Endogenous morphine and ACTH association in neural tissues.

Background: Endogenous morphine and proopiomelanocortin-derived peptide-like molecules were identified in molluscan tissues, including the nervous system, supporting their ancient phylogeny. Their presence and function in "simple" animals, demonstrates their involvement in mechanisms underlying the stress response, preceding the mammalian neuroendocrine axis.

Material/methods: Immunocytochemical analysis was used to study the localization of morphine- and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-like material in the nervous system of Planorbarius corneus, Mytilus galloprovincialis, Lymnaea stagnalis and Viviparus ater.

Expression of the CCAAT-binding factor NF-Y in Caenorhabditis elegans.

NF-Y is a conserved trimer with histone-like subunits that binds and activates the common CCAAT promoter element.C.elegansNF-Y genes present two CeNF-YAs, a unique feature in kingdoms other than plants, one CeNF-YB and one CeNF-YC.

Microglia proliferation as a response to activation in the freshwater snail Planorbarius corneus: a BrdU incorporation study.

Invertebrate microglia constitute a class of cells resident in the ganglionic nervous system which are activated after tissue injury or by the presence of pathogens. The microglia activation response includes graduated morpho-functional and biochemical changes and cell proliferation. In this study we verified in the freshwater snail Planorbarius corneus that an activation caused by a traumatic event may induce microglia division.

Neuron-microglia communication in the CNS of the freshwater snail Planorbarius corneus.

The aim of the present study was to identify molecules that may be involved in neuron-microglia communication in the CNS of freshwater snail Planorbarius corneus. Messenger molecules are exchanged in normal and pathological conditions and we tried to identify some of them by immunocytochemistry on whole ganglia and cell cultures. In particular, we examined neurons and microglia for the expression of some cytokines, IL-1alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6 and TNF-alpha and the neurotransmitter glutamate.

Presence and role of nitric oxide in the central nervous system of the freshwater snail Planorbarius corneus: possible implication in neuron-microglia communication.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the involvement of nitric oxide (NO) as a messenger molecule in neuron-microglia communication in the central nervous system (CNS) of the freshwater snail Planorbarius corneus. The presence of both neuronal (nNOS) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) was studied using NADPH-diaphorase (NADPH-d) histochemistry and NOS immunocytochemistry. The experiments were performed on whole ganglia and cultured microglial cells after different activation modalities, such as treatment with lipopolysaccharide and adenosine triphosphate and/or maintaining ganglia in culture medium till 7 days.