Increased GluK1 Subunit Receptors in Corticostriatal Projection from the Anterior Cingulate Cortex Contributed to Seizure-Like Activities.

The corticostriatal connection plays a crucial role in cognitive, emotional, and motor control. However, the specific roles and synaptic transmissions of corticostriatal connection are less studied, especially the corticostriatal transmission from the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Here, a direct glutamatergic excitatory synaptic transmission in the corticostriatal projection from the ACC is found.

Advances in Developing Small Molecule Drugs for Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia among middle-aged and elderly individuals. Accelerating the prevention and treatment of AD has become an urgent problem. New technology including Computer-aided drug design (CADD) can effectively reduce the medication cost for patients with AD, reduce the cost of living, and improve the quality of life of patients, providing new ideas for treating AD.

Depression-related testosterone deficiency is linked to reduced cholesterol levels in Leydig cells of CUMS mice.

In Brief: Male reproductive problems under psychological stress were widely studied. Using chronically unpredictable mild stress-treated mice, we found that reduced serum testosterone levels were related to the low level of cholesterol in the Leydig cells.

Abstract: Testosterone deficiency in humans can be caused by depressive symptoms; however, the causes of this deficiency are incompletely understood.

Identification of Phosphodiesterase-7A (PDE7A) as a Novel Target for Reducing Ethanol Consumption in Mice.

Background: Ethanol elicits a rapid stimulatory effect and a subsequent, prolonged sedative response, which are potential predictors of EtOH consumption by decreasing adenosine signaling; this phenomenon also reflects the obvious sex difference. cAMP (cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate)-PKA (Protein Kinase A) signaling pathway modulation can influence the stimulatory and sedative effects induced by EtOH in mice. This study's objective is to clarify the role of phosphodiesterase (PDE) in mediating the observed sex differences in EtOH responsiveness between male and female animals.

Phosphodiesterase 7 inhibitor reduces stress-induced behavioral and cytoarchitectural changes in C57BL/6J mice by activating the BDNF/TrkB pathway.

Background: Phosphodiesterase 7 (PDE7) plays a role in neurological function. Increased expression and activity of PDE7 has been detected in several central nervous system diseases. However, the role of PDE7 in regulating stress levels remains unclear.

cGAS/STING signaling pathway-mediated microglial activation in the PFC underlies chronic ethanol exposure-induced anxiety-like behaviors in mice.

Chronic ethanol consumption is a prevalent condition in contemporary society and exacerbates anxiety symptoms in healthy individuals. The activation of microglia, leading to neuroinflammatory responses, may serve as a significant precipitating factor; however, the precise molecular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain elusive. In this study, we initially confirmed that chronic ethanol exposure (CEE) induces anxiety-like behaviors in mice through open field test and elevated plus maze test.

A pH-responsive nanoplatform with dual-modality imaging for enhanced cancer phototherapy and diagnosis of lung metastasis.

To address the limitations of traditional photothermal therapy (PTT)/ photodynamic therapy (PDT) and real-time cancer metastasis detection, a pH-responsive nanoplatform (NP) with dual-modality imaging capability was rationally designed. Herein, 1 H,1 H-undecafluorohexylamine (PFC), served as both an oxygen carrier and a F magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) probe, and photosensitizer indocyanine green (ICG) were grafted onto the pH-responsive peptide hexahistidine (H) to form H-PFC-ICG (HPI). Subsequently, the heat shock protein 90 inhibitor, gambogic acid (GA), was incorporated into hyaluronic acid (HA) modified HPI (HHPI), yielding the ultimate HHPI@GA NPs.

Cortical synaptic basis of consciousness.

Consciousness is one of final questions for humans to tackle in neuroscience. Due to a lack of understanding of basic brain networks and mechanisms of functions, our knowledge of consciousness mainly stays at a theoretical level. Recent studies using brain imaging in humans and modern neuroscience techniques in animal studies reveal the basic brain network for consciousness.

Krill oil treatment ameliorates lipid metabolism imbalance in chronic unpredicted mild stress-induced depression-like behavior in mice.

The pathology of depression involves various factors including the interaction between genes and the environment. The deficiency of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) in the brain and depressive symptoms are closely related. Krill oil contains abundant amounts of n-3 PUFAs incorporated in phosphatidylcholine.

Research progress of TIPE2 in immune-related diseases.

The tumor necrosis factor α-induced protein 8 (TNFAIP8) family, which consists of TNFAIP8 (TIPE), TNFAIP8L1 (TIPE1), TNFAIP8L2 (TIPE2) and TNFAIP8L3 (TIPE3), has recently emerged as a regulatory factor involved in immune response and tumorigenesis. Among its members, TIPE2 acts as a negative regulator of both innate and adaptive immunity, playing a crucial role in maintaining immune homeostasis by negatively regulating T cell receptor (TCR) and toll-like receptor (TLR) signal transduction. Immune homeostasis is an indispensable characteristic of the immune system, which prevents harmful inflammatory reactions and ensures the proper functioning of the body.

Imbalance of multiple neurotransmitter pathways leading to depression-like behavior and cognitive dysfunction in the triple transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer disease.

Depression is among the most frequent psychiatric comorbid conditions in Alzheimer disease (AD). However, pharmacotherapy for depressive disorders in AD is still a big challenge, and the data on the efffcacy of current antidepressants used clinically for depressive symptoms in patients with AD remain inconclusive. Here we investigated the mechanism of the interactions between depression and AD, which we believe would aid in the development of pharmacological therapeutics for the comorbidity of depression and AD.

TIPE2 regulates the response of BV2 cells to lipopolysaccharide by the crosstalk between PI3K/AKT signaling and microglia M1/M2 polarization.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-induced protein 8-like 2 (TIPE2) is a crucial negative regulator of both adaptive and innate immunity, which helps maintain the dynamic balance of the immune system by negatively regulating the signaling of T-cell receptors (TCR) and Toll-like receptors (TLR). In this study, we aimed to investigate the role and molecular mechanism of TIPE2 using a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory injury model in BV2 cells. Specifically, we constructed a BV2 cell line of TIPE2-overexpression or TIPE2-knockdown via lentiviral transfection.

Silent synapses in pain-related anterior cingulate cortex.

Synaptic plasticity such as Long-term potentiation (LTP) is a key mechanism for learning in central synapses including the cortex. There are two least two major forms of LTPs: presynaptic LTP and postsynaptic LTP. For postsynaptic LTP, the potentiation of AMPA receptor-mediated responses through protein phosphorylation is thought to be a key mechanism.

Jin-Zhen oral liquid for pediatric coronavirus disease (COVID-19): A randomly controlled, open-label, and non-inferiority trial at multiple clinical centers.

As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic progressed, especially with the emergence of the Omicron variant, the proportion of infected children and adolescents increased significantly. Some treatment such as Chinese herbal medicine has been administered for COVID-19 as a therapeutic option. Jin-Zhen Oral Liquid is widely used for pediatric acute bronchitis, while the efficacy and safety in the treatment of pediatric COVID-19 are unclear.

Inhibition of intracellular proton-sensitive Ca-permeable TRPV3 channels protects against ischemic brain injury.

Ischemic brain stroke is pathologically characterized by tissue acidosis, sustained calcium entry and progressive cell death. Previous studies focusing on antagonizing -methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors have failed to translate any clinical benefits, suggesting a non-NMDA mechanism involved in the sustained injury after stroke. Here, we report that inhibition of intracellular proton-sensitive Ca-permeable transient receptor potential vanilloid 3 (TRPV3) channel protects against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury.

Transcriptome analysis of fasudil treatment in the APPswe/PSEN1dE9 transgenic (APP/PS1) mice model of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of progressive dementia. In the present study, we showed hippocampal tissue transcriptome analysis in APPswe/PSEN1dE9 (APP/PS1, AD model) mice treated with fasudil (ADF) and compared with AD mice treated with saline (ADNS) and wild type mice (WT). The competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network was constructed and validated the differential expression of mRNA, lncRNA, miRNA, and circRNA.

BTG2 as a tumor target for the treatment of luminal A breast cancer.

As one of the most common breast cancer subtypes, luminal A breast cancer is sensitive to endocrine-based therapy and insensitive to chemotherapy. Patients with luminal A subtype of breast cancer have a relatively good prognosis compared with that of patients with other subtypes of breast cancer. However, with the increased incidence in endocrine resistance and severe side effects, simple endocrine therapy has become unsuitable for the treatment of luminal A breast cancer.

Olsenella uli-induced pneumonia: a case report.

Background: Olsenella uli is anaerobic or microaerophilic bacteria, commonly found in oral cavity or gastrointestinal tract, which has not been reported to be associated with lower respiratory tract infection. Herein, we report the first case of Olsenella uli infection in the lung.

Case Presentation: A 70-year-old male farmer with no history of other respiratory tract diseases developed a cough with bloody sputum three times a day without obvious causes or other concomitant symptoms.

Molecular determinants for the chemical activation of the warmth-sensitive TRPV3 channel by the natural monoterpenoid carvacrol.

Transient receptor potential vanilloid 3 (TRPV3), robustly expressed in the skin, is a nonselective calcium-permeable cation channel activated by warm temperature, voltage, and certain chemicals. Natural monoterpenoid carvacrol from plant oregano is a known skin sensitizer or allergen that specifically activates TRPV3 channel. However, how carvacrol activates TRPV3 mechanistically remains to be understood.