| 1. |
- Aalto, K, et al.
(author)
-
Nerve growth factor in serum of children with systemic lupus erythematosus is correlated with disease activity
- 2002
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In: Cytokine. - : ACADEMIC PRESS LTD ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD. - 1043-4666 .- 1096-0023. ; 20:3, s. 136-139
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a neurotrophic factor, which is expressed both in the nervous system and in peripheral organs. NGF is also present in mast cells, and in B- and T-lymphocytes, and may play a role in the immune cell development and differentiation. Various cytokines have been shown to affect NGF expression, and NGF is elevated in inflammation and in some autoimmune diseases. Here we have studied NGF concentrations in serum of pediatric patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) using a two-site enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We have further correlated the levels of NGF to the inflammatory state of the disease. The mean value of serum NGF in SLE patients was significantly increased compared with controls (3346 vs 627 pg/ml). There was a correlation between the activity of SLE and the levels of NGF. The results show that NGF is elevated in childhood SLE and that the levels are correlated with disease activity. The present results suggest that NGF may play a role in the pathogenesis of SLE and may have a prognostic value in evaluating the course of the disease and in outlining the medication. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 2. |
- Adermark, Louise, 1974, et al.
(author)
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Ethanol acutely decreases astroglial gap junction permeability in primary cultures from defined brain regions
- 2004
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In: Neurochemistry International. - : Elsevier BV. - 0197-0186. ; 45:7, s. 971-978
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The acute effect of hyperosmotic ethanol on gap junction permeability was examined in astroglial cells in primary culture from five different brain regions. Gap junction permeability was analyzed by measuring dye spreading from cell to cell with the low molecular weight dye Lucifer Yellow. Ethanol concentrations 25-300 mM significantly decreased dye spreading in cultures from the cerebral cortex in a dose-dependent but time-independent manner for up to 60 min. Besides cerebral cortex, exposure to 150 mM ethanol decreased dye spreading in astroglial cultures from the hippocampus and from the brain stem, while cultures from the olfactory bulb and from the hypothalamus were not significantly affected. The ethanol-induced decrease in dye spreading in cultures from the cerebral cortex was not mediated through changes in cell volume, osmolarity, protein kinase C (PKC) phosphorylation, intracellular pH, or intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca 2+ ] i ). The decrease in dye spreading was abolished upon incubation in sodium-reduced buffer, and after blockage of the Na + /K + /2Cl - cotransporter with furosemide. The results presented here indicate that ethanol-mediated decrease in dye spreading is directly or indirectly dependent on sodium. © 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 3. |
- Adlerz, Linda, et al.
(author)
-
Accumulation of the amyloid precursor-like protein APLP2 and reduction of APLP1 in retinoic acid-differentiated human neuroblastoma cells upon curcumin-induced neurite retraction
- 2003
-
In: Brain Research. Molecular Brain Research. - : Elsevier BV. - 0169-328X .- 1872-6941. ; 119:1, s. 62-72
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Amyloid precursor protein (APP) belongs to a conserved gene family, also including the amyloid precursor-like proteins, APLP1 and APLP2. The function of these three proteins is not yet fully understood. One of the proposed roles of APP is to promote neurite outgrowth. The aim of this study was to investigate the regulation of the expression levels of APP family members during neurite outgrowth. We observed that retinoic acid (RA)-induced neuronal differentiation of human SH-SY5Y cells resulted in increased expression of APP, APLP1 and APLP2. We also examined the effect of the NFκB, AP-1 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase inhibitor curcumin (diferuloylmethane) on the RA-induced expression levels of these proteins. We found that treatment with curcumin counteracted the RA-induced mRNA expression of all APP family members. In addition, we observed that curcumin treatment resulted in neurite retraction without any effect on cell viability. Surprisingly, curcumin had differential effects on the APLP protein levels in RA-differentiated cells. RA-induced APLP1 protein expression was blocked by curcumin, while the APLP2 protein levels were further increased. APP protein levels were not affected by curcumin treatment. We propose that the sustained levels of APP and the elevated levels of APLP2, in spite of the reduced mRNA expression, are due to altered proteolytic processing of these proteins. Furthermore, our results suggest that APLP1 does not undergo the same type of regulated processing as APP and APLP2.
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| 4. |
- Adlerz, Linda, et al.
(author)
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Down-regulation of amyloid precursor protein by peptide nucleic acid oligomer in cultured rat primary neurons and astrocytes
- 2003
-
In: Neuroscience Letters. - 0304-3940 .- 1872-7972. ; 336:1, s. 55-59
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The amyloid precursor protein (APP) and its proteolytic cleavage products, the amyloid P peptides, have been implicated as a cause of Alzheimer's disease. Peptide nucleic acids (PNA), the DNA mimics, have been shown to block the expression of specific proteins at both transcriptional and translational levels. Generally, the cellular uptake of PNA is low. However, recent studies have indicated that the effect of unmodified antisense PNA uptake is more pronounced in nervous tissue. In this study we have shown that biotinylated PNA directed to the initiator codon region of the APP mRNA (-4 - +11) was taken up into the cytoplasm of primary rat cerebellar granule cells and cortical astrocytes, using fluorescence and confocal microscopy studies. Uptake of PNA was faster in neurons than in astrocytes. Western blotting analysis showed that APP was strongly down-regulated in both neurons and astrocytes. Thus, unmodified PNA can be used for studies on the function of APP in neurons and astrocytes.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Ahmad, Abdulbaghi, 1951-, et al.
(author)
-
Tiden läkar inte alla sår
- 2002. - 1
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In: Stress. - : Liber. - 9147050489
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Book chapter (peer-reviewed)
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| 7. |
- Ahn, Young Hwan, et al.
(author)
-
Ultrastructural characterization of dissociated embryonic ventral mesencephalic tissue treated with neuroprotectants.
- 2003
-
In: Cell Transplantation. - 1555-3892. ; 12:3, s. 235-241
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Poor survival and differentiation of grafted dopamine neurons limits the application of clinical transplantation in Parkinson’s disease. The survival of grafted dopamine neurons is only improved by a factor of 2–3 by adding neuroprotectants during tissue preparation. We used dye exclusion cell viability and electron microscopy to investigate the effects of the caspase inhibitor ac-YVAD-cmk and the lazaroid tirilazad mesylate on ultrastructural changes in dissociated embryonic mesencephalic cells. In addition, we examined whether the neuroprotectants selectively counteracted specific signs of neurodegeneration. Cell viability decreased significantly over time in both control and treated cell suspensions, but the number of viable cells remaining was significantly higher in tirilazad mesylate-treated cell suspensions. In control samples, the proportion of cells with an ultrastructure consistent with healthy cells decreased from 70%, immediately after dissociation, to 30% after 8 h of incubation. Similar changes were also observed in cell suspensions treated with neuroprotectants. Thus, the neuroprotectants examined did not block the development of specific morphological signs of neurodegeneration. However, when also taking into account that dead cells lysed and disappeared from each cell suspension with time, we found that the total number of remaining viable cells with healthy nuclear chromatin or intact membrane integrity was significantly higher in the tirilazad mesylate-treated group. The results indicate that tirilazad mesylate protects only a small subpopulation of embryonic mesencephalic cells from degeneration induced by mechanical trauma during tissue dissection and dissociation.
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| 8. |
- Alm, Per A
(author)
-
Stuttering, emotions, and heart rate during anticipatory anxiety: a critical review.
- 2004
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In: Journal of Fluency Disorders. - : Elsevier BV. - 1873-801X .- 0094-730X. ; 29:2, s. 123-133
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Persons who stutter often report their stuttering is influenced by emotional reactions, yet the nature of such relation is still unclear. Psychophysiological studies of stuttering have failed to find any major association between stuttering and the activity of the sympathetic nervous system. A review of published studies of heart rate in relation to stressful speech situations indicate that adults who stutter tend to show a paradoxical reduction of heart rate compared with nonstuttering persons. Reduction of heart rate has also been observed in humans and mammals during anticipation of an unpleasant stimulus, and is proposed to be an indication of anticipatory anxiety resulting in a “freezing response” with parasympathetic inhibition of the heart rate. It is suggested that speech-related anticipatory anxiety in persons who stutter is likely to be a secondary, conditioned reaction based on previous experiences of stuttering.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
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| 11. |
- Andersson, Kerstin, et al.
(author)
-
Patients with insulin-dependent diabetes but not those with non-insulin-dependent diabetes have anti-sulfatide antibodies as determined with a new ELISA assay
- 2002
-
In: Autoimmunity. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0891-6934 .- 1607-842X. ; 35:7, s. 463-8
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: In sera from newly diagnosed insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients (IDDM type 1) autoantibodies occur against different antigen determinants often shared with neural tissues. The role of these autoantibodies in the disease process is not yet clarified but they can be used as a diagnostic tool in the detection of IDDM patients. METHODS: We have analysed the occurrence of sulfatide autoantibodies in serum from patients with type 1 diabetes (n = 20), individuals with pre-type 1 diabetes (n = 6), patients with type 2 diabetes (n = 32) and controls (n = 43). The method used for the determination of the autoantibodies was a newly developed microtitre-ELISA assay utilizing a complex of sulfatide-albumin as the ligand. RESULTS: The new assay procedure for serum sulfatide autoantibodies showed good reproducibility. The total (day-to-day) imprecision based on analyses of three different serum samples with positive titres varied between 11 and 14% during an assay period of 6 months. None of the controls (0/43) had positive titres of sulfatide antibodies. Of the patients with type 1 diabetes, 85% displayed positive titres of anti-sulfatide antibodies while none of the type 2 patients did so. All individuals with pre-type 1 diabetes had positive titres of sulfatide antibodies. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that sulfatide autoantibodies in serum can be reproducibly assayed by the newly developed microtitre-ELISA procedure. Elevated titres of sulfatide autoantibodies are a constant finding in newly diagnosed type 1 patients.
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| 12. |
- Andersson, M, et al.
(author)
-
cAMP response element-binding protein is required for dopamine-dependent gene expression in the intact but not the dopamine-denervated striatum
- 2001
-
In: The Journal of Neuroscience. - 0270-6474 .- 1529-2401. ; 21:24, s. 9930-9943
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) is believed to play a pivotal role in dopamine (DA) receptor-mediated nuclear signaling and neuroplasticity. Here we demonstrate that the significance of CREB for gene expression depends on the experimental paradigm. We compared the role of CREB in two different but related models: L-DOPA administration to unilaterally 6-hydroxydopamine lesioned rats, and cocaine administration to neurologically intact animals. Antisense technology was used to produce a local knockdown of CREB in the lateral caudate-putamen, a region that mediates the dyskinetic or stereotypic manifestations associated with L-DOPA or cocaine treatment, respectively. In intact rats, CREB antisense reduced both basal and cocaine-induced expression of c-Fos, FosB/ΔFosB, and prodynorphin mRNA. In the DA-denervated striatum, CREB was not required for L-DOPA to induce these gene products, nor did CREB contribute considerably to DNA binding activity at cAMP responsive elements (CREs) and CRE-like enhancers. ΔFosB-related proteins and JunD were the main contributors to both CRE and AP-1 DNA-protein complexes in L-DOPA-treated animals. In behavioral studies, intrastriatal CREB knockdown caused enhanced activity scores in intact control animals and exacerbated the dyskinetic effects of acute L-DOPA treatment in 6-OHDA-lesioned animals. These data demonstrate that CREB is not required for the development of L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia in hemiparkinsonian rats. Moreover, our results reveal an unexpected alteration of nuclear signaling mechanisms in the parkinsonian striatum treated with L-DOPA, where AP-1 transcription factors appear to supersede CREB in the activation of CRE-containing genes.
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| 13. |
- Andersson, M, et al.
(author)
-
Time course of striatal DeltaFosB-like immunoreactivity and prodynorphin mRNA levels after discontinuation of chronic dopaminomimetic treatment.
- 2003
-
In: European Journal of Neuroscience. - : Wiley. - 1460-9568 .- 0953-816X. ; 17:3, s. 661-666
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- DFosB-like proteins are particularly stable transcription factors that accumulate in the brain in response to chronic perturbations. In this study we have compared the time-course of striatal FosB/DFosB-like immunoreactivity and prodynorphin mRNA expression after discontinuation of chronic cocaine treatment to intact rats and chronic L-DOPA treatment to unilaterally 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesioned rats. The animals were killed between 3 h and 16 days after the last drug injection. In both treatment paradigms, the druginduced FosB/DFosB immunoreactivity remained significantly elevated in the caudate putamen even at the longest withdrawal period examined. The concomitant upregulation of prodynorphin mRNA, a target of DFosB, paralleled the time-course of DFosB-like immunoreactivity in the 6-OHDA-lesion/L-DOPA model, but was more transient in animals treated with cocaine. These results suggest that DFosB-like proteins have exceptional in vivo stability. In the dopamine-denervated striatum, these proteins may exert sustained effects on the expression of their target genes long after discontinuation of L-DOPA pharmacotherapy.
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| 14. |
- Andersson, Malin
(author)
-
Transcriptional dysregulation in L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia
- 2003
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This study explores the role of transcriptional regulation important in the development of L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia in a rat model of Parkinson’s disease. In patients with Parkinson’s disease, dyskinesia is one of the most difficult complications of the DA-replacement therapy by L-DOPA. The underlying mechanisms are still unknown, but a role of abnormal striatal plasticity has been proposed. The transcription factor cyclic AMP response element-binding protein (CREB) is believed to play a key role in DA receptor-mediated gene expression and neuroplasticity. This thesis demonstrates that the requirement of CREB depends on the experimental paradigm. CREB was required for both basal and cocaine-induced gene expression of c-Fos, FosB/?FosB, and prodynorphin mRNA (PDyn). But more importantly, CREB was not required for L-DOPA to induce the same genes in the DA-denervated striatum. An analysis of DNA-protein interactions showed that the transcription factors ?FosB and JunD appeared to supersede CREB in the binding to regulatory elements of the PDyn gene. The functional significance of ?FosB and JunD was studied using an antisense approach, whereby a local reduction of either ?FosB or JunD in the striatum was obtained. Antisense-mediated knockdown of ?FosB or JunD demonstrated that these transcription factors are causally linked with both PDyn gene expression and the development of dyskinesia in the rat model of Parkinson’s disease. A comparative analysis of FosB/?FosB and JunD at both the mRNA and protein levels disclosed a remarkably similar pattern of changes after acute and chronic L-DOPA treatment. First, junD and fosB/?fosB mRNA expression was induced by acute L-DOPA administration but declined upon repeated treatment. Second, the most prominent upregulation at the protein level was seen after chronic but not acute L-DOPA treatment. This effect was clearly dissociated from the changes in gene expression and led us to propose a new model of ?FosB/JunD induction on the gene and protein level, predicting that repeated administrations of L-DOPA progressively attenuate the transcription of the fosB and junD genes, while the respective proteins accumulate over time probably due to a lack of degradation. The findings of this thesis have implications for the development of therapies that minimize the motor complications of antiparkinsonian medications.
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| 15. |
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| 16. |
- Andrae, Johanna, et al.
(author)
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Platelet-derived growth factor receptor-alpha in ventricular zone cells and in developing neurons.
- 2001
-
In: Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience. - : Elsevier BV. - 1044-7431 .- 1095-9327. ; 17:6
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Cells in the early neuroepithelium differentiate and give rise to all cells in the central nervous system (CNS). The ways from a multipotent CNS stem cell to specialized neurons and glia are not fully understood. Using immunohistochemistry we found that neuroepithelial cells express the platelet-derived growth factor receptor-alpha (PDGFR-alpha) in the neural plate at embryonic day 8.5 and onwards in the neural tube. The protein was polarized to ventricular endfeet. Furthermore, PDGFR-alpha expression was localized to cells undergoing early neuronal development. We also found PDGFR-alpha expression in developing granule cells in the postnatal cerebellum, in Purkinje cells in the adult cerebellum and on processes of developing dorsal root ganglion cells. Previous reports mainly describe PDGFR-alpha expression in oligodendrocyte precursors and glial cells. We believe, in line with a few previous reports, that the PDGFR-alpha in addition marks a pool of undifferentiated cells, which are able to differentiate into neurons.
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| 17. |
- Andreasen, Niels, et al.
(author)
-
Cerebrospinal fluid levels of total-tau, phospho-tau and A beta 42 predicts development of Alzheimer's disease in patients with mild cognitive impairment.
- 2003
-
In: Acta neurologica Scandinavica. Supplementum. - : Hindawi Limited. - 0065-1427 .- 0001-6314. ; 179, s. 47-51
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biochemical diagnostic markers may be valuable to help in the diagnosis early in the course of Alzheimer's disease (AD), especially in the phase before clinically overt dementia, i.e. in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). We studied 44 patients with MCI who, at 1-year follow-up investigation, had progressed to AD with dementia, and 32 controls. Three CSF biomarkers related to the central pathogenic processes in AD were analysed, including CSF total-tau (T-tau) (as a marker for neuronal degeneration), CSF phospho-tau (P-tau) (as a marker for hyperphosphorylation of tau and possibly for the formation of neurofibrillary tangles), and CSF A beta 42 (as a marker for A beta metabolism, and possibly for the formation of senile plaques). At baseline, 35/44 (79.5%) of the MCI patients had high CSF T-tau, 31/44 (70.4%) high CSF P-tau, while 34/44 (77.3%) had low CSF-A beta 42 levels. The positive likelihood ratio was 8.45 for CSF T-tau, 7.49 for CSF P-tau and 8.20 for CSF A beta 42. These findings suggest that these CSF-markers are abnormal before the onset of clinical dementia, and that they may help to identify MCI patients that will progress to AD. CSF diagnostic markers will be especially important when drugs with potential effects on the progression of AD (e.g. gamma-secretase inhibitors) will reach the clinical phase.
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| 18. |
- Andrew, Churchill, et al.
(author)
-
Vision of the hand and environmental context in human prehension
- 2000
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In: Experimental Brain Research. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0014-4819 .- 1432-1106. ; 134:1, s. 81-89
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Previous findings on the role of visual contact with the hand in the control of reaching and grasping have been contradictory. Some studies have shown that such contact is largely irrelevant, while more recent ones have emphasised its importance. In contrast, information arising from the surrounding environment has received relatively little attention in the study of prehensile actions. In order to identify the roles of both sources of information, we made kinematic comparisons between three conditions. In the first, reaching was performed in a dimly lit room and compared with a second condition in which reaches in the dark, but with the thumb and first finger illuminated, were made to a luminous object. This contrast allows the effects of environmental context to be identified. A comparison between the second and a third condition, in which both vision of the hand and the environment was removed, but the object was still visually available, enabled the assessment of how and when vision of the hand plays a role. Removing environmental cues had effects both early and late in the reach, while vision of the hand was only crucial in the period after peak deceleration. In addition, removal of both sources of information resulted in larger grip apertures. Differences and similarities between our findings and those of other studies are discussed, as is the ongoing debate about the relative importance of visual feedback of the hand in the control and co-ordination of prehensile actions. We conclude with suggestions for further research based on the set-up used in the present study.
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| 19. |
- Andsberg, Gunnar, et al.
(author)
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Neuropathological and behavioral consequences of adeno-associated viral vector-mediated continuous intrastriatal neurotrophin delivery in a focal ischemia model in rats.
- 2002
-
In: Neurobiology of Disease. - : Elsevier BV. - 0969-9961. ; 9:2, s. 187-204
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were continuously delivered to the striatum at biologically active levels via recombinant adeno-associated viral (rAAV) gene transfer 4-5 weeks prior to 30 min of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). The magnitude of the deficits in a battery of behavioral tests designed to assess striatal function was highly correlated to the extent of ischemic damage determined by unbiased stereological estimations of striatal neuron numbers. The delivery of neurotrophins lead to mild functional improvements in the ischemia-induced motor impairments assessed 3-5 weeks after the insult, in agreement with a small but significant increase of the survival of dorsolateral striatal neurons. Detailed phenotypic analysis demonstrated that the parvalbumin-containing interneurons were spared to a greater extent by the neurotrophin treatment as compared to the projection neurons, which agreed with the specificity for interneuron transduction by the rAAV vector. These data show the advantage of the never previously performed combination of precise quantification of the ischemia-induced neuropathology along with detailed behavioural analysis for assessing neuroprotection after stroke. We observe that intrastriatal delivery of NGF and BDNF using a viral vector system can mitigate, albeit only moderately, neuronal death following stroke, which leads to detectable functional sparing. (c)2002 Elsevier Science (USA).
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| 20. |
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| 21. |
- Apps, R, et al.
(author)
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Precise matching of olivo-cortical divergence and cortico-nuclear convergence between somatotopically corresponding areas in the medial C1 and medial C3 zones of the paravermal cerebellum
- 2000
-
In: European Journal of Neuroscience. - : Wiley. - 1460-9568 .- 0953-816X. ; 12:1, s. 205-214
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The paravermal cerebellar cortex contains three spatially separate zones (the C1, C3 and Y zones) which form a functionally coupled system involved in the control of voluntary limb movements. A series of 'modules' has been postulated, each defined by a set of olivary neurons with similar receptive fields, the cortical microzones innervated by these neurons and the group of deep cerebellar nuclear neurons upon which the microzones converge. A key feature of this modular organization is a correspondence between cortical input and output, irrespective of the zonal identity of the microzone. This was tested directly using a combined electrophysiological and bi-directional tracer technique in barbiturate-anaesthetized cats. During an initial operation, small injections of a mix of retrograde and anterograde tracer material (red beads combined with Fluoro-Ruby or green beads combined with biotinylated dextran amine or Fluoro-Emerald) were made into areas of the medial C1 and medial C3 zones in cerebellar lobule V characterized by olivo-cerebellar input from the ventral forelimb. The inferior olive and the deep cerebellar nuclei were then scrutinized for retrogradely labelled cells and anterogradely labelled axon terminals, respectively. For individual experiments, the degree of C1-C3 zone terminal field overlap in the nucleus interpositus anterior was plotted as a function of either the regional overlap of single-labelled cells or the proportion of double-labelled cells in the dorsal accessory olive. The results were highly positively correlated, indicating that cortico-nuclear convergence between parts of the two zones is in close proportion to the corresponding olivo-cerebellar divergence, entirely consistent with the modular hypothesis.
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| 22. |
- Archer, SN, et al.
(author)
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Absence of phosphoglucose isomerase-1 in retinal photoreceptor, pigment epithelium and Muller cells
- 2004
-
In: European Journal of Neuroscience. - 1460-9568. ; 19:11, s. 2923-2930
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Macroarray analysis was used to compare equal amounts of cDNA from wild-type and rd/rd (retinal degeneration) mice, collected at P90 when photoreceptor degeneration is virtually complete. A stronger signal for the glycolytic enzyme phosphoglucose isomerase (Gpi1) was observed in the rd/rd sample. Extracellularly, Gpi1 may act as a cytokine, independently described as neuroleukin and autocrine motility factor. Retinal Gpi1 expression was investigated by Northern and Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. Double-labelling was performed with antibodies against Gpi1 and calbindin-D, glutamine synthetase, RPE65, calretinin and ultraviolet opsin in order to provide positive cell type identification. Northern and Western blots showed double expression levels per microgram of RNA and protein, respectively, in the rd/rd retina compared with wild-type. However, the total amount of Gpi1 protein per retina was indistinguishable. Gpi1 immunoreactivity was found in ganglion, amacrine, horizontal and bipolar cells, but not in rods, cones, pigment epithelium and Muller cells. This distribution explains why the absolute amounts of Gpi1 protein were not appreciably different between wild-type and the rd/rd phenotype, where rods and cones are absent, whilst the relative contribution of Gpi1 to the total protein and RNA pools differed. Some extracellular immunoreactivity was observed in the photoreceptor matrix around cones in freshly fixed tissue only, which could possibly reflect a role as a cytokine. We propose that glycolysis in Gpi1-negative cells proceeds entirely through the pentose phosphate pathway, creating NADPH at the cost of organic carbon. We hypothesize that the unique metabolic needs of photoreceptors justify this trade-off.
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| 23. |
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| 24. |
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| 25. |
- Arvidsson, Andreas, et al.
(author)
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N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-mediated increase of neurogenesis in adult rat dentate gyrus following stroke
- 2001
-
In: European Journal of Neuroscience. - : Wiley. - 1460-9568 .- 0953-816X. ; 14:1, s. 10-18
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Neurogenesis in the adult rat dentate gyrus was studied following focal ischemic insults produced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Animals were subjected to either 30 min of MCAO, which causes damage confined to the striatum, or 2 h of MCAO, which leads to both striatal and cortical infarction. When compared to sham-operated rats, MCAO-rats showed a marked increase of the number of cells double-labelled for 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine-5'-monophosphate (BrdU; injected during 4-6 days postischemia) and neuronal-specific antigen (NeuN; a marker of postmitotic neurons) in the ipsilateral dentate granule cell layer and subgranular zone at 5 weeks following the 2 h insult. Only a modest and variable increase of BrdU-labelled cells was found after 30 min of MCAO. The enhanced neurogenesis was not dependent on cell death in the hippocampus, and its magnitude was not correlated to the degree of cortical damage. Systemic administration of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor blocker dizocilpine maleate (MK-801) completely suppressed the elevated neurogenesis following 2 h of MCAO. Our findings indicate that stroke leads to increased neurogenesis in the adult rat dentate gyrus through glutamatergic mechanisms acting on NMDA receptors. This modulatory effect may be mediated through changes in the levels of several growth factors, which occur after stroke, and could influence various regulatory steps of neurogenesis.
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| 26. |
- Arvidsson, Andreas, et al.
(author)
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Neuronal replacement from endogenous precursors in the adult brain after stroke.
- 2002
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In: Nature Medicine. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1546-170X .- 1078-8956. ; 8:9, s. 963-970
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In the adult brain, new neurons are continuously generated in the subventricular zone and dentate gyrus, but it is unknown whether these neurons can replace those lost following damage or disease. Here we show that stroke, caused by transient middle cerebral artery occlusion in adult rats, leads to a marked increase of cell proliferation in the subventricular zone. Stroke-generated new neurons, as well as neuroblasts probably already formed before the insult, migrate into the severely damaged area of the striatum, where they express markers of developing and mature, striatal medium-sized spiny neurons. Thus, stroke induces differentiation of new neurons into the phenotype of most of the neurons destroyed by the ischemic lesion. Here we show that the adult brain has the capacity for self-repair after insults causing extensive neuronal death. If the new neurons are functional and their formation can be stimulated, a novel therapeutic strategy might be developed for stroke in humans.
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| 27. |
- Arvidsson, Andreas, et al.
(author)
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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
-
In: Neuroscience. - 1873-7544. ; 106:1, s. 27-41
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)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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| 28. |
- Axelson, Hans W
(author)
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Human motor compensations for thixotropy-dependent changes in muscular resting tension after moderate joint movements
- 2004
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In: Acta Physiologica Scandinavica. - 0001-6772 .- 1365-201X. ; 182:3, s. 295-304
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- AIM:This study on healthy subjects explores history-dependent changes in the resting tension of relaxed wrist muscles after moderate joint excursions and the motor control consequences of these changes during voluntary wrist joint position maintenance.METHODS:Integrated surface electromyogram (IEMG) was recorded from wrist extensor/flexor muscles. Angular position and torque were recorded from the wrist joint. Changes in wrist flexor muscle resting tension were sensed by a force transducer pressed against the tendons.RESULTS:Consecutive stepwise changes (7.5 degrees ) in wrist joint position (within the dorsiflexed range) were either imposed on relaxed subjects or actively performed while the subjects under visual guidance tried to mimic the passive movements. In relaxed subjects, passive joint torque resistance at a given steady dorsiflexed position either gradually declined or rose depending on the direction of the previous transition movements. In corresponding voluntary contraction experiments, the IEMG amplitude from position holding wrist extensors was found to vary in a similar way as the passive torque resistance. Further, there was a strong correlation between history-dependent changes in extensor IEMG amplitude and stress alterations exhibited by the relaxed antagonist flexors. The above described, slowly subsiding post-movement mechanical and motor adaptations were accelerated by brief forceful cocontractions of the forearm muscles.CONCLUSION:Moderate stepwise changes in joint position are sufficient to induce history-dependent after-effects in passive muscular resting tension, after-effects which during voluntary position holding are effectively compensated for by the motor control system.
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| 29. |
- Axelson, Hans W, et al.
(author)
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Human motor control consequences of thixotropic changes in muscular short-range stiffness
- 2001
-
In: Journal of Physiology. - : Wiley. - 0022-3751 .- 1469-7793. ; 535:Pt 1, s. 279-288
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The primary aim of the present study was to explore whether in healthy subjects the muscle contractions required for unrestrained voluntary wrist dorsiflexions are adjusted in strength to thixotropy-dependent variations in the short-range stiffness encountered in measurements of passive torque resistance to imposed wrist dorsiflexions.After a period of rest, only the first movement in a series of passive wrist dorsiflexions of moderate amplitude exhibited clear signs of short-range stiffness in the torque response. During analogous types of voluntary movements, the extensor EMG during the first movement after rest showed a steep initial rise of activity, which apparently served to compensate for the short-range stiffness.The passive torque resistance to minute repetitive wrist dorsiflexions (within the range of short-range stiffness) was markedly reduced after various types of mechanical agitation. During analogous low-amplitude voluntary wrist dorsiflexions the extensor EMG signals were weaker after than before agitation.Mechanical agitation also led to enhancement of passive dorsiflexion movements induced by weak constant torque pulses. In an analogous way, the movement-generating capacity of weak voluntary extensor activations (as determined by EMG recordings) was greatly enhanced by mechanical agitation.The signals from a force transducer probe pressed against the wrist flexor tendons - during passive wrist dorsiflexions - revealed short-range stiffness responses which highly resembled those observed in the torque measurements, suggesting that the latter to a large extent emanated from the stretched, relaxed flexor muscles. During repetitive stereotyped voluntary wrist dorsiflexions, a close correspondence was observed between the degree of short-range stiffness as sensed by the wrist flexor tension transducer and the strength of the initial extensor activation required for movement generation.The results provide evidence that the central nervous system in its control of voluntary movements takes account of and compensates for the history-dependent degree of inherent short-range stiffness of the muscles antagonistic to the prime movers.
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| 30. |
- Azadi, Seifollah, et al.
(author)
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Thyroid-beta2 and the retinoid RAR-alpha, RXR-gamma and ROR-beta2 receptor mRNAs; expression profiles in mouse retina, retinal explants and neocortex.
- 2002
-
In: NeuroReport. - 1473-558X. ; 13:6, s. 745-750
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In neonatal retinal explants cultured long-term green cones are missing. Recently it was reported that thyroid hormone beta2 receptors (TR-beta2) are essential for these green cones to differentiate. Therefore transcript level of these receptors was investigated in our mouse retinal explants. However, thyroid receptors function as heterodimers with retinoid receptors (RR); so the fate of selected RRs was similarly analyzed using semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Loss of TR-beta2 and RR (RXR-gamma and ROR-beta2) mRNAs was observed after culturing the neonatal retina for 12 days. This indicates that these proteins are involved in determination of green cone identity. In addition, levels of the selected RR transcripts are differentially affected by short- or long-term culture. In the latter case an attached retinal pigment epithelium seems to play a protective role. Furthermore, divergent diurnal peaks of RR mRNAs are present in young as well as aged mouse retina and neocortex. This data might be relevant in the context of human ageing disorders.
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| 31. |
- Bakall, Benjamin, et al.
(author)
-
Analysis of subcellular location of bestrophin in transfected RPE cell lines
- 2000
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In: Gene Function and Disease. - 1438-7506 .- 1438-826X. ; 1:3-4, s. 128-133
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Best macular dystrophy is an autosomal dominant disease leading to macular degeneration and subsequent impaired vision. The disease has juvenile onset and affects the retinal pigment epithelium and adjacent photoreceptors. There are histopathological similarities between Best macular dystrophy (BMD) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with accumulation of lipofuscin in the outer retina. Recently, we identified the gene VMD2 causing Best macular dystrophy. The VMD2 gene has unknown function and there are no similarities between the VMD2 product, called bestrophin, and other proteins with known function. In order to gain more knowledge about the function of bestrophin we investigated its subcellular localization. DNA constructs encoding the bestrophin protein fused to the green fluorescent protein (GFP) or a c-myc tag were transiently expressed in COS-7 cells or retinal pigment epithelium cells. The observed pattern of bestrophin fusion protein was spotted and mainly perinuclear, well corresponding to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), which was also suggested when counterstaining with an ER probe. Probes for other organelles had a different localization pattern compared to bestrophin. In conclusion, the results indicate that bestrophin is located to the endoplasmic reticulum.
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| 32. |
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| 33. |
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| 34. |
- Barg, Sebastian, et al.
(author)
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Delay between fusion pore opening and peptide release from large dense-core vesicles in neuroendocrine cells.
- 2002
-
In: Neuron. - 0896-6273 .- 1097-4199. ; 33:2, s. 287-299
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Peptidergic neurotransmission is slow compared to that mediated by classical neurotransmitters. We have studied exocytotic membrane fusion and cargo release by simultaneous capacitance measurements and confocal imaging of single secretory vesicles in neuroendocrine cells. Depletion of the readily releasable pool (RRP) correlated with exocytosis of 10%-20% of the docked vesicles. Some remaining vesicles became releasable after recovery of RRP. Expansion of the fusion pore, seen as an increase in luminal pH, occurred after approximately 0.3 s, and peptide release was delayed by another 1-10 s. We conclude that (1) RRP refilling involves chemical modification of vesicles already in place, (2) the release of large neuropeptides via the fusion pore is negligible and only proceeds after complete fusion, and (3) sluggish peptidergic transmission reflects the time course of vesicle emptying.
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| 35. |
- Bastlund, JF, et al.
(author)
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Measurement of cortical and hippocampal epileptiform activity in freely moving rats by means of implantable radiotelemetry
- 2004
-
In: Journal of Neuroscience Methods. - : Elsevier BV. - 1872-678X .- 0165-0270. ; 138:1-2, s. 65-72
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Implanted radiotelemetry has been used for the measurement of cortical electroencephalogram (EEG), locomotor activity, body temperature and cardiovascular parameters. This technique allows high quality data acquisition from freely moving animals with no complications of externalised apparatus. This paper focuses on the methodology for short and long-term monitoring of epileptiform activity by simultaneous cortical EEG, hippocampal (HC) EEG and electromyogram (EMG) in rats. The circadian rhythm of temperature (CRT) was monitored after surgery to estimate the need for post surgical recovery of animals. Different placements of EMG electrodes were assessed in order to minimise artefacts and increase sensitivity. The occurrence of epileptiform ictal and interictal activity following an acute injection of either 40 mg/kg pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) or 13.8 mg/kg kainic acid (KA) was investigated. The occurrence of spontaneous seizures was also monitored 5-8 weeks after administration of KA. The present study demonstrated a sensitive method for monitoring cortical EEG, hippocampal EEG and EMG short and long-term by implantable radiotelemetry in freely moving rats.
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| 36. |
- Beckman, Marie, 1961-
(author)
-
Temporal events in neuronal differentiation and cell death : expression and processing of the Alzheimer's amyloid precursor protein family and a protein at the nuclear pore
- 2003
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The present study had two major objectives: 1) to elucidate the involvement of Alzheimer’s amyloid precursor protein (APP) family in neuronal differentiation, and the effect of the Alzheimer’s disease (AD)-linked mutation APPV642I on signal transduction; 2) to investigate the fate of the nuclear pore complex protein POM121 during apoptosis and to examine the possibility of using green fluorescent protein (GFP)-labelled POM121 as a non-invasive sensor of apoptosis in living (non-fixed) cells.APP is the parent protein of the b-amyloid peptide, which is the major peptide constituent in the “senile plaques” of AD. APP and the homologous amyloid precursor-like proteins, APLP1 and APLP2, are members of the APP family. We compared the temporal expression patterns of these proteins during retinoic acid (RA)-induced neuronal differentiation of human neuroblastoma cells. To this end, we established a quantitative non-radioactive Northern blot assay for APLP1, APLP2 and APP. We found that the transcripts of all three APP family members were increased in response to RA. This occurred simultaneously with progressive neurite outgrowth and increased expression of neuronal markers. In addition, we observed that the increase in APLP2 mRNA was similar to that of APP mRNA, whereas the increase in APLP1 mRNA was significantly higher. The elevated mRNA levels also resulted in an in-creased protein expression of APLP1, APLP2 and the neuronal APP695 isoform. Studies using curcumin (diferuloylmethane), an inhibitor of the transcription factors NFkB/AP-1, and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase), revealed a diffe-rential regulation of APLP1 and APLP2. Curcumin suppressed the RA-induced mRNA expression of the APP family, in particular that of APLP1. On the protein level, curcumin also reduced the expression of APLP1. In contrast, curcumin induced an accumulation of APLP2, which we propose is due to inhibition of its proteolytic processing. Furthermore, curcumin induced neurite retraction in RA-differentiated cells without affecting their viability. Our results suggest that NFkB/AP-1 signal transduction pathways mediate a co-ordinated regula-tion of the mRNA expression of the APP family and that APLP1 processing is not regulated by the same mechanisms as the processing of APLP2 and APP. Our results are in agreement with important functions for APLP1, APLP2 and APP within the period of neurite extension and synaptic maturation, and a proposed role for these proteins in neuronal differentiation and synaptic plasticity.Using a doxycycline-controlled gene expression system (Tet-On), we investigated the effect of wild-type APP695 and the pathogenic familial AD-linked APPV642I mutant on signal transduction. Overexpression was induced at different levels in rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) Tet-On cells. We observed a nerve growth factor-dependent increase in the levels of phosphorylated extracellular regulated kinases 1 and 2 in response to expression of mutant APP. Our results support that increased signalling via MAPKs may have a role in the development of AD. In addition, we found that the inducing agent doxycycline in itself affected cell signalling and protected against oxidative stress. This information is critical for evaluation of the effects of transgene expression using Tet systems.Finally, we showed that POM121 is cleaved by a caspase-3-dependent mechanism at aspartate 531 during apoptosis. Characterising the degradation of POM121-GFP in relation to other apoptotic events, revealed that it can be applied as an early non-invasive sensor of nuc-lear apoptosis in living cells using fluorescence microscopy or fluorimetric analysis.
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| 37. |
- Belichenko, P V, et al.
(author)
-
Neuronal and fibre organization in neocortical grafts placed in post-ischaemic adult rat brain: a three-dimensional confocal microscopy study
- 2001
-
In: Journal of Comparative Pathology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1532-3129 .- 0021-9975. ; 124:2-3, s. 142-148
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The dendritic morphology in neocortical grafts was studied with three-dimensional confocal laser scanning microscopy after microinjection of Lucifer Yellow into individual cells. The grafts had been implanted into infarct cavities in the neocortex of hypertensive rats 46 weeks earlier. The carbocyanine dye method was used to identify afferent (host to transplant) and efferent (transplant to host) connections. Pyramidal, nonpyramidal and glial cells were present in the transplants. Some dendrites had an almost normal appearance, but abnormalities (atypical orientation of apical, basal or oblique apical dendrites) were observed. Some bi-apical pyramidal neurons and pyramidal neurons with obliquely oriented apical dendrites were also observed. Carbocyanine dye-labelled fibres of different diameter formed a dense network in the transplant, enabling the border between transplant and host tissue to be clearly recognized. No labelled fibres were observed to enter the host brain. Fibres with "boutons en passant" and no preferential orientation were noted. It is proposed that Lucifer Yellow microinjection may be a useful method in studies aimed at improving graft morphology. Failure to demonstrate host to transplant connections with the carbocyanine dye method was contrary to earlier studies in which tracers were applied in vivo. A combined use of in-vivo and post-mortem tracer techniques is needed to establish the reason for the discrepancy.
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| 38. |
- Belluardo, N, et al.
(author)
-
Neuronal expression and regulation of rat inhibitor of apoptosis protein-2 by kainic acid in the rat brain
- 2002
-
In: European Journal of Neuroscience. - Uppsala Univ, Dept Neurosci, BMC, S-75123 Uppsala, Sweden. Univ Palermo, Fac Med, Dept Human Physiol, I-94125 Palermo, Italy. : WILEY. - 0953-816X .- 1460-9568. ; 15:1, s. 87-100
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) define a protein family with the ability to counteract cell death by the inhibition of different caspases activated during apoptosis. These proteins are present in different cells, however, the function and roles of IAPs in brain tissue are not fully understood. We report here that RIAP-2, the rat homologue of human cIAP-1/HIAP-2, is expressed in different areas of rat brain as shown by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. Brain regions with relatively high expression of RIAP-2 mRNA included cortex, cerebellum and different subregions of rat hippocampus. Double labelling using a specific anti-RIAP antibody and markers for neurons and glial cells, showed that RIAP-2 is predominantly expressed by nerve cells. Kainic acid treatment, which induces seizures, transiently up-regulated RIAP-2 mRNA levels in cerebral cortex, in the CA1 and dentate gyrus regions of hippocampus, which returned to normal levels at 24 h. However in the CA3 region, RIAP-2 mRNA was decreased at 6 h following an early up-regulation. This region contains neurons particularly vulnerable to kainic acid induced cell degeneration. The decrease in RIAP-2 following kainic acid was also observed using immunohistochemistry. RIAP-2 protein did not colocalize with TUNEL labelling present in cells undergoing cell death. The results show that in the adult rat brain RIAP-2 is expressed mainly by neurons, and that the levels are regulated by kainic acid, which activates glutamate receptors. The decrease in RIAP-2 in specific neuronal populations may contribute to cell degeneration in vulnerable brain regions observed after kainic acid treatment.
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| 39. |
- Bengtsson, Fredrik, et al.
(author)
-
Feedback control of Purkinje cell activity by the cerebello-olivary pathway.
- 2004
-
In: European Journal of Neuroscience. - : Wiley. - 1460-9568 .- 0953-816X. ; 20:11, s. 2999-3005
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The pathway from the deep cerebellar nuclei to the inferior olive, the source of the climbing fibre input to the cerebellum, inhibits olivary transmission. As climbing fibre activity can depress the background firing of the Purkinje cells, it was suggested that nucleo-olivary (N–O) inhibition is a negative feedback mechanism for regulating Purkinje cell excitability. This suggestion was investigated, in a set-up with decerebrate ferrets, both by blocking and by stimulating cerebellar output while recording Purkinje cell activity. Blocking the N–O pathway was followed by an increased climbing fibre activity and a dramatic reduction in simple spike firing. Stimulation of the N–O fibres depressed climbing fibre responses and caused an increase in simple spike firing. These results are taken as support for the feedback hypothesis.
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| 40. |
- Bengzon, Johan, et al.
(author)
-
Neuronal apoptosis after brief and prolonged seizures.
- 2002
-
In: Progress in Brain Research. - 1875-7855. ; 135, s. 111-119
-
Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Evidence has accumulated that apoptotic cell death contributes to brain damage following experimental seizures. A substantial number of degenerating neurons within limbic regions display morphological features of apoptosis following prolonged seizures evoked by systemic or local injections of kainic acid, systemic injections of pilocarpine and sustained stimulation of the perforant path. Although longer periods of seizures consistently result in brain damage, it has previously not been clear whether brief single or intermittent seizures lead to cell death. However, recent results indicate that also single seizures lead to apoptotic neuronal death. A brief, non-convulsive seizure evoked by kindling stimulation was found to produce apoptotic neurons bilaterally in the rat dentate gyrus. The mechanism triggering and mediating apoptotic degeneration is at present being studied. Alterations in the expression and activity of cell-death regulatory proteins such as members of the Bcl-2 family and the cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase (caspase) family occur in regions vulnerable to cell degeneration, suggesting an involvement of these factors in mediating apoptosis following seizures. Findings of decreased apoptotic cell death following administration of caspase inhibitors prior to and following experimentally induced status epilepticus, further suggest a role for caspases in seizure-evoked neuronal degeneration. Intermediate forms of cell death with both necrotic and apoptotic features have been found after seizures and investigation into the detailed mechanisms of the different forms of cell degeneration is needed before attempts to specific prevention can be made.
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| 41. |
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| 42. |
- Bergmark, Maria, et al.
(author)
-
Experimental nerve compression and upregulation of CPON in DRG
- 2001
-
In: NeuroReport. - 1473-558X. ; 12:17, s. 3783-3786
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Expression of C-terminal flanking peptide of neuropeptide Y (CPON) in DRG and cell proliferation (incorporation of BrdU) in sciatic nerve of rats following chronic nerve compression (silicone tubes with different internal diameters) was studied by immunocytochemistry. An increased number of CPON-positive neurons and cells incorporating BrdU was induced on the compressed side, most pronounced when a tight tube was used, while no cells expressed CPON or BrdU in intact nerves. The increase was transient and declined with time. Nerve compression induces transient cell proliferation in the nerve and expression of CPON in nerve cell bodies, but this is of a lesser magnitude than those following nerve transection.
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| 43. |
- Betts, G A, et al.
(author)
-
Neck muscle vibration alters visually-perceived roll after unilateral vestibular loss
- 2000
-
In: NeuroReport. - 1473-558X. ; 11:12, s. 2659-2662
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Unilateral sternocleidomastoid muscle vibration was applied to 21 normal and six unilateral vestibular deafferented (uVD) human subjects at head erect and during 30 degrees left and right whole body roll-tilt. In normal subjects, neck vibration had no effect upon the settings of a visual bar to subjective visual horizontal (SVH) in any roll-tilt condition. In uVD subjects settings to SVH were significantly altered by neck vibration, with ipsilesional neck vibration increasing the SVH bias at head erect. Further, during contralesional roll-tilt, ipsilesional neck vibration in uVD subjects significantly increased the E-effect. These results suggest that compensation after vestibular loss allows cervical signals to influence visual perception of roll-tilt.
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| 44. |
- Birnir, Bryndis, et al.
(author)
-
Bicuculline, pentobarbital and diazepam modulate spontaneous GABA(A) channels in rat hippocampal neurons
- 2000
-
In: British Journal of Pharmacology. - : Wiley. - 1476-5381 .- 0007-1188. ; 131:4, s. 695-704
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Spontaneously opening, chloride-selective channels that showed outward rectification were recorded in ripped-off patches from rat cultured hippocampal neurons and in cell-attached patches from rat hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons in slices. In both preparations, channels had multiple conductance states and the most common single-channel conductance varied. In the outside-out patches it ranged from 12 to 70 pS (Vp=40 mV) whereas in the cell-attached patches it ranged from 56 to 85 pS (-Vp=80 mV). Application of GABA to a patch showing spontaneous channel activity evoked a rapid, synchronous activation of channels. During prolonged exposure to either 5 or 100 microM GABA, the open probability of channels decreased. Application of GABA appeared to have no immediate effect on single-channel conductance. Exposure of the patches to 100 microM bicuculline caused a gradual decrease on the single-channel conductance of the spontaneous channels. The time for complete inhibition to take place was slower in the outside-out than in the cell-attached patches. Application of 100 microM pentobarbital or 1 microM diazepam caused 2 - 4 fold increase in the maximum channel conductance of low conductance (<40 pS) spontaneously active channels. The observation of spontaneously opening GABA(A) channels in cell-attached patches on neurons in slices suggests that they may have a role in neurons in vivo and could be an important site of action for some drugs such as benzodiazepines, barbiturates and general anaesthetics.
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| 45. |
- Birnir, Bryndis, et al.
(author)
-
GABA concentration sets the conductance of delayed GABAA channels in outside-out patches from rat hippocampal neurons.
- 2001
-
In: Journal of Membrane Biology. - 0022-2631 .- 1432-1424. ; 181:3, s. 171-83
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- GABAA channels were activated by GABA in outside-out patches from rat cultured hippocampal neurons. They were blocked by bicuculline and potentiated by diazepam. In 109 of 190 outside-out patches, no channels were active before exposure to GABA (silent patches). The other 81 patches showed spontaneous channel activity. In patches containing spontaneous channel activity, rapid application of GABA rapidly activated channels. In 93 of the silent patches, channels could be activated by GABA but only after a delay that was sometimes as long as 10 minutes. The maximum channel conductance of the channels activated after a delay increased with GABA concentration from less than 10 pS (0.5 microm GABA) to more than 100 pS (10 mm GABA). Fitting the data with a Hill-type equation gave an EC50 value of 33 microm and a Hill coefficient of 0.6. The channels showed outward rectification and were chloride selective. In the presence of 1 microm diazepam, the GABA EC50 decreased to 0.2 microm but the maximum conductance was unchanged. Diazepam decreased the average latency for channel opening. Bicuculline, a GABA antagonist, caused a concentration-dependent decrease in channel conductance. In channels activated with 100 microm GABA the bicuculline IC50 was 19 microm. The effect of GABA on channel conductance shows that the role of the ligand in GABAA receptor channel function is more complex than previously thought.
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| 46. |
- Birnir, Bryndis, et al.
(author)
-
Spontaneously opening GABA(A) channels in CA1 pyramidal neurones of rat hippocampus.
- 2000
-
In: Journal of Membrane Biology. - 0022-2631 .- 1432-1424. ; 174:1, s. 21-9
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Spontaneous, single channel, chloride currents were recorded in 48% of cell-attached patches on neurones in the CA1 region of rat hippocampal slices. In some patches, there was more than 1 channel active. They showed outward rectification: both channel conductance and open probability were greater at depolarized than at hyperpolarized potentials. Channels activated by gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in silent patches on the same neurones had similar conductance and outward rectification. The spontaneous currents were inhibited by bicuculline and potentiated by diazepam. It was concluded that the spontaneously opening channels were constitutively active, nonsynaptic GABA(A) channels. Such spontaneously opening GABA(A) channels may provide a tonic inhibitory mechanism in these cells and perhaps in other cells that have GABA(A) receptors although not having a GABA(A) synaptic input. They may also be a target for clinically useful drugs such as the benzodiazepines.
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| 47. |
- Birznieks, Ingvars, et al.
(author)
-
Encoding of direction of fingertip forces by human tactile afferents
- 2001
-
In: Journal of Neuroscience. - : Society for Neuroscience. - 0270-6474 .- 1529-2401. ; 21:20, s. 8222-8237
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In most manipulations, we use our fingertips to apply time-varying forces to the target object in controlled directions. Here we used microneurography to assess how single tactile afferents encode the direction of fingertip forces at magnitudes, rates, and directions comparable to those arising in everyday manipulations. Using a flat stimulus surface, we applied forces to a standard site on the fingertip while recording impulse activity in 196 tactile afferents with receptive fields distributed over the entire terminal phalanx. Forces were applied in one of five directions: normal force and forces at a 20 degrees angle from the normal in the radial, distal, ulnar, or proximal directions. Nearly all afferents responded, and the responses in most slowly adapting (SA)-I, SA-II, and fast adapting (FA)-I afferents were broadly tuned to a preferred direction of force. Among afferents of each type, the preferred directions were distributed in all angular directions with reference to the stimulation site, but not uniformly. The SA-I population was biased for tangential force components in the distal direction, the SA-II population was biased in the proximal direction, and the FA-I population was biased in the proximal and radial directions. Anisotropic mechanical properties of the fingertip and the spatial relationship between the receptive field center of the afferent and the stimulus site appeared to influence the preferred direction in a manner dependent on afferent type. We conclude that tactile afferents from the whole terminal phalanx potentially contribute to the encoding of direction of fingertip forces similar to those that occur when subjects manipulate objects under natural conditions.
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| 48. |
- Björklund, Anders, et al.
(author)
-
Towards a neuroprotective gene therapy for Parkinson's disease: use of adenovirus, AAV and lentivirus vectors for gene transfer of GDNF to the nigrostriatal system in the rat Parkinson model
- 2000
-
In: Brain Research. - 1872-6240. ; 886:1-2, s. 82-98
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- During the last few years, recombinant viral vectors derived from adenovirus (Ad), adeno-associated virus (AAV) or lentivirus (LV) have been developed into highly effective vehicles for gene transfer to the adult central nervous system. In recent experiments, in the rat model of Parkinson's disease, all three vector systems have been shown to be effective for long-term delivery of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) at biologically relevant levels in the nigrostriatal system. Injection of the GDNF encoding vectors into either striatum or substantia nigra thus makes it possible to obtain a regionally restricted over-expression of GDNF within the nigrostriatal system that is sufficient to block the toxin-induced degeneration of the nigral dopamine neurons. Injection of GDNF vectors in the striatum, in particular, is effective not only in rescuing the cell bodies in the substantia nigra, but also in preserving the nigrostriatal projection and a functional striatal dopamine innervation in the rat Parkinson model. Long-term experiments using AAV-GDNF and LV-GDNF vectors show, moreover, that sustained GDNF delivery over 3-6 months can promote regeneration and significant functional recovery in both 6-OHDA-lesioned rats and MPTP-lesioned monkeys. The impressive efficacy of the novel AAV and LV vectors in rodent and primate Parkinson models suggests that the time may now be ripe to explore these vector systems as tools for neuroprotective treatments in patients with Parkinson's disease.
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| 49. |
- Björklund, Martin, et al.
(author)
-
Muscle stretch-induced modulation of noxiously activated dorsal horn neurons of feline spinal cord.
- 2004
-
In: Neuroscience research. - : Elsevier BV. - 0168-0102 .- 1872-8111. ; 48:2, s. 175-184
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The present work was designed to check for the possibility of interactions between mechanical innocuous and chemically induced noxious muscle afferent inputs on discharge behavior of nociceptive superficial dorsal horn neurons (SDHNs) of the spinal cord in decerebrated cats. The innocuous and noxious stimuli were applied separately and in combination, so that the effects of the innocuous stimulus on nociceptive processing could be evaluated. The innocuous stimulus consisted of ramp-and-hold stretches of the gastrocnemius muscles, whereas the noxious stimulus consisted of i.a. injections of bradykinin (BK; 0.5-1 ml, 50 microg/ml) into the arterial circulation of same muscles. Only neurons up to approximately 1mm depth and those that responded to noxious pinch of the gastrocnemius muscles were selected for further analysis. The activity of 16 dorsal horn neurons was recorded extracellularly with high-impedance glass microelectrodes, out of which seven responded to stretch, while 12 neurons responded to bradykinin injections. The bradykinin injections induced three types of responses: excitatory, inhibitory and mixed. The majority of the neurons that showed excitatory and mixed responses to bradykinin were also influenced by stretches applied directly after the bradykinin injection. In these neurons, the stretch usually counteracted the bradykinin-induced response, i.e. shortening and reducing bradykinin-induced excitation and re-exciting the cells after bradykinin-induced inhibition. The mechanism of the stretch modulation is proposed to reside in a segmental spinal control of the nociceptive transmission.
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| 50. |
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