Publications by authors named "Maria Pardo-Navarro"
Article Synopsis
- One in ten women of reproductive age have PCOS, characterized by subfertility, high LH levels, and potential dysfunction in the kisspeptin neurons that regulate GnRH.
- Researchers studied the GnRH pulse generator in two mouse models of PCOS: the peripubertal androgen (PPA) model showed fewer synchronized neuron events, while the prenatal androgen (PNA) model revealed variable GnRH activity but cyclical patterns indicating complexity.
- Findings indicate that in the PNA model, ARN neurons had increased activity during specific stages and less sensitivity to progesterone, highlighting the need to understand GnRH regulation in PCOS-related conditions.
The mechanism by which arcuate nucleus kisspeptin (ARN) neurons co-expressing glutamate, neurokinin B, and dynorphin intermittently synchronize their activity to generate pulsatile hormone secretion remains unknown. An acute brain slice preparation maintaining synchronized ARN neuron burst firing was used alongside in vivo GCaMP GRIN lens microendoscope and fiber photometry imaging coupled with intra-ARN microinfusion. Studies in intact and gonadectomized male mice revealed that ARN neuron synchronizations result from near-random emergent network activity within the population and that this was critically dependent on local glutamate-AMPA signaling.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Severe infections during pregnancy can increase the risk of cognitive impairments in children, primarily due to inflammation affecting brain development.
- Maternal inflammation disrupts various stages of cortical GABAergic interneuron development, including cell proliferation, migration, and maturation, leading to reduced numbers and altered properties of these neurons.
- The impact of inflammation varies depending on the developmental stage of the brain, suggesting that the timing of maternal health issues plays a crucial role in the severity of cognitive impairment in offspring.