Pathophysiological dual action of adiponectin after transient focal ischemia in mouse brain.

Background: Adiponectin, an adipocyte-derived bioactive protein, provides vascular protection. Recent clinical studies have suggested that plasma adiponectin plays a role in cerebrovascular disease (CVD). The present study was designed to determine the serial changes in adiponectin expression in the brain and plasma after transient focal cerebral ischemia in mice.

The frequency of cardiac valvular regurgitation in Parkinson's disease.

To investigate the frequency of cardiac valve regurgitation related with low dose dopamine agonists in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), echocardiograms were analyzed in 527 consecutive PD patients (448 patients treated with dopamine agonists, 79 patients never treated with dopamine agonists as age-matched controls). The frequency of mild or above mild regurgitation of the aortic valve (AR) was significantly higher in the cabergoline group (13.7%, P < 0.

Clustering of risk factors increases the incidence of echolucent carotid plaque in stroke patients.

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of clusters of risk factors on the incidence of echolucent carotid plaque in stroke patients.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of 413 stroke patients who had undergone carotid ultrasonography was performed. High-resolution B-mode ultrasonography was used to evaluate the characteristics of carotid plaque.

Edaravone reduces early accumulation of oxidative products and sequential inflammatory responses after transient focal ischemia in mice brain.

Background And Purpose: Oxidative stress contributes to ischemia/reperfusion neuronal damage in a consecutive 2-phase pattern: an immediate direct cytotoxic effect and subsequent redox-mediated inflammatory insult. The present study was designed to assess the neuroprotective mechanisms of edaravone, a novel free radical scavenger, through antioxidative and anti-inflammatory pathways, from the early period to up to 7 days after ischemia/reperfusion in mice.

Methods: Mice were subjected to 60-minute ischemia followed by reperfusion.

Neuroprotective effect of recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in transient focal ischemia of mice.

Cerebral ischemia induces the expression of several growth factors and cytokines, which protect neurons against ischemic insults. Recent studies showed that granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) has a neuroprotective effect through the signaling pathway for the antiapoptotic cascade. The current study was designed to assess the neuroprotective mechanisms of G-CSF in ischemia/reperfusion injury using bone marrow chimera mice known to express enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP).

Dual role of Fcgamma receptor in transient focal cerebral ischemia in mice.

Background And Purpose: Cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury is associated with the development of inflammatory response, including pathological contributions by vascular leukocytes and endogenous microglia. Expression of Fc receptors (FcRs) on macrophages and microglia is thought to be involved in the inflammatory cascade. The present study assessed the role of FcgammaR in ischemia/reperfusion injury, using FcgammaR knockout (FcgammaR-/-) mice and bone marrow chimera FcgammaR-/- mice, which express enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP).