Biomedical subjects

C Fonta

Publications and source records attributed to C Fonta.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2004

X-ray high-resolution vascular network imaging.

This paper presents the first application of high-resolution X-ray synchrotron tomography to the imaging of large microvascular networks in biological tissue samples. This technique offers the opportunity of analysing the full three-dimensional vascular network from the micrometre to the millimetre scale. This paper presents the specific sample preparation method and the X-ray imaging procedure. Either barium or iron was injected as contrast agent in the vascular network. The impact of the composition and concentration of the injected solution on the X-ray synchrotron tomography images has been studied. Two imaging modes, attenuation and phase contrast, are compared. Synchrotron high-resolution computed tomography offers new prospects in the three-dimensional imaging of in situ biological vascular networks.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

The cell cycle gene SKP1 is regulated by light in postnatal rat brain.

During the early postnatal phase of high neuronal plasticity, an altered visual input leads to great modifications of visual cortex organization [Y. Frégnac, M. Imbert, Development of neuronal selectivity in primary visual cortex of cat, Physiol. Rev., 64 (1984) 375-434; D.H. Hubel, T.N. Wiesel, S. LeVay, Plasticity of ocular dominance columns in monkey striate cortex, Philos. Trans. R. Soc. London, Ser. B, 278 (1977) 377-409.]. We used refined differential screening of an organized cDNA library to identify the genes that may participate in this plasticity. We isolated a candidate plasticity gene encoding for a 163 aa protein that is closely related to the human and yeast Skp1p, a key factor in cell cycle progression [C. Baï, K. Hofman, L. Ma, M. Goebl, J.W. Harper, S.J. Elledge, SKP1 connects cell cycle regulators to the ubiquitin proteolysis machinery through a novel motif, the F-box, Cell, 86 (1996) 263-274; C. Connelly, P. Hieter, Budding yeast SKP1 encodes an evolutionary conserved kinetochore protein required for cell cycle progression, Cell, 86 (1996) 275-285; H. Zhang, R. Kobayashi, K. Galaktionov, D. Beach, p19Skp1 and p45Skp2 are essential elements of the cyclin A-CDK2 S phase kinase, Cell, 82 (1995) 915-925.]. Northern blot analysis showed that the expression of SKP1 (Skp1p gene) dramatically decreased after 2 h of light stimulation in the visual cortex of young dark-reared rats. This down regulation lasted at least 72 h. It was specific for the critical period as we did not observe any significant regulation of SKP1 mRNA by light in adult dark-reared rat brain. The down regulation was observed in the superior colliculus but also in the frontal cortex and in the hippocampus. The fact that this down regulation was not restricted to the visual system, suggested that it could be produced by dark rearing-induced hormonal changes. The significance of SKP1 expression in the brain and its regulation are discussed.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

N-methyl-D-aspartate subunit R1 involvement in the postnatal organization of the primary visual cortex of Callithrix jacchus.

It has been demonstrated that the primary visual cortex is highly sensitive to manipulations of the visual environment during a specific, early, postdevelopmental period: the critical period. Pharmacological studies have shown that N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors are involved in the plasticity of the visual cortex just as they are involved in the induction of long-term potentiation (LTP), another activity-dependent form of plasticity. The setting up of synaptic connectivity in the neocortex may rely on LTP-like mechanisms. By using immunohistochemistry techniques, we tested the hypothesis of the role of subunit R1 of NMDA (NMDAR1) receptors in the thalamocortical afferent segregation into ocular-dominance columns in the New World monkey, Callithrix jacchus. We employed early and short (2 weeks) monocular-deprivation periods at different ages of postnatal development (17, 46, 67, 107, and 188 postnatal days). We observed heterogeneous distribution of NMDAR1 in the layer IVC receiving the thalamic inputs if the deprivation was realized between the ages of 46 and 107 days. Layers IVCalpha and IVCbeta were involved differently as a function of the deprivation age. The striped pattern lost its differential intensity with the postnatal age. These results are compared with the ocular-dominance pattern evolution described in other works on this primate. They provide evidence of the NMDAR1 role in the modular organization, within time limits, during the postnatal development of the primary visual cortex.

Aging↗

PubMed1997

Expression of SKP1 mRNA and protein in rat brain during postnatal development.

We previously isolated the cell cycle element SKP1 as a candidate plasticity gene in the rat visual cortex. Here, we studied the expression and localization of SKP1 mRNA and protein in rat brain. We found a high level of expression for the SKP1 gene in the cortex at different postnatal ages. SKP1 mRNA levels remained stable from P2 (postnatal day 2) to adulthood. SKP1 mRNA expression was also detected in several other brain areas. Skp1p (SKP1 protein) immunohistochemistry showed nuclear staining in a large majority of neurones. The pyramidal cells in the hippocampus, as well as cortical cells were stained. The presence of Skp1p in post-mitotic neurones suggests that this protein is involved in processes other than the cell cycles other target proteins and functions in neurones are currently under investigation.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Prenatal lesioning of vestibular organ by aminoglycosides.

The effects of gentamicin administrated to gravid mice on the vestibular hair cells of their offspring were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy showed the effect to be dose-dependent and age-dependent, and there was a different sensitivity to toxicity for each of the three types of vestibular receptors. The destructive action of gentamicin on the vestibule before birth provides a mechanism to study the influence of the vestibular system on the central nervous system throughout its development.

Aminoglycosides↗

PubMed1995

Brain FOS-like expression in developing and adult honeybees.

This study was undertaken to examine the expression of the protooncogene c-fos in an invertebrate, the honeybee. We investigated first the expression of Fos-like proteins, testing different methodologies (immunohistochemistry, immunocytochemistry, immunoblotting). These studies were carried out at the embryonic, nymphal and adult stages. We found immunoreactive bands at approximately 30 kD and 57 kD. The first ones are revealed at the embryonic, nymphal and adult stages. The approximately 57 kD proteins are present at the adult stage. Beside this qualitative variation, intensive modification occurs with a burst of protein expression a few days after the insect emergence. The results suggest that Fos-like proteins are found in the developing and maturing nervous system. Basal level of expression is found in the olfactory pathway, convincing to explore the protooncogene c-fos expression in the cellular and molecular analyses of olfactory plasticity.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of monocular deprivation on NMDAR1 immunostaining in ocular dominance columns of the marmoset Callithrix jacchus.

We previously showed that immunoreactivity to N-Methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in primary visual cortex of Callithrix jacchus is regulated by visual activity during the second and third postnatal months (Fonta et al., 1997). The purpose of the present study was to show that the columnar pattern of high and low NMDAR1 immunoreactivity observed in monocularly deprived animals corresponds to ocular dominance columns linked to the nondeprived and deprived eye, respectively. We compared cortical distribution of NMDAR1 receptors and the projection zones of thalamic afferents, revealed by transneuronal transport of tritiated proline, in 2-month-old, either monocularly deprived or control, marmosets. The data show that ocular dominance columns exist in 2-month-old marmosets and that a 2-week monocular deprivation by means of eyelid suture leads to a modification of the thalamo-cortical afferents organization. Experiments of neuronal tracing and immunohistochemistry performed on the same animals demonstrated that cortical domains with decreased NMDAR1 level correspond to the deprived eye columns. These investigations, coupled to the previous results, strongly suggest that the NMDA receptors, regulated by visual activity, are involved in the refining of ocular dominance columns in the primary visual cortex of juvenile marmoset.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Ocular dominance columns in the adult New World Monkey Callithrix jacchus.

In the marmoset Callithrix jacchus, ocular dominance columns (ODC) have been reported to be present in young animals, but absent in adults (Spatz, 1989). We have studied in juvenile and adult animals the postnatal organization of the retino-geniculo-cortical afferents by means of transneuronal labeling. We show in the present work that ODC are present in the primary visual cortex of Callithrix jacchus, both in the adult and in the juvenile animal. The present work confirms the presence of ODC in the visual cortex of juvenile marmoset before the end of the first postnatal month. In 2-month-old animals, ODC are well demarcated in IVcalpha and IVcbeta. In the adult marmosets, the present data clearly show that the primary visual cortex is also organized with ODC. In horizontal sections, they form a mosaic through the ventral and dorsal calcarine cortex and through the dorso-lateral occipital part of the striate cortex. In frontal sections, their presence is manifest in IVcbeta within the calcarine cortex and they only faintly appear in IVcalpha. These new findings are important since they underline the usefulness of the adult New World Monkeys as a model in visual research.

Aging↗