This review begins by attempting to recount some of the pioneering discoveries that first identified the presence of gangliosides in the nervous system, their structures and topography. This is presented as prelude to the current emphasis on physiological function, about which much has been learned but still remains to be elucidated. These areas include ganglioside roles in nervous system development including stem cell biology, membranes and organelles within neurons and glia, ion transport mechanisms, receptor modulation including neurotrophic factor receptors, and importantly the pathophysiological role of ganglioside aberrations in neurodegenerative disorders. This relates to their potential as therapeutic agents, especially in those conditions characterized by deficiency of one or more specific gangliosides. Finally we attempt to speculate on future directions ganglioside research is likely to take so as to capitalize on the impressive progress to date.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-8552-4_2 | DOI Listing |
Front Biosci (Landmark Ed)
January 2025
Department of Neurology, Jinshan Hospital, Fudan University, 201508 Shanghai, China.
Background: Neuronal cholesterol deficiency may contribute to the synaptopathy observed in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Intact synaptic vesicle (SV) mobility is crucial for normal synaptic function, whereas disrupted SV mobility can trigger the synaptopathy associated with AD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Biosci (Landmark Ed)
January 2025
Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University of Hospital Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany.
Background: The inheritance of the short allele, encoding the serotonin transporter (SERT) in humans, increases susceptibility to neuropsychiatric and metabolic disorders, with aging and female sex further exacerbating these conditions. Both central and peripheral mechanisms of the compromised serotonin (5-HT) system play crucial roles in this context. Previous studies on SERT-deficient (Sert) mice, which model human SERT deficiency, have demonstrated emotional and metabolic disturbances, exacerbated by exposure to a high-fat Western diet (WD).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Biosci (Landmark Ed)
January 2025
Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, 11451 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Background: We investigated chitosan's protective effects against tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ)-induced toxicity in adult male rats, focusing on cognitive functions and oxidative stress in the brain, liver, and kidneys.
Methods: Rats were divided into four groups (n = 8/group): (1) Control, (2) Chitosan only, (3) TBHQ only, and (4) Chitosan + TBHQ.
Results: TBHQ exposure led to significant cognitive impairments and increased oxidative stress, marked by elevated malondialdehyde (MDA) and decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH) levels.
Br J Hosp Med (Lond)
January 2025
Aberdeen Biomedical Imaging Centre, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.
Previous research has shown that smoking tobacco is associated with changes or differences in brain volume and cortical thickness, resulting in a smaller brain volume and decreased cortical thickness in smokers compared with non-smokers. However, the effects of smokeless tobacco on brain volume and cortical thickness remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether the use of shammah, a nicotine-containing smokeless tobacco popular in Middle Eastern countries, is associated with differences in brain volume and thickness compared with non-users and to assess the influence of shammah quantity and type on these effects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Integr Neurosci
January 2025
Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, 646000 Luzhou, Sichuan, China.
Background: Recent studies suggest that the anterior limb of the internal capsule may be an area of convergence for multiple compulsion loops. In this study, the role of different dopaminergic compulsion loops in the mechanism of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) was investigated by selectively damaging dopaminergic neurons or fibers in the corresponding targets with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) and depicting the anatomical map of various compulsion loops located in the anterior limb of the internal capsule.
Methods: A total of 52 male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were exposed to either saline (1 mL/kg, NS group, n = 6) or quinpirole (QNP, dopamine D2-agonist, 0.
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!