scholarly journals Why I Am Not SHY: A Reply to Tononi and Cirelli

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcos Gabriel Frank
Keyword(s):  
Recent Article ◽  
Cellular Mechanisms ◽  
Synaptic Homeostasis ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Influential Theory

In a recent article I reviewed an influential theory of sleep function, the “synaptic homeostasis hypothesis (SHY.)” According to SHY, sleep renormalizes synapses that are potentiated during prior wakefulness. I concluded that while SHY is a seminal theory with important implications about sleep function and the brain, its underlying mechanisms are poorly defined. In an accompanying article, the authors of SHY responded at length. Their reply is thoughtful and provocative, but unfortunately many of the points I raised were not accurately represented or addressed. In this brief commentary, I attempt to clarify some points of confusion. I also explain why any theory of sleep function is incomplete without an understanding of the underlying cellular mechanisms.

scholarly journals Erasing Synapses in Sleep: Is It Time to Be SHY?

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcos Gabriel Frank
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Synaptic Plasticity ◽  
Functional Significance ◽  
Brain Plasticity ◽  
Cellular Mechanism ◽  
Homeostatic Regulation ◽  
Synaptic Homeostasis ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Lines Of Evidence

Converging lines of evidence strongly support a role for sleep in brain plasticity. An elegant idea that may explain how sleep accomplishes this role is the “synaptic homeostasis hypothesis (SHY).” According to SHY, sleep promotes net synaptic weakening which offsets net synaptic strengthening that occurs during wakefulness. SHY is intuitively appealing because it relates the homeostatic regulation of sleep to an important function (synaptic plasticity). SHY has also received important experimental support from recent studies inDrosophila melanogaster. There remain, however, a number of unanswered questions about SHY. What is the cellular mechanism governing SHY? How does it fit with what we know about plasticity mechanisms in the brain? In this review, I discuss the evidence and theory of SHY in the context of what is known about Hebbian and non-Hebbian synaptic plasticity. I conclude that while SHY remains an elegant idea, the underlying mechanisms are mysterious and its functional significance unknown.

Minocycline inhibits mTOR signaling activation and alleviates behavioral deficits in the Wistar rats with acute ischemia stroke

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shengyuan Wang ◽  
Chuanling Wang ◽  
Lihua Wang ◽  
Zhiyou Cai
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Ischemia ◽  
Ischemia Reperfusion ◽  
Mammalian Target Of Rapamycin ◽  
Mtor Signaling ◽  
Acute Ischemia ◽  
Intragastric Administration ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Signaling Activation ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Minocycline Therapy

Background: Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) has been evidenced as a multimodal therapy in the path-ophysiological process of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). However, the pathway that minocycline targets mTOR signaling is not fully defined in the AIS pathogenesis. This study is to aim at the effects of minocycline on the mTOR signaling in the AIS process and further discover the underlying mechanisms of minocycline involved in the following change of mTOR signaling-autophagy. Methods: Cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (CIR) rat animal models were established with the transient suture occlusion into middle cerebral artery. Minocycline (50mg/kg) was given by intragastric administration. The Morris water maze was used to test the cognitive function of animals. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence were introduced for testing the lev-els of synaptophysin and PSD-95. Western blot was conducted for investigating the levels of mTOR, p-mTOR (Ser2448), p70S6, p-p70S6 (Thr389), eEF2k, p-eEF2k (Ser366), p-eIF4B (Ser406), LC3, p62, synaptophysin and PSD-95. Results: Minocycline prevents cognitive decline of the MCAO stroke rats. Minocycline limits the expression of p-mTOR (Ser2448) and the downstream targets of mTOR [p70S6, p-p70S6 (Thr389), eEF2k, p-eEF2k (Ser366) and p-eIF4B (Ser406)] (P<0.01), while minocycline has no influence on mTOR. LC3-II abundance and the LC3-II/I ratio were upregu-lated in the hippocampus of the MCAO stroke rats by the minocycline therapy (P<0.01). p62 was downregulated in the hippocampus from the MCAO stroke rats administrated with minocycline therapy(P<0.01). The levels of SYP and PSD-95 were up-regulated in the brain of the MCAO stroke rats administrated with minocycline therapy. Conclusion: Minocycline prevents cognitive deficits via inhibiting mTOR signaling and enhancing autophagy process, and promoting the expression of pre-and postsynaptic proteins (synaptophysin and PSD-95) in the brain of the MCAO stroke rats. The potential neuroprotective role of minocycline in the process of cerebral ischemia may be related to mitigating is-chemia-induced synapse injury via inhibiting activation of mTOR signaling.

scholarly journals Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Metformin in Cervical Cancer

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 2545
Author(s):  
Ya-Hui Chen ◽  
Po-Hui Wang ◽  
Pei-Ni Chen ◽  
Shun-Fa Yang ◽  
Yi-Hsuan Hsiao
Keyword(s):  
Cervical Cancer ◽  
Potential Role ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Cellular Mechanisms ◽  
Anticancer Effects ◽  
Clinical Benefits ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

Cervical cancer is one of the major gynecologic malignancies worldwide. Treatment options include chemotherapy, surgical resection, radiotherapy, or a combination of these treatments; however, relapse and recurrence may occur, and the outcome may not be favorable. Metformin is an established, safe, well-tolerated drug used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes; it can be safely combined with other antidiabetic agents. Diabetes, possibly associated with an increased site-specific cancer risk, may relate to the progression or initiation of specific types of cancer. The potential effects of metformin in terms of cancer prevention and therapy have been widely studied, and a number of studies have indicated its potential role in cancer treatment. The most frequently proposed mechanism underlying the diabetes–cancer association is insulin resistance, which leads to secondary hyperinsulinemia; furthermore, insulin may exert mitogenic effects through the insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) receptor, and hyperglycemia may worsen carcinogenesis through the induction of oxidative stress. Evidence has suggested clinical benefits of metformin in the treatment of gynecologic cancers. Combining current anticancer drugs with metformin may increase their efficacy and diminish adverse drug reactions. Accumulating evidence is indicating that metformin exerts anticancer effects alone or in combination with other agents in cervical cancer in vitro and in vivo. Metformin might thus serve as an adjunct therapeutic agent for cervical cancer. Here, we reviewed the potential anticancer effects of metformin against cervical cancer and discussed possible underlying mechanisms.

scholarly journals Time to Be SHY? Some Comments on Sleep and Synaptic Homeostasis

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giulio Tononi ◽  
Chiara Cirelli
Keyword(s):  
Synaptic Strength ◽  
Universal Function ◽  
Systematic Bias ◽  
Synaptic Homeostasis ◽  
The Face ◽  
Essential Function ◽  
Function Of Sleep ◽  
The Brain

Sleep must serve an essential, universal function, one that offsets the risk of being disconnected from the environment. The synaptic homeostasis hypothesis (SHY) is an attempt to identify this essential function. Its core claim is that sleep is needed to reestablish synaptic homeostasis, which is challenged by the remarkable plasticity of the brain. In other words, sleep is “the price we pay for plasticity.” In this issue, M. G. Frank reviewed several aspects of the hypothesis and raised several issues. The comments below provide a brief summary of the motivations underlying SHY and clarify that SHY is a hypothesis not about specific mechanisms, but about a universal, essential function of sleep. This function is the preservation of synaptic homeostasis in the face of a systematic bias toward a net increase in synaptic strength—a challenge that is posed by learning during adult wake, and by massive synaptogenesis during development.

scholarly journals A Destruction Model of the Vascular and Lymphatic Systems in the Emergence of Psychiatric Symptoms

Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 34
Author(s):  
Kohei Segawa ◽  
Yukari Blumenthal ◽  
Yuki Yamawaki ◽  
Gen Ohtsuki
Keyword(s):  
Neurodegenerative Diseases ◽  
Lymphatic System ◽  
Psychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Neurological Diseases ◽  
Immune Surveillance ◽  
Brain Network ◽  
Cellular Mechanisms ◽  
Postmortem Brains ◽  
New Interpretation ◽  
The Brain

The lymphatic system is important for antigen presentation and immune surveillance. The lymphatic system in the brain was originally introduced by Giovanni Mascagni in 1787, while the rediscovery of it by Jonathan Kipnis and Kari Kustaa Alitalo now opens the door for a new interpretation of neurological diseases and therapeutic applications. The glymphatic system for the exchanges of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and interstitial fluid (ISF) is associated with the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which is involved in the maintenance of immune privilege and homeostasis in the brain. Recent notions from studies of postmortem brains and clinical studies of neurodegenerative diseases, infection, and cerebral hemorrhage, implied that the breakdown of those barrier systems and infiltration of activated immune cells disrupt the function of both neurons and glia in the parenchyma (e.g., modulation of neurophysiological properties and maturation of myelination), which causes the abnormality in the functional connectivity of the entire brain network. Due to the vulnerability, such dysfunction may occur in developing brains as well as in senile or neurodegenerative diseases and may raise the risk of emergence of psychosis symptoms. Here, we introduce this hypothesis with a series of studies and cellular mechanisms.

scholarly journals Ventilation and neurochemical changes during µ-opioid receptor activation or blockade of excitatory receptors in the hypoglossal motor nucleus of goats

2017 ◽  
Vol 123 (6) ◽  
pp. 1532-1544 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas M. Langer ◽  
Suzanne E. Neumueller ◽  
Emma Crumley ◽  
Nicholas J. Burgraff ◽  
Sawan Talwar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Receptor Antagonist ◽  
Pulmonary Ventilation ◽  
Respiratory Control ◽  
Nrem Sleep ◽  
Receptor Activation ◽  
Motor Nucleus ◽  
Physiological Conditions ◽  
Neurochemical Changes ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
The Brain

Neuromodulator interdependence posits that changes in one or more neuromodulators are compensated by changes in other modulators to maintain stability in the respiratory control network. Herein, we studied compensatory neuromodulation in the hypoglossal motor nucleus (HMN) after chronic implantation of microtubules unilaterally ( n = 5) or bilaterally ( n = 5) into the HMN. After recovery, receptor agonists or antagonists in mock cerebrospinal fluid (mCSF) were dialyzed during the awake and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep states. During day studies, dialysis of the µ-opioid inhibitory receptor agonist [d-Ala2, N-MePhe4, Gly-ol]enkephalin (DAMGO; 100 µM) decreased pulmonary ventilation (V̇i), breathing frequency ( f), and genioglossus (GG) muscle activity but did not alter neuromodulators measured in the effluent mCSF. However, neither unilateral dialysis of a broad spectrum muscarinic receptor antagonist (atropine; 50 mM) nor unilateral or bilateral dialysis of a mixture of excitatory receptor antagonists altered V̇i or GG activity, but all of these did increase HMN serotonin (5-HT) levels. Finally, during night studies, DAMGO and excitatory receptor antagonist decreased ventilatory variables during NREM sleep but not during wakefulness. These findings contrast with previous dialysis studies in the ventral respiratory column (VRC) where unilateral DAMGO or atropine dialysis had no effects on breathing and bilateral DAMGO or unilateral atropine increased V̇i and f and decreased GABA or increased 5-HT, respectively. Thus we conclude that the mechanisms of compensatory neuromodulation are less robust in the HMN than in the VRC under physiological conditions in adult goats, possibly because of site differences in the underlying mechanisms governing neuromodulator release and consequently neuronal activity, and/or responsiveness of receptors to compensatory neuromodulators. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Activation of inhibitory µ-opioid receptors in the hypoglossal motor nucleus decreased ventilation under physiological conditions and did not affect neurochemicals in effluent dialyzed mock cerebral spinal fluid. These findings contrast with studies in the ventral respiratory column where unilateral [d-Ala2, N-MePhe4, Gly-ol]enkephalin (DAMGO) had no effects on ventilation and bilateral DAMGO or unilateral atropine increased ventilation and decreased GABA or increased serotonin, respectively. Our data support the hypothesis that mechanisms that govern local compensatory neuromodulation within the brain stem are site specific under physiological conditions.

scholarly journals Neural Progenitor Cells Undergoing Yap/Tead-Mediated Enhanced Self-Renewal Form Heterotopias More Easily in the Diencephalon than in the Telencephalon

2018 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 180-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kanako Saito ◽  
Ryotaro Kawasoe ◽  
Hiroshi Sasaki ◽  
Ayano Kawaguchi ◽  
Takaki Miyata
Keyword(s):  
Progenitor Cells ◽  
Neural Tube ◽  
Neural Progenitor Cells ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Neural Progenitor ◽  
Hippo Signaling ◽  
Apical Surface ◽  
Elevated Expression ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
The Brain

Abstract Spatiotemporally ordered production of cells is essential for brain development. Normally, most undifferentiated neural progenitor cells (NPCs) face the apical (ventricular) surface of embryonic brain walls. Pathological detachment of NPCs from the apical surface and their invasion of outer neuronal territories, i.e., formation of NPC heterotopias, can disrupt the overall structure of the brain. Although NPC heterotopias have previously been observed in a variety of experimental contexts, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Yes-associated protein 1 (Yap1) and the TEA domain (Tead) proteins, which act downstream of Hippo signaling, enhance the stem-like characteristics of NPCs. Elevated expression of Yap1 or Tead in the neural tube (future spinal cord) induces massive NPC heterotopias, but Yap/Tead-induced expansion of NPCs in the developing brain has not been previously reported to produce NPC heterotopias. To determine whether NPC heterotopias occur in a regionally characteristic manner, we introduced the Yap1-S112A or Tead-VP16 into NPCs of the telencephalon and diencephalon, two neighboring but distinct forebrain regions, of embryonic day 10 mice by in utero electroporation, and compared NPC heterotopia formation. Although NPCs in both regions exhibited enhanced stem-like behaviors, heterotopias were larger and more frequent in the diencephalon than in the telencephalon. This result, the first example of Yap/Tead-induced NPC heterotopia in the forebrain, reveals that Yap/Tead-induced NPC heterotopia is not specific to the neural tube, and also suggests that this phenomenon depends on regional factors such as the three-dimensional geometry and assembly of these cells.

Long-term modulation of tyrosine hydroxylase activity and expression by endothelin-1 and -3 in the rat anterior and posterior hypothalamus

2008 ◽  
Vol 294 (3) ◽  
pp. R905-R914 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guadalupe Perfume ◽  
Sabrina L. Nabhen ◽  
Karla Riquelme Barrera ◽  
María G. Otero ◽  
Liliana G. Bianciotti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tyrosine Hydroxylase ◽  
Cardiovascular Effects ◽  
Receptor Activation ◽  
Catecholaminergic Neurons ◽  
Endothelin System ◽  
Catecholaminergic Transmission ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
G Protein Coupled ◽  
The Brain

Brain catecholamines are involved in the regulation of biological functions, including cardiovascular activity. The hypothalamus presents areas with high density of catecholaminergic neurons and the endothelin system. Two hypothalamic regions intimately related with the cardiovascular control are distinguished: the anterior (AHR) and posterior (PHR) hypothalamus, considered to be sympathoinhibitory and sympathoexcitatory regions, respectively. We previously reported that endothelins (ETs) are involved in the short-term tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) regulation in both the AHR and PHR. TH is crucial for catecholaminergic transmission and is tightly regulated by well-characterized mechanisms. In the present study, we sought to establish the effects and underlying mechanisms of ET-1 and ET-3 on TH long-term modulation. Results showed that in the AHR, ETs decreased TH activity through ETB receptor activation coupled to the nitric oxide, phosphoinositide, and CaMK-II pathways. They also reduced total TH level and TH phosphorylated forms (Ser 19 and 40). Conversely, in the PHR, ETs increased TH activity through a G protein-coupled receptor, likely an atypical ET receptor or the ETC receptor, which stimulated the phosphoinositide and adenylyl cyclase pathways, as well as CaMK-II. ETs also increased total TH level and the Ser 19, 31, and 40 phosphorylated sites of the enzyme. These findings support that ETs are involved in the long-term regulation of TH activity, leading to reduced sympathoinhibition in the AHR and increased sympathoexcitation in the PHR. Present and previous studies may partially explain the cardiovascular effects produced by ETs when applied to the brain.

scholarly journals The Molecular Biology of Brain Metastasis

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gazanfar Rahmathulla ◽  
Steven A. Toms ◽  
Robert J. Weil
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Biology ◽  
Brain Metastasis ◽  
Targeted Drug Delivery ◽  
Rapid Expansion ◽  
Genetic Mechanisms ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Targeted Drug ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
The Brain ◽  
New Location

Metastasis to the central nervous system (CNS) remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with systemic cancers. Various crucial interactions between the brain environment and tumor cells take place during the development of the cancer at its new location. The rapid expansion in molecular biology and genetics has advanced our knowledge of the underlying mechanisms involved, from invasion to final colonization of new organ tissues. Understanding the various events occurring at each stage should enable targeted drug delivery and individualized treatments for patients, with better outcomes and fewer side effects. This paper summarizes the principal molecular and genetic mechanisms that underlie the development of brain metastasis (BrM).

scholarly journals Entry of antiepileptic drugs (valproate and lamotrigine) into the developing rat brain

F1000Research ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 384
Author(s):  
Samuel J. Toll ◽  
Fiona Qiu ◽  
Yifan Huang ◽  
Mark D. Habgood ◽  
Katarzyna M. Dziegielewska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antiepileptic Drug ◽  
Placental Transfer ◽  
Rat Plasma ◽  
Developing Brain ◽  
Adult Brain ◽  
Cellular Mechanisms ◽  
Antiepileptic Drug Treatment ◽  
Dose Dependent ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Drug Entry

Background: Women with epilepsy face difficult choices whether to continue antiepileptic drug treatment during pregnancy, as uncontrolled seizures carry great risk to mother and fetus but continuing treatment may have adverse effects on baby’s development. This study aimed at evaluating antiepileptic drug entry into developing brain. Methods: Anaesthetised pregnant, non-pregnant adult females, postnatal and fetal rats were injected intraperitoneally with different doses, single or in combinations, of valproate and lamotrigine, all within clinical range. Injectate included 3H-labelled drug. After 30min, CSF, blood and brain samples were obtained; radioactivity was measured using liquid scintillation counting. Some animals were also exposed to valproate in feed throughout pregnancy and into neonatal period. Drug levels were measured by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Results are given as CSF or tissue/plasma% as index of drug entry. Results: Entry of valproate into brain and CSF was higher at E19 and P4 compared to adult but was not dose-dependent;  placental transfer increased significantly at highest dose of 100mg/Kg. Lamotrigine entry into the brain was dose dependent only at E19. Chronic valproate treatment, or combination of valproate and lamotrigine had little effect on either drug entry, except for reduced valproate brain entry in adult brain with chronic treatment. Placental transfer decreased significantly after chronic valproate treatment. LC-MS measurement of valproate in adults confirmed that rat plasma values were within the clinical range and CSF/plasma and brain/plasma ratios for LC-MS and 3H-valproate were similar. Conclusion: Results suggest that entry of valproate may be higher in developing brain, the capacity of barrier mechanism is mostly unaffected by doses within the clinical range, with or without addition of lamotrigine. Chronic valproate exposure may result in upregulation in cellular mechanisms restricting its entry into the brain. Entry of lamotrigine was little different at different ages and was not dose dependent.

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