The association between cytokines and cognitive function in patients with major depressive disorder and controls.

Background: Cognitive dysfunction is a symptom of depression (MDD). While the involvement of the immune system has long been suggested to contribute to the biological underpinnings of depression, less is known about the underpinnings of cognitive dysfunction. A recent genome-wide association study pointed to genes related to immune function to be relevant for cognitive processes in depression.

Analysis of BoDV-1 status, EEG resting-state alpha activity and pro-inflammatory cytokines in adults with and without major depressive disorder.

Introduction: In severe cases, an infection with the Borna Disease Virus 1 (BoDV-1), the causative agent of Borna disease in horses, sheep, and other domestic mammals, was reported to be accompanied by cognitive dysfunctions, seizures, deep coma, or severe to fatal encephalitis in humans. In addition, asymptomatic or mild courses of BoDV-1 infection are discussed to act as a co-factor in the etiology of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Previously, studies using electroencephalography (EEG) reported BoDV-1-dependent changes in event-related potentials (ERPs), thus indicating the use and added value of non-invasive studies in Borna research.

Comparative subcutaneous and submuscular implantation of an electroencephalography device for long term electroencephalographic monitoring in dogs.

Background: Implantable electroencephalography (EEG) recording devices have been used for ultra-long-term epilepsy monitoring both in clinical and home settings in people. Objective and accurate seizure detection and recording at home could be of great benefit in diagnosis, management and research in canine idiopathic epilepsy (IE). Continuous EEG monitoring would allow accurate detection of seizure patterns, seizure cycles, and seizure frequency.

Canine Electroencephalography Electrode Positioning Using a Neuronavigation System.

Studies in people suggest that surface electroencephalography (EEG) electrode positions vary across participants and that the consistency of these positions is electrode-, region-, and examiner-dependent. The aim was to investigate the variability in EEG electrode positions to their underlying cortical regions (CRs) in dogs using a neuronavigation system and evaluate the use of said system in electrode positioning, via a cadaver study with 22 dogs. CT scans and MRI were performed for each dog.

Sex-specific biphasic alpha-synuclein response and alterations of interneurons in a COVID-19 hamster model.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) frequently leads to neurological complications after recovery from acute infection, with higher prevalence in women. However, mechanisms by which SARS-CoV-2 disrupts brain function remain unclear and treatment strategies are lacking. We previously demonstrated neuroinflammation in the olfactory bulb of intranasally infected hamsters, followed by alpha-synuclein and tau accumulation in cortex, thus mirroring pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's or Alzheimer's disease.

Heterogeneous brain distribution of bumetanide following systemic administration in rats.

Bumetanide is used widely as a tool and off-label treatment to inhibit the Na-K-2Cl cotransporter NKCC1 in the brain and thereby to normalize intra-neuronal chloride levels in several brain disorders. However, following systemic administration, bumetanide only poorly penetrates into the brain parenchyma and does not reach levels sufficient to inhibit NKCC1. The low brain penetration is a consequence of both the high ionization rate and plasma protein binding, which restrict brain entry by passive diffusion, and of brain efflux transport.

Microglial inhibition alleviates alpha-synuclein propagation and neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease mouse model.

The accumulation of alpha-synuclein (αSyn) is widely recognized as the main pathological process in Parkinson's disease (PD). Additionally, neuroinflammation is considered to be one of the contributing mechanisms in the development of PD. In light of this, it is hypothesized that the reactive microglia exacerbate the propagation of αSyn and neurodegeneration, while the inhibition of microglial activity may mitigate these effects.

Characterization of young and aged ferrets as animal models for SARS-CoV-2 infection with focus on neutrophil extracellular traps.

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are net-like structures released by activated neutrophils upon infection [e.g., severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)] as part of the innate immune response that have protective effects by pathogen entrapment and immobilization or result in detrimental consequences for the host due to the massive release of NETs and their impaired degradation by nucleases like DNase-1.

Effects of season, daytime, sex, and stress on the incidence, latency, frequency, severity, and duration of neonatal seizures in a rat model of birth asphyxia.

Neonatal seizures are common in newborn infants after birth asphyxia. They occur more frequently in male than female neonates, but it is not known whether sex also affects seizure severity or duration. Furthermore, although stress and diurnal, ultradian, circadian, or multidien cycles are known to affect epileptic seizures in adults, their potential impact on neonatal seizures is not understood.

Corrigendum: Polysialic acid promotes remyelination in cerebellar slice cultures by Siglec-E-dependent modulation of microglia polarization.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.

Polysialic acid promotes remyelination in cerebellar slice cultures by Siglec-E-dependent modulation of microglia polarization.

Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. Spontaneous restoration of myelin after demyelination occurs, but its efficiency declines during disease progression. Efficient myelin repair requires fine-tuning inflammatory responses by brain-resident microglia and infiltrating macrophages.

Impact of Gut Microbiota on the Peripheral Nervous System in Physiological, Regenerative and Pathological Conditions.

It has been widely demonstrated that the gut microbiota is responsible for essential functions in human health and that its perturbation is implicated in the development and progression of a growing list of diseases. The number of studies evaluating how the gut microbiota interacts with and influences other organs and systems in the body and vice versa is constantly increasing and several 'gut-organ axes' have already been defined. Recently, the view on the link between the gut microbiota (GM) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS) has become broader by exceeding the fact that the PNS can serve as a systemic carrier of GM-derived metabolites and products to other organs.

Proinflammatory Macrophage Activation by the Polysialic Acid-Siglec-16 Axis Is Linked to Increased Survival of Patients with Glioblastoma.

Purpose: Interactions with tumor-associated microglia and macrophages (TAM) are critical for glioblastoma progression. Polysialic acid (polySia) is a tumor-associated glycan, but its frequency of occurrence and its prognostic value in glioblastoma are disputed. Through interactions with the opposing immune receptors Siglec-11 and Siglec-16, polySia is implicated in the regulation of microglia and macrophage activity.

Double-Edged Effects of Venglustat on Behavior and Pathology in Mice Overexpressing α-Synuclein.

Background: Venglustat is a brain-penetrant, small molecule inhibitor of glucosylceramide synthase used in clinical testing for treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD). Despite beneficial effects in certain cellular and rodent models, patients with PD with mutations in GBA, the gene for lysosomal glucocerebrosidase, experienced worsening of their motor function under venglustat treatment (NCT02906020, MOVES-PD, phase 2 trial).

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate venglustat in mouse models of PD with overexpression of wild-type α-synuclein.

Bumetanide potentiates the anti-seizure and disease-modifying effects of midazolam in a noninvasive rat model of term birth asphyxia.

Birth asphyxia and the resulting hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) are highly associated with perinatal and neonatal death, neonatal seizures, and an adverse later-life outcome. Currently used drugs, including phenobarbital and midazolam, have limited efficacy to suppress neonatal seizures. There is a medical need to develop new therapies that not only suppress neonatal seizures but also prevent later-life consequences.

Rescue of synaptic and cognitive functions in polysialic acid-deficient mice and dementia models by short polysialic acid fragments.

Dysregulated cortical expression of the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) and deficits of its associated polysialic acid (polySia) have been found in Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia. However, the functional role of polySia in cortical synaptic plasticity remains poorly understood. Here, we show that acute enzymatic removal of polySia in medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) slices leads to increased transmission mediated by the GluN1/GluN2B subtype of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs), increased NMDAR-mediated extrasynaptic tonic currents, and impaired long-term potentiation (LTP).

Analysis of connexin 43, connexin 45 and N-cadherin in the human sertoli cell line FS1 and the human seminoma-like cell line TCam-2 in comparison with human testicular biopsies.

Background: Germ cell tumors are relatively common in young men. They derive from a non-invasive precursor, called germ cell neoplasia in situ, but the exact pathogenesis is still unknown. Thus, further understanding provides the basis for diagnostics, prognostics and therapy and is therefore paramount.

The Genetic Background Is Shaping Cecal Enlargement in the Absence of Intestinal Microbiota.

Germ-free (GF) rodents have become a valuable tool for studying the role of intestinal microbes on the host physiology. The major characteristic of GF rodents is an enlarged cecum. The accumulation of mucopolysaccharides, digestion enzymes and water in the intestinal lumen drives this phenotype.

A Mouse Model to Test Novel Therapeutics for Parkinson's Disease: an Update on the Thy1-aSyn ("line 61") Mice.

Development of neuroprotective therapeutics for Parkinson's disease (PD) is facing a lack of translation from pre-clinical to clinical trials. One strategy for improvement is to increase predictive validity of pre-clinical studies by using extensively characterized animal models with a comprehensive set of validated pharmacodynamic readouts. Mice over-expressing full-length, human, wild-type alpha-synuclein under the Thy-1 promoter (Thy1-aSyn line 61) reproduce key features of sporadic PD, such as progressive loss of striatal dopamine, alpha-synuclein pathology, deficits in motor and non-motor functions, and elevation of inflammatory markers.

The loop diuretic torasemide but not azosemide potentiates the anti-seizure and disease-modifying effects of midazolam in a rat model of birth asphyxia.

Loop diuretics such as furosemide and bumetanide, which act by inhibiting the Na-K-2Cl cotransporter NKCC2 at the thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle, have been shown to exert anti-seizure effects. However, the exact mechanism of this effect is not known. For bumetanide, it has been suggested that inhibition of the NKCC isoform NKCC1 in the membrane of brain neurons may be involved; however, NKCC1 is expressed by virtually all cell types in the brain, which makes any specific targeting of neuronal NKCC1 by bumetanide impossible.

Hypothalamic volume in pedophilia with or without child sexual offense.

The hypothalamus regulates sexual behavior and is simultaneously associated with aggression and violence. Consequently, this brain region is relevant in research of pedophilia and child sexual offenses (CSO). The distinction between these two phenomena is of great importance and was the object of consideration of this study.