Synaptic transmission

Voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) are the major conduits for calcium ions (Ca2+ ) within excitable cells. Recent studies have highlighted the non-ionotropic functionality of VGCCs, revealing their capacity to activate intracellular pathways independently of ion flow. This non-ionotropic signaling mode plays a pivotal role in excitation-coupling processes, including gene transcription through excitation-transcription (ET), synaptic transmission via excitation-secretion (ES), and cardiac contraction through excitation-contraction (EC)...

Metformin restores the myelination potential of aged rat A2B5+ oligodendrocyte progenitor cells and may enhance recovery in children with post-radiation brain injury. Human late progenitor cells (O4+A2B5+) have a superior capacity to ensheath nanofibres compared to mature oligodendrocytes, with cells from paediatric sources exceeding adults. In this study, we assessed the effects of metformin on ensheathment capacity of human adult and paediatric progenitors and mature oligodendrocytes and related differences to transcriptional changes...

Ultrasound is highly biopermeable and can non-invasively penetrate deep into the brain. Stimulation with patterned low-intensity ultrasound can induce sustained inhibition of neural activity in humans and animals, with potential implications for research and therapeutics. Although mechanosensitive channels are involved, the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying neuromodulation by ultrasound remain unknown. To investigate the mechanism of action of ultrasound stimulation, we studied the effects of two types of patterned ultrasound on synaptic transmission and neural network activity using whole-cell recordings in primary cultured hippocampal cells...

Each year, 15 million people worldwide suffer from strokes. Consequently, researchers face increasing pressure to develop reliable behavioural tests for assessing functional recovery after a stroke. Our aim was to establish a new motor performance index that can be used to evaluate post-stroke recovery in both young and aged animals. Furthermore, we validate the proposed procedure and recommend the necessary number of animals for experimental stroke studies. Young (n = 20) and aged (n = 27) Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to receive either sham or stroke surgery...

INTRODUCTION: Inhalant abuse is an important health issue especially among children and adolescents who often encounter these agents in the home. Research into the neurobiological targets of inhalants has lagged behind that of other drugs such as alcohol and psychostimulants. However, studies from our lab and others have begun to reveal how inhalants such as the organic solvent toluene affect neurons in key addiction related areas of the brain including the ventral tegmental area, nucleus accumbens and medial prefrontal cortex...

Irritable bowel syndrome are responsive to treatments using central neuromodulators. Central neuromodulators work by enhancing the synaptic transmission of 5-hydroxytryptamine, noradrenalin and dopamine, achieving a slower regulation or desensitization of their postsynaptic receptors. Central neuromodulators act on receptors along the brain-gut axis, so they are useful in treating psychiatric comorbidities, modifying gut motility, improving central downregulation of visceral signals and enhancing neurogenesis in patients with IBS...

BACKGROUND: Brain function and neuronal activity depend on a constant supply of blood from the cerebral circulation. The cerebral venous system (CVS) contains approximately 70% of the total cerebral blood volume; similar to the cerebral arterial system, the CVS plays a prominent role in the maintenance of central nervous system (CNS) homeostasis. Impaired venous autoregulation, which can appear in forms such as cerebral venous congestion, may lead to metabolic abnormalities in the brain, causing severe cerebral functional defects and even chronic tinnitus...

INTRODUCTION: Hypokinetic dysarthria (HD) is a common motor speech symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD) which does not respond well to PD treatments. We investigated short-term effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on HD in PD using acoustic analysis of speech. Based on our previous studies we focused on stimulation of the right superior temporal gyrus (STG) - an auditory feedback area. METHODS: In 14 PD patients with HD, we applied anodal, cathodal and sham tDCS to the right STG using a cross-over design...

Melamine, a heterocyclic nitrogen-rich triazine chemical compound, is widely used in various household products, including furniture, dinnerware, and kitchen appliances. The unauthorized addition of the mixture to various foodstuffs to misrepresent protein content resulted in catastrophic, frequently life-threatening health consequences for kids as well as canines and has garnered international attention. Numerous primary studies and evaluations have been focused on melamine toxicity's implications on kidney function...

Chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) is a prevalent condition characterized by recurrent episodes of oxygen deprivation, linked to respiratory and neurological disorders. Prolonged CIH is known to have adverse effects, including endothelial dysfunction, chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and impaired neuronal function. These factors can contribute to serious comorbidities, including metabolic disorders and cardiovascular diseases. To investigate the molecular impact of CIH, we examined male C57BL/6J mice exposed to CIH for 21 days, comparing to normoxic controls...

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OBJECTIVE: To assess amantadine use and associated factors in the patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). BACKGROUND: Immediate-release amantadine is approved for the treatment of PD and is largely used in clinical practice to treat "levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LIDs). Its use varies according to countries and PD stages. The prospective NS-Park cohort collects features of PD patients followed by 26 French PD Expert Centres. METHODS: Variables used for the analyses included demographics, motor and non-motor PD symptoms and motor complications [motor fluctuations (MFs), LIDs)], antiparkinsonian pharmacological classes and levodopa equivalent daily dose (LEDD)...

INTRODUCTION: Epileptiform activity is the most striking result of hyperexcitation of a group of neurons that can occur in different brain regions and then spread to other sites. Later it was shown that these rhythms have a cellular correlate in vitro called paroxysmal depolarization shift (PDS). In 13-15 DIV neuron-glial cell culture, inhibition of the GABA(A) receptors induces bursts of action potential in the form of clasters PDS and oscillations of intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+ ]i )...

Over 300 million people worldwide suffer from major depressive disorder (MDD). Unfortunately, only 30-40% of patients with MDD achieve complete remission after conventional monoamine antidepressant therapy. In recent years, ketamine has revolutionized the treatment of MDD, with its rapid antidepressant effects manifesting within a few hours as opposed to weeks with conventional antidepressants. Many research endeavors have sought to identify ketamine's mechanism of action in mood disorders; while many studies have focused on ketamine's role in glutamatergic modulation, several studies have implicated its role in regulating neuroinflammation...

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) is a debilitating neurodegenerative disorder of the cerebellum and brainstem. Memantine has been proposed as a potential treatment for SCA1. It blocks N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors on neurons, reduces excitotoxicity and decreases neurodegeneration in Alzheimer models. However, in cerebellar neurodegenerative diseases, the potential value of memantine is still unclear. We investigated the effects of memantine on motor performance and synaptic transmission in the cerebellum in a mouse model where mutant ataxin 1 is specifically targeted to glia...

INTRODUCTION: Neuropathic pain (NP) significantly impacts quality of life and often coexists with affective disorders such as anxiety and depression. Addressing both NP and its psychiatric manifestations requires a comprehensive understanding of therapeutic options. This study aimed to review the main pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for NP and comorbid affective disorders to describe their mechanisms of action and how they are commonly used in clinical practice. METHODS: A review was conducted across five electronic databases, focusing on pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for NP and its associated affective disorders...

Research into learning and memory over the past decades has revealed key neurotransmitters that regulate these processes, many of which are evolutionarily conserved across diverse species. The monoamine neurotransmitter dopamine is one example of this, with countless studies demonstrating its importance in regulating behavioural plasticity. However, dopaminergic neural networks in the mammalian brain consist of hundreds or thousands of neurons, and thus cannot be studied at the level of single neurons acting within defined neural circuits...

INTRODUCTION: Platelet-activating factor (PAF), PAF receptor (PAFR), and PAF- synthesis/degradation systems are involved in essential CNS processes such as neuroblast proliferation, differentiation, migration, and synaptic modulation. The retina is an important central nervous system (CNS) tissue for visual information processing. During retinal development, the balance between Retinal Progenitor Cell (RPC) proliferation and differentiation is crucial for proper cell determination and retinogenesis...

BACKGROUND: Sleep disturbances are a common comorbidity to most neurodevelopmental disorders and tend to worsen disease symptomatology. It is thus crucial to understand mechanisms underlying sleep disturbances to improve patients' quality of life. Neuroligin-2 (NLGN2) is a synaptic adhesion protein regulating GABAergic transmission. It has been linked to autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia in humans, and deregulations of its expression were shown to cause epileptic-like hypersynchronized cerebral activity in rodents...

Over 50 million Americans endure chronic pain where many do not receive adequate treatment and self-medicate to manage their pain by taking substances like opioids and cannabis. Research has shown high comorbidity between chronic pain and substance use disorders (SUD) and these disorders share many common neurobiological underpinnings, including hypodopaminergic transmission. Drugs commonly used for self-medication such as opioids and cannabis relieve emotional, bothersome components of pain as well as negative emotional affect that perpetuates misuse and increases the risk of progressing towards drug abuse...