scholarly journals SimpylCellCounter: An Automated Solution for Quantifying Cells in Brain Tissue

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aneesh Bal ◽  
Fidel Maureira ◽  
Amy A. Arguello
Keyword(s):  
Brain Tissue ◽  
Absolute Error ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Neural Network Classifier ◽  
New Approach ◽  
General Utility ◽  
Automated Method ◽  
Induced Changes ◽  
Automated Tool

ABSTRACTRationale & ObjectiveManual quantification of activated cells can provide valuable information about stimuli-induced changes within brain regions; however, this analysis remains time intensive. Therefore, we created SimpylCellCounter (SCC), an automated method to quantify cells that express Cfos protein, an index of neuronal activity, in brain tissue and benchmarked it against two widely-used methods: OpenColonyFormingUnit (OCFU) and ImageJ Edge Detection Macro (IMJM).MethodsIn Experiment 1, manually-obtained counts were compared to those detected via OCFU, IMJM and SCC. The absolute error in counts (manual versus automated method) was calculated, and error types were categorized as false positives or negatives. In Experiment 2, performance analytics of OCFU, IMJM and SCC were compared. In Experiment 3, SCC performed analysis on images it was not trained on, to assess its general utility.Results & ConclusionsWe found SCC to be highly accurate and efficient in quantifying both cells with circular morphologies and those expressing Cfos. Additionally, SCC utilizes a new approach for counting overlapping cells with a pretrained convolutional neural network classifier. The current study demonstrates that SCC is a novel, automated tool to quantify cells in brain tissue, complementing current, open-sourced quantification methods designed to detect cells in vitro.

scholarly journals Xylazine regulates the release of glycine and aspartic acid in rat brain

2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-128
Author(s):  
Yi-Ming Zhang ◽  
Dong-Xu Yu ◽  
Bai-Shuang Yin ◽  
Xin-Ran Li ◽  
Li-Na Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Aspartic Acid ◽  
Brain Area ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
Test Methods ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Clinical Anaesthesia ◽  
Induced Changes ◽  
Dose Dependent

AbstractIntroductionXylazine, a type of α2-adrenoceptors, is a commonly used drug in veterinary medicine. Xylazine-induced changes in the content of amino acid neurotransmitters – glycine (Gly) and aspartic acid (Asp), in different brain regions and neurons were studied.Material and MethodsWistar rats were administered 50 mg/kg or 70 mg/kg of xylazine by intraperitoneal injection. In addition, in vitro experiments were conducted, in which neurons were treated with 15 μg/mL, 25 μg/mL, 35μg/mL, and 45 μg/mL of xylazine. Test methods were based on the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA).ResultsDuring anaesthesia, Asp levels in each brain area were significantly lower compared to the control group. Except for the cerebrum, levels of Gly in other brain areas were significantly increased during the anaesthesia period. In vitro, xylazine-related neuron secretion of Gly increased significantly compared to the control group at 60 min and 90 min. Moreover, xylazine caused a significant decrease in the levels of Asp secreted by neurons at 20 min, but gradually returned to the level of the control group.ConclusionThe data showed that during anaesthesia the overall levels of Asp decreased and overall levels of Gly increased. In addition, the inhibitory effect of xylazine on Asp and the promotion of Gly were dose-dependent. Our data showed that different effects of xylazine on excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters provided a theoretical basis for the mechanism of xylazine activity in clinical anaesthesia.

scholarly journals Acute but not inherited demyelination in mouse models leads to brain tissue stiffness changes

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominic Eberle ◽  
Georgia Fodelianaki ◽  
Thomas Kurth ◽  
Anna Jagielska ◽  
Stephanie Möllmert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Brain Tissue ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Demyelinating Diseases ◽  
Tissue Stiffness ◽  
Mechanical Heterogeneity ◽  
Healthy State ◽  
Demyelinating Lesions

AbstractThe alteration or decrease of axonal myelination is an important hallmark of aging and disease. Demyelinated axons are impaired in their function and degenerate over time. Oligodendrocytes, the cells responsible for myelination of axons, are sensitive to mechanical properties of their environment. Growing evidence indicates that mechanical properties of demyelinating lesions are different from the healthy state and thus have the potential to affect myelinating potential of oligodendrocytes. We performed a high-resolution spatial mapping of the mechanical heterogeneity of demyelinating lesions using Atomic Force Microscope enabled indentation. Our results indicate that the stiffness of specific regions of mouse brain tissue is influenced by age and degree of myelination. Here we specifically demonstrate that acute but not inherited demyelination leads to decreased tissue stiffness, which could lower remyelination potential of oligodendrocytes. We also demonstrate that specific brain regions have unique ranges of stiffness in white and grey matter. Our ex vivo findings may help the design of future in vitro models to mimic mechanical environment of the brain in healthy and disease state. Reported here, mechanical properties of demyelinating lesions may facilitate novel approaches in treating demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis.

scholarly journals Testosterone and Adult Neurogenesis

Biomolecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark D. Spritzer ◽  
Ethan A. Roy
Keyword(s):  
Adult Neurogenesis ◽  
Neurological Diseases ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Neuroprotective Effects ◽  
Laboratory Rodents ◽  
Functional Consequences ◽  
Induced Changes ◽  
Dentate Gyrus Region

It is now well established that neurogenesis occurs throughout adulthood in select brain regions, but the functional significance of adult neurogenesis remains unclear. There is considerable evidence that steroid hormones modulate various stages of adult neurogenesis, and this review provides a focused summary of the effects of testosterone on adult neurogenesis. Initial evidence came from field studies with birds and wild rodent populations. Subsequent experiments with laboratory rodents have tested the effects of testosterone and its steroid metabolites upon adult neurogenesis, as well as the functional consequences of induced changes in neurogenesis. These experiments have provided clear evidence that testosterone increases adult neurogenesis within the dentate gyrus region of the hippocampus through an androgen-dependent pathway. Most evidence indicates that androgens selectively enhance the survival of newly generated neurons, while having little effect on cell proliferation. Whether this is a result of androgens acting directly on receptors of new neurons remains unclear, and indirect routes involving brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glucocorticoids may be involved. In vitro experiments suggest that testosterone has broad-ranging neuroprotective effects, which will be briefly reviewed. A better understanding of the effects of testosterone upon adult neurogenesis could shed light on neurological diseases that show sex differences.

Systemic Effects of ADP-induced Platelet Aggregation and Their Modification by Aspirin and by Pyridinolcarbamate

1973 ◽  
Vol 30 (01) ◽  
pp. 178-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Itsuro Kobayashi ◽  
Paul Didisheim
Keyword(s):  
Platelet Aggregation ◽  
Venous Pressure ◽  
Systemic Effects ◽  
Central Venous ◽  
Platelet Aggregates ◽  
Induced Changes ◽  
Second Wave ◽  
Carotid Arterial ◽  
Arterial Po2

SummaryADP, AMP, or ATP was injected rapidly intravenously in rats. ADP injection resulted in the f olio wing transient changes: a drop in platelet count, a rise in central venous pressure, a fall in carotid arterial PO2, bradycardia, arrhythmia, flutter-fibrillation, and arterial hypotension. AMP and ATP produced some of these same effects; but except for hypotension, their frequency and severity Avere much less than those following ADP.Prior intravenous administration of acetylsalicylic acid or pyridinolcarbamate, two inhibitors of the second wave of ADP-induced platelet aggregation in vitro, significantly reduced the frequency and severity of all the above ADP-induced changes except hypotension. These observations suggest that many of the changes (except hypotension) observed to follow ADP injection are produced by platelet aggregates which lodge transiently in various microcirculatory beds then rapidly disaggregate and recirculate.

Monocytes as Carriers of Magnetic Nanoparticles for Tracking Inflammation in the Epileptic Rat Brain

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. 637-644 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hadas Han ◽  
Sara Eyal ◽  
Emma Portnoy ◽  
Aniv Mann ◽  
Miriam Shmuel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Tissue ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Nanoparticle Distribution ◽  
Spontaneous Seizures ◽  
Systemic Distribution ◽  
Hippocampal Ca1 ◽  
Pilocarpine Model

Background: Inflammation is a hallmark of epileptogenic brain tissue. Previously, we have shown that inflammation in epilepsy can be delineated using systemically-injected fluorescent and magnetite- laden nanoparticles. Suggested mechanisms included distribution of free nanoparticles across a compromised blood-brain barrier or their transfer by monocytes that infiltrate the epileptic brain. Objective: In the current study, we evaluated monocytes as vehicles that deliver nanoparticles into the epileptic brain. We also assessed the effect of epilepsy on the systemic distribution of nanoparticleloaded monocytes. Methods: The in vitro uptake of 300-nm nanoparticles labeled with magnetite and BODIPY (for optical imaging) was evaluated using rat monocytes and fluorescence detection. For in vivo studies we used the rat lithium-pilocarpine model of temporal lobe epilepsy. In vivo nanoparticle distribution was evaluated using immunohistochemistry. Results: 89% of nanoparticle loading into rat monocytes was accomplished within 8 hours, enabling overnight nanoparticle loading ex vivo. The dose-normalized distribution of nanoparticle-loaded monocytes into the hippocampal CA1 and dentate gyrus of rats with spontaneous seizures was 176-fold and 380-fold higher compared to the free nanoparticles (p<0.05). Seizures were associated with greater nanoparticle accumulation within the liver and the spleen (p<0.05). Conclusion: Nanoparticle-loaded monocytes are attracted to epileptogenic brain tissue and may be used for labeling or targeting it, while significantly reducing the systemic dose of potentially toxic compounds. The effect of seizures on monocyte biodistribution should be further explored to better understand the systemic effects of epilepsy.

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