Update of inflammasome activation in microglia/macrophage in aging and aging-related disease.

Aging and aging-related CNS diseases are associated with inflammatory status. As an efficient amplifier of immune responses, inflammasome is activated and played detrimental role in aging and aging-related CNS diseases. Macrophage and microglia display robust inflammasome activation in infectious and sterile inflammation.

Correlation of gene polymorphisms of CD36 and ApoE with susceptibility of Alzheimer disease: A case-control study.

This research was aimed to explore correlation of gene polymorphisms of CD36 and ApoE with susceptibility of Alzheimer disease (AD).This study was a case-control study. Two hundred eleven AD hospitalized patients were selected as the AD group and 241 subjects were selected as the control group.

An adolescence-onset male leukoencephalopathy with remarkable cerebellar atrophy and novel compound heterozygous AARS2 gene mutations: a case report.

Mutations in the mitochondrial alanyl-transfer (t)RNA synthetase 2 (AARS2; OMIM 612035) have been linked to leukoencephalopathy recently. Until now, there have been only 13 cases reported in the literature. Hence, the clinical and genetic characteristics of this disease are not fully understood.

Wnt5a Promotes Cortical Neuron Survival by Inhibiting Cell-Cycle Activation.

β-Amyloid protein (Aβ) is thought to cause neuronal loss in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Aβ treatment promotes the re-activation of a mitotic cycle and induces rapid apoptotic death of neurons. However, the signaling pathways mediating cell-cycle activation during neuron apoptosis have not been determined.

Baicalein improves behavioral dysfunction induced by Alzheimer's disease in rats.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is considered to be a neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by increased oxidative stress. Medicinal plants, with their antioxidant properties, have been used to cure several human diseases. The aim of the current study was to explore the protective and therapeutic effect of baicalein on AD-induced rats.

Total parenteral nutrition caused Wernicke's encephalopathy accompanied by wet beriberi.

Patient: Female, 17 FINAL DIAGNOSIS: Wernicke's encephalopathy Symptoms: Blurred vision • dizziness • nystygmus • tachycardia

Medication: - Clinical Procedure: - Specialty: Neurology.

Objective: Mistake in diagnosis.

Background: Wernicke's encephalopathy (WE) is an acute and life-threatening illness which is not only seen in alcoholics, but also in persons with poor nutrition lacking thiamine (vitamin B1).

Combined therapy with methylprednisolone and ulinastatin in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

Background: Our previous study had demonstrated that ulinastatin (UTI) had a neuroprotective effect in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Methylprednisolone has been recommended to be a standard drug in multiple sclerosis (MS) therapies. The present study was to investigate the protective effects of UTI combined methylprednisolone in EAE.

The complement and immunoglobulin levels in NMO patients.

Since the discovery of aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibody a decade ago, neuromyelitis optica (NMO) has been distinguished from multiple sclerosis (MS). MS mainly features T lymphocyte-oriented autoimmune responses while NMO is more precisely influenced by humoral immunity, among which the complement activation has always been reckoned as an important mechanism. The AQP4 antibody, namely NMO-IgG, adds to new evidence of how complement affects the severity of NMO.

Splenectomy protects experimental rats from cerebral damage after stroke due to anti-inflammatory effects.

Background: A recent study demonstrated that the inflammatory response accompanying necrotic brain injury played an important role in stroke. Thus, inhibition of this response may help to stop the expansion of infarcts. It has been also shown that the spleen, a major peripheral immune organ, plays a role in stroke-induced immune responses.

Effects of Naoxintong on atherosclerosis and inducible nitric oxide synthase expression in atherosclerotic rabbit.

Background: High levels of nitric oxide (NO) produced by inducible NO synthase (iNOS) have been associated with atherosclerosis processes. Naoxintong is a traditional Chinese medicine for treatment of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular disease. The aim of the present study was to detect and quantify changes of iNOS mRNA and NO levels in the vessel wall after the administration of Naoxintong in an atherosclerotic rabbit model.

Relationship between neuromyelitis optica-IgG status and spinal cord magnetic resonance imaging in patients with neuromyelitis optica.

Background: Despite the large scale technical innovations that have been made, a number of patients with neuromyelitis optica (NMO) are lacking NMO-IgG in both serum and cerebrospinal fluid. Longitudinally extensive spinal cord (LESC) lesions and linear lesions are associated with NMO. However, differences of spinal cord magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features, including LESC lesions and linear lesions, between NMO-IgG positive and negative patients still remain unknown.

[An evaluation of clinical characteristics and prognosis of brain-stem infarction in diabetics].

Objective: To analyze the relationship between diabetics and the onset, clinical outcomes and prognosis of brainstem infarction, and to evaluate the impact of diabetes on brainstem infarction.

Method: Compare 172 cases of acute brainstem infarction in patients with or without diabetes. Analyze the associated risk factors of patients with brain-stem infarction in diabetics by multi-variate logistic regression analysis.

[Bone marrow stromal cells transfected with ciliary neurotrophic factor gene ameliorates the symptoms and inflammation in C57BL/6 mice with experimental allergic encephalomyelitis].

Objective: To investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of bone marrow stromal cells (MSCs) transfected with recombinant adenovirus-mediated ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) gene in C57BL/6 mice with experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE).

Methods: An adenovirus vector containing CNTF gene Ad-CNTF-IRES-GFP was constructed and transfected in the MSCs (MSC-CNTF). After examination of CNTF expression, the transfected cells were transplanted in C57BL/6 mice with MOG 35-55-induced EAE, which were monitored for the changes in the symptoms scores.

Adenoviral delivery of soluble VEGF receptor 1 (sFlt-1) inhibits experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in dark Agouti (DA) rats.

Previous studies have shown that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression is up-regulated in both multiple sclerosis (MS) and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a model for MS, and may exacerbate the disease. However, it remains unknown whether anti-VEGF modalities could serve as a potential treatment for such central nervous system (CNS) autoimmune diseases. We constructed a recombinant adenoviral vector carrying FLAG-tagged sFlt-1(1-3) (the first three extracellular domains of Flt-1, the hVEGF receptor-1).