Epileptic disorders : international epilepsy journal with videotape, 2003
A brief survey of cortical development is presented, focusing on neuronal migration and its alter... more A brief survey of cortical development is presented, focusing on neuronal migration and its alterations. Corticogenesis is achieved through ordered temporospatial steps, via the formation of transient structures, and successive waves of cell proliferation and migration (followed by cell differentiation and maturation), and apoptotic cell death. The appearance of the proliferative ventricular zone and marginal zone, and of the superficial primordial plexiform layer, is followed by the formation of the prospective layer I, of the subplate, whose neurons are destined to die, and of the cortical plate that will give rise to layers II-VI. Cells arising in the ventricular zone migrate radially using radial glia as a scaffold, and are destined to form pyramidal cells. Cortical interneurons are mainly generated in the ganglionic eminence and migrate along axonal substrates following tangential routes. Disorders of this complex process lead to a wide range of alterations, and focal derangeme...
Camillo Golgi discovered, in 1898, the cell organelle that has been called, after him, "... more Camillo Golgi discovered, in 1898, the cell organelle that has been called, after him, "the Golgi apparatus" or "the Golgi complex." Because of the necessity of saving words in scientific literature, "the Golgi apparatus" is nowadays frequently referred to only as "the Golgi" or used in an adjectival form in combination with a variety of terms (e.g., Golgi vesicle, Golgi area, Golgi traffic, and so forth). We present here a search of the Medline database for the years 1967 through 1997, which demonstrates that the eponym has lost all connection with Golgi's personal identity. In addition, the search indicates that interest in the Golgi apparatus is steadily increasing, as evidenced in the scientific literature, and that Golgi's name is much more frequently used in association with the cell organelle than with any of the other scientific contributions of this scientist, including the Golgi impregnation of nerve cells.
Qtracker(®)800 Vascular labels (Qtracker(®)800) are promising biomedical tools for high-resolutio... more Qtracker(®)800 Vascular labels (Qtracker(®)800) are promising biomedical tools for high-resolution vasculature imaging; their effects on mouse and human endothelia, however, are still unknown. Qtracker(®)800 were injected in Balb/c mice, and brain endothelium uptake was investigated by transmission electron microscopy 3-h post injection. We then investigated, in vitro, the effects of Qtracker(®)800 exposure on mouse and human endothelial cells by calcium imaging. Transmission electron microscopy images showed nanoparticle accumulation in mouse brain endothelia. A subset of mouse and human endothelial cells generated intracellular calcium transients in response to Qtracker(®)800. Qtracker(®)800 nanoparticles elicit endothelial functional responses, which prompts biomedical safety evaluations and may bias the interpretation of experimental studies involving vascular imaging.
Recent findings indicate that fingolimod, the first oral drug approved for the treatment of multi... more Recent findings indicate that fingolimod, the first oral drug approved for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS), acts as a direct inhibitor of histone deacetylases (HDACs) and enhances the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the CNS. Both mechanisms are relevant to the pathophysiology and treatment of major depression. We examined the antidepressant activity of fingolimod in mice subjected to chronic unpredictable stress (CUS), a model of reactive depression endowed with face and pharmacological validity. Chronic treatment with fingolimod (3 mg kg(-1), i.p., once a day for 4 weeks) reduced the immobility time in the forced swim test (FST) in a large proportion of CUS mice. This treatment also caused anxiogenic-like effects in the social interaction test without affecting anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus maze or spatial learning in the water maze. CUS mice showed reduced BDNF levels and enhanced HDAC2 levels in the hippocampus. These changes were reversed by fingolimod exclusively in mice that showed a behavioral response to the drug in the FST. Fingolimod treatment also enhanced H3 histone K14-acetylation and adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus of CUS mice. Fingolimod did not affect most of the parameters we have tested in unstressed control mice. The antidepressant-like activity of fingolimod was confirmed in mice chronically treated with corticosterone. These findings show for the first time that fingolimod exerts antidepressant-like effect acting in a "disease-dependent" manner, and raise the interesting possibility that the drug could relieve depressive symptoms in MS patients independently of its disease-modifying effect on MS.
ABSTRACT Preclinical applications in neuroradiology are rapidly growing. This work briefly review... more ABSTRACT Preclinical applications in neuroradiology are rapidly growing. This work briefly reviews the aims, methods and research fields in which preclinical neuroradiology units are involved. Specifically we will describe applications in pharmacological research, transgenic animals phenotyping, stem cell imaging and molecular imaging. The interdisciplinary approach, typical of preclinical neuroradiology, appears to be useful also in the training of young neuroradiologists.
To assess the effect of mild forced physical training on cognitive and locomotory behavior in old... more To assess the effect of mild forced physical training on cognitive and locomotory behavior in old (26 mo.) mice. Randomized, controlled study. Open-field in the behavioral laboratory. Sixteen old sedentary male mice randomly assigned to one of two groups, exercise (E) or rest (R). group E underwent treadmill running for one month at moderate intensity (belt speed=8 m/min, 45 min, five days a week), group R was only allowed spontaneous locomotor activity. exploratory and locomotor behavior were evaluated in an enriched environment (Ethovision recording). motor patterns were significantly reduced (chi2 test, p<0.05) in the E vs R group after one month of training; exploratory patterns were not different, both groups showing modest exploratory activity. mild forced physical training initiated at old age may have detrimental effect on motor behavior in male mice without improving cognitive parameters.
The rat brain was investigated with structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) 12... more The rat brain was investigated with structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) 12 h after the arrest of pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus lasting 4 h. Histopathological data, obtained immediately after MRI analysis, were correlated with the images through careful evaluation of tissue shrinkage. Diffusion-weighted and T2-weighted imaging showed changes throughout the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, and medial thalamus. However, only T2-weighted imaging, based on rapid acquisition relaxation-enhanced sequences, revealed in the cortex inhomogeneous hyperintensity that was highest in a band corresponding to layer V. Regional cerebral blood volume (rCBV) maps were generated using T2*-weighted gradient-echo images and an ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide contrast agent. In the cortex, rCBV peaked in superficial and deep bands exhibiting a distribution complementary to the highest T2-weighted intensity. Selective rCBV increase was also documented in the h...
Altered perceptual and emotional processing might bind impaired cognitive mechanisms during aging... more Altered perceptual and emotional processing might bind impaired cognitive mechanisms during aging; however the nature of these sensory perception modifications is still unknown. In the present experiment we analyzed in rats, from early to mature life (2 to 11 months old), the response to unattended auditory evoked stimulation (Auditory evoked potential, AEP) and the power spectrum of spontaneous electroencephalogram (EEG), with the aim of unraveling the onset and target functional effects of aging. Somatosensory and cingulate cortex, mediodorsal thalamus and CA3 hippocampus were chosen for examination based on their involvement in sensory processing and age-related deficits. The main finding of this study is the early onset of age-related changes in adult rats as can be established with both AEP&#39;s and frequency analyses, and its diversity between brain regions during normal aging.
Epileptic disorders : international epilepsy journal with videotape, 2003
A brief survey of cortical development is presented, focusing on neuronal migration and its alter... more A brief survey of cortical development is presented, focusing on neuronal migration and its alterations. Corticogenesis is achieved through ordered temporospatial steps, via the formation of transient structures, and successive waves of cell proliferation and migration (followed by cell differentiation and maturation), and apoptotic cell death. The appearance of the proliferative ventricular zone and marginal zone, and of the superficial primordial plexiform layer, is followed by the formation of the prospective layer I, of the subplate, whose neurons are destined to die, and of the cortical plate that will give rise to layers II-VI. Cells arising in the ventricular zone migrate radially using radial glia as a scaffold, and are destined to form pyramidal cells. Cortical interneurons are mainly generated in the ganglionic eminence and migrate along axonal substrates following tangential routes. Disorders of this complex process lead to a wide range of alterations, and focal derangeme...
Camillo Golgi discovered, in 1898, the cell organelle that has been called, after him, &quot;... more Camillo Golgi discovered, in 1898, the cell organelle that has been called, after him, &quot;the Golgi apparatus&quot; or &quot;the Golgi complex.&quot; Because of the necessity of saving words in scientific literature, &quot;the Golgi apparatus&quot; is nowadays frequently referred to only as &quot;the Golgi&quot; or used in an adjectival form in combination with a variety of terms (e.g., Golgi vesicle, Golgi area, Golgi traffic, and so forth). We present here a search of the Medline database for the years 1967 through 1997, which demonstrates that the eponym has lost all connection with Golgi&#39;s personal identity. In addition, the search indicates that interest in the Golgi apparatus is steadily increasing, as evidenced in the scientific literature, and that Golgi&#39;s name is much more frequently used in association with the cell organelle than with any of the other scientific contributions of this scientist, including the Golgi impregnation of nerve cells.
Qtracker(®)800 Vascular labels (Qtracker(®)800) are promising biomedical tools for high-resolutio... more Qtracker(®)800 Vascular labels (Qtracker(®)800) are promising biomedical tools for high-resolution vasculature imaging; their effects on mouse and human endothelia, however, are still unknown. Qtracker(®)800 were injected in Balb/c mice, and brain endothelium uptake was investigated by transmission electron microscopy 3-h post injection. We then investigated, in vitro, the effects of Qtracker(®)800 exposure on mouse and human endothelial cells by calcium imaging. Transmission electron microscopy images showed nanoparticle accumulation in mouse brain endothelia. A subset of mouse and human endothelial cells generated intracellular calcium transients in response to Qtracker(®)800. Qtracker(®)800 nanoparticles elicit endothelial functional responses, which prompts biomedical safety evaluations and may bias the interpretation of experimental studies involving vascular imaging.
Recent findings indicate that fingolimod, the first oral drug approved for the treatment of multi... more Recent findings indicate that fingolimod, the first oral drug approved for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS), acts as a direct inhibitor of histone deacetylases (HDACs) and enhances the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the CNS. Both mechanisms are relevant to the pathophysiology and treatment of major depression. We examined the antidepressant activity of fingolimod in mice subjected to chronic unpredictable stress (CUS), a model of reactive depression endowed with face and pharmacological validity. Chronic treatment with fingolimod (3 mg kg(-1), i.p., once a day for 4 weeks) reduced the immobility time in the forced swim test (FST) in a large proportion of CUS mice. This treatment also caused anxiogenic-like effects in the social interaction test without affecting anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus maze or spatial learning in the water maze. CUS mice showed reduced BDNF levels and enhanced HDAC2 levels in the hippocampus. These changes were reversed by fingolimod exclusively in mice that showed a behavioral response to the drug in the FST. Fingolimod treatment also enhanced H3 histone K14-acetylation and adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus of CUS mice. Fingolimod did not affect most of the parameters we have tested in unstressed control mice. The antidepressant-like activity of fingolimod was confirmed in mice chronically treated with corticosterone. These findings show for the first time that fingolimod exerts antidepressant-like effect acting in a &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;disease-dependent&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; manner, and raise the interesting possibility that the drug could relieve depressive symptoms in MS patients independently of its disease-modifying effect on MS.
ABSTRACT Preclinical applications in neuroradiology are rapidly growing. This work briefly review... more ABSTRACT Preclinical applications in neuroradiology are rapidly growing. This work briefly reviews the aims, methods and research fields in which preclinical neuroradiology units are involved. Specifically we will describe applications in pharmacological research, transgenic animals phenotyping, stem cell imaging and molecular imaging. The interdisciplinary approach, typical of preclinical neuroradiology, appears to be useful also in the training of young neuroradiologists.
To assess the effect of mild forced physical training on cognitive and locomotory behavior in old... more To assess the effect of mild forced physical training on cognitive and locomotory behavior in old (26 mo.) mice. Randomized, controlled study. Open-field in the behavioral laboratory. Sixteen old sedentary male mice randomly assigned to one of two groups, exercise (E) or rest (R). group E underwent treadmill running for one month at moderate intensity (belt speed=8 m/min, 45 min, five days a week), group R was only allowed spontaneous locomotor activity. exploratory and locomotor behavior were evaluated in an enriched environment (Ethovision recording). motor patterns were significantly reduced (chi2 test, p<0.05) in the E vs R group after one month of training; exploratory patterns were not different, both groups showing modest exploratory activity. mild forced physical training initiated at old age may have detrimental effect on motor behavior in male mice without improving cognitive parameters.
The rat brain was investigated with structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) 12... more The rat brain was investigated with structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) 12 h after the arrest of pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus lasting 4 h. Histopathological data, obtained immediately after MRI analysis, were correlated with the images through careful evaluation of tissue shrinkage. Diffusion-weighted and T2-weighted imaging showed changes throughout the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, and medial thalamus. However, only T2-weighted imaging, based on rapid acquisition relaxation-enhanced sequences, revealed in the cortex inhomogeneous hyperintensity that was highest in a band corresponding to layer V. Regional cerebral blood volume (rCBV) maps were generated using T2*-weighted gradient-echo images and an ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide contrast agent. In the cortex, rCBV peaked in superficial and deep bands exhibiting a distribution complementary to the highest T2-weighted intensity. Selective rCBV increase was also documented in the h...
Altered perceptual and emotional processing might bind impaired cognitive mechanisms during aging... more Altered perceptual and emotional processing might bind impaired cognitive mechanisms during aging; however the nature of these sensory perception modifications is still unknown. In the present experiment we analyzed in rats, from early to mature life (2 to 11 months old), the response to unattended auditory evoked stimulation (Auditory evoked potential, AEP) and the power spectrum of spontaneous electroencephalogram (EEG), with the aim of unraveling the onset and target functional effects of aging. Somatosensory and cingulate cortex, mediodorsal thalamus and CA3 hippocampus were chosen for examination based on their involvement in sensory processing and age-related deficits. The main finding of this study is the early onset of age-related changes in adult rats as can be established with both AEP&#39;s and frequency analyses, and its diversity between brain regions during normal aging.
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