Search results for "57"
showing 10 items of 4186 documents
Effects of Chronic Dopamine D2R Agonist Treatment and Polysialic Acid Depletion on Dendritic Spine Density and Excitatory Neurotransmission in the mP…
2016
Dopamine D2 receptors (D2R) in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) are key players in the etiology and therapeutics of schizophrenia. The overactivation of these receptors contributes to mPFC dysfunction. Chronic treatment with D2R agonists modifies the expression of molecules implicated in neuronal structural plasticity, synaptic function, and inhibitory neurotransmission, which are also altered in schizophrenia. These changes are dependent on the expression of the polysialylated form of the neural cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM), a plasticity-related molecule, but nothing is known about the effects of D2R and PSA-NCAM on excitatory neurotransmission and the structure of mPFC pyramidal n…
Postnatal development of the dopaminergic signaling involved in the modulation of intestinal motility in mice
2015
Background:Since antidopaminergic drugs are pharmacological agents employed in the management of gastrointestinal motor disorders at all ages, we investigated whether the enteric dopaminergic system may undergo developmental changes after birth.Methods:Intestinal mechanical activity was examined in vitro as changes in isometric tension.Results:In 2-d-old (P2) mice, dopamine induced a contractile effect, decreasing in intensity with age, replaced, at the weaning (day 20), by a relaxant response. Both responses were tetrodotoxin (TTX)-insensitive. In P2, dopaminergic contraction was inhibited by D1-like receptor antagonist and mimicked by D1-like receptor agonist. In 90-d-old (P90) mice, the …
Exacerbation of adverse cardiovascular effects of aircraft noise in an animal model of arterial hypertension
2020
Arterial hypertension is the most important risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease. Recently, aircraft noise has been shown to be associated with elevated blood pressure, endothelial dysfunction, and oxidative stress. Here, we investigated the potential exacerbated cardiovascular effects of aircraft noise in combination with experimental arterial hypertension. C57BL/6J mice were infused with 0.5 mg/kg/d of angiotensin II for 7 days, exposed to aircraft noise for 7 days at a maximum sound pressure level of 85 dB(A) and a mean sound pressure level of 72 dB(A), or subjected to both stressors. Noise and angiotensin II increased blood pressure, endothelial dysfunction, oxidati…
Candida thrombophlebitis in children: a systematic review of the literature
2020
Abstract Objective To describe a case of thrombophlebitis associated with Candida infection and to analyze other published reports to define clinical characteristics, prognostic data, diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Study design A computerized search was performed without language restriction using PubMed and Scopus databases. An article was considered eligible for inclusion if it reported cases with Candida thrombophlebitis. Our case was also included in the analysis. Results A total of 16 articles reporting 27 cases of Candida thrombophlebitis were included in our review. The median age of patients was 4 years. In 10 cases there was a thrombophlebitis of peripheral veins; in the re…
Postnatal Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Treatments Prevent Early Ketamine-Induced Cortical Dysfunctions in Adult Mice
2020
Early brain insult, interfering with its maturation, may result in psychotic-like disturbances in adult life. Redox dysfunctions and neuroinflammation contribute to long-term psychiatric consequences due to neurodevelopmental abnormalities. Here, we investigated the effects of early pharmacological modulation of the redox and inflammatory states, through celastrol, and indomethacin administration, on reactive oxygen species (ROS) amount, levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase 1, SOD1, glutathione, GSH, and catalase, CAT), as well as of pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-alpha, TNF-α, interleukin-6, IL-6, and interleukin-1 beta, IL-1β), i…
Germ-free housing conditions do not affect aortic root and aortic arch lesion size of late atherosclerotic low-density lipoprotein receptor-deficient…
2020
The microbiota has been linked to the development of atherosclerosis, but the functional impact of these resident bacteria on the lesion size and cellular composition of atherosclerotic plaques in the aorta has never been experimentally addressed with the germ-free low-density lipoprotein receptor-deficient (Ldlr(-/-)) mouse atherosclerosis model. Here, we report that 16 weeks of high-fat diet (HFD) feeding of hypercholesterolemicLdlr(-/-)mice at germ-free (GF) housing conditions did not impact relative aortic root plaque size, macrophage content, and necrotic core area. Likewise, we did not find changes in the relative aortic arch lesion size. However, late atherosclerotic GFLdlr(-/-)mice …
Clearing Amyloid-β through PPARγ/ApoE Activation by Genistein is a Treatment of Experimental Alzheimer’s Disease
2016
Amyloid-b (Ab) clearance from brain, which is decreased in Alzheimer's disease, is facilitated by apolipoprotein E (ApoE). ApoE is upregulated by activation of the retinoid X receptor moiety of the RXR/PPAR dimeric receptor. As we have previously demonstrated, estrogenic compounds, such as genistein, have antioxidant activity, which can be evidenced by increased expression of manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD). Furthermore, genistein is a non-toxic, well-tested, and inexpensive drug that activates PPARg receptor. We isolated and cultured cortical astrocytes from dissected cerebral cortices of neonatal mice (C57BL/6 J). Preincubation with genistein (5 mM) for 24 hours, prior to the addit…
Hepatocyte vitamin D receptor regulates lipid metabolism and mediates experimental diet-induced steatosis.
2015
Background & Aims The pathogenesis and progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is still incompletely understood. Several nuclear receptors play a role in liver lipid metabolism and can promote hepatosteatosis, but the possible role of vitamin D receptor (VDR) in NAFLD has not been investigated. Methods The expression of liver VDR was investigated in apolipoprotein E knockout ( apoE −/− ) mice on a high fat diet, in wild-type mice on methionine and choline deficient diet and in NAFLD patients with hepatosteatosis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. The relevance of VDR was assessed in apoE −/− mice by deletion of VDR or paricalcitol treatment and in human HepG2 cells by VDR t…
Disruption of the CCL1-CCR8 axis inhibits vascular Treg recruitment and function and promotes atherosclerosis in mice
2019
The CC chemokine 1 (CCL1, also called I-309 or TCA3) is a potent chemoattractant for leukocytes that plays an important role in inflammatory processes and diseases through binding to its receptor CCR8. Here, we investigated the role of the CCL1-CCR8 axis in atherosclerosis. We found increased expression of CCL1 in the aortas of atherosclerosis-prone fat-fed apolipoprotein E (Apoe)-null mice; moreover, in vitro flow chamber assays and in vivo intravital microscopy demonstrated an essential role for CCL1 in leukocyte recruitment. Mice doubly deficient for CCL1 and Apoe exhibited enhanced atherosclerosis in aorta, which was associated with reduced plasma levels of the anti-inflammatory interle…
PPAR gamma agonist leriglitazone improves frataxin-loss impairments in cellular and animal models of Friedreich Ataxia
2020
Friedreich ataxia (FRDA), the most common autosomal recessive ataxia, is characterized by degeneration of the large sensory neurons and spinocerebellar tracts, cardiomyopathy, and increased incidence in diabetes. The underlying pathophysiological mechanism of FRDA, driven by a significantly decreased expression of frataxin (FXN), involves increased oxidative stress, reduced activity of enzymes containing iron‑sulfur clus-ters (ISC), defective energy production, calcium dyshomeostasis, and impaired mitochondrial biogenesis, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction. The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) is a ligand-activated transcriptional factor playing a key role in mito…