Neural spreading depression (SD), a phenomenon in which neurons shut down, is associated with important human CNS pathologies, including migraine and stroke. Locusts undergo SD-like events when exposed to extremer conditions such as high temperature or lack of oxygen. The insects essentially go into a coma and emerge from it after the stress is removed. Now, a Queen’s University-Canada research team has shown that the ability of the locusts to resist entering the coma, and the speed of their recovery, can be manipulated using drugs that target one of the cellular signaling pathways in the brain, i.e., the nitric oxide/cyclic guanosine monophosphate/protein kinase G (NO/cGMP/PKG) pathway. "This suggests that similar treatments in humans might be able to modify the thresholds or severity of migraine and stroke," said Gary Armstrong, lead author of the report. "What particularly excites me is that in one of our locust models, inhibition of the targeted pathway completely suppresses the brain disturbance in 70 percent of animals," added Dr. Mel Robertson, senior author of the study. Noting that it is hard to drown an insect, due to its ability to remain safely in a coma under water for several hours, Mr. Armstrong said, "It's intriguing that human neural problems may share their mechanistic roots with the process insects use to survive flash floods." This research was reported in the June issue of the Journal of Neuroscience. [Press release] [Journal of Neuroscience abstract]Login Or Register To Read Full Story