HIV-TAT dysregulates microglial lipid metabolism through SREBP2/miR-124 axis: Implication of lipid droplet accumulation microglia in NeuroHIV.

Chronic HIV infection can dysregulate lipid/cholesterol metabolism in the peripheral system, contributing to the higher incidences of diabetes and atherosclerosis in HIV (+) individuals. Recently, accumulating evidence indicate that HIV proteins can also dysregulate lipid/cholesterol metabolism in the brain and such dysregulation could be linked with the pathogenesis of HIV-associated neurological disorders (HAND)/NeuroHIV. To further characterize the association between lipid/cholesterol metabolism and HAND, we employed HIV-inducible transactivator of transcription (iTAT) and control mice to compare their brain lipid profiles.

The sex-dependent impact of PER2 polymorphism on sleep and activity in a novel mouse model of cranial-irradiation-induced hypersomnolence.

Background: Hypersomnolence is a common and disruptive side effect of cranial radiotherapy and is associated with fatigue and disturbances in mood and cognition in primary brain tumor (PBT) patients. The biological underpinnings of this effect are not understood. Our laboratory has previously found that the presence of a single nucleotide polymorphism (rs934945, G-E mutation) in the PERIOD2 (PER2) clock gene was associated with a decreased likelihood of fatigue in PBT patients.

Cocaine Regulates NLRP3 Inflammasome Activity and CRF Signaling in a Region- and Sex-Dependent Manner in Rat Brain.

Cocaine, one of the most abused drugs worldwide, is capable of activating microglia in vitro and in vivo. Several neuroimmune pathways have been suggested to play roles in cocaine-mediated microglial activation. Previous work showed that cocaine activates microglia in a region-specific manner in the brains of self-administered mice.

Sleep and Core Body Temperature Alterations Induced by Space Radiation in Rats.

Sleep problems in astronauts can arise from mission demands and stress and can impact both their health and ability to accomplish mission objectives. In addition to mission-related physical and psychological stressors, the long durations of the proposed Mars missions will expose astronauts to space radiation (SR), which has a significant impact on the brain and may also alter sleep and physiological functions. Therefore, in this study, we assessed sleep, EEG spectra, activity, and core body temperature (CBT) in rats exposed to SR and compared them to age-matched nonirradiated rats.

Metabolic biomarkers of radiotherapy response in plasma and tissue of an IDH1 mutant astrocytoma mouse model.

Astrocytomas are the most common subtype of brain tumors and no curative treatment exist. Longitudinal assessment of patients, usually Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), is crucial since tumor progression may occur earlier than clinical progression. MRI usually provides a means for monitoring the disease, but it only informs about the structural changes of the tumor, while molecular changes can occur as a treatment response without any MRI-visible change.

Keep Your Mask On: The Benefits of Masking for Behavior and the Contributions of Aging and Disease on Dysfunctional Masking Pathways.

Environmental cues (e.g., light-dark cycle) have an immediate and direct effect on behavior, but these cues are also capable of "masking" the expression of the circadian pacemaker, depending on the type of cue presented, the time-of-day when they are presented, and the temporal niche of the organism.

Association of Circadian Clock Gene Expression with Glioma Tumor Microenvironment and Patient Survival.

Circadian clock genes have been linked to clinical outcomes in cancer, including gliomas. However, these studies have not accounted for established markers that predict the prognosis, including mutations in Isocitrate Dehydrogenase (), which characterize the majority of lower-grade gliomas and secondary high-grade gliomas. To demonstrate the connection between circadian clock genes and glioma outcomes while accounting for the mutational status, we analyzed multiple publicly available gene expression datasets.

Impact of age on the circadian visual system and the sleep-wake cycle in mus musculus.

Age plays a critical role in disease development and tolerance to cancer treatment, often leading to an increased risk of developing negative symptoms including sleep disturbances. Circadian rhythms and sleep become disrupted as organisms age. In this study, we explored the behavioral alterations in sleep, circadian rhythms, and masking using a novel video system and interrogate the long-term impact of age-based changes in the non-image forming visual pathway on brain anatomy.

Tantalum oxide nanoparticles as versatile contrast agents for X-ray computed tomography.

Here, we describe the synthesis, characterization and in vitro and in vivo performance of a series of tantalum oxide (TaO) based nanoparticles (NPs) for computed tomography (CT). Five distinct versions of 9-12 nm diameter silane coated TaO nanocrystals (NCs) were fabricated by a sol-gel method with varying degrees of hydrophilicity and with or without fluorescence, with the highest reported Ta content to date (78%). Highly hydrophilic NCs were left bare and were evaluated in vivo in mice for micro-CT of full body vasculature, where following intravenous injection, TaO NCs demonstrate high vascular CT contrast, circulation in blood for ∼3 h, and eventual accumulation in RES organs; and following injection locally in the mammary gland, where the full ductal tree structure can be clearly delineated.

Radiation chronotherapy-clinical impact of treatment time-of-day: a systematic review.

Purpose: Many brain tumor patients suffer from radiation-induced toxicities. Chronotherapy is a treatment modality that utilizes circadian rhythms to optimize the effect on tumor while minimizing negative outcomes on healthy tissue. This review aims to systematically examine the literature on the application of a radiation chronotherapeutic for all cancers and determine the possible advantages of incorporating a circadian-based fixed time-of-day for radiotherapy into CNS cancers.

Melanopsin-Containing ipRGCs Are Resistant to Excitotoxic Injury and Maintain Functional Non-Image Forming Behaviors After Insult in a Diurnal Rodent Model.

Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) are critical for the light signaling properties of non-image forming vision. Melanopsin-expressing ipRGCs project to retinorecipient brain regions involved in modulating circadian rhythms. Melanopsin has been shown to play an important role in how animals respond to light, including photoentrainment, masking (i.

In vivo serial MRI of age-dependent neural progenitor cell migration in the rat brain.

The subventricular zone (SVZ) is a neurogenic niche in the mammalian brain, giving rise to migratory neural progenitor cells (NPC). In rodents, it is well-established that neurogenesis decreases with aging. MRI-based cell tracking has been used to measure various aspects of neurogenesis and NPC migration in rodents, yet it has not yet been validated in the context of age-related decrease in neurogenesis.

Chimeric mouse model for MRI contrast agent evaluation.

Purpose: While rodents are the primary animal models for contrast agent evaluation, rodents can potentially misrepresent human organ clearance of newly developed contrast agents. For example, gadolinium (Gd)-BOPTA has ~50% hepatic clearance in rodents, but ~5% in humans. This study demonstrates the benefit of chimeric mice expressing human hepatic OATPs (organic anion-transporting polypeptides) to improve evaluation of novel contrast agents for clinical use.

Surface engineering of bismuth nanocrystals to counter dissolution.

Rapid dissolution of Bi Nanocrystals (NCs) in lysosomal conditions results in poor biocompatibility. We report that an in situ surface coating of Bi nanocrystals with Ganex® V216, a cosmetic dispersant, limits its dissolution under physiological conditions. These Bi Ganex (BiG) NCs are readily encapsulated in FDA approved polymer poly(dl-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) by an oil-in-water emulsion technique and also undergo facile SiO2 coating.