Let-7a gene knockdown protects against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury.

The microRNA (miRNA) let-7 was one of the first miRNAs to be discovered, and is highly conserved and widely expressed among species. let-7 expression increases in brain tissue after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury; however, no studies have reported let-7 effects on nerve injury after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. To investigate the effects of let-7 gene knockdown on cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury, we established a rat model of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Cerebrolysin improves sciatic nerve dysfunction in a mouse model of diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

To examine the effects of Cerebrolysin on the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy, we first established a mouse model of type 2 diabetes mellitus by administering a high-glucose, high-fat diet and a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. Mice defined as diabetic in this model were then treated with 1.80, 5.

Myoclonic epilepsy with ragged-red fibers: A case report.

Myoclonic epilepsy with ragged-red fibers is a maternally inherited disease that is characterized by myoclonic epilepsy, cerebellar ataxia and progressive muscular weakness. The present study reports the case of a 25-year-old male who presented with paroxysmal left upper limb tics and weakness for two years. Neurological examination revealed intact cranial nerves, decreased deep tendon reflexes and decreased sensation of touch, pain and vibration.

Deficiency of Trim27 protects dopaminergic neurons from apoptosis in the neurotoxin model of Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is an age-related neurodegenerative movement disorder, characterized by loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). The MPTP/MPP+ model is often used to investigate the signaling mechanisms of dopamine (DA) degeneration, both in vivo and in vitro. The identification of specific genetic and environmental factors responsible for PD has bolstered evidence for a shared pathway of neuronal death -apoptosis.

Limb-girdle muscular dystrophies: where next after six decades from the first proposal (Review).

Limb-girdle muscular dystrophies (LGMD) are a heterogeneous group of disorders, which has led to certain investigators disputing its rationality. The mutual feature of LGMD is limb-girdle affection. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), perioral skin biopsies, blood-based assays, reverse‑protein arrays, proteomic analyses, gene chips and next generation sequencing are the leading diagnostic techniques for LGMD and gene, cell and pharmaceutical treatments are the mainstay therapies for these genetic disorders.

Human mesenchymal stem cells increases expression of α-tubulin and angiopoietin 1 and 2 in focal cerebral ischemia and reperfusion.

Angiogenesis is associated with improved neurologic recovery after cerebral ischemia. Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) have been successfully used to treat ischemic stroke and were shown to induce the expression of a number of neurotrophic factors including VEGF, epidermal growth factor (EGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in a rat middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) ischemia model. In this study, we aimed to understand the mechanism underlying the improvement of neurological function following hMSCs transplantation into MCAO rats.

Analysis of mitochondrial haplogroups associated with TTR Val30Ala familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy in Chinese patients.

Extracellular deposition of abnormal transthyretin (TTR) amyloid fibrils leads to familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP), an inherited autsomal dominant disease. A large number of protein variants, each caused by a different point mutation in the TTR gene have been identified, including TTR Val30Ala. Since the age of onset, organ involvement, and disease progression are highly variable in FAP, even among individuals with the same TTR genetic variation.

Clinical and histopathological features of familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy with transthyretin Val30Ala in a Chinese family.

Familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP) is characterized by extracellular deposition of amyloid fibrils caused by a point mutation in the transthyretin (TTR) gene. TTR amyloidosis is linked to a vast number of mutations with varying phenotype and tissue distribution. Several Chinese kindred with FAP type 1 have been reported in Beijing, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and elsewhere.

Clinical study on the visceral differentiation-based acupuncture therapy for insomnia.

Objective: To investigate the clinical effects of acupuncture for insomnia on the basis of visceral differentiation.

Methods: Seventy cases of insomnia were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group. The former was treated by acupuncture based on visceral differentiation and the latter by the routine acupuncture therapy.

[Stimulatory effects of low temperature treatment of germinating seeds on flower-bud differentiation in broccoli].

The effects of low temperature treatment (0-2 degrees C) of germinating seeds in accelerating process of flower-bud differentiation in broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) were studied. The results indicated that low temperature treatment of germinating seeds for 10 d in broccoli (T(10)) lowered 0.