Medical Neurobiology Commons^™

Sp1 Trans-Activates The Murine H+-K+-Atpase Α2-Subunit Gene, Xiaobo Wang, Yili Zhang, Xiuyun Zhou, Xiumei Xia, Weijun Teng, Lin Sheng, Jing Ding

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Acute lung injury (ALI) followed with severe inflammation and oxidative stress. Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant are the properties of aquaporin 1 (AQP1) and aquaporin 5 (AQP5). The goal of this study was to see if soy isoflavone can diminish lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI and the underling mechanism. LPS-induced ALI was given to Sprague-Dawley rats 14 days following oophorectomy. One hour before the LPS challenge, estradiol (1 mg/kg) was administered subcutaneously as positive control and soy isoflavone was intragastric administration for 14 days prior to LPS challenge with different doses. Six hours after LPS challenge, the pulmonary edema, pathophysiology, inflammation, and the oxidative …

Syntaxin 3b Is A T-Snare Specific For Ribbon Synapses Of The Retina, Mariajose Perez-Hurtado, Calvin Dao, Amanda E Saenz, Ruth Heidelberger

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Biallelic loss-of-function mutations in the syntaxin 3 gene have been linked to a severe retinal dystrophy in humans that presents in early childhood. In mouse models, biallelic inactivation of the syntaxin 3 gene in photoreceptors rapidly leads to their death. What is not known is whether a monoallelic syntaxin 3 loss-of-function mutation might cause photoreceptor loss with advancing age. To address this question, we compared the outer nuclear layer of older adult mice (≈ 20 months of age) that were heterozygous for syntaxin 3 with those of similarly-aged control mice. We found that the photoreceptor layer maintains its thickness in …

Dynamics And Mechanisms Of Erk Activation After Different Protocols That Induce Long-Term Synaptic Facilitation In Aplysia, Yili Zhang, Rong-Yu Liu, Paul Smolen, Leonard J Cleary, John H Byrne

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Phosphorylation of the MAPK family member extracellular signal–regulated kinase (ERK) is required to induce long-term synaptic plasticity, but little is known about its persistence. We examined ERK activation by three protocols that induce long-term synaptic facilitation (LTF) of the Aplysia sensorimotor synapse – the standard protocol (five 5-min pulses of 5-HT with interstimulus intervals (ISIs) of 20 min), the enhanced protocol (five pulses with irregular ISIs, which induces greater and longer-lasting LTF) and the two-pulse protocol (two pulses with ISI 45 min). Immunofluorescence revealed complex ERK activation. The standard and two-pulse protocols immediately increased active, phosphorylated ERK (pERK), which decayed …

Alterations In Static And Dynamic Regional Homogeneity In Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy With And Without Initial Precipitating Injury, Xinyue Mao, Xiaonan Zhang, Chengru Song, Keran Ma, Kefan Wang, Xin Wang, Yajun Lian, Yong Zhang, Shaoqiang Han, Jingliang Cheng, Yan Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives

Initial precipitating injury (IPI) such as febrile convulsion and intracranial infection will increase the susceptibility to epilepsy. It is still unknown if the functional deficits differ between mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with IPI (mTLE-IPI) and without IPI (mTLE-NO).

Methods

We recruited 25 mTLE-IPI patients, 35 mTLE-NO patients and 33 healthy controls (HC). Static regional homogeneity (sReHo) and dynamic regional homogeneity (dReHo) were then adopted to estimate the alterations of local neuronal activity. One-way analysis of variance was used to analyze the differences between the three groups in sReHo and dReHo. Then the results were utilized as masks for further …

Traumatic Brain Injury-Associated Epigenetic Changes And The Risk For Neurodegenerative Diseases, Paul Smolen, Pramod K Dash, John B Redell

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Epidemiological studies have shown that traumatic brain injury (TBI) increases the risk for developing neurodegenerative diseases (NDs). However, molecular mechanisms that underlie this risk are largely unidentified. TBI triggers widespread epigenetic modifications. Similarly, NDs such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's are associated with numerous epigenetic changes. Although epigenetic changes can persist after TBI, it is unresolved if these modifications increase the risk of later ND development and/or dementia. We briefly review TBI-related epigenetic changes, and point out putative feedback loops that might contribute to long-term persistence of some modifications. We then focus on evidence suggesting persistent TBI-associated epigenetic changes may contribute …

Nursing Considerations For Post-Traumatic Amnesia After A Traumatic Brain Injury, Hannah Grant

Senior Honors Theses

A period known as post-traumatic amnesia (PTA) often follows a traumatic brain injury (TBI). PTA is characterized by anterograde and retrograde amnesia, confusion, disorientation, and agitation. The duration and severity of PTA is a key indicator of the long-term prognosis after a TBI, so proper assessment and nursing care of a PTA patient is crucial. TBIs range from mild to severe, but primarily affect the fronto-temporal lobes. In PTA, both neural lesions and white matter damage within the parahippocampal region can cause PTA. A nurse must perform a thorough assessment of a TBI patient, but, since PTA is a key …

Examining The Effects Of Npra Antagonist Anantin On Sci-Induced Ployuria., Lindsey Zipperer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Polyuria, or the over production of urine, is a prevalent condition that significantly impacts the quality of life in individuals suffering from a spinal cord injury (SCI). Post-SCI induced polyuria is thought to have been associated with altered levels of vasopressin (AVP), atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), and natriuretic peptide receptor A (NPRA). In the present study, the function of NPRA was analyzed in the rat contusion model using anantin, an NPRA antagonist. A daily dose of either 100 µg of anantin or vehicle was administered intraperitoneally immediately following the SCI surgery and continued until termination, 4 weeks post injury (wpi). …

Markers Of Neuroinflammatory And Degenerative Processes In Professional Athletes With Traumatic Encephalopathy Syndrome, Brooke Conway Kleven

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction: The clinical criteria for Traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (ccTES) were developed to improve the diagnosis of Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). This study aimed to determine whether there was an association between a clinical diagnosis of Traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (TES) and changes in serum biomarkers, balance, neuroimaging, and cognition among athletes in the Professional Athletes Brain Health Study (PABHS).Methods: Of the cohort, 130 professional fighters met age or retirement criteria and went to a consensus conference, with 52 fighters (40%) meeting the criteria for TES. A generalized linear model with generalized estimating equations was utilized to assess the odds of disease …

Defective Synaptic Plasticity In A Model Of Coffin-Lowry Syndrome Is Rescued By Simultaneously Targeting Pka And Mapk Pathways, Rong-Yu Liu, Yili Zhang, Paul Smolen, Leonard J Cleary, John H Byrne

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Empirical and computational methods were combined to examine whether individual or dual-drug treatments can restore the deficit in long-term synaptic facilitation (LTF) of the Aplysia sensorimotor synapse observed in a cellular model of Coffin–Lowry syndrome (CLS). The model was produced by pharmacological inhibition of p90 ribosomal S6 kinase (RSK) activity. In this model, coapplication of an activator of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) isoform ERK and an activator of protein kinase A (PKA) resulted in enhanced phosphorylation of RSK and enhanced LTF to a greater extent than either drug alone and also greater than their additive effects, which is termed …

Dimensionality Of Natural Auditory Scene Perception: A Factor Analysis Study, Margaret A. Mcmullin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Theories of auditory and visual scene analysis suggest the perception of scenes relies on the identification and segregation of objects within it, resembling a detail-oriented processing style, but it is possible that a global-oriented process also occurs while evaluating auditory scenes. There is evidence for global properties that enable rapid recognition of visual scenes, even without recognizing the individual objects comprising the scene. It is our understanding that a similar line of research has not been explored in the auditory domain; therefore, we evaluated the contributions of high-level global and low-level acoustic information to auditory scene perception. A secondary aim …

Early Systemic Glycolytic Shift After Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Is Associated With Functional Outcomes, Aaron M Gusdon, Chenlian Fu, Vasanta Putluri, Atzhiry S Paz, Hua Chen, Xuefang Ren, Mohammed Khurshidul Hassan, Pramod Dash, Cristian Coarfa, Nagireddy Putluri, Huimahn A Choi, Jude P J Savarraj

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) leads to a robust systemic inflammatory response. We hypothesized that an early systemic glycolytic shift occurs after aSAH, resulting in a unique metabolic signature and affecting systemic inflammation.

METHODS: Control patients and patients with aSAH were analyzed. Samples from patients with aSAH were collected within 24 h of aneurysmal rupture. Mass spectrometry-based metabolomics was performed to assess relative abundance of 16 metabolites involved in the tricarboxylic acid cycle, glycolysis, and pentose phosphate pathway. Principal component analysis was used to segregate control patients from patients with aSAH. Dendrograms were developed to depict correlations between metabolites and …

Synaptic Development In Diverse Olfactory Neuron Classes Uses Distinct Temporal And Activity-Related Programs, Michael A. Aimino, Alison T. Depew, Lucas Restrepo, Timothy J. Mosca

Farber Institute for Neuroscience Faculty Papers

Developing neurons must meet core molecular, cellular, and temporal requirements to ensure the correct formation of synapses, resulting in functional circuits. However, because of the vast diversity in neuronal class and function, it is unclear whether or not all neurons use the same organizational mechanisms to form synaptic connections and achieve functional and morphologic maturation. Moreover, it remains unknown whether neurons united in a common goal and comprising the same sensory circuit develop on similar timescales and use identical molecular approaches to ensure the formation of the correct number of synapses. To begin to answer these questions, we took advantage …

Cerebellar Coordination Of Neuronal And Behavioral Rhythms, Brittany Correia Chapman

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Long known for its role in motor control, it is increasingly clear that the cerebellum is also involved in numerous cognitive and affective behaviors. Though the neuronal mechanism for the role of the cerebellum in cognition is still unclear, there is a consensus that it involves cerebellar interactions with the cerebral cortex. Recent studies suggest that the cerebellum monitors, and possibly coordinates, the precise phase alignment or coherence of neuronal oscillations in cerebral cortical areas. Here, we asked how loss of cerebellar function affects respiratory rhythms and the interactions of local field potential (LFP) oscillations between the lobulus simplex (LS) …

Combined Regulatory T-Lymphocyte And Il-2 Treatment Is Safe, Tolerable, And Biologically Active For 1 Year In Persons With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Jason R Thonhoff, James D Berry, Eric A Macklin, David R Beers, Patricia A Mendoza, Weihua Zhao, Aaron D Thome, Fabio Triolo, James J Moon, Sabrina Paganoni, Merit Cudkowicz, Stanley H Appel

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In a phase 1 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) study, autologous infusions of expanded regulatory T-lymphocytes (Tregs) combined with subcutaneous interleukin (IL)-2 were safe and well tolerated. Treg suppressive function increased and disease progression stabilized during the study. The present study was conducted to confirm the reliability of these results.

METHODS: Participants with ALS underwent leukapheresis, and their Tregs were isolated and expanded in a current Good Manufacturing Practice facility. Seven participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive Treg infusions (1 × 10

RESULTS: The Treg/IL-2 treatments were safe and well tolerated, and Treg suppressive …

Characterization Of A Bioactive Peptide T14 In The Human And Rodent Substantia Nigra: Implications For Neurodegenerative Disease, Susan Adele Greenfield, Giovanni Ferrati, Clive W Coen, Auguste Vadisiute, Zoltan Molnár, Sara Garcia-Rates, Sally Frautschy, Gregory M Cole

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The substantia nigra is generally considered to show significant cell loss not only in Parkinson's but also in Alzheimer's disease, conditions that share several neuropathological traits. An interesting feature of this nucleus is that the pars compacta dopaminergic neurons contain acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Independent of its enzymatic role, this protein is released from pars reticulata dendrites, with effects that have been observed in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo. The part of the molecule responsible for these actions has been identified as a 14-mer peptide, T14, cleaved from the AChE C-terminus and acting at an allosteric site on alpha-7 nicotinic receptors, …

Rapid Reconstruction Of Neural Circuits Using Tissue Expansion And Light Sheet Microscopy, Joshua L Lillvis, Hideo Otsuna, Xiaoyu Ding, Igor Pisarev, Takashi Kawase, Jennifer Colonell, Konrad Rokicki, Cristian Goina, Ruixuan Gao, Amy Hu, Kaiyu Wang, John Bogovic, Daniel E Milkie, Linus Meienberg, Brett D Mensh, Edward S Boyden, Stephan Saalfeld, Paul W Tillberg, Barry J Dickson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Brain function is mediated by the physiological coordination of a vast, intricately connected network of molecular and cellular components. The physiological properties of neural network components can be quantified with high throughput. The ability to assess many animals per study has been critical in relating physiological properties to behavior. By contrast, the synaptic structure of neural circuits is presently quantifiable only with low throughput. This low throughput hampers efforts to understand how variations in network structure relate to variations in behavior. For neuroanatomical reconstruction, there is a methodological gulf between electron microscopic (EM) methods, which yield dense connectomes at considerable …

Motoneuron Excitability Dysfunction In Als: Pseudo-Mystery Or Authentic Conundrum?, Sherif M. Elbasiouny

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), abnormalities in motoneuronal excitability are seen in early pathogenesis and throughout disease progression. Fully understanding motoneuron excitability dysfunction may lead to more effective treatments. Yet decades of research have not produced consensus on the nature, role or underlying mechanisms of motoneuron excitability dysfunction in ALS. For example, contrary to Ca excitotoxicity theory, predictions of motoneuronal hyper-excitability, normal and hypo-excitability have also been seen at various disease stages and in multiple ALS lines. Accordingly, motoneuron excitability dysfunction in ALS is a disputed topic in the field. Specifically, the form (hyper, hypo or unchanged) and what role …

Epigenetic Modifications And Their Potential Contribution To Traumatic Brain Injury Pathobiology And Outcome, Laura Zima, Rebecca West, Paul Smolen, Nobuhide Kobori, Georgene Hergenroeder, Huimahn A Choi, Anthony N Moore, John B Redell, Pramod K Dash

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Epigenetic information is not permanently encoded in the DNA sequence, but rather consists of reversible, heritable modifications that regulate the gene expression profile of a cell. Epigenetic modifications can result in cellular changes that can be long lasting and include DNA methylation, histone methylation, histone acetylation, and RNA methylation. As epigenetic modifications are reversible, the enzymes that add (epigenetic writers), the proteins that decode (epigenetic readers), and the enzymes that remove (epigenetic erasers) these modifications can be targeted to alter cellular function and disease biology. While epigenetic modifications and their contributions are intense topics of current research in the context …

Comparison Of Brain Nicotine Uptake From Electronic Cigarettes And Combustible Cigarettes, Yantao Zuo, Alexey G Mukhin, Hannah Berg, Janiece D Morgan, Akiva Mintz, Jed E Rose, Kiran Kumar Solingapuram Sai

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Brain accumulation rate and magnitude are critical for the acute reinforcing effects of nicotine. Despite electronic cigarettes’ (E-cigs) appeal as substitutes for traditional combustible cigarettes (C-cigs), brain nicotine accumulation (BNA) from E-cigs has not been compared with that from C-cigs using a within-subjects design. BNA was directly assessed with 16 adult dual users (10 females) of E-cigs (e-liquid pH 9.4) and C-cigs, using 11C-nicotine and positron emission tomography (PET). Participants went through two 15-min head scanning sessions during which they inhaled a single puff of E-cig vapor or C-cig smoke containing 11C-nicotine in a randomized order. A full-body scan was …

Synaptic Origins Of The Complex Receptive Field Structure In Primate Smooth Monostratified Retinal Ganglion Cells, Andrea S Bordt, Sara S Patterson, James A Kuchenbecker, Marcus A Mazzaferri, Joel N Yearick, Emma R Yang, Judith Mosinger Ogilvie, Jay Neitz, David W Marshak

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Ganglion cells are the projection neurons of the retina. Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) express the photopigment melanopsin and also receive input from rods and cones via bipolar cells and amacrine cells. In primates, multiple types of ipRGCs have been identified. The ipRGCs with somas in the ganglion cell layer have been studied extensively, but less is known about those with somas in the inner nuclear layer, the "displaced" cells. To investigate their synaptic inputs, three sets of horizontal, ultrathin sections through central macaque retina were collected using serial block-face scanning electron microscopy. One displaced ipRGC received nearly all …