In the present study, we examined the analgesic effect of repeated electroacupuncture at bilateral Zusanfi （ST36） and Yanglingquan （GB34） once a day for 14 consecutive days in a rat model of chronic sciatic nerve ...In the present study, we examined the analgesic effect of repeated electroacupuncture at bilateral Zusanfi （ST36） and Yanglingquan （GB34） once a day for 14 consecutive days in a rat model of chronic sciatic nerve constriction injury-induced neuropathic pain. In addition, concomitant changes in calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II expression and synaptic ultrastructure of neurons in the hippocampal CA3 region were examined. The thermal pain threshold （paw withdrawal latency） was increased significantly in both groups at 2 weeks after electroacupuncture intervention compared with 2 days of electroacupuncture. In ovariectomized rats with chronic constriction injury, the analgesic effect was significantly reduced. Electroacupuncture for 2 weeks significantly diminished the injury-induced increase in synaptJc cleft width and thinning of the postsynaptJc density, and it significantly suppressed the down-regulation of intracellular calcium/ calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II expression in the hippocampal CA3 region. Repeated electroacupuncture intervention had a cumulative analgesic effect on injury-induced neuropathic pain reactions, and it led to synaptic remodeling of hippocampal neurons and upregulated calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kJnase II expression in the hippocampal CA3 region.展开更多
Associative memory, one of the major cognitive functions in the hippocampal CA3 region, includes auto-associative memory and hetero-associative memory. Many previous studies have shown that Alzheimer＇s disease （AD）...Associative memory, one of the major cognitive functions in the hippocampal CA3 region, includes auto-associative memory and hetero-associative memory. Many previous studies have shown that Alzheimer＇s disease （AD） can lead to loss of functional synapses in the central nervous system, and associative memory functions in patients with AD are often impaired, but few studies have addressed the effect of AD on hetero-associative memory in the hippocampal CA3 region. In this study, based on a simplified anatomical structure and synaptic connections in the hippocampal CA3 region, a three-layered Hopfield-like neural network model of hippocampal CA3 was proposed and then used to simulate associative memory functions in three circumstances： normal, synaptic deletion and synaptic compensation, according to Ruppin＇s synaptic deletion and compensation theory. The influences of AD on hetero-associative memory were further analyzed. The simulated results showed that the established three-layered Hopfield-like neural network model of hippocampal CA3 has both auto-associative and hetero-associative memory functions. With increasing synaptic deletion level, both associative memory functions were gradually impaired and the mean firing rates of the neurons within the network model were decreased. With gradual increasing synaptic compensation, the associative memory functions of the network were improved and the mean firing rates were increased. The simulated results suggest that the Hopfield-like neural network model can effectively simulate both associative memory functions of the hippocampal CA3 region. Synaptic deletion affects both auto-associative and hetero-associative memory functions in the hippocampal CA3 region, and can also result in memory dysfunction. To some extent, synaptic compensation measures can offset two kinds of associative memory dysfunction caused by synaptic deletion in the hippocampal CA3 area.展开更多
The tooth belongs to the trigeminal sensory pathway. Dental damage has been associated with impairments in the central nervous system that may be mediated by injury to the trigeminal nerve. In the present study, we in...The tooth belongs to the trigeminal sensory pathway. Dental damage has been associated with impairments in the central nervous system that may be mediated by injury to the trigeminal nerve. In the present study, we investigated the effects of damage to the inferior alveolar nerve, an important peripheral nerve in the trigeminal sensory pathway, on learning and memory be-haviors and structural changes in related brain regions, in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. Inferior alveolar nerve transection or sham surgery was performed in middle-aged （4-month-old） or elderly （7-month-old） senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 （SAMP8） mice. When the middle-aged mice reached 8 months （middle-aged group 1） or 11 months （middle-aged group 2）, and the elderly group reached 11 months, step-down passive avoidance and Y-maze tests of learn-ing and memory were performed, and the cholinergic system was examined in the hippocampus （Nissl staining and acetylcholinesterase histochemistry） and basal forebrain （choline acetyltrans-ferase immunohistochemistry）. In the elderly group, animals that underwent nerve transection had fewer pyramidal neurons in the hippocampal CA1 and CA3 regions, fewer cholinergic ifbers in the CA1 and dentate gyrus, and fewer cholinergic neurons in the medial septal nucleus and vertical limb of the diagonal band, compared with sham-operated animals, as well as showing impairments in learning and memory. Conversely, no signiifcant differences in histology or be-havior were observed between middle-aged group 1 or group 2 transected mice and age-matched sham-operated mice. The present ifndings suggest that trigeminal nerve damage in old age, but not middle age, can induce degeneration of the septal-hippocampal cholinergic system and loss of hippocampal pyramidal neurons, and ultimately impair learning ability. Our results highlight the importance of active treatment of trigeminal nerve damage in elderly patients and those with Alzheimer’s disease, and indicate that tooth extraction should be avoided in these populations.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.30472241,90709031 and 30973796the Ministry of Science and Technology of China("973"Project),No.2007CB512505+1 种基金provided by the Foundation of Hainan Province,No.310054the Health Department of Hainan Province,Qiong-Wei-45
文摘In the present study, we examined the analgesic effect of repeated electroacupuncture at bilateral Zusanfi （ST36） and Yanglingquan （GB34） once a day for 14 consecutive days in a rat model of chronic sciatic nerve constriction injury-induced neuropathic pain. In addition, concomitant changes in calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II expression and synaptic ultrastructure of neurons in the hippocampal CA3 region were examined. The thermal pain threshold （paw withdrawal latency） was increased significantly in both groups at 2 weeks after electroacupuncture intervention compared with 2 days of electroacupuncture. In ovariectomized rats with chronic constriction injury, the analgesic effect was significantly reduced. Electroacupuncture for 2 weeks significantly diminished the injury-induced increase in synaptJc cleft width and thinning of the postsynaptJc density, and it significantly suppressed the down-regulation of intracellular calcium/ calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II expression in the hippocampal CA3 region. Repeated electroacupuncture intervention had a cumulative analgesic effect on injury-induced neuropathic pain reactions, and it led to synaptic remodeling of hippocampal neurons and upregulated calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kJnase II expression in the hippocampal CA3 region.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.30870649the Natural Science Foundation of Tianjin,No.08JCYBJC03300
文摘Associative memory, one of the major cognitive functions in the hippocampal CA3 region, includes auto-associative memory and hetero-associative memory. Many previous studies have shown that Alzheimer＇s disease （AD） can lead to loss of functional synapses in the central nervous system, and associative memory functions in patients with AD are often impaired, but few studies have addressed the effect of AD on hetero-associative memory in the hippocampal CA3 region. In this study, based on a simplified anatomical structure and synaptic connections in the hippocampal CA3 region, a three-layered Hopfield-like neural network model of hippocampal CA3 was proposed and then used to simulate associative memory functions in three circumstances： normal, synaptic deletion and synaptic compensation, according to Ruppin＇s synaptic deletion and compensation theory. The influences of AD on hetero-associative memory were further analyzed. The simulated results showed that the established three-layered Hopfield-like neural network model of hippocampal CA3 has both auto-associative and hetero-associative memory functions. With increasing synaptic deletion level, both associative memory functions were gradually impaired and the mean firing rates of the neurons within the network model were decreased. With gradual increasing synaptic compensation, the associative memory functions of the network were improved and the mean firing rates were increased. The simulated results suggest that the Hopfield-like neural network model can effectively simulate both associative memory functions of the hippocampal CA3 region. Synaptic deletion affects both auto-associative and hetero-associative memory functions in the hippocampal CA3 region, and can also result in memory dysfunction. To some extent, synaptic compensation measures can offset two kinds of associative memory dysfunction caused by synaptic deletion in the hippocampal CA3 area.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.81371107,81470760the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province in China,No.S2013010015888+1 种基金the Foundation of Open Laboratory of Sun Yat-sen University in China,No.KF201312a grant from Translational Medicine Center,Guangdong Department of Science&Technology,No.2011A080300002
文摘The tooth belongs to the trigeminal sensory pathway. Dental damage has been associated with impairments in the central nervous system that may be mediated by injury to the trigeminal nerve. In the present study, we investigated the effects of damage to the inferior alveolar nerve, an important peripheral nerve in the trigeminal sensory pathway, on learning and memory be-haviors and structural changes in related brain regions, in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. Inferior alveolar nerve transection or sham surgery was performed in middle-aged （4-month-old） or elderly （7-month-old） senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 （SAMP8） mice. When the middle-aged mice reached 8 months （middle-aged group 1） or 11 months （middle-aged group 2）, and the elderly group reached 11 months, step-down passive avoidance and Y-maze tests of learn-ing and memory were performed, and the cholinergic system was examined in the hippocampus （Nissl staining and acetylcholinesterase histochemistry） and basal forebrain （choline acetyltrans-ferase immunohistochemistry）. In the elderly group, animals that underwent nerve transection had fewer pyramidal neurons in the hippocampal CA1 and CA3 regions, fewer cholinergic ifbers in the CA1 and dentate gyrus, and fewer cholinergic neurons in the medial septal nucleus and vertical limb of the diagonal band, compared with sham-operated animals, as well as showing impairments in learning and memory. Conversely, no signiifcant differences in histology or be-havior were observed between middle-aged group 1 or group 2 transected mice and age-matched sham-operated mice. The present ifndings suggest that trigeminal nerve damage in old age, but not middle age, can induce degeneration of the septal-hippocampal cholinergic system and loss of hippocampal pyramidal neurons, and ultimately impair learning ability. Our results highlight the importance of active treatment of trigeminal nerve damage in elderly patients and those with Alzheimer’s disease, and indicate that tooth extraction should be avoided in these populations.
