(V)2.2 and Ca(V)2.1). We found that MC4R constitutive activity inhibits specifically Ca(V)1.2/1.3 and Ca(V)2.1 subtypes of Ca-V. We also explored the signaling pathways mediating this inhibition, and thus propose that agonist-dependent and basal MC4R activation modes signal differentially through G(s) and G(i/o) pathways to impact on different Ca-V subtypes. In addition, we found that chronic incubation with MC4R endogenous inverse agonist, agouti and agouti-related peptide (AgRP), occludes Ca-V inhibition in a cell line and in amygdaloid complex cultured neurons as well. Thus, we define new mechanisms of control of the main mediators of depolarization-induced calcium entry into neurons by a GPCR that displays constitutive activity.
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| 3. |
- Ahuja, Poonam, et al.
(författare)
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Decreased glutathione transferase levels in rd1/rd1 mouse retina: Replenishment protects photoreceptors in retinal explants.
- 2005
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Ingår i: Neuroscience. - : Elsevier BV. - 1873-7544 .- 0306-4522. ; 131:4, s. 935-943
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Currently much attention is focused on glutathione S transferase (GST)-induced suppression of apoptosis. The objective of our studies was therefore to see if GST isoenzymes rescue photoreceptors in retinal explants from rd1/rd1 mice, in which photoreceptors degenerate rapidly. Eyes from C3H rd1/rd1 and +/+ mice were collected at various time points between postnatal day (PN) 2 and PN28. Localization and content of alpha-GST and mu-GST was investigated by immunofluorescence and semi-quantitative Western blot analysis, respectively. In addition, PN2 and PN7 retinal explants were cultured till PN28, during which they were treated with 10 ng/ml alpha-GST or mu-GST. The spatiotemporal expression of both GST isoforms was closely similar: early presence in ganglion cell layer after which staining became restricted to Muller cells (particularly in the endfeet) and horizontal cell fibers in both rd1/rd1 and +/+. Doublets of alpha-GST and mu-GST were detected by Western blot analysis. Densitometry of these bands indicated steady reduction of alpha-GST content in rd1/rd1 retina starting from the second postnatal week. When alpha-GST and mu-GST were added exogenously to rd1/rd1 explants, photoreceptor rescue was produced that was more prominent in PN2 than in PN7 explants and more effective by alpha-GST than mu-GST. We propose that alpha-GST neuroprotection is mediated by reduction of tissue oxidative stress.
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| 4. |
- Alsiö, Johan, et al.
(författare)
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Dopamine D1 receptor gene expression decreases in the nucleus accumbens upon long-term exposure to palatable food and differs depending on diet-induced obesity phenotype in rats
- 2010
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Ingår i: Neuroscience. - : Elsevier BV. - 0306-4522 .- 1873-7544. ; 171:3, s. 779-787
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The nucleus accumbens (NAcc) mediates feeding reward; its activity reflects tastants' hedonic value. NAcc dopamine guides immediate responses to reward, however, its involvement in establishing long-term responses after a period of exposure to palatable foods has not been defined. Furthermore, reward-driven overeating propels weight increase, but the scale of weight gain depends on animals' obesity-prone (OP) or -resistant (OR) phenotype. It is unclear whether the NAcc dopamine response to palatable food depends on obesity susceptibility. We investigated the effect of unrestricted extended access to high-fat high-sugar (HFHS) diet on expression of genes encoding dopamine receptors in the NAcc of OP and OR rats. We examined persistence of HFHS diet-induced changes in D(1) and D(2) gene expression in OP and OR rats subjected to HFHS withdrawal (bland chow for 18 days). Effects of restricted access to HFHS by pair-feeding were also studied. Using reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR), we found that NAcc D(1) mRNA was downregulated after long-term HFHS access in OP vs. OR animals. The effect was also observed after 18 days of HFHS withdrawal. Furthermore, restricted HFHS led to downregulation of D(1) as well as of D(2) mRNA levels compared to chow-fed controls. A difference in the expression of mu opioid receptor in the NAcc was also detected between the OP and OR rats during access to palatable food but not after withdrawal. We conclude that exposure to HFHS diets has lasting consequences for the NAcc dopamine system, perhaps modifying the motivation to search for food reward. The fact that the NAcc D(1) expression changes in OP animals after long-term exposure to palatable food and that this effect extends well into the reward discontinuation phase, implicates the D(1) receptor in the propensity to overeat and, in effect, gain weight in obesity prone individuals.
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| 5. |
- Alvarez, S., et al.
(författare)
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PERIPHERAL MOTOR AXONS OF SOD1(G127X) MUTANT MICE ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO ACTIVITY-DEPENDENT DEGENERATION
- 2013
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Ingår i: Neuroscience. - : Elsevier BV. - 0306-4522 .- 1873-7544. ; 241, s. 239-249
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Motor neuron disorders may be associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, and repetitive electrical impulse conduction during energy restriction has been found to cause neuronal degeneration. The aim of this study was to investigate the vulnerability of motor axons of a presymptomatic late-onset, fast-progression SOD1(G127x) mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis to long-lasting, high-frequency repetitive activity. Tibial nerves were stimulated at ankle in 7 to 8-month-old SOD1(G127X) mice when they were clinically indistinguishable from wild-type (WT) mice. The evoked compound muscle action potentials and ascending compound nerve action potentials were recorded from plantar muscles and from the sciatic nerve, respectively. Repetitive stimulation (RS) was carried out in interrupted trains of 200-Hz for 3 h. During the stimulation-sequence there was progressive conduction failure in WT and, to a lesser extent, in the SOD1(G127x). By contrast, 3 days after RS the electrophysiological responses remained reduced in the SOD1(G127x) but recovered completely in WT. Additionally, morphological studies showed Wallerian degeneration in the disease model. Nerve excitability testing by "threshold-tracking" showed that axons recovering from RS had changes in excitability suggestive of membrane hyperpolarization, which was smaller in the SOD1(G127x) than in WT. Our data provide proof-of-principle that SOD1(G127x) axons are less resistant to activity-induced changes in ion-concentrations. It is possible that in SOD1(G127x) there is inadequate energy-dependent Na+/K+ pumping, which may lead to a lethal Na+ overload. (C) 2013 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Arvidsson, Andreas, et al.
(författare)
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Stroke induces widespread changes of gene expression for glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor family receptors in the adult rat brain
- 2001
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Ingår i: Neuroscience. - 1873-7544. ; 106:1, s. 27-41
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Gene expression for glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) family ligands and receptors was analyzed with in situ hybridization after two focal ischemic insults of different severities. Focal ischemia was induced in rats by either 30 min or 2 h of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), causing damage to the striatum only, or involving also the parietal cortex, respectively. We found modest, transient elevation of GDNF mRNA in the dentate granule cell layer. In addition, the number of GDNF mRNA-expressing cells increased in the cortex and striatum after 2 h or 30 min of MCAO, respectively. No changes of neurturin or persephin mRNA expression were detected. Both c-Ret and GFRalpha1 mRNA levels were markedly increased in the ipsilateral cortex outside the ischemic lesion at 6-24 h after the 2-h insult, whereas GFRalpha2 expression was decreased in cortical areas both within and outside the lesion. Similar increases of c-Ret and GFRalpha1 mRNA levels were detected in the striatum, and to a lesser extent, in the cortex following 30 min of MCAO. The 2-h insult also gave rise to transient increases of c-Ret and GFRalpha1 mRNA in hippocampal subregions. Thirty minutes and 2 h of MCAO lead to elevated c-Ret, and GFRalpha1 or GFRalpha2 mRNA expression, respectively, in the ipsilateral ventroposterolateral thalamic nucleus. Both insults induced increased levels of GFRalpha1 mRNA in the subventricular zone of the lateral ventricle.Our data indicate major changes of GDNF family signaling in the forebrain, regulated mainly through altered receptor levels, in the post-ischemic phase. These changes could enhance neuroprotective and neuroregenerative responses both to endogenous and exogenous GDNF ligands.
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| 8. |
- Axelsson, H E, et al.
(författare)
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Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1, vanilloid 2 and melastatin 8 immunoreactive nerve fibers in human skin from individuals with and without Norrbottnian congenital insensitivity to pain.
- 2009
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Ingår i: Neuroscience. - : Elsevier BV. - 1873-7544 .- 0306-4522. ; 162, s. 1322-1332
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1), vanilloid 2 (TRPV2) and melastatin 8 (TRPM8) are thermosensitive cation channels expressed on primary sensory neurons. In contrast to TRPV1, which is present on nociceptive primary afferents and keratinocytes in human skin, less is known about the distribution of TRPV2 and TRPM8 in this tissue. Immunohistochemistry of human forearm skin identified TRPV2 and TRPM8 immunoreactive nerve fibers in epidermis-papillary dermis and around blood vessels and hair follicles in dermis, although these nerve fibers were less abundant than TRPV1 immunoreactive nerve fibers throughout the skin. The TRPV2 and TRPM8 immunoreactive nerve fibers also showed immunoreactivity for calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and to a lesser extent substance P (SP). Neither of the TRP ion channels co-localized with neurofilament 200 kDa (NF200), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) or tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). Nerve fibers immunoreactive for TRPV1, TRPV2, TRPM8, CGRP and SP were absent or substantially reduced in number in individuals with Norrbottnian congenital insensitivity to pain, an autosomal disease selectively affecting the development of C-fiber and Adelta-fiber primary afferents. Quantitative real time PCR detected mRNA transcripts encoding TRPV1 and TRPV2, but not TRPM8, in skin from healthy volunteers, suggesting that these ion channels are also expressed extraneuronally. In conclusion, nerve fibers in human skin express TRPV1, TRPV2 and TRPM8 that co-localize with the sensory neuropeptides CGRP and SP, but not with NF200, VIP or TH. A dramatic loss of such nerve fibers was seen in skin from individuals with Norrbottnian congenital insensitivity to pain, further suggesting that these ion channels are expressed primarily on nociceptive primary sensory neurons in human skin.
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| 9. |
- Bannatyne, B A, et al.
(författare)
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Inhibitory inputs to four types of spinocerebellar tract neurons in the cat spinal cord.
- 2012
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Ingår i: Neuroscience. - : Elsevier BV. - 1873-7544 .- 0306-4522. ; 226, s. 253-69
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Spinocerebellar tract neurons are inhibited by various sources of input via pathways activated by descending tracts as well as peripheral afferents. Inhibition may be used to modulate transmission of excitatory information forwarded to the cerebellum. However it may also provide information on the degree of inhibition of motoneurons and on the operation of inhibitory premotor neurons. Our aim was to extend previous comparisons of morphological substrates of excitation of spinocerebellar neurons to inhibitory input. Contacts formed by inhibitory axon terminals were characterised as either GABAergic, glycinergic or both GABAergic/glycinergic by using antibodies against vesicular GABA transporter, glutamic acid decarboxylase and gephyrin. Quantitative analysis revealed the presence of much higher proportions of inhibitory contacts when compared with excitatory contacts on spinal border (SB) neurons. However similar proportions of inhibitory and excitatory contacts were associated with ventral spinocerebellar tract (VSCT) and dorsal spinocerebellar tract neurons located in Clarke's column (ccDSCT) and the dorsal horn (dhDSCT). In all of the cells, the majority of inhibitory terminals were glycinergic. The density of contacts was higher on somata and proximal versus distal dendrites of SB and VSCT neurons but more evenly distributed in ccDSCT and dhDSCT neurons. Variations in the density and distribution of inhibitory contacts found in this study may reflect differences in information on inhibitory processes forwarded by subtypes of spinocerebellar tract neurons to the cerebellum.
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| 10. |
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