Galanin: Presence and distribution in the brain and pituitary of Rhinella arenarum (Amphibia: Anura) during development

Organization of the galaninergic neuronal system in the brain of the gecko Hemidactylus frenatus

Galanin (GAL) is a 29 amino acid peptide present in the central nervous system (CNS) as well as peripheral tissues in vertebrates. However, the brain distribution pattern of GAL is understudied in reptiles. The aim of this study was to determine the organization of galaninergic neuronal system in the brain of the gecko Hemidactylus frenatus, a tropical and sub-tropical lizard, using rabbit anti-galanin antibody. In the telencephalon, GAL-ir perikarya and fibres were found in the lateral septal nucleus, but only GAL-ir fibres were observed in the striatum, nucleus accumbens, anterior commissure, nucleus centralis amygdalae, dorsal and medial septal nuclei, nucleus of the diagonal band of Broca and in the optic chiasma. In the preoptic region, a cluster of GAL-ir cells and fibres was observed in the periventricular preoptic area and lateral preoptic area. GAL-ir perikarya and fibres were observed in hypothalamic areas such as the supraoptic nucleus, suprachiasmatic nucleus, paraventricular nucleus, periventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, infundibular recess nucleus and in the median eminence, whereas GAL-ir fibres were present in the pars distalis of the pituitary gland. In the thalamus, GAL-ir fibres were observed in the dorsomedial, dorsolateral, and medial thalamic nuclei. GAL-ir fibres were also detected in mesencephalic areas such as the optic tectum, torus semicircularis, ventral tegmental area and substantia nigra, brain stem as well as the spinal cord. The organization of GAL-ir cells and fibres throughout the gecko brain suggests several neuroendocrine, neuromodulatory and behavioural functions for GAL in lizards. The study provides new insights into the evolutionarily conserved nature of GAL peptide in squamate reptiles and forms a valuable basis for future comparative studies.

Neural regeneration dynamics of Xenopus laevis olfactory epithelium after zinc sulfate-induced damage

Neural stem cells (NSCs) of the olfactory epithelium (OE) are responsible for tissue maintenance and the neural regeneration after severe damage of the tissue. In the normal OE, NSCs are located in the basal layer, olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) mainly in the middle layer, and sustentacular (SUS) cells in the most apical olfactory layer. In this work, we induced severe damage of the OE through treatment with a zinc sulfate (ZnSO₄) solution directly in the medium, which resulted in the loss of ORNs and SUS cells, but retention of the basal layer. During recovery following injury, the OE exhibited increased proliferation of NSCs and rapid neural regeneration. After 24h of recovery, new ORNs and SUS cells were observed. Normal morphology and olfactory function were reached after 168h (7 days) of recovery after ZnSO₄ treatment. Taken together, these data support the hypothesis that NSCs in the basal layer activate after OE injury and that these are sufficient for complete neural regeneration and olfactory function restoration. Our analysis provides histological and functional insights into the dynamics between olfactory neurogenesis and the neuronal integration into the neuronal circuitry of the olfactory bulb that restores the function of the olfactory system.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in normal and regenerating olfactory epithelium of Xenopus laevis

Olfactory epithelium has the capability to continuously regenerate olfactory receptor neurons throughout life. Adult neurogenesis results from proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells, and consequently, olfactory neuroepithelium offers an excellent opportunity to study neural regeneration and the factors involved in the maintenance and regeneration of all their cell types. We analyzed the expression of BDNF in the olfactory system under normal physiological conditions as well as during a massive regeneration induced by chemical destruction of the olfactory epithelium in Xenopus laevis larvae. We described the expression and presence of BDNF in the olfactory epithelium and bulb. In normal physiological conditions, sustentacular (glial) cells and a few scattered basal (stem) cells express BDNF in the olfactory epithelium as well as the granular cells in the olfactory bulb. Moreover, during massive regeneration, we demonstrated a drastic increase in basal cells expressing BDNF as well as an increase in BDNF in the olfactory bulb and nerve. Together these results suggest an important role of BDNF in the maintenance and regeneration of the olfactory system.