Transient axonal glycoprotein-1 induces apoptosis-related gene expression without triggering apoptosis in U251 glioma cells.

Previous studies show that transient axonal glycoprotein-1, a ligand of amyloid precursor protein, increases the secretion of amyloid precursor protein intracellular domain and is involved in apoptosis in Alzheimer's disease. In this study, we examined the effects of transient axonal glycoprotein-1 on U251 glioma cells. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay showed that transient axonal glycoprotein-1 did not inhibit the proliferation of U251 cells, but promoted cell viability.

Mammalian target of rapamycin signaling is involved in the vasculogenic mimicry of glioma via hypoxia-inducible factor-1α.

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a crucial regulator in malignant gliomas. Vasculogenic mimicry (VM) describes functional channels established by highly malignant tumor cells that is different from endothelium-lined blood vessels. Our previous studies confirmed the existence and clinical significance of VM in medulloblastoma and glioblastoma.

Nitric oxide-mediated immunosuppressive effect of human amniotic membrane-derived mesenchymal stem cells on the viability and migration of microglia.

Human amniotic membrane-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AMSCs) are considered a novel and promising source of stem cells for cell replacement-based therapy. Current research is mostly limited to investigating the cellular differentiation potential of AMSCs, while few have focused on their immunosuppressive properties. This study is aimed at exploring and evaluating the immunosuppressive effect of human AMSCs on the viability and migratory properties of microglia.

Blood-brain barrier disruption induced by hemoglobin in vivo: Involvement of up-regulation of nitric oxide synthase and peroxynitrite formation.

Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that up-regulation of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and subsequent peroxynitrite (ONOO(-)) formation exert a devastating effect on the damage of BBB in multiple diseases. However, considerably less attention has been focused on the role of NOS/ONOO(-) in BBB disruption after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Using an experimental stroke model by injecting hemoglobin (Hb) into the caudate nucleus of male Sprague Dawley rats, we explored the role of NOS/ONOO(-) in BBB disruption after ICH.

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells maintain the resting phenotype of microglia and inhibit microglial activation.

Many studies have shown that microglia in the activated state may be neurotoxic. It has been proven that uncontrolled or over-activated microglia play an important role in many neurodegenerative disorders. Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) have been shown in many animal models to have a therapeutic effect on neural damage.

Dual expression of hTERT and VEGF prolongs life span and enhances angiogenic ability of aged BMSCs.

Previous studies have confirmed the therapeutic effects of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) transplantation on cerebral ischemia. However, the proliferative, differentiative, and homing capacity of BMSC from the elderly are significantly reduced, especially after several passages expansion in vitro. In this study, by introducing lentivirus-mediated hTERT and VEGF genes to modify human BMSCs from aged donors, we observed extended lifespan, promoted angiogenic capacity while less enhanced tumorigenicity of the genetically engineering BMSCs.

Hemoglobin-induced nitric oxide synthase overexpression and nitric oxide production contribute to blood-brain barrier disruption in the rat.

Hemoglobin (Hb) released from extravasated erythrocytes may have a critical role in the process of blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption and subsequent edema formation after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Excessive nitric oxide (NO) production synthesized by nitric oxide synthase (NOS) has been well documented to contribute to BBB disruption. However, considerably less attention has been focused on the role of NO in Hb-induced BBB disruption.

Adult rat hippocampus soluble factors: a novel transplantation model mimicking intracranial microenvironment for tracing the induction and differentiation of adipose-derived stromal cells in vitro.

Intracranial transplantation of ADSCs induces recovery of CNS diseases, but how they develop in host is poorly understood. The aim of this study is to observe induction and differentiation of ADSCs in the presence of hippocampus soluble factors (HiSF) extracted from the hippocampus of adult Wistar rats to mimic an intracranial microenvironment. To determine the optimal microenvironment, five conditions were tested: 0μg/ml (as control), 50μg/ml, 100μg/ml, 200μg/ml, and 400μg/ml of HiSF.

PKH26 can transfer to host cells in vitro and vivo.

The fluorescent dye, PKH26, which mainly binds to the cell membrane, has been used as the cell tracer to locate the transplanted cells in host for a long time. However, there was no detailed report that whether the PKH26 dye was specific to the transplanted cells. Therefore, the aim of this article is to explore the effect of cells debris as the cracking cells from the PKH26-labeled adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) on the cells in vitro and the host in vivo.

[Construction of a prokaryotic expression vector of human tau multi-epitope peptide and immunogenicity of the expressed product].

Objective: To construct a prokaryotic expression vector of human tau multiepitope peptide for examining the immunogenicity of a TauP1/P2 DNA vaccine in mice using the expressed product.

Methods: The coding sequence of Tau multiepitope peptide gene was amplified from the plasmid pVAX1-Tau by PCR and inserted into the prokaryotic expression vector pGEX-4T-2 to construct the recombinant plasmid pGEX-4T-2-TauP1/P2. The positive recombinants were transformed into E.

Transforming growth factor-β is required for vasculogenic mimicry formation in glioma cell line U251MG.

Both vasculogenic mimicry (VM) and transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) are positively correlated with malignancy in glioma. Accordingly, we supposed that TGFβ might be related with VM, and aimed to detect whether TGFβ could influence VM formation in two glioma cell lines U251MG and SHG44, which were different in malignancy. We found that the VM-positive U251MG had a significantly higher TGFβ expression than the VM-negative SHG44.

Passive immunization with LINGO-1 polyclonal antiserum afforded neuroprotection and promoted functional recovery in a rat model of spinal cord injury.

LINGO-1 (leucine-rich repeat and Ig domain-containing, Nogo receptor-interacting protein) is an important component of the NgR receptor complex involved in RhoA activation and axon regeneration. The authors report on passive immunization with LINGO-1 polyclonal antiserum, a therapeutic approach to overcome NgR-mediated growth inhibition after spinal cord injury (SCI). The intrathecally administered high-titer rabbit-derived antiserum can be detected around the injury site within a wide time window; it blocks LINGO-1 in vivo with high molecular specificity.

[Prokaryotic expression, purification of human LINGO-1(aa76-319) and preparation of its polyclonal antibody].

Objective: To express and purify the fusion protein of extracellular domain of human Ig domain-containing, neurite outgrowth inhibitor (Nogo) receptor-interacting protein-1 (LINGO-1(aa76-319)) in prokaryotic cells and prepare the rabbit anti-LINGO-1 polyclonal antibody (pAb).

Methods: The 732 bp DNA sequence of hLINGO-1(aa76-319) was obtained from pCMV-SPORT6 by PCR and inserted into pET30a(+) plasmid to construct the prokaryotic expression plasmid pET30a(+)-hLINGO-1(aa76-319), which was subsequently transformed into E.coli.

[Transfection of pEGFP-C2 in brain mediated by targeting liposome P-MMA-DOSPER].

This research tried improving the specificity and efficiency of gene transfection in gene therapy and tried making the liposome a better gene transfer vector to brain by use of the monoclonal antibody (anti-Lex/SSEA-1)-mediated targeting of liposome. The derivatized monoclonal antibody was conjugated to the liposome DOSPER to form the targeting liposome P-MMA-DOSPER. Then, the pEGFP-C2 encapsulated in P-MMA-DOSPER or DOSPER was injected into the lateral ventricle of SD rats respectively, and the brains were taken for frosted slice 1, 3, 7 or 14 days later.

Beneficial effect of autologous transplantation of bone marrow stromal cells and endothelial progenitor cells on cerebral ischemia in rabbits.

We tested the therapeutic effect of autologous transplanted bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) and endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) on cerebral ischemia in rabbits. Rabbit permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) models were intravenously injected with ex vivo expanded autologous BMSCs (n = 8), EPCs (n = 8), or phosphate-buffered saline (n = 6). 14 days after the transplantation, both infusion groups witnessed a functional improvement, a decrease in the number of apoptotic cells and an increase in the microvessel density in the ischemic boundary area, as compared to vehicle-treated control group.

Bone marrow stromal cells can be delivered to the site of traumatic brain injury via intrathecal transplantation in rabbits.

Recent studies suggest that bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) are promising grafts for treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Neural precursor cells (NPCs) have been detected in the site of cervical cord injury following intrathecal injection by lumbar puncture. So, this study is designed to determine whether BMSCs (after intrathecal administration by lumbar puncture) could also migrate to the TBI site.

Functional analysis of neuron-like cells differentiated from neural stem cells derived from bone marrow stroma cells in vitro.

The transversal differentiation of bone marrow stroma cell (BMSCs) into neural stem cells (NSCs) has attracted much attention in recent years because of their therapeutic potential. However, the problem in therapeutic application of NSCs was how to confirm whether neuron-like cells differentiated from bone marrow stroma cell-derived neural stem cells (BMSCs-D-NSCs) possess corresponding functions of neurochemistry and electrophysiology. In the present study, we tried to affirm the function of neuron-like cells differentiated from BMSCs-D-NSCs in vitro.

Experimental study on trace marking and oncogenicity of neural stem cells derived from bone marrow.

It has been well accredited that the neural stem cells (NSCs) derived from bone marrow stroma cells (BMSCs) can be used as the therapeutic application. However, their efficacy and safety in therapeutic application are uncertain. In this experiment, the trace marking and oncogenicity of NSCs derived from BMSCs (BMSCs-D-NSCs) were studied.

Expression profile of cancer-related genes in human adult bone marrow-derived neural stemlike cells highlights the need for tumorigenicity study.

Human adult bone marrow-derived neural stemlike cells (MDNSCs) may serve as ideal seed cells for cell replacement therapy for human neurological disorders and injuries. However, the long-term safety of this cell population after transplantation must be thoroughly explored before clinical application, and tumorigenicity is a major concern. In this study, we generated MDNSCs capable of forming neurospherelike aggregates and with the potency to differentiate into neural lineage cells in vitro and investigated hundreds of cancer-related genes in MDNSCs in order to determine whether there were any characteristics that could help in the evaluation of their tumorigenic potential.

Neurobiochemistry and neuroelectrophysiology of neuron-like cells differentiated from neural BMSCs-D-NSCs.

In this experiment, the bone marrow stroma cells (BMSCs) were harvested and then cultured in "neural stem cells (NSCs) medium" which was modulated by our lab with P. R. of China patent number as ZL 02134314.

[Effect of superparamagnetic iron oxide labeling on neural stem cell survival and proliferation].

Objective: To study the effect of superparamgnetic iron oxides (ferumoxides) on the survival and proliferation of neural stem cells (NSCs) and determine the optimal ferumoxides concentration for labeling.

Methods: Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) were obtained from rat femoral marrow and cultured in vitro to induce their differentiation into NSCs. Ferumoxides labeling of the NSCs was performed with different final concentrations of ferumoxides, and the labeling efficiency and viability of the labeled NSCs were evaluated by Prussian blue staining, MTT assay, flow cytometry and transmission electron microscope.

[Effect of N-acetyl-cysteine and depakine pretreatment on ferrous chloride-induced membrane potential and peroxidate changes in rat cortex neurons].

Objective: To investigate the effect of N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) and depakine (DP) on the changes of membrane potential and peroxidate in rat cortex neurons exposed to ferrous chloride (FeCl(2)).

Methods: Cultured cortex neurons of newly born SD rats were randomly divided into control group (PBS group), model group (FeCl(2) group), NAC pretreatment group (NAC group), DP pretreatment group (DP group) and NAC+DP pretreatment group (NAC+DP group). In the latter three groups, NAC (0.

[Responses of neurons and astrocytes in rat hippocampus to kainic acid-induced seizures].

Objective: To investigate the time course of the responses of neurons and astrocytes in rat hippocampus (HI) to kainic acid (KA)-induced seizures in various regions.

Methods: By means immunohistochemical staining for anti-Fos protein and anti-glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), the regional distribution of reactive neurons and astrocytes in the HI was observed at different time points after a unilateral stereotaxic microinjection of KA into the lateral ventricle of rats to cause limbic and generalized convulsive seizures.

Results: The injection of KA triggered limbic motor seizures including immobilization, staring, facial and jaw clonus ect.

[Rapid construction and identification of full-length cDNA library of human glioma tissues].

Objective: To explore a method for rapid construction of a full-length cDNA library of human glioma tissues using switching mechanism at 5' end of RNA transcript (SMART).

Methods: The total RNA was extracted from several samples of human glioma tissues and the mRNA was subsequently separated. Multiple mRNA samples were mixed to be used as the template for the first-strand cDNA synthesis.