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Annals of Medicine and Surgery (2012) Mar 2024SARS-COV-2 has many presenting signs including a number of typical and atypical symptoms. However, having the enormous capacity of mutation, the virus is changing its...
INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE
SARS-COV-2 has many presenting signs including a number of typical and atypical symptoms. However, having the enormous capacity of mutation, the virus is changing its genetic pattern continuously, giving rise to newer and rarer manifestations. Here, the authors report a case of adult COVID-19 along with features of hypothermia which is relatively rare and has future implications in clinical perspective.
CASE PRESENTATION
The patient presented with hypothermia and indicative symptoms of COVID-19 during admission. Comorbidities were assessed, potential differentials were ruled out thorough appropriate clinical examination and investigations. Insulation with a blanket and room heater was used to stabilize the normal body temperature (98.6°F) in the hospital setting, during this period vitals (Blood pressure, Pulse rate and oxygen saturation) were assessed regularly. On the sixth day of hospital admission, he was discharged from the hospital with advice.
CLINICAL DISCUSSION
COVID-19 virus can enter into brain through olfactory tract and may cause dysfunction in the medial preoptic area of the hypothalamus containing warm sensitive neurons directly or via cytokine-induced release of prostaglandin E2 from endothelial cells, which acts through a paracrine mechanism that may provoke hypothermia in our case.
CONCLUSIONS
This case highlights a rare presentation of COVID-19 infection that has not been thoroughly explored. The authors believe the case report holds particular importance especially in dealing with COVID-19 cases in both clinical and home settings.
PubMed: 38463048
DOI: 10.1097/MS9.0000000000001709 -
Hormones and Behavior May 2024The neuropeptides arginine vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OXT) are key regulators of social behaviour across vertebrates. However, much of our understanding of how...
The neuropeptides arginine vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OXT) are key regulators of social behaviour across vertebrates. However, much of our understanding of how these neuropeptide systems interact with social behaviour is centred around laboratory studies which fail to capture the social and physiological challenges of living in the wild. To evaluate relationships between these neuropeptide systems and social behaviour in the wild, we studied social groups of the cichlid fish Neolamprologus pulcher in Lake Tanganyika, Africa. We first used SCUBA to observe the behaviour of focal group members and then measured transcript abundance of key components of the AVP and OXT systems across different brain regions. While AVP is often associated with male-typical behaviours, we found that dominant females had higher expression of avp and its receptor (avpr1a2) in the preoptic area of the brain compared to either dominant males or subordinates of either sex. Dominant females also generally had the highest levels of leucyl-cystinyl aminopeptidase (lnpep)-which inactivates AVP and OXT-throughout the brain, potentially indicating greater overall activity (i.e., production, release, and turnover) of the AVP system in dominant females. Expression of OXT and its receptors did not differ across social ranks. However, dominant males that visited the brood chamber more often had lower preoptic expression of OXT receptor a (oxtra) suggesting a negative relationship between OXT signalling and parental care in males of this species. Overall, these results advance our understanding of the relationships between complex social behaviours and neuroendocrine systems under natural settings.
Topics: Animals; Oxytocin; Arginine Vasopressin; Male; Female; Cichlids; Social Behavior; Brain; Cystinyl Aminopeptidase; Receptors, Vasopressin; Behavior, Animal; Social Dominance
PubMed: 38452613
DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105521 -
Frontiers in Physiology 2024Molecular and physiological determinants of the timing of reproductive events, including the pre-ovulatory LH surge and seasonal fluctuations in fertility, are...
Molecular and physiological determinants of the timing of reproductive events, including the pre-ovulatory LH surge and seasonal fluctuations in fertility, are incompletely understood. We used the -deficient duper mutant to examine the role of this core circadian clock gene in Syrian hamsters. We find that the phase of the LH surge and its stability upon shifts of the light: dark cycle are altered in duper mutants. The intensity of immunoreactive PER1 in GnRH cells of the preoptic area peaks earlier in the day in duper than wild type hamsters. We note that GnRH fibers coursing through the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) contact vasopressin- and VIP-immunoreactive cells, suggesting a possible locus of circadian control of the LH surge. Unlike wild types, duper hamsters do not regress their gonads within 8 weeks of constant darkness, despite evidence of melatonin secretion during the subjective night. In light of the finding that the duper allele is a stop codon in , our results suggest important neuroendocrine functions of this core circadian clock gene.
PubMed: 38444761
DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2024.1351682 -
Theriogenology Apr 2024To understand better the role that kisspeptin plays in regulating seasonal and estrous cycle changes in the mare, this study investigated the number, location and...
Characterizing the relationship between gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH), kisspeptin, and RFamide related peptide 3 (RFRP-3) neurons in the equine hypothalamus across the estrous cycle and in the anovulatory seasons.
To understand better the role that kisspeptin plays in regulating seasonal and estrous cycle changes in the mare, this study investigated the number, location and interactions between GnRH, kisspeptin and RFRP-3 neurons in the equine hypothalamus. Hypothalami were collected from mares during the non-breeding season, vernal transition and various stages of the breeding season. Fluorescent immunohistochemistry was used to label the neuropeptides of interest. GnRH cells were observed primarily in the arcuate nucleus (ARC), while very few labeled cells were identified in the pre-optic area (POA). Kisspeptin cells were identified primarily in the ARC, with a small number of cells observed dorsal to the ARC, surrounding the third ventricle (3V). The mean number of kisspeptin cells varied between animals and typically showed no pattern associated with season or stage of estrous cycle, but a seasonal difference was identified in the ARC population. Small numbers of RFRP-3 cells were observed in the ARC, ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) and dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH). The mean number of RFRP-3 cells appeared higher in pre-ovulatory animals compared to all other stages. The percentage of GnRH cell bodies with kisspeptin appositions did not change with season or stage of estrous cycle. The percentage of kisspeptin cells receiving inputs from RFRP-3 fibers did not vary with season or stage of estrous cycle. These interactions suggest the possibility of the presence of an ultra-short loop feedback system between these three peptides. The changes in RFRP-3 neurons suggest the possibility of a role in the regulation of reproduction in the horse, but it is unlikely to be as a gonadotropin inhibitory factor.
Topics: Horses; Animals; Female; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; Kisspeptins; Seasons; Neuropeptides; Hypothalamus; Estrous Cycle; Neurons
PubMed: 38432143
DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2024.02.027 -
ELife Feb 2024Sexual bonds are central to the social lives of many species, including humans, and monogamous prairie voles have become the predominant model for investigating such...
Sexual bonds are central to the social lives of many species, including humans, and monogamous prairie voles have become the predominant model for investigating such attachments. We developed an automated whole-brain mapping pipeline to identify brain circuits underlying pair-bonding behavior. We identified bonding-related c-Fos induction in 68 brain regions clustered in seven major brain-wide neuronal circuits. These circuits include known regulators of bonding, such as the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, paraventricular hypothalamus, ventral pallidum, and prefrontal cortex. They also include brain regions previously unknown to shape bonding, such as ventromedial hypothalamus, medial preoptic area, and the medial amygdala, but that play essential roles in bonding-relevant processes, such as sexual behavior, social reward, and territorial aggression. Contrary to some hypotheses, we found that circuits active during mating and bonding were largely sexually monomorphic. Moreover, c-Fos induction across regions was strikingly consistent between members of a pair, with activity best predicted by rates of ejaculation. A novel cluster of regions centered in the amygdala remained coordinated after bonds had formed, suggesting novel substrates for bond maintenance. Our tools and results provide an unprecedented resource for elucidating the networks that translate sexual experience into an enduring bond.
Topics: Male; Humans; Animals; Grassland; Brain Mapping; Arvicolinae; Basal Forebrain; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos
PubMed: 38381037
DOI: 10.7554/eLife.87029 -
BioRxiv : the Preprint Server For... Jan 2024Sexual differentiation of the brain occurs in all major vertebrate lineages but is not well understood at a molecular and cellular level. Unlike most vertebrates,...
Sexual differentiation of the brain occurs in all major vertebrate lineages but is not well understood at a molecular and cellular level. Unlike most vertebrates, sex-changing fishes have the remarkable ability to change reproductive sex during adulthood in response to social stimuli, offering a unique opportunity to understand mechanisms by which the nervous system can initiate and coordinate sexual differentiation. This study explores sexual differentiation of the forebrain using single nucleus RNA-sequencing in the anemonefish , producing the first cellular atlas of a sex-changing brain. We uncover extensive sex differences in cell type-specific gene expression, relative proportions of cells, baseline neuronal excitation, and predicted inter-neuronal communication. Additionally, we identify the cholecystokinin, galanin, and estrogen systems as central molecular axes of sexual differentiation. Supported by these findings, we propose a model of neurosexual differentiation in the conserved vertebrate social decision-making network spanning multiple subtypes of neurons and glia, including neuronal subpopulations within the preoptic area that are positioned to regulate gonadal differentiation. This work deepens our understanding of sexual differentiation in the vertebrate brain and defines a rich suite of molecular and cellular pathways that differentiate during adult sex change in anemonefish.
PubMed: 38352560
DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.29.577753 -
Frontiers in Neural Circuits 2023Parental care plays a crucial role in the physical and mental well-being of mammalian offspring. Although sexually naïve male mice, as well as certain strains of female... (Review)
Review
Parental care plays a crucial role in the physical and mental well-being of mammalian offspring. Although sexually naïve male mice, as well as certain strains of female mice, display aggression toward pups, they exhibit heightened parental caregiving behaviors as they approach the time of anticipating their offspring. In this Mini Review, I provide a concise overview of the current understanding of distinct limbic neural types and their circuits governing both aggressive and caregiving behaviors toward infant mice. Subsequently, I delve into recent advancements in the understanding of the molecular, cellular, and neural circuit mechanisms that regulate behavioral plasticity during the transition to parenthood, with a specific focus on the sex steroid hormone estrogen and neural hormone oxytocin. Additionally, I explore potential sex-related differences and highlight some critical unanswered questions that warrant further investigation.
Topics: Humans; Mice; Male; Animals; Female; Paternal Behavior; Aggression; Oxytocin; Mammals
PubMed: 38298741
DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1340497 -
Brain Sciences Jan 2024Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is acknowledged for its non-invasive modulation of neuronal activity in psychiatric disorders. However, its application in...
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is acknowledged for its non-invasive modulation of neuronal activity in psychiatric disorders. However, its application in insomnia research yields varied outcomes depending on different tDCS types and patient conditions. Our primary objective is to elucidate its efficiency and uncover the underlying mechanisms in insomnia treatment. We hypothesized that anodal prefrontal cortex stimulation activates glutamatergic projections from the infralimbic cortex (IL) to the ventrolateral preoptic area (VLPO) to promote sleep. After administering 0.06 mA of electrical currents for 8 min, our results indicate significant non-rapid eye movement (NREM) enhancement in naïve mice within the initial 3 h post-stimulation, persisting up to 16-24 h. In the insomnia group, tDCS enhanced NREM sleep bout numbers during acute stress response and improved NREM and REM sleep duration in subsequent acute insomnia. Sleep quality, assessed through NREM delta powers, remains unaffected. Interference of the IL-VLPO pathway, utilizing designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) with the cre-DIO system, partially blocked tDCS's sleep improvement in stress-induced insomnia. This study elucidated that the activation of the IL-VLPO pathway mediates tDCS's effect on stress-induced insomnia. These findings support the understanding of tDCS effects on sleep disturbances, providing valuable insights for future research and clinical applications in sleep therapy.
PubMed: 38275525
DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14010105 -
Hydrogen-rich water improves sleep consolidation and enhances forebrain neuronal activation in mice.Sleep Advances : a Journal of the Sleep... 2024Sleep loss contributes to various health issues and impairs neurological function. Molecular hydrogen has recently gained popularity as a nontoxic ergogenic and health...
STUDY OBJECTIVES
Sleep loss contributes to various health issues and impairs neurological function. Molecular hydrogen has recently gained popularity as a nontoxic ergogenic and health promoter. The effect of molecular hydrogen on sleep and sleep-related neural systems remains unexplored. This study investigates the impact of hydrogen-rich water (HRW) on sleep behavior and neuronal activation in sleep-deprived mice.
METHODS
Adult C57BL/6J mice were implanted with electroencephalography (EEG) and electromyography (EMG) recording electrodes and given HRW (0.7-1.4 mM) or regular water for 7 days ad libitum. Sleep-wake cycles were recorded under baseline conditions and after acute sleep loss. Neuronal activation in sleep- and wake-related regions was assessed using cFos immunostaining.
RESULTS
HRW increased sleep consolidation in undisturbed mice and increased non-rapid-eye movement and rapid-eye-movement sleep amount in sleep-deprived mice. HRW also decreased the average amount of time for mice to fall asleep after light onset. Neuronal activation in the lateral septum, medial septum, ventrolateral preoptic area, and median preoptic area was significantly altered in all mice treated with HRW.
CONCLUSIONS
HRW improves sleep consolidation and increases neuronal activation in sleep-related brain regions. It may serve as a simple, effective treatment to improve recovery after sleep loss.
PubMed: 38264142
DOI: 10.1093/sleepadvances/zpad057 -
Frontiers in Neuroanatomy 2023The catecholaminergic component of the brain-pituitary-gonadal axis, which mediates the influence of external and internal stimuli on the central nervous system and...
Ontogenetic changes in the tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactive preoptic area in the small-spotted catshark (L., 1758) females: catecholaminergic involvement in sexual maturation.
INTRODUCTION
The catecholaminergic component of the brain-pituitary-gonadal axis, which mediates the influence of external and internal stimuli on the central nervous system and gonad development in vertebrates, is largely unexplored in Chondrichthyes. We considered (L., 1758) females as a model for this vertebrate's class, to assess the involvement of the catecholaminergic system of the brain in its reproduction. Along the reproductive cycle, we characterized and evaluated differences in somata morphometry and the number of putative catecholaminergic neurons in two brain nuclei: the periventricular preoptic nucleus, hypothesized to be a positive control for ovarian development, and the suprachiasmatic nucleus, examined as a negative control.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
16 wild females were sampled and grouped in maturity stages (immature, maturing, mature, and mature egg-laying). The ovary was histologically processed for the qualitative description of maturity stages. Anti-tyrosine hydroxylase immunofluorescence was performed on the diencephalic brain sections. The immunoreactive somata were investigated for morphometry and counted using the optical fractionator method, throughout the confocal microscopy.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
Qualitative and quantitative research confirmed two separate populations of immunoreactive neurons. The modifications detected in the preoptic nucleus revealed that somata were more numerous, significantly smaller in size, and more excitable during the maturing phase but decreased, becoming slightly bigger and less excitable in the egg-laying stage. This may indicate that the catecholaminergic preoptic nucleus is involved in the control of reproduction, regulating both the onset of puberty and the imminent spawning. In contrast, somata in the suprachiasmatic nucleus grew in size and underwent turnover in morphometry, increasing the total number from the immature-virgin to maturing stage, with similar values in the more advanced maturity stages. These changes were not linked to a reproductive role. These findings provide new valuable information on Chondrichthyes, suggesting the existence of an additional brain system implicated in the integration of internal and environmental cues for reproduction.
PubMed: 38239387
DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2023.1301651