Az iszkémiás és posztiszkémiás vaszkuláris és kardiorespiratorikus károsodások tanulmányozása = Investigation of apparent injury in the vascular and cardiorespiratory system due to ischemia and reperfusion

((1) A szívhipertrófiát irányító GATA-4 transzkripciós faktort a mitogén-aktiválta protein kinázok (p38, ERK) aktiválják mechanikai feszítés során. (2) Kamrai falfeszülés az endogén endothelin-1 és az angiotenzin II révén váltja ki a BNP expressziójának fokozódását. (3) Az endogén ouabain-szerű anyag szerepet játszik az ANP bal kamrai génexpressziójának szabályozásában. (4) A nukleáris faktor-kappaB transzkripciós faktor gátlása kivédi a bal kamrai remodellinget annak előrehaladott fázisában. (5) A szívizom-kontraktilitás szabályozásában döntő szerepet játszanak a mitogén aktiválta protein kinázok. (6) Viabilitás, coronária occlusios idő okozta bal kamra funkció változás vizsgálata MRI-vel. Az occlusios idő 45 és 90 perc között változtatvan proporcionálisan rontotta a bal kamra funkciót, mely mögött okként az arányos infarctus méret áll. (7) Humán mitrokondriumok nem termelnek relevans mennyiségű nitrogén oxidot iszkémiás szívbetegekben. (8) A flavonoid szupplementáció előnyös hatású krónikus obstruktív tüdőbetegségben. (9) Invazív módon validáltuk az artériás stifness meghatározására szolgáló non-invazív Arteriográf készüléket. (10) Jellemeztük a szérum asszimmetrikus dimetil-arginin változását katéteres revascularizatios eljáráson átesett betegeknél. (11) A poli-ADP-ribóz polimeráz enzim gátlása javítja a bal kamrai funkciót akut és krónikus experimentális szívelégtelenségben. (12) A szívritmus variabilitás vizsgálatára hatékony elemző rendszert fejlesztettünk ki. | (1) Our results suggest that the prohypertrophic transcription factor GATA-4 is activated by mitogen-activated protein kinases (p38, ERK) in response to mechanical stretch. (2) Stretch-induced activation of B-type natriuretic peptid gene expression is regulated by endogenous endothelin-1 and angiotensin II. (3) Adrenal-derived endogenous ouabain-like compound is involved in the activation of atrial natriuretic peptide in the left ventricle. (4) Inhibition of nuclear factor kappa-B attenuates severe left ventricular remodeling. (5) Mitogen-activated protein kinases play pivotal role in the regulation of myocardial contractility. (6) MRI study of LV function: dependence on coronary occlusion time and viability. Occlusion time between 45 and 60 minutes induced larger infarct and consequent heart failure proportionally. (7) Human heart mitochondria do not produce physiologically relevant quantities of nitric oxide. (8) Dietary flavonoids are beneficial in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. (9) A new, oscillometric, portable device for measuring augmentation index and aortic pulse wave velocity (Areteriograph) has been validated invasively. (10) The response of asymetric dimethylarginine levels to stent placement has been characterized in patients with coronary heart disease. (11) Inhibition of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase improves cardiac function in acute and chronic heart failure. (12) A data analysis system has been developed for analysis of heart rate variability

Effects of Postnatal Enriched Environment in a Model of Parkinson’s Disease in Adult Rats

Environmental enrichment is a widespread neuroprotective strategy during development and also in the mature nervous system. Several research groups have described that enriched environment in adult rats has an impact on the progression of Parkinson’s disease (PD). The aim of our present study was to examine the effects of early, postnatal environmental enrichment after 6-hydroxydopamine-induced (6-OHDA) lesion of the substantia nigra in adulthood. Newborn Wistar rats were divided into control and enriched groups according to their environmental conditions. For environmental enrichment, during the first five postnatal weeks animals were placed in larger cages and exposed to intensive complex stimuli. Dopaminergic cell loss, and hypokinetic and asymmetrical signs were evaluated after inducing PD with unilateral injections of 6-OHDA in three-month-old animals. Treatment with 6-OHDA led to a significant cell loss in the substantia nigra of control animals, however, postnatal enriched circumstances could rescue the dopaminergic cells. Although there was no significant difference in the percentage of surviving cells between 6-OHDA-treated control and enriched groups, the slightly less dopaminergic cell loss in the enriched group compared to control animals resulted in less severe hypokinesia. Our investigation is the first to provide evidence for the neuroprotective effect of postnatal enriched environment in PD later in life

Chronic Stress Induces Sex-Specific Alterations in Methylation and Expression of Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Gene in the Rat

Contains fulltext : 91627.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access

Epigenetic and Neuronal Activity Markers Suggest the Recruitment of the Prefrontal Cortex and Hippocampus in the Three-Hit Model of Depression in Male PACAP Heterozygous Mice

Depression and its increasing prevalence challenge patients, the healthcare system, and the economy. We recently created a mouse model based on the three-hit concept of depression. As genetic predisposition (first hit), we applied pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide heterozygous mice on CD1 background. Maternal deprivation modeled the epigenetic factor (second hit), and the chronic variable mild stress was the environmental factor (third hit). Fluoxetine treatment was applied to test the predictive validity of our model. We aimed to examine the dynamics of the epigenetic marker acetyl-lysine 9 H3 histone (H3K9ac) and the neuronal activity marker FOSB in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus. Fluoxetine decreased H3K9ac in PFC in non-deprived animals, but a history of maternal deprivation abolished the effect of stress and SSRI treatment on H3K9ac immunoreactivity. In the hippocampus, stress decreased, while SSRI increased H3K9ac immunosignal, unlike in the deprived mice, where the opposite effect was detected. FOSB in stress was stimulated by fluoxetine in the PFC, while it was inhibited in the hippocampus. The FOSB immunoreactivity was almost completely abolished in the hippocampus of the deprived mice. This study showed that FOSB and H3K9ac were modulated in a territory-specific manner by early life adversities and later life stress interacting with the effect of fluoxetine therapy supporting the reliability of our model

The behavioral phenotype of pituitary adenylate-cyclase activating polypeptide-deficient mice in anxiety and depression tests is accompanied by blunted c-Fos expression in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, central projecting Edinger-Westphal nucleus, ventral lateral septum, and dorsal raphe nucleus

Pituitary adenylate-cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) has been implicated in the (patho)physiology of stress-adaptation. PACAP deficient (PACAP(-/-)) mice show altered anxiety levels and depression-like behavior, but little is known about the underlying mechanisms in stress-related brain areas. Therefore, we aimed at investigating PACAP(-/-) mice in light-dark box, marble burying, open field, and forced swim paradigms. We also analyzed whether the forced swim test-induced c-Fos expression would be affected by PACAP deficiency in the following stress- related brain areas: magno- and parvocellular paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN); basolateral (BLA), medial (MeA), and central (CeA) amygdaloid nuclei; ventral (BSTv), dorsolateral (BSTdl), dorsomedial (BSTdm), and oval (BSTov) nuclei of the bed nucleus of stria terminalis; dorsal (dLS) and ventral parts (vLS) of lateral septal nucleus, central projecting Edinger-Westphal nucleus (EWcp), dorsal (dPAG) and lateral (lPAG) periaqueductal gray matter, dorsal raphe nucleus (DR). Our results revealed that PACAP(-/-) mice showed greatly reduced anxiety and increased locomotor activity compared with wildtypes. In forced swim test PACAP(-/-) mice showed increased depression-like behavior. Forced swim exposure increased c-Fos expression in all examined brain areas in wildtypes, whereas this was markedly blunted in the DR, EWcp, BSTov, BSTdl, BSTv, PVN, vLS, dPAG, and in the lPAG of PACAP(-/-) mice vs. wildtypes, strongly suggesting their involvement in the behavioral phenotype of PACAP(-/-) mice. PACAP deficiency did not influence the c-Fos response in the CeA, MeA, BSTdm, and dLS. Therefore, we propose that PACAP exerts a brain area- specific effect on stress-induced neuronal activation and it might contribute to stress-related mood disorders

Construct and face validity of a new model for the three-hit theory of depression using PACAP mutant mice on CD1 background

Major depression is a common cause of chronic disability. Despite decades of efforts, no equivocally accepted animal model is available for studying depression. We tested the validity of a new model based on the three-hit concept of vulnerability and resilience. Genetic predisposition (hit 1, mutation of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide, PACAP gene), early-life adversity (hit 2, 180-min maternal deprivation, MD180) and chronic variable mild stress (hit 3, CVMS) were combined. Physical, endocrinological, behavioral and functional morphological tools were used to validate the model. Body- and adrenal weight changes as well as corticosterone titers proved that CVMS was effective. Forced swim test indicated increased depression in CVMS PACAP heterozygous (Hz) mice with MD180 history, accompanied by elevated anxiety level in marble burying test. Corticotropin-releasing factor neurons in the oval division of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis showed increased FosB expression, which was refractive to CVMS exposure in wild-type and Hz mice. Urocortin1 neurons became over-active in CMVS-exposed PACAP knock out (KO) mice with MD180 history, suggesting the contribution of centrally projecting Edinger-Westphal nucleus to the reduced depression and anxiety level of stressed KO mice. Serotoninergic neurons of the dorsal raphe nucleus lost their adaptation ability to CVMS in MD180 mice. In conclusion, the construct and face validity criteria suggest that MD180 PACAP HZ mice on CD1 background upon CVMS may be used as a reliable model for the three-hit theory