Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is known to modulate synapse development and plasticity, but the source of synaptic BDNF and molecular mechanisms regulating BDNF release remain unclear. Using exogenous BDNF tagged with quantum dots (BDNF-QDs), we found that endocytosed BDNF-QDs were preferentially localized to postsynaptic sites in the dendrite of cultured hippocampal neurons. Repetiti...

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) decreases food intake and body weight, but few central sites of action have been identified. The hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) is important in energy metabolism regulation, and expresses both BDNF and its receptor. We tested three hypotheses: 1) PVN BDNF reduces feeding and increases energy expenditure (EE), 2) PVN BDNF-enhanced thermogenesi...

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a pivotal role in brain development and synaptic plasticity. It is synthesized as a precursor (pro-BDNF), sorted into the secretory pathway, transported along dendrites and axons, and released in an activity-dependent manner. Mutant Huntingtin with expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) and the V66M polymorphism of BDNF reduce the dendritic distribution an...

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a member of the nerve growth factor family of neurotrophins and plays a vital role in synaptic plasticity. This study investigated the involvement of the amygdaloid BDNF system in molecular mechanisms underlying anxiety and alcohol-drinking behaviors. Male Sprague Dawley rats were cannulated targeting central amygdala (CeA), medial amygdala (MeA), or ...

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) may predict markers of neurocognitive performance (i.e., executive function; EF) and brain health/plasticity brain-derived neurotrophic factor; BDNF). This pilot examined: (1) ACES history current EF performance, (2) ACEs BDNF levels, (3) levels. We hypothesized that higher would be associated with lower scores these patterns serum Given the nature study, em...

Introduction Psychotherapy is a treatment of proven efficacy in bipolar disorder (BD), but little known about the molecular and cellular mechanisms that it produces brain. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) thought to be important neuroplasticity could increased by psychopharmaceuticals psychotherapy BD patients, evidence literature limited. Objectives To analyze scientific studies relate...

Besides neuronal plasticity, the neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is also important in vascular function. The BDNF has been associated with angiogenesis through its specific receptor tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB). Additionally, Val66Met polymorphism decreases activity-induced BDNF. Since BDNF and TrkB are expressed in vascular endothelial cells and aerobic exercise tr...

Acute intrahippocampal infusion of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) leads to long-term potentiation (BDNF-LTP) of synaptic transmission at medial perforant path-->granule cell synapses in the rat dentate gyrus. Endogenous BDNF is implicated in the maintenance of high-frequency stimulation-induced LTP (HFS-LTP). However, the relationship between exogenous BDNF-LTP and HFS-LTP is unclear....

Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) promotes cholinergic neuron function and survival. In Alzheimer's disease, BDNF mRNA and protein are decreased in basal forebrain cholinergic neuron target tissues such as cortex and hippocampus. Using RT-PCR, we demonstrate that BDNF is synthesized in basal forebrain, supplying cholinergic neurons with a local as well as a target-derived source of this ...

Depression is a serious and potentially life-threatening mental disorder with unknown etiology. Emerging evidence shows that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and microRNAs (miRNAs) play critical roles in the etiology of depression. Here this study was aimed to identify and characterize the roles of BDNF and its putative regulatory miRNAs in depression. First, we identified that miR-182 ...