IBRO Neuroscience Reports最新文献

{"title":"Therapeutic effectiveness of conditioned medium derived from adipose tissue mesenchymal stem cells and dehydroepiandrosterone in a rat model of spinal cord injury","authors":"Farrokh Modarresi , Gholam Reza Kaka , Mehdi Raei , Fatemeh Rezaei-Tazangi","doi":"10.1016/j.ibneur.2025.12.010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ibneur.2025.12.010","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background and objective</h3><div>Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a severe neurological disorder that leads to significant complications, including loss of bladder/bowel control and increased infection risk. The current standard treatment involves methylprednisolone administration and surgical decompression, but finding an effective therapy with minimal side effects remains a major challenge. This study aimed to investigate the effects of an optimized conditioned medium derived from rat adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AD-MSCs) and dihydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on behavioral indices, oxidative stress, stereological parameters, and histopathological outcomes in rats with compressive spinal cord injury (SCI).</div></div><div><h3>Material and methods</h3><div>In this study, 60 adult female rats were randomly divided into five groups: Sham group (laminectomy + intraperitoneal injection of 1 % dimethyl sulfoxide [DMSO], 200 µL for seven consecutive days), SCI-induced group (SCI induction + intraperitoneal injection of 1 % DMSO, 200 µL for seven consecutive days), Treatment group 1 (SCI induction + intraperitoneal injection of DHEA [30 mg/kg] dissolved in 1 % DMSO for seven consecutive days), Treatment group 2 (SCI induction + intraperitoneal injection of conditioned medium [200 µL] for seven consecutive days), Treatment group 3 (SCI induction + intraperitoneal injection of DHEA [30 mg/kg] dissolved in 1 % DMSO followed by conditioned medium [200 µL] for seven consecutive days). Behavioral assessments were performed using the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) locomotor rating scale and the rotarod test. Additionally, the levels of antioxidant enzymes—catalase, glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and the lipid peroxidation marker malondialdehyde (MDA)—were measured using respective assay kits. For stereological evaluation (to estimate neuronal and non-neuronal cell counts, gray and white matter volumes, spinal cord volume, and lesion area) and histopathological assessment (to evaluate inflammation, necrosis, and hemorrhage indices), tissue samples were stained with Cresyl Violet.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The findings revealed that in the SCI-induced group, motor function, neuronal cell number in spinal gray matter, non-neuronal cell number in the spinal cord, white and gray matter volumes, total spinal cord volume, and levels of catalase, GSH, and SOD were significantly reduced compared to the sham group. Conversely, the spinal lesion volume and MDA levels were elevated. Treatment with DHEA, AD-MSC-conditioned medium, or their combination reversed these effects. Notably, the combined treatment group exhibited more pronounced therapeutic improvements compared to monotherapy groups.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The administration of DHEA and AD-MSC-conditioned medium, particularly in combination, appears to enhance motor function, elevate antioxidant enzyme activity, reduce lipid peroxidation, improve spinal","PeriodicalId":13195,"journal":{"name":"IBRO Neuroscience Reports","volume":"20 ","pages":"Pages 264-275"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146170471","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prefrontal TDCS does not improve working memory performance in individuals with chronic alcohol and tobacco use","authors":"Franziska Göttgens ,&nbsp;Ute Habel ,&nbsp;Paul Wallheinke ,&nbsp;Julie A. Blendy ,&nbsp;Carmen Weidler","doi":"10.1016/j.ibneur.2026.01.011","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ibneur.2026.01.011","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Working memory (WM) deficits are common in psychiatric disorders that are associated with decreased prefrontal cortex activity. As WM is essential for cognitive functions, deficits interfere with daily life and treatment. The lateralization of WM components remains unclear, but stimuli matching, often assessed using the n-back task, has been associated with right-hemispheric dominance. This study examines whether anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) targeting the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) could enhance WM performance in alcohol-dependent patients (AD), tobacco users (TU) and healthy controls (HC). In a double-blind, sham-controlled study, tDCS was applied to upregulate right DLPFC activity. A total of 46 participants received anodal tDCS with a current intensity of 1.5 mA for 20 min or sham stimulation. In addition to the 7x5cm anode, a large reference electrode (10x10cm) was situated over the contralateral supraorbital area. While being stimulated, participants performed the n-back task as a measure of WM performance. Results revealed no significant differences in WM performance between active and sham stimulated participants, nor between groups, and no significant interaction between stimulation condition and group. Bayesian analysis supported the null effects. These findings do not provide evidence that single-session right DLPFC stimulation reliably enhances working memory across all stimulus types. The outcomes may have been influenced by task–stimulation mismatch, sample heterogeneity, small sample size, and stimulation parameters, which could limit the ability to detect subtle tDCS effects in both clinical and healthy populations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13195,"journal":{"name":"IBRO Neuroscience Reports","volume":"20 ","pages":"Pages 196-205"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146074128","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prenatal exposure to di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate alters the association of glutamatergic proteins with PTEN in the hippocampus of male rat offspring","authors":"Natalia Kiknadze ,&nbsp;Elene Zhuravliova ,&nbsp;David Mikeladze","doi":"10.1016/j.ibneur.2025.12.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ibneur.2025.12.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Phthalates are extensively used chemicals known to have adverse effects on human health. Prenatal exposure to phthalates has been associated with potential disruptions in brain development and an elevated susceptibility to cognitive and behavioral disorders. The effects of phthalates on learning, memory, and related hippocampal processes have been widely studied; however, the molecular pathways through which phthalates modulate synaptic processes are not fully understood. Previous studies have shown that the molecular mechanism of DEHP-induced hippocampal neurotoxicity in the maturing male brain involves changes in phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) subcellular location, which suppresses Akt/mTOR signaling and enhances GluN2B NMDA-mediated synapse depression. Immunoprecipitation experiments revealed that the prenatal administration of DEHP to rats led to a reduction in the association of the scaffold protein NHERF1, NMDA receptor subunits, AMPA receptor subunits, metabotropic glutamate receptor 5, and excitatory amino acid transporter-2 with PTEN in the hippocampus of offspring, while the overall quantity of these proteins remained unchanged. Furthermore, our results demonstrated that prenatal exposure of rats to phthalates resulted in downregulation of calcineurin phosphatase activity, decreased autophosphorylation of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II, reduced protein kinase A activity, and upregulation of Akt kinase in the hippocampus of young rats. These findings suggest that the susceptibility of the PTEN protein interactome to phthalates in the glutamatergic postsynaptic density may influence synaptic plasticity at excitatory neurons in the hippocampus of offspring after exposure of parent rats to DEHP during gestation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13195,"journal":{"name":"IBRO Neuroscience Reports","volume":"20 ","pages":"Pages 25-33"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145789055","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Investigation of cholecystokinin-8s-induced hypophagia in neonatal broiler chicks: Roles of central adrenergic and serotonergic systems","authors":"Hamed Zarei ,&nbsp;Ghazaleh Mahdavi ,&nbsp;Emad Shahrabi ,&nbsp;Keyvan Hasani","doi":"10.1016/j.ibneur.2025.12.011","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ibneur.2025.12.011","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cholecystokinin (CCK) is integral to the central control of appetite, with its sulfated octapeptide isoform (CCK-8s) being particularly relevant. While CCK's anorexigenic effects have been established, the interactions between CCK-8s and adrenergic and serotonergic receptor subtypes in mediating food intake remain incompletely understood. This research was designed to examine the impact of centrally administered CCK-8s on food consumption in broilers, focusing on how it interacts with adrenergic and serotonergic receptors to influence intake. For this purpose, nine experiments were conducted on broilers. In experiment 1, broilers received central infusion of saline and CCK-8s (0.25, 0.5, and 1 nmol). The second experiment evaluated the effects of saline, the α1-adrenergic antagonist prazosin, CCK-8s at 1 nmol, and a combination of prazosin with CCK-8s. Experiments three through nine followed a similar design, substituting prazosin with other agents targeting different receptors, including the α2 antagonist yohimbine, β1 antagonist metoprolol, β2 antagonist ICI 118,551, serotonin synthesis inhibitor PCPA, serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine, 5-HT1A receptor agonist 8-OH-DPAT, and 5-HT2C receptor antagonist SB242084. Food intake was recorded cumulatively up to two hours after infusions. The outcomes demonstrated that CCK-8s (0.5 and 1 nmol) significantly decreased meal intake compared to controls (P &lt; 0.05). Interestingly, administration of CCK-8s with fluoxetine significantly enhanced its appetite-suppressing effect (P &lt; 0.05), whereas co-injections with SB242084, PCPA, or ICI 118,551 decreased this effect (P &lt; 0.05). The data suggest that the anorexigenic influence of CCK-8s involves signaling pathways mediated by β2 adrenergic and 5-HT2C serotonergic receptors, offering fresh perspectives on neuropeptidergic regulation of feeding and highlighting the need for further detailed mechanistic studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13195,"journal":{"name":"IBRO Neuroscience Reports","volume":"20 ","pages":"Pages 49-59"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145881224","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Progress on experimental models of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disease","authors":"Guo Yawen ,&nbsp;Yao Shunyu ,&nbsp;Jiang Daiyi ,&nbsp;Lin Lanxin ,&nbsp;Wu Siliang ,&nbsp;Peng Yong","doi":"10.1016/j.ibneur.2025.12.013","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ibneur.2025.12.013","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disease (NMOSD) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that primarily affects the optic nerve and spinal cord. At present, the etiology and pathogenesis of NMOSD have not been fully clarified, and its treatment is not perfect, and ideal animal models are a key tool to explore the disease mechanism and screen therapeutic drugs. In recent years, the discovery and confirmation of neuromyelitis optica immunoglobulin G (anti-AQP4 antibodies) as aquaporin-4 (AQP4)-specific antibodies have greatly promoted the study of the pathogenesis of NMOSD, and the study of animal models of NMOSD has become a hot topic of current attention. This article reviews the research progress of NMOSD animal models in recent years, providing a reference for further promoting the in-depth understanding of NMOSD and the formulation of treatment plans.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13195,"journal":{"name":"IBRO Neuroscience Reports","volume":"20 ","pages":"Pages 60-66"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145881223","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Interneuron and glial mechanisms underlying V1 orientation map dynamics","authors":"Lewen Zhao ,&nbsp;Xingyuan Liu ,&nbsp;De-hua Wu ,&nbsp;Wei-Qun Fang","doi":"10.1016/j.ibneur.2026.01.017","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ibneur.2026.01.017","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The functional architecture of the primary visual cortex (V1)—manifesting as orientation selectivity maps (OS maps) in higher mammals and modular tuning clusters in rodents—provides a window into the rules governing cortical circuit organization. Although OS maps emerge from intrinsic activity and the structured sampling of retinothalamic inputs, their maturation and lifelong adaptability depend on cellular mechanisms that extend far beyond excitatory wiring. Recent advances indicate that inhibitory interneurons and glial cells play critical modulatory roles in map assembly, stabilization, and experience-dependent plasticity. Inhibitory interneurons regulate excitatory–inhibitory (E/I) balance, stabilize population responses, and gate developmental and adult plasticity through coordinated local and long-range interactions. In parallel, astrocytes modulate circuit excitability and experience-dependent refinement by regulating synaptic signaling, metabolic and ionic homeostasis, and plasticity-related receptor function, whereas microglia influence map formation and maintenance indirectly through activity-dependent synaptic remodeling and network homeostasis. This minireview synthesizes emerging insights into how inhibitory networks and glial–neuron crosstalk jointly orchestrate the formation and experience-dependent remodeling of orientation maps, offering a cellular framework for understanding the construction and flexibility of cortical sensory representations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13195,"journal":{"name":"IBRO Neuroscience Reports","volume":"20 ","pages":"Pages 218-226"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146170092","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the mechanism of analogy and explicit instructions on self-efficacy, performance, and learning of golf putting task: Analysis of mental representation","authors":"Saeed Nazari Kakvandi ,&nbsp;Morteza Homayounnia Firouzjah ,&nbsp;Wing-Kai Lam ,&nbsp;Narges Abdoli ,&nbsp;Hesam Ramezanzade ,&nbsp;Meysam Beik ,&nbsp;Hassan Kordi ,&nbsp;Fatemeh Najafian","doi":"10.1016/j.ibneur.2026.01.013","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ibneur.2026.01.013","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Previous research has shown the structure of mental representation of learners modifies and develops during motor learning. However, few studies have examined the development of mental representation during various organization of practice. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of analogy and explicit instructions on learning of golf-putting task, along with self-efficacy and examined the structure of mental representation through the practice schedules. Thirty-six novice golfers were randomly divided into analogy instruction, explicit instruction and control group for learning golf putting tasks. They participated in five phases included pre-test, acquisition, retention, transfer 1 and transfer 2 (dual-task). The results of 3 × 5 (group x phase) mixed-design ANOVA, with repeated measures on the second factor revealed that the analogy group had higher self-efficacy in comparison to the explicit and control groups in all phases (P_s &lt;.05). Furthermore, the putting accuracy results showed that the analogy group outperformed the explicit and control during the acquisition, retention, and both transfer tests (Ps &lt;.05). Moreover, the participants' structure of mental representation showed the progress was observed in the explicit and analogy groups, which had a more organized mental representation structure than the control group. Furthermore, comparison of the mental representation structures with those of skilled golfers revealed that the analogy instruction group exhibited the greatest similarity to skilled peers across all testing phases, with the exception of the pre-test. Our findings implicate that implicit learning (i.e., analogy instruction) leads to enhanced learning and more organized mental representation than explicit learning. Therefore, these results confirm the reinvestment theory and underlying mechanism of implicit learning</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13195,"journal":{"name":"IBRO Neuroscience Reports","volume":"20 ","pages":"Pages 252-263"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146170095","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Acupuncture-induced changes in locus coeruleus connectivity and memory improvement in patients with amnestic cognitive impairment","authors":"Liyu Hu ,&nbsp;Xinbei Li ,&nbsp;Juan Ou ,&nbsp;Ting Liu ,&nbsp;Xingxian Huang ,&nbsp;Xingchen Liu ,&nbsp;Yingqi Lu ,&nbsp;Nan Yang ,&nbsp;Jinhuan Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.ibneur.2026.01.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ibneur.2026.01.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>An increasing number of neuroimaging studies have consistently indicated that the locus coeruleus is associated with cognitive impairment in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, and the locus coeruleus plays a critical role in cognition, including memory encoding, consolidation, and retrieval.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To investigate whether and how acupuncture modulates the functional connectivity patterns of the locus coeruleus, and offer a new perspective on the mechanism through which acupuncture exerts its efficacy.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were collected from 50 patients with amnestic cognitive impairment (aMCI) before and after verum or sham acupuncture. Seed-based whole-brain functional connectivity (FC) was calculated and compared to explore the changing patterns of the locus coeruleus in aMCI patients following acupuncture.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Increased FCs were observed between the left locus coeruleus and the left inferior parietal lobule, and between the right locus coeruleus and the right posterior cerebellum in aMCI patients after verum acupuncture. Further analyses revealed a correlation between FC of the left locus coeruleus and the left inferior parietal lobule before acupuncture and improvement in immediate recall in aMCI patients.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>These results suggest that acupuncture could enhance FC between the locus coeruleus and the inferior parietal lobule/the posterior cerebellum. These functional alterations appear to be linked to the efficacy of acupuncture, particularly in ameliorating memory deficits.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13195,"journal":{"name":"IBRO Neuroscience Reports","volume":"20 ","pages":"Pages 139-147"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146022937","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Neuroprotective properties of Linzia gerberiformis aqueous leaves extract against aluminium chloride (AlCl3) -induced cognitive impairment: Involvement of cholinergic, GABAergic, and antioxidant mechanisms","authors":"Jospin Chirac Noubouwo ,&nbsp;Gwladys Temkou Ngoupaye ,&nbsp;Steve Brunel Kenfack Ngoufack ,&nbsp;Bibiane Tatiana Diebo Kom ,&nbsp;Aurelien Fossueh Foutsop ,&nbsp;Blesdel Maxwell Adassi ,&nbsp;King-Ghislain Gnoupa ,&nbsp;Francis Bray Yassi","doi":"10.1016/j.ibneur.2026.02.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ibneur.2026.02.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), are characterized by oxidative imbalance, leading to memory deficits and cognitive impairments. Aluminium chloride (AlCl₃), a neurotoxin found in certain foods and medications, disrupts neurotransmitter systems, thereby exacerbating cognitive decline. Current drug development strategies aim to counter these effects through cholinesterase inhibition, activation of GABAergic transmission, the use of antioxidants, and the promotion of neuroprotection. This work was conducted to assess the neuroprotective properties of the aqueous extract of <em>Linzia gerberiformis</em> (<em>L. gerberiformis</em>) leaves against AlCl₃ induced cognitive impairment in mice. AlCl₃ (70 mg/kg) was administered orally in mice to induced memory loss a core feature of Alzheimer Disease. Mice were pretreated with aqueous extract of <em>L. gerberiformis leaves</em> (75, 150 and 300 mg/kg) for six weeks, and memory integrity was assessed using the object location test (OLT) and the T-Maze test. One hour after completion of the T-Maze, the mice were sacrificed, the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex were then collected to assess the cholinergic (acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and acetylcholine (ACh)), GABAergic systems and oxidative stress (nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA) SOD, Catalase (CAT), reduced glutathione (GSH)). The aqueous extract of <em>L. gerberiformis</em> leaves demonstrated significant effects (P &lt; 0.01 and P &lt; 0.05) at doses of 75 and 150 mg/kg in improving short-term learning memory, as well as a significant enhancement (P &lt; 0.05) of long-term spatial memory on day 3 at the dose of 75 mg/kg. AlCl₃ (70 mg/kg) induced increase in AChE (P &lt; 0.05; P &lt; 0.01), NO (P &lt; 0.05; P &lt; 0.001), and MDA (P &lt; 0.05; P &lt; 0.01), while decreasing ACh (P &lt; 0.01), GABA (P &lt; 0.05; P &lt; 0.01), SOD (P &lt; 0.01; P &lt; 0.001), CAT (P &lt; 0.05), and GSH (P &lt; 0.01) in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Pretreatment with aqueous extract of <em>L. gerberiformis</em> leaves significantly restored these parameters (P &lt; 0.01; P &lt; 0.001) for Ach at the doses 75 and 150 mg/kg and GABA (P &lt; 0.05) at all doses. Significant improvement was also observed for SOD (P &lt; 0.05 and P &lt; 0.01), GSH, and MDA (P &lt; 0.05 and P &lt; 0.01), as well as for NO (P &lt; 0.05 and P &lt; 0.01) in both the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. The present study established that the aqueous extract of <em>L. gerberiformis</em> leaves ameliorated AlCl₃-induced neurotoxicity by modulating the activation of the cholinergic, GABAergic and antioxidant pathways.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13195,"journal":{"name":"IBRO Neuroscience Reports","volume":"20 ","pages":"Pages 286-298"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146170473","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Chronic stress alters neurotransmitter co-expression and disrupts context discrimination in a sex-dependent manner","authors":"Christopher Mazon ,&nbsp;Ryan Betters ,&nbsp;Gabriella Salmeron-Ceballos ,&nbsp;Anthony Tomaziefski ,&nbsp;Cristina Coffman ,&nbsp;Renae Simonson ,&nbsp;Elif Tunc-Ozcan","doi":"10.1016/j.ibneur.2026.01.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ibneur.2026.01.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Stress contributes to neuropsychiatric disorders by altering brain circuits and neurotransmitter signaling, often in a sex-dependent manner. The specifics of these stress-induced changes and their role in the development and perseverance of conditions like depression are largely unknown. We examined how context discrimination and neurotransmitter co-expression in the medial septum (MS) changes in response to unpredictable chronic mild stress (uCMS). Female mice subjected to uCMS showed significant context discrimination impairments compared to female controls, while male mice showed no differences in context discrimination as a result of uCMS. We conducted immunolabeling in the MS and found that in females, uCMS reduced the number of cholinergic (ChAT+) neurons while increasing the percent of neurons co-expressing ChAT &amp; GAD67 (marker for GABAergic neurons). These changes suggest a link between chronic stress, neurotransmitter phenotype plasticity in the MS, and hippocampal dysfunction. These differences were observed in the absence of changes to apoptosis and overall neuron number and were specific to female mice; no significant changes to MS neurotransmitter expression was observed in males. Our future work will focus on further dissecting the specific molecular mechanisms behind these changes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13195,"journal":{"name":"IBRO Neuroscience Reports","volume":"20 ","pages":"Pages 160-169"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146022939","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}