WEB shape modifications: angiography-histopathology correlations in rabbits.

Background: WEB Shape Modification (WSM) over time is frequent after aneurysm treatment. In this study, we explored the relationship between histopathological changes and angiographic evolution over time in experimental aneurysms in rabbits treated with the Woven EndoBridge (WEB) procedure.

Methods: Quantitative WSM was assessed using flat-panel computed tomography (FPCT) during follow-up by calculating height and width ratio (HR, WR), defined as the ratio between either measurement at an index time point and the measurement immediately after WEB implantation.

Bioactive refinement for endosaccular treatment of intracranial aneurysms.

Endovascular treatment is the first-line therapy for most intracranial aneurysms; however, recanalisation remains a major limitation. Developments in bioengineering and material science have led to a novel generation of coil technologies for aneurysm embolisation that address clinical challenges of aneurysm recurrence. This review presents an overview of modified surface coil technologies and summarises the state of the art regarding their efficacy and limitations based on experimental and clinical results.

Meningioma embolization with the pressure cooker technique using Squid 12.

Background Preoperative meningioma embolization may be performed with microparticles or liquid embolic agents. The pressure cooker technique (PCT) has recently been described for the embolization of brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). Case We present the case of a 73-year-old woman with a large frontal interhemispheric meningioma that was successfully preoperatively embolized with the PCT using Squid 12, a new ethyl-vinyl alcohol copolymer embolic agent.

Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome in the context of recent cerebral venous thrombosis: Report of a case.

Introduction: Reversible cerebral constriction syndrome and cerebral venous thrombosis are two rare conditions. Reversible cerebral constriction syndrome affects the cerebral arteries and the pathology is still largely unknown. To date, no physiological link with cerebral venous thrombosis has been reported.

Dural Arteriovenous Fistula Mimicking a Brainstem Glioma.

Background: Brainstem intracranial dural arteriovenous fistulas are extremely rare and can mimic a glioma at the time of presentation.

Case: We report a patient with an infiltrating brainstem lesion that finally revealed an intracranial dural arteriovenous fistula, with full neurological improvement after embolization.

Conclusion: A careful radiological study looking for dilated vessels around the brainstem is necessary in the workup of an infiltrating brainstem lesion, in order to rule out intracranial dural arteriovenous fistula.

Molecular biology of toll-like receptors.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play important roles in host resistance to infections, but also act as mediators of pathologies in autoimmunity, septic shock, metabolic disease and cancer. TLRs are expressed in sentinel cells of the immune system (most notably dendritic cells and macrophages) and are key sensors of bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa (O'Neill 2006). TLRs also recognize endogenous ligands present in tissues and cells in the absence of infection (Kawai and Akira 2005; Nizet 2006; Kim et al.

Promoter-context as a determinant of glucocorticoid receptor-responsiveness to activation of p38 and JNK mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases.

MAP kinases JNK and p38 play an important role in many immune and inflammatory processes, whereas glucocorticoids exert immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory activities. We found previously that activation of p38 or JNK inhibits glucocorticoid receptor (GR)-mediated transcriptional activation of a mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) promoter-driven luciferase construct in HeLa cells. It appears that this effect is DNA regulatory element-specific, since p38 or JNK activation stimulates GR-dependent transcription from TAT3-ADH promoter-luciferase construct in the same cells.

Use of the Ascent balloon for a 2-in-1 remodeling technique: feasibility and initial experience: case report.

Background And Importance: To present the feasibility of using the Ascent balloon, a new double-lumen remodeling balloon, for a new 2-in-1 technique allowing coiling through the lumen of the balloon without the use of an additional coiling microcatheter. Remodeling technique had enlarged the indications for endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysm. Nevertheless, one of the limitations of this technique is that it requires using 2 devices in the same parent artery.

Inhibition of glucocorticoid receptor-mediated transcriptional activation by p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) promotes certain immune and inflammatory responses, whereas glucocorticoids exert immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory actions. We show that TNF treatment produced a modest inhibition of glucocorticoid receptor (GR)-mediated transcriptional activation of a mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) promoter-driven luciferase construct in HeLa cells. The mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases, p38 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), are important mediators of target gene activation by TNF, and JNK activation was earlier shown to inhibit GR-mediated transcriptional activation by direct phosphorylation of GR at Ser-246.

Dynamically detuned oscillations account for the coupled rate and temporal code of place cell firing.

Firing of place cells in the exploring rat conveys doubly coded spatial information: both the rate of spikes and their timing relative to the phase of the ongoing field theta oscillation are correlated with the location of the animal. Specifically, the firing rate of a place cell waxes and wanes, while the timing of spikes precesses monotonically as the animal traverses the portion of the environment preferred by the cell. We propose a mechanism for the generation of this firing pattern that can be applied for place cells in all three hippocampal subfields and that encodes spatial information in the output of the cell without relying on topographical connections or topographical input.