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Bertero A, Apicella AJ. Distinct electrophysiological properties of long-range GABAergic and glutamatergic neurons from the lateral amygdala to the auditory cortex of the mouse. J Physiol 2024; 602:1733-1757. [PMID: 38493320 DOI: 10.1113/jp286094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Differentiating between auditory signals of various emotional significance plays a crucial role in an individual's ability to thrive and excel in social interactions and in survival. Multiple approaches, including anatomical studies, electrophysiological investigations, imaging techniques, optogenetics and chemogenetics, have confirmed that the auditory cortex (AC) impacts fear-related behaviours driven by auditory stimuli by conveying auditory information to the lateral amygdala (LA) through long-range excitatory glutamatergic and GABAergic connections. In addition, the LA provides glutamatergic projections to the AC which are important to fear memory expression and are modified by associative fear learning. Here we test the hypothesis that the LA also sends long-range direct inhibitory inputs to the cortex. To address this fundamental question, we used anatomical and electrophysiological approaches, allowing us to directly assess the nature of GABAergic inputs from the LA to the AC in the mouse. Our findings elucidate the existence of a long-range inhibitory pathway from the LA to the AC (LAC) via parvalbumin-expressing (LAC-Parv) and somatostatin-expressing (LAC-SOM) neurons. This research identifies distinct electrophysiological properties for genetically defined long-range GABAergic neurons involved in the communication between the LA and the cortex (LAC-Parv inhibitory projections → AC neurons; LAC-Som inhibitory projections → AC neurons) within the lateral amygdala cortical network. KEY POINTS: The mouse auditory cortex receives inputs from the lateral amygdala. Retrograde viral tracing techniques allowed us to identify two previously undescribed lateral amygdala to auditory cortex (LAC) GABAergic projecting neurons. Extensive electrophysiological, morphological and anatomical characterization of LAC neurons is provided here, demonstrating key differences in the three populations. This study paves the way for a better understanding of the growing complexity of the cortico-amygdala-cortico circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Bertero
- Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Alfonso Junior Apicella
- Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
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Perego MC, Spicer LJ, Cortinovis C, Bertero A, Caloni F. In vitro effects of two environmental toxicants, beauvericin and glyphosate in Roundup, on cell numbers and steroidogenesis of bovine ovarian cells. Vet Res Commun 2024:10.1007/s11259-024-10357-5. [PMID: 38558370 DOI: 10.1007/s11259-024-10357-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Beauvericin is an emerging Fusariotoxin naturally occurring in cereal grains throughout the world whereas glyphosate (N-phosphonomethyl-glycine) is a non-selective systemic herbicide used worldwide. The purpose of this study is to evaluate a newly developed ovarian cell culture system (that includes both granulosa and theca cells) as an in vitro model for toxicological studies. Specifically, the effects of beauvericin and glyphosate in formulation with Roundup on ovarian cell numbers and steroid production were evaluated. Ovaries collected from cattle without luteal structures were sliced into 30-70 pieces each, and granulosa and theca cells were collected. Harvested cells were cultured for 48 h in 10% fetal bovine serum-containing medium followed by 48 h in serum-free medium containing testosterone (500 ng/mL; as an estrogen precursor) with the following eight treatments: (1) controls, (2) FSH (30 ng/mL) alone, (3) FSH plus insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF1; 30 ng/mL), (4) FSH plus IGF1 plus beauvericin (3 µM), (5) FSH plus IGF1 plus glyphosate in Roundup (10 µg/mL), (6) FSH plus IGF1 plus fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9, 30 ng/mL), (7) a negative control without added testosterone, and (8) IGF1 plus LH (30 ng/mL) with basal medium without added testosterone. In the presence of FSH, IGF1 significantly increased cell numbers, estradiol and progesterone production by severalfold. Glyphosate in Roundup formulation significantly inhibited IGF1-induced cell numbers and estradiol and progesterone production by 89-94%. Beauvericin inhibited IGF1-induced cell numbers and estradiol and progesterone by 50-97% production. LH plus IGF1 significantly increased androstenedione secretion compared with controls without added testosterone indicating the presence of theca cells. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that toxicological effects of beauvericin and glyphosate in Roundup formulation are observed in a newly developed ovarian cell model system and further confirms that both glyphosate and beauvericin may have the potential to impair reproductive function in cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- M C Perego
- Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA
| | - L J Spicer
- Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA.
| | - C Cortinovis
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 10, Milan, 20133, Italy
| | - A Bertero
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - F Caloni
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 10, Milan, 20133, Italy
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Nervo T, Poletto M, Donato GG, Bertero A, Bergamini L, Elkhawagah AR. Effects of post-freezing addition of relaxin on the fertility parameters of equine semen. J Equine Vet Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jevs.2022.103967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Pagani M, Barsotti N, Bertero A, Trakoshis S, Ulysse L, Locarno A, Miseviciute I, De Felice A, Canella C, Supekar K, Galbusera A, Menon V, Tonini R, Deco G, Lombardo MV, Pasqualetti M, Gozzi A. mTOR-related synaptic pathology causes autism spectrum disorder-associated functional hyperconnectivity. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6084. [PMID: 34667149 PMCID: PMC8526836 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26131-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Postmortem studies have revealed increased density of excitatory synapses in the brains of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with a putative link to aberrant mTOR-dependent synaptic pruning. ASD is also characterized by atypical macroscale functional connectivity as measured with resting-state fMRI (rsfMRI). These observations raise the question of whether excess of synapses causes aberrant functional connectivity in ASD. Using rsfMRI, electrophysiology and in silico modelling in Tsc2 haploinsufficient mice, we show that mTOR-dependent increased spine density is associated with ASD -like stereotypies and cortico-striatal hyperconnectivity. These deficits are completely rescued by pharmacological inhibition of mTOR. Notably, we further demonstrate that children with idiopathic ASD exhibit analogous cortical-striatal hyperconnectivity, and document that this connectivity fingerprint is enriched for ASD-dysregulated genes interacting with mTOR or Tsc2. Finally, we show that the identified transcriptomic signature is predominantly expressed in a subset of children with autism, thereby defining a segregable autism subtype. Our findings causally link mTOR-related synaptic pathology to large-scale network aberrations, revealing a unifying multi-scale framework that mechanistically reconciles developmental synaptopathy and functional hyperconnectivity in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Pagani
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
- Autism Center, Child Mind Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Noemi Barsotti
- Department of Biology, Unit of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Alice Bertero
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
- Department of Biology, Unit of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Stavros Trakoshis
- Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
- Laboratory for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Laura Ulysse
- Center for Brain and Cognition, Computational Neuroscience Group, Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Andrea Locarno
- Neuromodulation of Cortical and Subcortical Circuits Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Ieva Miseviciute
- Neuromodulation of Cortical and Subcortical Circuits Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Alessia De Felice
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Carola Canella
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | | | - Alberto Galbusera
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | | | - Raffaella Tonini
- Neuromodulation of Cortical and Subcortical Circuits Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Gustavo Deco
- Center for Brain and Cognition, Computational Neuroscience Group, Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de la Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Michael V Lombardo
- Laboratory for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
- Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Massimo Pasqualetti
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
- Department of Biology, Unit of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Alessandro Gozzi
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy.
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Caloni F, Sambuy Y, Ranaldi G, Ferruzza S, Torri E, Vargiu M, Bertero A. Beauvericin and enniatin B1: an in vitro integrated approach for risk assessment. Toxicol Lett 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/s0378-4274(21)00790-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Bertero A, Garcia C, Apicella AJ. Corticofugal VIP Gabaergic Projection Neurons in the Mouse Auditory and Motor Cortex. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:714780. [PMID: 34366798 PMCID: PMC8343102 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.714780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Anatomical and physiological studies have described the cortex as a six-layer structure that receives, elaborates, and sends out information exclusively as excitatory output to cortical and subcortical regions. This concept has increasingly been challenged by several anatomical and functional studies that showed that direct inhibitory cortical outputs are also a common feature of the sensory and motor cortices. Similar to their excitatory counterparts, subsets of Somatostatin- and Parvalbumin-expressing neurons have been shown to innervate distal targets like the sensory and motor striatum and the contralateral cortex. However, no evidence of long-range VIP-expressing neurons, the third major class of GABAergic cortical inhibitory neurons, has been shown in such cortical regions. Here, using anatomical anterograde and retrograde viral tracing, we tested the hypothesis that VIP-expressing neurons of the mouse auditory and motor cortices can also send long-range projections to cortical and subcortical areas. We were able to demonstrate, for the first time, that VIP-expressing neurons of the auditory cortex can reach not only the contralateral auditory cortex and the ipsilateral striatum and amygdala, as shown for Somatostatin- and Parvalbumin-expressing long-range neurons, but also the medial geniculate body and both superior and inferior colliculus. We also demonstrate that VIP-expressing neurons of the motor cortex send long-range GABAergic projections to the dorsal striatum and contralateral cortex. Because of its presence in two such disparate cortical areas, this would suggest that the long-range VIP projection is likely a general feature of the cortex’s network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Bertero
- Department of Biology, Neurosciences Institute, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Charles Garcia
- Department of Biology, Neurosciences Institute, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Alfonso Junior Apicella
- Department of Biology, Neurosciences Institute, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
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7
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Ong L, Colzani M, Mitzelfelt K, Gambardella L, Bertero A, Martinson A, Murry C, Sinha S. Could Cellular Therapy Rescue the Chronically Failing Heart? J Heart Lung Transplant 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.healun.2021.01.849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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Bertero A, Zurita H, Normandin M, Apicella AJ. Auditory Long-Range Parvalbumin Cortico-Striatal Neurons. Front Neural Circuits 2020; 14:45. [PMID: 32792912 PMCID: PMC7390902 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2020.00045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that cortico-striatal pathways link auditory signals to action-selection and reward-learning behavior through excitatory projections. Only recently it has been demonstrated that long-range GABAergic cortico-striatal somatostatin-expressing neurons in the auditory cortex project to the dorsal striatum, and functionally inhibit the main projecting neuronal population, the spiny projecting neuron. Here we tested the hypothesis that parvalbumin-expressing neurons of the auditory cortex can also send long-range projections to the auditory striatum. To address this fundamental question, we took advantage of viral and non-viral anatomical tracing approaches to identify cortico-striatal parvalbumin neurons (CS-Parv inhibitory projections → auditory striatum). Here, we describe their anatomical distribution in the auditory cortex and determine the anatomical and electrophysiological properties of layer 5 CS-Parv neurons. We also analyzed their characteristic voltage-dependent membrane potential gamma oscillation, showing that intrinsic membrane mechanisms generate them. The inherent membrane mechanisms can also trigger intermittent and irregular bursts (stuttering) of the action potential in response to steps of depolarizing current pulses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Bertero
- Department of Biology, Neurosciences Institute, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Hector Zurita
- Department of Biology, Neurosciences Institute, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Marc Normandin
- Department of Biology, Neurosciences Institute, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Alfonso Junior Apicella
- Department of Biology, Neurosciences Institute, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
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9
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Bertero A, Augustyniak J, Buzanska L, Caloni F. Species-specific models in toxicology: in vitro epithelial barriers. Environ Toxicol Pharmacol 2019; 70:103203. [PMID: 31176950 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2019.103203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Species-specific in vitro epithelial barriers represent interesting predictive tools for risk assessment evaluation in toxicological studies. Moreover, these models could be applied either as stand-alone methods for the study of absorption, bioavailability, excretion, transport, effects of xenobiotics, or through an Integrated Testing Strategy. The aim of this review is to give a comprehensive overview of in vitro species-specific epithelial barrier models from bovine, dog and swine. Bovine mammary epithelial barrier as a fundamental instrument for the evaluation of the toxicant excretion, the blood brain barrier as a useful first approach in toxicological and pharmacological studies, the porcine intestinal barrier, the canine skin barrier, and finally the pulmonary barrier from bovine and swine species are described in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Bertero
- Università degli Studi di Milano, Department of Veterinary Medicine (DIMEVET) Milan, Italy
| | - J Augustyniak
- Stem Cell Bioengineering Unit, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - L Buzanska
- Stem Cell Bioengineering Unit, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - F Caloni
- Università degli Studi di Milano, Department of Veterinary Medicine (DIMEVET) Milan, Italy.
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10
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Bertero A, Liska A, Pagani M, Parolisi R, Masferrer ME, Gritti M, Pedrazzoli M, Galbusera A, Sarica A, Cerasa A, Buffelli M, Tonini R, Buffo A, Gross C, Pasqualetti M, Gozzi A. Autism-associated 16p11.2 microdeletion impairs prefrontal functional connectivity in mouse and human. Brain 2019; 141:2055-2065. [PMID: 29722793 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awy111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2017] [Accepted: 02/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Human genetic studies are rapidly identifying variants that increase risk for neurodevelopmental disorders. However, it remains unclear how specific mutations impact brain function and contribute to neuropsychiatric risk. Chromosome 16p11.2 deletion is one of the most common copy number variations in autism and related neurodevelopmental disorders. Using resting state functional MRI data from the Simons Variation in Individuals Project (VIP) database, we show that 16p11.2 deletion carriers exhibit impaired prefrontal connectivity, resulting in weaker long-range functional coupling with temporal-parietal regions. These functional changes are associated with socio-cognitive impairments. We also document that a mouse with the same genetic deficiency exhibits similarly diminished prefrontal connectivity, together with thalamo-prefrontal miswiring and reduced long-range functional synchronization. These results reveal a mechanistic link between specific genetic risk for neurodevelopmental disorders and long-range functional coupling, and suggest that deletion in 16p11.2 may lead to impaired socio-cognitive function via dysregulation of prefrontal connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Bertero
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Rovereto, Italy.,Department of Biology, Unit of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Adam Liska
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Marco Pagani
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Roberta Parolisi
- Department of Neuroscience Rita Levi-Montalcini- University of Torino, Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), Torino, Italy
| | - Maria Esteban Masferrer
- Epigenetics and Neurobiology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Monterotondo, Italy
| | - Marta Gritti
- Neuroscience and Brain Technologies Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Matteo Pedrazzoli
- Neuroscience and Brain Technologies Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Alberto Galbusera
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Rovereto, Italy
| | | | - Antonio Cerasa
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Catanzaro, Italy.,S. Anna Institute and Research in Advanced Neuro-rehabilitation (RAN) Crotone, Italy
| | - Mario Buffelli
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Italy
| | - Raffaella Tonini
- Neuroscience and Brain Technologies Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Annalisa Buffo
- Department of Neuroscience Rita Levi-Montalcini- University of Torino, Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), Torino, Italy
| | - Cornelius Gross
- Epigenetics and Neurobiology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Monterotondo, Italy
| | - Massimo Pasqualetti
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Rovereto, Italy.,Department of Biology, Unit of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Alessandro Gozzi
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Rovereto, Italy
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Ricci A, Racioppi V, Iotti B, Bertero A, Reed K, Pascottini O, Vincenti L. Assessment of the temperature cut-off point by a commercial intravaginal device to predict parturition in Piedmontese beef cows. Theriogenology 2018; 113:27-33. [DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2018.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2017] [Revised: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Cavaccini A, Gritti M, Giorgi A, Locarno A, Heck N, Migliarini S, Bertero A, Mereu M, Margiani G, Trusel M, Catelani T, Marotta R, De Luca MA, Caboche J, Gozzi A, Pasqualetti M, Tonini R. Serotonergic Signaling Controls Input-Specific Synaptic Plasticity at Striatal Circuits. Neuron 2018; 98:801-816.e7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Revised: 02/15/2018] [Accepted: 04/05/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Liska A, Bertero A, Gomolka R, Sabbioni M, Galbusera A, Barsotti N, Panzeri S, Scattoni ML, Pasqualetti M, Gozzi A. Homozygous Loss of Autism-Risk Gene CNTNAP2 Results in Reduced Local and Long-Range Prefrontal Functional Connectivity. Cereb Cortex 2018; 28:1141-1153. [PMID: 28184409 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhx022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2016] [Accepted: 01/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional connectivity aberrancies, as measured with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI), have been consistently observed in the brain of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) patients. However, the genetic and neurobiological underpinnings of these findings remain unclear. Homozygous mutations in contactin associated protein-like 2 (CNTNAP2), a neurexin-related cell-adhesion protein, are strongly linked to autism and epilepsy. Here we used rsfMRI to show that homozygous mice lacking Cntnap2 exhibit reduced long-range and local functional connectivity in prefrontal and midline brain "connectivity hubs." Long-range rsfMRI connectivity impairments affected heteromodal cortical regions and were prominent between fronto-posterior components of the mouse default-mode network, an effect that was associated with reduced social investigation, a core "autism trait" in mice. Notably, viral tracing revealed reduced frequency of prefrontal-projecting neural clusters in the cingulate cortex of Cntnap2-/- mutants, suggesting a possible contribution of defective mesoscale axonal wiring to the observed functional impairments. Macroscale cortico-cortical white-matter organization appeared to be otherwise preserved in these animals. These findings reveal a key contribution of ASD-associated gene CNTNAP2 in modulating macroscale functional connectivity, and suggest that homozygous loss-of-function mutations in this gene may predispose to neurodevelopmental disorders and autism through a selective dysregulation of connectivity in integrative prefrontal areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Liska
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto 38068, Italy
- CIMeC, Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto 38068, Italy
| | - Alice Bertero
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto 38068, Italy
- Department of Biology, Unit of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa 56127, Italy
| | - Ryszard Gomolka
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto 38068, Italy
| | - Mara Sabbioni
- Department of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Neurotoxicology and Neuroendocrinology Section, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Alberto Galbusera
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto 38068, Italy
| | - Noemi Barsotti
- Department of Biology, Unit of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa 56127, Italy
| | - Stefano Panzeri
- Neural Computation Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto 38068, Italy
| | - Maria Luisa Scattoni
- Department of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Neurotoxicology and Neuroendocrinology Section, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Massimo Pasqualetti
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto 38068, Italy
- Department of Biology, Unit of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa 56127, Italy
| | - Alessandro Gozzi
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto 38068, Italy
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Maddaloni G, Bertero A, Pratelli M, Barsotti N, Boonstra A, Giorgi A, Migliarini S, Pasqualetti M. Development of Serotonergic Fibers in the Post-Natal Mouse Brain. Front Cell Neurosci 2017; 11:202. [PMID: 28769763 PMCID: PMC5509955 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2017.00202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2017] [Accepted: 06/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Serotonin (5-HT)-synthetizing neurons, which are confined in the raphe nuclei of the rhombencephalon, provide a pervasive innervation of the central nervous system (CNS) and are involved in the modulation of a plethora of functions in both developing and adult brain. Classical studies have described the post-natal development of serotonergic axons as a linear process of terminal field innervation. However, technical limitations have hampered a fine morphological characterization. With the advent of genetic mouse models, the possibility to label specific neuronal populations allowed the rigorous measurement of their axonal morphological features as well as their developmental dynamics. Here, we used the Tph2GFP knock-in mouse line, in which GFP expression allows punctual identification of serotonergic neurons and axons, for confocal microscope imaging and we performed 3-dimensional reconstruction in order to morphologically characterize the development of serotonergic fibers in specified brain targets from birth to adulthood. Our analysis highlighted region-specific developmental patterns of serotonergic fiber density ranging from a linear and progressive colonization of the target (Caudate/Putamen, Basolateral Amygdala, Geniculate Nucleus and Substantia Nigra) to a transient increase in fiber density (medial Prefrontal Cortex, Globus Pallidus, Somatosensory Cortex and Hippocampus) occurring with a region-specific timing. Despite a common pattern of early post-natal morphological maturation in which a progressive rearrangement from a dot-shaped to a regular and smooth fiber morphology was observed, starting from post-natal day 28 serotonergic fibers acquire the region specific morphological features present in the adult. In conclusion, we provided novel, target-specific insights on the morphology and temporal dynamics of the developing serotonergic fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Maddaloni
- Unit of Cell and Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of PisaPisa, Italy
| | - Alice Bertero
- Unit of Cell and Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of PisaPisa, Italy.,Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Istituto Italiano di Technologia, University of TrentoRovereto, Italy
| | - Marta Pratelli
- Unit of Cell and Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of PisaPisa, Italy
| | - Noemi Barsotti
- Unit of Cell and Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of PisaPisa, Italy
| | - Annemarie Boonstra
- Unit of Cell and Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of PisaPisa, Italy
| | - Andrea Giorgi
- Unit of Cell and Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of PisaPisa, Italy.,Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Istituto Italiano di Technologia, University of TrentoRovereto, Italy
| | - Sara Migliarini
- Unit of Cell and Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of PisaPisa, Italy
| | - Massimo Pasqualetti
- Unit of Cell and Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of PisaPisa, Italy.,Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Istituto Italiano di Technologia, University of TrentoRovereto, Italy
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Bertero A, Ritrovato F, Evangelista F, Stabile V, Fortina R, Ricci A, Revelli A, Vincenti L, Nervo T. Evaluation of equine oocyte developmental competence using polarized light microscopy. Reproduction 2017; 153:775-784. [PMID: 28283673 DOI: 10.1530/rep-17-0125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2017] [Revised: 03/03/2017] [Accepted: 03/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to observe in vitro-matured equine oocytes with an objective computerized technique that involves the use of a polarized light microscope (PLM) in addition to the subjective morphological evaluation obtained using a classic light microscope (LM). Equine cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs, n = 922) were subjected to different in vitro maturation times (24, 36 or 45 h), however, only 36-h matured oocytes were analyzed using CLM. The 36-h matured oocytes that reached maturity were parthenogenetically activated to evaluate the quality and meiotic competence. Average maturation percentages per session in groups 1, 2 and 3 (24-, 36- and 45-h matured oocytes respectively) were 29.31 ± 13.85, 47.01 ± 9.90 and 36.62 ± 5.28%, whereas the average percentages of immature oocytes per session were 28.78 ± 20.17, 7.83 ± 5.51 and 22.36 ± 8.39% respectively. The zona pellucida (ZP) birefringent properties were estimated and correlated with activation outcome. ZP thickness and retardance of the inner layer of the zona pellucida (IL-ZP) were significantly increased in immature oocytes compared with mature oocytes (P < 0.001 and P < 0.01 respectively). The comparison between parthenogenetically activated and non-activated oocytes showed a significant increase in the area and thickness of the IL-ZP in parthenogenetically activated oocytes (P < 0.01). These results show that the 36-h in vitro maturation (IVM) protocol allowed equine oocytes to reach maturity, and PLM observation of ZP can be used to distinguish mature and immature oocytes as well as activated and non-activated oocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Bertero
- Department of Veterinary ScienceUniversity of Torino, Grugliasco, Italy
| | - F Ritrovato
- Department of Surgical SciencesUniversity of Torino, S. Anna Hospital, Torino, Italy
| | - F Evangelista
- Department of Surgical SciencesUniversity of Torino, S. Anna Hospital, Torino, Italy
| | - V Stabile
- Department of Surgical SciencesUniversity of Torino, S. Anna Hospital, Torino, Italy
| | - R Fortina
- Department of AgriculturalForestry and Food Sciences, University of Torino, Grugliasco, Italy
| | - A Ricci
- Department of Veterinary ScienceUniversity of Torino, Grugliasco, Italy
| | - A Revelli
- Department of Surgical SciencesUniversity of Torino, S. Anna Hospital, Torino, Italy
| | - L Vincenti
- Department of Veterinary ScienceUniversity of Torino, Grugliasco, Italy
| | - T Nervo
- Department of Veterinary ScienceUniversity of Torino, Grugliasco, Italy
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Abstract
Biodegradable polymer nanoparticles are promising carriers for targeted drug delivery in nanomedicine applications. Molecu- lar imprinting is a potential strategy to target polymer nanoparticles through binding of endogenous ligands that may promote recognition and active transport into specific cells and tissues. However, the lock-and-key mechanism of molecular imprinting requires relatively rigid cross-linked structures, unlike those of many biodegradable polymers. To date, no fully biodegradable molecularly imprinted particles have been reported in the literature. This paper reports the synthesis of a novel molecularly- imprinted nanocarrier, based on poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) and acrylic acid, that combines biodegradability and molec- ular recognition properties. A novel three-arm biodegradable cross-linker was synthesized by ring-opening polymerization of glycolide and lactide initiated by glycerol. The resulting macromer was functionalized by introduction of end-functions through reaction with acryloyl chloride. Macromer and acrylic acid were used for the synthesis of narrowly-dispersed nanoparticles by radical polymerization in diluted conditions in the presence of biotin as template molecule. The binding capacity of the imprinted nanoparticles towards biotin and biotinylated bovine serum albumin was twentyfold that of non-imprinted nanoparti- cles. Degradation rates and functional performances were assessed in in vitro tests and cell cultures, demonstrating effective biotin-mediated cell internalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariacristina Gagliardi
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Micro Bio-Robotics @SSSA, viale Rinaldo Piaggio,34, 56025, Pontedera, Italy
| | - Alice Bertero
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UNITN, Corso Bettini 31, 38068 Rovereto, Italy
- University of Pisa, Department of Biology, Unit of Cellular and Developmental Biology, S.S.12 Abetone e Brennero 4, 56127, Pisa, Italy
| | - Angelo Bifone
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UNITN, Corso Bettini 31, 38068 Rovereto, Italy
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Gagliardi M, Bertero A, Bardi G, Bifone A. A poly(ether-ester) copolymer for the preparation of nanocarriers with improved degradation and drug delivery kinetics. Materials Science and Engineering: C 2016; 59:488-499. [DOI: 10.1016/j.msec.2015.10.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2015] [Revised: 09/28/2015] [Accepted: 10/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Boni A, Bardi G, Bertero A, Cappello V, Emdin M, Flori A, Gemmi M, Innocenti C, Menichetti L, Sangregorio C, Villa S, Piazza V. Design and optimization of lipid-modified poly(amidoamine) dendrimer coated iron oxide nanoparticles as probes for biomedical applications. Nanoscale 2015; 7:7307-7317. [PMID: 25815711 DOI: 10.1039/c5nr01148e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles with a wide size range (2.6-14.1 nm) were synthesized and coated with the amphiphilic poly(amidoamine) PAMAM-C12 dendrimer. The resulting well dispersed and stable water suspensions were fully characterized in order to explore their possible use in biomedical applications. The structural and magnetic properties of the nanoparticles were preserved during the coating and were related to their relaxometric behaviour. The Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Dispersion (NMRD) profiles were found to be in accordance with the Roch model. The biocompatibility was assessed by means of cell viability tests and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) analysis. The nanoparticles' capability of being detected via Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) was investigated by means of clinical MRI scanners both in water and agar gel phantoms, and in a mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Boni
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Nanotechnology Innovation @NEST, Piazza San Silvestro 12, 56127 Pisa, Italy.
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Gamucci O, Bertero A, Malvindi MA, Sabella S, Pompa PP, Mazzolai B, Bardi G. Detection of fluorescent nanoparticle interactions with primary immune cell subpopulations by flow cytometry. J Vis Exp 2014. [PMID: 24747480 PMCID: PMC4159100 DOI: 10.3791/51345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Engineered nanoparticles are endowed with very promising properties for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes. This work describes a fast and reliable method of analysis by flow cytometry to study nanoparticle interaction with immune cells. Primary immune cells can be easily purified from human or mouse tissues by antibody-mediated magnetic isolation. In the first instance, the different cell populations running in a flow cytometer can be distinguished by the forward-scattered light (FSC), which is proportional to cell size, and the side-scattered light (SSC), related to cell internal complexity. Furthermore, fluorescently labeled antibodies against specific cell surface receptors permit the identification of several subpopulations within the same sample. Often, all these features vary when cells are boosted by external stimuli that change their physiological and morphological state. Here, 50 nm FITC-SiO2 nanoparticles are used as a model to identify the internalization of nanostructured materials in human blood immune cells. The cell fluorescence and side-scattered light increase after incubation with nanoparticles allowed us to define time and concentration dependence of nanoparticle-cell interaction. Moreover, such protocol can be extended to investigate Rhodamine-SiO2 nanoparticle interaction with primary microglia, the central nervous system resident immune cells, isolated from mutant mice that specifically express the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) in the monocyte/macrophage lineage. Finally, flow cytometry data related to nanoparticle internalization into the cells have been confirmed by confocal microscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olimpia Gamucci
- Center for Micro-BioRobotics @SSSA, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia
| | - Alice Bertero
- Center for Micro-BioRobotics @SSSA, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia; Department of Biology, University of Pisa
| | - Maria Ada Malvindi
- Center for Biomolecular Nanotechnologies @UniLe, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia
| | - Stefania Sabella
- Center for Biomolecular Nanotechnologies @UniLe, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia
| | - Pier Paolo Pompa
- Center for Biomolecular Nanotechnologies @UniLe, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia
| | - Barbara Mazzolai
- Center for Micro-BioRobotics @SSSA, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia
| | - Giuseppe Bardi
- Center for Micro-BioRobotics @SSSA, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia;
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Bertero A, Boni A, Gemmi M, Gagliardi M, Bifone A, Bardi G. Surface functionalisation regulates polyamidoamine dendrimer toxicity on blood–brain barrier cells and the modulation of key inflammatory receptors on microglia. Nanotoxicology 2013; 8:158-68. [DOI: 10.3109/17435390.2013.765054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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Leone A, Aquila I, Vicinanza C, Iaconetti C, Bochicchio A, Ottolenghi S, Indolfi C, Nadal-Ginard B, Ellison GM, Torella D, Mias C, Genet G, Guilbeau-Frugier C, Pathak A, Senard JM, Gales C, Egorova AD, Khedoe PSJ, Goumans MTH, Nauli SM, Ten Dijke P, Poelmann RE, Hierck BP, Miragoli M, Lab MJ, Singh A, Sikkel M, Lyon A, Gorelik J, Cheung C, Bernardo AS, Trotter MW, Pedersen RA, Sinha S, Mioulane M, Foldes G, Harding SE, Reglin B, Secomb TW, Pries AR, Buckingham M, Lescroart F, Meilhac S, Le Garrec JF, Rozmaritsa N, Christ T, Wettwer E, Knaut M, Ravens U, Tokar S, Schobesberger S, Singh A, Wright PT, Miragoli M, Lyon AR, Sikkel M, Harding SE, Gorelik J, Van Mil A, Grundmann S, Goumans MJ, Jaksani S, Doevendans PA, Sluijter JP, Tijsen AJ, Amin AS, Giudicessi JR, Tanck MW, Bezzina CR, Creemers EE, Wilde AM, Ackerman MJ, Pinto YM, Gedicke-Hornung C, Behrens-Gawlik V, Khajetoorians D, Mearini G, Reischmann S, Geertz B, Voit T, Dreyfus P, Eschenhagen T, Carrier L, Duerr GD, Heinemann JC, Wenzel D, Ghanem A, Alferink JC, Zimmer A, Lutz B, Welz A, Fleischmann BK, Dewald O, Sbroggio' M, Bertero A, Giuliano L, Brancaccio M, Tarone G, Meiser M, Kohlhaas M, Chen Y, Csordas G, Dorn G, Maack C, Stapel B, Hoch M, Haghikia A, Fischer P, Maack C, Hilfiker-Kleiner D, Schroen B, Corsten M, Verhesen W, De Windt L, Pinto YM, Zacchigna S, Thum T, Carmeliet P, Papageorgiou A, Heymans S, Lunde IG, Finsen AV, Florholmen G, Skrbic B, Kvaloy H, Jarstadmarken HO, Sjaastad I, Tonnessen T, Carlson CR, Christensen G, Paavola J, Schliffke S, Rossetti S, Kuo I, Yuan S, Sun Z, Harris P, Torres V, Ehrlich B, Robinson P, Adams K, Zhang YH, Casadei B, Watkins H, Redwood C, Seneviratne AN, Cole JE, Goddard ME, Mohri Z, Cross AJ, Krams R, Monaco C, Everaert BR, Van Laere SJ, Hoymans VY, Timmermans JP, Vrints CJ. Oral abstract presentations & Young Investigators Competition. Cardiovasc Res 2012. [DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvr333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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