Differential reaction of crossing and non-crossing rat retinal axons on cell membrane preparations from the chiasm midline: an in vitro study

Development ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 117 (2) ◽  
pp. 725-735 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Wizenmann ◽  
S. Thanos ◽  
Y. von Boxberg ◽  
F. Bonhoeffer

In the rat, a small subpopulation of retinal ganglion cell axons forms a persistent projection to the ipsilateral half of the brain. These fibres originate almost exclusively from the ventrotemporal margin of the retina. In contrast to all other retinal axons they seem to be deflected from the midline of the optic chiasm and thereby led into the ipsilateral optic tract. In order to analyse the interactions between growing fibres and chiasm midline, we have developed the following in vitro model. Axons of the embryonic rat retina are grown on a carpet of tectal cell membranes used as a general growth-permissive substratum. At a certain distance from the explant (200-450 microns), the advancing fibres are confronted with two stripes of cell membranes prepared from the chiasm midline. Such chiasm membranes are shown to act as a barrier for the presumptive non-crossing axons, while they do not influence growth of fibres originating from any other regions of the retina, including the dorsotemporal part. The repulsion of non-crossing fibres by chiasm membranes is observed in vitro only when retinal explants from embryonic day (E) 17/18 and chiasm preparations from E14/15 are used. Fibres and tissue from different regions of the brain as well as from different developmental ages, and even from different species, can be combined in this assay system. In a first attempt to characterize the molecular basis of the repulsive effect of chiasm membranes on ventrotemporal fibres, similar assays were performed with membranes derived from other regions of the central nervous system midline, some of which are known to have repulsive properties against certain axon populations. Since these cell membranes did not act as a barrier for the ventrotemporal retinal axons, we suggest that the guidance cues at the chiasm are very specific. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that certain cells at the chiasm midline (very likely radial glial cells) express ‘repulsive or inhibitory’ molecules, which act in a specific way on ipsilaterally projecting axons.

1997 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 511-516 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Guido ◽  
Fu-Sun Lo ◽  
Reha S. Erzurumlu

Guido, William, Fu-Sun Lo, and Reha S. Erzurumlu. An in vitro model of the kitten retinogeniculate pathway. J. Neurophysiol. 77: 511–516, 1997. An organotypic explant coculture method is described for the developing retinogeniculate pathway of the cat. Retinal explants and thalamic slices containing the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), derived from early postnatal kittens, can be grown in serum-free culture medium for several days. In such cultures, retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and LGN neurons retained their age-specific morphological features and developed functional connections. Labeling of RGCs and their processes with DiI showed that all three major classes of RGCs (α/Y, β/X, γ/W) were present in cocultured retinal explants. Retinal axons readily regenerated into thalamic slices and, over time, developed arbors within the LGN. Retrograde labeling from the LGN traced the origin of these axons almost exclusively to α-cells in the retina. In vitro intracellular recordings indicated that LGN cells maintained their basic electrophysiological properties in coculture. Current injection generated action potentials, and, at hyperpolarized levels, it led to low-threshold Ca2+ spiking. Regenerated retinal axons also formed functional connections with LGN neurons. Electrical stimulation of the retinal explant elicited excitatory postsynaptic responses (EPSPs) in LGN cells. Drop application of specific glutamate antagonists indicated that EPSPs had both N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) and non-NMDA receptor components. The morphology of the LGN neurons was examined after intracellular injections of biocytin during recording. Labeled cells were very similar to those of early postnatal kittens. Although, in general, they had relatively small soma and simple dendritic branching patterns, a few could be recognized as X- or Y-cells. Thus the coculture model can be used to assay the regenerative propensity of different types of RGCs during development.


Author(s):  
Bárbara Sánchez-Dengra ◽  
Isabel González-Álvarez ◽  
Flavia Sousa ◽  
Marival Bermejo ◽  
Marta González-Álvarez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 1616
Author(s):  
Nicoletta di Leo ◽  
Stefania Moscato ◽  
Marco Borso' ◽  
Simona Sestito ◽  
Beatrice Polini ◽  
...  

Recent reports highlighted the significant neuroprotective effects of thyronamines (TAMs), a class of endogenous thyroid hormone derivatives. In particular, 3-iodothyronamine (T1AM) has been shown to play a pleiotropic role in neurodegeneration by modulating energy metabolism and neurological functions in mice. However, the pharmacological response to T1AM might be influenced by tissue metabolism, which is known to convert T1AM into its catabolite 3-iodothyroacetic acid (TA1). Currently, several research groups are investigating the pharmacological effects of T1AM systemic administration in the search of novel therapeutic approaches for the treatment of interlinked pathologies, such as metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs). A critical aspect in the development of new drugs for NDDs is to know their distribution in the brain, which is fundamentally related to their ability to cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB). To this end, in the present study we used the immortalized mouse brain endothelial cell line bEnd.3 to develop an in vitro model of BBB and evaluate T1AM and TA1 permeability. Both drugs, administered at 1 µM dose, were assayed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Our results indicate that T1AM is able to efficiently cross the BBB, whereas TA1 is almost completely devoid of this property.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mira Puthettu ◽  
Stijn Vandenberghe ◽  
Stefanos Demertzis

Abstract Background During cardiac surgery, micro-air emboli regularly enter the blood stream and can cause cognitive impairment or stroke. It is not clearly understood whether the most threatening air emboli are generated by the heart-lung machine (HLM) or by the blood-air contact when opening the heart. We performed an in vitro study to assess, for the two sources, air emboli distribution in the arterial tree, especially in the brain region, during cardiac surgery with different cannulation sites. Methods A model of the arterial tree was 3D printed and included in a hydraulic circuit, divided such that flow going to the brain was separated from the rest of the circuit. Air micro-emboli were injected either in the HLM (“ECC Bubbles”) or in the mock left ventricle (“Heart Bubbles”) to simulate the two sources. Emboli distribution was measured with an ultrasonic bubble counter. Five repetitions were performed for each combination of injection site and cannulation site, where air bubble counts and volumes were recorded. Air bubbles were separated in three categories based on size. Results For both injection sites, it was possible to identify statistically significant differences between cannulation sites. For ECC Bubbles, axillary cannulation led to a higher amount of air bubbles in the brain with medium-sized bubbles. For Heart Bubbles, aortic cannulation showed a significantly bigger embolic load in the brain with large bubbles. Conclusions These preliminary in vitro findings showed that air embolic load in the brain may be dependent on the cannulation site, which deserves further in vivo exploration.


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madhuravasal Krishnan Janani ◽  
Venkatakrishnan Jaichandran ◽  
Hajib Narahari Rao Madhavan ◽  
Lingam Vijaya ◽  
Ronnie Jacob George ◽  
...  

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of lignocaine on growth and apoptosis indication of primary human Tenon’s capsule fibroblast (HTFs) in an in vitro model. Patients and Methods: Tenon’s capsule tissue obtained from patients undergoing trabeculectomy were grown in cell culture medium. The effect of different concentrations of lignocaine (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2%) on the morphology and growth of the fibroblasts was studied using microscopy, cell viability, and proliferation assay, and apoptosis was detected using the FITC Annexin V Apoptosis Kit. Results: Morphological changes similar to those of apoptotic cells, including cytoplasmic vacuolation, shrinkage, and rounding were visualized in the cells treated with concentrations greater than 1.0% (i.e., 1.5, 2.0%). Though proliferation inhibition was found with all four concentrations (0.5–2.0%), the viability of cells decreased from 1.0% lignocaine. Conclusion: 0.5% lignocaine prevents proliferation of fibroblasts without causing apoptosis in vitro.


2013 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Haduch ◽  
Ewa Bromek ◽  
Anna Sadakierska-Chudy ◽  
Jacek Wójcikowski ◽  
Władysława A. Daniel

1996 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 150-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
James P. Bradley ◽  
Jamie P. Levine ◽  
Christopher Blewett ◽  
Thomas Krummel ◽  
Joseph G. Mccarthy ◽  
...  

The biology underlying craniosynostosis remains unknown. Previous studies have shown that the underlying dura mater, not the suture itself, signals a suture to fuse. The purpose of this study was to develop an in vitro model for cranial-suture fusion that would still allow for suture-dura interaction, but without the influence of tensional forces transmitted from the cranial base. This was accomplished by demonstrating that the posterior frontal mouse cranial suture, known to be the only cranial suture that fuses in vivo, fuses when plated with its dura in an organ-culture system. In such an organ-culture system, the sutures are free from both the influence of dural forces transmitted from the cranial base and from hormonal influences only available in a perfused system. For the cranial-suture fusion in vitro model study, the sagittal sutures (controls that remain patent in vivo) and posterior frontal sutures (that fuse in vivo) with the underlying dura were excised from 24-day-old euthanized mice, cut into 5 × 4 × 2-mm specimens, and cultured in a chemically defined, serum-free media. One hundred sutures were harvested at the day of sacrifice, then every 2 days thereafter until 30 days in culture, stained with H & E, and analyzed. A subsequent cranial-suture without dura in vitro study was performed in a similar fashion to the first study, but only the calvariae with the posterior frontal or sagittal sutures (without the underlying dura) were cultured. Results from the cranial-suture fusion in vitro model study showed that all sagittal sutures placed in organ culture with the underlying dura remained patent. More importantly, the posterior frontal sutures with the underlying dura, which were plated-down as patent at 24 days of age, demonstrated fusion after various growth periods in organ culture. In vitro posterior frontal mouse-suture fusion occurred in an anterior-to-posterior direction but in a delayed fashion, 4 to 7 days later than in vivo posterior frontal mouse-suture fusion. In contrast, the subsequent cranial-suture without dura in vitro study showed patency of all sutures, including the posterior frontal suture. These data from in vitro experiments indicate that: (1) mouse calvariae, sutures, and the underlying dura survive and grow in organ-culture systems for 30 days; (2) the local dura, free from external influences transmitted from the cranial base and hormones from distant sites, influences the cells of its overlying suture to cause fusion; and (3) without dura influence, all in vitro cranial sutures remained patent. By first identifying the factors involved in dural-suture signaling and then regulating these factors and their receptors, the biologic basis of suture fusion and craniosynostosis may be unraveled and used in the future to manipulate pathologic (premature) suture fusion.


1995 ◽  
Vol 43 (5) ◽  
pp. 467
Author(s):  
AM Harman

The optic chiasm of mammals is the region of the nervous system in which optic axons have a choice of route, either they enter the optic tract on the same side of the brain or they cross the chiasm and enter the opposite optic tract. in eutherian (placental) mammals, axons approach the midline of the chiasm and then either continue across the chiasm or turn back to enter the tract on the same side of the brain. The midline of the chiasm provides guidance cues that repel uncrossed but not crossed axons. However, it has recently been shown that in a marsupial, the quokka wallaby, axons destined to stay on the same side of the brain remain in the lateral part of the optic nerve and chiasm and never approach the midline. The structure of the chiasm reflects this partitioning of axons with different routes by having a tripartite structure. The two lateral regions contain only uncrossed axons in rostral chiasmatic regions and the central region contains only crossed axons. Therefore, axons passing through the chiasm of this species must use guidance cues that differ from those of eutherian mammals. Here I show that the chiasms of species of both diprotodont and polyprotodont Australian marsupials have a similar tripartite structure and that uncrossed axons are confined to lateral regions. It seems likely, therefore, that the chiasm of marsupials has fundamental differences in structure and optic axon trajectory compared with that of eutherian mammals studied to date.


Electronics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1056
Author(s):  
Ekaterina Zinchenko ◽  
Maria Klimova ◽  
Aysel Mamedova ◽  
Ilana Agranovich ◽  
Inna Blokhina ◽  
...  

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an incurable pathology associated with progressive decline in memory and cognition. Phototherapy might be a new promising and alternative strategy for the effective treatment of AD, and has been actively discussed over two decades. However, the mechanisms of therapeutic photostimulation (PS) effects on subjects with AD remain poorly understood. The goal of this study was to determine the mechanisms of therapeutic PS effects in beta-amyloid (Aβ)-injected mice. The neurological severity score and the new object recognition tests demonstrate that PS 9 J/cm2 attenuates the memory and neurological deficit in mice with AD. The immunohistochemical assay revealed a decrease in the level of Aβ in the brain and an increase of Aβ in the deep cervical lymph nodes obtained from mice with AD after PS. Using the in vitro model of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), we show a PS-mediated decrease in transendothelial resistance and in the expression of tight junction proteins as well an increase in the BBB permeability to Aβ. These findings suggest that a PS-mediated BBB opening and the activation of the lymphatic clearance of Aβ from the brain might be a crucial mechanism underlying therapeutic effects of PS in mice with AD. These pioneering data open new strategies in the development of non-pharmacological methods for therapy of AD and contribute to a better understanding of the PS effects on the central nervous system.


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