Reciprocal Amplification of Glial Senescence and α-synucleinopathy in Parkinson’s Disease: The Therapeutic Potential Promise of Senolytics | Chapter 8 | Disease and Health Research: New Insights Vol. 11

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the most common movement disorder and the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s disease. Despite decades of research, there is still no cure for PD and the complicated intricacies of the pathology are still being worked out. A hallmark of the disease is the abnormal formation of toxic fibrils of α-synuclein, which then clump into Lewy body aggregates. Lewy bodies rob neurons and glia of their function, eventually leading to their death. This chapter presents a current perspective on the interactive roles that α-synuclein and glial senescence have in PD. The self-amplifying and cyclical nature of oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, α-synucleinopathy, neuroglial senescence, neuroglial chronic activation and neurodegeneration will be discussed. This progressive, degenerative cycle can be interrupted by using senolytics to specifically target and remove senescent cells. Therefore, the compelling role that senolytics could play as a therapeutic avenue for PD will also be explored and encouraged.

 

Author (s) Details

 

Audrey Gibbs
Department of Biology and Biotechnology, School of Science and Technology, Endicott College, Beverly, MA, USA.

 

Sean J. Miller
Pluripotent Diagnostics Corp. (PDx), Molecular Medicine Research Institute, Sunnyvale, CA, USA.

 

Robert Logan
Department of Biology and Biotechnology, School of Science and Technology, Endicott College, Beverly, MA, USA.

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/dhrni/v11/3106

Effects of Xiaoyaosan on Depressive-Like Behaviors in Rats with Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress through HPA Axis Induced Astrocytic Activities | Chapter 1 | Insights into the Prevention and Treatment of Depression with Famous TCM Prescription Xiaoyaosan

 Astrocytes in the hippocampus are immediately relevant to depressive-like behavior. By regulating their activities, Xiaoyaosan (XYS), a traditional Chinese medicine compound, works in the treatment of depression.

Objective: Chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) rat model was established to observe the regulation of XYS. We investigated the behavioral changes of CUMS, the expression of corticosterone (CORT) of the hypothalamo–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, the expression of Glu-NMDA receptor and astrocytes glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the hippocampus. We also investigated whether these changes were linked to XYS.

Methods: 80 adult SD rats were randomly divided into four groups, control group, CUMS group, XYS group, and fluoxetine group. The rats in the control group and the CUMS group received 0.5 ml of deionized water once a day by intragastrically administration. Rats in the two treatment groups received XYS (2.224g/kg/d) and fluoxetine (2.0mg/kg/d) once a day, respectively. Rat hippocampus GFAP and Glu-NMDA receptor were respectively detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR and western blot. The CORT of HPA axis was detected by Elisa. Body weight, food intake, and behavioral tests, such as open field tests, the sucrose preference test, and exhaustive swimming test, were used to assess depressive-like behavior in rats.

Results: In this work, significant behavioral changes and differences in expression of the CORT of HPA axis and hippocampal GFAP and Glu-NMDA receptor were presented in CUMS-exposed rats. Like fluoxetine, XYS improved CUMS-induced rat’s body weight, food intake, and depressive-like behavior. The study also proved that XYS could reverse the CUMS-induced changes of the CORT of HPA axis and affect the astrocytic activities and down-regulate the NR2B subunit of NMDA receptor (NR2B) level in the hippocampus.

Conclusion: Changes in the hippocampus GFAP and Glu-NMDA receptor may be an essential mechanism of depression. Besides, XYS may be critical to the treatment of depression by intervention the HPA axis, GFAP and Glu-NMDA receptor.

Author(s) Details:

Ming Song,
Formula-pattern Research Center, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou-510632, Guangdong, China.

Jianjun Zhang,
Formula-pattern Research Center, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou-510632, Guangdong, China.

Xiaojuan Li,
Formula-pattern Research Center, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou-510632, Guangdong, China and School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 11 North Third Ring Road Chaoyang District, Beijing-100029, China.

Yueyun Liu,
Formula-pattern Research Center, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou-510632, Guangdong, China.

Tingye Wang,
Formula-pattern Research Center, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou-510632, Guangdong, China.

Zhiyi Yan,
Formula-pattern Research Center, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou-510632, Guangdong, China.

Jiaxu Chen,
Formula-pattern Research Center, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou-510632, Guangdong, China and School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 11 North Third Ring Road Chaoyang District, Beijing-100029, China.

Please see the link here: https://stm.bookpi.org/IPTDFTPX/article/view/11262

Nanoparticles for Modulation of Astrocyte Physiology: A Possible Therapeutic Agent to Control Brain Hyper-Excitability | Chapter 4 | New Ideas Concerning Science and Technology Vol. 5

Hyper-excitability of the brain is an irregular condition of the brain that occurs due to a neuron's burst firing. In a normal brain, astrocytes modulate neuronal activities, so brain hyper-excitability is also related with astrocyte physiology. Scientists suggest that astrocyte regulation could be a choice for regulating hyperactive brain disorders. Various nano-particles are designed to regulate the role of the astrocyte to monitor hyper-excitability of the brain and prevent brain disease. To regulate the membrane potential of the astrocyte, charged nanoparticles are either incorporated into the lipid bi-layer or attached to the channel protein present in the plasma membrane. Up to now, none of the approaches are completely successful in regulating brain hyper-excitability.

Author (s) Details

Dr. Manash Barthakur
Department of Zoology, Pub Kamrup College, Kamrup Assam, 781381, India.

View Book :- https://stm.bookpi.org/NICST-V5/issue/view/22