An interventional study of baicalin on neuronal pentraxin-1, neuronal pentraxin-2, and C-reactive protein in Alzheimer's disease rat model.

Background: Baicalin has been shown to promote spatial learning and neural regeneration, which might increase the differentiation of neural stem cells in Alzheimer's disease (AD) rat models. We aimed to study the role of baicalin on neuronal pentraxin-1 (NPTX-1), neuronal pentraxin-2 (NPTX-2), and C-reactive protein (CRP) in AD model rats.

Methods: The 30 male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into three groups: the control group, the AD model group, and the AD + baicalin group.

Investigation on Potential Biomarkers and Immune-Related Mechanisms of Ischemic Stroke.

Background: This study aimed to reveal the detailed immune-related mechanisms underlying ischemic stroke (IS) and identify new immune-associated biomarkers for clinical management.

Methods: Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between IS samples and normal controls were identified using the GSE16561 dataset. The feature genes of the immune cells were investigated using the GSE72642 dataset.

LncRNA nuclear-enriched abundant transcript 1 aggravates cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury through activating early growth response-1/RNA binding motif protein 25 axis.

Ischemic stroke is a major global health issue. Ischemia and subsequent reperfusion results in stroke-related brain injury. Previous studies have demonstrated that nuclear-enriched abundant transcript 1 (NEATa and early growth response 1 (EGR1) are involved in ischemia reperfusion (IR) injury).

Olfactory Impairment and Hippocampal Volume in a Chinese MCI Clinical Sample.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between olfactory function and hippocampal volume in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Methods: We enrolled a total of 31 MCI patients and 9 normal control subjects. All participants underwent 3.

Molecular differences in Alzheimer's disease between male and female patients determined by integrative network analysis.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complex neurodegenerative disease and the most common cause of dementia among the elderly. There has been increasing recognition of sex differences in AD prevalence, clinical manifestation, disease course and prognosis. However, there have been few studies on the molecular mechanism underlying these differences.

Effect of focal mild hypothermia on expression of MMP-9, TIMP-1, Tau-1 and β-APP in rats with cerebral ischaemia/reperfusion injury.

Primary Objective: Following stroke, hypothermia is reported to reduce both cellular and extracellular damage. This study aimed to examine the effects of focal mild hypothermia on proteins associated with both extracellular (matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and tissue inhibitor of MMP-9 (TIMP-1)) and cellular damage (Tau-1 and β-amyloid precursor protein (β-APP)) to characterize the protective effects of hypothermia.

Methods And Procedures: Male Wistar rats received ischaemic damage using a transient, focal ischaemia/reperfusion model.

IL-6-174 G/C and -572 C/G polymorphisms and risk of Alzheimer's disease.

Associations between interleukin 6 (IL-6) polymorphisms and Alzheimer's disease (AD) remain controversial and ambiguous. The aim of this meta-analysis is to explore more precise estimations for the relationship between IL-6-174 G/C and -572 C/G polymorphisms and risk for AD. Electronic searches for all publications in databases PubMed and EMBASE were conducted on the associations between IL-6 polymorphisms and risk for AD until January 2012.

Increased levels of IL-23 and osteopontin in serum and cerebrospinal fluid of multiple sclerosis patients.

Osteopontin (OPN) and interleukin-23 (IL-23) are pro-inflammatory cytokines proposed to play central roles to the development of multiple sclerosis (MS). The aim of this study was to evaluate levels of OPN, IL-23 and other inflammatory cytokines and investigate their relationships in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in patients with MS. Fifty one MS patients and 48 patients with non-inflammatory neurological diseases (NIND) were recruited from clinic.

Protective effect of edaravone against PrP106-126-induced PC12 cell death.

The prion protein peptide PrP106-126 induces cell apoptosis through mechanisms involving production of intracellular reactive oxygen species. The present study investigated the effects of edaravone, a potent free radical scavenger in clinical use, on cell cytotoxicity induced by PrP106-126. Results showed that PrP106-126 decreased PC12 cell viability in a dose- and time-dependent manner.

Expression of nestin and glial-derived neurotrophic factor in human endogenous neural stem cells following ischemia.

Objectives: We investigated the relationship between glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), nestin, and the activation of endogenous neural stem cells (NSCs) following cerebral infarction in humans.

Methods: Post-mortem brain specimens from patients who died following cerebral infarction were examined.

Results: Compared with the controls, the number of nestin-positive cells was increased at 4·5-10 hours in the subgranular zone of the hippocampus dentate gyrus and at 24-72 hours in the subventricular zone, reaching maximum levels at 120-144 hours.

Ischemia induces endoplasmic reticulum stress and cell apoptosis in human brain.

In animal models, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and apoptosis take place around cerebral infarction areas during ischemia, which presumably protect tissues from necroses-induced injury as well as promote cells toward death. We examined whether these pathological changes, especially temporal occurrence, were present in patients who suffered from cerebral ischemia. The studies by immunohistochemistry show that ER chaperone glucose-regulated protein (GRP78) and caspase-9 elevate around infarction areas.

[Influences of bFGF and EGF on the proliferation and differentiation of endogenous neural stem cells after cerebral infarction in human].

Objective: To investigate the relationship of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) and proliferation of endogenous neural stem cells (NSCs) after human cerebral infarction.

Methods: Paraffin-embedded brain tissues of 22 human fatal cases of CI from the brain tissues around subventricular zone and subgranular layer zone were stained with HE and immunohistochemistry stain. The endogenous neural stem cells were marked by nestin.

[Fingerprinting of Fuzhisan by high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet and evaporative light scattering detector].

Objective: To establish a method for fingerprinting of Fuzhisan (FZS, a traditional Chinese medicinal preparation) using high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet and evaporative light scattering detector (HPLC-UV/ELSD) to allow simultaneous determination of 5 major constituents in the preparation.

Methods: HPLC-UV/ELSD analysis was performed on water AlltechC18 column (5 microm, 4.6 mm x 250 mm) with a mixture of acetonitrile (A) and 0.

[Expressions of heme oxygenase-1 and apoptosis-modulating proteins in peri-hematoma cortex after intracerebral hemorrhage in human being].

Objective: To observe the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and Bcl-2, an apoptosis-modulating protein, in the neurons surrounding the hematoma in human being.

Methods: Specimens of cerebral cortex tissue 1 - 3 cm around the hemorrhagic focus with the size of 2.0 cm x 1.

[Effect of local mild hypothermia on expression of aquaporin-4 following intracerebral hemorrhage in rats].

Objective: To examined the effect of local mild hypothermia on the expression of aquaporin-4 (AQP-4) following intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in rats and clarified the mechanism of hypothermia on brain edema formation following ICH.

Methods: Two hundreds and forty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into two groups: the intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) group, in which autologous arterial blood were stereotaxically injected into right caudate nucleus; the local mild hypothermia (ICH + H) group, in which the rats were given 4 h local mild hypothermia after the injection of blood. Each group was divided into 6 subgroups: control, 6 h, 24 h, 72 h, 5 d and 7 d after operation; Brain water content was determined by dry-wet weight method and the permeability of BBB was measured by Evans-Blue extravasation.