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Cold Spring Harbor Protocols Jul 2024The ability to visualize the cells and proteins of a tissue within their original context (i.e., in vivo) is invaluable for the study of that biological system....
The ability to visualize the cells and proteins of a tissue within their original context (i.e., in vivo) is invaluable for the study of that biological system. Visualization is especially important in tissues with complex and convoluted structures, such as the neurons and glia of the nervous system. The central and peripheral nervous systems (CNS and PNS, respectively) of the third-instar larvae of the fruit fly, , are found on the ventral side of the larvae and are overlaid by the rest of the body tissues. Careful removal of overlying tissues while not damaging the delicate structures of the CNS and PNS is essential for proper visualization of these tissues. This protocol describes the dissection of third-instar larvae into fillets and their subsequent immunolabeling to visualize endogenously tagged or antibody-labeled proteins and tissues in the fly CNS and PNS.
Topics: Animals; Larva; Central Nervous System; Peripheral Nervous System; Dissection; Drosophila melanogaster; Immunohistochemistry; Staining and Labeling
PubMed: 37399181
DOI: 10.1101/pdb.prot108160 -
Handbook of Clinical Neurology 2024The femoral and obturator nerves both arise from the L2, L3, and L4 spinal nerve roots and descend into the pelvis before emerging in the lower limbs. The femoral... (Review)
Review
The femoral and obturator nerves both arise from the L2, L3, and L4 spinal nerve roots and descend into the pelvis before emerging in the lower limbs. The femoral nerve's primary function is knee extension and hip flexion, along with some sensory innervation to the leg. The obturator nerve's primary function is thigh adduction and sensory innervation to a small area of the medial thigh. Each may be injured by a variety of potential causes, many of them iatrogenic. Here, we review the anatomy of the femoral and obturator nerves and the clinical features and potential etiologies of femoral and obturator neuropathies. Their necessary investigations, including electrodiagnostic studies and imaging, their prognosis, and potential treatments, are discussed in this chapter.
Topics: Humans; Obturator Nerve; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases; Femoral Nerve; Femoral Neuropathy
PubMed: 38697739
DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-323-90108-6.00007-7 -
Cells Apr 2021S100A4 is a member of the large family of S100 proteins, exerting a broad range of intracellular and extracellular functions that vary upon different cellular contexts.... (Review)
Review
S100A4 is a member of the large family of S100 proteins, exerting a broad range of intracellular and extracellular functions that vary upon different cellular contexts. While S100A4 has long been implicated mainly in tumorigenesis and metastatization, mounting evidence shows that S100A4 is a key player in promoting pro-inflammatory phenotypes and organ pro-fibrotic pathways in the liver, kidney, lung, heart, tendons, and synovial tissues. Regarding the nervous system, there is still limited information concerning S100A4 presence and function. It was observed that S100A4 exerts physiological roles contributing to neurogenesis, cellular motility and chemotaxis, cell differentiation, and cell-to cell communication. Furthermore, S100A4 is likely to participate to numerous pathological processes of the nervous system by affecting the functions of astrocytes, microglia, infiltrating cells and neurons and thereby modulating inflammation and immune reactions, fibrosis as well as neuronal plasticity and survival. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge concerning the localization, deregulation, and possible functions of S100A4 in the physiology of the central and peripheral nervous system. Furthermore, we highlight S100A4 as a gene involved in the pathogenesis of neurological disorders such as brain tumors, neurodegenerative diseases, and acute injuries.
Topics: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Central Nervous System; Humans; Models, Biological; Peripheral Nervous System; S100 Calcium-Binding Protein A4
PubMed: 33918416
DOI: 10.3390/cells10040798 -
Molecular Neurobiology Aug 2018Neurotrophins are a family of proteins that play an important role in the regulation of the growth, survival, and differentiation of neurons in the central and... (Review)
Review
Neurotrophins are a family of proteins that play an important role in the regulation of the growth, survival, and differentiation of neurons in the central and peripheral nervous system. Neurotrophins were earlier characterized by their role in early development, growth, maintenance, and the plasticity of the nervous system during development, but recent findings also indicate their complex role during normal physiology in both neuronal and non-neuronal tissues. Therefore, it is important to recognize a deficiency in the expression of neurotrophins, a major factor driving the debilitating features of several neurologic and psychiatric diseases/disorders. On the other hand, overexpression of neurotrophins is well known to play a critical role in pathogenesis of chronic pain and afferent sensitization, underlying conditions such as lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS)/disorders and osteoarthritis. The existence of a redundant receptor system of high-and low-affinity receptors accounts for the diverse, often antagonistic, effects of neurotrophins in neurons and non-neuronal tissues in a spatial and temporal manner. In addition, studies looking at bladder dysfunction because of conditions such as spinal cord injury and diabetes mellitus have found alterations in the levels of these neurotrophins in the bladder, as well as in sensory afferent neurons, which further opens a new avenue for therapeutic targets. In this review, we will discuss the characteristics and roles of key neurotrophins and their involvement in the central and periphery nervous system in both normal and diseased conditions.
Topics: Animals; Central Nervous System; Drug Delivery Systems; Humans; Nerve Growth Factors; Neurons; Peripheral Nervous System; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 29372544
DOI: 10.1007/s12035-018-0885-3 -
Journal of Neuroscience Methods Dec 2020How rich functionality emerges from the rather invariant structural architecture of the peripheral autonomic nervous system remains one of the major mysteries in... (Review)
Review
How rich functionality emerges from the rather invariant structural architecture of the peripheral autonomic nervous system remains one of the major mysteries in neuroscience. The high incidence of patients with neural circuit-related autonomic nervous system diseases highlights the importance of fundamental research, among others with neurotracing methods, into autonomic neuron functionality. Due to the emergence of neurotropic virus-based tracing techniques in recent years the access to neuronal connectivity in the peripheral autonomic nervous system has greatly been improved. This review is devoted to the anatomical distribution of neural circuits in the periphery of the autonomous nervous system and to the interaction between the autonomic nervous system and vital peripheral organs or tissues. The experimental evidence available at present has greatly expanded our understanding of autonomic peripheral nervous system neurons.
Topics: Autonomic Nervous System; Humans; Interneurons; Neurons; Peripheral Nervous System; Viruses
PubMed: 32979424
DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2020.108958 -
Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine Nov 2020Electrodiagnostic testing, consisting of nerve conduction studies and needle electrode examination, serves as an extension of a neurologic examination for evaluating a... (Review)
Review
Electrodiagnostic testing, consisting of nerve conduction studies and needle electrode examination, serves as an extension of a neurologic examination for evaluating a variety of focal and generalized neuromuscular conditions. By providing important clues on location, chronicity, severity, and pathophysiology, it can help to establish a diagnosis, evaluate the need for surgery, and assess patients who do not improve as expected after surgery.
Topics: Electrodiagnosis; Humans; Neuromuscular Diseases; Peripheral Nervous System; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted
PubMed: 33139261
DOI: 10.3949/ccjm.87a.19154 -
Current Neurology and Neuroscience... Mar 2023Peripheral nervous system vasculitides (PNSV) are a heterogeneous group of disorders with a clinical subset that may differ in prognosis and therapy. We provide a... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
Peripheral nervous system vasculitides (PNSV) are a heterogeneous group of disorders with a clinical subset that may differ in prognosis and therapy. We provide a comprehensive update on the clinical assessment, diagnosis, complications, treatment, and follow-up of PNSV.
RECENT FINDINGS
Progress in neuroimaging, molecular testing, and peripheral nerve biopsy has improved clinical assessment and decision-making of PNSV, also providing novel insights on how to prevent misdiagnosis and increase diagnostic certainty. Advances in imaging techniques, allowing to clearly display the vessel walls, have also enhanced the possibility to differentiate inflammatory from non-inflammatory vascular lesions, while recent histopathology data have identified the main morphological criteria for more accurate diagnosis and differential diagnoses. Overall, the identification of peculiar morphological findings tends to improve diagnostic accuracy by defining a clearer boundary between systemic and non-systemic neuropathies. Therefore, the definition of epineurium vessel wall damage, type of vascular lesion, characterization of lymphocyte populations, antibodies, and inflammatory factors, as well as the identification of direct nerve damage or degeneration, are the common goals for pathologists and clinicians, who will both benefit for data integration and findings translation. Nevertheless, to date, treatment is still largely empiric and, in some cases, unsatisfactory, thus often precluding precise prognostic prediction. In this context, new diagnostic techniques and multidisciplinary management will be essential in the proper diagnosis and prompt management of PNSV, as highlighted in the present review. Thirty to fifty percent of all patients with vasculitis have signs of polyneuropathy. Neuropathies associated with systemic vasculitis are best managed according to the guidelines of the underlying disease because appropriate workup and initiation of treatment can reduce morbidity. Steroids, or in severe or progressive cases, cyclophosphamide pulse therapy is the standard therapy in non-systemic vasculitic neuropathies. Some patients need long-term immunosuppression. The use of novel technologies for high-throughput genotyping will permit to determine the genetic influence of related phenotypes in patients with PNSV.
Topics: Humans; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases; Peripheral Nervous System; Polyneuropathies; Vasculitis; Prognosis
PubMed: 36820992
DOI: 10.1007/s11910-023-01249-3 -
Neuroscience Letters Jan 2021Neurons are polarized cells whose fundamental functions are to receive, conduct and transmit signals. In bilateral animals, the nervous system is divided into the... (Review)
Review
Neurons are polarized cells whose fundamental functions are to receive, conduct and transmit signals. In bilateral animals, the nervous system is divided into the central (CNS) and peripheral (PNS) nervous system. The main function of the PNS is to connect the CNS to the limbs and organs, essentially serving as a relay between the brain and spinal cord and the rest of the body. Sensory axons can be up to 3 feet in length. Because of its long-reaching and complex structure, the peripheral nervous system (PNS) is exposed and vulnerable to many genetic, metabolic and environmental predispositions. Lipids and lipid intermediates are essential components of nerves. About 50 % of the brain dry weight consist of lipids, which makes it the second highest lipid rich tissue after adipose tissue. However, the role of lipids in neurological disorders in particular of the peripheral nerves is not well understood. This review aims to provide an overview about the role of lipids in the disorders of the PNS.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Lipid Metabolism; Lipids; Neurons; Peripheral Nervous System; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases
PubMed: 33166639
DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2020.135455 -
Operative Neurosurgery (Hagerstown, Md.) Aug 2019
Topics: Aged; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Neurosurgical Procedures; Peripheral Nerves; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases; Young Adult
PubMed: 31099839
DOI: 10.1093/ons/opz072 -
Current Opinion in Neurobiology Dec 2017The aging peripheral nervous system (PNS) is prone to a number of disorders, including the development of neuropathies and increased regenerative failure. Although the... (Review)
Review
The aging peripheral nervous system (PNS) is prone to a number of disorders, including the development of neuropathies and increased regenerative failure. Although the basic mechanisms of the aging PNS are still rather murky, recent work has revealed that 'old' Schwann cells acquire a number of dysfunctions in mammals. This review will assess our current knowledge about aging Schwann cells while emphasizing where gaps exist. Indeed, as our understanding of how these peripheral glia contribute to the development, maintenance and regeneration of the PNS becomes increasingly refined, we should also turn our attention to questions of escalating importance in our rapidly greying society: how do Schwann cells change with aging, how might these changes contribute to dysfunction and disease, and what, if anything, might this tell us about the aging central nervous system?
Topics: Aging; Animals; Humans; Peripheral Nervous System; Schwann Cells
PubMed: 29161640
DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2017.10.022