Transcriptional regulatory network during axonal regeneration of dorsal root ganglion neurons: laser-capture microdissection and deep sequencing.

The key regulators and regeneration-associated genes involved in axonal regeneration of neurons after injury have not been clarified. In high-throughput sequencing, various factors influence the final sequencing results, including the number and size of cells, the depth of sequencing, and the method of cell separation. There is still a lack of research on the detailed molecular expression profile during the regeneration of dorsal root ganglion neuron axon.

Case report: Ultrasound-guided multi-site electroacupuncture stimulation for a patient with spinal cord injury.

Introduction: Spinal cord injury causes permanent neurological deficits, which have devastating physical, social, and vocational consequences for patients and their families. Traditional Chinese medicine uses acupuncture to treat neuropathic pain and improve nerve conduction velocity. This treatment can also reduce peripheral nerve injury joint contracture and muscle atrophy in affected patients.

An ultrasound-guided percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation regimen devised using finite element modeling promotes functional recovery after median nerve transection.

Percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation of an injured nerve can promote and accelerate peripheral nerve regeneration and improve function. When performing acupuncture and moxibustion, locating the injured nerve using ultrasound before percutaneous nerve stimulation can help prevent further injury to an already injured nerve. However, stimulation parameters have not been standardized.

Evolution of the ErbB gene family and analysis of regulators of expression during development of the rat spinal cord.

Egfr, a member of the ErbB gene family, plays a critical role in tissue development and homeostasis, wound healing, and disease. However, expression and regulators of Egfr during spinal cord development remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated ErbB evolution and analyzed co-expression modules, miRNAs, and transcription factors that may regulate Egfr expression in rats.

3D printed collagen/silk fibroin scaffolds carrying the secretome of human umbilical mesenchymal stem cells ameliorated neurological dysfunction after spinal cord injury in rats.

Although implantation of biomaterials carrying mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is considered as a promising strategy for ameliorating neural function after spinal cord injury (SCI), there are still some challenges including poor cell survival rate, tumorigenicity and ethics concerns. The performance of the secretome derived from MSCs was more stable, and its clinical transformation was more operable. Cytokine antibody array demonstrated that the secretome of MSCs contained 79 proteins among the 174 proteins analyzed.

Basic mechanisms of peripheral nerve injury and treatment via electrical stimulation.

Previous studies on the mechanisms of peripheral nerve injury (PNI) have mainly focused on the pathophysiological changes within a single injury site. However, recent studies have indicated that within the central nervous system, PNI can lead to changes in both injury sites and target organs at the cellular and molecular levels. Therefore, the basic mechanisms of PNI have not been comprehensively understood.

Silencing the enhancer of zeste homologue 2, , represses axon regeneration of dorsal root ganglion neurons.

Recovery from injury to the peripheral nervous system is different from that of the central nervous system in that it can lead to gene reprogramming that can induce the expression of a series of regeneration-associated genes. This eventually leads to axonal regeneration of injured neurons. Although some regeneration-related genes have been identified, the regulatory network underlying axon regeneration remains largely unknown.

Biodegradable materials for bone defect repair.

Compared with non-degradable materials, biodegradable biomaterials play an increasingly important role in the repairing of severe bone defects, and have attracted extensive attention from researchers. In the treatment of bone defects, scaffolds made of biodegradable materials can provide a crawling bridge for new bone tissue in the gap and a platform for cells and growth factors to play a physiological role, which will eventually be degraded and absorbed in the body and be replaced by the new bone tissue. Traditional biodegradable materials include polymers, ceramics and metals, which have been used in bone defect repairing for many years.

Suppression of astrocytic autophagy by αB-crystallin contributes to α-synuclein inclusion formation.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by a chronic loss of dopaminergic neurons and the presence of proteinaceous inclusions (Lewy bodies) within some remaining neurons in the substantia nigra. Recently, astroglial inclusion body has also been found in some neurodegenerative diseases including PD. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of how astroglial protein aggregation forms remain largely unknown.

polypeptide protects dopaminergic neurons from apoptosis induced by rotenone and 6-hydroxydopamine.

It has been well documented that Achyranthes bidentata polypeptides (ABPPs) are potent neuroprotective agents in several types of neurons. However, whether ABPPs protect dopaminergic neurons from apoptosis induced by neurotoxins is still unknown. This study was designed to observe the effect of ABPPk, a purified fraction of ABPPs, on apoptosis of dopaminergic neurons.

Rab27a/Slp2-a complex is involved in Schwann cell myelination.

Myelination of Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system is an intricate process involving myelin protein trafficking. Recently, the role and mechanism of the endosomal/lysosomal system in myelin formation were emphasized. Our previous results demonstrated that a small GTPase Rab27a regulates lysosomal exocytosis and myelin protein trafficking in Schwann cells.

Changes in microtubule-associated protein tau during peripheral nerve injury and regeneration.

Tau, a primary component of microtubule-associated protein, promotes microtubule assembly and/or disassembly and maintains the stability of the microtubule structure. Although the importance of tau in neurodegenerative diseases has been well demonstrated, whether tau is involved in peripheral nerve regeneration remains unknown. In the current study, we obtained sciatic nerve tissue from adult rats 0, 1, 4, 7, and 14 days after sciatic nerve crush and examined tau mRNA and protein expression levels and the location of tau in the sciatic nerve following peripheral nerve injury.

miR-148b-3p promotes migration of Schwann cells by targeting cullin-associated and neddylation-dissociated 1.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding RNAs that negatively adjust gene expression in multifarious biological processes. However, the regulatory effects of miRNAs on Schwann cells remain poorly understood. Previous microarray analysis results have shown that miRNA expression is altered following sciatic nerve transaction, thereby affecting proliferation and migration of Schwann cells.

Rab27b is Involved in Lysosomal Exocytosis and Proteolipid Protein Trafficking in Oligodendrocytes.

Myelination by oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system requires coordinated exocytosis and endocytosis of the major myelin protein, proteolipid protein (PLP). Here, we demonstrated that a small GTPase, Rab27b, is involved in PLP trafficking in oligodendrocytes. We showed that PLP co-localized with Rab27b in late endosomes/lysosomes in oligodendrocytes.

Angiogenesis in tissue-engineered nerves evaluated objectively using MICROFIL perfusion and micro-CT scanning.

Angiogenesis is a key process in regenerative medicine generally, as well as in the specific field of nerve regeneration. However, no convenient and objective method for evaluating the angiogenesis of tissue-engineered nerves has been reported. In this study, tissue-engineered nerves were constructed in vitro using Schwann cells differentiated from rat skin-derived precursors as supporting cells and chitosan nerve conduits combined with silk fibroin fibers as scaffolds to bridge 10-mm sciatic nerve defects in rats.

Nanoparticle mediated controlled delivery of dual growth factors.

Peripheral nerve functional recovery after nerve injury generally requires multiple growth factors by synergistic effect. However, the optical combination of multiple synergistic growth factors for axonal regeneration has been scarcely considered up to now. Meanwhile, the use of growth factors in promoting nerve regeneration was limited by its short biological half-life in vivo, its vulnerability to structure disruption or hydrolyzation, leading to loss of bioactivity.

Mimecan is involved in aortic hypertrophy induced by sinoaortic denervation in rats.

This study was designed to investigate whether mimecan was involved in aortic hypertrophy induced by sinoaortic denervation in rats. 8 weeks after sinoaortic denervation, when compared to sham-operated rats, sinoaortic denervated rats exhibited aortic hypertrophy and down-regulation of mimecan. Through classic univariate correlation analysis, it was found that mimecan mRNA was negatively related to extent of aortic hypertrophy.

Isolation and differentiation of neural stem/progenitor cells from fetal rat dorsal root ganglia.

To find a promising alternative to neurons or schwann cells (SCs) for peripheral nerve repair applications, this study sought to isolate stem cells from fetal rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) explants. Molecular expression analysis confirmed neural stem cell characteristics of DRG-derived neurospheres in terms of expressing neural stem cell-specific genes and a set of well-defined genes related to stem cell niches and glial fate decision. Under the influence of neurotrophic factors, bFGF and NGF, the neurospheres gave rise to neurofilament-expressing neurons and S100-expressing Schwann cell-like cells by different pathways.

Protein expression profile in the differentiation of rat bone marrow stromal cells into Schwann cell-like cells.

During the last decade, increasing evidence suggested that bone marrow stromal cells (MSCs) have the potential to differentiate into neural lineages. Many studies have reported that MSCs showed morphological changes and expressed a limited number of neural proteins under experimental conditions. However, no proteomic studies on MSCs differentiated into Schwann cell-like cells have been reported.

Preparation and application of rat myostatin antiserum.

Objective: To prepare and identify a polyclonal antibody against rat myostatin and investigate myostatin expression in the rat atrophic gastrocnemius muscle after tibial nerve crush.

Methods: The purified fusion protein was used as antigen to immunize rabbits for the preparation of polyclonal antibody. The polyclonal antibody of the protein was measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), western-blot and immunochemistry.

[Ultrastructural analysis of glioma stem cells-progenitors].

Objective: It is well known that glioma stem cells-progenitors (GSCP) proliferate indefinitely and hardly differentiate in vitro, however, the reasons remain unknown. The aim of this study was to explore the ultrastructural basis of GSCP.

Methods: GSCP, kept by our laboratory, were collected, embedded, and cut into ultrathin sections and observed under the transmission electron microscope.

Adult rat bone marrow stromal cells differentiate into Schwann cell-like cells in vitro.

Bone marrow stromal cells (MSCs) have the capability of differentiating into mesenchymal and non-mesenchymal lineages. In this study, MSCs isolated from adult Sprague-Dawley rats were cultured to proliferation, followed by in vitro induction under specific conditions. The results demonstrated that MSCs were transdifferentiated into cells with the Schwann cell (SC) phenotypes according to their morphology and immunoreactivities to SC surface markers including S-100, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and low-affinity nerve growth factor receptor (p75).

Morphological and functional characterization of predifferentiation of myelinating glia-like cells from human bone marrow stromal cells through activation of F3/Notch signaling in mouse retina.

Recently, we have demonstrated that F3/contactin and NB-3 are trans-acting extracellular ligands of Notch that promote differentiation of neural stem cells and oligodendrocyte precursor cells into mature oligodendrocytes (OLs). Here, we demonstrate that human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSCs) can be induced to differentiate into cells with myelinating glial cell characteristics in mouse retina after predifferentiation in vitro. Isolated CD90(+) hBMSCs treated with beta-mercaptoethanol for 1 day and retinoic acid for 3 days in culture changed into myelinating glia-like cells (MGLCs).

Decreased estradiol release from astrocytes contributes to the neurodegeneration in a mouse model of Niemann-Pick disease type C.

Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC) is a deadly neurodegenerative disease often caused by mutation in a gene called NPC1, which results in the accumulation of unesterified cholesterol and glycosphingolipids in the endosomal-lysosomal system. Most studies on the mechanisms of neurodegeneration in NPC have focused on neurons. However, the possibility also exists that NPC1 affects neuronal functions indirectly by acting on other cells that are intimately interacting with neurons.