SynapsePub Date : 2022-02-01Epub Date: 2022-02-14DOI: 10.1002/syn.22223
Kyoungjune Pak, Seongho Seo, Keunyoung Kim, Myung Jun Lee, In Joo Kim
{"title":"SLC6A3 gene polymorphisms are associated with striatal dopamine transporter changes after glucose loading.","authors":"Kyoungjune Pak, Seongho Seo, Keunyoung Kim, Myung Jun Lee, In Joo Kim","doi":"10.1002/syn.22223","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/syn.22223","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We investigated the association between SLC6A3 gene polymorphisms and changes in dopamine transporter (DAT) availability after glucose loading in humans. An intravenous injection of <sup>18</sup> F-FP-CIT was administered after infusion of glucose or placebo, and the emission data were acquired over 90 min in 38 healthy male participants. DAT availability expressed in terms of binding potential (BP<sub>ND</sub> ) was recorded. The 40-bp variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) in the 3' untranslated region and two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs2652511 and rs2937639, in the SLC6A3 gene were genotyped. Among the 38 participants, those with a VNTR other than 10R/10R (n = 7) were excluded. The alleles of the two SNPs (rs2652511 and rs2937639) appeared to be inherited together in two fixed combinations (C-G or T-A) in 29 of 31 individuals. The BP<sub>ND</sub> in the ventral striatum (VST), caudate nucleus, and putamen was not significantly different after glucose or placebo loading according to genotype. However, BP<sub>ND</sub> s from the caudate nucleus and putamen of all participants with rs2652511 CT/rs2937639 AG (n = 6) were higher after glucose loading. In conclusion, the SLC6A3 gene polymorphism is associated with the changes in DAT availability after glucose loading. DAT availability after glucose or placebo loading in the VST, caudate nucleus, and putamen did not differ according to the SLC6A3 genotype.</p>","PeriodicalId":22131,"journal":{"name":"Synapse","volume":"76 1-2","pages":"e22223"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2022-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39874061","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Asymmetrical organization of oral structures in the primary and secondary somatosensory cortices in rats: An optical imaging study.","authors":"Yuki Kirihara, Manabu Zama, Satoshi Fujita, Shouhei Ogisawa, Shuichi Nishikubo, Morio Tonogi, Masayuki Kobayashi","doi":"10.1002/syn.22222","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/syn.22222","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In rodents, the representation of the body surface in the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) forms a mirror image along the ventral border of the S1 in the secondary somatosensory cortex (S2). Sensory information from the oral region is processed in the S1 and the border region between the S2 and insular oral region (IOR). We examined the relationship between somatosensory representations in the S1 and S2/IOR using optical imaging with a voltage-sensitive dye in urethane-anesthetized rats. In reference to the rhinal fissure and middle cerebral artery, we made a somatosensory map by applying electrical or air puff stimulation. The initial neural excitation in the S1 to facial structures, including the eyebrow, cornea, pinna, whisker pad, nasal tip, and nasal mucosa, spread toward the ventral area, putatively the S2. The initial cortical responses in the S1 to oral structures, including the lower lip, tongue, and teeth, were spatially separated from those in the S2/IOR. The representation of the tongue center, tongue tip, mandibular molar pulp, mandibular incisor pulp, and mandibular incisor periodontal ligament were almost linearly arranged from caudal to rostral in both S1 and S2/IOR. The lower lip was represented in the dorsal area from the representation of teeth and tongue in both S1 and S2/IOR. The representations of maxillary teeth were caudal and dorsal to the representations of mandibular teeth in the S1 and S2/IOR, respectively. These results suggest that the representation of oral structures in the S1 formed a non-mirror image, not a mirror image, in the S2/IOR.</p>","PeriodicalId":22131,"journal":{"name":"Synapse","volume":"76 1-2","pages":"e22222"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2022-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39824033","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Role of Stat3 in NLRP3/caspase-1-mediated hippocampal neuronal pyroptosis in epileptic mice.","authors":"Qian Jiang, Guo Tang, Xue-Min Zhong, Dan-Rui Ding, Hui Wang, Jia-Ni Li","doi":"10.1002/syn.22221","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/syn.22221","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Epilepsy, a fairly common neurological disorder, is linked to various sequelae and greatly impairs the quality of life. Meanwhile, there is evidence to suggest an association between pyroptosis and epilepsy. Accordingly, the current study sought to determine the role of signal transduction activator of transcription 3 (Stat3) in pyroptosis in epileptic mice. First, epileptic mouse models were induced by lithium chloride, atropine, and pilocarpine, and HT22 cells were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to establish in vitro hippocampal neuronal inflammation models. Subsequently, Stat3, NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), cleaved-caspase-1, gasdermin D (GSDMD)-N, activated Stat3 (p-Stat3), and H3K9Ac levels were detected in the mouse hippocampus and HT22 cells. Morris water maze test was further performed to detect changes in the learning and memory abilities of epileptic mice, and hematoxylin-eosin staining and Nissl staining were conducted to detect the pathological injury. HT22 cell proliferation and apoptosis were also detected using a cell counting kit-8 assay and flow cytometry. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was adopted to detect Interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18 concentrations in the mouse hippocampus and HT22 cells. Furthermore, the enrichment of H3K9Ac and p-Stat3 in the NLRP3 promoter region was detected with the help of a chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. The obtained findings revealed that Stat3 was highly expressed in the hippocampus of epileptic mice and LPS-treated HT22 cells. Meanwhile, Stat3 silencing brought about improvements in the learning and memory abilities of the mice, in addition to alleviation of hippocampal neuronal damage and pyroptosis-related factors in hippocampal tissue and HT22 cells. We also observed that Stat3 bound to the NLRP3 promoter to promote H3K9 acetylation and NLRP3 transcription. Moreover, increasing H3K9Ac in cells annulled the inhibition of silencing Stat3 on neuronal pyroptosis. To conclude, our findings revealed that Stat3 bound to the NLRP3 promoter to augment H3K9 acetylation, NLRP3 transcription, and NLRP3/caspase-1-mediated neuronal pyroptosis, resulting in aggravation of neuronal damage in epileptic mice.</p>","PeriodicalId":22131,"journal":{"name":"Synapse","volume":"75 12","pages":"e22221"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2021-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39767441","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
SynapsePub Date : 2021-11-01Epub Date: 2021-08-06DOI: 10.1002/syn.22220
Michael R Deschenes, Audrey M Trebelhorn, Madeline C High, Hannah L Tufts, Jeongeun Oh
{"title":"Sensitivity of subcellular components of neuromuscular junctions to decreased neuromuscular activity.","authors":"Michael R Deschenes, Audrey M Trebelhorn, Madeline C High, Hannah L Tufts, Jeongeun Oh","doi":"10.1002/syn.22220","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/syn.22220","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Muscle unloading imparts subtotal disuse on the neuromuscular system resulting in reduced performance capacity. This loss of function, at least in part, can be attributed to disruptions at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ). However, research has failed to document morphological remodeling of the NMJ with short term muscle unloading. Here, rather than quantifying cellular components of the NMJ, we examined subcellular active zone responses to 2 weeks of unloading in male Wistar rats. It was revealed that in the plantaris, but not the soleus muscles, unloading elicited significant (P ≤ 0.05) decrements in active zone staining as measured by Bassoon, and calcium channel expression. It was also discovered that unloading decreased the area of calcium channels staining relative to active zone areas of staining suggesting potential interference in the ability of calcium influx to trigger the release of vesicles docked at the active zone. Post-synaptic adaptations of the motor endplate were not evident. This presynaptic subcellular size reduction was not associated with atrophy of the underlying plantaris muscle fibers, although atrophy of the weight-bearing soleus fibers, where no subcellular remodeling was evident, was noted. These results suggest that the active zone is highly sensitive to alterations in neuromuscular activity, and that morphological adaptation of excitatory and contractile components of the NMJ can occur independently of each other.</p>","PeriodicalId":22131,"journal":{"name":"Synapse","volume":"75 11","pages":"e22220"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2021-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1002/syn.22220","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39230207","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
SynapsePub Date : 2021-10-14DOI: 10.4414/SYN.2021.01411
P. Rothen
{"title":"Sterbehilfe – vom Tod her gedacht","authors":"P. Rothen","doi":"10.4414/SYN.2021.01411","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4414/SYN.2021.01411","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":22131,"journal":{"name":"Synapse","volume":"21 1","pages":"12"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2021-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46517827","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
SynapsePub Date : 2021-10-14DOI: 10.4414/SYN.2021.01414
Universitäres Zentrum für Hausarztmedizin beider Basel
{"title":"Wichtige Termine 2021","authors":"Universitäres Zentrum für Hausarztmedizin beider Basel","doi":"10.4414/SYN.2021.01414","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4414/SYN.2021.01414","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":22131,"journal":{"name":"Synapse","volume":"21 1","pages":"15"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2021-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43235535","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}