Confrontation experience against escaping bait improves pursuit strategy in mice.

Confrontations between predator and prey, driven by the innate survival instincts in both predator and prey, constitute the most significant form of competition in evolution. Yet, understanding how survival skills can benefit from such confrontations remains limited, despite its critical importance for animal survival. We have developed an interactive platform to investigate confrontations between a hungry mouse and an escaping bait.

Using Pupil Diameter for Psychological Resilience Assessment in Medical Students Based on SVM and SHAP Model.

Effectively assessing psychological resilience for medical students is vital for identifying at-risk individuals and developing tailored interventions. At present, few studies have combined physiological indexes of the human body and machine learning for psychological resilience assessment. This study presents a novel approach that employs pupil diameter features and machine learning to predict psychological resilience risk objectively.

A method for studying escape behavior to terrestrial threats in rodents.

Background: Escape is one of the most essential behaviors for an animal's survival because it could be a matter of life and death. Much of our current understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying escape is derived from the looming paradigm, which mimics a diving aerial predator. Yet, the idea of the looming paradigm does not account for all types of threats like lions hunting antelopes or cats stalking mice.

Acupuncture activates IRE1/XBP1 endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway in Parkinson's disease model rats.

Acupuncture has demonstrated its efficacy as a treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD). Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the potential mechanisms underlying acupuncture's effects on PD treatment. Our approach involved several steps.

The rapid antidepressant effect of acupuncture on two animal models of depression by inhibiting M1-Ach receptors regulates synaptic plasticity in the prefrontal cortex.

Background: It is unclear whether acupuncture has a rapid antidepressant effect and what is the main mechanism.

Methods: In this study, forced swimming stress test (FST) in mice were divided into five groups: control group, acupuncture group, scopolamine group, arecoline group, and acupuncture + arecoline group. Chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model rats were divided into six groups: naïve (non-CUMS) group, CUMS group, acupuncture group, scopolamine group, arecoline group, and acupuncture + arecoline group.

Acupuncture inhibits autophagy and repairs synapses by activating the mTOR pathway in Parkinson's disease depression model rats.

Acupuncture is a good treatment for depression in Parkinson's disease (DPD), so the possible mechanism of acupuncture in the treatment of DPD was explored in this study. Firstly, observing the behavioral changes of the DPD rat model, the regulation of monoamine neurotransmitters dopamine (DA) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in the midbrain, the change of α-synuclein (α-syn) in the striatum, the efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of DPD was discussed. Secondly, autophagy inhibitors and activators were selected to judge the effect of acupuncture on autophagy in the DPD rat model.

Biomedical Analytics of Four Chinese Medicinals in Treatment of Insomnia Based on Network Pharmacology.

Aim: Our aim is to recommend the appropriate Chinese medicinals in clinical treatment of insomnia, which are (Semen Ziziphi Spinosae), (Rhizoma Chuanxiong), (Poria), and (Radix Paeoniae Alba).

Method: Based on network pharmacology, the active molecules and mechanism of these four Chinese medicinals treating insomnia were sought and analyzed. The components of the four Chinese medicinals with potential activity were collected and screened.

Anterior Auditory Field Is Needed for Sound Categorization in Fear Conditioning Task of Adult Rat.

Both primary auditory cortex (A1) and anterior auditory field (AAF) are core regions of auditory cortex of many mammalians. While the function of A1 has been well documented, the role of AAF in sound related behavioral remain largely unclear. Here in adult rats, sound cued fear conditioning paradigm, surgical ablation, and chemogenetic manipulations were used to examine the role of AAF in fear related sound context recognition.

General regulatory effects of hypoxia on human cartilage endplate‑derived stem cells: A genome‑wide analysis of differential gene expression and alternative splicing events.

Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration of is considered to be initiated by the degeneration of the cartilage endplate (CEP). CEP‑derived stem cells (CESCs) with the capacity for osteochondrogenic differentiation may be responsible for CEP cartilage restoration. As CEP is avascular and hypoxic, and hypoxia can greatly influence biological activities of stem cells, physiological hypoxia may serve important roles in regulating the physiological functions of CESCs.

A genome-wide analysis of the gene expression profiles and alternative splicing events during the hypoxia-regulated osteogenic differentiation of human cartilage endplate-derived stem cells.

It has been hypothesized that intervertebral disc degeneration is initiated by degeneration of the cartilage endplate (CEP), which is characterized by cartilage ossification. CEP‑derived stem cells (CESCs), with the potential for chondro‑osteogenic differentiation, may be responsible for the balance between chondrification and ossification in the CEP. The CEP remains in an avascular and hypoxic microenvironment; the present study observed that hypoxia was able to markedly inhibit the osteogenic differentiation of CESCs.

Data for the gene expression profiling and alternative splicing events during the chondrogenic differentiation of human cartilage endplate-derived stem cells under hypoxia.

This article contains relevant data of the research article titled Global profiling of the gene expression and alternative splicing events during the hypoxia-regulated chondrogenic differentiation in human cartilage endplate-derived stem cells (Yao et al., 2016) [1]. The data show global profiling of the DEGs (Differentially expressed genes) and AS (Alternative splicing) events during the hypoxia-regulated chondrogenesis of CESCs (human cartilage endplate-derived stem cells) by using Affymetrix Human Transcriptome Array 2.

MIF Plays a Key Role in Regulating Tissue-Specific Chondro-Osteogenic Differentiation Fate of Human Cartilage Endplate Stem Cells under Hypoxia.

Degenerative cartilage endplate (CEP) shows decreased chondrification and increased ossification. Cartilage endplate stem cells (CESCs), with the capacity for chondro-osteogenic differentiation, are responsible for CEP restoration. CEP is avascular and hypoxic, while the physiological hypoxia is disrupted in the degenerated CEP.

Global profiling of the gene expression and alternative splicing events during hypoxia-regulated chondrogenic differentiation in human cartilage endplate-derived stem cells.

The intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is initiated by cartilage endplate (CEP) degeneration and is characterised by reduced chondrification. Cartilage endplate-derived stem cells (CESCs) with chondrogenic differentiation abilities are responsible for the restoration of cartilage. CEP remains in an avascular and hypoxic microenvironment.

Alteration in rectification of potassium channels in perinatal hypoxia ischemia brain damage.

Oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) are susceptible to perinatal hypoxia ischemia brain damage (HIBD), which results in infant cerebral palsy due to the effects on myelination. The origin of OPC vulnerability in HIBD, however, remains controversial. In this study, we defined the HIBD punctate lesions by MRI diffuse excessive high signal intensity (DEHSI) in postnatal 7-day-old rats.

Small Nogo-66-binding peptide promotes neurite outgrowth through RhoA inhibition after spinal cord injury.

Abortive regeneration in the adult mammalian central nervous system (CNS) is partially mediated through CNS myelin proteins, among which Nogo-A plays an important role. Nogo-66, which is located at the C-terminus of Nogo-A, inhibits axonal regrowth through the Nogo-66/NgR signalling pathway. In this study, two small peptides were tested in a neurite outgrowth assay and spinal cord injury (SCI) model to examine the effects of these molecules on the inhibition of Nogo-66/NgR signalling.

Identification of a NEP1-35 recognizing peptide that neutralizes CNS myelin inhibition using phage display library.

Nogo-A has been identified as an inhibitory molecule to neurite outgrowth after injury in adult mammalian central nervous system (CNS). The C-terminal fragment of Nogo-A, Nogo-66, inhibits axonal regrowth through NgR1 signaling. Residues 1-32 of Nogo-66 cover two regions that contribute most affinity of Nogo-66 to NgR1.

Upregulation of the E3 ligase NEDD4-1 by oxidative stress degrades IGF-1 receptor protein in neurodegeneration.

The importance of ubiquitin E3 ligases in neurodegeneration is being increasingly recognized. The crucial role of NEDD4-1 in neural development is well appreciated; however, its role in neurodegeneration remains unexplored. Herein, we report increased NEDD4-1 expression in the degenerated tissues of several major neurodegenerative diseases.

Postnatal and ovariectomic regulation of postsynaptic density protein-95 in the hippocampus of female Sprague-Dawley rats.

Postsynaptic density protein-95 (PSD-95) is hypothesized to control the excitatory-to-inhibitory ratio and plays an important role in the regulation of hippocampal synaptic plasticity, synaptogenesis, and learning and memory. In this report, we used immunoblotting to study the effects of aging and ovariectomy (OVX) on the expression of PSD-95 in the hippocampus of female rats. The results indicated that postnatal expression of hippocampal PSD-95 correlated with the fluctuation of circulating female sex hormones such as estrogen.

Downregulation of P2X7 receptor expression in rat oligodendrocyte precursor cells after hypoxia ischemia.

Oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) are the predominant oligodendrocyte-lineage stage in the cerebral hemispheres of neonatal rat. Prior studies have shown that OPCs are highly vulnerable to hypoxic-ischemic injury, yet the mechanisms are not well understood. P2X(7) receptor (P2X(7)R) is an ATP-gated ion channel that has unusual properties and plays very complex roles in a variety of neuropathologic conditions.

A morphological and electrophysiological study on the postnatal development of oligodendrocyte precursor cells in the rat brain.

A widespread population of cells in CNS is identified by specific expression of the NG2 chondroitin sulphate proteoglycan and named as oligodendrocyte precursor cell (OPC). OPCs may possess stem cell-like characteristics, including multipotentiality in vitro and in vivo. It was proposed that OPCs in the CNS parenchyma comprise a unique population of glia, distinct from oligodendrocytes and astrocytes.

Poly-lactic acid and agarose gelatin play an active role in the recovery of spinal cord injury.

Objective To investigate the role of poly-lactic acid and agarose gelatin in promoting the functional recovery of the injured spinal cord. Methods Poly-lactic acid (PLA) or agarose was embedded in the space between two stumps of the hemisectioned spinal cord. Immunohistochemistry was used to show astroglia proliferation and the infiltration of RhoA-positive cells.