A5017462929- Adipose Tissue and Metabolism
- Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanisms
- Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
- Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
- Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Regulation of Appetite and Obesity
- Diet and metabolism studies
- Memory and Neural Mechanisms
- Adipokines, Inflammation, and Metabolic Diseases
- Nerve injury and regeneration
- Dietary Effects on Health
- Circadian rhythm and melatonin
- Tryptophan and brain disorders
- Muscle Physiology and Disorders
- Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Neurological Disease Mechanisms and Treatments
- Amino Acid Enzymes and Metabolism
- Nitric Oxide and Endothelin Effects
- Metabolism and Genetic Disorders
- Neurogenetic and Muscular Disorders Research
- Myasthenia Gravis and Thymoma
- Biochemical effects in animals
- Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors
- Diabetes Treatment and Management
- Barrier Structure and Function Studies
Augusta University
2014-2024
Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine
2012-2020
Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Physiology
2014
Georgia Regents Medical Center
2013
Augusta University Health
2011-2013
Johns Hopkins University
2009-2012
National Institutes of Health
2008-2011
Princeton University
2005-2010
National Institute on Aging
2008-2010
Institute on Aging
2008
Abstract Overall dietary energy intake, particularly the consumption of simple sugars such as fructose, has been increasing steadily in Western societies, but effects diets on brain are poorly understood. Here, we used functional and structural assays to characterize excessive caloric intake hippocampus, a region important for learning memory. Rats fed with high‐fat, high‐glucose diet supplemented high‐fructose corn syrup showed alterations lipid metabolism similar clinical diabetes,...
Abstract Physical activity enhances hippocampal function but its effects on neuronal structure remain relatively unexplored outside of the dentate gyrus. Using Golgi impregnation and lipophilic tracer DiI, we show that long‐term voluntary running increases density dendritic spines in entorhinal cortex hippocampus adult rats. Exercise was associated with increased spine not only granule neurons gyrus, also CA1 pyramidal neurons, layer III cortex. In region, changes are accompanied by...
Abstract Diabetes may adversely affect cognitive function, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. To investigate whether manipulations that enhance neurotrophin levels will also restore neuronal structure and function in diabetes, we examined effects of wheel running dietary energy restriction on hippocampal neuron morphology brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) db/db mice, a model insulin resistant diabetes. Running activity, caloric restriction, or combination two treatments...
Adipose tissue is a known source of proinflammatory cytokines in obese humans and animal models, including the db/db mouse, which obesity arises as result leptin receptor insensitivity. Inflammatory induce cognitive deficits across numerous conditions, but no studies have determined whether obesity-induced inflammation mediates synaptic dysfunction. To address this question, we used treadmill training paradigm mice were exposed to daily sessions or an immobile belt, with motivation achieved...
Primates exhibit complex social and cognitive behavior in the wild. In laboratory, however, expression of their is usually limited. A large body literature shows that living an enriched environment alters dendrites synapses brains adult rodents. To date, no studies have investigated influence a on brain structure primates. We assessed dendritic architecture, spines, synaptic proteins marmosets housed either standard laboratory cage or one two differentially habitats. month-long stay enhanced...
Accumulating evidence indicates that obesity accelerates the onset of cognitive decline. While mechanisms are still being identified, promotes peripheral inflammation and increases blood–brain barrier (BBB) permeability. However, no studies have manipulated vascular permeability in to determine whether BBB breakdown underlies memory deficits. Protein kinase Cβ (PKCβ) activation destabilizes BBB, we used a PKCβ inhibitor (Enzastaurin) block leakiness leptin receptor-deficient (db/db) mice....
Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play essential roles in innate immunity and increasing evidence indicates that these are expressed neurons, astrocytes microglia the brain where they mediate responses to infection, stress injury. Very little is known about of TLRs cognition. To test hypothesis TLR4 has a role hippocampus-dependent spatial learning memory, we used mice deficient for receiving chronic antagonist infusion lateral ventricles brain. We found developmental deficiency enhances reference...
ANG II is thought to increase sympathetic outflow by increasing oxidative stress and promoting local inflammation in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of hypothalamus. However, relative contributions drive remain poorly understood, underlying cellular molecular targets have yet be examined. has been shown enhance Toll-like receptor (TLR)4-mediated signaling on microglia. Thus, present study, we aimed determine whether II-mediated activation microglial TLR4 a key target initiating PVN. We...
Induction of the inflammasome protein cryopyrin (NLRP3) in visceral adipose tissue (VAT) promotes release proinflammatory cytokine IL-1β obesity. Although this mechanism contributes to peripheral metabolic dysfunction, effects on brain remain unexplored. We investigated whether NLRP3 impairs cognition by activating microglial IL-1 receptor 1 (IL-1R1). After observing protection against obesity-induced neuroinflammation and cognitive impairment NLRP3-KO mice, we transplanted VAT from obese WT...
The structure and function of the hippocampus, a brain region critical for learning memory, is impaired by obesity hyperlipidemia. Peripheral cholesterol sphingolipids increase progressively with aging are associated range age-related diseases. However, mechanisms linking peripheral metabolism to hippocampal neuroplasticity remain poorly understood. To determine whether diets that elevate serum influence lipid in we maintained rats on diet high amounts saturated fat simple sugars 3 months...
Brain regions and neural circuits differ in their vulnerability to changes that occur during aging age-related neurodegenerative diseases. Among the areas comprise medial temporal lobe memory system, layer II neurons of entorhinal cortex, which form perforant path input hippocampal formation, exhibit early alterations over course Reelin, a glycoprotein implicated synaptic plasticity, is expressed by cortical neurons. Here, we report an reduction reelin expression cortex associated with...
Obesity and insulin resistance elicit blood–brain barrier (BBB) breakdown in humans animal models, but the relative contributions of two pathologies remain poorly understood. These studies initially addressed temporal progression cerebrovascular dysfunction to dietary obesity or diet-induced male mice. increased BBB permeability low molecular weight fluorophore sodium fluorescein (NaFl), whereas both NaFl Evans blue, which forms a high complex with serum albumin. Serial section transmission...
Physical activity has been correlated with a reduced incidence of cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease in human populations. Although data from intervention-based randomized trials is scarce, there some indication that exercise may confer protection against age-related deficits function. Data animal models suggests exercise, the form voluntary wheel running, associated amyloid deposition enhanced clearance beta, major constituent plaques disease. Treadmill also shown to ameliorate...