Stress can cause damage and atrophy of neurons in the hippocampus by deregulating the expression of neurotrophic factors that promote neuronal plasticity. The endocannabinoid system represents a physiological substrate involved in neuroprotection at both cellular and emotional levels. The lack of CB1 receptor alters neuronal plasticity and originates an anxiety-like phenotype in mice. In the pr...

Recently, adipobiology (adiposcience) became a focus of numerous studies showing that the adipose tissue is the body's largest endocrine and paracrine organ producing multiple signaling proteins collectively designated adipokines; at present these include more than hundred proteins. However, studies on adipobiology of neurotrophins have recently emerged, nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-deri...

Introduction: The neuroprotective impact of curcumin and the role of CREB (cyclic AMP response element binding protein)-BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) signaling pathway was evaluated in methamphetamine (METH)-induced neurodegeneration in rats. Methods: Sixty adult male rats were randomly divided into 6 groups. While normal saline and 10 mg/kg METH were administered intraperitoneally ...

TrkB is a high affinity receptor for the brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its phosphorylation stimulates activation of several intracellular signalling pathways linked to cellular growth, differentiation and maintenance. Identification of various activators and inhibitors of the TrkB receptor and greater understanding their binding mechanisms is critical to elucidate the biochemical...

Introduction: The lesser quantity products of reprogrammed stem cells and slower differentiation of stem cells into neurons have limited the advance of cell therapy in clinical applications. Neurotrophic factors BDNF, GDNF, FGF, and IGF are critical factors for further differentiation and proliferation of neuronal cells. However, the influence of the reprogramming genes on the neurotrophic fact...

Transcription of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene is regulated in a calcium- and neuron-selective manner; however, the mechanisms that underlie this selectivity are not known. We have characterized a new calcium-response element, CaRE1, that is required for activity-dependent transcription of BDNF exon III and have cloned a transcription factor, CaRF, that activates transcripti...

There is accumulating evidence that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a critical role in the pathophysiology of depression. Decreased serum levels have been reported in major depression, and a correlation between BDNF reduction and the severity of the disease was found. Moreover, in post-mortem hippocampal tissue, increased levels of BDNF immunoreactivity have been reported in subj...

Although neurotrophic factors have been implicated in several forms of neuroplasticity, little is known concerning their potential role in spinal plasticity. Cervical dorsal rhizotomy (CDR) enhances serotonin terminal density near (spinal) phrenic motoneurons and serotonin-dependent long-term facilitation of phrenic motor output (Kinkead et al., 1998). We tested the hypothesis that selected neu...

Schizophrenia (SZ) is one of the most disabling mental illness and elucidation diagnostic therapeutic biomarkers are required. Recent studies investigating brain morphology, gene expression profile, genetic epidemiology have suggested involvement Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) its epigenetic regulation in pathophysiology SZ. The current study was conducted to determine association DNA...

Objective: Ethyl pyruvate (EP) is a molecule with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic features. The present study investigates EP's effects on behavioral biochemical alterations induced by immobilization (IM) stress. 
 Methods: In this outcome, 45 male BALB/c mice were separated into five groups [CONT (control), IM, IM+EP, EP, IM+F (fluoxetine)]. IM applied had 6 hours of st...