Post-mortem human brain tissue

This study reports the isolation and characterization of neural progenitor and stem cells from biopsies and post-mortem human brain tissues. Neural progenitor and stem cells were isolated and cultured in vitro in the presence of fibroblast growth factor, platelet derived growth factor, and the NSC factor CCg. 

Reynolds GP, Mason SL, Meldrum A, et al. 5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)4 receptors in post mortem human brain tissue distribution, pharmacology and effects of neurodegenerative diseases. Brit J Pharmacol 1995 114 993-998. 

Unhke the hydrophobic mechanism that forms Afi fibrils, metal-induced A precipitation proceeds through two pathways- 1. reversible, ionically-mediated oligomerization, 2. Cu-mediated A oxidation and cross-finking. High affinity chelators both inhibit and reverse Afi precipitation induced by metal ions, and dissolve deposits from post-mortem human brain tissue [ 143,183] (Table 2). A also recruits the contaminating metal ions in ordinary laboratory buffers to form the micronuclei that seed the precipitation of peptide solutions into fibrils. Therefore, even the formation of fibrils in the... 

FIGURE 14.12 A product ion (MS ) mass spectrum acquired from tissue using the wide-isolation method for the analysis of cocaine in post-mortem human brain tissue. The MS method first isolated m/z 305.8 in MS/MS and then m/z 183.5 for MS (isolation width was 6 Th, 30% CID). The % CID refers to the fraction of the maximum AC voltage applied across the end-cap electrodes, normalized to mass. Reich, R.F. Cudzilo, K. Yost, R.A. Proc. 56th ASMS Conference on Mass Spectrometry and Allied Topics, Denver, CO, 2008. 

Regenold, W.T., Hisley, K.C., Obuchowski, A., Lefkowitz, D.M., Marano, C., and Hauser, P. 2005. Relationship of white matter hyperintensities to cerebrospinal fluid glucose polyol pathway metabo-htes - a pilot study in treatment-resistant affective disorder patients. J. Affect. Disord. 85 341-350. Regenold, W.T., Phatak, R, KUng, M.A., and Hauser, P. 2004. Post-mortem evidence from human brain tissue of disturbed glucose metabolism in mood and psychotic disorders. Mol. Psychiatry 9 731-733. 

Finally, the presence in human post-mortem brain tissue of the active metabolite of diazepam, desmethyldiazepam, raised some curiosity and frank alarm (Sangameswaran et al. 1986). At the time of its discovery in the brain it was thought that there was no enzyme system capable of producing such halogenated compounds and that its presence in the brain reflected dietary intake from an environment contaminated by overuse of its parent compound. However, its discovery in stored brain tissue which had been obtained before the synthesis of the benzodiazepines allayed these fears. It is now thought possible that some benzodiazepines, including desmethyldiazepam, occur naturally and that they are taken in as part of a normal diet (Table 19.5). 

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