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Çon N, Mercan S, Küçüköner A, Çalişkan N. Adolescent intermittent ethanol use in male rats do not change cerebellar cell numbers but initiate astroglial reaction. Int J Dev Neurosci 2024; 84:177-189. [PMID: 38327108 DOI: 10.1002/jdn.10317] [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: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Alcohol consumption during adolescence causes negative structural changes in the cerebellum and can lead to cognitive and motor skill disorders. Unfortunately, the age at which individuals begin drinking alcohol has decreased in recent years, which has drawn attention to the effects of alcohol on neurological changes during preadolescence. In this study, we investigated the effects of adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE) exposure on the cellular composition of the cerebellum in male rats, particularly when alcohol consumption begins early. The male rats received eight doses of intermittent intraperitoneal injection of 25% (v/v) ethanol (3 g/kg) or saline from postnatal days (PND) 25 to PND 38. In rats, 28-42 days old corresponds to 10-18 years old in humans. Two hours after the last injection, the cells, neurons, and non-neuronal cells in the cerebellum were immunocytochemically labeled and the total numbers of related cells were calculated using the Isotropic Fractionator method. We found that AIE exposure does not change the cell numbers of the cerebellum in the short term, but it does activate astrocytes in the white matter of the cerebellum. These findings suggest that alcohol use during adolescence impairs the innate immune system and negatively affects brain plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nurhan Çon
- Department of Medical Services and Techniques, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun, Turkey
| | - Sevcan Mercan
- Department of Medical Services and Techniques, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun, Turkey
| | - Asuman Küçüköner
- Department of Medical Services and Techniques, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun, Turkey
| | - Nüket Çalişkan
- Department of Medical Services and Techniques, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun, Turkey
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2
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Baričević Z, Pongrac M, Ivaničić M, Hreščak H, Tomljanović I, Petrović A, Cojoc D, Mladinic M, Ban J. SOX2 and SOX9 Expression in Developing Postnatal Opossum ( Monodelphis domestica) Cortex. Biomolecules 2024; 14:70. [PMID: 38254670 PMCID: PMC10813269 DOI: 10.3390/biom14010070] [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: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Central nervous system (CNS) development is characterized by dynamic changes in cell proliferation and differentiation. Key regulators of these transitions are the transcription factors such as SOX2 and SOX9. SOX2 is involved in the maintenance of progenitor cell state and neural stem cell multipotency, while SOX9, expressed in neurogenic niches, plays an important role in neuron/glia switch with predominant expression in astrocytes in the adult brain. (2) Methods: To validate SOX2 and SOX9 expression patterns in developing opossum (Monodelphis domestica) cortex, we used immunohistochemistry (IHC) and the isotropic fractionator method on fixed cortical tissue from comparable postnatal ages, as well as dissociated primary neuronal cultures. (3) Results: Neurons positive for both neuronal (TUJ1 or NeuN) and stem cell (SOX2) markers were identified, and their presence was confirmed with all methods and postnatal age groups (P4-6, P6-18, and P30) analyzed. SOX9 showed exclusive staining in non-neuronal cells, and it was coexpressed with SOX2. (4) Conclusions: The persistence of SOX2 expression in developing cortical neurons of M. domestica during the first postnatal month implies the functional role of SOX2 during neuronal differentiation and maturation, which was not previously reported in opossums.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zrinko Baričević
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Drug Development, University of Rijeka, Radmile Matejčić 2, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia; (Z.B.); (M.P.); (M.I.); (H.H.); (I.T.); (A.P.); (M.M.)
| | - Marta Pongrac
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Drug Development, University of Rijeka, Radmile Matejčić 2, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia; (Z.B.); (M.P.); (M.I.); (H.H.); (I.T.); (A.P.); (M.M.)
| | - Matea Ivaničić
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Drug Development, University of Rijeka, Radmile Matejčić 2, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia; (Z.B.); (M.P.); (M.I.); (H.H.); (I.T.); (A.P.); (M.M.)
| | - Helena Hreščak
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Drug Development, University of Rijeka, Radmile Matejčić 2, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia; (Z.B.); (M.P.); (M.I.); (H.H.); (I.T.); (A.P.); (M.M.)
| | - Ivana Tomljanović
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Drug Development, University of Rijeka, Radmile Matejčić 2, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia; (Z.B.); (M.P.); (M.I.); (H.H.); (I.T.); (A.P.); (M.M.)
| | - Antonela Petrović
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Drug Development, University of Rijeka, Radmile Matejčić 2, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia; (Z.B.); (M.P.); (M.I.); (H.H.); (I.T.); (A.P.); (M.M.)
| | - Dan Cojoc
- CNR-IOM, Materials Foundry, National Research Council of Italy, 34149 Trieste, Italy;
| | - Miranda Mladinic
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Drug Development, University of Rijeka, Radmile Matejčić 2, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia; (Z.B.); (M.P.); (M.I.); (H.H.); (I.T.); (A.P.); (M.M.)
| | - Jelena Ban
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Drug Development, University of Rijeka, Radmile Matejčić 2, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia; (Z.B.); (M.P.); (M.I.); (H.H.); (I.T.); (A.P.); (M.M.)
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Castro-Fonseca E, Morais V, da Silva CG, Wollner J, Freitas J, Mello-Neto AF, Oliveira LE, de Oliveira VC, Leite REP, Alho AT, Rodriguez RD, Ferretti-Rebustini REL, Suemoto CK, Jacob-Filho W, Nitrini R, Pasqualucci CA, Grinberg LT, Tovar-Moll F, Lent R. The influence of age and sex on the absolute cell numbers of the human brain cerebral cortex. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:8654-8666. [PMID: 37106573 PMCID: PMC10321098 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad148] [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: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The human cerebral cortex is one of the most evolved regions of the brain, responsible for most higher-order neural functions. Since nerve cells (together with synapses) are the processing units underlying cortical physiology and morphology, we studied how the human neocortex is composed regarding the number of cells as a function of sex and age. We used the isotropic fractionator for cell quantification of immunocytochemically labeled nuclei from the cerebral cortex donated by 43 cognitively healthy subjects aged 25-87 years old. In addition to previously reported sexual dimorphism in the medial temporal lobe, we found more neurons in the occipital lobe of men, higher neuronal density in women's frontal lobe, but no sex differences in the number and density of cells in the other lobes and the whole neocortex. On average, the neocortex has ~10.2 billion neurons, 34% in the frontal lobe and the remaining 66% uniformly distributed among the other 3 lobes. Along typical aging, there is a loss of non-neuronal cells in the frontal lobe and the preservation of the number of neurons in the cortex. Our study made possible to determine the different degrees of modulation that sex and age evoke on cortical cellularity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Castro-Fonseca
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- D’Or Institute for Research and Education, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Viviane Morais
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Camila G da Silva
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Juliana Wollner
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Jaqueline Freitas
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Arthur F Mello-Neto
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Luiz E Oliveira
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Vilson C de Oliveira
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Renata E P Leite
- Biobank for Aging Studies, LIM 22, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratory of Medical Research in Aging (LIM-66), University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ana T Alho
- Biobank for Aging Studies, LIM 22, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Roberta D Rodriguez
- Biobank for Aging Studies, LIM 22, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Pathology, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Renata E L Ferretti-Rebustini
- Biobank for Aging Studies, LIM 22, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, University of São Paulo School of Nursing, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Claudia K Suemoto
- Biobank for Aging Studies, LIM 22, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratory of Medical Research in Aging (LIM-66), University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Wilson Jacob-Filho
- Biobank for Aging Studies, LIM 22, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratory of Medical Research in Aging (LIM-66), University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Nitrini
- Biobank for Aging Studies, LIM 22, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Neurology, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carlos A Pasqualucci
- Biobank for Aging Studies, LIM 22, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Pathology, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lea T Grinberg
- Biobank for Aging Studies, LIM 22, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Pathology, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Fernanda Tovar-Moll
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- D’Or Institute for Research and Education, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Roberto Lent
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- D’Or Institute for Research and Education, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- National Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Ministry of Science and Technology, São Paulo, Brazil
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Andrade MM, Fernandes C, Forny-Germano L, Gonçalves RA, Gomes M, Castro-Fonseca E, Ramos-Lobo AM, Tovar-Moll F, Andrade-Moraes CH, Donato J, De Felice FG. Alteration in the number of neuronal and non-neuronal cells in mouse models of obesity. Brain Commun 2023; 5:fcad059. [PMID: 37013172 PMCID: PMC10066574 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcad059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [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: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Obesity is defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health and is a risk factor for developing other diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disorder. Obesity is also associated with structural and functional alterations in the brain, and this condition has been shown to increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. However, while obesity has been associated with neurodegenerative processes, its impact on brain cell composition remains to be determined. In the current study, we used the isotropic fractionator method to determine the absolute composition of neuronal and non-neuronal cells in different brain regions of the genetic mouse models of obesity Lepob/ob and LepRNull/Null. Our results show that 10- to 12-month-old female Lepob/ob and LepRNull/Null mice have reduced neuronal number and density in the hippocampus compared to C57BL/6 wild-type mice. Furthermore, LepRNull/Null mice have increased density of non-neuronal cells, mainly glial cells, in the hippocampus, frontal cortex and hypothalamus compared to wild-type or Lepob/ob mice, indicating enhanced inflammatory responses in different brain regions of the LepRNull/Null model. Collectively, our findings suggest that obesity might cause changes in brain cell composition that are associated with neurodegenerative and inflammatory processes in different brain regions of female mice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Rafaella A Gonçalves
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Departments of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences and Psychiatry, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Michelle Gomes
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Emily Castro-Fonseca
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil
- D’Or Institute for Research and Education, Neuroscience Laboratory, Rio de Janeiro 22281-100, Brazil
| | - Angela M Ramos-Lobo
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Tovar-Moll
- D’Or Institute for Research and Education, Neuroscience Laboratory, Rio de Janeiro 22281-100, Brazil
| | | | - Jose Donato
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Fernanda G De Felice
- Correspondence to: Fernanda Guarino De Felice Centre for Neuroscience Studies Departments of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences & Psychiatry Queen’s University 18 Stuart Street, Botterell Hall, room A215, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada E-mail:
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5
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de Morais VAC, de Oliveira-Pinto AV, Mello Neto AF, Freitas JS, da Silva MM, Suemoto CK, Leite RP, Grinberg LT, Jacob-Filho W, Pasqualucci C, Nitrini R, Caramelli P, Lent R. Resilience of Neural Cellularity to the Influence of Low Educational Level. Brain Sci 2023; 13:brainsci13010104. [PMID: 36672086 PMCID: PMC9857353 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13010104] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Education is believed to contribute positively to brain structure and function, as well as to cognitive reserve. One of the brain regions most impacted by education is the medial temporal lobe (MTL), a region that houses the hippocampus, which has an important role in learning processes and in consolidation of memories, and is also known to undergo neurogenesis in adulthood. We aimed to investigate the influence of education on the absolute cell numbers of the MTL (comprised by the hippocampal formation, amygdala, and parahippocampal gyrus) of men without cognitive impairment. METHODS The Isotropic Fractionator technique was used to allow the anisotropic brain tissue to be transformed into an isotropic suspension of nuclei, and therefore assess the absolute cell composition of the MTL. We dissected twenty-six brains from men aged 47 to 64 years, with either low or high education. RESULTS A significant difference between groups was observed in brain mass, but not in MTL mass. No significant difference was found between groups in the number of total cells, number of neurons, and number of non-neuronal cells. Regression analysis showed that the total number of cells, number of neurons, and number of non-neuronal cells in MTL were not affected by education. CONCLUSIONS The results indicate a resilience of the absolute cellular composition of the MTL of typical men to low schooling, suggesting that the cellularity of brain regions is not affected by formal education.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viviane A. Carvalho de Morais
- Neuroplasticity Laboratory, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, RJ, Brazil
| | - Ana V. de Oliveira-Pinto
- Neuroplasticity Laboratory, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, RJ, Brazil
| | - Arthur F. Mello Neto
- Neuroplasticity Laboratory, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, RJ, Brazil
| | - Jaqueline S. Freitas
- Neuroplasticity Laboratory, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, RJ, Brazil
| | - Magnólia M. da Silva
- Biobank for Aging Studies, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 01246-903, SP, Brazil
| | - Claudia Kimie Suemoto
- Biobank for Aging Studies, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 01246-903, SP, Brazil
| | - Renata P. Leite
- Biobank for Aging Studies, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 01246-903, SP, Brazil
| | - Lea T. Grinberg
- Memory and Aging Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Wilson Jacob-Filho
- Biobank for Aging Studies, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 01246-903, SP, Brazil
- Laboratory of Medical Research in Aging (LIM-66), Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 01246-903, SP, Brazil
| | - Carlos Pasqualucci
- Biobank for Aging Studies, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 01246-903, SP, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Nitrini
- Biobank for Aging Studies, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 01246-903, SP, Brazil
| | - Paulo Caramelli
- Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology Research Group, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 30130-100, MG, Brazil
| | - Roberto Lent
- Neuroplasticity Laboratory, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, RJ, Brazil
- D’Or Institute of Research and Education, Rio de Janeiro 22281-100, RJ, Brazil
- Correspondence:
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Ströckens F, Neves K, Kirchem S, Schwab C, Herculano-Houzel S, Güntürkün O. High associative neuron numbers could drive cognitive performance in corvid species. J Comp Neurol 2022; 530:1588-1605. [PMID: 34997767 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Corvids possess cognitive skills, matching those of non-human primates. However, how these species with their small brains achieve such feats remains elusive. Recent studies suggest that cognitive capabilities could be based on the total numbers of telencephalic neurons. Here we extend this hypothesis further and posit that especially high neuron counts in associative pallial areas drive flexible, complex cognition. If true, avian species like corvids should specifically accumulate neurons in the avian associative areas meso- and nidopallium. To test the hypothesis, we analyzed the neuronal composition of telencephalic areas in corvids and non-corvids (chicken, pigeons, and ostriches - the species with the largest bird brain). The overall number of pallial neurons in corvids was much higher than in chicken and pigeons and comparable to those of ostriches. However, neuron numbers in the associative mesopallium and nidopallium were twice as high in corvids and, in correlation with these associative areas, the corvid subpallium also contained high neuron numbers. These findings support our hypothesis that large absolute numbers of associative pallial neurons contribute to cognitive flexibility and complexity and are key to explain why crows are smart. Since meso/nidopallial and subpallial areas scale jointly, it is conceivable that associative pallio-striatal loops play a similar role in executive decision-making as described in primates. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Ströckens
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Biopsychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, 44780, Germany.,C. & O. Vogt Institute for Brain Research, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, 40225, Germany
| | - Kleber Neves
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, CEP 21941-902, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Sina Kirchem
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Biopsychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, 44780, Germany
| | - Christine Schwab
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, 1090, Austria
| | - Suzana Herculano-Houzel
- Department of Psychology, Department of Biological Sciences, Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37240, USA
| | - Onur Güntürkün
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Biopsychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, 44780, Germany
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Godfrey RK, Swartzlander M, Gronenberg W. Allometric analysis of brain cell number in Hymenoptera suggests ant brains diverge from general trends. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210199. [PMID: 33757353 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many comparative neurobiological studies seek to connect sensory or behavioural attributes across taxa with differences in their brain composition. Recent studies in vertebrates suggest cell number and density may be better correlated with behavioural ability than brain mass or volume, but few estimates of such figures exist for insects. Here, we use the isotropic fractionator (IF) method to estimate total brain cell numbers for 32 species of Hymenoptera spanning seven subfamilies. We find estimates from using this method are comparable to traditional, whole-brain cell counts of two species and to published estimates from established stereological methods. We present allometric scaling relationships between body and brain mass, brain mass and nuclei number, and body mass and cell density and find that ants stand out from bees and wasps as having particularly small brains by measures of mass and cell number. We find that Hymenoptera follow the general trend of smaller animals having proportionally larger brains. Smaller Hymenoptera also feature higher brain cell densities than the larger ones, as is the case in most vertebrates, but in contrast with primates, in which neuron density remains rather constant across changes in brain mass. Overall, our findings establish the IF as a useful method for comparative studies of brain size evolution in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebekah Keating Godfrey
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | | | - Wulfila Gronenberg
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
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Aicardi S, Amaroli A, Gallus L, Di Blasi D, Ghigliotti L, Betti F, Vacchi M, Ferrando S. Quantification of neurons in the olfactory bulb of the catsharks Scyliorhinus canicula (Linnaeus, 1758) and Galeus melastomus (Rafinesque, 1810). ZOOLOGY 2020; 141:125796. [PMID: 32464514 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2020.125796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2019] [Revised: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
In vertebrates, the olfactory bulb (OB) is the zone of the brain devoted to receiving the olfactory stimuli. The size of the OB relative to the size of the brain has been positively correlated to a good olfactory capability but, recently, this correlation was questioned after new investigation techniques were developed. Among them, the isotropic fractionator allows to estimate the number of neurons and non-neurons in a given portion of nervous tissue. To date, this technique has been applied in a number of species; in particular the OB was separately analyzed in numerous mammals and in a single crocodile species. Thus, a quantitative description of the OB's cells is available for a small portion of vertebrates. Main aim of this work was to apply isotropic fractionator to investigate the olfactory capability of elasmobranch fishes, whose traditional concept of outstanding olfaction has recently been scaled down by anatomical and physiological studies. For this purpose, the OB of two elasmobranch species, Galeus melastomus and Scyliorhinus canicula, was studied leading to the determination of the number of neurons vs non-neurons in the OB of the specimens. In addition, the obtained cell quantification was related to the olfactory epithelium surface area to obtain a new parameter that encapsulates both information on the peripheral olfactory organ and the OB. The analyzed species resulted in an overall similar quantitative organization of the peripheral olfactory system; slight differences were detected possibly reflecting different environment preference and feeding strategy. Moreover, the non-neurons/neurons ratio of these species, compared to those available in the literature, seems to place elasmobranch fishes among the vertebrate species in which olfaction plays an important role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Aicardi
- Department of Earth, Environmental, and Life Sciences (DISTAV), University of Genoa, Corso Europa, 26, 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Andrea Amaroli
- Department of Surgical Sciences and Integrated Diagnostics (DISC), University of Genoa, Largo Rosanna Benzi, 8, 16132, Genoa, Italy; Department of Orthopedic Dentistry, Institute of Dentistry, I. M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Bol'shaya Pirogovskaya Ulitsa, 19с1, Moscow, 119146, Russia
| | - Lorenzo Gallus
- Department of Earth, Environmental, and Life Sciences (DISTAV), University of Genoa, Corso Europa, 26, 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Davide Di Blasi
- Institute for the Study of Anthropogenic Impacts and Sustainability in the Marine Environment (IAS), National Research Council (CNR), Via De Marini, 6, 16149, Genoa, Italy
| | - Laura Ghigliotti
- Institute for the Study of Anthropogenic Impacts and Sustainability in the Marine Environment (IAS), National Research Council (CNR), Via De Marini, 6, 16149, Genoa, Italy
| | - Federico Betti
- Department of Earth, Environmental, and Life Sciences (DISTAV), University of Genoa, Corso Europa, 26, 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Marino Vacchi
- Institute for the Study of Anthropogenic Impacts and Sustainability in the Marine Environment (IAS), National Research Council (CNR), Via De Marini, 6, 16149, Genoa, Italy
| | - Sara Ferrando
- Department of Earth, Environmental, and Life Sciences (DISTAV), University of Genoa, Corso Europa, 26, 16132, Genoa, Italy.
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Marhounová L, Kotrschal A, Kverková K, Kolm N, Němec P. Artificial selection on brain size leads to matching changes in overall number of neurons. Evolution 2019; 73:2003-2012. [PMID: 31339177 PMCID: PMC6772110 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [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: 04/12/2019] [Revised: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Neurons are the basic computational units of the brain, but brain size is the predominant surrogate measure of brain functional capacity in comparative and cognitive neuroscience. This approach is based on the assumption that larger brains harbor higher numbers of neurons and their connections, and therefore have a higher information-processing capacity. However, recent studies have shown that brain mass may be less strongly correlated with neuron counts than previously thought. Till now, no experimental test has been conducted to examine the relationship between evolutionary changes in brain size and the number of brain neurons. Here, we provide such a test by comparing neuron number in artificial selection lines of female guppies (Poecilia reticulata) with >15% difference in relative brain mass and numerous previously demonstrated cognitive differences. Using the isotropic fractionator, we demonstrate that large-brained females have a higher overall number of neurons than small-brained females, but similar neuronal densities. Importantly, this difference holds also for the telencephalon, a key region for cognition. Our study provides the first direct experimental evidence that selection for brain mass leads to matching changes in number of neurons and shows that brain size evolution is intimately linked to the evolution of neuron number and cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Marhounová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of ScienceCharles University12844PragueCzech Republic
| | - Alexander Kotrschal
- Behavioural Ecology GroupDepartment of Animal Sciences6708wdWageningenNetherlands
- Department of Zoology/EthologyStockholm University10691StockholmSweden
| | - Kristina Kverková
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of ScienceCharles University12844PragueCzech Republic
| | - Niclas Kolm
- Department of Zoology/EthologyStockholm University10691StockholmSweden
| | - Pavel Němec
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of ScienceCharles University12844PragueCzech Republic
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10
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Valério-Gomes B, Guimarães DM, Szczupak D, Lent R. The Absolute Number of Oligodendrocytes in the Adult Mouse Brain. Front Neuroanat 2018; 12:90. [PMID: 30425626 PMCID: PMC6218541 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2018.00090] [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] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The central nervous system is a highly complex network composed of various cell types, each one with different subpopulations. Each cell type has distinct roles for the functional operation of circuits, and ultimately, for brain physiology in general. Since the absolute number of each cell type is considered a proxy of its functional complexity, one approach to better understand how the brain works is to unravel its absolute cellularity and the quantitative relations between cell populations; in other words, how one population of cells is quantitatively structured, in relation to another. Oligodendrocytes are one of these cell types - mainly, they provide electric insulation to axons, optimizing action potential conduction. Their function has recently been revisited and their role extended, one example being their capability of providing trophic support to long axons. To determine the absolute cellularity of oligodendroglia, we have developed a protocol of oligodendrocyte quantification using the isotropic fractionator with a pan-marker for this cell type. We report a detailed assessment of specificity and universality of the oligodendrocyte transcription factor 2 (Olig2), through systematic confocal analyses of the C57BL/6 mouse brain. In addition, we have determined the absolute number (17.4 million) and proportion (about 20%) of this cell type in the brain (and in different brain regions), and tested if this population, at the intraspecific level, scales with the number of neurons in an allometric-based approach. Considering these numbers, oligodendrocytes proved to be the most numerous of glial cells in the mouse brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruna Valério-Gomes
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Daniel M Guimarães
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Diego Szczupak
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Roberto Lent
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,D'Or Institute for Research and Education, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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11
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Bahney J, von Bartheld CS. The Cellular Composition and Glia-Neuron Ratio in the Spinal Cord of a Human and a Nonhuman Primate: Comparison With Other Species and Brain Regions. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2017; 301:697-710. [PMID: 29150977 DOI: 10.1002/ar.23728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Revised: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The cellular composition of brains shows largely conserved, gradual evolutionary trends between species. In the primate spinal cord, however, the glia-neuron ratio was reported to be greatly increased over that in the rodent spinal cord. Here, we re-examined the cellular composition of the spinal cord of one human and one nonhuman primate species by employing two different counting methods, the isotropic fractionator and stereology. We also determined whether segmental differences in cellular composition, possibly reflecting increased fine motor control of the upper extremities, may explain a sharply increased glia-neuron ratio in primates. In the cynomolgus monkey spinal cord, the isotropic fractionator and stereology yielded 206-275 million cells, of which 13.3-25.1% were neurons (28-69 million). Stereological estimates yielded 21.1% endothelial cells and 65.5% glial cells (glia-neuron ratio of 4.9-5.6). In human spinal cords, the isotropic fractionator and stereology generated estimates of 1.5-1.7 billion cells and 197-222 million neurons (13.4% neurons, 12.2% endothelial cells, 74.8% glial cells), and a glia-neuron ratio of 5.6-7.1, with estimates of neuron numbers in the human spinal cord based on morphological criteria. The non-neuronal to neuron ratios in human and cynomolgus monkey spinal cords were 6.5 and 3.2, respectively, suggesting that previous reports overestimated this ratio. We did not find significant segmental differences in the cellular composition between cervical, thoracic and lumbar levels. When compared with brain regions, the spinal cord showed gradual increases of the glia-neuron ratio with increasing brain mass, similar to the cerebral cortex and the brainstem. Anat Rec, 301:697-710, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jami Bahney
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, Nevada
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12
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Repetto IE, Monti R, Tropiano M, Tomasi S, Arbini A, Andrade-Moraes CH, Lent R, Vercelli A. The Isotropic Fractionator as a Tool for Quantitative Analysis in Central Nervous System Diseases. Front Cell Neurosci 2016; 10:190. [PMID: 27547177 PMCID: PMC4974250 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2016.00190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 04/23/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
One major aim in quantitative and translational neuroscience is to achieve a precise and fast neuronal counting method to work on high throughput scale to obtain reliable results. Here, we tested the isotropic fractionator (IF) method for evaluating neuronal and non-neuronal cell loss in different models of central nervous system (CNS) pathologies. Sprague-Dawley rats underwent: (i) ischemic brain damage; (ii) intraperitoneal injection with kainic acid (KA) to induce epileptic seizures; and (iii) monolateral striatal injection with quinolinic acid (QA) mimicking human Huntington's disease. All specimens were processed for IF method and cell loss assessed. Hippocampus from KA-treated rats and striatum from QA-treated rats were carefully dissected using a dissection microscope and a rat brain matrix. Ischemic rat brains slices were first processed for TTC staining and then for IF. In the ischemic group the cell loss corresponded to the neuronal loss suggesting that hypoxia primarily affects neurons. Combining IF with TTC staining we could correlate the volume of lesion to the neuronal loss; by IF, we could assess that neuronal loss also occurs contralaterally to the ischemic side. In the epileptic group we observed a reduction of neuronal cells in treated rats, but also evaluated the changes in the number of non-neuronal cells in response to the hippocampal damage. In the QA model, there was a robust reduction of neuronal cells on ipsilateral striatum. This neuronal cell loss was not related to a drastic change in the total number of cells, being overcome by the increase in non-neuronal cells, thus suggesting that excitotoxic damage in the striatum strongly activates inflammation and glial proliferation. We concluded that the IF method could represent a simple and reliable quantitative technique to evaluate the effects of experimental lesions mimicking human diseases, and to consider the neuroprotective/anti-inflammatory effects of different treatments in the whole brain and also in discrete regions of interest, with the potential to investigate non-neuronal alterations. Moreover, IF could be used in addition or in substitution to classical stereological techniques or TTC staining used so far, since it is fast, precise and easily combined with complex molecular analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan E. Repetto
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, Department of Neuroscience, University of TurinTurin, Italy
| | - Riccardo Monti
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, Department of Neuroscience, University of TurinTurin, Italy
| | - Marta Tropiano
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, Department of Neuroscience, University of TurinTurin, Italy
| | - Simone Tomasi
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New HavenCT, USA
| | - Alessia Arbini
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, Department of Neuroscience, University of TurinTurin, Italy
| | | | - Roberto Lent
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Alessandro Vercelli
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, Department of Neuroscience, University of TurinTurin, Italy
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Collins CE, Turner EC, Sawyer EK, Reed JL, Young NA, Flaherty DK, Kaas JH. Cortical cell and neuron density estimates in one chimpanzee hemisphere. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:740-5. [PMID: 26729880 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1524208113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The density of cells and neurons in the neocortex of many mammals varies across cortical areas and regions. This variability is, perhaps, most pronounced in primates. Nonuniformity in the composition of cortex suggests regions of the cortex have different specializations. Specifically, regions with densely packed neurons contain smaller neurons that are activated by relatively few inputs, thereby preserving information, whereas regions that are less densely packed have larger neurons that have more integrative functions. Here we present the numbers of cells and neurons for 742 discrete locations across the neocortex in a chimpanzee. Using isotropic fractionation and flow fractionation methods for cell and neuron counts, we estimate that neocortex of one hemisphere contains 9.5 billion cells and 3.7 billion neurons. Primary visual cortex occupies 35 cm(2) of surface, 10% of the total, and contains 737 million densely packed neurons, 20% of the total neurons contained within the hemisphere. Other areas of high neuron packing include secondary visual areas, somatosensory cortex, and prefrontal granular cortex. Areas of low levels of neuron packing density include motor and premotor cortex. These values reflect those obtained from more limited samples of cortex in humans and other primates.
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Miller DJ, Balaram P, Young NA, Kaas JH. Three counting methods agree on cell and neuron number in chimpanzee primary visual cortex. Front Neuroanat 2014; 8:36. [PMID: 24904305 PMCID: PMC4032965 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2014.00036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2014] [Accepted: 04/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Determining the cellular composition of specific brain regions is crucial to our understanding of the function of neurobiological systems. It is therefore useful to identify the extent to which different methods agree when estimating the same properties of brain circuitry. In this study, we estimated the number of neuronal and non-neuronal cells in the primary visual cortex (area 17 or V1) of both hemispheres from a single chimpanzee. Specifically, we processed samples distributed across V1 of the right hemisphere after cortex was flattened into a sheet using two variations of the isotropic fractionator cell and neuron counting method. We processed the left hemisphere as serial brain slices for stereological investigation. The goal of this study was to evaluate the agreement between these methods in the most direct manner possible by comparing estimates of cell density across one brain region of interest in a single individual. In our hands, these methods produced similar estimates of the total cellular population (approximately 1 billion) as well as the number of neurons (approximately 675 million) in chimpanzee V1, providing evidence that both techniques estimate the same parameters of interest. In addition, our results indicate the strengths of each distinct tissue preparation procedure, highlighting the importance of attention to anatomical detail. In summary, we found that the isotropic fractionator and the stereological optical fractionator produced concordant estimates of the cellular composition of V1, and that this result supports the conclusion that chimpanzees conform to the primate pattern of exceptionally high packing density in V1. Ultimately, our data suggest that investigators can optimize their experimental approach by using any of these counting methods to obtain reliable cell and neuron counts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J. Miller
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, TN, USA
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15
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Andrade-Moraes CH, Oliveira-Pinto AV, Castro-Fonseca E, da Silva CG, Guimarães DM, Szczupak D, Parente-Bruno DR, Carvalho LR, Polichiso L, Gomes BV, Oliveira LM, Rodriguez RD, Leite RE, Ferretti-Rebustini RE, Jacob-Filho W, Pasqualucci CA, Grinberg LT, Lent R. Cell number changes in Alzheimer's disease relate to dementia, not to plaques and tangles. Brain 2013; 136:3738-52. [PMID: 24136825 PMCID: PMC3859218 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awt273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [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: 11/11/2012] [Revised: 08/04/2013] [Accepted: 08/04/2013] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease is the commonest cause of dementia in the elderly, but its pathological determinants are still debated. Amyloid-β plaques and neurofibrillary tangles have been implicated either directly as disruptors of neural function, or indirectly by precipitating neuronal death and thus causing a reduction in neuronal number. Alternatively, the initial cognitive decline has been attributed to subtle intracellular events caused by amyloid-β oligomers, resulting in dementia after massive synaptic dysfunction followed by neuronal degeneration and death. To investigate whether Alzheimer's disease is associated with changes in the absolute cell numbers of ageing brains, we used the isotropic fractionator, a novel technique designed to determine the absolute cellular composition of brain regions. We investigated whether plaques and tangles are associated with neuronal loss, or whether it is dementia that relates to changes of absolute cell composition, by comparing cell numbers in brains of patients severely demented with those of asymptomatic individuals-both groups histopathologically diagnosed as Alzheimer's-and normal subjects with no pathological signs of the disease. We found a great reduction of neuronal numbers in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex of demented patients with Alzheimer's disease, but not in asymptomatic subjects with Alzheimer's disease. We concluded that neuronal loss is associated with dementia and not the presence of plaques and tangles, which may explain why subjects with histopathological features of Alzheimer's disease can be asymptomatic; and exclude amyloid-β deposits as causes for the reduction of neuronal numbers in the brain. We found an increase of non-neuronal cell numbers in the cerebral cortex and subcortical white matter of demented patients with Alzheimer's disease when compared with asymptomatic subjects with Alzheimer's disease and control subjects, suggesting a reactive glial cell response in the former that may be related to the symptoms they present.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Emily Castro-Fonseca
- 1 Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Camila G. da Silva
- 1 Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Daniel M. Guimarães
- 1 Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Diego Szczupak
- 1 Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | | | - Lívia Polichiso
- 2 Ageing Brain Study Group, Department of Pathology, LIM 22, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
- 3 Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, USA
| | - Bruna V. Gomes
- 1 Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Lays M. Oliveira
- 1 Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Roberta D. Rodriguez
- 2 Ageing Brain Study Group, Department of Pathology, LIM 22, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Renata E.P. Leite
- 2 Ageing Brain Study Group, Department of Pathology, LIM 22, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Renata E.L. Ferretti-Rebustini
- 2 Ageing Brain Study Group, Department of Pathology, LIM 22, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
- 4 University of São Paulo Nursing School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Wilson Jacob-Filho
- 2 Ageing Brain Study Group, Department of Pathology, LIM 22, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
- 5 Division of Geriatrics, University of São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carlos A. Pasqualucci
- 2 Ageing Brain Study Group, Department of Pathology, LIM 22, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lea T. Grinberg
- 2 Ageing Brain Study Group, Department of Pathology, LIM 22, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
- 3 Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, USA
| | - Roberto Lent
- 1 Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- 6 National Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Ministry of Science and Technology, Brazil
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Hedges JH, Adolph KE, Amso D, Bavelier D, Fiez JA, Krubitzer L, McAuley JD, Newcombe NS, Fitzpatrick SM, Ghajar J. Play, attention, and learning: how do play and timing shape the development of attention and influence classroom learning? Ann N Y Acad Sci 2013; 1292:1-20. [PMID: 23763338 PMCID: PMC3842829 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.12154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [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] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The behavioral and neurobiological connections between play and the development of critical cognitive functions, such as attention, remain largely unknown. We do not yet know how these connections relate to the formation of specific abilities, such as spatial ability, and to learning in formal environments, such as in the classroom. Insights into these issues would be beneficial not only for understanding play, attention, and learning individually, but also for the development of more efficacious systems for learning and for the treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders. Different operational definitions of play can incorporate or exclude varying types of behavior, emphasize varying developmental time points, and motivate different research questions. Relevant questions to be explored in this area include, How do particular kinds of play relate to the development of particular kinds of abilities later in life? How does play vary across societies and species in the context of evolution? Does play facilitate a shift from reactive to predictive timing, and is its connection to timing unique or particularly significant? This report will outline important research steps that need to be taken in order to address these and other questions about play, human activity, and cognitive functions.
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Abstract
Cell and neuron densities vary across the cortical sheet in a predictable manner across different primate species (Collins et al., 2010b). Primary motor cortex, M1, is characterized by lower neuron densities relative to other cortical areas. M1 contains a motor representation map of contralateral body parts from tail to tongue in a mediolateral sequence. Different functional movement representations within M1 likely require specialized microcircuitry for control of different body parts, and these differences in circuitry may be reflected by variation in cell and neuron densities. Here we determined cell and neuron densities for multiple sub-regions of M1 in six primate species, using the semi-automated flow fractionator method. The results verify previous reports of lower overall neuron densities in M1 compared to other parts of cortex in the six primate species examined. The most lateral regions of M1 that correspond to face and hand movement representations, are more neuron dense relative to medial locations in M1, which suggests differences in cortical circuitry within movement zones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole A Young
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN, USA
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18
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Brautigam H, Steele JW, Westaway D, Fraser PE, George-Hyslop PHS, Gandy S, Hof PR, Dickstein DL. The isotropic fractionator provides evidence for differential loss of hippocampal neurons in two mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. Mol Neurodegener 2012; 7:58. [PMID: 23173713 PMCID: PMC3551697 DOI: 10.1186/1750-1326-7-58] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [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: 05/02/2012] [Accepted: 09/18/2012] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The accumulation of amyloid beta (Aβ) oligomers or fibrils is thought to be one of the main causes of synaptic and neuron loss, believed to underlie cognitive dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Neuron loss has rarely been documented in amyloid precursor protein (APP) transgenic mouse models. We investigated whether two APP mouse models characterized by different folding states of amyloid showed different neuronal densities using an accurate method of cell counting. FINDINGS We examined total cell and neuronal populations in Swedish/Indiana APP mutant mice (TgCRND8) with severe Aβ pathology that includes fibrils, plaques, and oligomers, and Dutch APP mutant mice with only Aβ oligomer pathology. Using the isotropic fractionator, we found no differences from control mice in regional total cell populations in either TgCRND8 or Dutch mice. However, there were 31.8% fewer hippocampal neurons in TgCRND8 compared to controls, while no such changes were observed in Dutch mice. CONCLUSIONS We show that the isotropic fractionator is a convenient method for estimating neuronal content in milligram quantities of brain tissue and represents a useful tool to assess cell loss efficiently in transgenic models with different types of neuropathology. Our data support the hypothesis that TgCRND8 mice with a spectrum of Aβ plaque, fibril, and oligomer pathology exhibit neuronal loss whereas Dutch mice with only oligomers, showed no evidence for neuronal loss. This suggests that the combination of plaques, fibrils, and oligomers causes more damage to mouse hippocampal neurons than Aβ oligomers alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Brautigam
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - John W Steele
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY, 10468, USA
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, Rockefeller University, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - David Westaway
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2M8, Canada
| | - Paul E Fraser
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Departments of Medical Biophysics and Medicine (Neurology), University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3H2, Canada
| | - Peter H St George-Hyslop
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Departments of Medical Biophysics and Medicine (Neurology), University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3H2, Canada
- Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0XY, UK
| | - Sam Gandy
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY, 10468, USA
| | - Patrick R Hof
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Dara L Dickstein
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Leon and Norma Hess Center for Science and Medicine, 10th Floor, 1470 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, 10029, USA
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Collins CE, Young NA, Flaherty DK, Airey DC, Kaas JH. A rapid and reliable method of counting neurons and other cells in brain tissue: a comparison of flow cytometry and manual counting methods. Front Neuroanat 2010; 4:5. [PMID: 20300202 PMCID: PMC2841487 DOI: 10.3389/neuro.05.005.2010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [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: 12/14/2009] [Accepted: 01/19/2010] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
It is of critical importance to understand the numbers and distributions of neurons and non-neurons in the cerebral cortex because cell numbers are reduced with normal aging and by diseases of the CNS. The isotropic fractionator method provides a faster way of estimating numbers of total cells and neurons in whole brains and dissected brain parts. Several comparative studies have illustrated the accuracy and utility of the isotropic fractionator method, yet it is a relatively new methodology, and there is opportunity to adjust procedures to optimize its efficiency and minimize error. In the present study, we use 142 samples from a dissected baboon cortical hemisphere to evaluate if isotropic fractionator counts using a Neubauer counting chamber and fluorescence microscopy could be accurately reproduced using flow cytometry methods. We find greater repeatability in flow cytometry counts, and no evidence of constant or proportional bias when comparing microscopy to flow cytometry counts. We conclude that cell number estimation using a flow cytometer is more efficient and more precise than comparable counts using a Neubauer chamber on a fluorescence microscope. This method for higher throughput, precise estimation of cell numbers has the potential to rapidly advance research in post-mortem human brains and vastly improve our understanding of cortical and subcortical structures in normal, injured, aged, and diseased brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine E Collins
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Nashville, TN, USA
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