Browsing by Author "Cornejo Castillo, Francisca Alejandra"

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Age-Dependent Changes in the Activation and Regulation of Microglia
    (Springer International Publishing Switzerland, 2016) Von Bernhardi Montgomery, Rommy Edth B.; Cornejo Castillo, Francisca Alejandra
    As we age, a large number of physiological and molecular changes affect the normal functioning of cells, tissues, and the organism as a whole. One of the main changes is the establishment of a state of systemic inflammatory activation, which has been termed "inflamm-aging"; a mild chronic inflammation of the aging organism that reduces the ability to generate an efficient response against stressor stimuli. As any other system, the nervous system undergoes these aging-related changes; the neuroinflammatory state depends mainly on the dysregulated activation of microglia, the innate immune cells of the central nervous system (CNS) and the principal producers of reactive oxygen species. As the brain ages, microglia acquire a phenotype that is increasingly inflammatory and cytotoxic, generating a hostile environment for neurons. There is mounting evidence that this process facilitates development of neurodegenerative diseases, for which the greatest risk factor is age. In this chapter, we will review key aging-associated changes occurring in the central nervous system, focusing primarily on the changes that occur in aging microglia, the inflammatory and oxidative stressful environment they establish, and their impaired regulation. In addition, we will discuss the effects of aged microglia on neuronal function and their participation in the development of neurodegenerative pathologies such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Functional and molecular interaction between D2 and kappa opioid receptors: role in locomotor sensitization to quinpirole
    (2012) Escobar, A.P.; Cornejo Castillo, Francisca Alejandra; Fuentealba Evans, José Antonio; Andrés Coke, María Estela
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Neural conditional ablation of the protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor Delta PTPRD impairs gliogenesis in the developing mouse brain cortex
    (Frontiers Media SA, 2024) Cornejo Castillo, Francisca Alejandra; Franchini, Nayhara; Cortes, Bastián I.; Elgueta, Daniela; Cancino Lobos, Gonzalo Ignacio
    Neurodevelopmental disorders are characterized by alterations in the development of the cerebral cortex, including aberrant changes in the number and function of neural cells. Although neurogenesis is one of the most studied cellular processes in these pathologies, little evidence is known about glial development. Genetic association studies have identified several genes associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. Indeed, variations in the PTPRD gene have been associated with numerous brain disorders, including autism spectrum disorder, restless leg syndrome, and schizophrenia. We previously demonstrated that constitutive loss of PTPRD expression induces significant alterations in cortical neurogenesis, promoting an increase in intermediate progenitors and neurons in mice. However, its role in gliogenesis has not been evaluated. To assess this, we developed a conditional knockout mouse model lacking PTPRD expression in telencephalon cells. Here, we found that the lack of PTPRD in the mouse cortex reduces glial precursors, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. According to our results, this decrease in gliogenesis resulted from a reduced number of radial glia cells at gliogenesis onset and a lower gliogenic potential in cortical neural precursors due to less activation of the JAK/STAT pathway and reduced expression of gliogenic genes. Our study shows PTPRD as a regulator of the glial/neuronal balance during cortical neurodevelopment and highlights the importance of studying glial development to understand the etiology of neurodevelopmental diseases.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Repeated treatment with the kappa opioid receptor agonist U69593 reverses enhanced K(+) induced dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens, but not the expression of locomotor sensitization in amphetamine-sensitized rats
    (2012) Escobar Maldonado, Angélica del Pilar; Cornejo Castillo, Francisca Alejandra; Andrés Coke, María Estela; Fuentealba Evans, José Antonio
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Repeated treatment with the kappa opioid receptor agonist U69593 reverses enhanced K+ induced dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens, but not the expression of locomotor sensitization in amphetamine-sensitized rats
    (2012) Escobar Maldonado, Angélica del Pilar; Cornejo Castillo, Francisca Alejandra; Andrés Coke, María Estela; Fuentealba Evans, José Antonio
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Scavenger receptor-A deficiency impairs immune response of microglia and astrocytes potentiating alzheimer's disease pathophysiology
    (2018) Cornejo Castillo, Francisca Alejandra; Vruwink, Marianne; Metz Baer, Claudia Andrea; Muñoz, Paola; Salgado Cortés, Nicole Andrea; Poblete, Joaquín; Andrés Coke, María Estela; Eugenín, Jaime; Bernhardi Montgomery, Rommy von