Beyond the antennal lobe we observed astrocyte-like glial spontaneous

calcium activities in the ventromedial protocerebrum, indicating that astrocyte-like glial spontaneous calcium elevations might be general in the adult fly brain. Overall, our study demonstrates a new function for astrocyte-like glial cells in the physiological modulation of olfactory information transmission, possibly through regulating ORN–PN synapse strength. “
“In many retinal diseases, it is the death of photoreceptors that leads to blindness. In previous in vitro and in vivo studies, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) has been shown to increase retinal cell survival. More recently, reactive oxygen species (ROS) have also been shown to promote cell survival, contrary to the traditional view that they are solely destructive molecules. Due to this possible link, click here we hypothesised that bFGF could stimulate the production

of ROS, which in turn stimulates the protein kinase B (Akt) survival pathway. Flow cytometry was used to measure the fluorescence of oxidised dihydrorhodamine, a ROS indicator, in the murine 661W photoreceptor cell line under several different conditions. Expression of cyclooxygenase (Cox) enzymes was evaluated by immunohistochemistry, and the response of photoreceptor cells to exogenous bFGF in the explanted mouse retina was studied by confocal microscopy. Exogenous addition of bFGF to 661W cells resulted in an increase in ROS production that lasted for 24 h. When this ROS production was inhibited, Cediranib (AZD2171) bFGF-induced phosphorylation of Akt was prevented. Through the use of inhibitors and Selleckchem NVP-BGJ398 small interfering RNA in the cell line, the source of this production was shown to be Cox and to involve the activation of phospholipases A2 + C. This pathway may also occur in the mouse retina, as we showed that the retina expressed Cox1&2, and that photoreceptors in explanted retina respond to bFGF by increasing their ROS levels. These results demonstrate that exogenous bFGF can stimulate ROS production

through the activation of Cox, and activate the Akt pathway. “
“Amyloid beta (Aβ), a key component in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease, is thought to target excitatory synapses early in the disease. However, the mechanism by which Aβ weakens synapses is not well understood. Here we showed that the PDZ domain protein, protein interacting with C kinase 1 (PICK1), was required for Aβ to weaken synapses. In mice lacking PICK1, elevations of Aβ failed to depress synaptic transmission in cultured brain slices. In dissociated cultured neurons, Aβ failed to reduce surface α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor subunit 2, a subunit of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors that binds with PICK1 through a PDZ ligand–domain interaction.