Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 158-196).

Liu, Xiaodong. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2011. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 135-155). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Case Western Reserve University, 2004. / [School of Medicine] Department of Neurosciences. Includes bibliographical references. Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center.

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento CientÃfico e TecnolÃgico / O exercÃcio fÃsico de varias intensidades influencia vÃrios sistemas fisiolÃgicos como (neuromuscular) promovendo aumento de forÃa e massa muscular, (cardiovascular) induzindo bradicardia de repouso e adaptaÃÃes vasculares, endÃcrino favorecendo a liberaÃÃo de vÃrios hormÃnios hipotalÃmicos e atà mesmo o sistema gastrintestinal. O exercÃcio fÃsico dependendo da intensidade e volume pode levar alteraÃÃes de volemia e isquemia gastrintestinal promovendo alteraÃÃes da motilidade gastrintestinal. O objetivo desse trabalho foi investigar o efeito do exercÃcio fÃsico agudo e crÃnico sobre o esvaziamento gÃstrico de lÃquidos, bem como os possÃveis mecanismos envolvendo o equilÃbrio Ãcido-bÃsico e as vias neuro-humorais em tais eventos. Utilizamos ratos machos wistas pesando entre 180 a 250g. Os protocolos de exercÃcio foram divididos em exercÃcio agudo e crÃnico. O agudo consistiu de nataÃÃo em um tanque coletivo 5/dias/10-40min. ApÃs 48h da ultima sessÃo, os ratos foram submetidos a uma sessÃo aguda de exercÃcio com 5% PC. O exercÃcio crÃnico consistiu de adaptaÃÃo ao meio liquido por 5 dias de nataÃÃo coletiva sem sobrecarga. Quarenta e oito horas apÃs a adaptaÃÃo, dos ratos foram submetidos ao protocolo de exercÃcio de saltos (4x10 intervalo de 30seg, 5dias/semana/4semanas). ApÃs a sessÃo de exercÃcio agudo foram avaliados o EG, gasometria arterial, parÃmetros hemodinÃmicos e mecanismos neurohumorais relacionados aos hormÃnios OT e CCK bem como a expressÃo gÃnica desses hormÃnios em tecidos gastrintestinais. Jà no exercÃcio crÃnico, foram avaliados o esvaziamento gÃstrico, trÃnsito intestinal, complacÃncia gÃstrica e parÃmetros hemodinÃmicos. Observamos que tanto os exercÃcios fÃsicos agudos quanto crÃnico promoveram diminuiÃÃo significativa (p < 0,05) no esvaziamento gÃstrico de lÃquidos. AlÃm disso, o exercÃcio crÃnico aumentou significativamente (p < 0,05) a complacÃncia gÃstrica em relaÃÃo aos ratos sedentÃrios, sem alteraÃÃo no transito intestinal. Em relaÃÃo aos ratos sedentÃrios, os ratos exercÃcio agudo apresentaram quadro de acidose metabÃlica com diminuiÃÃo significativa (p < 0,05) nos valore de pH, [HCO3]. Tal alteraÃÃo no equilÃbrio Ãcido-bÃsico foi prevenido significativamente (p < 0,05) com o prÃtratamento de NaHCO3 500mg/kg v.o, 40min antes do exercÃcio. Observamos ainda que o prÃ-tratamento com antagonista de OT e de CCK preveniu significativamente (p < 0,05) a diminuiÃÃo do esvaziamento gÃstrico induzido por exercÃcio agudo. O exercÃcio agudo diminuiu significativamente (p < 0,05) os valores relativos na expressÃo gÃnica dos hormÃnios OT e ANP no fundo e piloro dos ratos, quando comparados aos ratos sedentÃrios. Por outro lado, observamos que o exercÃcio agudo aumentou significativamente (p < 0,05) os valores da expressÃo gÃnica de CCK no fundo, piloro e duodeno dos ratos quando comparados aos sedentÃrios. O exercÃcio fÃsico agudo quanto crÃnico induziu dismotilidade gÃstrica com diminuiÃÃo do esvaziamento gÃstrico. O prÃtratamento com NaHCO3, Atosibana, Devazepide e Ondansetrona preveniu a diminuiÃÃo do esvaziamento gÃstrico induzido por exercÃcio agudo. Sugerimos que a dismotilidade induzida pelo exercÃcio pode ser influenciada por uma via relacionada a OT, 5-HT e CCK alÃm de sofrer influencia do equilÃbrio acido-bÃsico / &#65279;In the recent years, there is a general consensus on the benefits of regular physical activity on health caliber, prevention and treatment of various chronic diseases besides improving general quality of life. Specifically, physical activity of varied intensities broadly influence vital physiological systems involving the neuromuscular system (promoting increased muscle strength and mass) cardiovascular (induced basal bradycardia at rest), endocrine (favoring the release of several hypothalamic hormones) and even the gastrointestinal system. Published literature report that depending on the intensity and volume of exercise, changes in blood volume may result to associated gastrointestinal ischemia, which would possibly alter gastrointestinal motility. However, the mechanisms involved in altered gastrointestinal motility due to exercise are yet to be fully elucidated. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the effect of acute and chronic exercise on gastric emptying of liquids, as well as explain the possible mechanisms involving acid-base balance and subsequent neurohumoral pathways. Male Wistar rats (180 to 250g), were obtained from the vivarium of the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University Federal do Ceara. They were initially assigned to adapt to either acute or chronic exercise protocols. The acute exercise protocol adaptation consisted of collective swimming in a bath tub over increasing scale periods over 5 days, with a single and final swim 48hs after the fifth day, with a 5% body weight load so as to exploit the lactate threshold. The chronic exercise protocol consisted of collective swimming in a bath tub over 5 days without a specific time count pattern. Forty-eight hours after this adaptation, they were submitted to exercise protocol jumps (4x10 30sec interval, 5days/week/4weeks). After a session of intense exercise, we evaluated gastric emptying, blood analysis, hemodynamic and neurohumoral mechanisms related to hormones 5-HT, OT and CCK as well as the gene expression of these hormones in gastrointestinal tissues. In chronic exercised animals, we evaluated gastric emptying, intestinal transit, gastric compliance and hemodynamic parameters. We found that both acute and chronic exercise promoted a significant decrease (p <0.05) gastric emptying of liquids. Moreover, chronically exercised rats had significant (p <0.05) increased gastric compliance, when compared to sedentary rats; but no change in the intestinal transit. When compared to sedentary rats, acute exercised mice showed metabolic acidosis with a significant decrease (p <0.05) in pH values due to low bicarbonate. This change in acid-base balance was significantly (p <0.05) prevented with pretreating the animals to an oral dose of NaHCO3 (500mg/kg) 40min before exercise. We also observed that pretreatment with OT antagonist and CCK significantly prevented (p <0.05) the decrease in gastric emptying induced by acute exercise. Acute exercise decreased significantly (p <0.05) values for the gene expression of hormones OT and ANP in the fund and pylorus of the rats, when compared to sedentary rats. On the other hand, we found that acute exercise significantly (p <0.05) increased CCK-gene expression values in the fund, pylorus and duodenum of rats, in comparison to sedentary. Concluding, exercise induced changes in gastric motility in both acute and chronic exercise protocols. The pre-treatment with NaHCO3, Atosibana, and Ondansetron Devazepide prevented the decrease in gastric emptying induced by acute exercise. We suggest that dysmotility induced by exercise may be influenced by a pathway related to oxytocin, serotonin and cholecystokinin, which too have a role in the acid-base homeostasis

The hippocampal-medial prefrontal circuit has been shown to serve a critical role in decision making and goal directed actions. While the hippocampus (HF) exerts a direct influence on the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), there are no direct return projections from the mPFC to the HF. The nucleus reuniens (RE) of the midline thalamus is strongly reciprocally connected with the HF and mPFC and represents the major link between these structures. We investigated the role of RE in functions associated with the hippocampus and the mPFC -- or their interactions. Using two different inactivation techniques (pharmacological and chemogenetic), we sought to further define the role of RE in spatial working memory (SWM) and behavioral flexibility using a modified delayed non-match to sample (DNMS) working memory task. We found that the reversible inactivation of RE with muscimol critically impaired SWM performance, abolished well-established spatial strategies and produced a profound inability to correct non-rewarded, incorrect choices on the T-maze (perseverative responding). We observed similar impairments in SWM following the chemogenetic (DREADDs) inactivation of RE or selective RE projections to the ventral HF. In addition, we showed that the inhibition of RE terminals to the dorsal or ventral HF altered task related behaviors by increasing or decreasing the time to initiate the task or reach the reward, respectively. Finally, we examined discharge properties of RE cells across sleep-wake states in behaving rats. We found that the majority of RE cells discharge at high rates of activity in waking and REM and at significantly reduced rates in SWS, with a subpopulation firing rhythmically in bursts during SWS. We identified five distinct subtypes of RE cells that discharged differently across vigilant states; those firing at highest rates in waking (W1, W2), in REM sleep (R1, R2) and SWS (S1). Given the differential patterns of activity of these cells, we proposed they may serve distinct functions in waking – and possibly in SWS/REM sleep. In sum, our findings indicate that RE is critically involved in mnemonic and executive functions and the heterogeneous activity of these cells support a role for RE in arousal/attention, spatial working memory and cognition. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2018. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karolinska institutet, 2009. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 103-131).

Thesis (Ph.D. (Physiology))--Mahidol University, 1978. / Financial support by the Rockefeller Foundation, the National Reasearch Counicl and the World Health Organization.

Tam Wing-yip. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 91-113). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Chinese Abstract --- p.iv / Acknowledgements --- p.vi / Table of Contents --- p.vii / Chapter Chapter 1 --- General Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Hirschsprung's disease --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Neural crest cells and enteric nervous system --- p.3 / Chapter 1.3 --- Genetics of Hirschsprun´gةs disease --- p.10 / Chapter 1.3.1 --- RET/GDNF/NTN signaling pathway --- p.10 / Chapter 1.3.2 --- EDNRB/EDN3/ECE-1 signaling pathway --- p.13 / Chapter 1.3.3 --- Dominant megacolon and Sox10 --- p.15 / Chapter 1.3.4 --- Other genes involved in intestinal aganglionosis --- p.16 / Chapter 1.4 --- Objectives of the present study --- p.19 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Enteric Neural Crest Cells Migration in Dominant Megacolon Mouse Embryos --- p.21 / Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction --- p.21 / Chapter 2.2 --- Materials and Methods --- p.26 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Animal --- p.26 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Preparation of rat serum --- p.26 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Isolation of embryos from pregnant mice --- p.27 / Chapter 2.2.4 --- Preparation of wheat germ agglutinin-gold (WGA-Au) --- p.28 / Chapter 2.2.5 --- Microinjection of WGA-Au conjugate --- p.28 / Chapter 2.2.6 --- Whole embryo culture --- p.29 / Chapter 2.2.7 --- Examination of cultured embryos --- p.30 / Chapter 2.2.8 --- Histological preparation of WGA-Au injected embryos --- p.30 / Chapter 2.2.9 --- Silver enhancement staining and histological examination of the sections --- p.31 / Chapter 2.2.10 --- Genotyping by polymerase chain reaction --- p.32 / Chapter 2.2.11 --- TUNEL assays --- p.33 / Chapter 2.3 --- Results --- p.35 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- In vivo development of Dominant megacolon mouse embryos of different genotypes --- p.35 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- In vitro development of embryos in control and experimental groups --- p.35 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- Migration of vagal neural crest cells in Dom embryos --- p.36 / Chapter 2.3.4 --- Apoptotic cells detection at the vagal region by TUNEL assay --- p.37 / Chapter 2.3.5 --- Migration of sacral neural crest cells in Dom embryos --- p.37 / Chapter 2.3.6 --- Apoptotic cells detection at the sacral region by TUNEL assay --- p.38 / Figures and Tables / Chapter 2.4 --- Discussion --- p.40 / Chapter 2.4.1 --- In vitro culture system supporting the normal development of mouse embryos --- p.40 / Chapter 2.4.2 --- WGA-Au as a cell marker for tracing the NCCs migration --- p.41 / Chapter 2.4.3 --- Vagal neural crest cells migration in Dom mouse embryos --- p.42 / Chapter 2.4.4 --- Apoptotic cell death does not contribute to the total aganglionosis in Dom homozygous embryos --- p.43 / Chapter 2.4.5 --- Sacral neural crest cells migration in Dom mouse embryos --- p.45 / Chapter 2.4.6 --- NCCs migration in zebrafish colourless mutant --- p.47 / Chapter 2.4.7 --- Limitation of the method used in this study --- p.49 / Chapter 2.4.8 --- Conclusions --- p.49 / Appendices / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Migration of Enteric Neural Crest-derived Cells in the Developing Gut of Dominant Megacolon Mouse Embryos --- p.51 / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.51 / Chapter 3.2 --- Materials and Methods --- p.55 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Isolation of the gut from Dom mouse embryos --- p.55 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Whole mount immunohistochemistry --- p.55 / Chapter 3.3 --- Results --- p.57 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- PGP9.5 immunoreactivity in the 12.5 d.p.c. Dom embryos --- p.57 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- TH immunoreactivity in the 12.5 d.p.c. Dom embryos --- p.58 / Chapter 3.3.3 --- PGP9.5 immunoreactivity in the 14.5 d.p.c. Dom embryos --- p.59 / Figures and Tables / Chapter 3.4 --- Discussion --- p.61 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- The use of PGP9.5 and TH antibodies as markers for studying the migration of enteric neural crest-derived cells --- p.61 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- Incomplete migration of neural crest-derived cells within the gut of Dom heterozygous embryos --- p.62 / Chapter 3.4.3 --- Failure of sacral NCCs to invade the hindgut of Dom heterozygous embryos --- p.63 / Chapter 3.4.4 --- PGP9.5 and TH positive signals in the gut of Dom homozygous embryos --- p.64 / Chapter 3.4.5 --- Early differentiation of neural crest-derived cells into neurons due to haploinsufficiency of Sox10 --- p.65 / Chapter 3.4.6 --- Conclusions --- p.66 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Localization of Interstitial Cells of Cajal in the Gut of Dominant Megacolon Mice --- p.67 / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.67 / Chapter 4.2. --- Materials and Methods --- p.72 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Isolation of the gut from mouse embryos and adult mice --- p.72 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Cryosection and immunohistochemistry --- p.73 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Whole-mount immunohistochemistry --- p.73 / Chapter 4.2.4 --- Total RNA extraction --- p.74 / Chapter 4.2.5 --- Reverse transcription for the first strand cDNA synthesis --- p.75 / Chapter 4.2.4 --- Reverse transcription-Polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) --- p.76 / Chapter 4.3 --- Results --- p.77 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- PGP9.5 and c-kit immunoreactivity in the Dom wild type colon --- p.77 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- c-kit immunoreactivity in the Dom heterozygous adult colon --- p.78 / Chapter 4.3.3 --- c-kit and SCF expression during gut development --- p.78 / Figures and Tables / Chapter 4.4 --- Discussion --- p.80 / Chapter 4.4.1 --- The importance in studying the development of ICCs in aganglionic gut --- p.80 / Chapter 4.4.2 --- ICCs development in Dominant megacolon mice --- p.81 / Chapter 4.4.3 --- The relationship between enteric neurons and ICCs development --- p.83 / Chapter 4.4.4 --- Advantages of using confocal microscopy and whole- mount preparations to study the ICCs development --- p.85 / Chapter 4.4.5 --- Conclusions --- p.86 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- General Discussion and Conclusions --- p.87 / References --- p.91

Evaluating our environment by deciding what is beneficial or harmful, pleasant or punishing is a part of our daily lives. Seeking pleasure and avoiding pain is a common trait all mobile organisms exhibit and understanding how rewarding stimuli are represented in the brain remains a major goal of neuroscience. Studying reward learning in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster has enabled us to better understand the complex neural circuit mechanisms involved in reward processing in the brain. By conditioning flies with sugars of differing nutritional properties, we determined that flies trained with sweet but non-nutritive sugars formed robust short-term memory (STM), but not long-term memory (LTM). However, flies conditioned with a sweet and nutritious sugar or a sweet non-nutritious sugar supplemented with a tasteless nutritious compound, formed robust 24 hour LTM. These findings led us to propose a model of parallel reinforcement pathways for appetitive olfactory conditioning in the fly, in which both sweet taste and nutrient value contribute to appetitive long-term memory. We followed this line of research by examining the neural circuitry in the fly brain that represents these parallel reward pathways. We found that the biogenic amine octopamine (OA) only represents the reinforcing effects of sweet taste. Stimulation of OA neurons could replace sugar in olfactory conditioning to form appetitive STM. Surprisingly, implanting memory with OA was dependent on dopamine (DA) signaling, which although being long associated with reward in mammals, was previously linked with punishment in flies. We found that OA-reinforced memory functions through the α-adrenergic OAMB receptor in a novel subset of rewarding DA neurons that innervate the mushroom body (MB). The rewarding population of DA neurons is required for sweet and nutrient reinforced memory suggesting they may integrate both signals to drive appetitive LTM formation. In addition, OA implanted memory requires concurrent modulation of negatively reinforcing DA neurons through the β-adrenergic OCTβ2R receptor. These data provide a new layered reward model in Drosophila in which OA modulates distinct populations of both positive and negative coding DA neurons. Therefore, the reinforcement system in flies is more similar to that of mammals than previously thought.