Transplantation of Neural Progenitor Cells Derived from Stem Cells from Apical Papilla Through Small-Molecule Induction in a Rat Model of Sciatic Nerve Injury.

Background: Stem cell-based transplantation therapy holds promise for peripheral nerve injury treatment, but adult availability is limited. A cell culture protocol utilizing a small-molecule cocktail effectively reprogrammed stem cells from apical papilla (SCAPs) into neural progenitor cells, subsequently differentiating into neuron-like cells. This study aims to evaluate neural-induced SCAPs, with and without small-molecule cocktail, for sciatic nerve repair potential.

Sex Differences between Neuronal Loss and the Early Onset of Amyloid Deposits and Behavioral Consequences in 5xFAD Transgenic Mouse as a Model for Alzheimer's Disease.

A promising direction in the research on Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is the identification of biomarkers that better inform the disease progression of AD. However, the performance of amyloid-based biomarkers in predicting cognitive performance has been shown to be suboptimal. We hypothesise that neuronal loss could better inform cognitive impairment.

MicroRNA-128 suppresses tau phosphorylation and reduces amyloid-beta accumulation by inhibiting the expression of GSK3β, APPBP2, and mTOR in Alzheimer's disease.

Introduction And Aims: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the abnormal accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau proteins and amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides. Recent studies have shown that many microRNAs (miRNAs) are dysregulated in AD, and modulation of these miRNAs can influence the development of tau and Aβ pathology. The brain-specific miRNA miR-128, encoded by MIR128-1 and MIR128-2, is important for brain development and dysregulated in AD.

Prelimbic Cortical Stimulation with L-methionine Enhances Cognition through Hippocampal DNA Methylation and Neuroplasticity Mechanisms.

Declining global DNA methylation and cognitive impairment are reported to occur in the normal aging process. It is not known if DNA methylation plays a role in the efficacy of memory-enhancing therapies. In this study, aged animals were administered prelimbic cortical deep brain stimulation (PrL DBS) and/or L-methionine (MET) treatment.

Distribution and inter-regional relationship of amyloid-beta plaque deposition in a 5xFAD mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia. Although previous studies have selectively investigated the localization of amyloid-beta (Aβ) deposition in certain brain regions, a comprehensive characterization of the rostro-caudal distribution of Aβ plaques in the brain and their inter-regional correlation remain unexplored. Our results demonstrated remarkable working and spatial memory deficits in 9-month-old 5xFAD mice compared to wildtype mice.

Discovery of Therapeutics Targeting Oxidative Stress in Autosomal Recessive Cerebellar Ataxia: A Systematic Review.

Autosomal recessive cerebellar ataxias (ARCAs) are a heterogeneous group of rare neurodegenerative inherited disorders. The resulting motor incoordination and progressive functional disabilities lead to reduced lifespan. There is currently no cure for ARCAs, likely attributed to the lack of understanding of the multifaceted roles of antioxidant defense and the underlying mechanisms.

Altered synaptic plasticity of the longitudinal dentate gyrus network in noise-induced anxiety.

Anxiety is characteristic comorbidity of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), which causes physiological changes within the dentate gyrus (DG), a subfield of the hippocampus that modulates anxiety. However, which DG circuit underlies hearing loss-induced anxiety remains unknown. We utilize an NIHL mouse model to investigate short- and long-term synaptic plasticity in DG networks.

A Brief Comparative Look at Experimental Memory Editing Techniques for Cognitive Dysfunction.

Neuroscience has long sought to develop methods that can "edit" or even "erase" memories, with the aim to provide treatments for memory-related neurological and psychiatric diseases such as anxiety and addiction. Current efforts are heavily focused on modifying cognitive behavioral therapy protocols or pharmacological treatments, but the efficacy and safety of these methods have been called into question by several studies. Advances in modern technology and the rapid emergence of techniques that can directly stimulate/alter neuronal activity, such as neuromodulation, have great potential in achieving the goal of memory modification for treating dementia such as Alzheimer's disease.

Neurogenesis-dependent antidepressant-like activity of Hericium erinaceus in an animal model of depression.

Background: Depression is a severe neuropsychiatric disorder that affects more than 264 million people worldwide. The efficacy of conventional antidepressants are barely adequate and many have side effects. Hericium erinaceus (HE) is a medicinal mushroom that has been reported to have therapeutic potential for treating depression.

Functional Roles of Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase in Neurodegenerative Diseases and Mood Disorders.

Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) is well known for its involvement in the regulation of the nervous, cardiovascular, and immune systems. Neuronal NOS (nNOS) is the most characterized NOS among all the isoforms. It accounts for most of the production of nitric oxide (NO) in the nervous system required for synaptic transmission and neuroplasticity.

Prelimbic cortical stimulation disrupts fear memory consolidation through ventral hippocampal dopamine D receptors.

Background And Purpose: Anxiety disorders pose one of the biggest threats to mental health worldwide, yet current therapeutics have been mostly ineffective due to issues with relapse, efficacy and toxicity of the medications. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a promising therapy for treatment-resistant psychiatric disorders including anxiety, but very little is known about the effects of deep brain stimulation on fear memories.

Experimental Approach: In this study, we employed a standard tone-footshock fear conditioning paradigm and modified plus maze discriminative avoidance task to probe the effects of prelimbic cortex deep brain stimulation on various stages of memory.

Rodent Models of Amyloid-Beta Feature of Alzheimer's Disease: Development and Potential Treatment Implications.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder worldwide and causes severe financial and social burdens. Despite much research on the pathogenesis of AD, the neuropathological mechanisms remain obscure and current treatments have proven ineffective. In the past decades, transgenic rodent models have been used to try to unravel this disease, which is crucial for early diagnosis and the assessment of disease-modifying compounds.

New insights on brain-derived neurotrophic factor epigenetics: from depression to memory extinction.

Advances in characterizing molecular profiles provide valuable insights and opportunities for deciphering the neuropathology of depression. Although abnormal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in depression has gained much support from preclinical and clinical research, how it mediates behavioral alterations in the depressed state remains largely obscure. Environmental factors contribute significantly to the onset of depression and produce robust epigenetic changes.

DNA methylation in the pathology of Alzheimer's disease: from gene to cognition.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a debilitating disorder that manifests with amyloid beta plaque deposition, neurofibrillary tangles, neuronal loss, and severe cognitive impairment. Although much effort has been made to decipher the pathogenesis of this disease, the mechanisms causing these detrimental outcomes remain obscure. Over the past few decades, neuroepigenetics has emerged as an important field that, among other things, explores how reversible modifications can change gene expression to control behavior and cognitive abilities.

Memory and neuromodulation: A perspective of DNA methylation.

Neuromodulation techniques have shown promising efficacy on memory function and understanding the epigenetic mechanisms contributing to these processes would shed light on the molecular outcomes essential for cognition. In this review, we highlight some epigenetic mechanisms underlying neuromodulation and regulatory effects of neuronal activity-induced DNA methylation on genes that are highly involved in memory formation. Next, we examine the evidence to support DNA methyltransferase 3a, methyl-CpG binding protein 2, and DNA demethylase as possible memory modulation targets.

Distribution of neuronal nitric oxide synthase immunoreactivity in adult male Sprague-Dawley rat brain.

Neuronal NOS (nNOS) accounts for most of the NO production in the nervous system that modulates synaptic transmission and neuroplasticity. Although previous studies have selectively described the localisation of nNOS in specific brain regions, a comprehensive distribution profile of nNOS in the brain is lacking. Here we provided a detailed morphological characterization on the rostro-caudal distribution of neurons and fibres exhibiting positive nNOS-immunoreactivity in adult Sprague-Dawley rat brain.