miR-499a rs3746444 A>G Polymorphism Is Correlated with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Diabetic Polyneuropathy in a Romanian Cohort: A Preliminary Study.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a common metabolic disorder that results from complex interactions of both environmental and genetic factors. Many single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), including noncoding RNA genes, have been investigated for their association with susceptibility to T2DM and its complications, with little evidence available regarding Caucasians. The aim of the present study was to establish whether four miRNA SNPs (miR-27a rs895819 T>C, miR-146a rs2910164 G>C, miR-196a2 rs11614913 C>T, and miR-499a rs3746444 A>G) are correlated with susceptibility to T2DM and/or diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) in a Romanian population.

From Molecule to Patient Rehabilitation: The Impact of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Magnetic Stimulation on Stroke-A Narrative Review.

Stroke is a major health problem worldwide, with numerous health, social, and economic implications for survivors and their families. One simple answer to this problem would be to ensure the best rehabilitation with full social reintegration. As such, a plethora of rehabilitation programs was developed and used by healthcare professionals.

A Preclinical Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Behavior Testing in Mice Models of Ischemic Stroke.

Stroke remains one of the most important causes of death and disability. Preclinical research is a powerful tool for understanding the molecular and cellular response to stroke. However, a lack of standardization in animal evaluation does not always ensure reproducible results.

The Analysis of Blood Inflammation Markers as Prognostic Factors in Parkinson's Disease.

Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, progressive, and neurodegenerative disease, and yet with an imprecise etiopathogenesis. Although neuroinflammation was initially thought to be a secondary condition, it is now believed that microglia-induced inflammation could also contribute to the degeneration of the nigrostriatal pathway. Here, we aimed to establish the feasibility of basic inflammatory biomarkers as prognostic factors in PD.

TSH and T4 Levels in a Cohort of Depressive Patients.

Depression is a significant contributor to the overall burden of disease on a global scale. Thyroid hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) have been shown to play a critical role in the development and normal function of the brain. It has been suggested that dysregulation of thyroid function could be associated with depression, especially hypothyroidism, but not all studies support this hypothesis.

Circulating Cortisol in a Cohort of Depressive Patients.

It has long been suspected that the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis plays a role in the pathophysiology of depression. Whether this association exists or not, and if it does, the degree of its significance, remain highly disputed. The issue is further complicated as no consensus currently exists on cortisol sampling timepoints or methods.

Receptor tyrosine kinase targeting in glioblastoma: performance, limitations and future approaches.

From all central nervous system tumors, gliomas are the most common. Nowadays, researchers are looking for more efficient treatments for these tumors, as well as ways for early diagnosis. Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are major targets for oncology and the development of small-molecule RTK inhibitors has been proven successful in cancer treatment.

Distribution of Aquaporins 1 and 4 in the Central Nervous System.

The aquaporins (AQP), a protein family, were first discovered in the early 1990s. The primary role of aquaporins is to facilitate water transport across multiple cell types. In the spinal cord and brain responsible for most of the water diffusion are AQP4 and AQP1.

Epidemiological Aspects of Cognitive and Socio-Professional Integration in Schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia is one of the major psychiatric disorders with global impairment of cognition, emotional status and personality destruction having a major medical, social and economic impact worldwide. In this paper, we evaluated the correlation of disease progression with cognitive deficit, socio-professional and family disjunction using the MMSE (Mini Mental State Examination) and GAFS (Global Assessment of Functioning Scale) scales on a group of 191 schizophrenic patients admitted to the Psychiatric Clinic II Craiova during 2017. The fact that both scales show reduced values in patients with schizophrenia reveals a significant alteration in the quality of life of patients with this pathology having major implications on the individuals and on the community.

Therapeutic Particularities with Depot Medications in Schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia is a neurodegenerative disease with personality degradation, changes in behavior, cognition, affective disorder and reduced socio-professional insertion. Early diagnosis is necessary and maintenance is ensured by antipsychotic treatment and for non-compliant patients there is an alternative to depot medication that greatly improves therapeutic adherence. The study presents the case of a 43-year-old patient diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders V-TR criteria that showed a favorable evolution under depot treatment.

New perspectives in glioblastoma antiangiogenic therapy.

Glioblastoma (GB) is highly vascularised tumour, known to exhibit enhanced infiltrative potential. One of the characteristics of glioblastoma is microvascular proliferation surrounding necrotic areas, as a response to a hypoxic environment, which in turn increases the expression of angiogenic factors and their signalling pathways (RAS/RAF/ERK/MAPK pathway, PI3K/Akt signalling pathway and WTN signalling cascade). Currently, a small number of anti-angiogenic drugs, extending glioblastoma patients survival, are available for clinical use.

Targeting the VEGF and PDGF signaling pathway in glioblastoma treatment.

Growth factor receptors dysfunction has previously been correlated with glioma cell proliferation, ability to evade apoptosis, neo-angiogenesis and resistance to therapy. Antineoplastic molecules targeting growth factor receptors are in clinical handling, however the efficacy of these compounds has often been limited by the signaling redundancy. Here, we analyzed the effect of AG1433 (a PDGFR inhibitor), SU1498 (a VEGFR inhibitor) and BEZ235 (a PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathways inhibitor) on glioblastoma cells in vitro.

Assessment of Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis in Neurological Patients with Restricted Mobility - VTE-NEURO Study.

Abstract: The authors present the data of a medical registry which evaluated if the physicians assess VTE risk in stroke patients, during hospitalization period and at hospital discharge and if the thromboprophylaxis is used according to National Guidelines for VTE Prophylaxis. 884 patients with acute ischemic stroke patients were enrolled between June 2010 and December 2011, from 62 centers, 51.4% male and 48.