Thesis (Ph.D.)--Duquesne University, 2009. / Title from document title page. Abstract included in electronic submission form. Includes bibliographical references (p. 123-151) and index.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Toledo, 2008. / Typescript. "Submitted as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Chemistry." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 32-37, 74-75, 112-114, 155-157, 187-188, 193).

The present thesis investigates the role of the prefrontal cortex and cholinergic modulation in attentional performance, and to a lesser extent, inhibitory response control, in rats. A greater understanding of these functions is important for the effective treatment of attentional and impulsive control deficits, present in a range of neuropsychiatric disorders. For this field to progress, the assessment of attentional performance in a similar manner across humans and animals is crucial. In the present thesis, attentional performance was assessed on the novel, touchscreen-based rodent continuous performance task (rCPT), which assesses sustained, focused attention in essentially an identical manner to CPTs commonly used in the clinic. Findings were compared to performance on the well-characterised 5-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT), which assesses sustained, spatial divided attention and shares some, but not all characteristics of CPTs. The series of experiments described in this thesis contributes to the understanding of the role of the prefrontal cortex and cholinergic modulation in attentional performance; they also highlight differences between the two tasks in behaviour, brain functions and networks. Excitotoxic lesions of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and a range of cholinergic systemic pharmacology validated the role of the prefrontal cortex and cholinergic modulation in rCPT performance. A chemogenetic study also validated the role of the ascending cholinergic basal forebrain system in 5-CSRTT performance. These findings support 1. the idea of the relationship between cholinergic system activation and attentional performance to resemble an ‘inverted-U’ shaped function; 2. a double dissociation of mPFC sub-regions on attentional performance, in which the prelimbic cortex (PL) appears to play a role in rCPT performance, compared with a role of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in 5-CSRTT performance; and 3. a role of ascending cholinergic projections from the basal forebrain to the ACC in 5-CSRTT performance. These findings also establish the development of a successful flanker distractor probe in rodents on the rCPT. This thesis concludes with an important comparison of the attentional and impulsivity measures in the rCPT compared to the 5-CSRTT, to help provide guidelines as to which task is most appropriate to use for particular research questions.

É conhecido que o sistema colinérgico, via receptor nicotínico a7, atua como atenuador do processo inflamatório. O lítio é utilizado no tratamento do transtorno afetivo bipolar e, em microdoses, foi benéfico para o tratamento da doença de Alzheimer. O objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar os efeitos do tratamento crônico com microdoses de lítio para a formação de mediadores inflamatórios em cérebros de camundongos jovens, após injeção intraperitoneal de LPS, e se os receptores a7 estavam envolvidos nesse processo. Após sete meses de tratamento, foi observado que o grupo lítio-LPS apresentou formação da memória espacial, diferentemente do grupo água-LPS. Oito dias após a injeção de LPS, os níveis de IL-6, TNF-a, IL-10 e pGSK-3b/GSK-3b estavam iguais em todos os grupos, evidenciando que o processo inflamatório já estava terminado. Além disso, não houve diferença com relação à densidade de CAT e a7. Não foi possível comprovar ou excluir o efeito anti-inflamatório das microdoses de lítio. Portanto, o desenho experimental deverá ser ajustado. / It is known that the cholinergic system, via a7 nicotinic receptors, acts as attenuator of the inflammatory process. Lithium is used in the treatment of bipolar disorder and microdosing was beneficial for the treatment of Alzheimer\'s disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of chronic treatment with lithium microdoses for the formation of inflammatory mediators in the brain of young mice after intraperitoneal injection of LPS, and if a7 receptors were involved in this process. After seven months of treatment, animals treated with lithium-LPS presented spatial memory, while water-LPS animals did not. Eight days after the induction of acute inflammation levels of IL-6, TNF-a, IL-10 and pGSK-3b/GSK-3b were the same in all groups, indicating that the inflammatory process had been completed. Still, there was no difference with respect to the density of CAT and a7. It was not possible to confirm or exclude the anti-inflammatory effect of microdoses of lithium. So, the experimental design will be adjusted.

CONTEXT: The seeds from Lupinus mutabilis Sweet, also called “chocho”, are an important part of the diet in several countries in South America. Prior to consumption, processing is required to remove toxic alkaloids. These alkaloids are known to have pharmacological properties as antiarrhythmics, antimuscarinics and hypoglycemics. CASE REPORT: We report a case in which a one-year-old male initially presented with altered mental status and respiratory distress and subsequently developed symptoms of anticholinergic toxicity, after ingesting a large amount of chocho seeds. CONCLUSION: In spite of going through a difficult clinical condition, the subject evolved favorably through receiving supportive treatment. The seeds from Lupinus mutabilis provide nutritional benefits when consumed, but people need to know their risks when these seeds are consumed without proper preparation.

Orientador: Fabíola Taufic Monica Iglesias / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-24T12:19:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Gonzalez_PauloGabriel_M.pdf: 1495536 bytes, checksum: 26ccc94133bf9c2af38d1a3c267493c1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014 / Resumo: É bem estabelecido que a acetilcolina (ACh) produz relaxamento da musculatura lisa vascular através da liberação endotelial do óxido nítrico (NO) e, portanto, é uma das ferramentas farmacológicas mais utilizadas para avaliar a integridade do endotélio. Experimentos preliminares feito pelo nosso grupo mostraram que a ACh não relaxou a aorta e nem artéria pulmonar de sagui (Callithrix jacchus), além de induzir contração neste último leito em vaso com endotélio íntegro. Assim, o presente estudo teve como objetivo caracterizar de maneira mais detalhada a resposta colinérgica em artéria pulmonar de sagui. Em artéria pulmonar, O ADP (0.01-100 µM) produziu relaxamento dependente da concentração, que foi reduzido a aproximadamente 42% na presença do L-NAME (100 ?M) ou da indometacina (inibidor não seletivo da cicloxigenase, 10 ?M). A ACh (0.00001-1 mM) induziu contração dependente da concentração com valores de potência (pEC50) e resposta maxima (Emax) de 5.83 ± 0.08 and 90 ± 5%, respectivamente. A Emax da ACh aumentou aproximadamente 28% e 22% na presença de L-NAME e após a remoção do endotélio, respectivamente. Os antagonistas muscarínicos mais seletivos para os subtipos M2 e M3, metoctramina e 4-DAMP, e a indometacina reduziram significativamente a contração induzida pela ACh. A estimulação elétrica (4-16 Hz, 80 V, 10 segundos de estimulação) induziu contração dependente da frequência que foi significativamente reduzida na presença de 4-DAMP (0.1 µM), metoctramina (0.1 µM) e fentolamina (10 ?M) e aumentada pela fisostigmina (10 µM). Na presença de hexametônio (1 ?M), fentolamina (10 µM) ou tetrodotoxina (1 ?M) a contração mediada pela ACh não foi alterada. A análise de imunofluorescência revelou a presença da colina acetiltransferase (ChAt) na tunica media. Estes dados mostram a presença de uma inervação colinérgica excitatória em artéria pulmonar de Callithrix jacchus / Abstract: It is well established that acetylcholine (ACh) produces relaxation of vascular smooth muscle by endothelial release of nitric oxide (NO) and thus is one of the most widely used pharmacological tools to assess the integrity of the endothelium. Preliminary experiments done by our group showed that ACh did not relax the aorta and pulmonary artery of marmoset (Callithrix jacchus), and induces contraction in the latter bed in vessel with intact endothelium. Thus, the present study aimed to characterize in more detail the cholinergic response in pulmonary artery marmoset. In pulmonary artery ADP (0.01-100 µM) produced concentration-dependent relaxation which was reduced to approximately 42% in the presence of L-NAME (100 µM) and indomethacin (nonselective cyclooxygenase inhibitor, 10 µM). ACh (0.00001-1mM) produced concentration-dependent contractions with potency values (pEC50) and maximum response (Emax) of 5.83 ± 0:08 and 90 ± 5%, respectively. The Emax of ACh increased by approximately 28% and 22% in the presence of L-NAME and after removal of the endothelium, respectively. The muscarinic antagonists more selective for subtypes M2 and M3, methoctramine and 4-DAMP, and indomethacin significantly reduced ACh-induced contraction. Electrical field stimulation (EFS 4-16 Hz, 80 V, 10 seconds of stimulation) induced frequency-dependent contraction, which was significantly reduced in the presence of 4-DAMP (0.1 µM), methoctramine (0.1 µM) and phentolamine (10 µM) and augmented by physostigmine (10 µM). In the presence of hexamethonium (1 µM), phentolamine (10 µM) or tetrodotoxin (1 µM) contraction mediated by ACh was not altered. The immunofluorescence analysis revealed the expression of choline acetyltransferase (Chat) in Tunica Media. These data show the presence of an excitatory cholinergic innervation in the pulmonary artery Callithrix jacchus / Mestrado / Farmacologia / Mestre em Farmacologia

The acetylcholinesterase (AChE) content of rat vagal efferent neurons was studied. Retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) by cut vagal axons provided a means for localizing efferent cell bodies; tissue sections were then processed for the simultaneous visualization of HRP and AChE. A dorsal vagal efferent column contained the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus, as a primary component, and extended caudally into the upper cervical spinal cord. A ventral column contained neurons in the nucleus ambiguus and the surrounding reticular formation. Although most of the vagal efferent neurons stained with moderate to heave intensity for AChE there were some HRP-labeled cells that contained little AChE and a small percentage in which AChE was absent. In spite of the fact that AChE has been demonstrated in certain non-cholinergic neurons, it has also been found in all cholinergic neurons. Therefore, the presence of AChE has been regarded as a necessary (but not sufficient) component for identifying cholinergic neurons. The absence of AChE in a small percentage of the vagal efferent neurons indicates that some preganglionic parasympathetic fibers in the vagus nerve are not cholinergic.

The brainstem localization of acetylcholinesterase (AChE)-containing neurons projecting to the anteroventral thalamic nucleus (AVN) was studied in rats. The AVN is one of several forebrain regions innervated by the AChE-containing dorsal tegmental pathway described by Shute and Lewis. In the present study, horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was injected into the region of the AVN to determine the brainstem origin of afferent projections. Alternate sections of tissue were stained for HRP or AChE. HRP-labeled neurons were found in the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus (LTN) and the locus coeruleus. Examination of adjacent sections revealed AChE-containing neurons in both of these nuclear regions. Combined HRP/AChE histochemistry demonstrated that transported HRP and AChE were in the same cells. In further experiments, unilateral lesions of the LTN were found to cause a decrease in AChE staining of the ipsilateral AVN. Destruction of the locus coeruleus had no effect. In combination with available evidence, the present findings suggest that cholinergic neurons in the LTN innervate the AVN. © 1980, All rights reserved.

Adult male Long-Evans rats were given 6 mg/kg trimethyltin (TMT). Rats were killed 1, 3, 7, 14, 21, 35 or 60 d later. An untreated control group was included. Brain sections were processed using film autoradiography to visualize in the hippocampus either total muscarinic receptor binding ([3H]quinuclidiny] benzilate: [3H]QNB), or M1 receptors ([3H]pirenzepine; [3H]PZ), or M2 receptors ([3H]oxotremorine-M; [3H]OXO-M). A reduction in [3H]QNB binding was found in CA1 and CA3c 7 d after TMT, but not in CA3a,b, or the dentate gyrus. [3H]PZ binding was decreased throughout Ammon's horn by 14 d after treatment. [3H]OXO-M binding decreased 1 d after exposure in CA1 and in all subfields of Ammon's horn by d 3. Neither [3H]PZ or [3H]OXO-M binding decreased in the dentate gyrus of TMT-treated rat at any time point. The temporal patterns of receptor loss may be explicable by reference to timing of fiber and cell body degeneration reported in previous studies and the regional differences may account for discrepancies between reports of either substantial decreases or no loss in hippocampal muscarinic receptors after TMT exposure.

Intrinsic cardiac neurons are core elements of a complex neural network that serves as an important integrative center for regulation of cardiac function. Although mouse models are used frequently in cardiovascular research, very little is known about mouse intrinsic cardiac neurons. Accordingly, we have dissociated neurons from adult mouse heart, maintained these cells in culture, and defined their basic phenotypic properties. Neurons in culture were primarily unipolar, and 89% had prominent neurite outgrowth after 3 days (longest neurite length of 258 ± 20 μm, n = 140). Many neurites formed close appositions with other neurons and nonneuronal cells. Neurite outgrowth was drastically reduced when neurons were kept in culture with a majority of nonneural cells eliminated. This finding suggests that nonneuronal cells release molecules that support neurite outgrowth. All neurons in coculture showed immunoreactivity for a full complement of cholinergic markers, but about 21% also stained for tyrosine hydroxylase, as observed previously in sections of intrinsic cardiac ganglia from mice and humans. Whole cell patch-clamp recordings demonstrated that these neurons have voltage-activated sodium current that is blocked by tetrodotoxin and that neurons exhibit phasic or accommodating patterns of action potential firing during a depolarizing current pulse. Several neurons exhibited a fast inward current mediated by nicotinic ACh receptors. Collectively, this work shows that neurons from adult mouse heart can be maintained in culture and exhibit appropriate phenotypic properties. Accordingly, these cultures provide a viable model for evaluating the physiology, pharmacology, and trophic factor sensitivity of adult mouse cardiac parasympathetic neurons.