Optogenetic activation of the lateral habenula-ventral tegmental area circuit induces depression-like behavior in mice.

A number of different receptors are distributed in glutamatergic neurons of the lateral habenula (LHb). These glutamatergic neurons are involved in different neural pathways, which may identify how the LHb regulates various physiological functions. However, the role of dopamine D1 receptor (D1R)-expressing habenular neurons projecting to the ventral tegmental area (VTA) (LHb-VTA) remains not well understood.

Metabolic changes with the occurrence of atherosclerotic plaques and the effects of statins.

Atherosclerosis is a common cardiovascular disease caused by the abnormal expression of multiple factors and genes influenced by both environmental and genetic factors. The primary manifestation of atherosclerosis is plaque formation, which occurs when inflammatory cells consume excess lipids, affecting their retention and modification within the arterial intima. This triggers endothelial cell (EC) activation, immune cell infiltration, vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation and migration, foam cell formation, lipid streaks, and fibrous plaque development.

The Relationship of Astrocytes and Microglia with Different Stages of Ischemic Stroke.

Ischemic stroke is the predominant cause of severe morbidity and mortality worldwide. Post-stroke neuroinflammation has recently received increasing attention with the aim of providing a new effective treatment strategy for ischemic stroke. Microglia and astrocytes are major components of the innate immune system of the central nervous system.

Effects of remote ischemic postconditioning on the pro-inflammatory neutrophils of peripheral blood in acute cerebral infarction.

Background: Neutrophils play crucial roles in the inflammatory response after acute cerebral infarction (ACI). Previous studies revealed neutrophils are non-homogeneous and can be divided into at least two subtypes, pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory, correlated with patients' prognosis.

Objective: We aimed to explore the correlation between disease severity and peripheral blood neutrophils in patients with ACI and determine whether remote ischemic postconditioning (RIPostC) exerts neuroprotective effects by regulating neutrophils.

A review of stress-induced hyperglycaemia in the context of acute ischaemic stroke: Definition, underlying mechanisms, and the status of insulin therapy.

The transient elevation of blood glucose produced following acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) has been described as stress-induced hyperglycaemia (SIH). SIH is common even in patients with AIS who have no previous diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. Elevated blood glucose levels during admission and hospitalization are strongly associated with enlarged infarct size and adverse prognosis in AIS patients.

Development and validation of a tumor immune cell infiltration-related gene signature for recurrence prediction by weighted gene co-expression network analysis in prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most common malignancy in men. Despite multidisciplinary treatments, patients with PCa continue to experience poor prognoses and high rates of tumor recurrence. Recent studies have shown that tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs) are associated with PCa tumorigenesis.

A biocompatible and fully erodible conducting polymer enables implanted rechargeable Zn batteries.

Implanted rechargeable batteries that can provide energy over a sufficient lifetime and ultimately degrade into non-toxic byproducts are highly desirable. However, their advancement is significantly impeded by the limited toolbox of electrode materials with a known biodegradation profile and high cycling stability. Here we report biocompatible, erodible poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) grafted with hydrolyzable carboxylic acid pendants.

Neutrophil Heterogeneity and its Roles in the Inflammatory Network after Ischemic Stroke.

As the first peripheral immune cells to enter the brain after ischemic stroke, neutrophils are important participants in stroke-related neuroinflammation. Neutrophils are quickly mobilized from the periphery in response to a stroke episode and cross the blood-brain barrier to reach the ischemic brain parenchyma. This process involves the mobilization and activation of neutrophils from peripheral immune organs (including the bone marrow and spleen), their chemotaxis in the peripheral blood, and their infiltration into the brain parenchyma (including disruption of the blood-brain barrier, inflammatory effects on brain tissue, and interactions with other immune cell types).

A Prognostic Survival Model of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Based on Metabolism-Related Gene Expression.

Accurately predicting the survival prospects of patients suffering from pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) is challenging. In this study, we analyzed RNA matrices of 182 subjects with PAAD based on public datasets obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) as training datasets and those of 63 subjects obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database as the validation dataset. Genes regulating the metabolism of PAAD cells correlated with survival were identified.

The dual roles of autophagy and the GPCRs-mediating autophagy signaling pathway after cerebral ischemic stroke.

Ischemic stroke, caused by a lack of blood supply in brain tissues, is the third leading cause of human death and disability worldwide, and usually results in sensory and motor dysfunction, cognitive impairment, and in severe cases, even death. Autophagy is a highly conserved lysosome-dependent process in which eukaryotic cells removal misfolded proteins and damaged organelles in cytoplasm, which is critical for energy metabolism, organelle renewal, and maintenance of intracellular homeostasis. Increasing evidence suggests that autophagy plays important roles in pathophysiological mechanisms under ischemic conditions.

Computational research of mTORC1 inhibitor on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Ischemic stroke contributes to more than 80% of all strokes and has the four characteristics of high prevalence, high disability, high mortality, and high recurrence. Stroke is a preventable and controllable disease. In addition to controlling the primary disease, effective prevention and control measures need to be given to the occurrence and development of stroke.

Subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord concurrent with acute pulmonary embolism: a case report.

A 58-year-old male vegetarian presented with progressive numbness and weakness in the lower extremities. Laboratory examinations showed reduced vitamin B12 level with megaloblastic anaemia. Spinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed hyperintensity within the posterior and lateral columns on T2-weighted imaging.

Review Cerebral Ischemic Tolerance and Preconditioning: Methods, Mechanisms, Clinical Applications, and Challenges.

Stroke is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and it is increasing in prevalence. The limited therapeutic window and potential severe side effects prevent the widespread clinical application of the venous injection of thrombolytic tissue plasminogen activator and thrombectomy, which are regarded as the only approved treatments for acute ischemic stroke. Triggered by various types of mild stressors or stimuli, ischemic preconditioning (IPreC) induces adaptive endogenous tolerance to ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury by activating a multitude cascade of biomolecules, for example, proteins, enzymes, receptors, transcription factors, and others, which eventually lead to transcriptional regulation and epigenetic and genomic reprogramming.

The Multifaceted Role of Astrocyte Connexin 43 in Ischemic Stroke Through Forming Hemichannels and Gap Junctions.

Ischemic stroke is a multi-factorial cerebrovascular disease with high worldwide morbidity and mortality. In the past few years, multiple studies have revealed the underlying mechanism of ischemia/reperfusion injury, including calcium overload, amino acid toxicity, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Connexin 43 (Cx43), the predominant connexin protein in astrocytes, has been recently proven to display non-substitutable roles in the pathology of ischemic stroke development and progression through forming gap junctions and hemichannels.

The efficacy and safety of salvianolic acids on acute cerebral infarction treatment: A protocol for systematic review and meta analysis.

Background: Salvianolic acids (SA) has been widely used for the treatment of acute cerebral infarction (ACI) combined with basic western medicine therapy in China. This study was aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of SA on ACI treatment and its influence on neurological functions, activity of daily living, and cognitive functions.

Methods: We retrieved related articles from PubMed, the Cochrane Center Controlled Trials Register, EMBASE, Medline, Ovid, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, and Wanfang Database without date and language restrictions.

Mechanisms underlying astrocytic connexin-43 autophagy degradation during cerebral ischemia injury and the effect on neuroinflammation and cell apoptosis.

Connexin-43 (Cx43) is the most abundant gap junction protein in the nervous system. It enables cell communication and has important physiological roles including ion transport and substrate exchange, all of which have been implicated in cerebral ischemia injury. Our previous in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated that Cx43 is internalized and degraded during ischemia stress.

Cyclic adenosine monophosphate in acute ischemic stroke: some to update, more to explore.

The development of effective treatment for ischemic stroke, which is a common cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, remains an unmet goal because the current first-line treatment management interventional therapy has a strict time window and serious complications. In recent years, a growing body of evidence has shown that the elevation of intracellular and extracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) alleviates brain damage after ischemic stroke by attenuating neuroinflammation in the central nervous system and peripheral immune system. In the central nervous system, upregulated intracellular cAMP signaling can alleviate immune-mediated damage by restoring neuronal morphology and function, inhibiting microglia migration and activation, stabilizing the membrane potential of astrocytes and improving the cellular functions of endothelial cells and oligodendrocytes.

Inflammation resolution and specialized pro-resolving lipid mediators in CNS diseases.

: Inflammation resolution induced by specialized pro-resolving lipid mediators (SPMs) is a new concept. The application of SPMs is a promising therapeutic strategy that can potentially supersede anti-inflammatory drugs. Most CNS diseases are associated with hyperreactive inflammatory damage.

Effect of Delayed Diagnosis of Phenylketonuria With Imaging Findings of Bilateral Diffuse Symmetric White Matter Lesions: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Phenylketonuria is a hereditary metabolic disorder due to the deficiency of tetrahydrobiopterin or phenylalanine hydroxylase. Delayed diagnoses of it manifest a progressive irreversible neurological impairment in the early years of the disease. Guthrie test and tandem mass spectrometry aided in early detection and intervention of phenylketonuria, which significantly decreased the disability of patients as well as reducing the need for diagnosis in adults.

Myelopathy associated with mixed connective tissue disease: clinical manifestation, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.

Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) is a chronic autoimmune disease, which has a broad range of clinical manifestations shared by systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, polymyositis/dermatomyositis, and rheumatoid arthritis. MCTD is featured with high serum titers of anti-ribonucleoprotein antibodies and multiple system involvement. Its spinal cord involvement mainly manifests as transverse myelopathy (TM) and longitudinal extensive transverse myelopathy (LETM).

σ-Aromaticity in a Fully Unsaturated Ring.

Aromaticity is one of the most fundamental and fascinating chemical topics, attracting both experimental and theoretical chemists owing to its many manifestations. Both σ- and π-aromaticity can be classified depending on the character of the cyclic electron delocalization. In general, σ-aromaticity stabilizes fully saturated rings with σ-electron delocalization whereas the traditional π-aromaticity describes the π-conjugation in fully unsaturated rings.

Management of multiple neurological complications in mixed connective tissue disease: A case report.

Rationale: Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) refers to an overlapping condition of different autoimmune disorders such as systemic lupus erythematosus, cutaneous systemic sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, polymyositis, and dermatomyositis. However, MCTD manifesting as transverse myelitis is extremely rare. Herein, we report a case of MCTD with both central and peripheral nervous system involvement.

Astrocytic gap junction inhibition by carbenoxolone enhances the protective effects of ischemic preconditioning following cerebral ischemia.

Background: Stroke is the second leading cause of death worldwide and the most common cause of adult-acquired disability in many nations. Thus, attenuating the damage after ischemic injury and improving patient prognosis are of great importance. We have indicated that ischemic preconditioning (IP) can effectively reduce the damage of ischemia reperfusion and that inhibition of gap junctions may further reduce this damage.

Rational Design and Synthesis of Unsaturated Se-Containing Osmacycles with σ-Aromaticity.

Isolation of the simplest 4π three-membered heterocycles (1H-azirine, oxirene, thiirene, and selenirene) remains a big challenge due to their π-antiaromaticity and significant ring strain. Here we demonstrate that the incorporation of a transition-metal fragment could stabilize the antiaromatic selenirene and pentalene frameworks simultaneously by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Experimental verification leads to the Se-containing metallapolycycles, osmapentaloselenirenes, with remarkable thermal stability.