Can glial cells save neurons in epilepsy? Shen, Weida; Pristov, Jelena; Nobili, Paola ...
Neural Regeneration Research/Neural regeneration research,
07/2023, Letnik:
18, Številka:
7
Journal Article
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Epilepsy is a neurological disorder caused by the pathological hyper-synchronization of neuronal discharges. The fundamental research of epilepsy mechanisms and the targets of drug design options for ...its treatment have focused on neurons. However, approximately 30% of patients suffering from epilepsy show resistance to standard anti-epileptic chemotherapeutic agents while the symptoms of the remaining 70% of patients can be alleviated but not completely removed by the current medications. Thus, new strategies for the treatment of epilepsy are in urgent demand. Over the past decades, with the increase in knowledge on the role of glia in the genesis and development of epilepsy, glial cells are receiving renewed attention. In a normal brain, glial cells maintain neuronal health and in partnership with neurons regulate virtually every aspect of brain function. In epilepsy, however, the supportive roles of glial cells are compromised, and their interaction with neurons is altered, which disrupts brain function. In this review, we will focus on the role of glia-related processes in epileptogenesis and their contribution to abnormal neuronal activity, with the major focus on the dysfunction of astroglial potassium channels, water channels, gap junctions, glutamate transporters, purinergic signaling, synaptogenesis, on the roles of microglial inflammatory cytokines, microglia-astrocyte interactions in epilepsy, and on the oligodendroglial potassium channels and myelin abnormalities in the epileptic brain. These recent findings suggest that glia should be considered as the promising next-generation targets for designing anti-epileptic drugs that may improve epilepsy and drug-resistant epilepsy.
Interaction between autoreactive immune cells and astroglia is an important part of the pathologic processes that fuel neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis. In this inflammatory disease, immune ...cells enter into the central nervous system (CNS) and they spread through CNS parenchyma, but the impact of these autoreactive immune cells on the activity pattern of astrocytes has not been defined. By exploiting naïve astrocytes in culture and CNS‐infiltrated immune cells (CNS IICs) isolated from rat with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), here we demonstrate previously unrecognized properties of immune cell–astrocyte interaction. We show that CNS IICs but not the peripheral immune cell application, evokes a rapid and vigorous intracellular Ca2+ increase in astrocytes by promoting glial release of ATP. ATP propagated Ca2+ elevation through glial purinergic P2X7 receptor activation by the hemichannel‐dependent nucleotide release mechanism. Astrocyte Ca2+ increase is specifically triggered by the autoreactive CD4+ T‐cell application and these two cell types exhibit close spatial interaction in EAE. Therefore, Ca2+ signals may mediate a rapid astroglial response to the autoreactive immune cells in their local environment. This property of immune cell–astrocyte interaction may be important to consider in studies interrogating CNS autoimmune disease.
Application of the central nervous system (CNS)‐infiltrated immune cells induces a rapid increase in intracellular Ca2+ in cultured naïve astrocytes through glial purinergic receptor‐mediated signaling. This provides an insight into the astroglial response to the immune cells in their local environment in CNS autoimmunity.
Continental inland saline wetlands are among the most endangered habitats in Europe. In the Danube-Tisza-Danube canal network (Serbia, Southeastern Europe), which is one of the largest canal networks ...on the continent, the rare and endangered inland saline wetland
Bolboschoenus maritimus
community (BMC) has been found at only two locations. Two vegetation types of the community have been identified: (i) with
Bolboschoenus maritimus
and
Marsilea quadrifolia
(BMC-M) dominance and (ii) with
Bolboschoenus maritimus
and
Butomus umbellatus
(BMC-B) dominance. The aim of the study was to compare the habitats of the ascertained vegetation types in terms of 55 water and soil properties that influence their development, floristic composition and differentiation. The main properties influencing the community development and differentiation were water alkalinity, chemical oxygen demand, CO
3
2−
, water pH, soil conductivity, K
+
and Ca
2+
content in the soil. Both vegetation types grow in non-saline, slightly alkaline, nutrient-rich habitats with eutrophic water. When compared to BMC-B, BMC-M was found on heavy clay soils with higher conductivity, CaCO
3
, humus, nutrients, macroelements, and Na
+
content, in shallower water with higher suspended solids and oxygen content, lower contents of nutrients, dissolved salts, HCO
3
−
, macroelements, conductivity, and alkalinity. The study provides new data on the BMC distribution in this part of Europe and the first detailed information on its habitat conditions. Thirty-one species from the European Red List of Threatened Species were found in the stands. These results may be useful when deciding on the appropriate preservation measures aimed to rehabilitate other wetland habitats and biodiversity.
The obtained results indicate the possibility of weed control in organic intercropping production systems of carrots and onions with the application of corn gluten, together with the ecological ...assessment of habitat based on bioindicator values of weed species. A total of 29 weed taxons are present in the intercoped and pure crops of carrots and onions, grown without (CO) and with the application of corn gluten (CO-G). Although floristically uniformed, 24 taxons (CO) and 23 taxons (CO-G), the total weediness on the CO-G variants was 24% higher. The highest value of fresh weed biomass was recorded on the treatment of pure onion crop with gluten application (2844.85 g/m2), while the lowest value was recorded on the treatment of intercropped carrot and onion (1004.99 g/m2). Ecological assessment of habitat, based on indicator values and abundance of weed species, indicates favorable climatic conditions with favorable temperature (T
- 4) and light (L
- 4) regime, which refers to temperate continental climate conditions (K
- 2,7). Soil indicators indicate slightly drier conditions (F
– 2,6), slightly acidic to neutral pH (R
– 3,3), rich in nutrients (N
– 4), with moderate humus content (H
– 3), moderate aeration (D
– 2,8) and locally salted (s) with the participation of salinity indicators in the amount of 54% (CO) and 40% (CO-G). The presence of heavy metals tolerance (m) indicators in the amount of 46% (CO-G) and 41% (CO) should not be neglected, which imposes the need for additional analysis of soil for heavy metal content. Based on the analysis of obtained indicator values, it can be concluded that these ecological conditions correspond to the development of carrots and onions and that the lowest values of fresh weed biomass were recorded on the treatment of intercropping of carrots and onions, without application of corn gluten.
Abstract Paper presents results of researches carried out on various locations and immediate vicinity of mining and industrial activities of the northern and south-eastern part of Kosovo. ...Concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn, Rn-222, as well as temperature and pH values of natural spring water were measured at 15 measuring sites (that belong to Zvečan, Leposavić and Novo Brdo municipalities), in April–May and September–October 2019. The quantification of heavy metals’ content was performed by applying ICP-OES method. In analysed samples a high content of As, Pb, Fe and Ni was found. Carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks due to the content of heavy metals in water were evaluated. Concentration of radon in water was measured by the alpha spectrometric method, and measured values range in the interval from 0.34 ± 0.12 to 341 ± 35 Bq/L. The yearly doses of inhalation and ingestion were determined for the measured concentrations of radon. Mutual correlation by the Pearson correlation coefficient, principal component analysis, cluster analysis and spatial distribution analysis of the researched parameters of sampled water were done. The most expressed mutual dependence of some heavy metals leads to the conclusion that they have the same anthropogenic origin.
We describe an approach for studying the physiology of single live cells using the conceptionally novel upright microscope/patch-clamp configuration. Electrophysiology experiments typically require a ...microscope with the fixed stage position and the motion control of the microscope objective. Here, we demonstrate that a microscope with a z-axis movable stage and a fixed objective can also be efficiently used in combination with the patch-clamp technique. We define a set of underlying principles governing the operation of this microscope/patch-clamp configuration and demonstrate its performance in practice using cultured astrocytes, microglia, and oligodendrocytes. Experimental results show that our custom configuration provides stable recordings, has a high success rate of the whole-cell patch-clamp trials, can be effectively applied to study cellular physiology of glial cells, and provides comparable performance and usability to the commercially available systems. Our system can be easily replicated or adapted to suit the needs of the research groups and can be cost-effective in reducing the investments in purchasing additional equipment. We provide step-by-step instructions on implementing an upright microscope with z-axis movable stage as a routine workhorse for patch-clamping. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Approach for efficient patch-clamping using an upright microscope with a z-axis movable stage. Routine study of live cell physiology. Custom microscope/patch-clamp configuration that is cost-effective and overcomes equipment limitations.
This study aimed to compare weed flora in conventionally and organically grown medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs): basil, pot marigold, dill, and peppermint; in terms of weed composition and weed ...abundance. A total of 28 weed species (25 and 15 species in conventional and organic crops, respectively) were identified.The presence and abundance of certain weed species were affected by MAP species and farming system. Higher weed diversity and weediness, and lower floristic similarity were found in conventionally grown crops. Also, the analysed MAPs differed in weediness by individual weed species. Correspondence analysis pointed to conventional and organic MAPs with the most frequent and most abundant weed species. Setaria pumila and Portulaca oleracea were the most frequent species in conventional; and Amaranthus retroflexus, Datura stramonium, and Sorghum halepense in organic crops. In both conventional and organic farming systems, therophytes were the most dominant life forms indicating a strong anthropogenic influence. The results should contribute to establishing weed control measures that are adequate for the two farming systems.
Summary
In the organic bean crops (Phaseolus vulgaris) grown in open cultivation during the vegetation period of 2012, 14 weed species were found in the villages Ljutovo and Orom. The percentage of ...invasive species was 28.57%. Ambrosia artemisiifolia was characterized as highly invasive, Sorghum halepense as sporadically invasive, and Amaranthus retroflexus and Datura stramonium as potentially invasive species. Low diversity and low density of weed flora in organic bean crops are the factors causing a high percentage of invasive species in the floristic composition, so monitoring of these species is necessary. The weed flora dominated by therophytes (71.43%), the dominance of weed-ruderal plants (64.29%), and the presence of widespread taxa in the bean crops indicate strong anthropogenic influence and instability of the weed flora. The largest number of the weed species bloom from June to August (71.43%). According to the ecological analysis of the weed flora, the studied agroecosystems were characterized as moderately arid (F-2.36), neutral to weakly alkaline (R-3.07), eutrophic-mesotrophic (N-3.71), well-aerated (D-3.64), non-saline (S-, 78.57%) with medium humus content (H-2.86), favorable light (L-3.86) and temperature (T-4.14) regime, and with temperate continental climatic conditions (K-2.93). Correlation analysis showed that invasive weed species began to bloom later and favored well-aerated and warmer habitats compared to other weeds. PCA analysis singled out habitat aeration and salinity as the main factors separating weeds in organic bean crops.
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