CA1

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Kai-Xin-San (KXS) is a classic herbal formula for the treatment and prevention of AD (Alzheimer's disease) with definite curative effect, but its mechanism, which involves multiple components, pathways, and targets, is not yet fully understood. AIM OF THE STUDY: To verify the effect of KXS on gut microbiota and explore its anti-AD mechanism related with gut microbiota. MATERIALS AND METHODS: AD rat model was established and evaluated by intraperitoneal injection of D-gal and bilateral hippocampal CA1 injections of Aβ25-35 ...

Several studies have found that sleep deprivation (SD) can lead to neuronal ferroptosis and affect hippocampal function. However, there are currently no effective interventions. Vitamin B6 is a co-factor for key enzymes in the transsulfuration pathway which is critical for maintaining cell growth in the presence of cysteine deprivation. The results showed that SD inhibited cystine-glutamate antiporter light chain subunit xCT protein expression and caused cysteine deficiency, which reduced the synthesis of the glutathione (GSH) to trigger neuronal ferroptosis...

OBJECTIVE: To explore the inhibitory effect of saikosonin a (SSa) on pentylenetetrazol-induced acute epilepsy seizures in a mouse model of depression and explore the mechanism mediating this effect. METHODS: Male C57BL/6J mouse models of depression was established by oral administration of corticosterone via drinking water for 3 weeks, and acute epileptic seizures were induced by intraperitoneal injection of a single dose of pentylenetetrazole. The effect of intraperitoneal injection of SSa prior to the treatment on depressive symptoms and epileptic seizures were assessed using behavioral tests, epileptic seizure grading and hippocampal morphology observation...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the neuroprotective effect of Huangpu Tongqiao Capsule (HPTQ) in a rat model of Wilson disease (WD) and explore the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: SD rat models of WD were established by feeding of coppersupplemented chow diet and drinking water for 12 weeks, and starting from the 9th week, the rats were treated with low-, moderate- and high-dose HPTQ, penicillamine, or normal saline by gavage on a daily basis for 3 weeks. Copper levels in the liver and 24-h urine of the rats were detected, and their learning and memory abilities were evaluated using Morris water maze test...

Detailed studies of the Li4 GeО4 -Li2 CaGeО4 system by solid-phase syntheses of various compositions from pure Li4 GeО4 to pure Li2 CaGeО4 in the temperature range from 25 to 1125 °C is investigated for a first time. Solid state synthesis powders are characterized by X-ray and DSC/TG methods. Concentration and temperature two-phase regions of Li4 GeО4 and Li2 CaGeО4 as well as two-phase regions of Li2 CaGeО4 and Li2+2x Ca1-x GeO4 are established. Region of pure Li2+2x Ca1-x GeO4 solid solution are detected too and it structure is investigated...

Researchers who study the human hippocampus are naturally interested in how its subfields function. However, many researchers are precluded from examining subfields because their manual delineation from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans (still the gold standard approach) is time consuming and requires significant expertise. To help ameliorate this issue, we present here two protocols, one for 3T MRI and the other for 7T MRI, that permit automated hippocampus segmentation into six subregions, namely dentate gyrus/cornu ammonis (CA)4, CA2/3, CA1, subiculum, pre/parasubiculum, and uncus along the entire length of the hippocampus...

Microglia sculpt developing neural circuits by eliminating excess synapses in a process called synaptic pruning, by removing apoptotic neurons, and by promoting neuronal survival. To elucidate the role of microglia during embryonic and postnatal brain development, we used a mouse model deficient in microglia throughout life by deletion of the fms-intronic regulatory element (FIRE) in the Csf1r locus. Surprisingly, young adult Csf1rΔFIRE/ΔFIRE mice display no changes in excitatory and inhibitory synapse number and spine density of CA1 hippocampal neurons compared with Csf1r+ /+ littermates...

Alarin is a newly discovered neuropeptide that belongs to the galanin peptide family with a wide range of bioactivity in the nervous system. Its function in the brain's autonomic areas has been studied, and it has been reported that alarin is involved in the regulation of excitability in hypothalamic neurons. Its role in the regulation of excitability in the hippocampus, however, is unknown. In this study, we investigated if alarin induced any synchronous discharges or epileptiform activity, and if it had any effect on already initiated epileptiform discharges...

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a fast-growing neurodevelopmental disorder throughout the world. Experiencing early life stresses (ELS) like maternal separation (MS) is associated with autistic-like behaviors. It has been proposed that disturbance in the gut-brain axis-mediated psychiatric disorders following MS. The role of disruption in the integrity of gut-brain barrier in ASD remains unclear. Addressing this knowledge gap, in this study we aimed to investigate role of the gut-brain barrier integrity in mediating autistic-like behaviors in mouse models of MS stress...

Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychotomimetic constituent of Cannabis sativa, has been recently approved for epileptic syndromes often associated with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the putative efficacy and mechanism of action of CBD in patients suffering from ASD and related comorbidities remain debated, especially because of the complex pharmacology of CBD. We used pharmacological, immunohistochemical and biochemical approaches to investigate the effects and mechanisms of action of CBD in the recently validated Fmr1-Δ exon 8 rat model of ASD, that is also a model of Fragile X Syndrome (FXS), the leading monogenic cause of autism...

Brazilian green propolis (propolis) is a chemically complex resinous substance that is a potentially viable therapeutic agent for Alzheimer's disease. Herein, propolis induced a transient increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+ ]i ) in Neuro-2A cells; moreover, propolis-induced [Ca2+ ]i elevations were suppressed prior to 24-h pretreatment with amyloid-β. To reveal the effect of [Ca2+ ]i elevation on impaired cognition, we performed memory-related behavioral tasks in APP-KI mice relative to WT mice at 4 and 12 months of age...

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a neurostimulation device used to modulate brain cortex activity. Our objective was to enhance the therapeutic effectiveness of low-frequency repeated TMS (LF-rTMS) in a rat model of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) induced by prenatal valproic acid (VPA) exposure through the injection of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs). For the induction of ASD, we administered prenatal VPA (600 mg/kg, I.P.) on the 12.5th day of pregnancy. At postnatal day 30, SPIONs were injected directly into the lateral ventricle of the brain...

Neonicotinoids are insecticides widely used in the world. Although neonicotinoids are believed to be toxic only to insects, their developmental neurotoxicity in mammals is a concern. Therefore, we examined the effects of developmental exposure to neonicotinoids on immune system in the brain and post-developmental behaviors in this study. Imidacloprid or clothianidin was orally administered to dams at a dosage of 0.1 mg/kg/day from embryonic day 11 to postnatal day 21. Imidacloprid decreased sociability, and both imidacloprid and clothianidin decreased locomotor activity and induced anxiety, depression and abnormal repetitive behaviors after the developmental period...

Cadmium (Cd) is a ubiquitous toxic heavy metal and a potential neurotoxicant due to its wide use in industrial manufacturing processes and commercial products, including fertilizers. The general population is exposed to Cd through food and smoking due to high transfer rates of Cd from contaminated soil. Cd has been shown to mimic calcium ions (Ca2+) and interfere with intracellular Ca2+ levels and Ca2+ signaling in in vitro studies. However, nothing is known about Cd's effects on Ca2+ activity in neurons in live animals...

Maternal nutrition was recognized as a significant part of brain growth and maturation in most mammalian species. Timely intervention with suitable nutraceuticals would provide long-term health benefits. We aim to unravel the molecular mechanisms of perinatal undernutrition-induced impairments in cognition and synaptic plasticity, employing animal model based on dietary nutraceutical supplementation. We treated undernourished dams at their gestational, lactational, and at both the time point with Astaxanthin (AsX) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and their pups were used as experimental animals...

Fluorene-9-bisphenol (BHPF) is widely used in the manufacture of plastic products and potentially disrupts several physiological processes, but its biological effects on social behavior remain unknown. In this study, we investigated the effects of BHPF exposure on anxiety-like and social behavior in female mice and the potential mechanisms, thereby proposing a potential therapy strategy. We exposed female Balb/c mice to BHPF by oral gavage at different doses (0.5, 50 mg/kg bw/2-day) for 28 days, which were found BHPF (50 mg/kg) exposure affected motor activity in the open field test (OFT) and elevated cross maze (EPM), resulting in anxiety-like behaviors, as well as abnormal social behavioral deficits in the Social Interaction Test (SIT)...

The phenomenon of ischemic postconditioning (PostC) is known to be neuroprotective against ischemic reperfusion (I/R) injury. One of the key processes in PostC is the opening of the mitochondrial ATP-dependent potassium (mito-KATP ) channel and depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane, triggering the release of calcium ions from mitochondria through low-conductance opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore. Mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) is known as a highly sensitive transporter for the uptake of Ca2+ present on the inner mitochondrial membrane...

Lead-calcium phosphates are unusual compounds sometimes found in different kinds of cultural heritage objects. Structural and physicochemical properties of this family of materials, which fall into the hydroxypyromorphite-hydroxyapatite solid solution, or (Pb x Ca1- x )5 (PO4 )3 OH, have received considerable attention during the last few decades for promising applications in different fields of environmental and material sciences, but their diagnostic implications in the cultural heritage context have been poorly explored...

BACKGROUND: Glutamatergic synapse dysfunction is believed to underlie the development of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Intellectual Disability (ID) in many individuals. However, identification of genetic markers that contribute to synaptic dysfunction in these individuals is notoriously difficult. Based on genomic analysis, structural modeling, and functional data, we recently established the involvement of the TRIO-RAC1 pathway in ASD and ID. Furthermore, we identified a pathological de novo missense mutation hotspot in TRIO's GEF1 domain...

Synaptopodin (SP), an actin-associated protein found in telencephalic neurons, affects activity-dependant synaptic plasticity and dynamic changes of dendritic spines. While being required for long-term depression (LTD) mediated by metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR-LTD), little is known about its role in other forms of LTD induced by low frequency stimulation (LFS-LTD) or spike-timing dependent plasticity (STDP). Using electrophysiology in ex vivo hippocampal slices from SP-deficient mice (SPKO), we show that absence of SP is associated with a deficit of LTD at Sc-CA1 synapses induced by LFS-LTD and STDP...