Book of abstracts - British Neuroscience Association

29.18
Supporting study skills: workshops for undergraduates in
pharmacology
Harkness P C, Hayes N A, McKenna C, Crème P
Writing and Learning Mentors Project, Centre for the Advancement of
Learning and Teaching, University College London, Gower Street,
LONDON WC1E 6BT
Writing and Learning Mentors Project, Centre for the Advancement of
Learning and Teaching, University College London, Gower Street,
LONDON WC1E 6BT
Science students often struggle with the demands of university written
work, whether in essays completed for coursework or examinations, or
in laboratory reports for practical classes or research projects. The
Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning at UCL
contributes to scholarship in the field of pedagogy, and is involved in
many activities which seek to assist students` learning. The "Writing
and Learning Mentors (WLM)" project facilitates peer-supported
discussion and development of skills appropriate to writing in specific
academic disciplines. Now in its third year, it consists of a series of
multi-disciplinary workshops designed to furnish participants with both
the theoretical basis of "writing in the disciplines" and the practical
resources to enable students (graduates and undergraduates) to
develop their writing skills. Writing is seen as an activity to be used not
only as an assessment tool but also as an aid to learnng. Having
taken part in the workshops, WLM participants then establish a
programme of study support for students within their own
departments. In the Pharmacology Department, we have hosted
workshops for first and second year undergraduates, giving advice on
data-mining, critical reading and structured writing, and designed to
offer practical exercises and examples of good practice to facilitate
their study of pharmacology.
30.01
Pineal proteins and its influence on adrenal cortex to ameliorate
thermal stress in goats
Sejian. V, Srivastava. R. S., Varshney. V.P, Raviprakash. V, Dandapat. S
Neurophysiology Laboratory, Centre for Advanced Studies in Animal
Physiology and Climatology, Indian Veterinary Research Institute,
Izatnagar, Bareilly – 243122, UP, India,
The present study was conducted to establish the anti thermal-stress
properties of pineal proteins. Pineal proteins were isolated as per standard
protocol followed in the laboratory. Six female goats weighing around 15 kg
were used for the present study. These animals themselves served as self
controls prior to start of experiment. The entire study was conducted for a
period of seventeen days in the psychrometric chamber at 40°C and 60 %
relative humidity. Blood samples were drawn to establish thermal-stress
effects on various parameters studied. Chemical adrenalectomy was
induced using metyrapone followed by exogenous pineal protein treatment.
Blood sampling was done twice daily after each treatment to record the
effects of pineal proteins on plasma sodium, potassium, glucose, total
protein, cortisol, insulin, aldosterone, melatonin, corticosterone and
phagocytosis index. Chemical adrenalectomy aggravated the thermal
stress however the condition was reversed by exogenous administration of
pineal proteins. All the parameters were estimated as per standard
methods. These parameters showed significant (P ≤ 0.05) changes in
plasma levels when compared to both, control as well as thermal-stress
levels. The data obtained from the study clearly established anti thermalstress
effects of pineal proteins in goats. The results obtained from the
experiment suggest that apart from melatonin,other pineal proteins also
possess properties that relieve thermal-stress in goats.
31.01
Functionalized micropatterned scaffold influence neurite growth
architecture
Yao L, Cui W, O'Connell C, Damodaran G, Sherlock R, Wang S,
Pandit A
National Center for Biomedical Engineering Science, Natiional
University of Ireland, Galway.
Introduction: Guided neurite growth is critical in neurogenesis. Poly-
(D,L lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) has been widely investigated for
neural tissue engineering for its mechanical strength. In order to guide
neurite growth in appropriate target reinnervation, we have fabricated
micropatterns on PLGA scaffold. The objective of study is to
investigate the influence of micropatterns and surface coating proteins
on neurite growth pattern.
Methods: Coupons of PLGA structured with parallel arrays of straight
micro-grooves were produced by laser energy (ATL Atlex® in
conjunction with an Optec MicroMaster® machining centre). Two
group of microgrooves were performed on PLGA scaffold (5 µm wide
grooves, 5 µm wide spacing, 2-3 µm deapth; 10 µm wide grooves, 10
µm wide spaceing, 2-3um depth). PLGA scaffold were pre-coated with
collagen or laminin peptide. The morphology of PC12 cells was
studied by SEM and Rhodamine Phalloidin staining after 3days or
7days growth on PLGA scaffold with NGF treatment (50 ng/ml).
Results: 1. Micropatterned PLGA scaffold impacts guidance effect on
both neurite outgrowth and neurite extension.
2. Small size (5µm) of grooves showed stronger effect on neurite
parallel growth than larger size grooves (10µm).
3. Laminin peptide coating enhanced the parallel growth of neurites on
micropatterned scaffold. Neurite branching and total neurite length
decreased on micropatterned PLGA scaffold.
4. Neurite showed a preference growth in microgrooves rather than on
spaces.
Conclusion: This study provides direct evidence to show the guidance
effect of microchannels on neurite growth neurite growth and
implicates its application in nerve regeneration strategy.
31.02
Very extensive remyelination of spinal cord by schwann cells in the
rat MOG-EAE model of multiple sclerosis
McIntosh P, Norman A, Reynolds R
Dept. of Cellular & Molecular Neuroscience, Division of Neuroscience &
Mental Health, Charing Cross Campus, Imperial College School of
Medicine, London W6 8RP, UK
Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis induced in female Dark Agouti rats
by administration of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) provides a
good model of multiple sclerosis (MS) and its opticospinal variant,
neuromyelitis optica (NMO). We found a surprising degree of remyelination
of CNS axons in spinal cord by Schwann cells, which normally provide
myelin sheaths only on peripheral axons. We have used
immunofluorescent histochemistry and image analysis to explore this
phenomenon further. Schwann cell remyelination was assessed using P0
immunostaining for peripheral-type myelin, and very extensive in the spinal
cord of most rats 3-4 months after MOG injection. Such regions extended
continuously throughout the length of the entire cord in some animals, and
reached levels approaching 50% of total stained myelin (P0 cf. PLP
staining) in some transverse sections. Although in some cases Schwann
cell remyelination commenced in areas lacking oligodendrocyte precursor
cells (OPCs), NG2 immunostaining showed OPCs present in many other
similar regions. The pattern of remyelination was consistent with initial
Schwann cell migration from pial surfaces and associated vascular
invaginations via breaches in the astrocytic glia limitans, similar to the
pattern of prior demyelination by invasive monocytes. We conclude that
since astrocytic GFAP+ processes penetrated all remyelinated regions, it is
unlikely that local astrocytic reactivity is capable of preventing remyelinating
activity by invading Schwann cells. We further conclude that the present
model is suitable for investigating why Schwann cells can prevail over
oligodendrocytes in the remyelination of some spinal cord regions in MS
and NMO patients.
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