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NIH科学家揭露神经元交流中的能量供给机制
我们所有的思维和感受都是依靠神经元与神经元之间的交流来实现的，而在学习和记忆的过程中，有一部分的神经元会进行极其频繁的交流，为了维持这一高强度的信号传输过程神经元必须向突触结构提供足够多的能量。在对培养皿中的谷氨酸性突触进行深入研究后美国国立卫生研究院（NIH）的实验人员发现，当神经元间的信号传输频率变高时，神经元轴突中作为动力系统的线粒体会向突触前膜进行移动，并为突触结构提供信号传递所需的大量能量。而神经元中腺嘌呤核糖核苷酸依赖的蛋白激酶（AMPK）则会起到能量传感器的作用，不断对线粒体的能量供给水平进行监管，以维持神经元内的能量平衡。使用基因阻断或化学干预的方法破坏该反馈环路会导致线粒体不再向突触前膜移动并降低突触结构的能量供给水平。由此可见，该反馈环路对神经元间的高强度交流来说是必不可少的。
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Study underscores the gut-brain connection and shows hunger hormone impacts memory
Animals and humans have the hormone ghrelin in their stomachs. Ghrelin tells animals as well as humans when they are hungry and helps regulate their metabolism, but scientists have never been certain how exactly it works. To learn more about how ghrelin influences hunger, metabolism and memory, researchers at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, […]
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New therapy improves treatment for multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system that affects millions worldwide, can cause debilitating symptoms for those who suffer from it. Though treatments exist, researchers are still searching for therapies that could more effectively treat the disease, or even prevent it altogether. Researchers at the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME) at […]
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College of Medicine researcher makes novel discoveries in preventing epileptic seizures
A team of researchers from the Florida State University College of Medicine has found that an amino acid produced by the brain could play a crucial role in preventing a type of epileptic seizure. Temporal lobe epileptic seizures are debilitating and can cause lasting damage in patients, including neuronal death and loss of neuron function. […]
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Enzyme SSH1 Impairs The Disposal Of Accumulating Cellular “Garbage,” Leading To Brain Cell Death
In a healthy brain, the multistep waste clearance process known as autophagy routinely removes and degrades damaged cell components – including malformed proteins like tau and toxic mitochondria. This cellular debris would otherwise pile up like uncollected trash to drive the death of brain cells (neurons), ultimately destroying cognitive abilities like thinking, remembering and reasoning […]
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New Perspectives to Treat Neuropsychiatric Diseases
Researchers at the Institute of Biology, Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), Budapest, Hungary, studied the major types of neurons of the prefrontal cortex of the brain in an international collaboration. The research team has identified molecular differences in neurons that may support drug development for the treatment of psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia or depression.
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New method to dampen nerve signals
What do the toxins from arrow-poison frogs, puffer fish and scorpions have in common with drugs against epilepsy? The answer is that they all affect the ability of nerves to transmit electrical impulses by affecting the ion channels in nerves. Ion channels are small openings in the cell membrane of nerves that open and close […]
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Nerve cell activity shows how confident we are
You are sitting in a café and want to enjoy a piece of cake with your cappuccino. The Black Forest gateau is just too rich for you and is therefore quickly eliminated. Choosing between the carrot cake and the rhubarb crumble is much trickier: The warm weather favors the refreshingly fruity cake. Carrot cake, however, […]
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Scientists Report Role for Dopamine and Serotonin in Human Perception and Decision-making
Scientists at Wake Forest School of Medicine have recorded real time changes in dopamine and serotonin levels in the human brain that are involved with perception and decision-making. These same neurochemicals also are critical to movement disorders and psychiatric conditions, including substance abuse and depression. Their findings are published in the Oct. 12 edition of […]
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干细胞可修复受损的脊髓
脊髓能将来自大脑的信号传递到身体的其他部位，当脊髓受到损伤，其中的神经纤维就有可能会发生断裂，即使神经纤维未完全断裂，信息传递效率也会因损伤而有所下降。许多器官在受损后都可以由干细胞来进行修复，但脊髓中的干细胞却往往只能促进疤痕组织的生成而无法直接代替已经死亡的细胞。通过对小鼠的脊髓干细胞进行基因层面的深入分析，研究人员发现，人为的对干细胞内的基因表达进行操控就可以促使脊髓干细胞分化成对神经元髓鞘结构来说必不可少的少胶质细胞，从而对受损的脊髓起到修复的作用。