Publications by authors named "E Merckx"
Purpose: The properties of a local Intensive Care Unit early mobilization protocol ('Start To Move As Soon As Possible') in critically ill patients, consisting of an objective diagnostic assessment linked to six treatment levels were evaluated. This study aimed to investigate whether the protocol can be reliably applied by different health-care providers (reliability), to examine the associations between prescribed and delivered treatments (feasibility) and to explore safety and patient satisfaction with the protocol.
Methods: Cross-sectional observational study evaluating the reliability of the protocol between physiotherapist was evaluated with Cohen's kappa, percentage of agreement, and intraclass correlation coefficients in 61 patients.
Article Synopsis
- Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that damages the central nervous system by mechanisms including neuroinflammation and oxidative stress, where system x (cystine/glutamate antiporter) may play a crucial role by releasing toxic glutamate.
- A study used Western blotting to analyze the protein expression of xCT, a subunit of system x, in MS patients and in an animal model of MS (EAE), comparing outcomes between different genetically altered mice.
- The results showed increased expression of xCT in MS-affected tissues but did not alter susceptibility to EAE in xCT knockout mice, indicating that xCT's role may be more significant in immune cells rather than in directly causing demyelination.
Depression and anxiety are disabling and highly prevalent psychiatric disorders. To better understand the neurobiological basis of mood and anxiety disorders, relevant animal models are needed. The corticosterone mouse model is frequently used to study depression.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe cystine/glutamate antiporter or system Xc- exchanges cystine for glutamate, thereby supporting intracellular glutathione synthesis and nonvesicular glutamate release. The role of system Xc- in neurological disorders can be dual and remains a matter of debate. One important reason for the contradictory findings that have been reported to date is the use of nonspecific anti-xCT (the specific subunit of system Xc-) antibodies.
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- Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder marked by motor and non-motor symptoms, driven by factors like oxidative stress and protein aggregation, particularly involving α-synuclein.
- A study used lactacystin, a proteasome inhibitor, on mice to mimic Parkinson's by injecting it into the substantia nigra, resulting in significant dopamine cell loss and corresponding motor and non-motor behaviors typical of early Parkinson's disease.
- The findings support the use of the lactacystin model for further research into Parkinson's, emphasizing its validity in replicating the disease's symptoms and opening avenues for therapeutic exploration.