Project description:A deficit in synaptic plasticity is one of the many changes that occurs with age. Specifically the archetypal model of plasticity, long-term potentiation (LTP), is reduced in hippocampus of middle-aged and aged animals. Several factors are likely to contribute to this deficit including morphological changes like a net loss of neurons and loss of synapses with the consequent changes in receptor signalling. However it is also clear that ageing is associated with development of oxidative stress, and also inflammatory stress which is typified by increased activation of microglia. Recent evidence has indicated that probiotics exert anti-inflammatory in the gut. Specifically VSL#3, a proprietary probiotic comprising 8 Gram-positive bacterial strains, decreased markers of inflammation in the colon in an animal model of colitis. We considered that its anti-inflammatory effects might extend to brain and therefore that treatment of aged rats with VSL#3 might attenuate the age-related deficit in LTP. The evidence indicates that LTP was impaired in control-treated aged rats but sustained in aged rats which received VSL#3. This was accompanied by a modest decrease in markers of microglial activation and an increase in BDNF and synapsin . The microarray analysis demonstrated that VSL#3 treatment induces changes also in the expression of some brain genes. four sample groups each representing a certain treatment condition of young or adult male Han Wistar rats
Project description:A deficit in synaptic plasticity is one of the many changes that occurs with age. Specifically the archetypal model of plasticity, long-term potentiation (LTP), is reduced in hippocampus of middle-aged and aged animals. Several factors are likely to contribute to this deficit including morphological changes like a net loss of neurons and loss of synapses with the consequent changes in receptor signalling. However it is also clear that ageing is associated with development of oxidative stress, and also inflammatory stress which is typified by increased activation of microglia. Recent evidence has indicated that probiotics exert anti-inflammatory in the gut. Specifically VSL#3, a proprietary probiotic comprising 8 Gram-positive bacterial strains, decreased markers of inflammation in the colon in an animal model of colitis. We considered that its anti-inflammatory effects might extend to brain and therefore that treatment of aged rats with VSL#3 might attenuate the age-related deficit in LTP. The evidence indicates that LTP was impaired in control-treated aged rats but sustained in aged rats which received VSL#3. This was accompanied by a modest decrease in markers of microglial activation and an increase in BDNF and synapsin . The microarray analysis demonstrated that VSL#3 treatment induces changes also in the expression of some brain genes.
Project description:Few studies have assessed the patterns of parasite populations of rodents over a longitudinal gradient in Chile. In this work, the gastrointestinal helminthic fauna of invasive rodents in Chile was examined to assess the association between their presence/absence and abundance with latitude, host sex, and host body condition, and to assess the coexistence and correlation of the abundance between parasite species. Rodents were obtained from 20 localities between 33 and 43°S. Helminths were extracted from the gastrointestinal tract and identified morphologically. Overall, 13 helminth taxa were obtained. The most frequently identified parasite species was Heterakis spumosa, and the most abundant was Syphacia muris, while Physaloptera sp. was the most widely distributed. No locality presented with a coexistence that was different from that expected by chance, while the abundance of five helminthic species correlated with the abundance of another in at least one locality, most likely due to co-infection rather than interaction. Host sex was associated with parasite presence or abundance, and female sex-biased parasitism was notably observed in all cases. Body condition and latitude presented either a positive or negative association with the presence or abundance of parasites depending on the species. It is notable that the likely native Physaloptera sp. is widely distributed among invasive rodents. Further, gravid females were found, suggesting spillback of this species to the native fauna. The low frequency and abundance of highly zoonotic hymenolepid species suggest that rodents are of low concern regarding gastrointestinal zoonotic helminths.
Project description:Male Sprague-Dawley rats were used to establish exhausted-exercise model by motorized rodent treadmill. Yu-Ping-Feng-San at doses of 2.18 g/kg was administrated by gavage before exercise training for 10 consecutive days. Quantitative proteomics was performed for assessing the related mechanism of Yu-Ping-Feng-San.
Project description:The Norway rat has important impacts on our life. They are amongst the most used research subjects, resulting in ground-breaking advances. At the same time, wild rats live in close association with us, leading to various adverse interactions. In face of this relevance, it is surprising how little is known about their natural behaviour. While recent laboratory studies revealed their complex social skills, little is known about their social behaviour in the wild. An integration of these different scientific approaches is crucial to understand their social life, which will enable us to design more valid research paradigms, develop more effective management strategies, and to provide better welfare standards. Hence, I first summarise the literature on their natural social behaviour. Second, I provide an overview of recent developments concerning their social cognition. Third, I illustrate why an integration of these areas would be beneficial to optimise our interactions with them.
Project description:BackgroundMurine kobuviruses (MuKV) are newly recognized picornaviruses first detected in murine rodents in the USA in 2011. Little information on MuKV epidemiology in murine rodents is available. Therefore, we conducted a survey of the prevalence and genomic characteristics of rat kobuvirus in Guangdong, China.ResultsFecal samples from 223 rats (Rattus norvegicus) were collected from Guangdong and kobuviruses were detected in 12.6% (28) of samples. Phylogenetic analysis based on partial 3D and complete VP1 sequence regions showed that rat kobuvirus obtained in this study were genetically closely related to those of rat/mouse kobuvirus reported in other geographical areas. Two near full-length rat kobuvirus genomes (MM33, GZ85) were acquired and phylogenetic analysis of these revealed that they shared very high nucleotide/amino acids identity with one another (95.4%/99.4%) and a sewage-derived sequence (86.9%/93.5% and 87.5%/93.7%, respectively). Comparison with original Aichivirus A strains, such human kobuvirus, revealed amino acid identity values of approximately 80%.ConclusionOur findings indicate that rat kobuvirus have distinctive genetic characteristics from other Aichivirus A viruses. Additionally, rat kobuvirus may spread via sewage.
Project description:d-serine is naturally present throughout the human body. It is also used as add-on therapy for treatment-refractory schizophrenia. d-Serine interacts with the strychnine-insensitive glycine binding site of NMDA receptor, and this interaction could lead to potentially toxic activity (i.e., excitotoxicity) in brain tissue. The transcriptomic changes that occur in the brain after d-serine exposure have not been fully explored. Affymetrix microarray technology was used to determine differential gene expression resulting from D-Serine exposure. Keywords: Dose course