The neurohormone melatonin is a key agent in synchronizing the circadian rhythms. At least three types of binding sites have been described for melatonin: the G-coupled, seven-transmembrane domain receptors mt1 and MT2 and a putative binding site called MT3. The latter has been described in hamster brain membranes, and its binding capacity is optimum at 4 degrees C. We further characterized thi...

Here, we show that the synaptic vesicle protein SV2A is the brain binding site of levetiracetam (LEV), a new antiepileptic drug with a unique activity profile in animal models of seizure and epilepsy. The LEV-binding site is enriched in synaptic vesicles, and photoaffinity labeling of purified synaptic vesicles confirms that it has an apparent molecular mass of approximately 90 kDa. Brain membr...

Magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) is highly promising as a quantitative MRI technique due to its accuracy, robustness, and efficiency. Previous studies have found high repeatability reproducibility of 2D MRF acquisitions in the brain. Here, we extended our investigations 3D covering whole brain using spiral projection k-space trajectories. Our travelling head study acquired test/retest da...

Traumatic brain injuries constitute significant health and societal problems which can be ameliorated with some recent developments in neurofeedback. The field of neurofeedback has evolved from single channel to multiple-site training, and with LORETA Z-score training, deeper levels of the brain can reached. Neurofeedback for traumatic brain injury patients may provide improvements never before...

In the adult brain, NG2-glia represent a cell population that responds to injury. To further investigate if, how and why are recruited injury site, we analyzed in detail long-term reaction of after lesion by time-lapse two-photon vivo microscopy. Live imaging over several weeks GFP-labeled stab wounded cerebral cortex revealed their fast heterogeneous reaction, including proliferation, migratio...

The recent identification of a novel binding site for angiotensin (Ang) II as the peptidase neurolysin (E.C. 3.4.24.16) has implications for the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). This report describes the distribution of specific binding of 125I-Sarcosine1, Isoleucine8 Ang II (125I-SI Ang II) in neurolysin knockout mouse brains compared to wild-type mouse brains using quantitative receptor autora...

Here, we report that a unique mechanism of action exerted by stem cells in the repair of the traumatically injured brain involves their ability to harness a biobridge between neurogenic niche and injured brain site. This biobridge, visualized immunohistochemically and laser captured, corresponded to an area between the neurogenic subventricular zone and the injured cortex. That the biobridge ex...

BACKGROUND Cancer is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Brain cancer is identified as one of the most formidable forms of cancer due to several hurdles posed by the anatomy and physiology of the brain on the therapeutic strategies employed for treating brain cancer. Poor prognosis and high relapse rate further aggravate the situation leading to the high mortality ra...