Variability in Behavioral Phenotypes after Forced Swimming-Induced Stress in Rats Is Associated with Expression of the Glucocorticoid Receptor, Nurr1, and IL-1β in the Hippocampus.

Individual differences in coping with stress may determine either a vulnerable or resilient phenotype. Therefore, it is important to better understand the biology underlying the behavioral phenotype. We assessed whether individual behavioral phenotype to acute stress is related with the hippocampal expression of glucocorticoid receptor (GR), Nurr1, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) or brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).

Autophagic and Apoptotic Pathways as Targets for Chemotherapy in Glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma multiforme is the most malignant and aggressive type of brain tumor, with a mean life expectancy of less than 15 months. This is due in part to the high resistance to apoptosis and moderate resistant to autophagic cell death in glioblastoma cells, and to the poor therapeutic response to conventional therapies. Autophagic cell death represents an alternative mechanism to overcome the resistance of glioblastoma to pro-apoptosis-related therapies.

Active coping of prenatally stressed rats in the forced swimming test: involvement of the Nurr1 gene.

Depending on genetic predisposition, prenatal stress may result in vulnerability or resilience to develop psychiatric disorders in adulthood. Nurr1 is an immediate early gene, important in the brain for the stress response. We tested the hypothesis that prenatal stress and the decrease of hippocampal Nurr1 alter offspring behavioral responses in the forced swimming test (FST).

17-AAG improves cognitive process and increases heat shock protein response in a model lesion with Aβ25-35.

Molecular chaperones, or heat shock proteins (HSP), have been implicated in numerous neurodegenerative disorders characterized by the accumulation of protein aggregates, such as Alzheimer disease. The agglomeration of insoluble structures of Aβ is thought to be responsible for neuronal death, which in turn leads to the loss of cognitive functions. Recent findings have shown that the induction of HSP decreases the level of abnormal protein aggregates, as well as demonstrating that 17-(allylamino)-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG), an analogue of geldanamycin (GA), increases Aβ clearance through the induction of molecular chaperones in cell culture.

Amyloid-β(25-35) induces a permanent phosphorylation of HSF-1, but a transitory and inflammation-independent overexpression of Hsp-70 in C6 astrocytoma cells.

Two hallmarks of Alzheimer diseases are the continuous inflammatory process, and the brain deposit of Amyloid b (Aβ), a cytotoxic protein. The intracellular accumulation of Aβ(25-35) fractions, in the absence of Heat Shock proteins (Hsṕs), could be responsible for its cytotoxic activity. As, pro-inflammatory mediators and nitric oxide control the expression of Hsṕs, our aim was to investigate the effect of Aβ(25-35) on the concentration of IL-1β, TNF-α and nitrite levels, and their relation to pHSF-1, Hsp-60, -70 and -90 expressions, in the rat C6 astrocyte cells.

Dopaminergic modulation of the caudal photoreceptor in crayfish.

In our study we investigated the influence of dopamine (DA) on the caudal photoreceptor (CPR) in crayfish. Here we report the following: (a) the chromatographic determination of DA in the sixth abdominal ganglion (6th AG) shows a variation in the content during a 24-h cycle with the maximum value at dawn. (b) There are possibly dopaminergic neurons in the 6th AG with antityrosine hydroxylase antibodies.

Sialylated and O-glycosidically linked glycans in prion protein deposits in a case of Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease.

Prion diseases are caused by an abnormal form of the prion protein (PrP(Sc)). We identified, with lectins, post-translational modifications of brain proteins due to glycosylation in a Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker (GSS) patient. The lectin Amaranthus leucocarpus (ALL), specific for mucin type O-glycosylated structures (Galß1,3 GalNAcα1,0 Ser/Thr or GalNAcα1,0 Ser/Thr), and Sambucus nigra agglutinin (SNA), specific for Neu5Acα2,6 Gal/GalNAc, showed positive labeling in all the prion deposits and in the core of the PrP(Sc) deposits, respectively, indicating specific distribution of O-glycosylated and sialylated structures.

The amyloid-beta25-35 injection into the CA1 region of the neonatal rat hippocampus impairs the long-term memory because of an increase of nitric oxide.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the amyloid-beta (Abeta) aggregation but it is unclear when this process begins. Previously, we showed that amyloid-beta(25-35) (Abeta(25-35)) increases the nitric oxide (NO) pathways and causes neurodegenerative effects in rats. The excessive increase of NO during brain development can promote a persistent oxidative stress, but the role of the Abeta(25-35) in the neonatal age and its effects over the long term is unclear.