Degree Name
MS (Master of Science)
Program
Biology
Date of Award
5-2019
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Russell W. Brown
Committee Members
Gregory A. Ordway, Donald B. Hoover
Abstract
Recent studies have shown elevated neuroinflammation in a large subset of individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia. A pro-inflammatory cytokine, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα), has been directly linked to this neuroinflammation. This study examined the effects of two TNFα modulators (PD2024 and PD340) produced by our collaborators at P2D Bioscience, Inc., to alleviate auditory sensorimotor gating deficits and reduce microglial cell activation present in the polyinosinic:polycytidylic (Poly I:C) rodent model of schizophrenia. Auditory sensorimotor gating was assessed using prepulse inhibition and microglial activation was examined and quantified using immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy, respectively. Both PD2024 and PD340 alleviated auditory sensorimotor gating deficits and reduced microglia activation and thereby demonstrated the ability to treat both the behavioral and neuroinflammatory aspects of the disorder. These results are significant and suggest that neural TNFα is a potential pharmacological target for the treatment of schizophrenia.
Document Type
Thesis - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Shelton, Heath W., "The Effects of Two Novel Anti-Inflammatory Compounds On Prepulse Inhibition and Neural Microglia Cell Activation in a Rodent Model of Schizophrenia" (2019). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 3537. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/3537
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.
Included in
Behavioral Neurobiology Commons, Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms Commons, Biological Psychology Commons, Congenital, Hereditary, and Neonatal Diseases and Abnormalities Commons, Developmental Neuroscience Commons, Mental Disorders Commons