Article
Neurosciences
Amir Hossein Mohammadi, Seyedvahid Seyedmoalemi, Mahsa Moghanlou, Seyed Amirreza Akhlagh, Sayyed Alireza Talaei Zavareh, Michael R. Hamblin, Ameneh Jafari, Hamed Mirzaei
Summary: Synaptic plasticity refers to the ability of synapses to weaken or strengthen over time, with miRNAs playing crucial roles in regulating this process. Dysregulation of miRNAs may be associated with pathological alterations in synaptic plasticity, leading to diseases. Understanding the impact of miRNAs on synaptic plasticity provides insights for the diagnosis and treatment of related diseases and drug addiction.
MOLECULAR NEUROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Irantzu Rico-Barrio, Sara Penasco, Leire Lekunberri, Maitane Serrano, Jon Egana-Huguet, Amaia Mimenza, Edgar Soria-Gomez, Almudena Ramos, Ianire Buceta, Inmaculada Gerrikagoitia, Juan Mendizabal-Zubiaga, Izaskun Elezgarai, Nagore Puente, Pedro Grandes
Summary: Binge drinking in adolescents can affect memory and synaptic plasticity, but memory recovery in an enriched environment may depend on cannabinoid receptors and metabotropic glutamate receptors. The study suggests that an enriched environment has a positive impact on the brains exposed to water and alcohol.
Article
Cell Biology
Yuki Sakai, Yutaka Sakai, Yoshinari Abe, Jin Narumoto, Saori C. Tanaka
Summary: This study models obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms as implicitly learned maladaptive behaviors using reinforcement learning framework, extends understanding of therapeutic effects of behavioral therapy in OCD, and discovers imbalanced traces in OCD patients and healthy participants.
Review
Clinical Neurology
Masoumeh Kourosh-Arami, Alireza Komaki, Masoumeh Gholami
Summary: Synaptic plasticity, a crucial mechanism in learning, is closely associated with addictive behaviors. Long-term exposure to addictive drugs leads to persistent memories of drug experience, and relapse is often triggered by cues related to drug experience. Preventing drug-induced synaptic modifications may be beneficial for the treatment of addiction.
NEUROLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Oceanography
Kangjie Zheng, Xinyu Zhang, Chengbo Wang, Mingyang Zhang, Hao Cui
Summary: Unmanned ships have the potential to improve navigational safety and shipping efficiency, but the complexity and uncertainty of mixed obstacle environments pose challenges to their development. This paper proposes a new model using the Partially Observable Markov Decision Process (POMDP) to address these challenges and improve collision avoidance decision-making for autonomous ships. The model utilizes image-state observations and a dense reward function, and the Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO) algorithm is used for training. Simulations demonstrate the model's ability to safely and efficiently make collision avoidance decisions in complex and uncertain environments. This research provides a new solution for developing autonomous ships and can be applied to dynamic interactive collision avoidance.
OCEAN & COASTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Mitchell R. Farrell, Jeanine Sandra D. Esteban, Lauren Faget, Stan B. Floresco, Thomas S. Hnasko, Stephen V. Mahler
Summary: Through chemogenetic inhibition of VPGABA neurons, it has been demonstrated that these neurons play a critical role in high-stakes decision-making, leading rats to prefer a safe small reward over a risky large reward.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Nicole Moughrabi, Chloe Botsford, Tijana Sagorac Gruichich, Ameera Azar, Mickela Heilicher, Jaryd Hiser, Kevin M. Crombie, Joseph E. Dunsmoor, Zach Stowe, Josh M. Cisler
Summary: This study investigated decision-making processes during simultaneous reward and threat learning using computational learning models, independent component analysis, and multivariate pattern analysis. The results showed that participants integrated reward and threat values to make decisions, which were influenced by the activity levels of different networks. The findings suggest that generating mental representations for decision outcomes and their relative activation play a role in navigating approach-avoidance conflict decisions.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Hang Wang, Xianghuan Dong, Maher Un Nisa Awan, Jie Bai
Summary: This review briefly summarizes the studies on epigenetics involved in METH addiction, elucidating the molecular mechanism of METH addiction and the effects of METH on neurotransmitter release and brain area activation.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Ti-Fei Yuan, Amit Etkin
Summary: Drug-evoked synaptic plasticity in the brain represents memory traces following abuse experiences. Preclinical studies have detailed changes in mesolimbic and cortical functioning, including alterations in synaptic transmission and plasticity. Recent research utilizing non-invasive brain stimulation and neurophysiological data has opened a new avenue for studying cortical plasticity in clinical substance dependence, positioning brain stimulation as a key tool for understanding cortical function and plasticity in addiction states.
PHARMACOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Sport Sciences
Yu Zhou, Graham Finlayson, Xudong Liu, Qichen Zhou, Tianze Liu, Chenglin Zhou
Summary: The study examined the effects of acute moderate-intensity dance and aerobic exercise on drug craving, appetite, prefrontal neural activation to food cues, and food reward in women with methamphetamine dependence. Results showed that both interventions reduced subjective craving for drugs and increased implicit wanting and relative preferences for high-calorie savory foods. The findings suggest that moderate-intensity exercise can be used as a therapeutic intervention to restore the balance between drug and nondrug rewards.
MEDICINE & SCIENCE IN SPORTS & EXERCISE
(2021)
Article
Psychiatry
Sara L. Kroll, Lea M. Hulka, Ann-Kathrin Kexel, Matthias Vonmoos, Katrin H. Preller, Valerie Treyer, Simon M. Ametamey, Markus R. Baumgartner, Carola Boost, Franziska Pahlisch, Cathrin Rohleder, F. Markus Leweke, Boris B. Quednow
Summary: Animal models suggest the involvement of the endocannabinoid system in stress and reward processing in addictive disorders. This study investigates the plasma levels of endocannabinoids and their interaction with brain receptors in chronic cocaine users. The results indicate an alteration of the endocannabinoid system in cocaine dependence and an association between peripheral endocannabinoid levels and cerebral receptors.
TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Guang Chen, Gang Yu, Zheng Yong, Hui Yan, Ruibin Su, Huijun Wang
Summary: The study demonstrates that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress plays a role in disturbing drug memory, with high dose of MA inhibiting drug-evoked synaptic plasticity through ER stress. Treatment with MA enhances the expression of cyclin-dependent kinase-5 and decreases the expression of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II alpha via ER stress, suggesting a mechanism through which drug addiction affects cognitive functions.
MOLECULAR MEDICINE REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hongpeng Zhang, Yujie Wei, Huan Zhou, Changqiang Huang
Summary: This paper proposes an air combat maneuver decision-making method based on final reward estimation and proximal policy optimization. By constructing an air combat environment, designing reward mechanisms, and improving the training performance and efficiency of reinforcement learning, it provides a solution to maneuver decision-making problems in autonomous air combat.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Guilian Tian, May Hui, Desiree Macchia, Pieter Derdeyn, Alexandra Rogers, Elizabeth Hubbard, Chengfeng Liu, Jose J. Vasquez, Lara Taniguchi, Katrina Bartas, Sean Carroll, Kevin T. Beier
Summary: This study reveals the selective role of ventral tegmental area dopamine projection to the amygdala in cocaine-induced anxiety. The activity of inhibitory GABAergic cells and downstream dopamine cells in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and amygdala is elevated even after a single cocaine exposure. Silencing this projection prevents the development of anxiety during protracted withdrawal after cocaine administration. Furthermore, the activation of dopamine cells in the amygdala is necessary and sufficient for reinstatement of cocaine place preference.
Review
Substance Abuse
Yuan-Wei Yao, Jin-Tao Zhang, Xiao-Yi Fang, Lu Liu, Marc N. Potenza
Summary: The study estimated the aggregated effect sizes of reward-related decision-making deficits in IGD and found that these deficits were consistently associated with the disorder. Different decision-making situations showed similar effects, with larger effects observed for pure-gain and mixed compared to pure-loss decision-making.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ichiro Kawahata, Tomoki Sekimori, Haoyang Wang, Yanyan Wang, Toshikuni Sasaoka, Luc Bousset, Ronald Melki, Tomohiro Mizobata, Yasushi Kawata, Kohji Fukunaga
Summary: The study showed that dopamine D-2L receptors combined with FABP3 play a critical role in the uptake of alpha-synuclein by dopaminergic neurons. This finding suggests a novel pathogenic mechanism for synucleinopathies, including Parkinson's disease.
Review
Neurosciences
Takashi Yamaguchi
Summary: Survival in the animal kingdom relies on the ability to fight competitors and mate with partners. Recent studies have uncovered neural circuits associated with mating and aggression and how they encode socially relevant information. Understanding the neural mechanisms underlying innate social behaviors provides critical insights into the coordination of complex behavioral outputs at the circuit level.
NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hidekazu Sotoyama, Hiroyoshi Inaba, Yuriko Iwakura, Hisaaki Namba, Nobuyuki Takei, Toshikuni Sasaoka, Hiroyuki Nawa
Summary: Dopamine in the prefrontal cortex has opposing effects on social behavior depending on the duration of its activation. Sustained dopamine activation suppresses social behavior while acute activation enhances it. The duration of social interactions is positively correlated with transient dopamine release and negatively correlated with sustained dopamine increase in the prefrontal cortex. Dopamine levels also modulate neural calcium signaling and c-Fos induction triggered by social stimuli in prefrontal neurons.
Article
Immunology
Kohei Miura, Takashi Kobayashi, Zhengkun Zhang, Pankaj Prasoon, Yuki Hirose, Hirosuke Ishikawa, Kazuyasu Takizawa, Jun Sakata, Shiori Miura, Toshikuni Sasaoka, Toshifumi Wakai
Summary: This study successfully developed an autologous IsletTx model and an open biopsy system using a swine model. The results showed that the postoperative survival rate was significantly higher in the pigs with autologous IsletTx than in those without. There were no significant differences in survival between the two IsletTx groups, and both groups did not exhibit significant hyperglycemia.
TRANSPLANTATION PROCEEDINGS
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Nae Saito, Makoto Itakura, Toshikuni Sasaoka
Summary: Dopaminergic neurotransmission via D1 receptors plays an important role in aversive learning. Using D1R knockdown mice, this study found that deficiency in D1R-mediated dopaminergic neurotransmission impairs contextual fear memory formation.
FRONTIERS IN BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nanxi Liu, Atsuhiko Iijima, Yutaka Iwata, Kento Ohashi, Nobuyoshi Fujisawa, Toshikuni Sasaoka, Isao Hasegawa
Summary: This study investigates the ability of mentally constructing object names in humans and primates. Through training Japanese macaques in various tasks, the researchers found evidence that suggests pre-linguistic adaptations for this mental capacity in the common ancestors of humans and Old World monkeys.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ryota Kai, Kuniyuki Takahashi, Kazuki Tainaka, Yuriko Iwakura, Hisaaki Namba, Nae Saito, Toshikuni Sasaoka, Shun Yamaguchi, Hiroyuki Nawa, Arata Horii
Summary: This study investigated the cerebrocortical mechanisms underlying sensory reweighting after unilateral labyrinthectomy in mice. The results showed that the somatosensory system can compensate for vestibular dysfunction, and the medial prefrontal cortex and agranular insular cortex contribute to the integration of sensory and motor functions to restore balance.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yohko Yoshida, Ippei Shimizu, Atsuhiro Shimada, Keita Nakahara, Sachiko Yanagisawa, Minoru Kubo, Shinji Fukuda, Chiharu Ishii, Hiromitsu Yamamoto, Takamasa Ishikawa, Kuniyuki Kano, Junken Aoki, Goro Katsuumi, Masayoshi Suda, Kazuyuki Ozaki, Yutaka Yoshida, Shujiro Okuda, Shigeo Ohta, Shiki Okamoto, Yasuhiko Minokoshi, Kanako Oda, Toshikuni Sasaoka, Manabu Abe, Kenji Sakimura, Yoshiaki Kubota, Norihiko Yoshimura, Shingo Kajimura, Maria Zuriaga, Kenneth Walsh, Tomoyoshi Soga, Tohru Minamino
Summary: This study demonstrates that dysfunction of brown adipose tissue (BAT) is involved in the development of heart failure through choline metabolism disorientation. The research shows that BAT thermogenic capacity is reduced in mice with thoracic aortic constriction or myocardial infarction, leading to decreased body temperature. Moreover, hypoxia induces apoptosis of brown adipocytes. Enhancement of BAT function improves cardiac function, while genetic BAT dysfunction impairs systolic function.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Toshiya Sato, Kanako Oda, Seiko Sakai, Rika Kato, Saori Yamamori, Makoto Itakura, Yoshio Kodera, Masatoyo Nishizawa, Toshikuni Sasaoka, Osamu Onodera, Minesuke Yokoyama
Summary: This study generated mouse lines lacking different sub-regions of the C-terminal region (CTR) of TDP-43 and found that the four segments of CTR have different functions in protein stability and mouse development of TDP-43.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Sho Yoshimatsu, Mayutaka Nakajima, Iki Sonn, Rie Natsume, Kenji Sakimura, Ena Nakatsukasa, Toshikuni Sasaoka, Mari Nakamura, Takashi Serizawa, Tsukika Sato, Erika Sasaki, Hongkui Deng, Hideyuki Okano
Summary: This study compared the gene expression profiles of mouse, human, and common marmoset EPSCs using transcriptomic approaches. The marmoset EPSC-like cells displayed a distinct morphology but exhibited a pluripotent state similar to embryonic stem cells. They also showed interspecies chimeric contribution to mouse embryos. Furthermore, the gene expression of the marmoset EPSC-like cells resembled that of human EPSCs. Overall, this study evaluated the efficacy of the method for deriving marmoset EPSCs.
Article
Biology
Amy Cheung, Kotaro Konno, Yuka Imamura, Aya Matsui, Manabu Abe, Kenji Sakimura, Toshikuni Sasaoka, Takeshi Uemura, Masahiko Watanabe, Kensuke Futai, Nils Brose
Summary: The study reveals the involvement of Nrxn genes in the modulation of 5-HT transmission and behavior, suggesting a potential link between Nrxn mutations and ASD.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Wenbin Jia, Ichiro Kawahata, An Cheng, Takuya Sasaki, Toshikuni Sasaoka, Kohji Fukunaga
Summary: We confirmed that the FABP3 inhibitor, MF1, successfully reduces nicotine-induced conditioned place preference in mice. MF1 treatment decreased CPP scores in a dose-dependent manner by inhibiting the activation of CaMKII and ERK in the nucleus accumbens and hippocampus.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yasuhiro Suzuki, Chihiro Nakamoto, Izumi Watanabe-Iida, Masahiko Watanabe, Tomonori Takeuchi, Toshikuni Sasaoka, Manabu Abe, Kenji Sakimura
Summary: NMDA-type glutamate receptors (NMDARs) are composed of GluN1 and GluN2 subunits, with various combinations leading to different channel specificities. We standardized the titers of NMDAR subunit antibodies and quantified the relative protein levels of each subunit. The results showed regional and developmental differences in the composition of NMDAR subunits in the brain.
NEUROCHEMISTRY INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Nanaho Fukuda, Tomoyuki Fukuda, Piergiorgio Percipalle, Kanako Oda, Nobuyuki Takei, Kevin Czaplinski, Kazushige Touhara, Yoshihiro Yoshihara, Toshikuni Sasaoka
Summary: It is found that hnRNP A/B is highly expressed in developing olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs), and its knockout leads to reduction in mature OSNs and aberrant axon targeting. hnRNP A/B is shown to bind to a group of mRNAs related to axon projections and synapse assembly. Deletion of the hnRNP A/B-recognition motif in the 3' UTR of Pcdha impairs its expression at the OSN axon terminals.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Katsuya Miyajima, Chiaki Kawamoto, Satoshi Hara, Masayo Mori-Kojima, Tamae Ohye, Chiho Sumi-Ichinose, Nae Saito, Toshikuni Sasaoka, Daniel Metzger, Hiroshi Ichinose
Summary: The study revealed that dopamine (DA) supply in peripheral organs originates from sympathetic neurons, with decreased TH protein and NA levels leading to a decrease in DA content in the heart and pancreas. TH-immunoreactive cells were found in the stomach and lung, showing a decreasing trend in TH protein levels but not in DA levels. Additionally, there was a significant correlation between DA content in the kidney and plasma DOPA concentration.
JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)