Neurosciences Commons^™

Statin-Mediated Attenuation Of Chemokine Expression In Peripheral Nerve Vascular Endothelial Cells, Kelly Ann Langert

Dissertations

Pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), a debilitating autoimmune disorder that affects the peripheral nervous system. By up-regulating endothelial expression of chemokines and cell adhesion molecules (CAMs), TNF-α facilitates the recruitment and trafficking of autoreactive leukocytes across the blood-nerve barrier and into peripheral nerves, an early pathological hallmark of GBS. Literature indicates that TNF-α, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) are locally increased in patients with GBS, correlating with disease severity. Similar findings have been demonstrated in an animal model of GBS, experimental autoimmune neuritis …

Electronic Nose Based On Independent Component Analysis Combined With Partial Least Squares And Artificial Neural Networks For Wine Prediction, Teodoro Aguilera, Jesús Lozano, José A. Paredes, Francisco J. Alvarez, José I. Suárez

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

The aim of this work is to propose an alternative way for wine classification and prediction based on an electronic nose (e-nose) combined with Independent Component Analysis (ICA) as a dimensionality reduction technique, Partial Least Squares (PLS) to predict sensorial descriptors and Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) for classification purpose. A total of 26 wines from different regions, varieties and elaboration processes have been analyzed with an e-nose and tasted by a sensory panel. Successful results have been obtained in most cases for prediction and classification.

Electrophysiological Abnormalities In Sod1 Transgenic Models In Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: The Commonalities And Differences, Sherif M. Elbasiouny, Katharina Quinlan, Tahra L. Eissa, Charles J. Heckman

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

Since its first description in 1874 by Charcot, the hallmark feature of ALS is the progressive degeneration of upper and lower motoneurons (Charcot, 1874). In the spinal cord, motoneuron degeneration starts long before symptom onset and advances in a size-related fashion, in which large-size alpha-motoneurons degenerate first followed by small-size alpha-motoneurons (Pun et al., 2006; Hegedus et al., 2007; Hegedus et al., 2008). There are conflicting reports regarding the survival of the smallest-sized spinal motoneurons, the gamma-motoneurons (Swash and Fox, 1974; Sobue et al., 1981). Despite its original description, the neuronal degeneration in ALS is not limited to motoneurons. Recent …

Seroprevalencia De Pestivirus De Rumiantes En Ovinos Reproductores De Una Empresa De La Sierra Central Del Perú, Nathalie A. Llancares, Hermelinda G. Rivera, Mariluz Araínga, Nestor Falcon P.

Journal Articles: Pharmacology & Experimental Neuroscience

The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) and Border Disease virus (BDV) in breeding sheep from a large cooperative farm in the Central highlands of Peru. Blood samples from apparently healthy sheep of 4 years old, both sexes (female = 165; male = 165) were collected for antibodies detection against BVDV and BDV using the virus neutralization test. The 2.1 ± 1.5% (7/330) and 28.5 ± 4.9% (94/330) of breeding sheep had antibodies against BVDV and BDV respectively, with antibodies titers of 1:2 and 1:16. There was significant association between …

Determination Of The Molecular Mechanisms Of Hyperglycemia-Induced Changes In Cav3.2 Calcium Channel Properties, Ginny Marie Keeling

Master's Theses

Hyperglycemia can cause altered excitability due to increased CaV3.2 T-type calcium channel function, bestowing diabetics an increased neuropathy risk. The objective of this study was to understand the molecular mechanisms of increased CaV3.2 function during hyperglycemia in vitro, which leads to a 58% increase in current density and increased channel open probability (PO), among other changes. Two major findings are reported in this study:

1) The enzymatic elimination of extracellular N-acetylneuraminic acid (NANA) moieties reversed the increase in current density and the shift in PO, showing that hyper-glycosylation alters channel function in disease.

2) Treatment with GM1 (a ganglioside highly …

Sex Differences In The Dopaminergic Regulation Of Courtship, But Not Pairing Behaviors In Zebra Finches, Erin Marie Lowrey

Wayne State University Theses

Dopamine is one of the key ingredients in the glue that cements social bonds in vertebrates. The D2 dopamine receptor has been implicated in the regulation of monogamous pair bonding in the prairie vole. While dopamine affects courtship behaviors in the male zebra finch, the behavioral role of dopamine acting at D2 receptors in both males and females deserves further attention. We hypothesized that the D2 receptor would regulate courtship and pairing behaviors in the male and female zebra finch. Sixteen males and females were tested using a repeated measures design. On day 1, the zebra finches were injected with …

Blast-Induced Brain Injury: Influence Of Shockwave Components, Dexter V. Reneer

Theses and Dissertations--Neuroscience

Blast-induced traumatic brain injury (bTBI) has been described as the defining injury of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF). Previously, most blast injury research has focused on the effects of blast on internal, gas filled organs due to their increased susceptibility. However, due to a change in enemy tactics combined with better armor and front-line medical care, bTBI has become one of the most common injuries due to blast. Though there has been a significant amount of research characterizing the brain injury produced by blast, a sound understanding of the contribution of each component of the shockwave to the …

Stroke Rehabilitation, Length-Of-Stay, And Re-Admission Rates: A Literature Review, Morgen Hagedorn

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Stroke is shown to be a significant U.S. health problem with a profound impact on the nation’s rising healthcare costs (Hall, Levant, & DeFrances, 2012). Longer patient length-of-stay [LOS] and higher re-admission rates have brought consequences to healthcare systems as institutional budgets are unable to reconcile the additional services and the influx of healthcare demands. Through a comprehensive literature review, the author illustrates the general knowledge available on the stroke experience, on stroke care and rehabilitation, and on patient LOS and re-admission rates. The literature review is based on general medical research with a focus on the stroke population. The …

Development Of A Bi-Directional Electronics Platform For Advanced Neural Applications, Luca Abbati

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This work presents a high-voltage, high-precision bi-directional multi-channel system capable of stimulating neural activity through bi-phasic pulses of amplitude up to ∓50 V while recording very low-voltage responses as low as tens of microvolts. Most of the systems reported from the scientific community possess at least one of the following common limitations: low stimulation voltages, low gain capabilities, or insufficient bandwidth to acquire a wide range of different neural activities.

While systems can be found that present remarkable capabilities in one or more specific areas, a versatile system that performs over all these aspects is missing. Moreover, as many novel …

Sugar Consumption And Cognitive Aging In The Swedish Adoption/Twin Study Of Aging, Shyam Seetharaman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Consumption of foods high in sugar content has been linked with the development of metabolic abnormalities such as cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes, major sources of global health concerns. Although the detrimental consequences of high intake of sugar on abnormal metabolic processes are established, it is not known how this association affects (or accelerates) cognitive aging.

The current project was based on data from the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging (SATSA) to test the hypothesis that high refined sugar intake contributes to accelerated trajectories of cognitive decline assessed longitudinally. Trajectories of cognitive change were assessed as a function …

Behavioral And Immunological Phenotypes Of Transgenic Mice Overexpressing Human Secreted Amyloid Precursor Protein Alpha: Implications For Autism, Antoinette R. Bailey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Autism is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder that is characterized by impaired social interaction and communication as well as restricted and repetitive behaviors and focused interests. In addition to the cardinal behavioral characteristics observed for diagnosis, autistic individuals exhibit a number of comorbid conditions as well as a variety of aberrant immunological features. Recent studies report that plasma from autistic children contained elevated levels of secreted amyloid precursor protein alpha (sAPP-á), the á-secretase cleavage product of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) which is ubiquitously expressed in the brain, spleen, thymus and other organs. Interestingly, the sAPP-á fragment functions as a neurotrophic …

Efficacy Of Increased Ube3a Protein Levels In The Brain In Rescuing The Phenotype Of An Angelman Syndrome Mouse, Jennifer L. Daily

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Angelman syndrome (AS), a genetic disorder occurring in approximately one in every 15,000 births, is characterized by severe mental retardation, seizures, difficulty speaking and ataxia. The gene responsible for AS was discovered to be UBE3A and encodes an E6-AP ubiquitin ligase. A unique feature of this gene is that it undergoes maternal imprinting in a neuron-specific manner. In the majority of AS cases, there is a mutation or deletion in the maternally inherited UBE3A gene, although other cases are the result of uniparental disomy or mismethylation of the maternal gene. While most human disorders characterized by severe mental retardation involve …

Understanding The Gender-Based Mechanism Of Mso In Als Mice: A Metabolic Characterization Of The Sod1-G93a Mouse Model, Monica Ann Bame

Wayne State University Dissertations

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor neuron death and a corresponding loss of neuromuscular connections resulting in muscle atrophy. Patients become paralyzed shortly after symptom onset and typically die within one to five years of pulmonary complications. ALS is a relatively rare disease, with an overall incidence of approximately 2 in 100,000 people per year and a prevalence of about 5 in 100,000 people. It is typically associated with increasing age and has a slight male prevalence, with a male to female ratio of approximately 3:2. ALS is classified as either familial (the less …

Predicting Vision Loss In Healthy Aging With Manganese-Enhanced Mri Of The Rat Eye, David Bissig

Wayne State University Dissertations

In healthy aging, visual function declines throughout adulthood. Age-related changes in neuronal ion homeostasis -- specifically, increased Ca2+ influx through L-type voltage gated calcium channels (L-VGCCs) -- are believed to contribute to certain functional declines, but this possibility has not yet been tested in the neural retina. In young, mid- and old adult Long-Evans rats, we compared visual function (optokinetic tracking), as well as retinal physiology and eye morphology (Mn2+-enhanced MRI (MEMRI), which uses neuronal Mn2+ uptake as a marker of Ca2+ influx). We documented significant age-related decreases in visual performance and increases in retinal ion influx. We confirmed that …

Resveratrol + Ethanol Preconditioning And Neuroprotection, Nastaran Khodaie

Master's Theses

Our lab established that moderate ethanol preconditioning (MEP) for 6 days blocked the Aâ25-35 toxicity in cerebellar mixed cell cultures and It has been shown that MEP cause the up regulation of the pre-survival enzymes such as proxiredoxin2 (PRX2), which suggests MEP can activate the cell survival pathways against upcoming toxins.

This study was performed to verify the possible combinatory effect of ethanol and resveratrol against Aâ25-35 toxicity. Both ethanol and resveratrol sub-protective concentrations were detected against Aâ25-35 in cerebellar mixed cell cultures. The combination of sub-protective levels of ethanol and resveratrol showed the significantly reduction in number of Aâ25-35 …

Signals From Intraventricular Depth Electrodes Can Control A Brain-Computer Interface, Jerry J. Shih, Dean J. Krusienski

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

A Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) is a device that enables severely disabled people to communicate and interact with their environments using their brain waves. Most research investigating BCI in humans have used scalp-recorded electroencephalography (EEG). We have recently demonstrated that signals from intracranial electrocorticography (ECoG) and stereotactic depth electrodes (SDE) in the hippocampus can be used to control a BCI P300 Speller paradigm. We report a case in which stereotactic depth electrodes positioned in the ventricle were able to obtain viable signals for a BCI. Our results demonstrate that event-related potentials from intraventricular electrodes can be used to reliably control the …

Multiple Γ-Secretase Product Peptides Are Coordinately Increased In Concentration In The Cerebrospinal Fluid Of A Subpopulation Of Sporadic Alzheimer's Disease Subjects, Saori Hata, Miyako Taniguchi, Yi Piao, Takeshi Ikeuchi, Anne Fagan, David Holtzman, Randall Bateman, Hamid Sohrabi, Ralph Martins, Sam Gandy, Katsuya Urakami, Toshiharu Suzuki

Research outputs 2012

Background: Alcadeinα (Alcα) is a neuronal membrane protein that colocalizes with the Alzheimer's amyloid-β precursor protein (APP). Successive cleavage of APP by β- and γ-secretases generates the aggregatable amyloid-β peptide (Aβ), while cleavage of APP or Alcα by α- and γ-secretases generates non-aggregatable p3 or p3-Alcα peptides. Aβ and p3-Alcα can be recovered from human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). We have previously reported alternative processing of APP and Alcα in the CSF of some patients with sporadic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD (SAD). Results: Using the sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) system that detects total p3-Alcα, we determined levels of …

Neuron To Microglia Communication; A Study Of Cx3cl1 Signaling Implications In Cognitive Function, Inflammation, And Neurodegeneration, Joshua M. Morganti

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As a consequence of aging, the brain is subject to chronic neuroinflammatory conditions. The resident immune cells of the brain, microglia, act similarly to peripheral macrophages to protect the brain from insults, infection, and physical trauma. However, without proper regulation of their respective host defense mechanisms, these actions can become neurotoxic. In the healthy brain neurons have several signaling systems that directly interact with microglia in order to maintain a calming influence upon their actions, one of particular interest is the chemokine CX3CL1. This chemokine is found predominantly on neurons, while its cognate receptor CX3CR1 is found exclusively on microglia. …

Maternal Immune Dysregulation In The Pathogenesis Of Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Interleukin-6 As A Central Mechanism And Therapeutic Target Of Flavonoids, Ellisa Carla Parker-Athill

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Activation of the maternal immune system and resultant maternal cytokine expression due to prenatal infection has been implicated as a significant contributor to the pathology of neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Increased maternal interleukin-6 (IL-6) expression, observed clinically and in animal models of prenatal infection, and resultant activation of key signaling pathways, has been shown to be a biological indicator of pathology, and a central component of the pathological mechanism. In animal models of prenatal infection and clinically in pregnancy disorders hallmarked by immunological irregularities and increased IL-6 expression, inhibition of IL-6 has …

Effects Of G-Csf On Monocytes And Neurons: In Vitro And In Vivo Studies In A Mouse Model Of Alzheimer's Disease, Amanda Renee Pennington

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

G-CSF is routinely used to treat neutropenia/leukopenia or to increase hematopoietic stem cell generation in bone marrow donors. G-CSF and its receptor, G-CSFR, are produced by various cell types both in the peripheral circulation and within brain. As a consequence, exogenous administration of G-CSF results in a broad spectrum of effects involving hematopoietic, immune and central nervous systems.

G-CSF administration in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has revealed both cognitive benefits and disease modifying effects: a) decreased Aβ plaque burden, b) increased microgliosis, c) increased neurogenesis and d) improved performance in radial arm water maze (RAWM). In clinical …