20-Hydroxyecdysone Improves Neuronal Differentiation of Adult Hippocampal Neural Stem Cells in High Power Microwave Radiation-Exposed Rats.

Objective: The hippocampus is thought to be a vulnerable target of microwave exposure. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) acted as a fate regulator of adult rat hippocampal neural stem cells (NSCs). Furthermore, we investigated if 20E attenuated high power microwave (HMP) radiation-induced learning and memory deficits.

Anti-Quorum Sensing Activity of on and .

Background: Quorum sensing (QS) plays an important role in the production of virulence factors and pathogenicity in , and the interruption of QS will be a hopeful pathway to combat bacterial infection.

Objective: In this study, we selected (Thunb.) Vahl from traditional Chinese herbal medicines for its anti-QS activity.

Curcumin attenuates acute inflammatory injury by inhibiting the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway in experimental traumatic brain injury.

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) initiates a neuroinflammatory cascade that contributes to substantial neuronal damage and behavioral impairment, and Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is an important mediator of thiscascade. In the current study, we tested the hypothesis that curcumin, a phytochemical compound with potent anti-inflammatory properties that is extracted from the rhizome Curcuma longa, alleviates acute inflammatory injury mediated by TLR4 following TBI.

Methods: Neurological function, brain water content and cytokine levels were tested in TLR4⁻/⁻ mice subjected to weight-drop contusion injury.

20-Hydroxyecdysone protects against oxidative stress-induced neuronal injury by scavenging free radicals and modulating NF-κB and JNK pathways.

Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathological processes of ischemic brain damage. Many antioxidants have been shown to protect against cerebral ischemia injury by inhibiting oxidative stress both in vitro and in vivo. 20-Hydroxyecdysone (20E), an ecdysteroid hormone, exhibits antioxidative effects.

Connexin 43 reverses malignant phenotypes of glioma stem cells by modulating E-cadherin.

Malfunctioned gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) has been thought associated with malignant transformation of normal cells. However, the role of GJIC-related proteins such as connexins in sustaining the malignant behavior of cancer stem cells remains unclear. In this study, we obtained tumorspheres formed by glioma stem cells (GSCs) and adherent GSCs and then examined their GJIC.

Optimization of extracellular alkaline protease production from species of Bacillus.

Thirty-five strains capable of secreting extracellular alkaline proteases were isolated from the soil and waste water near the milk processing plant, slaughterhouse. Strain APP1 with the highest-yield alkaline proteases was identified as Bacillus sp. The cultural conditions were optimized for maximum enzyme production.