Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Attenuates Dyskinesias and FosB and c-Fos Expression in a Parkinson's Disease Model.

Background/objectives: Dopamine replacement therapy for Parkinson's disease (PD) may lead to disabling incontrollable movements known as L-DOPA-induced dyskinesias. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has been applied as non-invasive therapy to ameliorate motor symptoms and dyskinesias in PD treatment. Recent studies have shown that TMS-induced motor effects might be related to dopaminergic system modulation.

Orexin cell transplant reduces behavioral arrest severity in narcoleptic mice.

Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that has been associated with the loss of orexinergic neurons from the lateral hypothalamic area. This loss leads to dysregulated sleep and cataplexy attacks. Therapeutic options are currently limited to symptom management with pharmacotherapy and nonpharmacological approaches.

Chronic exercise modulates the cellular immunity and its cannabinoid receptors expression.

The impact of performing exercise on the immune system presents contrasting effects on health when performed at different intensities. In addition, the consequences of performing chronic exercise have not been sufficiently studied in contrast to the effects of acute bouts of exercise. The porpoise of this work was to determine the effect that a popular exercise regimen (chronic/moderate/aerobic exercise) has on the proportion of different immune cell subsets, their function and if it affects the cannabinoid system with potentially functional implications on the immune system.

Cannabidiol Partially Blocks the Excessive Sleepiness in Hypocretindeficient Rats: Preliminary Data.

Background: Excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy are among the symptoms of narcolepsy, a sleep disorder caused by the loss of hypocretin/orexin (HCRT/OX) neurons placed into the Hypothalamus (LH). Several treatments for managing narcolepsy include diverse drugs to induce alertness, such as antidepressants, amphetamine, or modafinil, etc. Recent evidence has shown that cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychotropic derived from Cannabis sativa, shows positive therapeutic effects in neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson´s disease.

The Substantia Nigra Is Permissive and Gains Inductive Signals When Lesioned for Dopaminergic Differentiation of Embryonic Stem Cells.

Transplantation of dopaminergic (DA) cells into the striatum can rescue from dopamine deficiency in a Parkinson's disease condition, but this is not a suitable procedure for regaining the full control of motor activity. The minimal condition toward recovering the nigrostriatal pathway is the proper innervation of transplanted DA neurons or their precursors from the substancia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) to their target areas. However, functional integration of transplanted cells would require first that the host SNpc is suitable for their survival and/or differentiation.

Genetic Knockdown of mGluR5 in Striatal D1R-Containing Neurons Attenuates L-DOPA-Induced Dyskinesia in Aphakia Mice.

L-DOPA is the main pharmacological therapy for Parkinson's disease. However, long-term exposure to L-DOPA induces involuntary movements termed dyskinesia. Clinical trials show that dyskinesia is attenuated by metabotropic glutamate receptor type 5 (mGluR5) antagonists.

The artificial sweetener Splenda intake promotes changes in expression of c-Fos and NeuN in hypothalamus and hippocampus of rats.

Background: Obesity is the result of the interaction of multiple variables, including the excessive increase of sugar-sweetened beverages consumption. Diets aimed to treat obesity have suggested the use of artificial sweeteners. However, recent evidence has shown several health deficits after intake of artificial sweeteners, including effects in neuronal activity.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation as an antioxidant.

In the last decades, different transcranial magnetic stimulation protocols have been developed as a therapeutic tool against neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases, although the biochemical, molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying these effects are not well known. Recent data show that those magnetic stimulation protocols showing beneficial effects could trigger an anti-oxidant action that would favour, at least partially, their therapeutic effect. We have aimed to review the molecular effects related to oxidative damage induced by this therapeutic strategy, as well as from them addressing a broader definition of the anti-oxidant concept.

Comparative of transcranial magnetic stimulation and other treatments in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

The effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), natalizumab (nata), dimethyl fumarate (DMF) and dexamethasone (DEX) on clinical score and oxidative stress produced by a single dose of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) in tail of Dark Agouti rats was studied. TMS (60Hz and 0.7 mT), nata (5mg/kg), DMF (15mg/kg) and DEX (300μg/kg) was applied for 21 after the administration of MOG (150μg).

Intrastriatal Chromospheres' Transplant Reduces Nociception in Hemiparkinsonian Rats.

The present study evaluates the possible antinociceptive effect of chromosphere transplants in rats injected with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), a model of Parkinson's disease. Male adult Wistar rats received 40μg/0.5μl of 6-OHDA or 0.

Historical perspective of cell transplantation in Parkinson's disease.

Cell grafting has been considered a therapeutic approach for Parkinson's disease (PD) since the 1980s. The classical motor symptoms of PD are caused by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta, leading to a decrement in dopamine release in the striatum. Consequently, the therapy of cell-transplantation for PD consists in grafting dopamine-producing cells directly into the brain to reestablish dopamine levels.

Recovery of glomerular morphology in the olfactory bulb of young mice after disruption caused by continuous odorant exposure.

Olfactory glomeruli are the first synaptic site of the olfactory system and are formed by the convergence of axons of the same type of sensory neurons onto the olfactory bulbs of the brain. Although the anatomical organization of glomeruli is conserved across species, their particular role in olfactory processing remains uncertain. We studied the composition and maintenance of glomeruli by means of a genetic model, mI7-IRES-tauGFP knock-in young mice, where the cytoskeleton of sensory neurons expressing the mI7 olfactory receptor is tagged with green fluorescent protein.

Understanding sleep-wake mechanisms and drug discovery.

Although not discernible at first glance, sleep is a highly active and regulated brain state. Although we spend practically one third of our lifetimes in this stage, its importance is often taken for granted. Sleep loss can lead to disease, error and economic loss.

Effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation on oxidative stress in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) reproduces a multiple sclerosis (MS)-like experimental model. The main objective was to evaluate the effect of extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields (EL-EMF) application, like a paradigm of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in the development of EAE. Rats were injected with a single dose of 150 μg of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG, fragment 35-55) to produce experimental MS.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation modifies astrocytosis, cell density and lipopolysaccharide levels in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

Aims: Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is considered a valid experimental model for multiple sclerosis, a chronic neuroinflammatory condition of the central nervous system. Additionally, some evidence has shown that some microbial products such as the bacterial lipopolysaccharide could lead to the activation of reactive immune cells, triggering neuroinflammation. Several studies have found that transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) may exert a neuroprotective effect.

Lipopolysaccharide Binding Protein and Oxidative Stress in a Multiple Sclerosis Model.

Recent findings in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) suggest that altering certain bacterial populations present in the gut may lead to a proinflammatory condition, that could result in the development of multiple sclerosis (MS). Also, Reactive Oxygen Species seem to be involved in the course of MS. In this study, it has been aimed to relate all these variables starting from an analysis of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and LPS-binding protein (LBP) with the determination of parameters related to oxidative stress in the blood, brain and spinal cord.

Analgesic effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in patients with chronic low back pain.

The objective of the present study was to assess the benefits of 1-week repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in patients with chronic low back pain (LBP). The visual analogue scale (VAS), Short Form McGill pain questionnaire (SF-MPQ), and Short Form 36 Health Survey were used to evaluate the effect of this treatment. Eighty-two patients diagnosed with LBP were divided randomly into three groups: rTMS-treated group, sham group, and physical therapy-treated group.

Intrastriatal Grafting of Chromospheres: Survival and Functional Effects in the 6-OHDA Rat Model of Parkinson's Disease.

Cell replacement therapy in Parkinson's disease (PD) aims at re-establishing dopamine neurotransmission in the striatum by grafting dopamine-releasing cells. Chromaffin cell (CC) grafts produce some transitory improvements of functional motor deficits in PD animal models, and have the advantage of allowing autologous transplantation. However, CC grafts have exhibited low survival, poor functional effects and dopamine release compared to other cell types.

Reference values of olfactory function for Mexico City inhabitants.

Background And Aims: Olfactory testing is useful in the differential diagnosis of age-related pathologies. To provide baseline reference values for clinical use in Mexico City we investigated the relation between olfactory capabilities and the principal population parameters of age, sex, and smoking habits in a large sample of healthy inhabitants.

Methods: We applied the internationally recognized and commercially available Sniffin' Sticks test battery to 916 men and women from across the adult life span.

Mouse embryonic stem cell-derived cells reveal niches that support neuronal differentiation in the adult rat brain.

A neurogenic niche can be identified by the proliferation and differentiation of its naturally residing neural stem cells. However, it remains unclear whether "silent" neurogenic niches or regions suitable for neural differentiation, other than the areas of active neurogenesis, exist in the adult brain. Embryoid body (EB) cells derived from embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are endowed with a high potential to respond to specification and neuralization signals of the embryo.

Sleep deprivation induces differential morphological changes in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex in young and old rats.

Sleep is a fundamental state necessary for maintenance of physical and neurological homeostasis throughout life. Several studies regarding the functions of sleep have been focused on effects of sleep deprivation on synaptic plasticity at a molecular and electrophysiological level, and only a few studies have studied sleep function from a structural perspective. Moreover, during normal aging, sleep architecture displays some changes that could affect normal development in the elderly.

Unilateral olfactory deficit in a hemiparkinson's disease mouse model.

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disease which often presents hyposmia (80-90% of the cases). We characterized the olfactory behavior in the model of 6-hydroxydopamine of Parkinson's disease. Mice were trained to discriminate between two odorants in a radial maze.

Dyskinesia in Parkinson's disease: mechanisms and current non-pharmacological interventions.

Dopamine replacement therapy in Parkinson's disease is associated with several unwanted effects, of which dyskinesia is the most disabling. The development of new therapeutic interventions to reduce the impact of dyskinesia in Parkinson's disease is therefore a priority need. This review summarizes the key molecular mechanisms that underlie dyskinesia.

Orexin receptor antagonists as therapeutic agents for insomnia.

Insomnia is a common clinical condition characterized by difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep, or non-restorative sleep with impairment of daytime functioning. Currently, treatment for insomnia involves a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBTi) and pharmacological therapy. Among pharmacological interventions, the most evidence exists for benzodiazepine (BZD) receptor agonist drugs (GABAA receptor), although concerns persist regarding their safety and their limited efficacy.

Global actions of nicotine on the striatal microcircuit.

what is the predominant action induced by the activation of cholinergic-nicotinic receptors (nAChrs) in the striatal network given that nAChrs are expressed by several elements of the circuit: cortical terminals, dopamine terminals, and various striatal GABAergic interneurons. To answer this question some type of multicellular recording has to be used without losing single cell resolution. Here, we used calcium imaging and nicotine.