Hippocampal neuron and synaptophysin-positive bouton number in aging C57BL/6 mice

A loss of hippocampal neurons and synapses had been considered a hallmark of normal aging and, furthermore, to be a substrate of age-related learning and memory deficits. Recent stereological studies in humans have shown that only a relatively minor neuron loss occurs with aging and that this loss is restricted to specific brain regions, including hippocampal subregions. Here, we investigate these age-related changes in C57BL/6J mice, one of the most commonly used laboratory mouse strains. Twenty-five mice (groups at 2, 14, and 28–31 months of age) were assessed for Morris water-maze performance, and modern stereological techniques were used to estimate total neuron and synaptophysin-positive bouton number in hippocampal subregions at the light microscopic level. Results revealed that performance in the water maze was largely maintained with aging. No age-related decline was observed in number of dentate gyrus granule cells or CA1 pyramidal cells. In addition, no age-related change in number of synaptophysin-positive boutons was observed in the molecular layer of the dentate gyrus or CA1 region of hippocampus. We observed a significant correlation between dentate gyrus synaptophysin-positive bouton number and water-maze performance. These results demonstrate that C57BL/6J mice do not exhibit major age-related deficits in spatial learning or hippocampal structure, providing a baseline for further study of mouse brain aging.     

低压缺氧延迟预适应对小鼠海马神经元的保护作用研究

目的：了解低压缺氧预处理是否能够诱导小鼠海马神经元产生延迟预适应，增强神经元耐缺氧能力。 方法： 将近交系Babl/c小鼠放入减压舱，模拟海拔7 000 m高度减压2.5 h/d，连续3 d。第3次减压毕36 h后，观察严重低压缺氧(12 000 m 4 h)、严重缺血(双侧颈总动脉阻塞18 min)、缺血合并低压缺氧 (结扎右侧颈总动脉后，低压缺氧8 000 m 4 h)对低压缺氧预处理及正常对照小鼠海马神经元的损伤情况。 结果： 7 000 m 2.5 h低压缺氧预处理对小鼠海马神经元无显著损伤，能够诱导其产生延迟预适应，显著增强海马神经元耐受严重低压缺氧、严重缺血、缺血合并低压缺氧损伤的能力。 结论: 本研究所采用的低压缺氧预处理方法能够诱导海马神经元产生延迟预适应，增强其抗缺血缺氧能力。     

一氧化氮合酶与缺氧复氧所致神经细胞凋亡及银杏叶提取物的保护作用

目的　探讨一氧化氮 (NO)在缺氧复氧诱导神经细胞凋亡中的作用及中药银杏叶提取物的保护机制。方法　实验使用胎龄 16～ 17日Wistar大鼠的大脑皮层神经细胞进行原代分离培养 ;采用Wright Giemsa染色 ,光镜、透射电子显微镜观察 ;原位末端标记法确立缺氧复氧神经细胞凋亡病理模型 ;应用NADPH d组织化学方法检测神经细胞一氧化氮合酶 (NOS)的表达并用计算机图像分析系统进行定量检测。　结果　缺氧复氧可以使大鼠大脑皮层神经细胞发生凋亡 ,随缺氧时间的延长 ,凋亡细胞数渐多 ,至缺氧 8h复氧 18h达高峰 ;在缺氧 2h(H2 R0 组 )和缺氧 8h复氧 18h(R8R1 8)组中神经细胞NOS表达均显著增高 ,与正常对照组比有显著性差异 (P <0 0 1;P <0 0 5 )。EGB能显著抑制此双时相NOS活性的增强 ,并明显降低神经细胞凋亡率。　结论　缺氧复氧损伤可诱导培养的大鼠大脑皮层神经细胞发生凋亡。NOS表达增强从而使NO产生增加可能是缺氧复氧诱导神经细胞凋亡的机制之一。银杏叶提取物 (EGB)经下调NOS表达活性 ,抑制NO的产生保护培养的大鼠大脑皮层神经细胞免于凋亡。     

CCKB受体诱发的小鼠神经元蛋白质磷酸化的研究

目的：从蛋白质可逆磷酸化修饰的角度初步勾勒出CCK_B型受体介导的胞内信号转导途径。方法:培养的小鼠大脑皮质神经元分为实验组、对照组和受体拮抗剂组，在无磷培养基加入 ［32P］-NaH₂PO₄标记细胞中的磷蛋白后，刺激组给予CCK₈（10^-7 mol/L），对照组加入等量的无磷培养基，受体拮抗剂组在分别加入CCK_A型、CCK_B型受体拮抗剂L364 718、L365 260以及L364 718＋L365 260，浓度均为10^-8 mol/L，孵育10 min后，再加入10^-7 mol/L CCK₈，37 ℃作用60 min，液氮中终止磷酸化反应。裂解细胞提取蛋白质，双向电泳分离，放射自显影7d后，获得磷酸化蛋白的放射自显影双向电泳图谱。采用PDQuest 2D分析软件对图谱进行差异分析，并在Swiss-Prot蛋白质数据库和自建磷蛋白数据库中查询定性。结果:CCK₈作用60 min后，小鼠神经元CCK₈信号转导相关磷酸化蛋白有：多种蛋白激酶、细胞信号分子、生长因子受体、转录因子等。加入L364 718后，神经元中PKCδ、P55G等的磷酸化水平降低，加入L365 260后， PKCα、PKGβ、OGFR、EGFR等的磷酸化水平呈现不同程度的降低，表明皮质神经元中CCK_B受体介导的信号转导更复杂。结论:CCK_A型、GGK_B型受体均可介导CCK₈在神经元的信号转导，但CCK_B型受体可能发挥了更重要的作用，其介导的信号途径可能包括：肌醇磷脂信使系统、cAMP-PKA途径、MAPK途径、JNK途径、PI3K-PKB途径和cGMP-PKG途径。     

紫草素通过PI3K/Akt通路抑制氧糖剥夺诱导的大鼠原代皮层神经元凋亡

目的:探讨紫草素对氧糖剥夺(OGD)损伤模型中大鼠原代皮层神经元的作用及机制。方法:用不同浓度(0. 02、0. 2、2和20μmol/L)紫草素对大鼠原代皮层神经元经进行预处理,再经OGD损伤处理,用乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)释放法和荧光素二乙酸酯/碘化丙啶(FDA/PI)双染法分别检测神经元活性和凋亡情况,选择最适紫草素浓度。然后,在加入紫草素之前提前加入LY294002(PI3K/Akt信号通路抑制剂,1μmol/L),用Wesern blot法检测神经元p-Akt(Ser473)水平变化,用LDH法和FDA/PI双染法检测神经元活性和凋亡率变化。结果:0. 2、2及20μmol/L的紫草素可显著提高神经元存活率(P 0. 05),同时还可使神经元内p-Akt(Ser473)水平显著升高(P 0. 05); LY294002可显著阻断紫草素对神经元p-Akt(Ser473)水平和凋亡率的影响(P 0. 05)。结论:紫草素可通过激活PI3K/Akt通路来减少OGD诱导的大鼠原代皮层神经元凋亡。     

谷氨酸诱导海马神经元凋亡涉及线粒体释放细胞色素C

目的：建立体外谷氨酸诱导神经元兴奋损伤模型，探索其凋亡发生是否通过线粒体信号转导途径介导的细胞色素C（Cyt C）释放而实现，为今后干预性使用神经保护剂提供依据。方法:分离及培养新生Wistar大鼠海马神经元，选用合适谷氨酸浓度建立神经元损伤模型；利用LDH测定及流式细胞仪Annexin V/PI双染色法检测谷氨酸暴露后不同时点神经元凋亡及坏死的动态改变；采用Western blotting法检测caspase-3活性及线粒体内和胞浆内Cyt C水平动态变化。结果:谷氨酸诱导神经元损伤呈明显浓度及时间依赖性，50 μmol/L浓度可使LDH释放量明显增加 (18.4%,P<0.05)，暴露后6 h凋亡率显著增加；凋亡发生前，神经元caspase-3活性已明显增高（3 h），6 h达高峰；线粒体Cyt C释放发生在caspase-3增高前，30 min时胞浆内Cyt C水平即明显增加（P<0.05），3 h胞浆内Cyt C水平超过线粒体内，而线粒体内Cyt C水平进行性减少。结论:50 μmol/L谷氨酸可诱导海马神经元凋亡，凋亡机制可能是通过损伤线粒体膜，使Cyt C易位释放入胞浆激活caspase级联反应而致。     

The 2P-domain K+ channels: role in apoptosis and tumorigenesis

Two-pore (2P)-domain K⁺ channels have been shown recently to play a critical role in both cell apoptosis and tumorigenesis. The activity of two-pore, (TWIK)-related acid-sensitive-3 (TASK-3) K⁺ channels, is responsible for K⁺-dependent apoptosis of cultured cerebellar granule neurons. Neuron death can be prevented by conditions that specifically reduce K⁺ efflux through the TASK-3 channels. Moreover, genetic transfer of TASK subunits into hippocampal neurons that lack TASK-3, induces apoptosis. These results indicate a direct link between TASK K⁺ channel activity and the physiological process of programmed cell death. The TASK-3 K⁺ channel gene has also been shown to be amplified genomically and over-expressed in a significant number of breast tumours. TASK-3 has a potent oncogenic potential that appears to be related directly to its K⁺ channel function. In the present review, we will examine the pro-apoptotic and oncogenic properties of TASK-3. We will discuss: (1) the molecular and functional properties of the novel family of mammalian 2P domain K⁺ channels; (2) the role of TASK-3 in cerebellar granule neuron apoptosis and (3) the role of TASK-3 in breast tumorigenesis.     

A neuronal correlate of spatial stability during periods of self-induced visual motion

Summary Motion of background visual images across the retina during slow tracking eye movements is usually not consciously perceived so long as the retinal image motion results entirely from the voluntary slow eye movement (otherwise the surround would appear to move during pursuit eye movements). To address the question of where in the brain such filtering might occur, the responses of cells in 3 visuo-cortical areas of macaque monkeys were compared when retinal image motion of background images was caused by object motion as opposed to a pursuit eye movement. While almost all cells in areas V4 and MT responded indiscriminately to retinal image motion arising from any source, most of those recorded in the dorsal zone of area MST (MSTd), as well as a smaller proportion in lateral MST (MST1), responded preferentially to externally-induced motion and only weakly or not at all to self-induced visual motion. Such cells preserve visuo-spatial stability during low-velocity voluntary eye movements and could contribute to the process of providing consistent spatial orientation regardless of whether the eyes are moving or stationary.     

Experimental neurotoxicity of the anorectic fenfluramine

Summary Fenfluramine, an amphophilic compound which is a halogenated derivative of amphetamine, is still used as an anorectic agent for weight reduction, as it acts on the satiety center of the hypothalamus. Holtzman strain rats aged 6 days were daily injected s.c. fenfluramine hydrochloride at the dose of 75 mg/kg body weight. The animals were killed at different time intervals between days 7 and 40, and different parts of the brain were examined by light and electron microscopy. About half of the animals showed intralysosomal membrano-cytoplasmic bodies in the oligodendroglia, neurons, and neuropil, maximally in the animals receiving 8–19 injections. They were seen as concentrically arranged, single-layered lamellae; small dense bodies; or larger heterogeneous bodies. The mechanism of production of such inclusions could be the formation of complexes of this amphophilic compound with tissue phospholipids, or some enzyme-inhibiting action. A marked prominence of dark cells, predominantly oligodendroglia, was also noticed in the brains of experimental animals. Some of these cells appeared to be dark neurons, probably resulting from the serotonin-depleting effect of fenfluramine. A few dark cells were identified as resting microglial cells, while macrophagic reactive microglia were detected in the brains of very young animals. Fenfluramine appears to provide a model for studying neuroglial reactions.Paper presented at the Erwin Riesch symposium on Lysosomal Disorders of the Nervous System, Berlin (Convenor, Prof. Cervos-Navarro); and as poster-talk at the 9th International Congress of Neuropathology, Vienna, September 1982     

维拉帕米对大鼠缺血—再灌流视网膜Glu—IR神经元的观察

探讨维拉帕米对大鼠缺血-再灌流视网膜Glu-IR神经元的作用。方法结扎双侧颈总动脉,3h后松结复流,分别于缺血前15min和再灌流前1min腹腔注射维拉帕米(5mg/kg/次),对照组腹腔注射等量生理盐水。动物存活3d,4%多聚甲醛经心灌注,视网膜切片Glu免疫组织化学反应。结果正常大鼠视网膜内核层中有大量Glu-IR神经元,外核层、节细胞层部分细胞呈Glu-IR。缺血-再灌流损伤后,视网膜内核层中Glu-IR神经元较正常时显著减少,染色变淡,外核层、节细胞层未见Glu-IR(P＜0.05)。在缺血-再灌流期应用维拉帕米,视网膜中Glu-IR神经元明显增多,染色变深(P＜0.05)。结论视网膜Glu-IR神经元对缺血-再灌流损伤敏感,维拉帕米有助于视网膜Glu-IR神经元的存活及免疫活性的恢复。