Location
Parker-Reed, SSWAC
Start Date
1-5-2014 2:00 PM
End Date
1-5-2014 3:00 PM
Project Type
Poster
Description
Depression is a prevalent mood disorder categorized by a lowered mood state, social withdrawal, somatic symptoms, cognitive defects, and feelings of worthlessness or guilt. Prenatal supplementation of the essential nutrient choline increases adult hippocampal neurogenesis and can reduce the risk and improve prognosis of depression and other mood disorders. Characteristic in these disorders is dysfunction in neural plasticity as mediated through the growth factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Genetic variants and mutations in the genes that code for this and related proteins in humans and rats affect the brain in many ways, including how dopaminergic synapses in the reward pathway function. Our past work shows that the deletion of one copy of the BDNF gene, which results in significantly decreased levels of the protein and diminished function in the neural circuitry involved in reward, can serve as a model in psychopathological processes, such as in depression. Also associated with depression is decreased hippocampal volume and increased amydgala volume. This study investigated the effects of choline supplementation in rats with both (wildtype) or one (knockout) copy of the BDNF gene on the volume of the hippocampus and amygdala. To do so, every 4th 60- m section of brains of brains from the wildtype and knockout Sprague-Dawley rats were sectioned using a vibratome. After slicing, the brains were mounted on gelatin-coated slides and cell bodies were stained using cresyl violet. Hippocampal and amydgala volume will be assessed at 100x magnification. We predict that the BDNF knockout rats will have lower volumes in these areas compared to wildtype rats.
Sponsoring Department
Colby College. Psychology Dept.
CLAS Field of Study
Social Sciences
Event Website
http://www.colby.edu/clas
ID
523
Included in
The Effect of Choline Supplementation and the Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) on Medial Temporal Lobe Volume Changes as a Measurement of Depression
Parker-Reed, SSWAC
Depression is a prevalent mood disorder categorized by a lowered mood state, social withdrawal, somatic symptoms, cognitive defects, and feelings of worthlessness or guilt. Prenatal supplementation of the essential nutrient choline increases adult hippocampal neurogenesis and can reduce the risk and improve prognosis of depression and other mood disorders. Characteristic in these disorders is dysfunction in neural plasticity as mediated through the growth factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Genetic variants and mutations in the genes that code for this and related proteins in humans and rats affect the brain in many ways, including how dopaminergic synapses in the reward pathway function. Our past work shows that the deletion of one copy of the BDNF gene, which results in significantly decreased levels of the protein and diminished function in the neural circuitry involved in reward, can serve as a model in psychopathological processes, such as in depression. Also associated with depression is decreased hippocampal volume and increased amydgala volume. This study investigated the effects of choline supplementation in rats with both (wildtype) or one (knockout) copy of the BDNF gene on the volume of the hippocampus and amygdala. To do so, every 4th 60- m section of brains of brains from the wildtype and knockout Sprague-Dawley rats were sectioned using a vibratome. After slicing, the brains were mounted on gelatin-coated slides and cell bodies were stained using cresyl violet. Hippocampal and amydgala volume will be assessed at 100x magnification. We predict that the BDNF knockout rats will have lower volumes in these areas compared to wildtype rats.
https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/clas/2014/program/269