Transplantation of neural stem cells and the mobilization of endogenous neuronal precursors in the adult brain have been proposed as therapeutic strategies for central nervous system disorders and injuries. The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible survival and integration of grafted neural progenitor cells (NPCs) from ...

Purpose: Repairing the spinal cord with peripheral nerve grafts (PNG) and adjuvant acidic fibroblast growth factor (FGF1) has previously resulted in partial functional recovery. To aid microsurgical placement of PNGs, a graft holder device was previously developed by our group. In hope for a translational development we now investigate a ...

Since 1987, dura mater graft-associated iatrogenic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (dCJD) has been reported in many countries. We report the first case of dCJD in Korea. A 54-yr-old woman, who underwent resection of the meningioma in the left frontal region and received a dura mater graft 23 yr ago presented with dysesthesia ...

The electrophysiological correlates of parkinsonism in the basal ganglia have been well studied in patients with Parkinson's disease and animal models. Separately, striatal dopaminergic cell transplantation has shown promise in ameliorating parkinsonian motor symptoms. However, the effect of dopaminergic grafts on basal ganglia electrophysiology has not thoroughly been investigated. In ...

The main pathology underlying motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD) is a rather selective degeneration of nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) neurons. Intrastriatal transplantation of immature DA neurons, which replace those neurons that have died, leads to functional restoration in animal models of PD. Here we describe how far the clinical translation ...

Adult CNS neurons do not regenerate severed axons unaided but may regenerate axons into apposed predegenerated peripheral nerve grafts (PNG's). We examined gene expression using microarray technology in laser dissected lateral vestibular (LV) neurons whose axons were severed by a lateral hemisection at C3 (HX) and in lateral vestibular nucleus ...

Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disease where GABAergic medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the striatum degenerate. Embryonic stem cell-derived neural transplantation may provide an appropriate therapy for HD. Here we aimed to develop a suitable protocol to obtain a high percentage of functional GABAergic neurons from mouse embryonic stem ...

A major limitation of neural transplantation studies is assessing the degree of host-graft interaction. In the present study, rat hippocampal/cortical embryonic neurons (E18) were infected with a lentivirus encoding enhanced green fluorescent protein (GFP) under control of the neuron-specific synapsin promoter thus permitting robust identification of labeled neurons after in ...

During early development, midbrain dopaminergic (mDA) neuronal progenitors (NPs) arise from the ventral mesencephalic area by the combined actions of secreted factors and their downstream transcription factors. These mDA NPs proliferate, migrate to their final destinations, and develop into mature mDA neurons in the substantia nigra and the ventral tegmental ...

Numerous neurological disorders are caused by a dysfunction of the GABAergic system that impairs or either stimulates its inhibitory action over its neuronal targets. Pharmacological drugs have generally been proved very effective in restoring its normal function, but their lack of any sort of spatial or cell type specificity has ...

Transplants of embryonic nervous tissue ameliorate motor deficits induced by motor cortex lesions in adult animals. Restoration of lost brain functions has been recently shown in grafts of homotopic cortical origin, to be associated with a functional integration of the transplant after development of reciprocal host-graft connections. Nevertheless little is ...

Cortical dysplasia (CD) is associated with severe epilepsy in humans, and the in utero irradiation of fetal rats provides a model of this disorder. These animals show a selective loss of inhibitory interneurons, and the surviving interneurons have a reduced excitatory synaptic drive. The current study was undertaken to see ...

In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that the expression of calcium binding proteins (CaBPs), parvalbumin (PV), calretinin (CR) and calbindin (CB), is dependent upon sensory experience as emphasized in visual deprivation and deafferentation studies. The expression of CaBPs was studied in interneurons within the primary and extrastriate visual ...

Investigation of sensory innervation of rat osteoporotic lumbar vertebrae using in vitro and in vivo models. To investigate (1) sensory innervation of osteoporotic rat vertebrae, (2) effects of risedronate on sensory neurons, (3) effects of osteoporosis treatment on bone mineral densities (BMDs) and the sensory innervation. Osteoporotic patients without fractures ...

The cockroach Leucophaea maderae is an established model in circadian rhythm research. Its circadian clock is located in the accessory medulla of the brain. Pigment-dispersing factor-immunoreactive (PDF-ir) neurons of the accessory medulla act as circadian pacemakers controlling locomotor activity rhythms. To characterize the neuronal network of the circadian system in ...

The distribution and chemical phenotypes of sympathetic and dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons innervating the equine ileocecal junction (ICJ) were studied by combining retrograde tracing and immunohistochemistry. Immunoreactivity (IR) for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH), neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), substance P (SP), and neuropeptide ...

With 5 figures and 1 table SUMMARY: The distribution and morphology of neurons containing cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) was investigated in the pig amygdala. CART- immunoreactive (CART-IR) cell bodies were rarely observed in the pig amygdala and most often they were present in the posterior (small-celled) parts of the ...

The effect of estradiol-17β (E(2)) on the number and distribution of neurons in the caudal mesenteric ganglion (CaMG) supplying the ovary of adult pigs was investigated. Also, the numbers of ovarian dopamine-β-hydroxylase (DβH-), neuropeptide Y (NPY-), somatostatin (SOM-), galanin (GAL-) and estrogen receptor (ER)-immunoreactive perikarya as well as the density ...

The distribution and co-localisation patterns of dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DβH), neuropeptide Y (NPY), somatostatin (SOM) and galanin (GAL) were investigated by use of retrograde neuronal tracing and double-labelling immunofluorescence techniques in the caudal mesenteric ganglion (CaMG) neurons supplying the ovary of adult pigs. The existence and density of nerve fibres that are ...

Previous studies have demonstrated that catecholaminergic, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-immunoreactive (IR) perikarya and fibers are widely distributed in the human hypothalamus. Since TH is the key and rate-limiting enzyme for catecholaminergic synthesis, these IR neurons may represent dopaminergic, noradrenergic or adrenergic neural elements. However, the distribution and morphology of these neurotransmitter ...

We performed this study to understand the anatomical substrates of parabrachial nucleus (PBN) modulation of orexin (ORX)-containing neurons in the hypothalamus. After biotinylated dextranamine (BDA) injection into the lateral PBN and immunostaining of ORX-containing neurons in the rat, the prominent overlap of the distribution field of the BDA-labeled fibers and ...

AIM: To investigate the effects of malnutrition and re-feeding on the P2X(2) receptor, nitric oxide synthase (NOS), calretinin, calbindin and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) in neurons of the rat ileum. METHODS: We analyzed the co-localization, numbers and sizes of P2X(2)-expressing neurons in relation to NOS-immunoreactive (IR), calbindin-IR, ChAT-IR, and calretinin-IR neurons ...

Now under intense scrutiny, due to its endocrine disrupting properties, the potential threat the plastics component bisphenol-A (BPA) poses to human health remains unclear. Found in a multitude of polycarbonate plastics, food and beverage containers, and medical equipment, BPA is thought to bind to estrogen receptors (ERs), thereby interfering with ...

GABA and enkephalin (ENK) are principle inhibitory transmitters in the rostral portion of the nucleus tractus solitarius (rNTS) for regulating the gustatory information. Although the existence of GABA- and ENK-immunoreactive (ir) profiles in the rNTS has been demonstrated, there are no morphological data revealing the connections between them. In the ...

The spontaneous mutant circling mouse has an autosomal recessive pattern of inheritance and is an animal model for deafness, which is characterized by circling, head tossing, and hyperactivity. Since the main pathology in circling mice lies in the organ of Corti, most studies on deaf mice have focused on auditory ...

Kisspeptin is a key component of reproduction that directly stimulates GnRH neurons. However, recent studies indicate that kisspeptin can indirectly stimulate GnRH neurons through unidentified afferent networks. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is another key reproductive hormone that is an afferent stimulator of GnRH neurons. Herein, we report kisspeptin receptor Kiss1r mRNA ...

Galanin and neuropeptide Y (NPY) are among the most abundant neuropeptides in the hypothalamus. The role of NPY and galanin in the regulation of the secretory activity of the anterior pituitary has been well established. In addition, the two peptides interact with a number of neurons synthesizing the releasing and ...

Neural networks receive input that is transformed before being sent as output to higher centers of processing. These transformations are often mediated by local interneurons (LNs) that influence output based on activity across the network. In primary olfactory centers, the LNs that mediate these lateral interactions are extremely diverse. For ...

Previous studies revealed that growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH)-immunoreactive (IR) neurons form a circumscribed cell group in the basal infundibulum/median eminence of the human hypothalamus. GHRH from these neurons is released into the hypothalamo-hypophyseal portal circulatory system in a pulsatile manner. It is a common consensus that the pulsatile release of ...

It is assumed that hypothalamic somatostatin plays a dominant role in the regulation of growth of developing lambs. On the other side, neuropeptide Y (NPY) neurons of the arcuate (ARC) nucleus are potentially involved in the control of gonadotrophins in prepubertal lambs and also of growth hormone (GH) secretion in ...

Previous research has shown that neural stimulation with infrared radiation (IR) is spatially selective and illustrated the potential of IR in stimulating auditory neurons. The present work demonstrates the application of a miniaturized pulsed IR stimulator for chronic implantation in cats, quantifies its efficacy, and short-term safety in stimulating auditory ...

The insulin receptor (IR) is a tyrosine kinase receptor that binds to insulin and plays pivotal roles in energy homeostasis, neuronal growth, neuronal survival, synaptic plasticity and cognitive function. The biological mechanisms of intractable epilepsy involve energy metabolism, neuron loss, neurogenesis and abnormal neural networks. Here, we evaluated the expression ...

In rodents, a circadian signal from the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is essential for the pro-oestrous surge of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH), which, in turn, induces luteinising hormone (LH) surge and ovulation. We hypothesised that kisspeptin (KP) neurones in the anteroventral periventricular and periventricular preoptic nuclei (AVPV/PeN) form part of the communication ...

Exponential interindividual handling in wireless communication system has raised possible doubts in the biological aspects of radiofrequency (RF) exposure on human brain owing to its close proximity to the mobile phone. In the nervous system, calcium (Ca(2+)) plays a critical role in releasing neurotransmitters, generating action potential and membrane integrity. ...

Exposure to cannabis impairs cognitive functions reliant on the circuitry of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and increases the risk of schizophrenia. The actions of cannabis are mediated via the brain cannabinoid 1 receptor (CB1R), which in rodents is heavily localized to the axon terminals of cortical GABA basket neurons ...

Colonic inflammation involves the changes in chemical coding of not only sensory but also enteric and sympathetic prevertebral neurons innervating inflamed target tissue. Since the sympathetic chain ganglia neurons (SChG) affect colonic function, the purpose of our study was to determine the precise location of the SChG neurons innervating the ...

The major pelvic ganglia (MPG) contain both parasympathetic and sympathetic postganglionic neurons and provide much of the autonomic innervation to urogenital organs and components of the lower bowel. Whereas many parasympathetic neurons were found to express vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), no MPG neurons exhibited immunoreactivity for pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide ...

Sensory input to different cortical areas differentially varies across the light-dark cycle and likely is responsible, in part, for activity-dependent changes in time-of-day differences in protein expression such as Fos. In this study we investigate time-of-day differences between dark (just before light onset) and light (just before dark onset) for ...

The Dorsomedial Nucleus of the Hypothalamus (DMH) is known to play important roles in ingestive behavior and body weight homeostasis. The DMH contains neurons expressing Neuropeptide Y (NPY) during specific physiological conditions of hyperphagia and obesity, however, the role of DMH-NPY neurons has yet to be characterized. In contrast to ...

To evaluate a rapid sub-millimeter isotropic spoiled gradient-echo (nonselective SPGR) to facilitate the brain subcortical segmentation and the visualization of brain volume compared with the commonly accepted inversion recovery-prepared SPGR (SPGR-IR) technique. The feasibility of the nonselective SPGR was evaluated for two segmentation algorithms. FAST was used to segment the ...

Neuropeptide Y (NPY), a member of the pancreatic polypeptide family, is an orexigenic hormone. GnRH-1 neurons express NPY receptors. This suggests a direct link between metabolic function and reproduction. However, the effect of NPY on GnRH-1 cells has been variable, dependent on metabolic and reproductive status of the animal. This ...

Output from the hypothalamic ventromedial nucleus (VMN) is anorexigenic and is supported by the excitatory actions of leptin. The VMN is also highly sensitive to the orexigenic actions of Neuropeptide Y (NPY). We report that NPY robustly inhibits VMN neurons by hyperpolarizing them and decreasing their ability to fire action ...

The aim of this study was to demonstrate and precisely define the morphology of neurons immunoreactive to neuropeptide Y (NPY) in cortex of human inferior parietal lobule (IPL). Five human brains were used for immunohistochemical investigation of the shape and laminar distribution of NPY neurons in serial section in the ...

The presence of substance P (SP) and cholecystokinin (CCK) immunoreactive neurons was examined in the bottlenose dolphin dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) and spinal cord by immunohistochemical techniques. SP-positive and CCK-immunoreactive neurons were respectively approximately 50% and 1% of the total number of ganglion cells examined and especially belonged to small ...

Timing of the circadian clock of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is regulated by photic and non-photic inputs. Of these, neuropeptide Y (NPY) signaling from the intergeniculate leaflet (IGL) to the SCN plays a prominent role. Although NPY is critical to clock regulation, neither the mechanisms modulating IGL NPY neuronal activity ...

Elevated oxidative stress and alteration in antioxidant systems, including glutathione (GSH) decrease, are observed in schizophrenia. Genetic and functional data indicate that impaired GSH synthesis represents a susceptibility factor for the disorder. Here, we show that a genetically compromised GSH synthesis affects the morphological and functional integrity of hippocampal parvalbumin-immunoreactive ...

Lampreys are useful models for studying the evolution of the nervous system of vertebrates. Here we used immunofluorescence and tract-tracing methods to study new aspects of the neuropeptide Y-immunoreactive (NPY-ir) system in larval sea lampreys. NPY-ir neurons were observed in brain nuclei that contain NPY-ir cells in other lamprey species. ...

This study explores recently identified neurons that express the protein nestin in the medial septum-diagonal band of Broca (MS-DBB) of adult rats and humans. These nestin positive neurons from MS-DBB are known to project to the hippocampus and frontal cortex of the brain. However, their chemical identification has not been ...

Spinal ganglia (SG) neurons are commonly classified according to various specific features. The most widespread classification based on morphological and ultrastructural features subdivides SG neurons into light and small dark neurons. Using immunohistochemical, histochemical and lectin methods, it is possible to further subdivide the small dark neurons into two subpopulations: ...

The cerebral cortex has diverse types of inhibitory neurons. In rat cortex, past research has shown that parvalbumin (PV), somatostatin (SOM), calretinin (CR), and cholecystokinin (CCK) label four distinct chemical classes of GABAergic interneurons. However, in contrast to rat cortex, previous studies indicate that there is significant colocalization of SOM ...