Skip to main content

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Neurol.
Sec. Neurotechnology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1396776

Time dependent changes in protein expression induced by intermittent theta burst stimulation in a cell line

Provisionally accepted
Fatima Y. Ismail Fatima Y. Ismail 1,2*Manigandan Krishnan Manigandan Krishnan 1Richardjayaraj LAWRENCEJAYARAJ Richardjayaraj LAWRENCEJAYARAJ 1Gilles Bru-Mercier Gilles Bru-Mercier 3Mauro Pessia Mauro Pessia 3Milos R. Ljubisavljevic Milos R. Ljubisavljevic 3
  • 1 Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
  • 2 Department of Neurology (Adjunct), John Hopkins University, Marryland, United States
  • 3 Department of Physiology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation (iTBS), a non-invasive brain stimulation technique, is recognized for its ability to modulate cortical neuronal activity. However, its effects over time and the dynamics following stimulation are less well understood. Understanding the temporal dynamics of iTBS effects is essential for optimizing the timing and frequency of stimulation in therapeutic applications. This study investigated the temporal changes in protein expression induced by iTBS in Neuro-2a cells. We analyzed protein expression in retinoic acid-differentiated Neuro-2a cells at multiple time points—0.5, 3, 6, 12, and 24 hours post-iTBS—using Western blot and immunocytochemistry techniques. Our findings reveal a significant early increase in neurotransmitter receptor subunits, neurotrophic factors, and cytoskeletal proteins within the first 0.5 hour following iTBS. Notably, proteins such as mGLuR1, NMDAR1, GABBR2, and β-tubulin III showed substantial increase in expression. However, the effects of iTBS on protein expression was not sustained at later timepoints. These results suggest that iTBS can transiently alter the expression of specific proteins in Neuro-2a cells. Future research should investigate the potential benefits of repeated stimulations within the early time window to refine iTBS interventions, potentially expanding their research and clinical applications.

    Keywords: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, intermittent theta burst stimulation, N2a cells, temporal dynamics, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), glutamate receptors, γaminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors, temporal dynamics

    Received: 06 Mar 2024; Accepted: 30 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Ismail, Krishnan, LAWRENCEJAYARAJ, Bru-Mercier, Pessia and Ljubisavljevic. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Fatima Y. Ismail, Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.