In the brain, both neurons and glial cells work in conjunction with each other during information processing. Stimulation of neurons can induce calcium oscillations in astrocytes which in turn can affect neuronal calcium dynamics. The 'glissandi' effect is one such phenomenon, associated with a decrease in infraslow fluctuations, in which synchronized calcium oscillations propagate as a wave in hundreds of astrocytes. Nitric oxide molecules released from the astrocytes contribute to synaptic functions based on the underlying astrocyte-neuron interaction network. In this study, by defining an astrocyte-neuronal (A-N) calcium unit as an integrated circuit of one neuron and one astrocyte, we developed a minimal model of neuronal stimulus-dependent and NO-mediated emergence of calcium waves in astrocytes. Incorporating inter-unit communicationNO molecules, a coupled network of 1000 such A-N calcium units is developed in which multiple stable regimes were found to emerge in astrocytes. We examined the ranges of neuronal stimulus strength and the coupling strength between A-N calcium units that give rise to such dynamical behaviors. We also report that there exists a range of coupling strength, wherein units not receiving stimulus also start showing oscillations and become synchronized. Our results support the hypothesis that glissandi-like phenomena exhibiting synchronized calcium oscillations in astrocytes help in efficient synaptic transmission by reducing the energy demand of the process.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1478-3975/ace8e6 | 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 PDFJ Integr Neurosci
January 2025
Neuroscience Department, University of Connecticut Health, School of Medicine, Institute for Systems Genomics, Farmington, CT 06030, USA.
Background: In neuroscience, Ca imaging is a prevalent technique used to infer neuronal electrical activity, often relying on optical signals recorded at low sampling rates (3 to 30 Hz) across multiple neurons simultaneously. This study investigated whether increasing the sampling rate preserves critical information that may be missed at slower acquisition speeds.
Methods: Primary neuronal cultures were prepared from the cortex of newborn pups.
J Integr Neurosci
January 2025
Department of Hepatology, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), 90050-170 Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil.
Mitochondria are organelles of eukaryotic cells delimited by two membranes and cristae that consume oxygen to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and are involved in the synthesis of vital metabolites, calcium homeostasis, and cell death mechanisms. Strikingly, normal mitochondria function as an integration center between multiple conditions that determine neural cell homeostasis, whereas lesions that lead to mitochondrial dysfunction can desynchronize cellular functions, thus contributing to the pathophysiology of traumatic brain injury (TBI). In addition, TBI leads to impaired coupling of the mitochondrial electron transport system with oxidative phosphorylation that provides most of the energy needed to maintain vital functions, ionic homeostasis, and membrane potentials.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlants (Basel)
January 2025
The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited, 120 Mt Albert Road, Auckland 1025, New Zealand.
Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CPKs) are plant proteins that directly bind calcium ions before phosphorylating substrates involved in biotic and abiotic stress responses, as well as development. CPK3 () is involved with plant signaling pathways such as stomatal movement regulation, salt stress response, apoptosis, seed germination and pathogen defense. In this study, and its orthologues in relatively distant plant species such as rice (, monocot) and kiwifruit (, asterid eudicot) were analyzed in response to drought, bacteria, fungi, and virus infections.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNutrients
January 2025
Instituto de Bioeletricidade Celular (IBIOCEL): Ciência & Saúde, Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Rua João Pio Duarte Silva, 241, Sala G 301, Florianópolis 88038-000, SC, Brazil.
Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic syndrome that has grown globally to become a significant public health challenge. Hypothesizing that the plasma membrane protein, transient receptor potential ankyrin-1, is a pivotal target in insulin resistance, we investigated the mechanism of action of cinnamaldehyde (CIN), an electrophilic TRPA1 agonist, in skeletal muscle, a primary insulin target. Specifically, we evaluated the effect of CIN on insulin resistance, hepatic glycogen accumulation and muscle and adipose tissue glucose uptake.
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