Neuroscience
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Chronic exposure to low-dose 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) in marmoset monkeys was used to model the prodromal stage of Parkinson's disease (PD), and to investigate mechanisms underlying disease progression and recovery. Marmosets were subcutaneously injected with MPTP for a period of 12weeks, 0.5mg/kg once per week, and clinical signs of Parkinsonism, motor- and non-motor behaviors were recorded before, during and after exposure. In addition, postmortem immunohistochemistry and proteomics analysis were performed. ⋯ Also levels of TH in putamen and caudate nucleus were unaltered, no differences were observed in DA, serotonin or nor-adrenalin levels in the caudate nucleus, and proteomics analysis revealed no global changes in protein expression in these brain areas between treatment groups. Our findings indicate that parkinsonian symptoms can occur without detectable damage at the cellular or molecular level. Moreover, we show that parkinsonian symptoms may be reversible when diagnosed and treated early.
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During the normal aging process, the brain undergoes a range of biochemical and structural alterations, which may contribute to deterioration of sensory and cognitive functions. Age-related deficits are associated with altered efficacy of synaptic neurotransmission. Emerging evidence indicates that levels of agmatine, a putative neurotransmitter in the mammalian brain, are altered in a region-specific manner during the aging process. ⋯ Double immunogold labeling indicated that agmatine and glutamate were co-localized in the same synaptic terminals, and quantitative analyses revealed significantly reduced glutamate levels in agmatine-immunopositive synaptic terminals in both regions in aged rats compared to young animals. This study, for the first time, demonstrates differential effects of aging on agmatine and glutamate in the presynaptic terminals of PFC and TE. Future research is required to understand the functional significance of these changes and the underlying mechanisms.
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Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by abnormal reciprocal social interactions, communication deficits, and repetitive behaviors with restricted interests. However, the widely accepted biomarkers for autism are still lacking. In this study, we carried out a quantitative proteomic profiling study of cortical brain tissue from BTBR T(+)Itpr3(tf) (BTBR) mice, a mouse model that displays an autism-like phenotype. ⋯ Furthermore, the BTBR mice displayed reduced levels of staining with ferric alum in comparison to B6 controls, indicative of myelin disruption. Finally, we propose that reduced STOP expression in the brain could be involved in the mediation of autism-like behaviors through impairments of myelination in oligodendrocytes and synaptic function in neurons. Manipulation of STOP protein could be a promising avenue for therapeutic interventions to autism.
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Afferent connections to the sensory inner (IHCs) and outer hair cells (OHCs) in the cochlea refine and functionally mature during the thyroid hormone (TH)-critical period of inner ear development that occurs perinatally in rodents. In this study, we investigated the effects of hypothyroidism on afferent type II innervation to outer hair cells using the Snell dwarf mouse (Pit1(dw)). Using a transgenic approach to specifically label type II spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs), we found that lack of TH causes persistence of excess type II SGN connections to the OHCs, as well as continued expression of the hair cell functional marker, otoferlin (OTOF), in the OHCs beyond the maturation period. ⋯ Supplementing with TH during the early postnatal period from postnatal day (P) 3 to P4 reversed the defect in type II SGN pruning but did not alter OTOF expression. Our results show that hypothyroidism causes a defect in the large-scale pruning of afferent type II SGNs in the cochlea, and a delay in efferent attachment and the maturation of OTOF expression. Our data suggest that the state of maturation of hair cells, as determined by OTOF expression, may not regulate the pruning of their afferent innervation.
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High levels of chronic stress or stress hormones are associated with depressive-like behavior in animal models. However, slight elevations in corticosterone (CORT) - the major stress hormone in rodents - have also been associated with improved performances, albeit in a sex-dependent manner. Some of the discrepancies in the literature regarding the effects of high CORT levels may be due to different administrations methods. ⋯ In addition, only the injection group exhibited higher levels of immobility in the FST. Interestingly, animals receiving CORT via injection or drinking water had lower numbers of doublecortin-positive cells in the ventral DG one week after the last CORT administration compared to animals implanted with a CORT pellet. These results will contribute to the growing literature on the effects of chronic CORT exposure and may help to clarify some of the discrepancies among previous studies, particularly in females.