Pharmacological and Developmental Aspects on Neuronal Plasticity

....................................................................................................... 7 ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................. 9 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................. 11 Neuronal plasticity ...................................................................................... 11 Molecular basis of neuronal plasticity ........................................................ 11 Neuronal plasticity in Alzheimer’s disease and depression ..................... 13 Alzheimer’s disease ................................................................................ 13 Major depression .................................................................................... 14 The HPA axis ............................................................................................... 15 The hippocampus influences the HPA axis .......................................... 16 Neuroanatomical structures of particular interest ................................... 16 The Hippocampus .................................................................................. 16 The Habenula ......................................................................................... 17 Pharmacological stimulation of neuronal plasticity................................. 18 Antidepressants influence GR and MR ................................................. 18 Antidepressants influence hippocampal IEGs ..................................... 18 Antidepressants induce hippocampal neurogenesis ........................... 19 Environmental influence on neuronal plasticity ..................................... 20 Morphological plasticity ............................................................................ 20 Activity-dependent refinement ............................................................. 21 Neuronal Pentraxins ............................................................................. 22 AIMS ................................................................................................................ 24 METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES ....................................................................... 25 Antidepressant treatment (papers I, II & IV) ........................................... 25 Enriched Environment (paper IV) ............................................................ 27 In situ hybridization (papers I, II & IV) .................................................... 27 Generation of knock-out mice (paper III) ................................................ 28 Affinity chromatography (paper III) .......................................................... 31 Labeling of retinogeniculate afferents (paper III) ....................................32 RESULTS AND COMMENTS ........................................................................ 34 Pharmacological studies ............................................................................ 34 Papers I & II ........................................................................................... 34 Paper IV .................................................................................................. 35