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Interstitial Cells of Cajal and Nervous System in Aging and Oxidative Stress

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A special issue of Current Issues in Molecular Biology (ISSN 1467-3045). This special issue belongs to the section "Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2023) | Viewed by 14059

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Laura Lõpez-Pingarrõn

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Guest Editor

Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, Legal and Forensic Medicine, University of Zaragoza. Calle Domingo Miral s/n, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Interests: aging and oxidative stress
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Aging is increasingly becoming a general health problem due to the high rates of physical and cognitive disability it entails. The interest in explaining their causes in order to reduce their deleterious consequences is one of the topics of greatest interest among the scientific community. Factors such as oxidative stress and cell degeneration at the level of the nervous system constitute one of the objectives to be analyzed since neurodegenerative diseases are becoming the greatest challenges to be overcome by modern society. The study of the central nervous system is highly complex, and therefore analyzing the peripheral nervous system, specifically the enteric nervous system, can help to achieve a more accessible and understandable approach. Enteric nerve plexuses establish very important relationships with the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs), cells called "pacemakers", whose functional properties are of great interest, due to their plasticity and their involvement in various pathologies, such as gastrointestinal, pancreatic, and other locations such as cardiac and genitourinary. Potential topics include, but are not limited to: the intestine–brain axis, oxidative stress and neurodegenerative diseases, enteric nervous system degeneration and aging, neurons and glial enteric cells and possible proliferation, oxidative stress on interstitial cells of Cajal and aging, role of the extracellular matrix in the aging of enteric nerve plexuses, vascularization and intracellular connections in enteric nerve plexuses, ICCs in genitourinary disorders, diabetic gastropathy and the interstitial cells of Cajal.

Dr. Laura Lõpez-Pingarrõn
Guest Editor

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Keywords

interstitial cells of Cajal
oxidative stress
aging
enteric nervous system
cell degeneration and proliferation
gastrointestinal disorders
genitourinary motor disorders

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 2220 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Blockade of L-Type Ca²⁺ Channel Activity Alleviates Oligodendrocyte Pathology following Brain Injury in Male Rats

by Mohamed A. Al-Griw, Rabia Alghazeer, Haithm W. Ratemi, Mohamed E. Ben-Othman, Refaat Tabagah, Ghalia Shamlan, Mahmmoud M. Habibullah, Afnan M. Alnajeebi, Nouf A. Babteen, Areej A. Eskandrani, Ammar AL-Farga and Wafa S. Alansari

Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2023, 45(5), 3953-3964; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb45050252 - 2 May 2023

Viewed by 1577

Abstract

A growing body of studies suggests that Ca²⁺ signaling controls a variety of biological processes in brain elements. Activation of L-type voltage-operated Ca²⁺ channels (VOCCs) plays a role in the development of oligodendrocyte (OL) lineage loss, and indicates that the blocking of these channels may be an effective way to inhibit OL lineage cell loss. For this study, 10.5-day-old male Sprague–Dawley rats were used to generate cerebellar tissue slices. The slice tissues were cultured and randomly allocated to one of four groups (six each) and treated as follows: Group I, (sham control); Group II, 0.1% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) only (vehicle control); Group III, injury (INJ); Group IV, (INJ and treatment with NIF). The injury was simulated by exposing the slice tissues to 20 min of oxygen–glucose deprivation (OGD). At 3 days post-treatment, the survival, apoptosis, and proliferation of the OL lineages were measured and compared. Results: In the INJ group, there was a decrease in mature myelin basic protein+ OLs (MBP+ OLs) and their precursors, NG2⁺ OPCs (Nerve-glia antigen 2+ oligodendrocyte precursor cell), compared with controls. A significant elevation was observed in the NG2⁺ OPCs and apoptotic MBP⁺ OLs as confirmed by a TUNEL assay. However, the cell proliferation rate was decreased in NG2⁺ OPCs. NIF increased OL survival as measured by apoptosis rate in both OL lineages and preserved the rate of proliferation in the NG2⁺ OPCs. Conclusions: Activation of L-type VOCCs may contribute to OL pathology in association with reduced mitosis of OPCs following brain injury as a strategy to treat demyelinating diseases. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interstitial Cells of Cajal and Nervous System in Aging and Oxidative Stress)

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19 pages, 3948 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of a Diet Enriched with Jerusalem artichoke, Inulin, and Fluoxetine on Cognitive Functions, Neurogenesis, and the Composition of the Intestinal Microbiota in Mice

by Aleksandra Szewczyk, Marta Andres-Mach, Mirosław Zagaja, Agnieszka Kaczmarczyk-Ziemba, Maciej Maj and Joanna Szala-Rycaj

Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2023, 45(3), 2561-2579; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb45030168 - 21 Mar 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2522

Abstract

The aim of the study was to assess the effect of long-term administration of natural prebiotics: Jerusalem artichoke (topinambur, TPB) and inulin (INU) as well as one of the most popular antidepressants, fluoxetine (FLU), on the proliferation of neural stem cells, learning and memory functions, and the composition of the intestinal microbiota in mice. Cognitive functions were assessed using the Morris Water Maze (MWM)Test. Cells were counted using a confocal microscope and ImageJ software. We performed 16S rRNA sequencing to assess changes in the gut microbiome of the mice. The obtained results showed that the 10-week supplementation with TPB (250 mg/kg) and INU (66 mg/kg) stimulates the growth of probiotic bacteria, does not affect the learning and memory process, and does not disturb the proliferation of neural stem cells in the tested animals. Based on this data, we can assume that both TPB and INU seem to be safe for the proper course of neurogenesis. However, 2-week administration of FLU confirmed an inhibitory impact on Lactobacillus growth and negatively affected behavioral function and neurogenesis in healthy animals. The above studies suggest that the natural prebiotics TPB and INU, as natural supplements, may have the potential to enrich the diversity of intestinal microbiota, which may be beneficial for the BGM axis, cognitive functions, and neurogenesis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interstitial Cells of Cajal and Nervous System in Aging and Oxidative Stress)

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Review

Jump to: Research

21 pages, 2647 KiB

Open AccessReview

Interstitial Cells of Cajal and Enteric Nervous System in Gastrointestinal and Neurological Pathology, Relation to Oxidative Stress

by Laura López-Pingarrón, Henrique Almeida, Marisol Soria-Aznar, Marcos C. Reyes-Gonzales, Ana B. Rodríguez-Moratinos, Antonio Muñoz-Hoyos and Joaquín J. García

Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2023, 45(4), 3552-3572; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb45040232 - 18 Apr 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 6741

Abstract

The enteric nervous system (ENS) is organized into two plexuses—submucosal and myenteric—which regulate smooth muscle contraction, secretion, and blood flow along the gastrointestinal tract under the influence of the rest of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) are mainly located in the submucosa between the two muscle layers and at the intramuscular level. They communicate with neurons of the enteric nerve plexuses and smooth muscle fibers and generate slow waves that contribute to the control of gastrointestinal motility. They are also involved in enteric neurotransmission and exhibit mechanoreceptor activity. A close relationship appears to exist between oxidative stress and gastrointestinal diseases, in which ICCs can play a prominent role. Thus, gastrointestinal motility disorders in patients with neurological diseases may have a common ENS and central nervous system (CNS) nexus. In fact, the deleterious effects of free radicals could affect the fine interactions between ICCs and the ENS, as well as between the ENS and the CNS. In this review, we discuss possible disturbances in enteric neurotransmission and ICC function that may cause anomalous motility in the gut. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interstitial Cells of Cajal and Nervous System in Aging and Oxidative Stress)

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18 pages, 1345 KiB

Open AccessReview

Role of Oxidative Stress on the Etiology and Pathophysiology of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Its Relation with the Enteric Nervous System

by Laura López-Pingarrón, Henrique Almeida, Marisol Soria-Aznar, Marcos C. Reyes-Gonzales, María Pilar Terrón and Joaquín J. García

Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2023, 45(4), 3315-3332; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb45040217 - 7 Apr 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2541

Abstract

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting motor neurons in the spinal cord, cerebral cortex, and medulla oblongata. Most patients present a clinical phenotype of classic ALS—with predominant atrophy, muscle weakness, and fasciculations—and survival of 3 to 5 years following diagnosis. In the present review, we performed a literature search to provide an update on the etiology and pathophysiological mechanisms involved in ALS. There are two types of ALS: the familial form with genetic involvement, and the sporadic form with a multifactorial origin. ALS pathophysiology is characterized by involvement of multiple processes, including oxidative stress, glutamate excitotoxicity, and neuroinflammation. Moreover, it is proposed that conditioning risk factors affect ALS development, such as susceptibility to neurodegeneration in motor neurons, the intensity of performed physical activity, and intestinal dysbiosis with involvement of the enteric nervous system, which supports the existing theories of disease generation. To improve patients’ prognosis and survival, it is necessary to further deepen our understanding of the etiopathogenesis of ALS. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interstitial Cells of Cajal and Nervous System in Aging and Oxidative Stress)

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