| 1. |
- Mottahedin, Amin
(author)
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Developing brain and systemic inflammation: a "Toll-like" link with consequences
- 2017
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The developing brain is vulnerable to external insults, and perinatal brain injury (PBI) is a major cause of life-long neurological syndromes such as cerebral palsy. Currently, no pharmaceutical intervention is available. Hypoxia/ischemia (HI), infections and inflammation are implicated in the pathogenesis of PBI. However, the crosstalk between these etiologies is not fully understood. Toll-like receptors (TLR) 3 and TLR2 are responsible for sensing viral and bacterial infections and initiating the inflammatory response. The aim of this thesis was to investigate the effect of systemic inflammation induced by activation of these TLRs on neonatal HI brain injury. We demonstrate that intraperitoneal administration of TLR3 and TLR2 ligands (PolyI:C and P3C, respectively) prior to HI increases the brain injury in neonatal mice. PolyI:C and P3C induced neuroinflammation and altered microglial phenotype as assessed by RT-qPCR, multiplex cytokine assay or flow cytometry. PolyI:C also upregulated the pro-apoptotic gene, Fasl, expression and reduced activation of pro-survival signaling molecule Akt. On the other hand, P3C suppressed mitochondrial respiration, a major mechanism of cellular energy production. P3C, unlike other TLR agonists, induced marked infiltration of leukocytes to the cerebral spinal fluid and brain of neonatal mice and rats. Confocal microscopy, Cre recombinase-mediated gene targeting and in vitro cell transmigra-tion assay revealed the choroid plexus as a site of leukocyte entry. RNA sequencing of the choroid plexus followed by transcriptome cluster analysis and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis revealed potential mechanisms of leukocyte infiltration, including a specific chemotaxis signature and cytoskeleton-related pathways. Finally, we show that N-acetylcysteine treatment inhibits TLR2-mediated leukocyte trafficking in vivo and in vitro. To conclude, this thesis describe a TLR-mediated link between systemic inflammation and developing brain with detrimental consequences on HI brain injury, suggesting potential novel therapeutic strategies.
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| 2. |
- Lindberg, Frida A.
(author)
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The Biological Importance of the Amino Acid Transporter SLC38A10 : Characterization of a Knockout Mouse
- 2022
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The biggest group of transporters, the solute carriers (SLCs), has more than 400 members, and about 30% of these are still orphan. In order to decipher their biological function and possible role in disease, there is a need for characterization of these. Around 25% of SLCs are estimated to have amino acids as substrates, including transporters belonging to the SLC38 family. The SLC38 members are sometimes referred to their alternative name: sodium-coupled neutral amino acid transporters (SNATs). One of these transporters, SNAT10 (or SLC38A10), has been characterized as a bidirectional transporter of glutamate, glutamine, alanine and aspartate, as well as having an efflux of serine, and is ubiquitously expressed in the body. However, its biological importance is not yet understood. The aim with this thesis was to characterize a mouse model deficient in SNAT10 protein in order to find the biological importance of this transporter. In paper I, this is done by using a series of behavioral tests, including the open field test, elevated plus maze, rotarod and Y-maze, among others. The SNAT10 knockout mouse was found to have an increased risk-taking behavior, but no motor or spatial working memory impairments. Furthermore, the knockout mouse was found to have a decreased body weight. In paper II, an additional behavioral characterization was performed by using the multivariate concentric square field™ (MCSF) test. The MCSF test is an arena with different zones associated to different behavioral traits, which generates a behavioral profile depending on where the mouse spends its time. The result from this test implies that the SNAT10 deficient mouse has a lower explorative behavior than its wild type littermates. In paper III, gene expression was studied in whole brain and some genes related to cell cycle regulation and p53 expression were found to be differentially expressed in the knockout brain. Additional gene expression was studied in kidney, liver, lung and muscle, but no changes were found. Plasma levels of histidine and threonine were altered in males, but no altered amino acid levels were found in knockout females, suggesting a possible sex-specific effect. These studies together imply that SNAT10 might be involved in processes related to risk-taking and explorative behavior in the open field and MCSF tests. SNAT10 deficiency also affected amino acid levels in plasma, indicating a disrupted amino acid homeostasis.
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| 3. |
- Bhandage, Amol K., 1988-
(author)
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Glutamate and GABA signalling components in the human brain and in immune cells
- 2016
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Glutamate and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) are the principal excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters in the central nervous system (CNS). They both can activate their ionotropic and metabotropic receptors. Glutamate activates ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGlu - AMPA, kainate and NMDA receptors) and GABA activates GABA-A receptors which are modulated by many types of drugs and substances including alcohol. Using real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, I have shown that iGlu and/or GABA-A receptor subunits were expressed in the hippocampus dentate gyrus (HDG), orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DL-PFC), central amygdala (CeA), caudate and putamen of the human brain and their expression was altered by chronic excessive alcohol consumption. It indicates that excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission may have been altered in the brain of human alcoholics. It is possible that changes in one type of neurotransmitter system may drive changes in another. These brain regions also play a role in brain reward system. Any changes in them may lead to changes in the normal brain functions.Apart from the CNS, glutamate and GABA are also present in the blood and can be synthesised by pancreatic islet cells and immune cells. They may act as immunomodulators of circulating immune cells and can affect immune function through glutamate and GABA receptors. I found that T cells from human, rat and mouse lymph nodes expressed the mRNAs and proteins for specific GABA-A receptor subunits. GABA-evoked transient and tonic currents recorded using the patch clamp technique demonstrate the functional GABA-A channel in T cells. Furthermore, the mRNAs for specific iGlu, GABA-A and GABA-B receptor subunits and chloride cotransporters were detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from men, non-pregnant women, healthy and depressed pregnant women. The results indicate that the expression of iGlu, GABA-A and GABA-B receptors is related to gender, pregnancy and mental health and support the notion that glutamate and GABA receptors may modulate immune function. Intra- and interspecies variability exists in the expression and it is further influenced by physiological conditions.
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| 4. |
- Nowak, Christoph, 1986-
(author)
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Insulin Resistance : Causes, biomarkers and consequences
- 2017
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The worldwide increasing number of persons affected by largely preventable diseases like diabetes demands better prevention and treatment. Insulin is required for effective utilisation of circulating nutrients. Impaired responsiveness to insulin (insulin resistance, IR) is a hallmark of type 2 diabetes and independently raises the risk of heart attack and stroke. The pathophysiology of IR is incompletely understood. High-throughput measurement of large numbers of circulating biomarkers may provide new insights beyond established risk factors.The aims of this thesis were to (i) use proteomics, metabolomics and genomics methods in large community samples to identify biomarkers of IR; (ii) assess biomarkers for risk prediction and insights into aetiology and consequences of IR; and (iii) use Mendelian randomisation analysis to assess causality.In Study I, analysis of 80 circulating proteins in 70-to-77-year-old Swedes identified cathepsin D as a biomarker for IR and highlighted a tentative causal effect of IR on raised plasma tissue plasminogen activator levels. In Study II, nontargeted fasting plasma metabolomics was used to discover 52 metabolites associated with glycaemic traits in non-diabetic 70-year-old men. Replication in independent samples of several thousand persons provided evidence for a causal effect of IR on reduced plasma oleic acid and palmitoleic acid levels. In Study III, nontargeted metabolomics in plasma samples obtained at three time points during an oral glucose challenge in 70-year-old men identified associations between a physiologic measure of IR and concentration changes in medium-chain acylcarnitines, monounsaturated fatty acids, bile acids and lysophosphatidylethanolamines. Study IV provided evidence in two large longitudinal cohorts for causal effects of type 2 diabetes and impaired insulin secretion on raised coronary artery disease risk.In conclusion, the Studies in this thesis provide new insights into the pathophysiology and adverse health consequences of IR and illustrate the value of combining traditional epidemiologic designs with recent molecular techniques and bioinformatics methods. The results provide limited evidence for the role of circulating proteins and small molecules in IR and require replication in separate studies and validation in experimental designs.
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| 5. |
- Skovgård, Katrine
(author)
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Models and biomarkers of motor and neuropsychiatric complications in Parkinson’s disease
- 2023
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterised by typicalmotor symptoms that are caused by severe dopamine depletion in the cortico-basalganglia network. Parkinsonian motor symptoms are improved by dopaminergicmedications, the most effective being the dopamine precursor L-DOPA. Thiscompound exerts its motor effects by stimulating dopamine D1 and D2 receptors,whose expression are segregated between the movement-promoting and movement-suppressing pathways of the basal ganglia circuitry. As the disease progresses,treatment with L-DOPA give rise to involuntary movements (dyskinesia), whichlimits its utility. Drugs that directly stimulate dopamine receptors, referred to asdopamine agonists, are commonly used to delay the use of L-DOPA or reduce itsdosage. Although less prone to induce dyskinesia, dopamine agonists have a highliability to induce neuropsychiatric side effects, in particular, impulsive-compulsivebehaviours. However, it remains to be established whether pharmacotherapiescombining L-DOPA and dopamine agonists give rise to specific profiles of motorand non-motor complications.The overarching aim of this thesis is to develop improved experimental modelsto advance translational research on the motor and neuropsychiatric complicationsof PD therapy. Both well-established and new experimental models are used todefine correlations and causal links between regimens of dopaminergic treatment,behavioural changes, and biomarkers of network and cellular dysfunction in thecortico-basal ganglia system.Using in vivo local field potential recordings to study biomarkers of networkdysfunctions, we show that changes in broad-band oscillatory activities of cortico-striatal circuits are correlated to ongoing motions and do not reflect parkinsonian-specific states. Moreover, we demonstrate that dyskinesias induced by D1 receptorstimulation are associated with prominent narrowband cortico-striatal oscillationsin the high gamma range (70-110 Hz). Following treatment with a D2 agonist, thesenarrowband gamma oscillations are less pronounced, whereas this treatment inducesprominent theta oscillations (5-10 Hz) in the deep basal ganglia nuclei. Thus, thecomposition of the dopaminergic therapies might affect these neurophysiologicalbiomarkers and should be considered in future investigations.Next, using a set of pharmacological tools and markers of cellular dysfunctions,we show that adjuvant treatment with D2/3 agonists alters the pattern of dopamine-related neuroplasticity in the basal ganglia compared to L-DOPA monotherapy,despite similar dyskinetic behaviours. The antidyskinetic effects of compounds modulating D1 receptor signalling were stronger in L-DOPA-treated animals, whileNMDA receptor antagonists produced markedly larger effects in the combinedtreatment group. Thus, adjuvant dopamine agonist treatment has a significantimpact on the neuroplasticity and pharmacological response profiles of L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia. In a last study, we show that treatment with a D2/3 agonistinduces compulsive behaviours and impulsive decision-making in both intact andpartially dopamine-depleted rats regardless of L-DOPA coadministration.Taken together, the findings of this thesis shed new light on the maladaptivecellular changes and network dynamics through which dopaminergic pharmacotherapies for PD affects motor behaviours. Moreover, this thesis work reveals the importance of including realistic models of combined therapies in future translational research on L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia.
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| 6. |
- Chebli, Jasmine
(author)
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Physiological roles of amyloid precursor protein in vivo - zebrafish as a model
- 2021
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Amyloid-beta precursor protein (APP) is an evolutionarily conserved transmembrane protein expressed in many different tissues. APP belongs to a gene family consisting of two other APP-like proteins (APLP1 and APLP2). APP has been shown to be involved in biological processes such as neurite outgrowth, neuronal migration, synapse formation and plasticity, and cell-cell interactions. APP also plays a central role in the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). APP's physiological role has been difficult to understand and despite all research is not yet completely understood. The purpose of this thesis was to study the role of APP during early development with zebrafish as the main model system. We have focused on the zebrafish's Apps and have tried to understand their function with the help of genetic knockout models created using the CRISPR / Cas9 method. We report that appb mutants have weakened cell adhesions that give rise to changes in cell organization. We also report that the appb mutants are smaller but develop into fertile and healthy adult individuals. We also found defects in the formation of the trigeminal ganglia (TG) and that Appb seems to have a role in cell-cell interaction. The more widespread TG also consisted of fewer nerve cells, indicating that Appb promotes nerve cell formation. Furthermore, our studies demonstrate APP expression in cilia on sensory nerve cells and ependymal cells covering the brain chambers. The conserved expression of APP in ependymal cilia in mice and humans suggest an important and preserved function. Zebrafish with mutated App were found to have defects in the formation of both cilia and cerebral ventricles. To identify new signalling pathways through which Appb controls these functions, we studied protein changes in appb mutants using mass spectrometry. These studies highlight changes that both confirm known and suggest new regulations by appb, especially in neural development, cell adhesion and in gene regulation. Finally, we tried to answer the underlying mechanisms behind compensation within the App family. We found that mutations in the app genes activate expression of homologous genes via so-called transcriptional adaptation. In conclusion, the findings reported in this thesis showed that App is implicated already in early cellular adhesion and sensory neuronal differentiation processes and is located to several sensory cilia in vivo. The use of zebrafish as a model organism allowed us to gain valuable knowledge on the physiological roles of App.
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| 7. |
- Rodriguez, Juan, 1983
(author)
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Targeting apoptosis-inducing factor as a novel therapeutic strategy for preventing perinatal brain injury
- 2020
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Perinatal complications such as asphyxia can cause brain injuries that are often associated with subsequent neurological deficits. The mechanisms of perinatal brain injury are not fully understood, but mitochondria play a prominent role, not only due to their central function in metabolism, but also because many proteins with apoptosisrelated functions are located in the mitochondrion. Among these proteins, CHCHD4 and apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) have already been shown to make important contributions to neuronal cell death upon hypoxia-ischemia (HI), but a better understanding of the mechanisms behind these processes is required for the development of improved treatments. By inducing HI in 9-day-old mice, leading to moderate brain injury, we studied these mechanisms from multiple perspectives. First, we determined the effect of chchd4 haploinsufficiency, and we showed that neonatal mice with this genotype experienced less brain damage due to reduced translocation of AIF and Cytochrome c from the mitochondrion. Second, we characterized the role of a newly discovered AIF isoform (AIF2), which is only expressed in the brain and the functions of which are unknown. By using Aif2 knockout mice, we showed that under physiological conditions there is an increase in Aif1 expression (the ubiquitously expressed isoform) due to a compensatory effect of loss of Aif2 expression. As a result, these mice showed a higher degree of brain damage after HI and were more vulnerable to oxidative stress. Third, we used another transgenic mouse in which Aif was overexpressed by knocking in a proviral insertion of Aif, leading to an increased expression of Aif1 without affecting the expression of Aif2. This mouse also showed a higher degree of brain damage and higher levels of oxidative stress. Finally, we used a peptide designed to block the apoptotic function of AIF. The results in young mice showed that the neuroprotective effect of the peptide was greater in male mice than in female mice. In summary, this PhD project has opened new perspectives in the comprehension of the mechanisms by which CHCHD4 and AIF are crucial proteins for brain damage after HI, and it has showed that AIF is a promising therapeutic target for improving outcome after perinatal brain injury.
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| 8. |
- Vieira, João
(author)
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Profiling Plasma Metabolite Alterations in Diet-Induced Obesity and Diabetes Using NMR Metabolomics
- 2023
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Diets rich in saturated fat and sedentary lifestyles markedly contribute to obesity and metabolic syndrome-related diseases, including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). Metabolite profiling plays a pivotal role in understanding these metabolic diseases. This thesis comprises insights from four distinct studies to illuminate metabolic imbalances induced by diet-induced obesity (DIO), covering topics related to the duration of dietary regimens, potential benefits of dietary interventions on the brain and metabolism, and the impact of underlying T2D on post-stroke recovery. Using a combination of proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) spectroscopy and mass spectrometry (MS), study I initially demonstrated the superiority of the combined approach in characterizing the effects of DIO on plasma metabolites. The robustness of this method was further validated in a human cohort, underscoring its translational potential in unravelling metabolic imbalances. In study II, female mice exposed to high-fat diet (HFD) exhibited brain metabolism alterations and memory deficits, which were mitigated by taurine and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) supplementation. These supplements not only ameliorated HFD-induced memory impairment but also elicited distinct effects on metabolic alterations within the hippocampus. Systemically, 1H-NMR metabolomics data in study III revealed that NAC and taurine treatments impacted plasma metabolites. Ultimately, as explored in study IV using 1H-NMR metabolomics, unique metabolite changes in male mice with T2D following transient middle cerebral artery occlusion were reported. Specifically, metabolite changes that link T2D to poor neurological outcomes after stroke were observed. In summary, this thesis underscores the significance of metabolite profiling in elucidating the complexities of metabolic diseases, memory impairment, and post-stroke recovery in DIO mouse models. It also emphasizes the translational character of such findings to human pathophysiology.
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| 9. |
- Bixo, Marie, 1957-
(author)
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Ovarian steroids in rat and human brain : effects of different endocrine states
- 1987
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Ovarian steroid hormones are known to produce several different effects in the brain. In addition to their role in gonadotropin release, ovulation and sexual behaviour they also seem to affect mood and emotions, as shown in women with the premenstrual tension syndrome. Some steroids have the ability to affect brain excitability. Estradiol decreases the electroshock threshold while progesterone acts as an anti-convulsant and anaesthetic in both animals and humans. Several earlier studies have shown a specific uptake of several steroids in the animal brain but only a few recent studies have established the presence of steroids in the human brain.In the present studies, the dissections of rat and human brains were carried out macroscopically and areas that are considered to be related to steroid effects were chosen. Steroid concentrations were measured by radioimmunoassay after extraction and separation with celite chromatography. The accuracy and specificity of these methods were estimated.In the animal studies, immature female rats were treated with Pregnant Mare's Serum Gonadotropin (PMSG) to induce simultaneous ovulations. Concentrations of estradiol and progesterone were measured in seven brain areas pre- and postovulatory. The highest concentration of estradiol, pre- and postovulatory, was found in the hypothalamus and differences between the two cycle phases were detected in most brain areas. The preovulatory concentrations of progesterone were low and the highest postovulatory concentration was found in the cerebral cortex.In one study, the rats were injected with pharmacological doses of progesterone to induce "anaesthesia". High uptake of progesterone was found and a regional variation in the formation of 5<*-pregnane-3,20-dione in the brain with the highest ratio in the medulla oblongata.Concentrations of progesterone, 5a-pregnane-3*20-dione, estradiol and testosterone were determined in 17 brain areas of fertile compared to postmenopausal women. All steroids displayed regional differences in brain concentrations. Higher concentrations of estradiol and progesterone were found in the fertile compared to the postmenopausal women.In summary, these studies show that the concentrations of ovarian steroids in the brain are different at different endocrine states in both rats and humans and that there are regional differences in brain steroid distribution.
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| 10. |
- Khoshnood, Ardavan
(author)
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Prehospital Diagnosis and Oxygen Treatment in ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction
- 2017
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- IntroductionPaper I: An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) was constructed to identify ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) and predict the need for Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI). Paper II, III and IV: Studies suggest that O2 therapy may be harmful in STEMI patients. We therefore conducted the SOCCER study to evaluate the effects of O2 therapy in STEMI patients.MethodsPaper I: 560 ambulance ECGs sent to the Cardiac Care Unit (CCU), was together with the CCU physicians interpretation and decision of conducting an acute PCI or not collected, and compared with the interpretation and PCI decision of the ANN. Paper II, III, IV: Normoxic (≥94%) STEMI patients accepted for acute PCI were in the ambulance randomized to standard care with 10 L/min O2 or room air. A subset of the patients underwent echocardiography for determination of the Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF) and the Wall Motion Score Index (WMSI). All patients had a Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging (CMRI) to evaluate Myocardial area at Risk (MaR), Infarct Size (IS) and Myocardial Salvage Index (MSI).ResultsPaper I: The area under the ANN’s receiver operating characteristics curve for STEMI detection as well as predicting the need of acute PCI were very good.Paper II, III, IV: No significant differences could be shown in discussing MaR, MSI or IS between the O2 group (n=46) and the air group (n=49). Neither could any differences be shown for LVEF and WMSI at the index visit as well after six months between the O2 group (n=46) and the air group (n=41)ConclusionsPaper I: The results indicate that the number of ECGs sent to the CCU could be reduced with 2/3 as the ANN would safely identify ECGs not being STEMI.Paper II, III, IV: The results suggest that it is safe to withhold O2 therapy in normoxic, stable STEMI patients.
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