The Stem Cell Potential of O-2A Lineage Astroglia.

Astrocytes are the most common glial type in the central nervous system. They play pivotal roles in neurophysiological and neuropathological processes. Mounting evidence indicates that astrocytes may act as neural stem cells and contribute to adult neurogenesis.

Engrafted primary type-2 astrocytes improve the recovery of the nigrostriatal pathway in a rat model of Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a disorder characterized by a progressive loss of the dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and a depletion of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the striatum. Our published results indicate that fasciculation and elongation protein zeta-1 (FEZ1) plays a role in the astrocyte-mediated protection of dopamine neurons and regulation of the neuronal microenvironment during the progression of PD. In this study, we examined the effects of engrafted type-2 astrocytes (T2As) with high expression of FEZ1 on the improvement of the symptoms and functional reconstruction of PD rats.

Applied anatomical study of the modified anconeus flap approach.

Purpose: Conventional surgical therapy for an intercondylar humerus fracture might result in multiple potential complications. Our study was conducted to evaluate the modified anconeus flap approach by adequately exposing the distal humeral articular surface, avoiding osteotomy of the olecranon and transection of the main part of the triceps brachial tendon from the olecranon.

Methods: Preparations of 20 upper limb specimens from adult cadavers were used in this study.

Expression pattern of transcription factor SOX2 in reprogrammed oligodendrocyte precursor cells and microglias: Implications for glial neurogenesis.

Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cells (OPCs) can revert to multipotential Neural Stem-Like Cells (NSLCs) which can self-renew and give rise to neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes when exposed to certain extracellular signals. This is a significant progress to understand developmental neurobiology, in particularly the possibility of converting glia to stem cells for the treatment of neurological disorders. Similarly, recent findings revealed that brain-resident microglias (MGs) can be converted to multipotential state through de-differentiation.

Anatomical study of the communicating branches of cords of the brachial plexus and their clinical implications.

The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence and patterns of the communicating branches of cords of the brachial plexus (BPs). This study was performed with 50 fixed adult cadavers (all 100 sides). The BPs were exposed, the presence of the communicating branches of BPs were determined, measured, and photographed.

Anatomical study and clinical significance of the rami communicantes between cervicothoracic ganglion and brachial plexus.

The aim of this study was to provide a detailed characterization of the rami communicantes between the stellate (or cervicothoraic) ganglion (CTG) and brachial plexus (BP). Rami communicantes of 33 fixed adult cadavers were macroscopically observed, and connection between CTG and spinal nerves and branching was investigated. In all cases, except one, the hibateral medial rami communicantes was found to be positioned symmetrically between the CTG and C7, C8 spinal nerves.

A2B5 lineages of human astrocytic tumors and their recurrence.

Astrocytomas are very common intracranial glial cell neoplasms with an inherent tendency to progress. However, the heterogeneity of the morphological features and clinical behavior of the tumors makes accurate prognosis based on the histopathological grading system very difficult. Studies demonstrated that astrocytes have two distinctive cell lineages, and tumors arisen from these two astrocytic lineages have been speculated to have different biological and clinical manifestations.

Differential expression of S100 proteins in the developing human hippocampus and temporal cortex.

S100 calcium binding proteins have long been known to express in the adult nervous system, but their distribution in the developing brain, especially the human fetal brain, is largely unknown. We used an immunohistochemical method to determine the expression of three S100 proteins, namely S100A4, S100A5, and S100A13, in the human fetal hippocampus and temporal cortex from 12 to 33 weeks of gestation. At 12 weeks, S100A5 was strongly expressed in the cells and fibers of the polymorphic, pyramidal, and molecular layers of the hippocampus.