α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors drive human temporal glutamate/GABA balance toward inhibition.

Heteromeric nicotinic acetylcholine nAChRs (nAChRs) containing the α4 and β2 subunits (α4β2 nAChRs) modulate neurotransmitter release in several regions of the brain. In temporal lobe epilepsy, inhibitory GABAergic neurotransmission is altered, whereas no evidence of nicotinic dysfunction has been reported. Here, we investigated, in human epileptic cortical tissues, the ability of α4β2 nAChRs to modulate synaptic transmission.

Effect of brewer's yeast or beta-glucan on breast milk supply following preterm birth: the BLOOM study - protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial.

Background: Many individuals who experience preterm birth struggle with early breast milk supply, which can translate into suboptimal longer-term breastfeeding outcomes. Further investigations into the potential role of early non-pharmacological and pharmacological interventions in improving breast milk production soon after birth is growing. While natural galactagogues, such as brewer's yeast, are widely perceived by women to be safer than pharmaceutical galactagogues and are taken by many women, evidence to support their efficacy is largely absent.

Reduction of inflammation and mitochondrial degeneration in mutant SOD1 mice through inhibition of voltage-gated potassium channel Kv1.3.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease with no effective therapy, causing progressive loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord, brainstem, and motor cortex. Regardless of its genetic or sporadic origin, there is currently no cure for ALS or therapy that can reverse or control its progression. In the present study, taking advantage of a human superoxide dismutase-1 mutant (hSOD1-G93A) mouse that recapitulates key pathological features of human ALS, we investigated the possible role of voltage-gated potassium channel Kv1.

Common and Rare Variants in TMEM175 Gene Concur to the Pathogenesis of Parkinson's Disease in Italian Patients.

Parkinson's disease (PD) represents the most common neurodegenerative movement disorder. We recently identified 16 novel genes associated with PD. In this study, we focused the attention on the common and rare variants identified in the lysosomal K channel TMEM175.