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Nucleus Accumbens Deep Brain Stimulation In A Rat Model Of Binge Eating, W. T. Doucette, J. Y. Khokhar, A. I. Green

Dartmouth Scholarship

Binge eating (BE) is a difficult-to-treat behavior with high relapse rates, thus complicating several disorders including obesity. In this study, we tested the effects of high-frequency deep brain stimulation (DBS) in a rodent model of BE. We hypothesized that BE rats receiving high-frequency DBS in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) core would have reduced binge sizes compared with sham stimulation in both a 'chronic BE' model as well as in a 'relapse to chronic BE' model. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (N=18) were implanted with stimulating electrodes in bilateral NAc core, and they received either active stimulation (N=12) or sham stimulation (N=6) for …

Differential Modification Of Cortical And Thalamic Projections To Cat Primary Auditory Cortex Following Early- And Late-Onset Deafness., Nicole Chabot, Blake E Butler, Stephen G Lomber

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Following sensory deprivation, primary somatosensory and visual cortices undergo crossmodal plasticity, which subserves the remaining modalities. However, controversy remains regarding the neuroplastic potential of primary auditory cortex (A1). To examine this, we identified cortical and thalamic projections to A1 in hearing cats and those with early- and late-onset deafness. Following early deafness, inputs from second auditory cortex (A2) are amplified, whereas the number originating in the dorsal zone (DZ) decreases. In addition, inputs from the dorsal medial geniculate nucleus (dMGN) increase, whereas those from the ventral division (vMGN) are reduced. In late-deaf cats, projections from the anterior auditory field (AAF) …

Differential Gene Expression Profiles Reflecting Macrophage Polarization In Aging And Periodontitis Gingival Tissues, Octavio A. Gonzalez, Michael John Novak, Sreenatha S. Kirakodu, Arnold J. Stromberg, R. Nagarajan, Chifu B. Huang, K. C. Chen, Luis Orraca, J. Martinez-Gonzalez, Jeffrey L. Ebersole

Center for Oral Health Research Faculty Publications

Recent evidence has determined a phenotypic and functional heterogeneity for macrophage populations. This plasticity of macrophage function has been related to specific properties of subsets (M1 and M2) of these cells in inflammation, adaptive immune responses and resolution of tissue destructive processes. This investigation hypothesized that targeted alterations in the distribution of macrophage phenotypes in aged individuals, and with periodontitis would be skewed towards M1 inflammatory macrophages in gingival tissues. The study used a non-human primate model to evaluate gene expression profiles as footprints of macrophage variation in healthy and periodontitis gingival tissues from animals 3-23 years of age and …

Mitochondria-Associated Micrornas In Rat Hippocampus Following Traumatic Brain Injury, Wang-Xia Wang, Nishant P. Visavadiya, Jignesh D. Pandya, Peter T. Nelson, Patrick G. Sullivan, Joe E. Springer

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of death and disability. However, the molecular events contributing to the pathogenesis are not well understood. Mitochondria serve as the powerhouse of cells, respond to cellular demands and stressors, and play an essential role in cell signaling, differentiation, and survival. There is clear evidence of compromised mitochondrial function following TBI; however, the underlying mechanisms and consequences are not clear. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally, and function as important mediators of neuronal development, synaptic plasticity, and neurodegeneration. Several miRNAs show altered expression following TBI; however, the …

Novel Actions Of Next-Generation Taxanes Benefit Advanced Stages Of Prostate Cancer., Renée De Leeuw, Lisa D. Berman-Booty, Matthew J. Schiewer, Stephen J Ciment, Robert Den, Adam P. Dicker, William Kelly, Edouard J. Trabulsi, Costas D. Lallas, Leonard G. Gomella, Karen E. Knudsen

Department of Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: To improve the outcomes of patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), there is an urgent need for more effective therapies and approaches that individualize specific treatments for patients with CRPC. These studies compared the novel taxane cabazitaxel with the previous generation docetaxel, and aimed to determine which tumors are most likely to respond.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Cabazitaxel and docetaxel were compared via in vitro modeling to determine the molecular mechanism, biochemical and cell biologic impact, and cell proliferation, which was further assessed ex vivo in human tumor explants. Isogenic pairs of RB knockdown and control cells were interrogated in vitro …

Functional Local Renin-Angiotensin System In Human And Rat Periodontal Tissue, Carlos Ferreira Santos, Ana Carolina Morandini, Thiago José Dionísio, Flávio A. Faria, Marta C. Lima, Caio M. Figueiredo, Bella L. Colombini-Ishikiriama, Carla Renata Sipert, Rubens P. Maciel, Ana P. Akashi, Gabriela P. Souza, Gustavo P. Garlet, Camila O. Rodini, Sandra L. Amaral, Christiane Becari, Maria C. Salgado, Eduardo B. Oliveira, Isaac Matus, Daniela N. Didier, Andrew S. Greene

All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles

The initiation or progression of periodontitis might involve a local renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in periodontal tissue. The aim of this study was to further characterize the local RAS in human and rat periodontal tissues between healthy and periodontally-affected tissue. Components of the RAS were investigated using in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo experiments involving both human and Wistar rat periodontium. Although not upregulated when challenged with P. gingivalis-lipopolysaccharide, human gingival and periodontal ligament fibroblasts expressed RAS components. Likewise, healthy and inflamed human gingiva expressed RAS components, some of which were shown to be functional, yet no differences in expression …