Neuroscience
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In the adult rabbit and mouse retina, about 30% of the ON-OFF direction selective ganglion cells (DSGCs) are coupled via gap junctions. In early postnatal rabbit retinas, a greater proportion of morphological ON-OFF DSGCs shows coupling with a larger number of nearby somas. It is not clear whether the coupled ON-OFF DSGCs belong to the same subtype, or how coupling patterns change during development. ⋯ Therefore, a rapid decoupling process takes place in DSGCs around eye opening. Light deprivation delayed but did not halt the decoupling process. By using a transgenic mouse line in which green fluorescent protein (GFP) is selectively expressed in DSGCs with PDs to posterior and by performing in situ hybridization of cadherin-6, a marker for the DSGCs with PDs to superior and inferior, we showed that heterologous coupling existed between DSGCs with PDs to anterior and posterior till P12, but this heterologous coupling never spread to DSGCs positive for cadherin-6.
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Central nervous system neurons fail to regenerate after birth, which greatly hampers the effective treatment of many neurodegenerative diseases. Neurons differentiated from induced pluripotent stem cells have been considered a possible option for cell-based therapies. Recent discoveries have revealed that fibroblasts can be directly converted into neurons without a transition through a pluripotent state. ⋯ The reprogramming mediated by adenoviruses occurs much sooner than that mediated by lentiviruses. Furthermore, the induced retinal ganglion-like cells that are produced via adenoviral gene delivery are free of exogenous gene integration. Retinal ganglion-like cells that are induced by adenoviruses demonstrate great potential applicability in clinical therapy and provide a novel platform for the research of retinal degenerative diseases.
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Electromagnetic field (EMF) radiations emitted from mobile phones may cause structural damage to neurons. With the increased usage of mobile phones worldwide, concerns about their possible effects on the nervous system are rising. In the present study, we aimed to elucidate the possible effects of prenatal EMF exposure on the cerebellum of offspring Wistar rats. ⋯ The most prominent changes included afterhyperpolarization amplitude, spike frequency, half width and first spike latency. In conclusion, the results of the present study show that prenatal EMF exposure results in altered electrophysiological properties of Purkinje neurons. However, these changes may not be severe enough to alter the cerebellum-dependent functional tasks.
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We explored the attenuating effects of NP-9 on β-amyloid (Aβ) aggregation and amyloid-induced toxicity. NP-9 is a recently reported monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B), and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor. In the present study, we found that NP-9 inhibited AChE activity in a dose-dependent manner with a maximal inhibition dose of 8 mg/kg, i.p. ⋯ NP-9 has shown marked protection against scopolamine and Aβ1-42-induced memory impairments. It also minimized neuronal loss and amyloid plaque deposition in the brains of Aβ1-42-induced mice model. Therefore, NP-9 could be a promising lead molecule for AD, with effects against MAO-B, AChE, Aβ aggregation, and Aβ1-42 induced toxicity.
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Recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) is the mainstay of acute stroke treatment and the only approved medical therapy so far. Because of its fibrinolytic action, it is presumed to aggravate intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Since clinical features do not discriminate between ischemic stroke and ICH, brain imaging is strictly required before the initiation of thrombolysis. ⋯ In the 72 h observation, there was also no difference in functional outcome and hematoma volume. In our experimental study, we were not able to demonstrate that peracute rt-PA treatment in (primary) ICH has detrimental effects on hematoma expansion, hematoma volume or functional outcome. This finding needs careful consideration in future translational studies.