scholarly journals Chronic Alcoholism and HHV-6 Infection Synergistically Promote Neuroinflammatory Microglial Phenotypes in the Substantia Nigra of the Adult Human Brain

Biomedicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 1216
Author(s):  
Nityanand Jain ◽  
Marks Smirnovs ◽  
Samanta Strojeva ◽  
Modra Murovska ◽  
Sandra Skuja
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Substantia Nigra ◽  
Human Herpesvirus ◽  
Chronic Alcoholism ◽  
Postmortem Brain ◽  
Rich Region ◽  
Cd11b Expression ◽  
Dominant Type ◽  
Postmortem Brain Tissue

Both chronic alcoholism and human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) infection have been identified as promoters of neuroinflammation and known to cause movement-related disorders. Substantia Nigra (SN), the dopaminergic neuron-rich region of the basal ganglia, is involved in regulating motor function and the reward system. Hence, we hypothesize the presence of possible synergism between alcoholism and HHV-6 infection in the SN region and report a comprehensive quantification and characterization of microglial functions and morphology in postmortem brain tissue from 44 healthy, age-matched alcoholics and chronic alcoholics. A decrease in the perivascular CD68+ microglia in alcoholics was noted in both the gray and white matter. Additionally, the CD68+/Iba1− microglial subpopulation was found to be the dominant type in the controls. Conversely, in alcoholics, dystrophic changes in microglia were seen with a significant increase in Iba1 expression and perivascular to diffuse migration. An increase in CD11b expression was noted in alcoholics, with the Iba1+/CD11b− subtype promoting inflammation. All the controls were found to be negative for HHV-6 whilst the alcoholics demonstrated HHV-6 positivity in both gray and white matter. Amongst HHV-6 positive alcoholics, all the above-mentioned changes were found to be heightened when compared with HHV-6 negative alcoholics, thereby highlighting the compounding relationship between alcoholism and HHV-6 infection that promotes microglia-mediated neuroinflammation.

scholarly journals Active lifestyle enhances protein expression profile in subjects with Lewy body pathology

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-50
Author(s):  
Caroline Cristiano Real ◽  
Cláudia Kimie Suemoto ◽  
Karina Henrique Binda ◽  
Lea Tenenholz Grinberg ◽  
Carlos Augusto Pasqualucci ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Basal Ganglia ◽  
Substantia Nigra ◽  
Protein Expression ◽  
Lewy Body ◽  
Postmortem Brain ◽  
Active Lifestyle ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Lewy Body Pathology ◽  
Postmortem Brain Tissue

ABSTRACT. Clinical trials of the effects of physical activity have reported improvements in symptoms and quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Additionally, morphological brain changes after exercising were reported in PD animal models. However, these lifestyle-related changes were not evaluated in postmortem brain tissue. Objective: We aimed to evaluate, by immunohistochemistry, astrocytes, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and structural proteins expression (neurofilaments and microtubules — MAP2) changes in postmortem brain samples of individuals with Lewy body pathology. Methods: Braak PD stage≥III samples, classified by neuropathology analysis, from The Biobank for Aging Studies were classified into active (n=12) and non-active (n=12) groups, according to physical activity lifestyle, and paired by age, sex and Braak staging. Substantia nigra and basal ganglia were evaluated. Results: Groups were not different in terms of age or gender and had similar PD neuropathological burden (p=1.00). We observed higher TH expression in the active group in the substantia nigra and the basal ganglia (p=0.04). Astrocytes was greater in the non-active subjects in the midbrain (p=0.03) and basal ganglia (p=0.0004). MAP2 levels were higher for non-active participants in the basal ganglia (p=0.003) and similar between groups in the substantia nigra (p=0.46). Neurofilament levels for non-active participants were higher in the substantia nigra (p=0.006) but not in the basal ganglia (p=0.24). Conclusion: Active lifestyle seems to promote positive effects on brain by maintaining dopamine synthesis and structural protein expression in the nigrostriatal system and decrease astrogliosis in subjects with the same PD neuropathology burden.

DNA methylation differences in cortical grey and white matter in schizophrenia

Epigenomics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amber Berdenis van Berlekom ◽  
Nina Notman ◽  
Marjolein AM Sneeboer ◽  
Gijsje JLJ Snijders ◽  
Lotte C Houtepen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
White Matter ◽  
Postmortem Brain ◽  
Tissue Type ◽  
Cortical Tissue ◽  
Methylation Array ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Postmortem Brain Tissue ◽  
And Control ◽  
Dna Methylation Analysis

Aim: Identify grey- and white-matter-specific DNA-methylation differences between schizophrenia (SCZ) patients and controls in postmortem brain cortical tissue. Materials & methods: Grey and white matter were separated from postmortem brain tissue of the superior temporal and medial frontal gyrus from SCZ (n = 10) and control (n = 11) cases. Genome-wide DNA-methylation analysis was performed using the Infinium EPIC Methylation Array (Illumina, CA, USA). Results: Four differentially methylated regions associated with SCZ status and tissue type (grey vs white matter) were identified within or near KLF9, SFXN1, SPRED2 and ALS2CL genes. Gene-expression analysis showed differential expression of KLF9 and SFXN1 in SCZ. Conclusion: Our data show distinct differences in DNA methylation between grey and white matter that are unique to SCZ, providing new leads to unravel the pathogenesis of SCZ.

scholarly journals Superficial white matter imaging: Contrast mechanisms and whole-brain in vivo mapping

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (41) ◽  
pp. eaaz9281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evgeniya Kirilina ◽  
Saskia Helbling ◽  
Markus Morawski ◽  
Kerrin Pine ◽  
Katja Reimann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Brain Connectivity ◽  
Ion Beam ◽  
Postmortem Brain ◽  
Biophysical Modeling ◽  
Fiber Density ◽  
High Fiber ◽  
Postmortem Brain Tissue ◽  
Association Fibers

Superficial white matter (SWM) contains the most cortico-cortical white matter connections in the human brain encompassing the short U-shaped association fibers. Despite its importance for brain connectivity, very little is known about SWM in humans, mainly due to the lack of noninvasive imaging methods. Here, we lay the groundwork for systematic in vivo SWM mapping using ultrahigh resolution 7 T magnetic resonance imaging. Using biophysical modeling informed by quantitative ion beam microscopy on postmortem brain tissue, we demonstrate that MR contrast in SWM is driven by iron and can be linked to the microscopic iron distribution. Higher SWM iron concentrations were observed in U-fiber–rich frontal, temporal, and parietal areas, potentially reflecting high fiber density or late myelination in these areas. Our SWM mapping approach provides the foundation for systematic studies of interindividual differences, plasticity, and pathologies of this crucial structure for cortico-cortical connectivity in humans.

Characterization of Ischemic Stroke in CT Images using Image Processing

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
pp. 18
Author(s):  
Amal Alzain ◽  
Suhaib Alameen ◽  
Rani Elmaki ◽  
Mohamed E. M. Gar-Elnabi
Keyword(s):  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
White Matter ◽  
Classification Accuracy ◽  
Ct Images ◽  
Gray Level ◽  
Level Variation ◽  
Interactive Data ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Brain Tissues

This study concern to characterize the brain tissues to ischemic stroke, gray matter, white matter and CSF using texture analysisto extract classification features from CT images. The First Order Statistic techniques included sevenfeatures. To find the gray level variation in CT images it complements the FOS features extracted from CT images withgray level in pixels and estimate the variation of thesubpatterns. analyzing the image with Interactive Data Language IDL software to measure the grey level of images. The results show that the Gray Level variation and   features give classification accuracy of ischemic stroke 97.6%, gray matter95.2%, white matter 97.3% and the CSF classification accuracy 98.0%. The overall classification accuracy of brain tissues 97.0%.These relationships are stored in a Texture Dictionary that can be later used to automatically annotate new CT images with the appropriate brain tissues names.

CHARACTERIZATION OF COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE, GRAY MATTER VOLUME AND WHITE MATTER MICROSTRUCTURE IN COGNITIVELY UNIMPAIRED ADULTS WITH INSOMNIA SYMPTOMS

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (7) ◽  
pp. P207-P209
Author(s):  
Oriol Grau-Rivera ◽  
Grégory Operto ◽  
Carles Falcon ◽  
Raffaele Cacciaglia ◽  
Gonzalo Sánchez-Benavides ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Gray Matter ◽  
Gray Matter Volume ◽  
Matter Volume ◽  
White Matter Microstructure ◽  
Insomnia Symptoms

scholarly journals Single-Cell RNA Sequencing in Parkinson’s Disease

Biomedicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 368
Author(s):  
Shi-Xun Ma ◽  
Su Bin Lim
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Single Cell ◽  
Rna Sequencing ◽  
Rna Degradation ◽  
Postmortem Brain ◽  
Cell Type ◽  
New Findings ◽  
Postmortem Brain Tissue ◽  
Technical Challenges

Single-cell and single-nucleus RNA sequencing (sc/snRNA-seq) technologies have enhanced the understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson’s disease (PD). Nonetheless, their application in PD has been limited due mainly to the technical challenges resulting from the scarcity of postmortem brain tissue and low quality associated with RNA degradation. Despite such challenges, recent advances in animals and human in vitro models that recapitulate features of PD along with sequencing assays have fueled studies aiming to obtain an unbiased and global view of cellular composition and phenotype of PD at the single-cell resolution. Here, we reviewed recent sc/snRNA-seq efforts that have successfully characterized diverse cell-type populations and identified cell type-specific disease associations in PD. We also examined how these studies have employed computational and analytical tools to analyze and interpret the rich information derived from sc/snRNA-seq. Finally, we highlighted important limitations and emerging technologies for addressing key technical challenges currently limiting the integration of new findings into clinical practice.

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