Nervous system

About: Nervous system is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 16729 publications have been published within this topic receiving 847181 citations.

Regulation of Langerhans cell function by nerves containing calcitonin gene-related peptide

Abstract: Several observations suggest interactions between the immune and nervous systems. Psoriasis and atopic dermatitis may worsen with anxiety and have been associated with anomalous neuropeptide regulation. Neurotransmitters affect lymphocyte function and lymphoid organs are innervated. Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is a neuropeptide and vasodilator that modulates some macrophage functions, including antigen presentation in vitro. CGRP is associated with Langerhans cells (LC) in oesophageal mucosa, particularly during inflammation, is present in epidermal nerves and is associated with Merkel cells. We examined the ability of CGRP to modulate LC antigen-presenting function and asked if CGRP-containing nerves impinge on LC. We report here that CGRP-containing nerve fibres are intimately associated with LC in human epidermis and CGRP is found at the surface of some LC. In three functional assays CGRP inhibited LC antigen presentation. These findings indicate that CGRP may have immunomodulatory effects in vivo and suggest a locus of interaction between the nervous system and immunological function.

Biogenic Amines in the Insect Nervous System

Abstract: Publisher Summary This chapter takes a view of biogenic amines in the insect nervous system and to assess critically the evidence for their roles as neurotransmitters, neuromodulators and neurohormones. It attempts to answer several questions such as where biogenic amines are located in the insect nervous system; how are they synthesized and inactivated; and what physiological roles do they perform and how do they bring about their effects. Particular emphasis is placed on the correlation of biochemical, physiological, pharmacological and anatomical information from systems containing identified aminergic neurones. The chapter points out instances where data from one or more of the approaches is either missing or conflicts with that from another and suggests experiments to resolve these points. The function of biogenic amines in the insect nervous system has been compared with that in the vertebrate nervous system. In this context the chapter mentions the role of biogenic amines as chemical messengers in the vertebrate nervous system.

Bace1 modulates myelination in the central and peripheral nervous system

Abstract: Bace1 is an endopeptidase that cleaves the amyloid precursor protein at the beta-secretase site. Apart from this cleavage, the functional importance of Bace1 in other physiological events is unknown. We show here that Bace1 regulates the process of myelination and myelin sheath thickness in the central and peripheral nerves. In Bace1-null mice, the process of myelination was delayed and myelin thickness was markedly reduced, indicating that genetic deletion of Bace1 causes hypomyelination. Bace1-null mice also showed altered neurological behaviors such as elevated pain sensitivity and reduced grip strength. Further mechanistic studies showed an altered neuregulin-Akt signaling pathway in Bace1-null mice. Full-length neuregulin-1 was increased and its cleavage product was decreased in the CNS of Bace1-null mice. Furthermore, phosphorylated Akt was also reduced. Based upon these and previous studies, we postulate that neuronally enriched Bace1 cleaves neuregulin-1 and that processed neuregulin-1 regulates myelination by means of phosphorylation of Akt in myelin-forming cells.

Atlas of the Mouse Brain and Spinal Cord

Abstract: Atlas Of The Mouse Brain The Allen Mouse Brain Atlas includes a full-color, high-resolution anatomic reference atlas accompanied by a systematic, hierarchically organized taxonomy of mouse brain structures. In 2011, the reference atlas was updated to enable interactive online exploration of the atlas and to provide a deeper level of 3-D annotation for informatics analysis and viewing in the Brain Explorer® 3-D viewer.

Aquaporin water channels in the nervous system

Abstract: The aquaporins (AQPs) are plasma membrane water-transporting proteins. AQP4 is the principal member of this protein family in the CNS, where it is expressed in astrocytes and is involved in water movement, cell migration and neuroexcitation. AQP1 is expressed in the choroid plexus, where it facilitates cerebrospinal fluid secretion, and in dorsal root ganglion neurons, where it tunes pain perception. The AQPs are potential drug targets for several neurological conditions. Astrocytoma cells strongly express AQP4, which may facilitate their infiltration into the brain, and the neuroinflammatory disease neuromyelitis optica is caused by AQP4-specific autoantibodies that produce complement-mediated astrocytic damage.