Weisheng-tang protects against ischemic brain injury by modulating microglia activation through the P2Y12 receptor.

Stroke, a leading cause of death and disability, lacks effective treatments. Post-stroke secondary damage worsens the brain microenvironment, further exacerbating brain injury. Microglia's role in responding to stroke-induced damage in peri-infarct regions is crucial.

Transcriptome Analysis of the Striatum of Electroacupuncture-treated Naïve and Ischemic Stroke Mice.

Objectives: Electroacupuncture (EA) has been demonstrated to aid stroke recovery. However, few investigations have focused on identifying the potent molecular targets of EA by comparing EA stimulation between naïve and disease models. Therefore, this study was undertaken to identify the potent molecular therapeutic mechanisms underlying EA stimulation in ischemic stroke through a comparison of mRNA sequencing data obtained from EA-treated naïve control and ischemic stroke mouse models.

Therapeutic effects of a novel electrode for transcranial direct current stimulation in ischemic stroke mice.

Non-invasive transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a promising stimulation tool to modulate a wide range of brain disorders, has major limitations, such as poor cortical stimulation intensity and focality. We designed a novel electrode for tDCS by conjugating a needle to a conventional ring-based high-definition (HD) electrode to enhance cortical stimulation efficacy. HD-tDCS (43 µA/mm, charge density 51.

Selective induction of Rab9-dependent alternative mitophagy using a synthetic derivative of isoquinoline alleviates mitochondrial dysfunction and cognitive deficits in Alzheimer's disease models.

Promotion of mitophagy is considered a promising strategy for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease (AD). The development of mitophagy-specific inducers with low toxicity and defined molecular mechanisms is essential for the clinical application of mitophagy-based therapy. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of a novel small-molecule mitophagy inducer, ALT001, as a treatment for AD.

Effect of Combination Electroacupuncture and Tenuigenin on the Migration and Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells following Ischemic Stroke.

Objectives: Since stroke is a serious health issue, novel therapeutic strategies are required. In a mouse model of ischemic stroke, this study analyzed the potential of electroacupuncture (EA) and tenuigenin (TE) to improve the efficacy of human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) transplantation.

Methods: Middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) with reperfusion was used to generate ischemic stroke.

Therapeutic Potential of Active Components from and in Neurological Disorders and Their Application in Korean Medicine.

Neurological disorders represent a substantial healthcare burden worldwide due to population aging. Solander (AG) and Schott (AT), whose major component is asarone, have been shown to be effective in neurological disorders. This review summarized current information from preclinical and clinical studies regarding the effects of extracts and active components of AG and AT (e.

Isolinderalactone inhibits glioblastoma cell supernatant-induced angiogenesis.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most frequently occurring malignant brain tumor in adults and is characterized by a high degree of vascularization. Glioblastoma cells communicate with their microenvironment and stimulate blood vessel formation to support tumor progression. It has previously been reported that isolinderalactone induces apoptosis in GBM cells and suppresses the growth of glioblastoma xenograft tumors .

The antioxidant enzyme Peroxiredoxin-1 controls stroke-associated microglia against acute ischemic stroke.

Ischemic stroke is the leading cause of immortal disability and death worldwide. For treatment in the acute phase, it is necessary to control excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) damage during ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). Microglia are well known to be closely associated with excessive ROS response in the early stage of I/R.

Membrane-Free Stem Cell Extract Enhances Blood-Brain Barrier Integrity by Suppressing NF-κB-Mediated Activation of NLRP3 Inflammasome in Mice with Ischemic Stroke.

Membrane-free stem cell extract (MFSCE) of human adipose tissues possesses various biological activities. However, the effects of MFSCE on blood-brain barrier dysfunction and brain damage are unknown. In this study, we determined the role of MFSCE in an ischemic stroke mouse model.

Transcranial alternating current stimulation rescues motor deficits in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease via the production of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor.

Background: Therapeutic effects of transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) for treating Parkinson's disease (PD) are limited to modulating abnormally synchronized oscillations; however, long-lasting tACS effects may involve non-neuronal mechanisms like the regulation of neurotrophic factors.

Objectives/hypothesis: We investigated whether tACS exerts neuroprotective effects on dopaminergic neurons in a mouse model of PD by regulating endogenous glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF).

Methods: Repeated high-definition tACS (HD-tACS, 20 min, 89.

Benefits of a Skull-Interfaced Flexible and Implantable Multilight Emitting Diode Array for Photobiomodulation in Ischemic Stroke.

Photobiomodulation (PBM) has received attention due to its potential for improving tissue function and enhancing regeneration in stroke. A lightweight, compact, and simple system of miniaturized electronic devices consisting of packaged light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that incorporates a flexible substrate for in vivo brain PBM in a mouse model is developed. Using this device platform, the preventive and therapeutic effects of PBM affixed to the exposed skull of mice in the photothrombosis and middle cerebral artery occlusion stroke model are evaluated.

Effects of electroacupuncture on the functionality of NG2-expressing cells in perilesional brain tissue of mice following ischemic stroke.

Neural/glial antigen 2 (NG2)-expressing cells has multipotent stem cell activity under cerebral ischemia. Our study examined the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) therapy (2 Hz, 1 or 3 mA, 20 minutes) at the Sishencong acupoint on motor function after ischemic insult in the brain by investigating the rehabilitative potential of NG2-derived cells in a mouse model of ischemic stroke. EA stimulation alleviated motor deficits caused by ischemic stroke, and 1 mA EA stimulation was more efficacious than 3 mA EA stimulation or positive control treatment with edaravone, a free radical scavenger.

Isolinderalactone Induces Cell Death via Mitochondrial Superoxide- and STAT3-Mediated Pathways in Human Ovarian Cancer Cells.

The mortality rate of ovarian cancer (OC) worldwide increases with age. OC is an often fatal cancer with a curative rate of only 20-30%, as symptoms often appear after disease progression. Studies have reported that isolinderalactone (ILL), a furanosesquiterpene derivative extracted from the dried root of , can inhibit several cancer cell lines' growth.

Combination therapy with cilostazol, aripiprazole, and donepezil protects neuronal cells from β-amyloid neurotoxicity through synergistically enhanced SIRT1 expression.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a multi-faceted neurodegenerative disease. Thus, current therapeutic strategies require multitarget-drug combinations to treat or prevent the disease. At the present time, single drugs have proven to be inadequate in terms of addressing the multifactorial pathology of AD, and multitarget-directed drug design has not been successful.

Contralesional Application of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Functional Improvement in Ischemic Stroke Mice.

Background And Purpose: The therapeutic use of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), an adjuvant tool for stroke, induces long-term changes in cortical excitability, for example, the secretion of activity-dependent growth factors. We assessed the proper therapeutic configuration of high-definition tDCS (HD-tDCS) in the subacute stage of ischemic stroke and its underlying expression profiling of growth factors to propose a new method for ensuring better therapeutic effects.

Methods: Male C57BL/6J mice were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion, after which repetitive HD-tDCS (20 minutes, 55 µA/mm, charge density 66 000 C/m) was applied from subacute phases of their ischemic insult.

3D Bioprinted Vascularized Tumour for Drug Testing.

An in vitro screening system for anti-cancer drugs cannot exactly reflect the efficacy of drugs in vivo, without mimicking the tumour microenvironment (TME), which comprises cancer cells interacting with blood vessels and fibroblasts. Additionally, the tumour size should be controlled to obtain reliable and quantitative drug responses. Herein, we report a bioprinting method for recapitulating the TME with a controllable spheroid size.

AIM2 inflammasome contributes to brain injury and chronic post-stroke cognitive impairment in mice.

Although over one-third of stroke patients may develop post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI), the mechanisms underlying PSCI remain unclear. We explored here, the involvement of post-stroke inflammasomes in long-term PSCI development, using a 45 min-middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO)/reperfusion-induced PSCI model. Immunohistological assessment on day 1, 3, and 7 was followed by cognitive function test 28 days post-stroke.

Subacute electroacupuncture at Baihui (GV 20) and Dazhui (GV 14) promotes post-stroke functional recovery via neurogenesis and astrogliosis in a photothrombotic stroke mouse model.

Objective: To investigate the optimal timing and underlying mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) at Baihui (GV 20) and Dazhui (GV 14) for improved long-term functional recovery after focal cerebral ischemia in a photothrombotic stroke mouse model.

Methods: Totally 50 adult male C57BL/6J mice were assigned into 5 groups: (a) the control group, sham-operated mice (n = 10); (b) the vehicle group, focal cerebral ischemia induction without EA (n = 10); (c) the acute EA group, mice received EA immediately post-ischemia, followed by once-daily treatments for 7 consecutive days (n = 10); (d) the subacute EA group, mice received EA 4 days post-ischemia, followed by once-daily treatments for 7 consecutive days (n = 10); (e) the delayed EA group. EA stimulation (2 Hz, 2 V for 20 min) was applied to acupuncture points (acupoints), Baihui (GV 20) and Dazhui (GV 14), once a day for 7 consecutive days beginning immediately (acute treatment), 4 d (subacute treatment) and 10 d (delayed treatment) after focal cerebral ischemia in C57BL/6J mice.

Isolinderalactone suppresses human glioblastoma growth and angiogenic activity in 3D microfluidic chip and in vivo mouse models.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a lethal and highly vascular type of brain tumor. We previously reported that isolinderalactone enhances GBM apoptosis in vitro and in vivo, but its role in tumor angiogenesis is unknown. Here, we investigated the anti-angiogenic activity of isolinderalactone and its mechanisms.

Weisheng-Tang Ameliorates Acute Ischemic Brain Damage in Mice by Maintaining Blood-Brain Barrier Integrity.

Stroke is one of the major causes of death and long-term disability worldwide; the associated breakdown of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) aggravates ischemic brain damage. Accordingly, many medicinal herbs and formulas have been used to treat stroke-related symptoms. In this study, we selected two Korean herbal medicine formulas, Weisheng-tang and Tongxuewan, through text-mining analysis, and evaluated their protective effect on BBB disruption and brain damage in stroke.