Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience Commons^™

Atorvastatin Alters Neuronal Morphology Data Set, Carolyn L. Pytte

Publications and Research

Statins are highly effective and widely prescribed cholesterol lowering drugs. However, statins cross the blood-brain barrier and decrease neural cholesterol in animal models, raising concern that long-term statin use may impact cholesterol-dependent structures and functions in the brain. Cholesterol is a fundamental component of cell membranes and experimentally decreasing membrane cholesterol has been shown to alter cell morphology in vitro. In addition, brain regions that undergo adult neurogenesis rely on local brain cholesterol for the manufacture of new neuronal membranes. Thus neurogenesis may be particularly vulnerable to long-term statin use. Here we asked whether oral statin treatment impacts neurogenesis …

Loss Of Lgl1 Increases Expression Of C-Jun And Dcx In The Svz And Rms Of The Mouse Brain, Madison Leigh Gutierrez

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Glioblastoma (GBM), the most aggressive and treatment-resistant subtype of glioma, accounts for the majority of brain tumor–related mortality. A defining feature of GBM is its ability to invade healthy brain tissue through extensive cell migration, which severely limits the effectiveness of surgical and pharmacological treatments. Increasing evidence suggests that GBM cells activate gene programs known to drive normal neural stem and progenitor cell (NSPC) migration; however, the precise molecular mechanisms shared between NSPCs and GBM cells remain poorly understood. Lethal (2) giant larvae 1 (Lgl1), a conserved cortical cytoskeletal protein, has emerged as a key regulator of polarity and migration. …

The Effects Of Diet-Induced Obesity On Cerebral Microvascular Bioenergetics, Alec Anthony Hanshew

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Obesity is a worldwide epidemic but is especially a concern in the United States with over 40% of the population being obese. Obesity is known to cause increased metabolic demand, systemic inflammation, peripheral vascular dysfunction, and increased levels of oxidative stress and reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, the role of obesity on cerebrovascular bioenergetic function has not been fully elucidated. This study aimed to determine the impact of diet-induced obesity on cerebrovascular bioenergetics. 72, 6-month-old C57Bl/6 male and female mice were randomized into control and HFD groups. Control mice were subjected to the feeding of standard chow (18% fat, 24% …

Changes In The Epigenetic Landscape Of Oligodendrocyte Progenitor Cells With Time, David K. Dansu

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Most neonatal oligodendrocyte progenitors (nOPCs) give rise to myelinating oligodendrocytes during development, while a proportion are retained as proliferative undifferentiated cells in the adult brain (aOPCs). Previous studies have reported distinct properties for those two populations but the molecular mechanisms underlying these intrinsic differences are not well understood. Using RNA-sequencing and unbiased histone proteomics analysis, we identify transcripts and histone marks that are higher in aOPCs than nOPCs. The genome-wide ChIP-sequencing analysis of chromatin from aOPCs compared to nOPCs detects greater occupancy of the H4K8ac mark at loci corresponding to the higher transcript levels of oligodendrocyte-specific transcription factors and lipid …

The Impact Of Hiv-1 Tat And Morphine On Spatial Distribution Of Drugs In The Brain., Austin M. Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Despite combination antiretroviral therapy effectively suppressing HIV within the periphery, the central nervous system (CNS) remains affected by the virus. Approximately half of people living with HIV will experience HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) or neuroHIV. Concurrent opioid use exacerbates neuroHIV by promoting neuroinflammation, viral replication, and potentially altering the antiretroviral concentrations within the brain.

Using a transgenic mouse that expresses the HIV-1 Tat protein, we examined the effects of Tat and morphine on antiretroviral accumulation and distribution and the effects of Tat on morphine accumulation within the brain using infrared matrix-assisted laser desorption electrospray ionization with mass spectrometry imaging (IR-MALDESI-MSI). …

Neural Stem Cells: Age-Dependent Outcomes During Viral Infections In The Central Nervous System, Manisha N. Chandwani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Viral infections in the central nervous system (CNS) are associated with neurodevelopmental and neurobehavioral deficits. The outcomes of viral infections can be driven by damage and death of neurons. Neural stem cells (NSCs) play key roles in neurodevelopment, repair, and physiological brain function. During a viral infection, NSC activity can disturbed by direct infection of NSCs by the virus or by anti-viral immune response. Here, we aimed to assess whether the anti-viral immune response can impact NSC activity during an immunocompetent response in the adult brain. We utilized a transgenic mouse model of Measles virus infection where only the CNS …

Peripheral And Central Glucose Flux In Type I Diabetes, Jelena Anna Juras

Theses and Dissertations--Neuroscience

Diabetes is a complex metabolic disorder, of which high blood glucose concentration is the primary hallmark. Type I diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is characterized by the lack of insulin production, due to a poorly understood autoinflammatory cascade. In the words of historian Barnett “Diabetes may no longer be a death sentence, but for more and more people in the 21st century, it will become a life sentence”, making it the focal point of many research groups. It is estimated that around 20 million individuals worldwide live with T1DM.

Effects of long-term chronically elevated blood glucose are not only seen in micro/macro-vascular …

Open Neuroscience Initiative, Austin Lim

College of Science and Health Full Text Publications

The Open Neuroscience Initiative is a free-to-use textbook

This project began as a means to overcoming the financial burden that face undergraduate neuroscience students when buying textbooks. By compiling and writing a completely free-to-access textbook that covers the foundations of a typical college introduction to neuroscience course, students would have one less obstacle to overcome in their educational career, allowing them to focus their valuable time and attention on learning rather than finances. To make this project a reality, I began with a humble tweet in May 2019 that managed to gain a tiny bit of traction among the neuroscience …

Mice Exposed To Combined Chronic Low-Dose Irradiation And Modeled Microgravity Develop Long-Term Neurological Sequelae, Amber M. Paul, Eliah G. Overbey, William A. Da Silveira, Candice G.T. Tahimic, Sigrid S. Reinsch, Nathaniel Szewczyk, Seta Stanbouly, Charles Wang, Jonathan M. Galazka, Xiao Wen Mao

Publications

Spaceflight poses many challenges for humans. Ground-based analogs typically focus on single parameters of spaceflight and their associated acute effects. This study assesses the long-term transcriptional effects following single and combination spaceflight analog conditions using the mouse model: simulated microgravity via hindlimb unloading (HLU) and/or low-dose γ-ray irradiation (LDR) for 21 days, followed by 4 months of readaptation. Changes in gene expression and epigenetic modifications in brain samples during readaptation were analyzed by whole transcriptome shotgun sequencing (RNA-seq) and reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS). The results showed minimal gene expression and cytosine methylation alterations at 4 months readaptation within single …

The 5-Ht1a-R Knockout Mouse As A Model Of Later Life Anxiety Disorders: Implications For Sex Differences, Tatyana Budylin

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Anxiety affects nearly twice as many women as it affects men across all cultures and economic groups. Importantly, girls have a higher chance of inheriting anxiety disorders than boys, and many anxiety disorders appear at a very young age. However, little is known about sex differences in brain and behavioral development and how they relate to anxiety in adulthood. Serotonin 1A receptor (5-HT_1A-R) mediated signaling has been implicated in depression and anxiety, however most studies that focus on the involvement of the 5-HT_1A-R have been conducted in adults. Little is known about how the 5-HT_{1A …}

Brain Energy Homeostasis And The Regulation Of N-Acetyl-Aspartate Metabolism In Development And Disease, Samantha Zaroff

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations

N-acetylaspartate (NAA) is a non-invasive clinical marker of neuronal metabolic integrity because of its strong proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H-MRS) peak and direct correlation with energetic integrity. Specifically, NAA is used to track the progression of neurodegenerative diseases due to the characteristic reduction of whole brain levels of NAA which occur simultaneously with reduced glucose utilization and mitochondrial dysfunction, but prior to the onset of disease specific pathology. However, NAA will also significantly increase simultaneously with energetic integrity during periods of recovery or remission in applicable disorders, such as traumatic brain injuries. Unfortunately, it remains enigmatic exactly why NAA is …

A Customized Quantitative Pcr Microrna Panel Provides A Technically Robust Context For Studying Neurodegenerative Disease Biomarkers And Indicates A High Correlation Between Cerebrospinal Fluid And Choroid Plexus Microrna Expression, Wang-Xia Wang, David W. Fardo, Gregory A. Jicha, Peter T. Nelson

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

MicroRNA (miRNA) expression varies in association with different tissue types and in diseases. Having been found in body fluids including blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), miRNAs constitute potential biomarkers. CSF miRNAs have been proposed as biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases; however, there is a lack of consensus about the best candidate miRNA biomarkers and there has been variability in results from different research centers, perhaps due to technical factors. Here, we sought to optimize technical parameters for CSF miRNA studies. We examined different RNA isolation methods and performed miRNA expression profiling with TaqMan® miRNA Arrays. More specifically, we developed a customized …

Major Neurotransmitters In The Brain, Amy S. Yu '17

Independent Study

Arguably the most important and powerful organ in the human body, the brain controls virtually everything one does. From chewing gum to running a marathon, the brain dictates one’s physical responses and actions, while also mediating learning, memory, and emotions. These functions are all regulated by neurotransmitter activity in the brain. While the brain works in complex ways, recent discoveries about neurotransmitters allow us to better understand the underlying mechanisms of brain operation. Each neurotransmitter fulfills a distinct role, but they rely on one another to perform certain activities in the brain as well. The purpose of this review is …

Characterization Of Vesicular Monoamine Transporter 2 And Its Role In Parkinson's Disease Pathogenesis Using Drosophila, Antonio Joel Tito Jr., Sheng Zhang

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder caused by the selective loss of the dopaminergic neurons in the Substantia nigra pars compacta region of the brain. PD is also the most common neurodegenerative disorder and the second most common movement disorder. PD patients exhibit the cardinal symptoms, including tremor of the extremities, rigidity, slowness of movement, and postural instability, after 70-80% of DA neurons degenerate. It is, therefore, imperative to elucidate the underlying mechanisms involved in the selective degeneration of DA neurons. Although increasing numbers of PD genes have been identified, why these largely widely expressed genes induce …

Effects Of Glyceollin On Mrna Expression In The Female Mouse Brain., Sanaya Firdaus Bamji

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Glyceollins (Glys), produced by soy plants in response to stress, have anti-estrogenic activity in breast and ovarian cancer cell lines in vitro and in vivo. In addition to known anti-estrogenic effects, Glys exhibit mechanisms of action not involving estrogen receptor (ER) signaling. To date, effects of Glys on brain physiology and function are unknown. The purpose of the experiments summarized in this dissertation was to gain an understanding of the effects of Gly on brain-related functions in the female mouse brain through the observation of changes in gene expression. For our initial studies, we treated ovariectomized Swiss Webster (CFW) …

“My Logic Is Undeniable”: Replicating The Brain For Ideal Artificial Intelligence, Samuel C. Adams

Senior Honors Theses

Alan Turing asked if machines can think, but intelligence is more than logic and reason. I ask if a machine can feel pain or joy, have visions and dreams, or paint a masterpiece. The human brain sets the bar high, and despite our progress, artificial intelligence has a long way to go. Studying neurology from a software engineer’s perspective reveals numerous uncanny similarities between the functionality of the brain and that of a computer. If the brain is a biological computer, then it is the embodiment of artificial intelligence beyond anything we have yet achieved, and its architecture is advanced …

Doxorubicin-Induced, Tnf-Α-Mediated Brain Oxidative Stress, Neurochemical Alterations, And Cognitive Decline: Insights Into Mechanisms Of Chemotherapy Induced Cognitive Impairment And Its Prevention, Jeriel T. Keeney

Theses and Dissertations--Chemistry

The works presented in this dissertation provide insights into the mechanisms of chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment (CICI or “ChemoBrain”) and take steps toward outlining a preventive strategy. CICI is now widely recognized as a complication of cancer chemotherapy experienced by a large percentage of cancer survivors. Approximately fifty percent of existing FDA-approved anti-cancer drugs generate reactive oxygen species (ROS). Doxorubicin (Dox), a prototypical ROS-generating chemotherapeutic agent, produces the reactive superoxide radical anion (O₂^-•) in vivo. Dox treatment results in oxidation of plasma proteins, including ApoA-I, leading to TNF-α-mediated oxidative stress in plasma and brain. TNF-α elevation in brain …

Stress-Induced Activation Of Distinct Subpopulations Of Neurons In The Basolateral Amygdala Of The Rat, Juan M. Bolanos^, Jameel N. Hamdan, Victor M. Rosales, Kristin L. Gosselink*

COURI Symposium Abstracts, Spring 2012

No abstract provided.