Validating a mouse tool for analyzing sex differences in striatal neurons and pathologies
Abstract
The objective of this is proposal is to determine how sex differences influence the cellular physiology of medium spiny neurons (MSN) in the striatum by identifying MSN neuron subtypes and measuring their intrinsic excitabilities and spontaneous miniature excitatory postsynaptic current frequencies and compare those from male and female le rodents. This is an important question because the cellular mechanisms that mediate the known differences in male and female human and rodent striatal function and disorders are poorly understood. Methods to be employed include using transgenic mouse lines that express a fluorescent marker specific for either direct or indirect pathway MSN. Infrared-DIC will be combined with fluorescent microscopy, whole-cell patch clamp in acute living brain slices of striatum to (1) identify MSN cell-types from males and females and (2) test whether their electrophysiological properties differ between males and females and are comparable to findings from other rodents. Overall, this grant will determine whether these transgenic mice lines are useful tools for analyzing sex differences in MSN physiology.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 12, 2017
- Source ID
- W911NF1510476
Entities
People
- John Meitzen
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- North Carolina State University
- United States Army