Comparative analysis of brain in relation to the body length and weight of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) in captive (hatchery) and wild (river system) populations

Cyprinus carpio is the member of family cyprinidae commonly called common carp. This study was aimed to find out the comparison of brain of wild (river system) and captive (hatchery reared) population of common carp. A total of thirty samples (15 from hatchery and 15 from river Swat) were collected. All the specimens were examined in Laboratory of Parasitoloy, Zoology Department, University of Malakand. Findings indicated that wild population were greater in brain size and weight as compared to hatchery reared population. The fish samples collected from captive environment (hatchery) were showing more weight and length as compared to wild population of common carps. The mean value of total weight of hatchery fishes 345±48.68 and the mean value of brain weight of hatchery reared fishes 0.28±0.047. The mean value of wild fish’s total body weight 195.16±52.58 and the mean value of brain weight of wild fishes are 0.45±0.14. Present research calls for the fact that fish in dependent environmental conditions possess brain larger in size as compared to its captive population, it is due to use and disuse of brain in their environmental requirements.

EFFECT OF DATE FRUIT (PHOENIX DACTYLIFERA L.) EXTRACT ON TNFα LEVELS AND BRAIN WEIGHT OF ALZHEIMER’S MODEL RATS

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder marked by brain inflammation resulted in structural damage and brain dysfunction. Tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) is a cytokine that plays an important role in inflammation. Dates fruit may help to fight oxidative stress and inflammation in the brain. Objective: To determine the effect of date fruit extracts on blood TNFα levels and brain weight of alzheimer’s model rats. Methods: This research is a laboratory experimental study by post-test only with control group design using alzheimer model rats. This study used 6 treatment groups with simple randomization. Each treatment group was represented by 8 Sprague Dawley rats. The normal control group (KN) was not induced by Hcy and was not given date palm extract, the negative control group (K-) was the Alzheimer's experimental rats which was not given the date palm extract, the positive group was the Alzheimer's experimental rats which was given the Donepezil (K+). Groups P1, P2, P3 were Alzheimer's experimental rats that were given date palm extract at a dose of 200, 400,800 mg / kgBW / day. The effect of date palm extract dosage on TNFα levels and brain weight were analyzed using the One Way Anova test followed by Tukey's post hoc test. Results: The difference in TNFα levels between groups showed a significant difference (p = 0.00). Meanwhile there was no significant difference in brain weight among all groups (p > 0,05). Conclusion: Date palm extract at doses of 200, 400, 800 mg / kgBW can decrease blood TNFα levels of Alzheimer’s model rats.

IntelliCage Automated Behavioral Phenotyping Reveals Behavior Deficits in the 3xTg-AD Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease Associated With Brain Weight

Transgenic rodent models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) were designed to study mechanisms of pathogenesis and connect these mechanisms with cognitive decline. Measurements of cognition in rodents can be confounded, however, by human handling and interaction; the IntelliCage was created to circumvent these issues while measuring various facets of cognition in a social environment with water consumption as the primary motivator for task completion. Here, for the first time, we examined the behavioral performance of 3xTg-AD mice in the IntelliCage. Seven- to 9-month-old female 3xTg-AD and non-transgenic (NonTg) mice were tested for 29 days in the IntelliCage to measure prefrontal cortical and hippocampal function. We found that a higher percentage of NonTg mice (86.96%) were able to successfully complete the training (adaptation) phases compared to their 3xTg-AD (57.14%) counterparts. Furthermore, the 3xTg-AD mice showed impairments in attention and working memory. Interestingly, we found that differences in body and brain weight between NonTg and 3xTg-AD mice were associated with whether mice were able to complete the IntelliCage tasks. 3xTg-AD mice that completed IntelliCage tasks had lower cortical insoluble amyloid-β40 fractions than their 3xTg-AD counterparts who failed to complete the tasks. Collectively, these results demonstrate deficits in cognition in the 3xTg-AD mouse and inform scientists of important factors to consider when testing this transgenic model in the IntelliCage.

Fetal Superior Vena Cava Blood Flow and Its Fraction of Cardiac Output: A Longitudinal Ultrasound Study in the Second Half of Pregnancy

Introduction: In the fetus, a large proportion of the superior vena cava blood flow (QSVC) comes from the brain. To provide the possibility of using this blood flow as a representation of fetal brain circulation, we aimed to determine the fetal QSVC and its fraction of cardiac output during the second half of physiological pregnancies.Materials and Methods: This was a prospective longitudinal study specifically designed for studying fetal hemodynamic development. Healthy women with singleton low-risk pregnancies were included. Ultrasonography was performed at 4-weekly intervals from 20+0 gestational weeks to term. Doppler velocity recordings of the superior vena cava (SVC) and cardiac ventricular outflow tracts were used to obtain the time-averaged maximum velocities (TAMxV). Vessel diameters were measured to calculate their cross-sectional areas (CSA): π(diameter/2)2. Blood flow (Q) was computed as: h*TAMxV*CSA, h being the spatial blood velocity profile, to obtain QSVC and cardiac outputs. The sum of left and right ventricular cardiac outputs constituted the combined cardiac output (CCO). Ultrasound biometry based estimated fetal weight and brain weight were used to normalize the flow. QSVC was also expressed as the fraction (%) of CCO. Gestational age specific percentiles were established for each blood flow parameter using multilevel modeling.Results: Totally, 134 of the 142 included women were eligible for the study with 575 sets of observations. The SVC mean diameter (19–52 mm), mean TAMxV (8.83–16.14 cm/s), and QSVC (15.4–192.0 ml/min) increased significantly during the second half of pregnancy (p < 0.001) while the mean QSVC normalized by estimated fetal weight (49 ml/min/kg) and by estimated brain weight (50 ml/min/100 g) were relatively stable. Similarly, the mean CCO increased (156–1,776 ml/min; p < 0.001) while the normalized CCO (509 ± 13 ml/min/kg) and QSVC as a fraction of CCO (10 ± 0.92%) did not change significantly with gestational age.Conclusion: We provide reference values for fetal QSVC which increases significantly with gestation, and constitutes roughly 10% of the fetal CCO at any time during the second half of pregnancy.

Aluminum chloride impairs learning and memory by P2X7 and A2A-receptor stimulations in hippocampus of mice

Aluminum (Al) is considered a neurotoxic agent for biological systems and is recognized as a risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases. Al exposure occurs through the environment, water and human diet. The Al cationic form (Al3+) has been associated with major deleterious effects on the central nervous system. The aim of this study was to investigate a possible mechanism that links Al and neurodegeneration in vivo. Here, we evaluated memory tests, purinergic signaling and inflammatory markers during long-term oral exposure to Al of mice in the total hippocampus. For this study, Swiss mice were divided into three groups: control (CT) group, AlCl3 50 mg/kg group and AlCl3 100 mg/kg group. The animals were orally treated with saline or Al3+ at AlCl3 form for 30 days. The memory parameters, body and brain weight, Al3+ levels, DNA damage, enzyme activities, purinergic receptors and cytokine densities were assessed on the hippocampus of mice intoxicated with Al3+. Our results reveal that Al3+ was able to reduce brain weight and accumulate in the hippocampus of animals treated with 100 mg/kg of salt. In addition, Al3+ causes memory deficits and DNA damage. The adenosine triphosphate (ATP) hydrolysis was also affected by Al3+. Our results point to an increase in nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase (NTPDase), 5´-nucleotidase (5’-NT) and adenosine deaminase (ADA) activities. In addition, Al3+ increases P2X7 and A2A receptor density, as IL-1β proinflammatory cytokine. Taken together, we suggest that Al3+ can cause memory loss through DNA damage and alterations to the purinergic system through the proinflammatory process.

Gender-Specific Effects of Two Treatment Strategies in a Mouse Model of Niemann-Pick Disease Type C1

In a mouse model of Niemann-Pick disease type C1 (NPC1), a combination therapy (COMBI) of miglustat (MIGLU), the neurosteroid allopregnanolone (ALLO) and the cyclic oligosaccharide 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPßCD) has previously resulted in, among other things, significantly improved motor function. The present study was designed to compare the therapeutic effects of the COMBI therapy with that of MIGLU or HPßCD alone on body and brain weight and the behavior of NPC1−/− mice in a larger cohort, with special reference to gender differences. A total of 117 NPC1−/− and 123 NPC1+/+ mice underwent either COMBI, MIGLU only, HPßCD only, or vehicle treatment (Sham), or received no treatment at all (None). In male and female NPC1−/− mice, all treatments led to decreased loss of body weight and, partly, brain weight. Concerning motor coordination, as revealed by the accelerod test, male NPC1−/− mice benefited from COMBI treatment, whereas female mice benefited from COMBI, MIGLU, and HPßCD treatment. As seen in the open field test, the reduced locomotor activity of male and female NPC1−/− mice was not significantly ameliorated in either treatment group. Our results suggest that in NPC1−/− mice, each drug treatment scheme had a beneficial effect on at least some of the parameters evaluated compared with Sham-treated mice. Only in COMBI-treated male and female NPC+/+ mice were drug effects seen in reduced body and brain weights. Upon COMBI treatment, the increased dosage of drugs necessary for anesthesia in Sham-treated male and female NPC1−/− mice was almost completely reduced only in the female groups.

86 Evaluation of the effect of prenatal transportation stress on endocrine and immune tissues of neonatal Brahman calves

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate whether prenatal transportation stress (PNS) affects the weight of endocrine and immune tissues of calves. Mature Brahman cows inseminated to a single Brahman sire in 2018 were assigned to be either Control (n = 35; not transported) or PNS (n = 37; 2 h of transportation at 60, 80, 100, 120, and 140 ± 5 d of gestation). Of the calves born in 2019, 16 Control (8 bulls and 8 heifers) and 16 PNS (8 bulls and 8 heifers) calves were studied. Pen score, body weight, and blood samples were obtained from calves at 25 ± 2 d of age. At that time, calves were euthanized by barbiturate overdose in order to collect tissues (brain, pituitary and adrenal glands, spleen and thymus). Tissues were trimmed and weighed. Serum cortisol was determined by RIA. Data were analyzed using ANOVA, GLM, and CORR procedures of SAS with body weight at sample collection as a covariate. Whole pituitary weight tended (P = 0.08) to be greater in females compared to males, whereas anterior pituitary weight tended (P = 0.06) to be greater in PNS. Whole brain weight was greater (P < 0.01) in males. The interaction of treatment and sex on whole brain weight of PNS tended (P = 0.09) to fall between that of the Control females and Control males. Whole pituitary weight was positively correlated with total adrenal weight (r = 0.32; P = 0.08). Total thymus weight positively correlated with whole brain and total adrenal weight (r = 0.43 and 0.41, respectively; P < 0.05). Serum cortisol was negatively correlated with spleen weight and total immune tissue weight (r = -0.37 and -0.38, respectively; P < 0.05). Results suggest next steps should include a closer look at function of immune tissues by studying PNS effect on thymus response to immunization.

Prenatal, but not Postnatal, Curcumin Administration Rescues Neuromorphological and Cognitive Alterations in Ts65Dn Down Syndrome Mice

ABSTRACT Background The cognitive dysfunction in Down syndrome (DS) is partially caused by deficient neurogenesis during fetal stages. Curcumin enhances neurogenesis and learning and memory. Objectives We aimed to test the ability of curcumin to rescue the neuromorphological and cognitive alterations of the Ts65Dn (TS) mouse model of DS when administered prenatally or during early postnatal stages, and to evaluate whether these effects were maintained several weeks after the treatment. Methods To evaluate the effects of prenatal curcumin administration, 65 pregnant TS females were subcutaneously treated with curcumin (300 mg/kg) or vehicle from ED (Embryonic Day) 10 to PD (Postnatal Day) 2. All the analyses were performed on their TS and Control (CO) male and female progeny. At PD2, the changes in neurogenesis, cellularity, and brain weight were analyzed in 30 TS and CO pups. The long-term effects of prenatal curcumin were evaluated in another cohort of 44 TS and CO mice between PD30 and PD45. The neuromorphological effects of the early postnatal administration of curcumin were assessed on PD15 in 30 male and female TS and CO pups treated with curcumin (300 mg/kg) or vehicle from PD2 to PD15. The long-term neuromorphological and cognitive effects were assessed from PD60 to PD90 in 45 mice. Data was compared by ANOVAs. Results Prenatal administration of curcumin increased the brain weight (+45%, P < 0.001), the density of BrdU (bromodeoxyuridine)- (+150%, P < 0.001) and DAPI (4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole)- (+38%, P = 0.005) positive cells, and produced a long-term improvement of cognition in TS (+35%, P = 0.007) mice with respect to vehicle-treated mice. Postnatal administration of curcumin did not rescue any of the short- or long-term altered phenotypes of TS mice. Conclusion The beneficial effects of prenatal curcumin administration to TS mice suggest that it could be a therapeutic strategy to treat DS cognitive disabilities.