OBJECTIVE We sought to define molecular and cellular participants that mediate motor neuron injury in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis using a coculture system. METHODS We cocultured embryonic stem cell-derived motor neurons with organotypic slice cultures from wild-type or SOD1G93A (MT) mice. We examined axon lengths and cell survival of embryonic stem cell-derived motor neurons. We defined and...

All individuals experience stress and hormones (e.g., glucocorticoids/GCs) released during stressful events can affect the structure and function of neurons. These effects of stress are best characterized for brain neurons; however, the mechanisms controlling the expression and binding affinity of glucocorticoid receptors in the spinal cord are different than those in the brain. Accordingly, wh...

MicroRNAs have been shown to effectively regulate gene expression at the translational level. Recently, we identified novel microRNAs that were upregulated in a mouse model of spinal cord injury. Among those, we have focused on microRNA 486, which directly represses NeuroD6 expression through a conserved sequence in its untranslated region. We correlated the overexpression of microRNA 486 in mo...

Our movements are shaped by our perception of the world as communicated by our senses. Perception of sensory information has been largely attributed to cortical activity. However, a prior level of sensory processing occurs in the spinal cord. Indeed, sensory inputs directly project to many spinal circuits, some of which communicate with motor circuits within the spinal cord. Therefore, the proc...

The adult mammalian CNS shows a very limited capacity to regenerate after injury. However, endogenous precursors, or stem cells, provide a potential source of new neurons in the adult brain. Here, we induce the birth of new corticospinal motor neurons (CSMN), the CNS neurons that die in motor neuron degenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and that cause loss of motor fun...

In experiments on models of spinal injuries and spinal cord in 79 laboratory rats, we found changes in reflexes revealed by electromyographic evaluation of spinal cord function during the recovery process. It is established that the parameters of calf muscle reflex responses change immediately after spinal cord injury and that the severity of changes in motor responses in the late posttraumatic...

objective(s) recent studies revealed the neuroprotective effects of epigallocatechin gallate (egcg) on a variety of neural injury .the purpose of this study was to determine the effects of egcg on the tissue lipid peroxidation after spinal cord injury (sci). materials and methods rats were randomly divided into four groups of 7 rats each as follows: sham-operated group, trauma group, and egcg-t...

Grundström, E. 2000. On Pathophysiological Mechanisms in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis, Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Medicine 967. 52 pp. Uppsala ISBN 91-554-4838-0. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a fatal, progressive neurodegenerative disease with unknown ethiology. The aim of this study was to increase understanding of ...

The aim of this study was to investigate the neuropathological features of the spinal cord in patients suffering with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Spinal cord tissue collected from three AD patients and eight controls was selected for the study. Data were collected at T2, T8, T10, L4, and S2 spinal levels. The sections were subjected to hematoxylin and eosin and Gallyas-Braak staining methods and ...