Effect of acupuncture with donepezil based on syndrome differentiation on cognitive function in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease: a study protocol for a multicenter randomized controlled trial.

Background: There has been a rapid increase in the worldwide prevalence of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Previous studies have shown that acupuncture can improve neurological and cognitive function; however, the utility of applying acupuncture in patients with AD remains unclear. This study protocol describes a clinical trial for evaluating the efficacy and safety of acupuncture based on syndrome differentiation with donepezil hydrochloride on cognitive function in patients with AD.

Modulation of Brain Activity and Functional Connectivity by Acupuncture Combined With Donepezil on Mild-to-Moderate Alzheimer's Disease: A Neuroimaging Pilot Study.

Background: Functional brain imaging changes have been proven as potential pathophysiological targets in early-stage AD. Current longitudinal neuroimaging studies of AD treated by acupuncture, which is one of the growingly acknowledged non-pharmacological interventions, have neither adopted comprehensive acupuncture protocols, nor explored the changes after a complete treatment duration. Thus, the mechanisms of acupuncture effects remain not fully investigated.

Knockdown of NRSF Alleviates Ischemic Brain Injury and Microvasculature Defects in Diabetic MCAO Mice.

Diabetes is one of the well-established risk factors of stroke and is associated with a poor outcome in patients with stroke. Previous studies have shown that the expression of neuron restrictive silencer factor (NRSF) is elevated in diabetes as well as ischemic stroke. However, the role of NRSF in regulating an outcome of diabetic ischemic stroke has not been completely understood.

9-PAHSA Improves Cardiovascular Complications by Promoting Autophagic Flux and Reducing Myocardial Hypertrophy in Db/Db Mice.

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is a common and severe complication of diabetes. There is a large need to identify the effective and safety strategies on diabetic cardiovascular disease (DCVD). 9-PAHSA is a novel endogenous fatty acid, and has been reported to reduce blood glucose levels and attenuate inflammation.

The role of carbonic anhydrase III and autophagy in type 2 diabetes with cardio-cerebrovascular disease.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is one of the most common chronic diseases among the elderly people. The T2DM increases the risk of cardio-cerebrovascular disease (CCD), and the main pathological change of the CCD is atherosclerosis (AS). Meanwhile, the carbonic anhydrases (CAs) are involved in the formation and progression of plaques in AS.

Serum Heparanase: A New Clinical Biomarker Involved in Senile Metabolic Inflammatory Syndrome.

Aim: Metabolic inflammation syndrome (MIS) can lead to a series of complications, but its exact inflammatory mechanism is still unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the correlation between heparanase (HPA) and MIS, and the close relationship between HPA and other chronic low-grade inflammation index, such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6).

Methods: A total of 105 patients with MIS in the physical examination population of Huashan Hospital affiliated to Fudan University from May to June 2018 were selected as the MIS group, and 52 patients who were relatively healthy during the same period were used as the control group.

Crepidtumines A and B, Two Novel Indolizidine Alkaloids from Dendrobium crepidatum.

Two new indolizidine alkaloids crepidatumines A (1) and B (2) together with the stereoisomer of dendrocrepidine B (3) and known analog dendrocrepine (4) were isolated from D. crepidatum. Their structures were determined by HR-ESI-MS, NMR, and Electronic Circular Dichroism (ECD) experiments together with comparison of analogues.

Increased NRSF/REST in anterior cingulate cortex contributes to diabetes-related neuropathic pain.

Diabetic neuropathic pain is one of the most common complications of diabetes. Mechanisms underlying the central modulation are still unclear. Here, we investigated the role of the neuron-restricted silencing factor (NRSF/REST) in diabetic-related neuropathic pain.

Reduced resting-state brain functional network connectivity and poor regional homogeneity in patients with CADASIL.

Background: Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) manifests principally as a suite of cognitive impairments, particularly in the executive domain. Executive functioning requires the dynamic coordination of neural activity over large-scale networks. It remains unclear whether changes in resting-state brain functional network connectivity and regional homogeneities (ReHos) underly the mechanisms of executive dysfunction evident in CADASIL patients.

Crepidatumines C and D, Two New Indolizidine Alkaloids from Lindl. ex Paxt.

Two new indolizidine alkaloids, crepidatumines C () and D (), together with crepidine (), isocrepidamine (), and crepidamine () were isolated from the Lindl. ex Paxt. X-ray diffraction experiments established the absolute configurations of known compounds and .

Relationship between changes in resting-state spontaneous brain activity and cognitive impairment in patients with CADASIL.

Background: Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) mainly manifests with cognitive impairment. Cognitive deficits in patients with CADASIL are correlated with structural brain changes such as lacunar lesion burden, normalized brain volume, and anterior thalamic radiation lesions, but changes in resting-state functional brain activity in patients with CADASIL have not been reported.

Methods: This study used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) in 22 patients with CADASIL and 44 healthy matched controls.

EGb761 improves the cognitive function of elderly db/db diabetic mice by regulating the beclin-1 and NF-κB signaling pathways.

To assess whether EGb761 could protect elderly diabetic mice with cognitive disorders and explore the role of beclin-1-mediated autophagy in these protective effects. Two-month-old male db/db mice and wild-type C57/BL6 mice were randomly divided into six groups: db/db control, db/db 50 mg, db/db 100 mg, wild-type (WT) control, WT 50 mg, and WT 100 mg. EGb761 (50 mg/kg or 100 mg/kg of bodyweight) was given by gavage once a day for 1 month from the age of 6 months.

Rosiglitazone Infusion Therapy Following Minimally Invasive Surgery for Intracranial Hemorrhage Evacuation Decreased Perihematomal Glutamate Content and Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability in Rabbits.

Objective: To observe effects of rosiglitazone (RSG) infusion therapy on perihematomal peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), glutamate, blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability, and brain edema.

Methods: Fifty male rabbits (2.8-3.

Transient upregulation of Nav1.6 expression in the genu of corpus callosum following middle cerebral artery occlusion in the rats.

Focal ischemic stroke can lead to brain damage and cause human disability and death. Increased excitatory transmission and reduced neuronal inhibition are important pathological alterations in the cerebral ischemia, which can induce abnormal brain excitability. Nav1.

G-CSF and cognitive dysfunction in elderly diabetic mice with cerebral small vessel disease: Preventive intervention effects and underlying mechanisms.

Aims: Although cognitive dysfunction is a common neurological complication in elderly patients with diabetes, the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear, and effective preventive interventions have yet to be developed. Thus, this study investigated the preventive effects and mechanisms of action associated with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) on cognitive dysfunction in elderly diabetic mice with cerebral small vessel disease.

Methods: This study included 40 male db/db diabetic and wild-type (WT) mice that were categorized into the following four groups at the age of 3 weeks: db/db group (DG), db/db+G-CSF group (DGG), WT group (WG), and WT+G-CSF group (WGG).

Beclin-1- mediated autophagy may be involved in the elderly cognitive and affective disorders in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice.

Background: Diabetes is the most common metabolic disease with many chronic complications, and cognitive disorders are one of the common complications in patients with diabetes. Previous studies have showed that autophagy played important roles in the progression of metabolic syndrome, diabetes and other diseases. So we investigated whether aged diabetic mice are prone to be associated with the cognitive and affective disorders and whether Beclin-1-mediated autophagy might be involved in thepahological process.

Minimally invasive surgery for ICH evacuation followed by rosiglitazone infusion therapy increased perihematomal PPARγ expression and improved neurological outcomes in rabbits.

Objectives: To observe the effects of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for intracerebral hematoma (ICH) evacuation followed by rosiglitazone infusion therapy on peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARγ), blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability, and neurological function.

Methods: A total of 75 male rabbits (2.8-3.

Plasma osteoprotegerin levels are inversely associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in patients with type 2 diabetes: A case-control study in China.

Objective: Osteoprotegerin (OPG), a soluble member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor superfamily, is a decoy receptor for the receptor activator of nucleus factor-κB ligand (RANKL) and TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL). OPG has an effect on systemic insulin sensitivity and glucose homeostasis. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between plasma osteoprotegerin (OPG) levels and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Enhanced Neuroprotective Effects of Coadministration of Tetrandrine with Glutathione in Preclinical Model of Parkinson's Disease.

Aim. In this study we examined the influence of tetrandrine (Tet) on the neuroprotective effects of glutathione (GSH) in the 6-hydroxydopamine- (6-OHDA-) lesioned rat model of Parkinson's disease (PD). Methods.

CYP2C9 Genetic Polymorphism is a Potential Predictive Marker for the Efficacy of Rosuvastatin Therapy.

Background: There is well-known inter-individual variability in the cholesterol-lowering effect of statins. However, inter-individual variability in response to rosuvastatin treatment in subjects with hypercholesterolemia has not been clearly established. This study aimed to evaluate the associations of CYP2C9 genetic polymorphism with the efficacy and safety of rosuvastatin in Chinese patients with hyperlipidemia.