Publications by authors named "Kuo-Jen Wu"

Article Synopsis
  • Cerebral ischemic stroke is a leading cause of disability in adults, and previous studies showed that human Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stromal cells (WJ-MSCs) can help reduce neuronal damage in stroke models.
  • This research explored the effects of WJ-MSC exosomes (Exo) in both cell and rat models of stroke, finding that Exo administration significantly protected neurons from glutamate-induced damage.
  • Rats treated with Exo after a stroke showed improved motor function, reduced brain damage, and increased levels of neuroprotective and anti-apoptotic factors in their brains, indicating that WJ-MSC Exo could be a promising stroke treatment.
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  • Psilocybin, a compound found in "magic mushrooms," has shown potential in protecting against brain damage caused by strokes in rat models by acting on the 5HT2A receptor.
  • The study demonstrated that psilocybin treatment led to reduced neuronal loss and improved brain function post-stroke, specifically through the modulation of BDNF expression.
  • These findings suggest a promising new therapeutic use for psilocybin in treating strokes, highlighting its ability to enhance recovery and minimize brain injury.
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Background: Stroke is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide, and an effective therapeutic strategy for the prevention of patients with cerebral ischemia induced brain injury is lacking. Traditional Chinese medicine with neuroprotective activities might be beneficial and provide alternative therapeutic opportunities for cerebral ischemia.

Purposes: This study aimed to evaluate the neuroprotection and possible mechanisms of Gueichih-Fuling-Wan (GFW), its' constitutive herbs, and their active compounds on cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced brain injury in rodents.

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Background: Cycloheximide (CXM), an antifungal antibiotic, causes impaired memory consolidation as a side effect partially by disturbing the activities of the central catecholaminergic and cholinergic system. Some reports indicated that puerarin prevented memory impairment in various models in rodents. However, the protective effects of puerarin on the side effects of cycloheximide for memory consolidation impairment have not yet been investigated.

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Abnormal accumulation of alpha-synuclein (αSyn) in the remaining nigra dopaminergic neurons is a common neuropathological feature found in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Antibody-based immunotherapy has been considered a potential approach for PD treatment. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of active immunization against αSyn in a mouse model of PD.

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Stroke is a major cause of long-term disability world-wide. Limited pharmacological therapy has been used in stroke patients. Previous studies indicated that herb formula PM012 is neuroprotective against neurotoxin trimethyltin in rat brain, and improved learning and memory in animal models of Alzheimer's disease.

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Cerebrovascular disease is one of the leading causes of disability and death worldwide, and seeking a potential treatment is essential. Trilinolein (TriL) is a natural triacylglycerol presented in several plants. The effects of TriL on cerebrovascular diseases such as cerebral ischemia and carotid stenosis have never been studied.

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In a rat middle cerebral artery occlusion (MACo) model of ischemic stroke, intracerebroventricular administration of human recombinant hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) mitigated motor impairment and cortical infarction. Recombinant HGF reduced MCAo-induced TNFα and IL1β expression, and alleviated perilesional reactivation of microglia and astrocyte. All of the aforementioned beneficial effects of HGF were antagonized by an inhibitor to the type II transmembrane serine protease matriptase (MTP).

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Article Synopsis
  • Excess fluid from vasogenic edema complicates the characterization of ischemic brain tissue via conventional MRI techniques, resulting in misleading readings during subacute and chronic stroke phases.
  • The study explores a new MRI method called free water elimination (FWE) that effectively isolates and measures free fluid in brain tissue, which may serve as a novel biomarker for ischemic conditions.
  • Findings indicate that the free water fraction increases post-stroke, with distinct patterns in core and border zones, and the new diffusion and relaxometry MRI metrics show significant differences compared to traditional methods.
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  • Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) leads to brain damage due to blood vessel rupture, resulting in inflammation and cell death, which are harmful to neurons.
  • The study explored the effects of 2-Fucosyllactose (2FL), a compound found in human milk, showing it can reduce inflammation and promote neuron survival in models simulating ICH.
  • Results indicated that 2FL not only improved motor function in rats after ICH but also decreased markers of inflammation and ER stress in brain tissues, suggesting its potential as a treatment for ICH.
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Accumulation of α-Synuclein (αSyn) in nigral dopaminergic neurons is commonly seen in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). We recently reported that transduction of intracellular single-chain intrabody targeting the 53-87 amino acid residues of human αSyn by recombinant adeno associated viral vector (AAV-NAC32) downregulated αSyn protein in SH-SY5Y cells and rat brain. This study characterizes the behavioral phenotype and dopaminergic protection in animals receiving AAV-NAC32.

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Aims: Naltrexone is a mu opioid receptor (MOR) antagonist used to treat drug dependence in patients. Previous reports indicated that MOR antagonists reduced neurodegeneration and inflammation after brain injury. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of naltrexone in cell culture and a mouse model of traumatic brain injury (TBI).

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Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) dysregulation is associated with pathologies including neurodegenerative, muscular, and diabetic conditions. Depletion of ER calcium can lead to the loss of resident proteins in a process termed exodosis. To identify compounds that attenuate the redistribution of ER proteins under pathological conditions, we performed a quantitative high-throughput screen using the Gaussia luciferase (GLuc)-secreted ER calcium modulated protein (SERCaMP) assay, which monitors secretion of ER-resident proteins triggered by calcium depletion.

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Background: Accumulation of α-synuclein (αSyn) in the dopaminergic neurons is a common pathology seen in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Overproduction of αSyn potentiates the formation of oligomeric αSyn aggregates and enhances dopaminergic neuron degeneration. Downregulating intracellular monomeric αSyn prevents the formation of αSyn oligomers and is a potential therapeutic strategy to attenuate the progression of PD.

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Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors have protective and anti-inflammatory actions against brain injury, mediated by nicotinic α7 cholinergic receptor activation. The use of AChE inhibitors in patients is limited by systemic cholinergic side effects. Posiphen, a stereoisomer of the AChE inhibitor Phenserine, lacks AChE inhibitor activity.

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Background: Although diffusion gradient directions and b-values have been optimized for diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI), little is known about the effect of signal averaging on DKI reliability.

Purpose: To evaluate how signal averaging influences the reliability of DKI indices using two gradient encoding schemes with three spatial resolutions.

Study Type: Prospective.

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Increasing evidence have supported that Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cell (WJ-MSCs) have immunomodulatory and protective effects against several diseases including kidney, liver pathologies, and heart injury. Few studies have reported that WJ-MSCs reduced inflammation in hippocampal slices after oxygen-glucose deprivation. We recently reported the neuroprotective effects of human WJ-MSCs (hWJ-MSCs) in rats exposed to a transient right middle cerebral artery occlusion.

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Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (WJ-MSCs) have distinct immunomodulatory and protective effects against kidney, liver, or heart injury. Limited studies have shown that WJ-MSCs attenuates oxygen-glucose deprivation-mediated inflammation in hippocampal slices. The neuroprotective effect of intracerebral WJ-MSC transplantation against stroke has not been well characterized.

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Stroke induces not only cell death but also neurorepair. De novo neurogenesis has been found in the subventricular zone of the adult mammalian brain days after stroke. Most of these newly generated cells die shortly after the insult.

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Article Synopsis
  • * This study developed a virus-based treatment using a recombinant adeno-associated virus that produces Meth-specific antibodies, which were tested in adult mice.
  • * Administering this viral vector led to long-lasting antibody production, reduced Meth levels in the brain and serum, and decreased the behavioral effects of Meth, suggesting a promising therapeutic strategy.
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C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) is a receptor for a pleiotropic chemokine CXCL12. Previous studies have shown that the acute administration of the CXCR4 antagonist AMD3100 reduced neuroinflammation in stroke brain and mobilized bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). The purpose of this study was to characterize the neuroprotective and neurotrophic effect of a novel CXCR4 antagonist CX549.

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Background: Risks of stroke link with complications of hyperglycemia. Gueichih-Fuling-Wan (GFW), according to Chinese Medical Code literature, has the promotion of blood circulation and attenuates the swollen plot. Recent pharmacological studies have pointed out its efficacy in patients with cerebral ischemia or diabetes.

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