Depicting Primate-Like Granular Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex in the Chinese Tree Shrew.

It remains unknown whether the Chinese tree shrew, regarded as the closest sister of primate, has evolved a dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) comparable with primates that is characterized by a fourth layer (L4) enriched with granular cells and reciprocal connections with the mediodorsal nucleus (MD). Here, we reported that following AAV-hSyn-EGFP expression in the MD neurons, the fluorescence micro-optical sectioning tomography revealed their projection trajectories and targeted brain areas, such as the hippocampus, the corpus striatum, and the dlPFC. Cre-dependent transsynaptic viral tracing identified the MD projection terminals that targeted the L4 of the dlPFC, in which the presence of granular cells was confirmed via cytoarchitectural studies by using the Nissl, Golgi, and vGlut2 stainings.

Hippocampal dipeptidyl peptidase 9 bidirectionally regulates memory associated with synaptic plasticity.

Introduction: Subtypes of the dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP) family, such as DPP4, are reportedly associated with memory impairment. DPP9 is widely distributed in cells throughout the body, including the brain. However, whether DPP9 regulates memory has not yet been elucidated.

Research progress of ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like signaling in Toxoplasma gondii.

Toxoplasmosis, a zoonotic parasitic disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), is prevalent worldwide. The fact should be emphasized that a considerable proportion of individuals infected with T.

The claustrum-prelimbic cortex circuit through dynorphin/κ-opioid receptor signaling underlies depression-like behaviors associated with social stress etiology.

Ample evidence has suggested the stress etiology of depression, but the underlying mechanism is not fully understood yet. Here, we report that chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) attenuates the excitatory output of the claustrum (CLA) to the prelimbic cortex (PL) through the dynorphin/κ-opioid receptor (KOR) signaling, being critical for depression-related behaviors in male mice. The CSDS preferentially impairs the excitatory output from the CLA onto the parvalbumin (PV) of the PL, leading to PL micronetwork dysfunction by disinhibiting pyramidal neurons (PNs).

High Morphine Use Disorder Susceptibility Is Predicted by Impaired Learning Ability in Mice.

An obvious reason for substance uses disorders (SUDs) is drug craving and seeking behavior induced by conditioned context, which is an abnormal solid context memory. The relationship between susceptibility to SUD and learning ability remains unclear in humans and animal models. In this study, we found that susceptibility to morphine use disorder (MUD) was negatively correlated with learning ability in conditioned place preference (CPP) in C57 mice.

Early Memory Impairment is Accompanied by Changes in GluA1/ p-GluA1 in APP/PS1 Mice.

Aims: Exploring the neurobiological mechanisms of early AD damage.

Background: The early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has a very important impact on the prognosis of AD. However, the early symptoms of AD are not obvious and difficult to diagnose.

Retrosplenial Cortex Effects Contextual Fear Formation Relying on Dysgranular Constituent in Rats.

Animal contextual fear conditioning (CFC) models are the most-studied forms used to explore the neural substances of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In addition to the well-recognized hippocampal-amygdalar system, the retrosplenial cortex (RSC) is getting more and more attention due to substantial involvement in CFC, but with a poor understanding of the specific roles of its two major constituents-dysgranular (RSCd) and granular (RSCg). The current study sought to identify their roles and underlying brain network mechanisms during the encoding processing of the rat CFC model.

Economic policy uncertainty, investor sentiment and financial stability-an empirical study based on the time varying parameter-vector autoregression model.

This paper applies the time varying parameter-vector autoregression model to explore the dynamic relationship between economic policy uncertainty, investor sentiment and financial stability in China in different periods and at different time points. The empirical results show that economic policy uncertainty has an obvious negative impact on investor sentiment before 2012 and financial stability in the short term, and the influence of economic policy uncertainty on investor sentiment is greater than that of economic policy uncertainty on financial stability. These influences were more significant during the period of the global financial crisis in 2008.

A Temporal Activity of CA1 Neurons Underlying Short-Term Memory for Social Recognition Altered in PTEN Mouse Models of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Memory-guided social recognition identifies someone from previous encounters or experiences, but the mechanisms of social memory remain unclear. Here, we find that a short-term memory from experiencing a stranger mouse lasting under 30 min interval is essential for subsequent social recognition in mice, but that interval prolonged to hours by replacing the stranger mouse with a familiar littermate. Optogenetic silencing of dorsal CA1 neuronal activity during trials or inter-trial intervals disrupted short-term memory-guided social recognition, without affecting the ability of being sociable or long-term memory-guided social recognition.

Ferulic Acid Ameliorates Alzheimer's Disease-like Pathology and Repairs Cognitive Decline by Preventing Capillary Hypofunction in APP/PS1 Mice.

Brain capillaries are crucial for cognitive functions by supplying oxygen and other nutrients to and removing metabolic wastes from the brain. Recent studies have demonstrated that constriction of brain capillaries is triggered by beta-amyloid (Aβ) oligomers via endothelin-1 (ET1)-mediated action on the ET1 receptor A (ETRA), potentially exacerbating Aβ plaque deposition, the primary pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, direct evidence is still lacking whether changes in brain capillaries are causally involved in the pathophysiology of AD.

Developing of Focal Ischemia in the Hippocampus or the Amygdala Reveals a Regional Compensation Rule for Fear Memory Acquisition.

Circuit compensation is often observed in patients with acute ischemic stroke, suggesting the importance of the interaction between brain regions. Also, contextual fear memory is an association between multisensory contexts and fearful stimuli, for which the interaction between the hippocampus and the amygdala is believed to be critical. To understand how focal ischemia in one region could influence the other region, we used a modified photo-thrombosis to induce focal ischemia in the hippocampus or the amygdala or both in freely-moving rats.

ZFP804A mutant mice display sex-dependent schizophrenia-like behaviors.

Genome-wide association studies uncovered the association of ZNF804A (Zinc-finger protein 804A) with schizophrenia (SZ). In vitro data have indicated that ZNF804A might exert its biological roles by regulating spine and neurite morphogenesis. However, no in vivo data are available for the role of ZNF804A in psychiatric disorders in general, SZ in particular.

Antidepressant effect of venlafaxine in chronic unpredictable stress: Evidence of the involvement of key enzymes responsible for monoamine neurotransmitter synthesis and metabolism.

A number of studies have linked abnormalities in the function of the serotonergic and noradrenergic systems to the pathophysiology of depression. It has been reported that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors promote the expression of tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH), which is involved in the synthesis of serotonin. However, limited evidence of TPH alteration has been found in selective serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), and more key enzymes need to be investigated.

Antidepressant mechanisms of venlafaxine involving increasing histone acetylation and modulating tyrosine hydroxylase and tryptophan hydroxylase expression in hippocampus of depressive rats.

Venlafaxine (VEN) is a widely used antidepressant as a serotonin-reuptake and norepinephrine-reuptake inhibitor. It is used primarily in depression, especially with generalized anxiety disorder or chronic pain. This medicine is of interest because its mechanisms involved multiple aspects.

The interhemispheric CA1 circuit governs rapid generalisation but not fear memory.

Encoding specificity theory predicts most effective recall by the original conditions at encoding, while generalization endows recall flexibly under circumstances which deviate from the originals. The CA1 regions have been implicated in memory and generalization but whether and which locally separated mechanisms are involved is not clear. We report here that fear memory is quickly formed, but generalization develops gradually over 24 h.

Abnormal modification of histone acetylation involved in depression-like behaviors of rats induced by chronically unpredicted stress.

Depression is a complex multifactorial mental disorder. Its etiology involves many factors such as social environments, genetics, and psychology. Recent studies have shown that epigenetic modification may be associated with depression.

The Small GTPase Rac1 Contributes to Extinction of Aversive Memories of Drug Withdrawal by Facilitating GABA Receptor Endocytosis in the vmPFC.

Extinction of aversive memories has been a major concern in neuropsychiatric disorders, such as anxiety disorders and drug addiction. However, the mechanisms underlying extinction of aversive memories are not fully understood. Here, we report that extinction of conditioned place aversion (CPA) to naloxone-precipitated opiate withdrawal in male rats activates Rho GTPase Rac1 in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) in a BDNF-dependent manner, which determines GABA receptor (GABAR) endocytosis via triggering synaptic translocation of activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc) through facilitating actin polymerization.

Protective efficacy of a single salvianolic acid A treatment on photothrombosis-induced sustained spatial memory impairments.

With respect to the high burden of ischemic stroke and the absence of pharmacological treatment for promoting rehabilitation, promising candidates with specific effects on long-term functional recovery are highly desired. Candidates need reasonable experimental paradigms to evaluate the long-term functional outcome focused on ischemia-induced sensorimotor and memory deficits. "Danshen", a traditional Chinese herb, has long been used to treat coronary and cerebral vascular diseases as well as dementia.

Abnormal levels of seven amino neurotransmitters in depressed rat brain and determination by HPLC-FLD.

The determination of amino acids with actions like neurotransmitters or modulators has been increasingly important for diagnosis in many neuropsychiatric diseases. A rapid and simple high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection method was developed for simultaneous determination of seven amino acids: aspartate (Asp), glutamate (Glu), serine (Ser), glutamine (Gln), glycine (Gly), taurine (Tau) and γ-aminobutyric` acid (GABA). Homoserine was used as an internal standard.

Infliximab ameliorating depression-like behavior through inhibiting the activation of the IDO-HAAO pathway mediated by tumor necrosis factor-α in a rat model.

In recent years, some studies have suggested that the activation of inflammatory system plays a role in the occurrence of depression. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), as one of the preinflammatory cytokines, has been reported to be involved in the occurrence of various diseases including depression. Infliximab, an antagonist of TNF-α, is usually used to treat some autoimmune diseases such as Crohn's disease and can perhaps be used to treat other diseases.

Corticosterone regulates fear memory via Rac1 activity in the hippocampus.

Stressful events can generate enduring memories, which may induce certain psychiatric disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, the underlying molecular mechanisms in these processes remain unclear. In this study, we examined whether the active form of the small G protein Rac1, Rac1-GTP, is involved in fear memory.