Neuroscience
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In males but not in females, brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays an obligatory role in the onset and maintenance of neuropathic pain. Afferent terminals of injured peripheral nerves release colony stimulating factor (CSF-1) and other mediators into the dorsal horn. These transform the phenotype of dorsal horn microglia such that they express P2X4 purinoceptors. ⋯ Possible mechanisms promoting the preferential release of BDNF in pain signaling structures are discussed. In females, invading T-lymphocytes increase dorsal horn excitability but it remains to be determined whether similar processes operate in supra-spinal structures. Despite its ubiquitous role in pain aetiology neither BDNF nor TrkB receptors represent potential therapeutic targets.
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Sex-specific differences in resting oscillatory dynamics in children with prenatal alcohol exposure.
At rest children with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) exhibit impaired static and dynamic functional connectivity, along with decreased alpha oscillations. Sex-specific information regarding the impact of PAE on whole-brain resting-state gamma spectral power remains unknown. Eyes-closed and eyes-open MEG resting-state data were examined in 83 children, ages 6-13 years of age. ⋯ The reduced delta oscillations in female participants with PAE/FASD were detected in several source regions during eyes-closed rest and were evident at younger ages. These results indicate PAE alters neural oscillations during rest in a sex-specific manner, with females with PAE/FASD showing the largest perturbations. These results further demonstrate PAE has global effects on resting-state spectral power and connectivity, creating long-term consequences by potentially disrupting the excitation/inhibition balance in the brain, interrupting normative neurodevelopment.
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This study aimed to explore the effects of miR-10b-5p on autophagy and apoptosis in neuronal cells after spinal cord injury (SCI) and the molecular mechanism. Bioinformatics was used to analyze the differentially expressed miRNAs. The expression of related genes and proteins were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blot, respectively. ⋯ In addition, UBR7 can regulate apoptosis by affecting the Wnt/β-catenin pathway by promoting Wnt1 ubiquitination. Treatment with the miR-10b-5p mimic effectively improved motor function, inhibited neuronal cell apoptosis, and promoted spinal cord tissue repair in SCI rats. Overall, miR-10b-5p can alleviate SCI by downregulating UBR7 expression, inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway ubiquitination to reduce neuronal apoptosis, or inhibiting Beclin 1 ubiquitination to promote autophagy.
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Pain symptoms significantly impact the well-being and work capacity of individuals with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and hinder treatment and recovery. Despite existing literature focusing on the neural substrate of pain and anxiety separately, further exploration is needed to understand the possible neuroimaging mechanisms of the pain symptoms in GAD patients. We recruited 73 GAD patients and 75 matched healthy controls (HC) for clinical assessments, as well as resting-state functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging scans. ⋯ Further correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between ReHo of the left anterior insula and pain scores in GAD patients, while a respective negative correlation between GMV of the bilateral thalamus and PHQ-15 scores. In summary, GAD patients exhibit structural and functional abnormalities in pain-related networks. The enhanced ReHo in the left anterior insula is correlated with pain symptoms, which might be a crucial brain region of pain symptoms in GAD.
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Abnormal cognitive and sensorial properties have been reported in patients with psychiatric and neurodevelopmental conditions, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ADHD patients exhibit impaired dopaminergic signaling and plasticity in brain areas related to cognitive and sensory processing. The spontaneous hypertensive rat (SHR), in comparison to the Wistar Kyoto rat (WKY), is the most used genetic animal model to study ADHD. ⋯ Gestational swimming improved nociception in SHR rats (p = 0.006) and increased hippocampal BDNF levels (p = 0.02) in a sex-dependent manner in adolescent offspring. Sex differences were observed in hippocampal FNDC5/irisin levels (p = 0.002), with females presenting lower levels than males. Our results contribute to the notion that swimming during pregnancy is a promising alternative to improve ADHD phenotypes in the offspring.