Utility of serum neurofilament light chain and glial fibrillary acidic protein as diagnostic biomarkers of freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease.

Freezing of gait (FOG) is one of the most distressing features of Parkinson's disease (PD), increasing the risks of fractures and seriously affecting patients' quality of life. We aimed to examine the potential diagnostic roles of serum neurofilament light chain (NFL) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in PD patients with FOG (PD-FOG). We included 99 patients, comprising 54 PD patients without FOG (PD-NoFOG), 45 PD-FOG and 37 healthy controls (HCs).

TREM-1 mediates interaction between substantia nigra microglia and peripheral neutrophils.

Microglia-mediated neuroinflammation is considered a pathological feature of Parkinson’s disease. Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cell-1 (TREM-1) can amplify the inherent immune response, and crucially, regulate inflammation. In this study, we found marked elevation of serum soluble TREM-1 in patients with Parkinson’s disease that positively correlated with Parkinson’s disease severity and dyskinesia.

Association between serum neurofilament light chain levels and sleep disorders in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the levels of serum neurofilament light chain (NFL) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and PD patients with sleep disorders (PD-SD), as well as the relationship between these proteins and sleep disorders in PD patients.

Methods: A total of 96 PD patients and 38 healthy controls (HC) were included in this study, of which 70 PD patients experienced sleep disorders. Both motor symptoms and sleep conditions were assessed in all PD patients.

Increased plasma levels of circPTP4A2 and circTLK2 are associated with stroke injury.

Objective: Accumulating studies have shown that circulating circular RNAs (circRNAs) represent novel biomarkers for many human diseases. We investigated whether plasma circPTP4A2 and circTLK2 levels are associated with stroke severity, infarct volume, stroke etiology, and functional outcome in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients.

Methods: We applied quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) to measure plasma circPTP4A2 and circTLK2 levels of 236 AIS patients within 72 h of symptoms onset and 136 healthy controls.

Early activation of Toll-like receptor-3 reduces the pathological progression of Alzheimer's disease in APP/PS1 mouse.

Background: Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) plays an important role in the immune/inflammatory response in the nervous system and is a main pathological feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study investigates the role of early activation of TLR3 in the pathophysiological process of AD.

Methods: In the experiment, the agonist of TLR3, Poly(I:C), was intraperitoneally injected into the APP/PS1 mouse model of AD and wild-type control mice starting from the age of 4 to 9 months.

The relationship between serum neurofilament light chain and glial fibrillary acidic protein with the REM sleep behavior disorder subtype of Parkinson's disease.

Studies have shown that rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is a subtype of Parkinson's disease (PD) characterized by severe cognitive impairment and rapid disease progression. However, reliable biological markers are lacking presently. Neurofilament light chain (NFL) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) have been widely studied as biomarkers of cognition impairment.

Association of serum neurofilament light chain and glial fibrillary acidic protein levels with cognitive decline in Parkinson's disease.

Objectives: To investigate whether serum neurofilament light chain (NfL) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) levels are associated with motor and cognitive function in Parkinson's disease (PD).

Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 140 participants, including 103 PD patients and 37 healthy controls (HC). Serum NfL and GFAP levels were measured using the ultrasensitive single-molecule array (Simoa) technique.

Correlation between serum 25(OH)D and cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease.

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between serum 25(OH)D and cognitive impairment in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), hoping to provide possible ideas for the diagnosis and prevention of PD with cognitive impairment. Vitamin D is a neurosteroid with neurotrophic and neuroprotective functions, playing an important role in PD and its progression. In the present study, serum 25(OH)D levels were significantly decreased in PD patients (45.

Comparative Analysis of Acute Levodopa Challenge Test and the Outcomes of Deep Brain Stimulation in Parkinson's Disease.

Background:  We study the correlation between the preoperative levodopa challenge test and the efficacy of deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery in Parkinson's disease (PD).

Methods:  Fifty patients with PD who underwent DBS treatment in our hospital from October 2016 to October 2017 were enrolled in this study. Using the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale-III (UPDRS-III) as an indicator, we analyzed the improvement in motor symptoms on the levodopa challenge test and by DBS surgery.

Inhibition of progesterone receptor membrane component-1 exacerbates neonatal hypoxic-ischemic cerebral damage in male mice.

This study investigated the expression of progesterone receptor membrane component 1 (pgrmc1) in the brains of male and female mice, and the effect of inhibiting pgrmc1 on neonatal hypoxic-ischemic (HI) cerebral injury in male mice. A mouse model of neonatal HI brain injury was established, and AG205, a specific antagonist of pgrmc1, was injected into the left lateral cerebral ventricle 1 h before HI. Histological staining, behavior testing, Western blots, and quantitative PCR (qPCR) were employed to evaluate pgrmc1 expression, brain damage, neurological function, and molecular mechanisms.

Functional MRI in Parkinson's disease with freezing of gait: a systematic review of the literature.

Background: Freezing of gait (FOG), a common and disabling symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD), is characterized by an episodic inability to generate effective stepping. Functional MRI (fMRI) has been used to evaluate abnormal brain connectivity patterns at rest and brain activation patterns during specific tasks in patients with PD-FOG. This review has examined the existing functional neuroimaging literature in PD-FOG, including those with treatment.

Dectin-1/Syk signaling triggers neuroinflammation after ischemic stroke in mice.

Background: Dendritic cell-associated C-type lectin-1 (Dectin-1) receptor has been reported to be involved in neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease and traumatic brain injury. The present study was designed to investigate the role of Dectin-1 and its downstream target spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) in early brain injury after ischemic stroke using a focal cortex ischemic stroke model.

Methods: Adult male C57BL/6 J mice were subjected to a cerebral focal ischemia model of ischemic stroke.

A clinical analysis on 40 cases of spontaneous intracranial hypotension syndrome.

Objective: To investigate clinical and imaging features of 40 patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH).

Methods: 40 cases of spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) diagnosed in our hospital from June 2013 to September 2017 were collected and retrospectively analyzed.

Results: In our study, the male to female ratio was 2:3.

Hypereosinophilic syndrome with central nervous system involvement: Two case reports and literature review.

Objective: To report two cases of hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) with central nervous system involvement and explore its possible pathogenesis.

Methods: We have analysed the clinical data and relevant features of two patients who presented themselves to The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University between 2012 and 2015. We have reviewed the relevant literature, elaborated the possible pathogenesis, and discussed the treatment options.

Activated mGluR5 protects BV2 cells against OGD/R induced cytotoxicity by modulating BDNF-TrkB pathway.

Activated Metabotropic glutamate receptors 5(mGluR5) exhibits protective effects against ischemic brain damage, but the underlying mechanisms are not clearly known. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), as a valuable member of neurotrophic factor family, exerts its protection by combining with its high-affinity receptor tyrosine protein kinase B (TrkB). To investigate the role of activated mGluR5 against oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD)/reoxygenation (R)-mediated cytotoxicity, the cell viability, apoptosis, the release of inflammatory cytokines and accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were evaluated in BV2 cells (Microglia cell line) with or without OGD/R exposure.

Purinergic 2X7 receptor/NLRP3 pathway triggers neuronal apoptosis after ischemic stroke in the mouse.

Previous research has shown that Purinergic 2X7 receptor (P2X7R) and NLRP3 inflammasome contribute to the inflammatory activation. In this study, we investigated whether P2X7R/NLRP3 pathway is involved in the caspase-3 dependent neuronal apoptosis after ischemic stroke by using a focal cortex ischemic stroke model. The expressions of P2X7R, NLRP3 inflammsome components, and cleaved caspase-3 were significantly enhanced in the ischemic brain tissue after stroke.

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells-conditioned medium enhances vascular remodeling after stroke in type 2 diabetic rats.

Our previous studies have found that stem cells conditioned medium (CM) facilitated functional recovery after stroke in non-diabetics. However, whether bone marrow stromal cells conditioned medium (BMSCs-CM) treatment after stroke in type 2 diabetic (T2DM) rats improve functional outcomes remains unclear. T2DM rats were induced and subjected to stroke then treated with or without BMSCs-CM.

ROS/TXNIP pathway contributes to thrombin induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation and cell apoptosis in microglia.

There is no effective therapy for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) because of poor understanding of the mechanisms of brain injury after hemorrhage. The NLRP3 inflammasome, as a vital component of innate immune system, which is associated with a wide range of human CNS disorders, including ICH. But its detailed mechanisms in ICH remain mainly unclear.

Thrombin-induced apoptosis in neurons through activation of c-Jun-N-terminal kinase.

Context: Studies have shown that thrombin activation played a central role in cell injuries associated with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).

Objective: Here, our study investigated the cytotoxicity of thrombin on neurons, and determined the involvement of JNK pathways in thrombin-induced neuronal apoptosis.

Materials And Methods: Primary cultured neurons were treated with different doses of thrombin.

Neuroprotective Effects of 17β-Estradiol against Thrombin-Induced Apoptosis in Primary Cultured Cortical Neurons.

Aims: 17β-estradiol (E2) is a powerful neuroprotective agent in the central nervous system; however, little is known about its effects on intracerebral hemorrhage. This study examined the effects of E2 on thrombin-induced apoptosis in vitro and investigated the potential mechanisms.

Methods: Primary cultured cortical neurons were treated with E2 or vehicle and then the cells were exposed to thrombin.

Intranasal administration of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells-conditioned medium enhances vascular remodeling after stroke.

Stem cell-based treatments have been reported to be a potential strategy for stroke. However, tumorigenic potential and low survival rates of transplanted cells could attenuate the efficacy of the stem cell-based treatments. The application of stem cell-condition medium (CM) may be a practicable approach to conquer these limitations.

Ranitidine reduced levodopa-induced dyskinesia by remodeling neurochemical changes in hemiparkinsonian model of rats.

Background: Levodopa (l-dopa) remains the best drug in the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD). Unfortunately, long-term l-dopa caused motor complications, one of which is l-dopa-induced dyskinesia (LID). The precise mechanisms of LID are not fully understood.

Intranigral administration of substance P receptor antagonist attenuated levodopa-induced dyskinesia in a rat model of Parkinson's disease.

Levodopa (L-dopa) remains the most effective drug in the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, L-dopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) has hindered its use for PD patients. The mechanisms of LID are not fully understood.