Search results for "neurotrophic factor"
showing 10 items of 153 documents
Humanin: A mitochondria-derived peptide with emerging properties.
2020
Fingolimod as a Treatment in Neurologic Disorders Beyond Multiple Sclerosis
2020
Abstract Fingolimod is an approved treatment for relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (MS), and its properties in different pathways have raised interest in therapy research for other neurodegenerative diseases. Fingolimod is an agonist of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptors. Its main pharmacologic effect is immunomodulation by lymphocyte homing, thereby reducing the numbers of T and B cells in circulation. Because of the ubiquitous expression of S1P receptors, other effects have also been described. Here, we review preclinical experiments evaluating the effects of treatment with fingolimod in neurodegenerative diseases other than MS, such as Alzheimer’s disease or epilepsy. Fingolimo…
Modulatory effects of the novel TrkB receptor agonist 7,8-dihydroxyflavone on synaptic transmission and intrinsic neuronal excitability in mouse visu…
2013
7,8-Dihydroxyflavone (7,8 DHF) is a new recently identified TrkB receptor agonist, which possesses a potent neurotrophic activity and shares many physiological properties with the neurotrophin "Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor" (BDNF). However, its precise mechanism of action at the cellular level has not been clarified yet. In the present study we explored the effects of this agent on synaptic and intrinsic neuronal properties by performing whole-cell patch clamp recordings from layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons. Incubation of acute cortical slices with 7,8-DHF (20 µM) for 30 min caused a selective reduction in the strength of GABAergic inhibition. The amplitude of evoked inhibitory postsynapti…
Neuronal cell cycle: the neuron itself and its circumstances.
2015
Neurons are usually regarded as postmitotic cells that undergo apoptosis in response to cell cycle reactivation. Nevertheless, recent evidence indicates the existence of a defined developmental program that induces DNA replication in specific populations of neurons, which remain in a tetraploid state for the rest of their adult life. Similarly, de novo neuronal tetraploidization has also been described in the adult brain as an early hallmark of neurodegeneration. The aim of this review is to integrate these recent developments in the context of cell cycle regulation and apoptotic cell death in neurons. We conclude that a variety of mechanisms exists in neuronal cells for G1/S and G2/M check…
Effects of Two Months of Very Low Carbohydrate Ketogenic Diet on Body Composition, Muscle Strength, Muscle Area, and Blood Parameters in Competitive …
2021
Background: Ketogenic diet (KD) is a nutritional approach that restricts daily carbohydrates, replacing most of the reduced energy with fat, while maintaining an adequate quantity of protein. Despite the widespread use of KD in weight loss in athletes, there are still many concerns about its use in sports requiring muscle mass accrual. Thus, the present study sought to investigate the influence of a KD in competitive natural body builders. Methods: Nineteen volunteers (27.4 ±
Microglial involvement in neuroplastic changes following focal brain ischemia in rats.
2009
The pathogenesis of ischemic stroke is a complex sequence of events including inflammatory reaction, for which the microglia appears to be a major cellular contributor. However, whether post-ischemic activation of microglial cells has beneficial or detrimental effects remains to be elucidated, in particular on long term brain plasticity events. The objective of our study was to determine, through modulation of post-stroke inflammatory response, to what extent microglial cells are involved in some specific events of neuronal plasticity, neurite outgrowth and synaptogenesis. Since microglia is a source of neurotrophic factors, the identification of the brain-derived neurophic factor (BDNF) as…
2015
The recombinant form of tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) is the only curative treatment for ischemic stroke. Recently, t-PA has been linked to the metabolism of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a major neurotrophin involved in post-stroke neuroplasticity. Thus, the objective of our study was to investigate the impact of rt-PA treatment on post-stroke circulating BDNF levels in humans and in animals. Serum BDNF levels and t-PA/plasmin activity were measured at hospital admission and at up to 90 days in stroke patients receiving (n = 24) or not (n = 14) rt-PA perfusion. We investigated the relationships between serum BDNF with concurrent t-PA/plasmin activity, neurological outcom…
Stably BDNF-GFP expressing embryonic stem cells exhibit a BDNF release-dependent enhancement of neuronal differentiation
2013
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is known to be a crucial regulator of neuronal survival and synaptic plasticity in the mammalian brain. Furthermore, BDNF positively influences differentiation of embryonic neural precursors as well as of neural stem cells from adult neurogenic niches. To study the impact of cell-released BDNF on neural differentiation of embryonic stem cells (ESCs), which represent an attractive source for cell transplantation studies, we have generated BDNF-GFP overexpressing mouse ESC clones by knock-in technology. After neural differentiation in vitro, we observed that BDNF-GFP overexpressing ESC clones gave rise to an increased number of neurons as compared to c…
Exercise, Neuroplasticity, and Growth Factors in Adolescence
2015
The CB1 cannabinoid receptor signals striatal neuroprotection via a PI3K/Akt/mTORC1/BDNF pathway
2015
The CB1 cannabinoid receptor, the main molecular target of endocannabinoids and cannabis active components, is the most abundant G protein-coupled receptor in the mammalian brain. In particular, the CB1 receptor is highly expressed in the basal ganglia, mostly on terminals of medium-sized spiny neurons, where it plays a key neuromodulatory function. The CB1 receptor also confers neuroprotection in various experimental models of striatal damage. However, the assessment of the physiological relevance and therapeutic potential of the CB1 receptor in basal ganglia-related diseases is hampered, at least in part, by the lack of knowledge of the precise mechanism of CB1 receptor neuroprotective ac…