Contribution of neuronal stem cells in the subventricular zone to sulcogyrogenesis in the ferret cerebral cortex

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K08144
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: General anatomy (including histology/embryology)
• Research Institution: Tsukuba International University
• Principal Investigator: Kazuhiko Sawada つくば国際大学, 医療保健学部, 教授(移行) (10284324)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 廣瀬 美和 (堀内美和) 茨城キリスト教大学, 看護学部, 准教授 (90381714)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): AOKI Ichio 量子科学技術研究開発機構, 量子MRI研究グループ, チームリーダー (10319519)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: cerebral cortex / subventricular zone / neural stem cells / basal radial glia / ferret / sulcus / gyrus / MRI

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Ferrets were received ip injection of valpronic acid (VPA) on postnatal days (PDs) 5 to 7. Brains were removed on PD 20 and T1W-MRI was acquired ex vivo. By MRI-based morphometry, both volumes and surface areas of the cerebral cortex did not differ on PD 20 between VPA-treated and control ferrets. The degree of gyrification was significantly lesser in VPA-treated ferrets. In particular, sulcal infolding was smaller in the cingulate and frontal cortical regions of VPA-treated ferrets. In those regions, a significantly greater cortical thickness was obtained in VPA-treated ferrets. By immunofluorescence analysis, late-generated neurons undergoing multiple rounds of cell divisions were densely distributed in the upper cortical layers of the prefrontal, cingulate and parietooccipital regions of 20-day-old ferrets. The present results suggest that the folding of particular cortical regions is reduced by thickening the cortex by exposure to VPA during late neurogenesis in ferrets.

Free Research Field

解剖学