Journal article
Differences in number of midbrain dopamine neurons associated with summer and winter photoperiods in humans
TD Aumann, M Raabus, D Tomas, A Prijanto, L Churilov, NC Spitzer, MK Horne
Plos One | PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE | Published : 2016
Abstract
Recent evidence indicates the number of dopaminergic neurons in the adult rodent hypothalamus and midbrain is regulated by environmental cues, including photoperiod, and that this occurs via up- or down-regulation of expression of genes and proteins that are important for dopamine (DA) synthesis in extant neurons ('DA neurotransmitter switching'). If the same occurs in humans, it may have implications for neurological symptoms associated with DA imbalances. Here we tested whether there are differences in the number of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH, the rate-limiting enzyme in DA synthesis) and DA transporter (DAT) immunoreactive neurons in the midbrain of people who died in summer (long-day photo..
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Awarded by National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Acknowledgements
Thank you to the donors, families and MRC-funded Edinburgh University Brain Bank for supply of the brain tissue. This study was supported by the Brain Foundation of Australia, a Crowd-funding project hosted by Pozible (http://www.pozible.com/project/34732), and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia (project 1022839). The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health is supported by the Victorian Government's Operational Infrastructure Support Grant. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.Thank you to the brain tissue donors and their families; and to Chris-Anne McKenzie and staff at the Medical Research Council (MRC)-funded Edinburgh University Brain Bank. This study was supported by the Brain Foundation of Australia, a Crowd-funding project hosted by Pozible (http://www.pozible.com/project/34732), and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia (project 1022839). The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health is supported by the Victorian Government's Operational Infrastructure Support Grant.