Case report: Medulla oblongata and cervical cord reperfusion injury after intracranial vertebral artery angioplasty and stenting.

Background: White cord syndrome is an uncommon complication characterized by delayed neurologic deterioration with no other identified cause after spinal decompression surgery. Its etiology is attributed to spinal cord reperfusion injury. Here, we present the first case of an extended version of white cord syndrome, with concomitant involvement of the medulla oblongata and cervical cord reperfusion injury after intracranial vertebral artery angioplasty and stenting.

CDC42EP3 promotes glioma progression via regulation of CCND1.

Gliomas are the most common brain malignancies characterized by high degree of aggressiveness and high mortality. However, the underlying mechanism of glioma progression remains unclear. Here, we probed the role of CDC42EP3 (CDC42 effector protein 3) played in glioma development and its potential downstream mechanism.

Safranal-promoted differentiation and survival of dopaminergic neurons in an animal model of Parkinson's disease.

Context: Safranal (SAF) is verified to have potential effects in promoting nerve growth.

Objectives: This study verifies the role of SAF in promoting dopaminergic neurons growth in vitro and in vivo.

Material And Methods: Rat neural stem cells (NSC) were treated with 1, 20, or 100 ng/mL of SAF, and the expression levels of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and dopamine transporter (DAT) were assayed by flow cytometry and real-time PCR and the secretion of dopamine (DA) was assayed by ELISA.

Blood-Brain Barrier Damage as the Starting Point of Leukoaraiosis Caused by Cerebral Chronic Hypoperfusion and Its Involved Mechanisms: Effect of Agrin and Aquaporin-4.

White matter lesion (WML) is popular in the patients aged over 65. Brain edema and blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction due to cerebral chronic hypoperfusion (CCH) contributed to WML. Preserving astrocyte polarity is vital for BBB integrity.

Multiple intracranial arterial stenosis influences the long-term prognosis of symptomatic middle cerebral artery occlusion.

Background: Large intracranial occlusive vascular disease is a major contributor to the incidence of stroke worldwide, especially when it involves the middle cerebral artery (MCA). The data on the prognosis of symptomatic atherosclerotic MCA occlusions (MCAO) with concomitant intracranial arterial disease (MCAO-AIS) are limited. MCAO-AIS may reflect the extent of the atherosclerotic intracranial disease, we hypotheses that coexisting intracranial arterial disease influenced the prognosis of MCAO.

The molecular events involved in oligodendrocyte precursor cell proliferation induced by the conditioned medium from b104 neuroblastoma cells.

The conditioned medium from B104 neuroblastoma cells (B104CM) induces proliferation of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) in vitro. However, the molecular events that occur during B104CM-induced proliferation of OPCs has not been well clarified. In the present study, using OPCs immunopanned from embryonic day 14 Sprague-Dawley rat spinal cords, we explored the activation of several signaling pathways and the expression of several important immediate early genes (IEGs) and cyclins in OPCs in response to B104CM.

PDGF-AA and bFGF mediate B104CM-induced proliferation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells.

The conditioned medium from B104 neuroblastoma cells (B104CM) induces proliferation of οligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) in vitro, which indicates that certain factors contained within B104CM give instructional signals that direct the proliferation of OPCs. However, the OPC-proliferative factors present in B104CM have yet to be identified. Platelet-derived growth factor AA (PDGF-AA), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) have been reported to act as potent mitogens for OPC proliferation.

Influence of residual stenosis on clinical outcome and restenosis after middle cerebral artery stenting.

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess whether the residual stenosis has effect on restenosis after stenting for atherosclerotic stenosis in the middle cerebral artery.

Methods: Sixty-seven patients underwent 69 single-stent procedures successfully for atherosclerotic stenosis ≥70% in the M1 segment of middle cerebral artery were reviewed retrospectively. All patients were classified into two groups: nonresidual (≤30%) and residual (>30%) stenosis.

Calcitonin gene-related peptide enhances CREB phosphorylation and attenuates tau protein phosphorylation in rat brain during focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion.

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is a potent vasodilator and immune cell modulator. Exogenous CGRP could increase the cerebral blood flow significantly and protect the ischemic neurons, but its mechanism is not entirely clear. The effect of CGRP on the expressions of CREB and tau in the ipsilateral parietal cortex were detected in focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion model.

Comparison of BMSs with SES for symptomatic intracranial disease of the middle cerebral artery stenosis.

This study was designed to compare the clinical and angiographic outcomes of patients with symptomatic atherosclerotic middle cerebral artery stenosis treated with balloon-mounted stents (BMS) and self-expandable Wingspan system (SES). We reviewed the 69 consecutive stent placement procedures for symptomatic atherosclerotic stenosis (≥70) in M1 segment of middle cerebral artery in 67 patients in 3 years. According to the stent types, the patients were classed as BMS and SES groups.

Angioplasty and stenting for the occluded internal carotid artery.

To investigate the feasibility and efficacy of angioplasty and stenting for symptomatic occlusion of carotid artery. From December 2004 to June 2009, 17 patients with progressive or reoccurred ischemic stroke or repeated transient ischemic attack resulted from the total occluded carotid artery underwent angioplasty and stenting were reviewed. All patients with successful procedure were followed up.

Cyclic-AMP response element binding protein and tau are involved in the neuroprotective mechanisms of nerve growth factor during focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion in rats.

Nerve growth factor (NGF) has protective and therapeutic effects after cerebral ischemic injury. However, its mechanism of action is not clear. We explored the protective mechanism of exogenous NGF on rat hippocampal neurons after focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion.

Combined intraarterial and intravenous thrombolysis for severe cerebral venous sinus thrombosis.

To investigate the safety and efficacy of endovascular therapy with combined intra-arterial and intravenous thrombolysis for severe cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. Of the 28 consecutive patients with cerebral venous sinus thrombosis admitted to our hospital in recent 3 years, six patients underwent combined intra-arterial and intravenous thrombolysis. For each patient, local contact thrombolysis was performed with balloon catheter to break clot and urokinase infused for thrombolysis in sinus.

Biomechanical properties of ascending aorta and pulmonary trunk in pigs and humans.

Background: This study aims to obtain the biomechanical properties of ascending aorta and pulmonary trunk between healthy humans and pigs of different months, so as to provide necessary biomechanical experimental basis for anastomosing blood vessel in pig-to-human heart xenotransplantation.

Methods: Ascending aorta and pulmonary trunks of the six deceased donors (male 4, female 2) and 42 Chinese Hubei white pigs aged 1-7 months were performed biomechanical test. The blood vessel was given periodic permanent loading and unloading, and repeated force-deformation data were obtained.

Quantitative analysis of the microstructure of human umbilical vein for assessing feasibility as vessel substitute.

We explored the feasibility of human umbilical vein (HUV) as a small-caliber vessel substitute. HUVs of 50 fetuses were collected on spontaneous miscarriage or labor with the pregnant women's permission. Gestational age ranged 24-42 weeks, and parturients were 20-30 years old.

[Observation on therapeutic effect of acupuncture at Fengchi (GB 20) at different stages on pseudobulbar palsy].

Objective: To observe the therapeutic effect of acupuncture at different stages on pseudobulbar palsy. Methods Two hundred and forty cases of pseudobulbar palsy were divided into 4 groups according to different courses of disease, i.e.

Nerve-pathways of acupoint Fengch'ih in rat by anterograde transport of HRP.

Aim: To study the nervous-pathways of Fengch'ih acupuncture by means of anterograde transport of aqueous solution of horseradish peroxidase (HRP).

Methods: Fifty Wistar rats were randomly divided into 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 d groups, and every group had 10 animals. HRP (30% aqueous solution) was injected into a Fengch'ih.

Evaluation of murine models of permanent focal cerebral ischemia.

Background: To date murine models of permanent focal cerebral ischemia have not been well characterized. The purposes of this paper were to compare three different permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) models with or without craniectomy, and to identify an ideal mouse model of permanent focal cerebral ischemia.

Methods: Experiments were performed on 45 healthy adult male Kunming mice, weighing 28 to 42 g.