The role of microglia in neuronal and cognitive function during high altitude acclimatization.

Due to their interactions with the neurovasculature, microglia are implicated in maladaptive responses to hypobaric hypoxia at high altitude (HA). To explore these interactions at HA, pharmacological depletion of microglia with the colony-stimulating factor-1 receptor inhibitor, PLX5622, was employed in male C57BL/6J mice maintained at HA or sea level (SL) for 3-weeks, followed by assessment of ex-vivo hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP), fear memory recall and microglial dynamics/physiology. Our findings revealed that microglia depletion decreased LTP and reduced glucose levels by 25% at SL but did not affect fear memory recall.

Is the mouse nose a miniature version of a rat nose? A computational comparative study.

Background And Objective: Although the mouse is a widely used animal model in biomedical research, there are few published studies on its nasal aerodynamics, potentially due to its small size. It is not appropriate to assume that mice and rats' nasal structure and airflow characteristics are the same because the ratio of nasal surface area to nasal volume and body weight is much higher in a mouse than in a rat. The aim of this work is to use anatomically accurate image-based computational fluid dynamic modeling to quantitatively reveal the characteristics of mouse nasal airflow and mass transport that haven't been detailed before and find key differences to that of rat nose, which will deepen our understanding of the mouse's physiological functions.

Domestic cat nose functions as a highly efficient coiled parallel gas chromatograph.

The peripheral structures of mammalian sensory organs often serve to support their functionality, such as alignment of hair cells to the mechanical properties of the inner ear. Here, we examined the structure-function relationship for mammalian olfaction by creating an anatomically accurate computational nasal model for the domestic cat (Felis catus) based on high resolution microCT and sequential histological sections. Our results showed a distinct separation of respiratory and olfactory flow regimes, featuring a high-speed dorsal medial stream that increases odor delivery speed and efficiency to the ethmoid olfactory region without compromising the filtration and conditioning purpose of the nose.

Acute axon damage and demyelination are mitigated by 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) therapy after experimental traumatic brain injury.

Damage to long axons in white matter tracts is a major pathology in closed head traumatic brain injury (TBI). Acute TBI treatments are needed that protect against axon damage and promote recovery of axon function to prevent long term symptoms and neurodegeneration. Our prior characterization of axon damage and demyelination after TBI led us to examine repurposing of 4-aminopyridine (4-AP), an FDA-approved inhibitor of voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels.

Survival motor neuron protein deficiency alters microglia reactivity.

Survival motor neuron (SMN) protein deficiency results in loss of alpha motor neurons and subsequent muscle atrophy in patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Reactive microglia have been reported in SMA mice and depleting microglia rescues the number of proprioceptive synapses, suggesting a role in SMA pathology. Here, we explore the contribution of lymphocytes on microglia reactivity in SMA mice and investigate how SMN deficiency alters the reactive profile of human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived microglia.