Spatial encoding in spinal sensorimotor circuits differs in different wild type mice strains

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Previous studies in the rat have shown that the spatial organisation of the receptive fields of nociceptive withdrawal reflex (NWR) system are functionally adapted through experience dependent mechanisms, termed somatosensory imprinting, during postnatal development. Here we wanted to clarify 1) if mice exhibit a similar spatial encoding of sensory input to NWR as previously found in the rat and 2) if mice strains with a poor learning capacity in various behavioural tests, associated with deficient long term potention, also exhibit poor adaptation of NWR.</p> <p>The organisation of the NWR system in two adult wild type mouse strains with normal long term potentiation (LTP) in hippocampus and two adult wild type mouse strains exhibiting deficiencies in corresponding LTP were used and compared to previous results in the rat. Receptive fields of reflexes in single hindlimb muscles were mapped with CO₂laser heat pulses.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>While the spatial organisation of the nociceptive receptive fields in mice with normal LTP were very similar to those in rats, the LTP impaired strains exhibited receptive fields of NWRs with aberrant sensitivity distributions. However, no difference was found in NWR thresholds or onset C-fibre latencies suggesting that the mechanisms determining general reflex sensitivity and somatosensory imprinting are different.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results thus confirm that sensory encoding in mice and rat NWR is similar, provided that mice strains with a good learning capability are studied and raise the possibility that LTP like mechanisms are involved in somatosensory imprinting.</p

The Canadian Women's Heart Health Alliance atlas on the epidemiology, diagnosis, and management of cardiovascular disease in women - Chapter 6 : sex- and gender-specific diagnosis and treatment

This chapter summarizes the sex- and gender-specific diagnosis and treatment of acute/unstable presentations and nacute/stable presentations of cardiovascular disease in women. Guidelines, scientific statements, systematic reviews/meta-analyses, and primary research studies related to diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease (stroke), valvular heart disease, and heart failure in women were reviewed. The evidence is summarized as a narrative, and when available, sex- and gender-specific practice and research recommendations are provided. Acute coronary syndrome presentations and emergency department delays are different in women than they are in men. Coronary angiography remains the gold-standard test for diagnosis of obstructive coronary artery disease. Other diagnostic imaging modalities for ischemic heart disease detection (eg, positron emission tomography, echocardiography, single-photon emission computed tomography, cardiovascular magnetic resonance, coronary computed tomography angiography) have been shown to be useful in women, with their selection dependent upon both the goal of the individualized assessment and the testing resources available. Noncontrast computed tomography and computed tomography angiography are used to diagnose stroke in women. Although sex-specific differences appear to exist in the efficacy of standard treatments for diverse presentations of acute coronary syndrome, many cardiovascular drugs and interventions tested in clinical trials were not powered to detect sex-specific differences, and knowledge gaps remain. Similarly, although knowledge is evolving about sex-specific difference in the management of valvular heart disease, and heart failure with both reduced and preserved ejection fraction, current guidelines are lacking in sex-specific recommendations, and more research is needed.Ce chapitre présente un résumé sur le diagnostic et le traitement des tableaux cliniques aigus/instables et non aigus/stables des maladies cardiovasculaires chez les femmes, et les différences propres à chacun des deux sexes. Les lignes directrices, les énoncés scientifiques, les revues systématiques/méta-analyses et les études de recherche originale sur le diagnostic et le traitement des coronaropathies, des maladies vasculaires cérébrales (AVC), des valvulopathies cardiaques et de l’insuffisance cardiaque chez les femmes ont été examinés. Les données probantes sont résumées sous forme narrative et, lorsqu’elles sont disponibles, des recommandations en matière de pratique et de recherche pour chacun des deux sexes sont présentées. Les tableaux cliniques du syndrome coronarien aigu et les délais d’attente à l’urgence sont différents selon qu’une femme ou un homme en est atteint. L’angiographie coronarienne reste l’examen de référence pour le diagnostic des coronaropathies obstructives. D’autres examens d’imagerie diagnostique (p. ex. la tomographie par émission de positons, l’échocardiographie, la tomographie d'émission à photon unique, la résonance magnétique cardiovasculaire, l’angiographie coronarienne par tomodensitométrie) se sont avérés utiles pour la détection des cardiopathies ischémiques chez les femmes. Le recours à ces modalités dépend de l’objectif de l’évaluation personnalisée et des ressources disponibles. La tomodensitométrie sans agent de contraste et l’angiographie par tomodensitométrie sont utilisées pour le diagnostic des AVC chez les femmes. Malgré les différences entre les sexes quant à l’efficacité des traitements de référence des divers tableaux cliniques du syndrome coronarien aigu, bon nombre des médicaments et des interventions cardiovasculaires qui ont fait l’objet d’essais cliniques n’avaient pas la puissance statistique nécessaire pour détecter des différences selon les sexes, de sorte que les connaissances restent fragmentaires sur ce sujet. De même, malgré l’évolution des connaissances sur les différences sexuelles quant à la prise en charge des valvulopathies cardiaques et de l’insuffisance cardiaque avec fraction d’éjection réduite ou préservée, on ne trouve pas de recommandations pour chaque sexe dans les lignes directrices actuelles, d’où la pertinence d’études supplémentaires portant sur cette question

Nulägesanalys trädgård

Rapporten Nulägesanalys - trädgård har genomförts inom ramen för projektgruppen Insatsstyrka trädgård. Syftet med inventeringen har varit att ge svar på vem som jobbar med trädgårdsvetenskap, vilka forskargrupper och med vilka forskningsämnen, samt identifiera framtida arbetsfält inom ämnet trädgårdsvetenskap och därmed ge uppslag för framtida utveckling av forskningsfält, utbildning och samverkan. I detta ingår att kartlägga trädgårdsvetenskaplig forskning, utbildning och samverkan vid SLU. Nulägesanalysen förväntas därmed ge en grund för fortsatt strategiskt arbete med att utveckla ämnet trädgårdsvetenskap (Horticultural Science) utifrån inventerade resurser och förutsättningar

Silicon sieve electrodes for neural implants - in vitro characterization &amp; in vivo recordings

An in vitro model was developed to characterize the electrical properties of silicon microfabricated recording electrodes, using a Cu-wire mimicing a neural signal source. Phosphorous doped electrodes were used to achieve an all silicon device. The model was used to study signal amplitude as a function of distance between the electrode surface and the signal source. Signal crosstalk to neighbouring electrodes on the chips were recorded. The crosstalk was found to be 6 dB using an external reference electrode. Improvements were accomplished with an on chip reference electrode giving an amplitude crosstalk suppression of 20 dB. It was found that the amplitude decreased by a factor of 2 at a distance of 50 μm between the electrode surface and the signal source. Sieve electrodes were also implanted in the rat sciatic nerve and following a 10 week nerve regeneration period the dorsal and ventral (L5) roots in the spinal cord were stimulated. Compound action potentials were recorded via the chip. Lower leg muscle contraction activity was also induced by stimulating the regenerated sciatic nerve via the sieve electrode

Perforated silicon nerve chips with doped registration electrodes : in vitro performance and in vivo operation

An in vitro model was developed for the study of signal transduction between a Cu-wire, miming a neural signal source, and recording electrodes on perforated silicon chips. Phosphorous doped electrodes were used to achieve an all silicon device. The model was used to study signal amplitude as a function of the spatial position, and distance to the signal source. Recordings of the signal crosstalk to neighboring electrodes on the chips were made. It was found that the amplitude decreased by a factor of two at a distance of 50 microns between the electrode surface and the signal source. The chip electrode signal crosstalk was found to be 6 dB using an external reference electrode. Improvements were accomplished with an on chip reference electrode giving a crosstalk suppression of 20 dB. Impedance analysis showed that doped silicon electrodes displayed similar characteristics as Cu-electrodes at frequencies above 3 kHz. Sieve electrodes were implanted in the rat sciatic nerve and following a 10-week nerve regeneration period the dorsal and ventral (L5) roots in the spinal cord were stimulated. Compound action potentials were recorded via the chip. Stimulating the regenerated sciatic nerve via the sieve electrode also induced lower leg muscle contraction activity

Silicon sieve electrodes for neural implants - in vitro characterization &amp; in vivo recordings

An in vitro model was developed to characterize the electrical properties of silicon microfabricated recording electrodes, using a Cu-wire mimicing a neural signal source. Phosphorous doped electrodes were used to achieve an all silicon device. The model was used to study signal amplitude as a function of distance between the electrode surface and the signal source. Signal crosstalk to neighbouring electrodes on the chips were recorded. The crosstalk was found to be 6 dB using an external reference electrode. Improvements were accomplished with an on chip reference electrode giving an amplitude crosstalk suppression of 20 dB. It was found that the amplitude decreased by a factor of 2 at a distance of 50 μm between the electrode surface and the signal source. Sieve electrodes were also implanted in the rat sciatic nerve and following a 10 week nerve regeneration period the dorsal and ventral (L5) roots in the spinal cord were stimulated. Compound action potentials were recorded via the chip. Lower leg muscle contraction activity was also induced by stimulating the regenerated sciatic nerve via the sieve electrode

Microglial activation elicits a negative affective state through prostaglandin-mediated modulation of striatal neurons

Microglia are activated in many neurological diseases and have been suggested to play an important role in the development of affective disorders including major depression. To investigate how microglial signaling regulates mood, we used bidirectional chemogenetic manipulations of microglial activity in mice. Activation of microglia in the dorsal striatum induced local cytokine expression and a negative affective state characterized by anhedonia and aversion, whereas inactivation of microglia blocked aversion induced by systemic inflammation. Interleukin-6 signaling and cyclooxygenase-1 mediated prostaglandin synthesis in the microglia were critical for the inflammation-induced aversion. Correspondingly, microglial activation led to a prostaglandin-dependent reduction of the excitability of striatal neurons. These findings demonstrate a mechanism by which microglial activation causes negative affect through prostaglandin-dependent modulation of striatal neurons and indicate that interference with this mechanism could milden the depressive symptoms in somatic and psychiatric diseases involving microglial activation