Life Sciences Commons^™

Wild Mice With Different Social Network Sizes Vary In Brain Gene Expression, Patricia C. Lopes, Barbara König

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Appropriate social interactions influence animal fitness by impacting several processes, such as mating, territory defense, and offspring care. Many studies shedding light on the neurobiological underpinnings of social behavior have focused on nonapeptides (vasopressin, oxytocin, and homologues) and on sexual or parent-offspring interactions. Furthermore, animals have been studied under artificial laboratory conditions, where the consequences of behavioral responses may not be as critical as when expressed under natural environments, therefore obscuring certain physiological responses. We used automated recording of social interactions of wild house mice outside of the breeding season to detect individuals at both tails of a distribution …

Sexually Dimorphic Alterations In Brain Morphology Of Astrocyte Conditional System Xc- Knockout Mice, Gabrielle Emily Samulewicz

Biology - All Scholarship

Astrocytes play a vital role in orchestrating the precise brain wiring that occurs during development and are essential for maintaining homeostasis into adulthood. The cystine/glutamate antiporter, system xc-, in the central nervous system is especially abundant in astrocytes and itself is known to contribute importantly to the basal extracellular glutamate concentration as well as the intracellular and extracellular glutathione levels, either of which, if perturbed, could alter brain development and/or contribute to degeneration. Thus, to determine whether loss of astrocyte system xc- might alter brain morphology, I studied a conditional astrocyte system xc- knockout mouse (AcKO). Tissue was harvested from …

Sexually Dimorphic Alterations In Brain Morphology Of Astrocyte Conditional System Xc- Knockout Mice, Gabrielle Emily Samulewicz

Honors Capstone Projects - All

Astrocytes play a vital role in orchestrating the precise brain wiring that occurs during development and are essential for maintaining homeostasis into adulthood. The cystine/glutamate antiporter, system xc-, in the central nervous system is especially abundant in astrocytes and itself is known to contribute importantly to the basal extracellular glutamate concentration as well as the intracellular and extracellular glutathione levels, either of which, if perturbed, could alter brain development and/or contribute to degeneration. Thus, to determine whether loss of astrocyte system xc- might alter brain morphology, I studied a conditional astrocyte system xc- knockout mouse (AcKO). Tissue was harvested from …

Focal Suppression Of Epileptiform Activity In The Hippocampus By A High-Frequency Magnetic Field, Hui Ye, Vincent Chiun-Fan Chen, Jessica Helon, Nicole Apostolopoulos

Biology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Electric current has been used for epilepsy treatment by targeting specific neural circuitries. Despite its success, direct contact between the electrode and tissue could cause side effects including pain, inflammation, and adverse biological reactions. Magnetic stimulation overcomes these limitations by offering advantages over biocompatibility and operational feasibility. However, the underlying neurological mechanisms of its action are largely unknown. In this work, a magnetic generating system was assembled that included a miniature coil. The coil was positioned above the CA3 area of mouse hippocampal slices. Epileptiform activity (EFA) was induced with low Mg2+/high K+ perfusion or with 100 µM 4-aminopyridine (4-AP). …

The Dysregulation Of Circadian Rhythms And Its Relation To Hippocampal Neurodegenerative Disease, John Patrick Mccauley

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Circadian rhythms modulate body temperature, sleep-wake cycles and cognitive functions like learning and memory. Interestingly, patients suffering from neurodegenerative disease like Alzheimer’s disease and brain insults like traumatic brain injury experience dysregulated circadian rhythms and learning and memory deficiencies as a symptom. The core molecular machinery that establishes these rhythms relies on the activation of positive and negative transcriptional-translational feedback loops within the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Subordinate circadian oscillators distributed throughout the peripheral and central nervous system follow the rhythmic activity of the SCN. One of these, the hippocampus, is mostly involved in regulating memory formation and recall. Experimental …