Differential contribution of hippocampal subfields to components of associative taste learning.

The ability to associate the consumption of a taste with its positive or negative consequences is fundamental to survival and influences the behavior of species ranging from invertebrate to human. As a result, for both research and clinical reasons, there has been a great effort to understand the neuronal circuits, as well as the cellular and molecular mechanisms, underlying taste learning. From a neuroanatomical perspective, the contributions of the cortex and amygdala are well documented; however, the literature is riddled with conflicting results regarding the role of the hippocampus in different facets of taste learning.

Dopamine-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of NR2B (Tyr1472) is essential for ERK1/2 activation and processing of novel taste information.

Understanding the heterosynaptic interaction between glutamatergic and neuromodulatory synapses is highly important for revealing brain function in health and disease. For instance, the interaction between dopamine and glutamate neurotransmission is vital for memory and synaptic plasticity consolidation, and it is known to converge on extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)-MAPK signaling in neurons. Previous studies suggest that dopamine induces N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor phosphorylation at the NR2B Y1472 subunit, influencing receptor internalization at the synaptic plasma membrane.

Blocking the eIF2α kinase (PKR) enhances positive and negative forms of cortex-dependent taste memory.

Age-associated memory deterioration (and the decline in ability to acquire new information) is one of the major diseases of our era. Cognitive enhancement can be achieved by using psycho-stimulants, such as caffeine or nicotine, but very little is known about drugs that can enhance the consolidation phase of memories in the cortex, the brain structure considered to store, at least partially, long-term memories. We used cortex-dependent taste-learning paradigms to test the hypothesis that pharmacological manipulation of the translation initiation eIF2α, which plays a role in hippocampus-dependent memory, can enhance positive or negative forms of taste memories.

Anticataractogenic effect of an extract of the oyster mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus, in an experimental animal model.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of Pleurotus ostreatus extract in preventing selenite-induced cataractogenesis.

Methods: In vitro, enucleated rat lenses, divided into one control and three experimental groups (selenite only, simultaneous selenite and extract, initial extract and subsequent selenite), underwent morphological and biochemical evaluation. The anti-cataractogenic effect was also evaluated in vivo.

Age related and hypothyroidism related changes on the stoichiometry of neurofilament subunits in the developing rat brain.

Hypothyroidism in the developing brain results in progressive intraneuronal accumulation of neurofilament (NF) proteins in the proximal hillock regions of axons, analogous to the pathological intraneuronal accumulation of NF in common neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. A preferential decline in the expression of the light chain of NF occurs in all the three diseases leading to an absolute change in stoichiometry of the NF subunits. Using the developing hypothyroid rat cerebra as a model, we have tried to elucidate if age or hypothyroidism causes a change in the stoichiometry or molar ratio of the NF subunits which could be responsible for their aberrant intraneuronal accumulation.