A Pilot Study on a Possible Mechanism behind Olfactory Dysfunction in Parkinson's Disease: The Association of TAAR1 Downregulation with Neuronal Loss and Inflammation along Olfactory Pathway.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized not only by motor symptoms but also by non-motor dysfunctions, such as olfactory impairment; the cause is not fully understood. Our study suggests that neuronal loss and inflammation in brain regions along the olfactory pathway, such as the olfactory bulb (OB) and the piriform cortex (PC), may contribute to olfactory dysfunction in PD mice, which might be related to the downregulation of the trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1) in these areas. In the striatum, although only a decrease in mRNA level, but not in protein level, of TAAR1 was detected, bioinformatic analyses substantiated its correlation with PD.

Celecoxib impairs heart development via inhibiting cyclooxygenase-2 activity in zebrafish embryos.

Background: Celecoxib, a cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor, is a commonly ingested drug that is used by some women during pregnancy. Although use of celecoxib is associated with increased cardiovascular risk in adults, its effect on fetal heart development remains unknown.

Methods: Zebrafish embryos were exposed to celecoxib or other relevant drugs from tailbud stage (10.

Development of light response and GABAergic excitation-to-inhibition switch in zebrafish retinal ganglion cells.

The zebrafish retina has been an important model for studying morphological development of neural circuits in vivo. However, its functional development is not yet well understood. To investigate the functional development of zebrafish retina, we developed an in vivo patch-clamp whole-cell recording technique in intact zebrafish larvae.