Published in Frontiers in Neuroanatomy
The high synaptic density in the nervous system results from the ability of neurites to branch. Neuronal cell surface molecules play central roles during neurite branch formation. The underlying mechanisms of surface molecule activity have often been elucidated using invertebrates with simple nervous systems. Here, we review recent advances in unde...
Published in Frontiers in Neuroanatomy
The melanocortin system is a key neuroendocrine network involved in the control of food intake and energy homeostasis in vertebrates. Within the hypothalamus, the system comprises two main distinct neuronal cell populations that express the neuropeptides proopiomelanocortin (POMC; anorexigenic) or agouti-related protein (AGRP; orexigenic). Both bin...
Published in Frontiers in Neuroanatomy
The evolution of the brain in apes and man followed a joint pathway stemming from common ancestors 5–10 million years ago. However, although apparently sharing similar organization and neurochemical properties, association areas of the isocortex remain one of the cornerstones of what sets humans aside from other primates. Brodmann’s area 44, the ar...
Published in Frontiers in Neuroanatomy
Objective : To identify the novel projections received by the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-contacting nucleus from the subcortex and limbic system to understand the biological functions of the nucleus. Methods : The cholera toxin subunit B (CB), a retrograde tracer, was injected into the CSF-contacting nucleus in Sprague–Dawley rats. After 7–10 days, ...
Published in Frontiers in Neuroanatomy
The first anatomical atlas of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) of white matter pathways in the canine brain was published in 2013; however, the anatomical orientation of the entire visual pathway in the canine brain, from the retina to the cortex, has not yet been studied using DTI. In the present study, 3T DTI magnetic resonance (MR) images of three...
Published in Frontiers in Neuroanatomy
Squamata is one of the richest and most diverse extant groups. The present study investigates the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-immunopositive elements of five lizard and three snake species; each represents a different family. The study continues our former studies on bird, turtle, and caiman brains. Although several studies have been pub...
Published in Frontiers in Neuroanatomy
Microglia are dynamic cells that have roles in neuronal plasticity as well as in recovery responses following neuronal injury. Although many hypothesize that hyperactivation of microglia contributes to alcohol-induced neuropathology, in other neurodegenerative conditions disruption of normal microglial processes also contributes to neuronal loss, p...
Published in Frontiers in neuroanatomy
Published in Frontiers in neuroanatomy
There is a unique nucleus (CSF-contacting nucleus) in the brain of rat. It has been demonstrated in our previous research. The extraordinary feature of this nucleus is that it is not connected to any parenchymal organ but to the CSF. In primates, however, the presence or absence of this nucleus has not been proven. Confirmation of the presence of t...
Published in Frontiers in neuroanatomy
Asthma is a heterogeneous disease, and the central nervous system (CNS) also participates in the pathogenesis of asthma. We previously reported the amygdala might regulate asthmatic attacks via projecting to the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVN). The dorsal vagal complex (DVC) is a crucial region that modulates respiratory. This study aime...
