scholarly journals 60 YEARS OF NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY: Celebrating the brain's other output–input system and the monograph that defined neuroendocrinology

2015 ◽  
Vol 226 (2) ◽  
pp. E3-E6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clive W Coen
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Activity ◽  
Neural Control ◽  
Scientific Discipline ◽  
Hormone Release ◽  
Paradigm Shifts ◽  
Endocrine Glands ◽  
Input System ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
The Brain

The brain's unimaginably complex operations are expressed in just two types of output: muscle activity and hormone release. These are the means by which the brain acts beyond its bony casing. Muscle-mediated actions (such as speaking, writing, pupillary reflexes) send signals to the outside world that may convey thoughts, emotions or evidence of neurological disorder. The outputs of the brain as a hormone secreting gland are usually less evident. Their discovery required several paradigm shifts in our understanding of anatomy. The first occurred in 1655. Exactly 300 years later, Geoffrey Harris' monograph Neural control of the pituitary gland launched the scientific discipline that is now known as neuroendocrinology. His hypotheses have stood the test of time to a remarkable degree. A key part of his vision concerned the two-way ‘interplay between the central nervous system and endocrine glands’. Over the past 60 years, the importance of this reciprocity and the degree to which cerebral functions are influenced by the endocrine environment have become increasingly clear.

scholarly journals The Microbiota–Gut–Brain Axis and Alzheimer Disease. From Dysbiosis to Neurodegeneration: Focus on the Central Nervous System Glial Cells

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 2358
Author(s):  
Maria Grazia Giovannini ◽  
Daniele Lana ◽  
Chiara Traini ◽  
Maria Giuliana Vannucchi
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer Disease ◽  
Glial Cells ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Diseased State ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Alzheimer Disease Pathogenesis ◽  
Brain Homeostasis

The microbiota–gut system can be thought of as a single unit that interacts with the brain via the “two-way” microbiota–gut–brain axis. Through this axis, a constant interplay mediated by the several products originating from the microbiota guarantees the physiological development and shaping of the gut and the brain. In the present review will be described the modalities through which the microbiota and gut control each other, and the main microbiota products conditioning both local and brain homeostasis. Much evidence has accumulated over the past decade in favor of a significant association between dysbiosis, neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Presently, the pathogenetic mechanisms triggered by molecules produced by the altered microbiota, also responsible for the onset and evolution of Alzheimer disease, will be described. Our attention will be focused on the role of astrocytes and microglia. Numerous studies have progressively demonstrated how these glial cells are important to ensure an adequate environment for neuronal activity in healthy conditions. Furthermore, it is becoming evident how both cell types can mediate the onset of neuroinflammation and lead to neurodegeneration when subjected to pathological stimuli. Based on this information, the role of the major microbiota products in shifting the activation profiles of astrocytes and microglia from a healthy to a diseased state will be discussed, focusing on Alzheimer disease pathogenesis.

scholarly journals Neural Control of Immunity in Hypertension: Council on Hypertension Mid Career Award for Research Excellence, 2019

Hypertension ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 622-628
Author(s):  
Daniela Carnevale
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Neural Control ◽  
Neural Signals ◽  
The Past ◽  
Target Organs ◽  
Long Time ◽  
The Common ◽  
The Brain

The nervous system and the immune system share the common ability to exert gatekeeper roles at the interfaces between internal and external environment. Although interaction between these 2 evolutionarily highly conserved systems has been recognized for long time, the investigation into the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying their crosstalk has been tackled only in recent decades. Recent work of the past years elucidated how the autonomic nervous system controls the splenic immunity recruited by hypertensive challenges. This review will focus on the neural mechanisms regulating the immune response and the role of this neuroimmune crosstalk in hypertension. In this context, the review highlights the components of the brain-spleen axis with a focus on the neuroimmune interface established in the spleen, where neural signals shape the immune response recruited to target organs of high blood pressure.

scholarly journals Brain oscillator(s) underlying rhythmic cerebral and buccal motor output in the mollusc, Pleurobranchaea californica

1984 ◽  
Vol 110 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
W. J. Davis ◽  
M. P. Kovac ◽  
R. P. Croll ◽  
E. M. Matera
Keyword(s):  
Neural Control ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Neural Oscillator ◽  
Neural Oscillation ◽  
Buccal Ganglion ◽  
Pleurobranchaea Californica ◽  
Long Latency ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
The Brain

Tonic (d.c.) intracellular depolarization of the previously identified phasic paracerebral feeding command interneurones (PCps) in the brain of the carnivorous gastropod Pleurobranchaea causes oscillatory neural activity in the brain, both before and after transecting the cerebrobuccal connectives. Therefore, cycle-by-cycle ascending input from the buccal ganglion is not essential to cyclic brain activity. Instead the brain contains an independent neural oscillator(s), in addition to the oscillator(s) demonstrated previously in the buccal ganglion (Davis et al. 1973). Transection of the cerebrobuccal connectives immediately reduces the previously demonstrated (Kovac, Davis, Matera & Croll, 1983) long-latency polysynaptic excitation of the PCps by the polysynaptic excitors (PSEs) of the PCps. Therefore polysynaptic excitation of the PCps by the PSEs is mediated by an ascending neurone(s) from the buccal ganglion. The capacity of feeding command interneurones to induce neural oscillation in the isolated brain declines to near zero within 1 h after transection of the cerebrobuccal connectives, suggesting that this capacity is normally maintained by ascending information from the buccal ganglion. The results show that this motor system conforms to a widely applicable general model of the neural control of rhythmic behaviour, by which independent neural oscillators distributed widely in the central nervous system are coupled together to produce coordinated movement.

Vagovagal reflex control of digestion: afferent modulation by neural and "endoneurocrine" factors

1995 ◽  
Vol 268 (1) ◽  
pp. G1-G10 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. C. Rogers ◽  
D. M. McTigue ◽  
G. E. Hermann
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Brain Stem ◽  
Neural Control ◽  
Dorsal Vagal Complex ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Small Intestinal ◽  
Reflex Control ◽  
Control Circuits ◽  
The Brain

Vagovagal reflex control circuits in the dorsal vagal complex of the brain stem provide overall coordination of gastric, small intestinal, and pancreatic digestive functions. The neural components forming these reflex circuits are under substantial descending neural control. By adjusting the excitability of the differing components of the reflex, significant alterations in digestion control can be produced by the central nervous system. Additionally, the dorsal vagal complex is situated within a circumventricular region without a "blood-brain barrier." As a result, vagovagal reflex circuitry is also exposed to humoral influences, which can profoundly alter digestive functions by acting directly on brain stem neurons.

Relapse in the central nervous system in melanoma patients successfully treated with biomodulators.

1989 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. 1701-1709 ◽  
Author(s):  
M S Mitchell
Keyword(s):  
Postoperative Radiotherapy ◽  
Interleukin 2 ◽  
The Other ◽  
Cell Mediated Immunity ◽  
The Past ◽  
Immunological Therapy ◽  
Regional Strategies ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Melanoma Patients ◽  
The Brain

A number of partial or complete remissions have been induced within the past 3 years in patients with metastatic melanoma treated with biomodulators, such as low-dose cyclophosphamide (CY) and interleukin-2 (IL-2), or active specific immunotherapy. Six of the most successfully treated patients, with prolonged remissions in skin, lymph nodes, liver and/or lung, all had relapses in the brain. At the time of relapse in the CNS, remissions were continuing in the other viscera. A large single intracerebral metastasis was found in four of the six patients; the other two patients had three metastases each, one of which also had meningeal seeding. Resection was performed in the four patients with single lesions, without postoperative radiotherapy. Intrathecal IL-2 successfully controlled meningeal disease. To date, the median survival of the group exceeds 7 months, in contrast to the usual reported median of 1 to 4 months, reflecting the predominance of resectable single lesions. Immunological therapy failed to prevent or treat metastases to the CNS, but may have influenced the patients' reactivity to the disease, producing single rather than diffuse metastases. If melanoma is to be cured now by any systemic therapy, particularly biomodulation, new regional strategies must be devised to overcome the blood-brain barrier. By analogy with autoimmune disease of the CNS such as multiple sclerosis, in which excessive cell-mediated immunity is found, several possible immunological maneuvers are suggested.

scholarly journals Components of the hamkergic system and its function in the endocrine glands

2004 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 15-23
Author(s):  
T. M. Mishunina
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Nerve Impulse ◽  
Membrane Receptors ◽  
Transport Systems ◽  
Gamma Aminobutyric Acid ◽  
Endocrine Glands ◽  
Trophic Effect ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Determination Methods ◽  
The Brain

In the first years after the discovery in the brain of vertebrates of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which was later recognized as the main inhibitory mediator of the central nervous system, it was believed that it was localized exclusively in the cells of the nervous system. An increase in the sensitivity of GABA determination methods allowed later to establish the presence of amino acids, enzymes of its metabolism, transport systems, as well as receptors in cells of other tissues and organs. The mechanism of action of GABA on the periphery is mediated by both membrane receptors (in the case of transmission of a nerve impulse or trophic effect), and without their participation (in the regulation of intracellular processes)

Imaging in Autoimmune Neurology

2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (03) ◽  
pp. 371-378
Author(s):  
Jenny Linnoila
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Imaging Techniques ◽  
Autoimmune Disorders ◽  
The Past ◽  
Positron Emission ◽  
Neurologic Disorders ◽  
Autoimmune Processes ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Associated Malignancy ◽  
The Brain

AbstractAutoimmune disorders are becoming increasingly recognized within the broader field of neurology. The discovery of multiple, novel, neutrally targeted autoantibodies over the past decade and their translation into commercially available testing, in particular, has aided in the more rapid diagnosis of these disorders. When considering imaging in autoimmune neurologic disorders, it is important, when possible, to visualize the autoimmune process itself, as well as to make sure that the patient does not have an associated malignancy driving the overall process. Positron emission tomographic scans can aid in the detection of small tumors with limited spread, as well as in the visualization of autoimmune processes affecting the brain and/or spinal cord. In autoimmune disorders of the central nervous system, imaging abnormalities can appear within the limbic system, extralimbic areas, and spinal cord. Such imaging abnormalities can serve as objective markers to follow over time to assess patients' responses to treatment. It is important to recognize that overlapping syndromes (for instance, both demyelinating and autoimmune or both infectious and autoimmune) exist and that inflammatory disorders can leave behind sequelae that can be recognized on subsequent imaging. Work is currently underway to develop more specific imaging techniques for autoimmune neurologic disorders.

Neural integration of the hormonal contribution to homeostasis

1990 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 154-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
CS Breathnach
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Autonomic Nervous System ◽  
Neural Control ◽  
Endocrine System ◽  
Pituitary Hormones ◽  
Endocrine Glands ◽  
Psychological Disturbances ◽  
Neural Integration ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Vast Area

AbstractApart from well known areas of overlap between endocrinology and psychiatry (e.g. studies, in psychiatric disorders, of neurohormones and of the response to manipulations of hypothalamic-pituitary-target gland axis, and analysis of behavioural and psychological disturbances in endocrinological disorders) there is a more intimate intrinsic relationship between the brain and the endocrine system which is less well known or studied. Many of the extracranial endocrine glands have autonomic innervation. Like the pituitary gland which is under direct neural (as well as humoral) diencephalic control, the extracranial endocrine glands are under direct neural control, integrated by the hypothalamus and “head ganglion of the autonomic nervous system”. Yet it is only in the case of the pancreatic islets that this integration has been clearly defined. It is postulated that by this innervation the somatic endocrine glands can respond to homeostatic needs with a rapid initial secretion before the more sustained outpouring of humoral agents typically regulated by blood-borne constituents including pituitary hormones. This is a vast area awaiting further investigation.

Presence of antibody in virus-infected brain cells of SSPE ferrets

1983 ◽  
Vol 41 ◽  
pp. 804-805
Author(s):  
Hannah R. Brown ◽  
Tammy L. Donato ◽  
Halldor Thormar
Keyword(s):  
Measles Virus ◽  
Plasma Cells ◽  
Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis ◽  
Protein A ◽  
Neutralizing Antibody ◽  
Brain Cells ◽  
Antibody Titers ◽  
A Cell ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
The Brain

Measles virus specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) has been found in the brains of patients with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), a slowly progressing disease of the central nervous system (CNS) in children. IgG/albumin ratios indicate that the antibodies are synthesized within the CNS. Using the ferret as an animal model to study the disease, we have been attempting to localize the Ig's in the brains of animals inoculated with a cell associated strain of SSPE. In an earlier report, preliminary results using Protein A conjugated to horseradish peroxidase (PrAPx) (Dynatech Diagnostics Inc., South Windham, ME.) to detect antibodies revealed the presence of immunoglobulin mainly in antibody-producing plasma cells in inflammatory lesions and not in infected brain cells.In the present experiment we studied the brain of an SSPE ferret with neutralizing antibody titers of 1:1024 in serum and 1:512 in CSF at time of sacrifice 7 months after i.c. inoculation with SSPE measles virus-infected cells. The animal was perfused with saline and portions of the brain and spinal cord were immersed in periodate-lysine-paraformaldehyde (P-L-P) fixative. The ferret was not perfused with fixative because parts of the brain were used for virus isolation.

Glucuronyl 3-sulfate occurs exclusively on distal unmyelinated terminals of selected sensory neurons in the peripheral nervous system

1995 ◽  
Vol 53 ◽  
pp. 958-959
Author(s):  
S.S. Spicer ◽  
B.A. Schulte
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Cerebral Cortex ◽  
Peripheral Nervous System ◽  
Sensory Neurons ◽  
Sensory Nerves ◽  
Tissue Antigens ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Leu 7

Generation of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against tissue antigens has yielded several (VC1.1, HNK- 1, L2, 4F4 and anti-leu 7) which recognize the unique sugar epitope, glucuronyl 3-sulfate (Glc A3- SO4). In the central nervous system, these MAbs have demonstrated Glc A3-SO4 at the surface of neurons in the cerebral cortex, the cerebellum, the retina and other widespread regions of the brain.Here we describe the distribution of Glc A3-SO4 in the peripheral nervous system as determined by immunostaining with a MAb (VC 1.1) developed against antigen in the cat visual cortex. Outside the central nervous system, immunoreactivity was observed only in peripheral terminals of selected sensory nerves conducting transduction signals for touch, hearing, balance and taste. On the glassy membrane of the sinus hair in murine nasal skin, just deep to the ringwurt, VC 1.1 delineated an intensely stained, plaque-like area (Fig. 1). This previously unrecognized structure of the nasal vibrissae presumably serves as a tactile end organ and to our knowledge is not demonstrable by means other than its selective immunopositivity with VC1.1 and its appearance as a densely fibrillar area in H&E stained sections.

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