Exploration of the shared pathways and common biomarker in adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma and type 2 diabetes using integrated bioinformatics analysis.

Craniopharyngiomas are rare tumors of the central nervous system that typically present with symptoms such as headache and visual impairment, and those reflecting endocrine abnormalities, which seriously affect the quality of life of patients. Patients with craniopharyngiomas are at higher cardiometabolic risk, defined as conditions favoring the development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. However, the underlying common pathogenic mechanisms of craniopharyngiomas and type 2 diabetes are not clear.

Molecular Mechanisms in the Vascular and Nervous Systems following Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury.

Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) induces various complex pathological processes that cause physical impairment and psychological devastation. The two phases of SCI are primary mechanical damage (the immediate result of trauma) and secondary injury (which occurs over a period of minutes to weeks). After the mechanical impact, vascular disruption, inflammation, demyelination, neuronal cell death, and glial scar formation occur during the acute phase.

Role of Subcutaneous Adipose Tissues in the Pathophysiology of Secondary Lymphedema.

Secondary lymphedema (LE) occurs due to the disruption of lymphatic circulation. Lymphatic fluid accumulation in subcutaneous tissues induces adipocyte proliferation. Obesity is an important risk factor for the occurrence and deterioration of LE.

Orchestration of Ion Channels and Transporters in Neocortical Development and Neurological Disorders.

Electrical activity plays crucial roles in neural circuit formation and remodeling. During neocortical development, neurons are generated in the ventricular zone, migrate to their correct position, elongate dendrites and axons, and form synapses. In this review, we summarize the functions of ion channels and transporters in neocortical development.

BMP10 expression in the adult rat central nervous system.

Bone morphogenetic protein 10 (BMP10), is a member of the transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) superfamily. Although BMP10 plays pivotal roles during development, including vascular development and cardiogenesis, little information is available for BMP10 expression in the central nervous system (CNS). We, thus, investigated BMP10 expression in the adult rat CNS using immunohistochemistry.

Tumor-specific interendothelial adhesion mediated by FLRT2 facilitates cancer aggressiveness.

Blood vessel abnormalization alters cancer cell metabolism and promotes cancer dissemination and metastasis. However, the biological features of the abnormalized blood vessels that facilitate cancer progression and whether they can be targeted therapeutically have not been fully investigated. Here, we found that an axon guidance molecule, fibronectin leucine-rich transmembrane protein 2 (FLRT2), is expressed preferentially in abnormalized vessels of advanced colorectal cancers in humans and that its expression correlates negatively with long-term survival.

Differences in Vasa Vasorum Distribution in Human Aortic Aneurysms and Atheromas.

The pathophysiological difference between aortic atheromas and aneurysms is unknown. We focused on the vasa vasorum (VV), which play a critical role in maintaining aortic homeostasis and are also involved in vascular diseases. We investigated the differences in VV between the atheromas and aneurysms.

In vivo alterations of mitochondrial activity and amyloidosis in early-stage senescence-accelerated mice: a positron emission tomography study.

Purpose: While marked reductions in neural activity and mitochondrial function have been reported in Alzheimer's disease (AD), the degree of mitochondrial activity in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or early-stage AD remains unexplored. Here, we used positron emission tomography (PET) to examine the direct relationship between mitochondrial activity (F-BCPP-EF) and β-amyloid (Aβ) deposition (C-PiB) in the same brains of senescence-accelerated mouse prone 10 (SAMP10) mice, an Aβ-developing neuroinflammatory animal model showing accelerated senescence with deterioration in cognitive functioning similar to that in MCI.

Methods: Five- to 25-week-old SAMP10 and control SAMR1 mice, were used in the experiments.

Expression of FLRT2 in Postnatal Central Nervous System Development and After Spinal Cord Injury.

Fibronectin and leucine-rich transmembrane (FLRT) proteins are necessary for various developmental processes and in pathological conditions. FLRT2 acts as a homophilic cell adhesion molecule, a heterophilic repulsive ligand of Unc5/Netrin receptors, and a synaptogenic molecule; the last feature is mediated by binding to latrophilins. Although the function of FLRT2 in regulating cortical migration at the late gestation stage has been analyzed, little is known about the expression pattern of FLRT2 during postnatal central nervous system (CNS) development.

Why is the mesencephalic nucleus of the trigeminal nerve situated inside the brain?

Primary sensory neurons are usually situated in ganglia outside the brain, while the mesencephalic nucleus of the trigeminal nerve (Me5) is situated inside the brain. However, it remains unknown why only Me5 situated inside the brain is. The neurons of Me5 are the cell bodies of primary afferent fibers concerned with the muscles of mastication and periodontal receptors of both maxillary and mandibular teeth.

BMP9 expression in the adult rat brain.

Bone morphogenetic protein 9 (BMP9), also known as growth differentiation factor 2 (GDF2), is a member of the transforming growth factor β (TGF β) superfamily. Although BMP9 plays pivotal roles during development, including angiogenesis, hematopoiesis, hepatogenesis, osteogenesis, and glucose metabolism, little information is available for BMP9 expression in the central nervous system (CNS). We, thus, investigated BMP9 expression in the adult rat CNS using immunohistochemistry.

Involvement of Netrins and Their Receptors in Neuronal Migration in the Cerebral Cortex.

In mammals, excitatory cortical neurons develop from the proliferative epithelium and progenitor cells in the ventricular zone and subventricular zone, and migrate radially to the cortical plate, whereas inhibitory GABAergic interneurons are born in the ganglionic eminence and migrate tangentially. The migration of newly born cortical neurons is tightly regulated by both extracellular and intracellular signaling to ensure proper positioning and projections. Non-cell-autonomous extracellular molecules, such as growth factors, axon guidance molecules, extracellular matrix, and other ligands, play a role in cortical migration, either by acting as attractants or repellents.

Why is lithium effective in alleviating bipolar disorder?

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a unique disorder where the same patient exhibits depression and mania, states with polar opposite mood symptoms. Lithium is an alkali metal that is widely used for the treatment of BD. However, it is largely unknown why lithium can stabilize mood.

Decreased Proliferation in the Neurogenic Niche, Disorganized Neuroblast Migration, and Increased Oligodendrogenesis in Adult Netrin-5-Deficient Mice.

In the adult mouse brain, neurogenesis occurs mainly in the ventricular-subventricular zone (V-SVZ) and the subgranular zone of the hippocampal dentate gyrus. Neuroblasts generated in the V-SVZ migrate to the olfactory bulb via the rostral migratory stream (RMS) in response to guidance molecules, such as netrin-1. We previously showed that the related netrin-5 (NTN5) is expressed in Mash1-positive transit-amplifying cells and doublecortin-positive neuroblasts in the granule cell layer of the olfactory bulb, the RMS, and the subgranular zone of the adult mouse brain.

G ATA2 mediates the negative regulation of the prepro-thyrotropin-releasing hormone gene by liganded T3 receptor β2 in the rat hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus.

Thyroid hormone (T3) inhibits thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) synthesis in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). Although the T3 receptor (TR) β2 is known to mediate the negative regulation of the prepro-TRH gene, its molecular mechanism remains unknown. Our previous studies on the T3-dependent negative regulation of the thyrotropin β subunit (TSHβ) gene suggest that there is a tethering mechanism, whereby liganded TRβ2 interferes with the function of the transcription factor, GATA2, a critical activator of the TSHβ gene.

Mass spectrometry imaging reveals glycine distribution in the developing and adult mouse brain.

Glycine is an important amino acid in the central nervous system. The aberrant conditions of glycine concentrations cause sever neurological disorders, such as nonketotic-hyperglycinemia (NKH), also known as glycine encephalopathy. Therefore, a better understanding of its relative abundance and distribution in the developing and adult brains would provide insights into the pathogeneses of this kind of disorders.

Wide distribution of central myelin segment along the facial nerve might explain hemifacial spasm with distal nerve compression.

Introduction: Many researchers have assumed that neurovascular compression of the facial nerve at the site covered by central myelin sheath causes hemifacial spasm. However, some cases do not correspond to this hypothesis. The aim of this study was to clarify the myelin histology in the facial nerve.

Why is prepulse inhibition disrupted in schizophrenia?

Prepulse inhibition (PPI) of acoustic startle reflex is a measure of sensorimotor gating that may reflect the biological processes underlying gaiting impairments in schizophrenia. Although PPI is clinically useful, why PPI is inhibited in schizophrenia is largely unknown. Prepulse inhibition is mediated by M2-like muscarinic acetylcholine receptor on neurons in the caudal pontine reticular nucleus (PnC), activation of this receptor induces Gαi dissociation, and inhibits adenylyl cyclase, resulting in the inhibition of the neurons.

Potential role of transforming growth factor-beta 1/Smad signaling in secondary lymphedema after cancer surgery.

Secondary lymphedema often develops after cancer surgery, and over 250 million patients suffer from this complication. A major symptom of secondary lymphedema is swelling with fibrosis, which lowers the patient's quality of life, even if cancer does not recur. Nonetheless, the pathophysiology of secondary lymphedema remains unclear, with therapeutic approaches limited to physical or surgical therapy.

Follistatin expression in the central nervous system of the adult rat.

Follistatin was initially cloned as a monomeric polypeptide that inhibits the release of follicle-stimulating hormone. Although follistatin also plays pivotal roles in skeletal muscle hypertrophy and immunoregulation in the epididymis, little information is available regarding follistatin function in the adult central nervous system (CNS). Hence, we investigated follistatin expression in the adult rat CNS using immunohistochemistry.

Upregulation of cannabinoid receptor type 2, but not TSPO, in senescence-accelerated neuroinflammation in mice: a positron emission tomography study.

Background: Microglial cells are activated in response to changes in brain homeostasis during aging, dementia, and stroke. Type 2 endocannabinoid receptors (CB2) and translocator protein 18 kD (TSPO) are considered to reflect distinct aspects of microglia-related neuroinflammatory responses in the brain. CB2 activation is considered to relate to the neuroprotective responses that may occur predominantly in the early stage of brain disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, while an increase in TSPO expression tends to occur later during neuroinflammation, in a proinflammatory fashion.

Why is folate effective in preventing neural tube closure defects?

Neural tube defects (NTDs) originate from a failure of the embryonic neural tube to close. The pathogenesis of NTDs is largely unknown. Fortunately, adequate maternal folate application is known to reduce the risk of human NTDs.

Flrt2 is involved in fine-tuning of osteoclast multinucleation.

Osteoclasts are multinucleated giant cells derived from myeloid progenitors. Excessive bone resorption by osteoclasts can result in serious clinical outcomes for which better treatment options are needed. Here, we identified fibronectin leucine-rich transmembrane protein 2 (Flrt2), a ligand of the Unc5 receptor family for neurons, as a novel target associated with the late/maturation stage of osteoclast differentiation.

BMP6 expression in the adult rat central nervous system.

BMP6, a member of the TGF-β superfamily, is known to be involved in many diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, suggesting that BMP6 plays pivotal roles in the central nervous system (CNS), however, there's no information about the distribution of BMP6 in the adult CNS. Therefore, we investigated BMP6 expression in the CNS using immunohistochemistry. BMP6 was intensely expressed in most neurons and their axons.