Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Nerve Growth Factor Regulates Neurolymphatic Remodeling During Corneal Inflammation And Resolution., Darci M. Fink, Alicia L. Connor, Philip M. Kelley, Maria M. Steele, Michael A. Hollingsworth, Richard M. Tempero

Journal Articles: Eppley Institute

The cellular and physiologic mechanisms that regulate the resolution of inflammation remain poorly defined despite their widespread importance in improving inflammatory disease outcomes. We studied the resolution of two cardinal signs of inflammation-pain and swelling-by investigating molecular mechanisms that regulate neural and lymphatic vessel remodeling during the resolution of corneal inflammation. A mouse model of corneal inflammation and wound recovery was developed to study this process in vivo. Administration of nerve growth factor (NGF) increased pain sensation and inhibited neural remodeling and lymphatic vessel regression processes during wound recovery. A complementary in vivo approach, the corneal micropocket assay, revealed that …

Microrna-183 Family Expression In Hair Cell Development And Requirement Of Micrornas For Hair Cell Maintenance And Survival, Michael D. Weston, Marsha L. Pierce, Heather Jensen Smith, Bernd Fritzsch, Sonia Rocha-Sanchez, Kirk W. Beisel, Garrett A. Soukup

Journal Articles: Eppley Institute

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) post-transcriptionally repress complementary target gene expression and can contribute to cell differentiation. The coordinate expression of miRNA-183 family members (miR-183, miR-96, and miR-182) has been demonstrated in sensory cells of the mouse inner ear and other vertebrate sensory organs. To further examine hair cell miRNA expression in the mouse inner ear, we have analyzed miR-183 family expression in wild type animals and various mutants with defects in neurosensory development. miR-183 family member expression follows neurosensory cell specification, exhibits longitudinal (basal-apical) gradients in maturating cochlear hair cells, and is maintained in sensory neurons and most hair cells into adulthood. …

Nitrated Alpha-Synuclein Immunity Accelerates Degeneration Of Nigral Dopaminergic Neurons., Eric J. Benner, Rebecca Banerjee, Ashley D. Reynolds, Simon Sherman, Vladimir M. Pisarev, Vladislav Tsiperson, Craig Nemachek, Pawel Ciborowski, Serge Przedborski, R. Lee Mosley, Howard Gendelman

Journal Articles: Eppley Institute

BACKGROUND: The neuropathology of Parkinson's disease (PD) includes loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, nitrated alpha-synuclein (N-alpha-Syn) enriched intraneuronal inclusions or Lewy bodies and neuroinflammation. While the contribution of innate microglial inflammatory activities to disease are known, evidence for how adaptive immune mechanisms may affect the course of PD remains obscure. We reasoned that PD-associated oxidative protein modifications create novel antigenic epitopes capable of peripheral adaptive T cell responses that could affect nigrostriatal degeneration.

METHODS AND FINDINGS: Nitrotyrosine (NT)-modified alpha-Syn was detected readily in cervical lymph nodes (CLN) from 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) intoxicated mice. Antigen-presenting cells within the CLN …