Article
Neurosciences
Lan Yang, Jingshan Lu, Jianpeng Guo, Jian Chen, Fangfang Xiong, Xinyao Wang, Li Chen, Changxi Yu
Summary: This study investigated the role of vlPAG astrocytes in diabetic neuropathic pain (DNP) using a multidimensional approach. The results showed that vlPAG astrocytes can regulate pain sensation and pain-related behaviors, and also alleviate anxiety-like behavior induced by DNP.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Zhenhua Jiang, Qun Wang, Jianshuai Zhao, Jiajia Wang, You Li, Wei Dai, Xiao Zhang, Zongping Fang, Wugang Hou, Lize Xiong
Summary: Sex differences in the analgesic effects of cannabinoids were investigated in mice, and it was found that females exhibited stronger analgesia compared to males. This difference was attributed to the higher expression of GABAergic CB(1)Rs in the vlPAG in females. Activation of CB(1)Rs in the vlPAG also reduced GABA-mediated inhibitory currents more significantly in females. These findings suggest that GABAergic CB(1)Rs in the vlPAG modulate cannabinoid-mediated analgesia in a sex-specific manner.
JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Mary Gazea, Szabina Furdan, Peter Sere, Lukas Oesch, Benedek Molnar, Giuseppe Di Giovanni, Lief E. Fenno, Charu Ramakrishnan, Joanna Mattis, Karl Deisseroth, Susan M. Dymecki, Antoine R. Adamantidis, Magor L. Lorincz
Summary: The lateral hypothalamus selectively inhibits GABAergic neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus, leading to increased firing of a substantial fraction of its neurons that ultimately promotes arousal. These wake active DRGABA neurons project to multiple brain areas involved in the control of arousal, including the LH, where their specific activation influences local network activity leading to arousal from sleep. Mutual inhibitory projections between the LH and the DR promote wakefulness and suggest a complex arousal control by intimate interactions between long-range connections and local circuit dynamics.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Joao Guilherme Tassoni Bortoloci, Simone Cristina Motta
Summary: Connectomics is an important field in neuroscience that focuses on the connections and circuits of neurons in the brain. Neurotropic viruses have contributed significantly to the advancement of connectomics. However, further research is needed to understand the mechanism and impact of these viruses on the nervous system cells.
Article
Psychiatry
Dan Wang, Wentao Wang, Shujun Jiang, He Ma, Haifeng Lian, Fantao Meng, Jing Liu, Minghu Cui, Jingjing You, Cuilan Liu, Di Zhao, Fengai Hu, Dunjiang Liu, Chen Li
Summary: The lateral septum (LS) plays a key role in major depressive disorder (MDD), with the LS-PAG projection being an essential effector circuit for depression morbidity and treatment.
JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Xixiao Zhu, Yingling Xu, Zui Shen, Haiyan Zhang, Siqi Xiao, Yichen Zhu, Mengwei Wu, Yeqing Chen, Zemin Wu, Yunyun Xu, Xiaofen He, Boyu Liu, Jinggen Liu, Junying Du, Jing Sun, Jianqiao Fang, Xiaomei Shao
Summary: This study revealed a novel pathway, the rACC(Glu)-vIPAG pathway, which mediates neuropathic pain and pain-induced anxiety. The activation and inhibition of this pathway were found to have effects on hyperalgesia and anxiety-like behaviors using chemogenetic methods and electroacupuncture therapy.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Long Wang, Lu-Lan Fu, Zi-Ru Deng, Juan Zhang, Mei-Dan Zu, Jun-Cang Wu, Yu Wang
Summary: The overexpression of BDNF in vlPAG may have a protective effect, reducing pain sensitivity, scratching behavior, and spontaneous seizures in a comorbid model of epilepsy and migraine. This is accompanied by a decrease in c-Fos labeling neurons and CGRP immunoreactivity in TNC and TG.
BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Yu Rao, Ziyan Gao, Xianping Li, Xing Li, Jun Li, Shanshan Liang, Daihan Li, Jinliang Zhai, Junan Yan, Jiwei Yao, Xiaowei Chen
Summary: The ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (VLPAG) plays a crucial role in controlling bladder function and has the potential to be a therapeutic target for neurogenic bladder dysfunction.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Anesthesiology
Mehnaz Ferdousi, Patricia Calcagno, Morgane Clarke, Sonali Aggarwal, Connie Sanchez, Karen L. Smith, David J. Eyerman, John P. Kelly, Michelle Roche, David P. Finn
Summary: Chronic pain often coexists with anxiety and depression, impacting therapeutic outcomes. The role of endogenous mu-opioid receptor system and genetic background in chronic pain are poorly understood. Wistar-Kyoto rats show decreased responsiveness to morphine, suggesting a deficit in the descending inhibitory pain pathway that may underlie hyperalgesia in this genetically predisposed strain.
Article
Biology
Justin N. Siemian, Miguel A. Arenivar, Sarah Sarsfield, Cara B. Borja, Lydia J. Erbaugh, Andrew L. Eagle, Alfred J. Robison, Gina Leinninger, Yeka Aponte
Summary: Functional imaging has shown that lateral hypothalamic parvalbumin-positive glutamatergic neurons play a crucial role in nociceptive processing. Modulating these neurons can alter pain-related behaviors and unpleasantness of noxious stimuli. Additionally, activating these neurons has been found to have synergistic antinociceptive effects with morphine and can restore morphine antinociception after developing tolerance.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Song-Yu Li, Jing-Juan Cao, Kang Tan, Liu Fan, Ya-Qian Wang, Zi-Xuan Shen, Shuai-Shuai Li, Chao Wu, Hui Zhou, Hua-Tai Xu
Summary: Food cues play a pivotal role in triggering physiological responses and have a critical impact on obesity risk. This study revealed the crucial role of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)-expressing neurons in the lateral hypothalamic area in promoting feeding behaviors in mice. The research also identified downstream targets and emphasized the involvement of CRH neuropeptide in orchestrating this regulatory network.
Article
Neurosciences
Zhiyong Xie, Huating Gu, Meizhu Huang, Xinyu Cheng, Congping Shang, Ting Tao, Dapeng Li, Yuan Xie, Jidong Zhao, Wei Lu, Zhibin Zhang, Cheng Zhan, Zongxiang Tang, Fan Zhang, Peng Cao
Summary: This study reveals that noxious mechanical force is a key stimulus for triggering defensive attack in mice. vGAT(+) neurons in the anterior hypothalamic nucleus encode the intensity of mechanical force and regulate defensive attack. These findings provide insights into the neural mechanisms underlying innate defensive behaviors.
NATURE NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Olga A. Lyubashina, Ivan B. Sivachenko, Aleksandr A. Mikhalkin
Summary: The study reveals that colonic inflammation alters the functioning of the midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG), leading to impaired control of visceral nociception. This dysfunction in ascending and descending pathways may contribute to visceral hyperalgesia associated with gut injury.
BRAIN RESEARCH BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Physiology
Gustavo Henrique de Mello Rosa, Farhad Ullah, Yara Bezerra de Paiva, Juliana Almeida da Silva, Luiz Guilherme S. Branco, Alexandre Pinto Corrado, Priscila Medeiros, Norberto Cysne Coimbra, Audrey Franceschi Biagioni
Summary: Defensive immobility is an adaptive response in rodents during unavoidable threats, regulated by the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray matter (vlPAG) and associated with changes in pain perception and breathing. Chemical stimulation of vlPAG induces defensive immobility and alters respiratory responses.
PFLUGERS ARCHIV-EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Xingfeng Liu, Jingxin He, Wei Jiang, Song Wen, Zhi Xiao
Summary: This study reveals some common features and pathophysiological interactions between depression and thermal hypersensitivity, and suggests that modulation of the dopaminergic systems in the brain may be a promising therapeutic strategy for alleviating both pain and depression.
Article
Neurosciences
Juan Chen, Xiao-Lin Ma, Hui Zhao, Xiao-Yu Wang, Min-Xin Xu, Hua Wang, Tian-Qi Yang, Cheng Peng, Shuang-Shuang Liu, Man Huang, Yu-Dong Zhou, Yi Shen
Summary: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by impaired social communication and rigid behaviors, and abnormal synapse development and E/I imbalance may contribute to its pathogenesis. Astrocytes play a crucial role in synaptic formation and function, and targeting altered GABAergic neurotransmission represents a promising therapeutic strategy for ASD.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Xiaomeng Wang, Mengqi Wang, Hao Sheng, Liang Zhu, Junming Zhu, Hequn Zhang, Yin Liu, Li Zhan, Xi Wang, Jiaozhen Zhang, Xiaotong Wu, Zhigang Suo, Wang Xi, Hao Wang
Summary: A new neural interface material composed of hydrogel and elastomer has been developed, which shows comparable electrical signal recording quality to metal electrodes with less glial reaction and cerebrovascular destruction. This material also allows for multimodal functions and is compatible with in vivo optical microscopy and magnetic resonance imaging.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zheng Zheng, Hequn Zhang, Hui Cao, Junyi Gong, Mubin He, Xuexin Gou, Tianyu Yang, Peifa Wei, Jun Qian, Wang Xi, Ben Zhong Tang
Summary: This study successfully synthesized four bright fluorophores with aggregation-induced emission features, which exhibited high quantum yields. One of the fluorophores (DCBT) showed bright near-infrared emission and large three-photon absorption cross section, which was further enhanced by molecular stacking. These fluorophores were applied in three-photon fluorescence microscopy imaging of mouse brain vasculature with high spatial resolution, and even small capillaries could be identified below the skull.
Article
Neurosciences
Liu Yin, Dave Schwinn Gao, Jia Ming Hu, Chen Zhong, Wang Xi
Summary: This study investigated the changes in neurovascular coupling (NVC) during acute temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) using two-photon microscopy (TPM). The results showed that capillaries and penetrating arteries were not correlated to neuronal activity during acute epilepsy, while NVC exhibited a strong correlation during the CSD period and nonlinear dynamics after status epilepticus. Additionally, the correlation between neuronal and vascular signals in spontaneous and electrostimulated states showed dynamic changes that correlated to the evolution after acute TLE.
Correction
Chemistry, Applied
Nuernisha Alifu, Lulin Yan, Hequn Zhang, Abudureheman Zebibula, Zhenggang Zhu, Wang Xi, Anna W. W. Roe, Bin Xu, Wenjing Tian, Jun Qian
Correction
Chemistry, Physical
Nuernisha Alifu, Abudureheman Zebibula, Hequn Zhang, Huwei Ni, Liang Zhu, Wang Xi, Yalun Wang, Xueliang Zhang, Changfeng Wu, Jun Qian
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Hequn Zhang, Liang Zhu, Dave Schwinn Gao, Yin Liu, Jun Zhang, Min Yan, Jun Qian, Wang Xi
Summary: The spinal cord plays a crucial role in somatosensory and autonomic signal processing. However, the high optical scattering property of the spinal cord tissue hinders the imaging depth of its vasculature. In this study, the high penetration of near-infrared fluorescence is used to achieve deep imaging of the spinal cord vasculature. This technique has the potential for clinical and basic science research on the spinal cord.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Libiao Pan, Lu Zheng, Xiaotong Wu, Zhenggang Zhu, Siyu Wang, Yi Lu, Yang He, Qian Yang, Xiaolin Ma, Xiaomeng Wang, Hongbin Yang, Li Zhan, Yujian Luo, Xiangyao Li, Yudong Zhou, Xiaodong Wang, Jianhong Luo, Lang Wang, Shumin Duan, Hao Wang
Summary: Early sensory experiences and genes interact to shape precise neural circuits, which is crucial for proper brain function in adulthood. This study found that early life whisker trimming in mice affects social discrimination in adulthood, likely due to enhanced activation of the hippocampal dorsal CA3. Reduced hippocampal oxytocin levels after whisker trimming were also observed, and compensating for oxytocin levels prevented social dysfunction. Similarly, oxytocin treatment was able to recover social behavior deficits in a fragile X syndrome mouse model.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Mubin He, Dongyu Li, Zheng Zheng, Hequn Zhang, Tianxiang Wu, Weihang Geng, Zhengwu Hu, Zhe Feng, Shiyi Peng, Liang Zhu, Wang Xi, Dan Zhu, Ben Zhong Tang, Jun Qian
Summary: This study proposes a method that combines skull optical clearing (SOC) technique and three-photon fluorescence microscopy (3PM) to overcome the scattering effects of the skull and brain tissue, enabling observation of deep microvasculature and neuronal structures. By using visible-NIR-II compatible skull optical clearing agents and a bright aggregation-induced emission (AIE) nanoprobe with large three-photon absorption cross section, the researchers achieved the largest cerebrovascular and neuronal imaging depth to date.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Hequn Zhang, Peng Fu, Yin Liu, Zheng Zheng, Liang Zhu, Mengqi Wang, Marwan Abdellah, Mubin He, Jun Qian, Anna Wang Roe, Wang Xi
Summary: This study introduces a bright AIE probe and a lab-modified three-photon fluorescence microscopy system, achieving large-depth vascular imaging in the macaque monkey cortex and performing functional measurement and comparison across species. It is the first in vivo three-photon fluorescence microscopic imaging research on the macaque monkey cortex, providing a new method for understanding vascular function in humans in normal and disease conditions.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Liang Zhu, Mengqi Wang, Peng Fu, Yin Liu, Hequn Zhang, Anna Wang Roe, Wang Xi
Summary: This paper presents a real-time, precise, and depth-selected single-vessel photothrombosis technology using ultrafast lasers. The technique successfully induces occlusion in various types and depths of blood vessels in the cerebral cortex, providing a crucial tool for studying brain vascular function.
Article
Cell Biology
Liang Zhu, Mengqi Wang, Yin Liu, Peng Fu, Weijie Zhang, Hequn Zhang, Anna Wang Roe, Wang Xi
Summary: Recent studies have emphasized the significance of understanding microvascular architecture and function, as dysfunction in these small blood vessels may be a cause of neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, a precise and rapid laser-induced photothrombosis method was used to block individual capillaries and investigate the effects on blood flow and nearby neurons. The analysis showed distinct changes in microvascular structure and hemodynamics upstream and downstream of the occluded capillaries, indicating regional flow redistribution and local blood-brain barrier leakage. Focal ischemia induced by capillary occlusion around specific neurons resulted in significant and speedy alterations in dendritic architecture. Additionally, occlusions at different depths within the same vascular network had varying effects on flow profiles in different layers. These findings suggest laminar-scale regulation differences in microinfarct response and propose that greater impacts on microvascular function may contribute to cognitive decline in neurodegenerative diseases.
Article
Neurosciences
Yonglan Du, Siyao Zhou, Chenyan Ma, Hui Chen, Ana Du, Guochuang Deng, Yige Liu, Amanda J. Tose, Li Sun, Yijun Liu, Hangjun Wu, Huifang Lou, Yan-qin Yu, Ting Zhao, Stephan Lammel, Shumin Duan, Hongbin Yang
Summary: In this study, LDTGABA neurons were found to bidirectionally respond to rewarding and aversive stimuli, promoting aversion. These neurons regulate the activity of the mesolimbic DA system through direct and indirect projections, providing crucial insights into the circuit mechanisms underlying negative valence encoding in the mammalian brain.
Article
Psychology, Biological
Jiaozhen Zhang, Liangliang Wang, Yiwen Yang, Siyu Wang, Changgang Huang, Li Yang, Baoming Li, Lang Wang, Hao Wang, Sijia Hao
Summary: The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) plays an important role in feeding regulation. LH-projecting BNST neurons induce aversion and reduce consumption of normal chow, while vlPAG-projecting BNST neurons induce place preference and promote high-fat diet intake. These two populations of neurons also differ in anatomical distribution and electrophysiological properties.
PHYSIOLOGY & BEHAVIOR
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Yang Liu, Xianbang Chen, Lei Wu, Yanli Ye
Summary: This paper proposes an integrated electricity-heat-gas microgrid (IEHS-MG) model equipped with power-to-gas technology, thermal storage, electricity storage, and an electrical boiler to enhance wind power utilization efficiency. A two-stage distributionally robust economic dispatch model is constructed to minimize total operational costs. The case studies demonstrate the superiority of the presented IEHS-MG model in terms of wind power utilization and dispatch economics, as well as the effectiveness of distributionally robust optimization in handling uncertainty.
CSEE JOURNAL OF POWER AND ENERGY SYSTEMS
(2023)