6 documents found, page 1 of 1
The Retinal Inner Plexiform Synaptic Layer Mirrors Grey Matter Thickness of Pri...
Jorge, Lília; Canário, Nádia; Martins, Ricardo; Santiago, Beatriz; Santana, Isabel; Quental, Hugo; Ambrósio, Francisco; Bernardes, RuiThe retina may serve as putative window into neuropathology of synaptic loss in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we investigated synapse-rich layers versus layers composed by nuclei/cell bodies in an early stage of AD. In addition, we examined the associations between retinal changes and molecular and structural markers of cortical damage. We recruited 20 AD patients and 17 healthy controls (HC). Combining optic...
Elevated Pressure Changes the Purinergic System of Microglial Cells
Rodrigues-Neves, Ana C.; Aires, Inês D.; Vindeirinho, Joana R.; Boia, Raquel; Madeira, Maria H.; Gonçalves, Francisco Q.; Cunha, Rodrigo A.Glaucoma is the second cause of blindness worldwide and is characterized by the degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and optic nerve atrophy. Increased microglia reactivity is an early event in glaucoma that may precede the loss of RGCs, suggesting that microglia and neuroinflammation are involved in the pathophysiology of this disease. Although global changes of the purinergic system have been reporte...
Adenosine A2A Receptor Blockade Modulates Glucocorticoid-Induced Morphological ...
Pinheiro, Helena; Gaspar, Rita; Baptista, Filipa; Fontes-Ribeiro, Carlos A.; Ambrósio, Francisco; Gomes, Catarina A.The exposure to supra-physiological levels of glucocorticoids in prenatal life can lead to a long-term impact in brain cytoarchitecture, increasing the susceptibility to neuropsychiatric disorders. Dexamethasone, an exogenous glucocorticoid widely used in pregnant women in risk of preterm delivery, is associated with higher rates of neuropsychiatric conditions throughout life of the descendants. In animal model...
Sweet Stress: Coping With Vascular Dysfunction in Diabetic Retinopathy
Santiago, Ana R.; Boia, Raquel; Aires, Inês D.; Ambrósio, Francisco; Fernandes, RosaOxidative stress plays key roles in the pathogenesis of retinal diseases, such as diabetic retinopathy. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are increased in the retina in diabetes and the antioxidant defense system is also compromised. Increased ROS stimulate the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, promoting a chronic low-grade inflammation involving various signaling pathways. An excessive production of ROS can l...
Blockade of microglial adenosine A2A receptor impacts inflammatory mechanisms, ...
Madeira, M. H.; Rashid, K.; Ambrósio, Francisco; Santiago, A. R.; Langmann, T.Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is characterized by pathological changes in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and loss of photoreceptors. Growing evidence has demonstrated that reactive microglial cells trigger RPE dysfunction and loss of photoreceptors, and inflammasome pathways and complement activation contribute to AMD pathogenesis. We and others have previously shown that adenosine A2A receptor (...
Treatment with A2A receptor antagonist KW6002 and caffeine intake regulate micr...
Boia, Raquel; Elvas, Filipe; Madeira, Maria H.; Aires, Inês D.; Rodrigues-Neves, Ana C.; Tralhão, Pedro; Szabó, Eszter C; Baqi, YounisTransient retinal ischemia is a major complication of retinal degenerative diseases and contributes to visual impairment and blindness. Evidences indicate that microglia-mediated neuroinflammation has a key role in the neurodegenerative process, prompting the hypothesis that the control of microglia reactivity may afford neuroprotection to the retina against the damage induced by ischemia-reperfusion (I-R). The...