Project description:When mice of accelerated senescence prone 10 (SAMP10) were psychosocially stressed using male mouse’s territorial imperative, the mice exhibited higher cerebral atrophy and cognitive dysfunction than same-aged group-housing mice. The brain atrophy was examined using MRI. The volumes of various brain areas were decreased at the time of one month after confrontational housing. However, in SAMP10 mice ingesting theanine, the main amino acid in tea leaves, brain atrophy was suppressed even under confrontational housing. To investigate the function of theanine, the early response against stress was examined at the third day of confrontational housing. The level of transcription factor Npas4 that plays a role in the development of inhibitory synapses for regulating the balance between excitation and suppression was significantly increased by theanine intake. Actually, the levels of glutamate and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters, were balanced in the mice ingested theanine under confrontational housing. These data suggest that theanine suppresses stress-induced damage in the brain via increased expression of Npas4 and regulation of excitement/suppression balance. In addition, SAMP10 is a useful model of stress vulnerability.
Project description:Genistein is one of the flabonoids which is included in high concentration in soy and has a high estrogenic activity. Beneficial effects of estrogen or hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on muscle mass or muscle atrophy have been demonstrated. We investigated the preventive effects and underlying mechanisms of genistein intake on denervation-induced muscle atrophy. Genistein intake significantly suppressed the loss of soleus muscle weight and the denervation-induced up-regulations of FOXO1 protein. The results of a DNA microarray showed that the estrogen receptor (ER) target genes are changed by genistein intake. Genistein suppressed the soleus muscle atrophy, and it was attenuated under the ER antagonist treatment. The administration of an ERα agonist suppressed the denervation-induced muscle atrophy and up-regulation of Atrogin1 gene expression, but the ERβ agonist had no effect.
Project description:Unfamiliar individuals (German Landrace pigs) with different aggressiveness were mixed. Subsequently hepatic transcriptome profiles were analysed at postnatal stage (190 dpn) per psychosocial group 6 pigs were collected for expression profiling
Project description:Unfamiliar individuals (German Landrace pigs) with different aggressiveness were mixed. Subsequently PBMC transcriptome profiles were analysed at postnatal stage (190 dpn) Per psychosocial group 7-8 pigs were collected for expression profiling
Project description:To identify genes involved in responses to psychosocial stressor, we analysed RNAseq transcriptomic profiles in whole blood of 15 juvenile male vervet monkeys from the Caribbean island of St. Kitts at three experimental time points: day 0 (baseline), day 3 and day 5 of exposure to the stressor.
Project description:In the present study, we investigated the consequences of trehalose intake on brain metabolism in mice drinking for 0, 1, and 10 days. Microarray analyses were performed to identify the molecular targets involved in the brain metabolism of trehalose intake.
Project description:Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) impacts human health beyond acute infection. Myalgia and fatigue represent two of the most prevalent symptoms in post-COVID-19 syndrome. To determine the mechanisms underlying prolonged muscle symptoms, we characterized longitudinal histopathological and transcriptional changes of skeletal muscle after acute respiratory SARS-CoV-2 infection in a COVID-19 hamster model and compared them with respiratory influenza A virus (IAV) infection. Histopathological and bulk RNA sequencing analyses at 3, 30, and 60 days post infection (dpi) showed no evidence of direct viral invasion, inflammatory cell infiltration, or microthrombi in skeletal muscle, but myofiber atrophy was observed in the SARS-CoV-2 group at 60 dpi, accompanied by downregulation of myofiber genes, atrogenes, and cytoplasmic ribosomal protein genes, and upregulation of autophagy genes. There was persistent downregulation of genes involved in mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, fatty acid beta-oxidation, and tricarboxylic acid cycle in the SARS-CoV-2 but not the IAV group. Moreover, TNF-alpha/NF-kB and TGF-beta signaling pathways were differentially regulated in the SARS-CoV-2 group. Our findings suggest that persistent muscle symptoms after COVID-19 may be caused by muscle atrophy and energy metabolism suppression, and that the systemic inflammatory cytokine response may contribute, in part, to the skeletal muscle abnormalities.
Project description:The goal of this study was to compare transcriptional profiles of the amygdala from control and (PS) prenatally stressed male and female offspring to elucidate sex-specific molecular mechanisms underlying behavioral and neuroendocrine abnormalities observed after in-utero psychosocial stress exposure. Amygdalar mRNA profiles of 28 day old control and PS male and female mice were generated by preparing sequencing libraries using the NEBNext Ultr II Directional RNA Library Prep Kit for Illumina. After indexing, enrichment through 8 cycles of PCR, and passing initial quality control metrics, individually indexed and compatible libraries were proportionally pooled and sequenced using Nextseq 550 sequencer. The sequencing setting of single read 1 × 85 bp to generate ∼50 M reads per sample was used. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed using RUVseq and EdgeR. Results were validated via qPCR We find psychosocial PS results in the emergence of anxiety-like behaviors, an altered behavioral coping strategy to stress, and anhedonia in male and female offspring. Neuroendocrine abnormalities, evidenced by acute stress-induced HPA axis hyperactivity, are only observed in PS female offspring. Our RNA-seq analysis reveals these phenotypic changes in PS offspring to be associated with sex-specific disturbances in genes associated with synaptic transmission, including genes associated with glutamatergic and GABAergic signaling in PS males, and upregulation of DBH, known to regulate NE synthesis, in PS females. Our study represents one of the first detailed analysis of amygdalar transcriptomes generated by RNA-seq comparing control vs prenatally stressed offspring, identifying sex-specific changes in response to in-utero psychosocial stress exposure.