Ablation of CCL17-positive hippocampal neurons induces inflammation-dependent epilepsy.

Objective: Neuronal cell death and neuroinflammation are characteristic features of epilepsy, but it remains unclear whether neuronal cell death as such is causative for the development of epileptic seizures. To test this hypothesis, we established a novel mouse line permitting inducible ablation of pyramidal neurons by inserting simian diphtheria toxin (DT) receptor (DTR) cDNA into the Ccl17 locus. The chemokine CCL17 is expressed in pyramidal CA1 neurons in adult mice controlling microglial quiescence.

Activity dependent modulation of glial gap junction coupling in the thalamus.

Astrocytes and oligodendrocytes in the ventrobasal thalamus are electrically coupled through gap junctions. We have previously shown that these cells form large panglial networks, which have a key role in the transfer of energy substrates to postsynapses for sustaining neuronal activity. Here, we show that the efficiency of these transfer networks is regulated by synaptic activity: preventing the generation and propagation of action potentials resulted in reduced glial coupling.

Assessing Biomarkers of Porcine Kidneys under Normothermic Machine Perfusion-Can We Gain Insight into a Marginal Organ?

To identify potentially transplantable organs in a pool of marginal kidneys, 33 porcine slaughterhouse kidneys were perfused for 4 h with whole blood. During the normothermic perfusion, plasma, urine, and tissue samples were taken. Several biomarkers for tubule injury, endothelial activation, and inflammatory response were evaluated for a potential correlation with macroscopic appearance, histology, and filtration activity.

Membrane properties and coupling of macroglia in the optic nerve.

We established a longitudinal acute slice preparation of transgenic mouse optic nerve to characterize membrane properties and coupling of glial cells by patch-clamp and dye-filling, complemented by immunohistochemistry. Unlike in cortex or hippocampus, the majority of EGFP + cells in optic nerve of the hGFAP-EGFP transgenic mouse, a tool to identify astrocytes, were characterized by time and voltage dependent K-currents including A-type K-currents, properties previously described for NG2 glia. Indeed, the majority of transgene expressing cells in optic nerve were immunopositive for NG2 proteoglycan, whereas only a minority show GFAP immunoreactivity.

Assessment of hemodynamic and blood parameters that may reflect macroscopic quality of porcine kidneys during normothermic machine perfusion using whole blood.

Purpose: Using ex vivo normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) with whole blood we assessed marginal porcine kidneys under reperfusion. The aim was to link measureable machine and clinical blood parameters with the currently used visual assessment. This could serve as a baseline for a standardized evaluation score to identify potentially transplantable kidneys in the future.