Brain Behavior and Immunity Integrative最新文献

There is robust evidence that inflammation is closely associated with major depressive disorder (MDD). The antidepressant effect of acupuncture has been associated with favorable changes in peripheral levels of inflammatory cytokines. However, the findings of these studies were not consistent. This systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to explore the peripheral inflammatory cytokines of acupuncture in treating MDD. The study protocol was registered at PROSPERO, CRD42021289207. We conducted a systematic search for eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that reported acupuncture as an intervention for patients with MDD. The outcome of interest was changes in inflammatory cytokine levels measured before and after the intervention. We searched electronic databases including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, SinoMed, Wanfang, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Chongqing VIP (CQVIP). Nine studies including 848 patients were eligible and included. The findings from two studies suggest that acupuncture may lead to changes in inflammatory cytokine levels, irrespective of comparisons with sham acupuncture or Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and Selective Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs). While the small sample size, no firm conclusions can be drawn yet. Compared with SSRIs/SNRIs alone, the pooled effect estimation indicates acupuncture combined with SSRIs/SNRIs decreased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6, TNF-α and IFN-γ, and elevated levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-4 and IL-10. This study demonstrates that acupuncture appears to have an efficacy in producing anti-inflammatory effects in individuals with MDD.

Humans have successfully used traditional botanicals as medicines for thousands of years. Many of these continue to be used today. Indeed, one of today’s most used medicinal drugs, salicylic acid (Aspirin), was in common use in ancient Egypt, more than 3000 years ago. Aspirin inhibits pro-inflammatory COX-1 and promotes the anti-inflammatory activity of COX-2 to reduce inflammation, a mechanism useful in curbing pain and reducing fever. Another example is artemisinin, a compound extracted from a Chinese medicinal herb known as artemisia, which has been widely used to treat against malaria. Across the world similar compounds are being used in traditional medicine with crucial relevance to modern psychoneuroimmunology. This Special Issue highlights outstanding mechanistic and reproducible research on traditional medicines that will inform modern psychoneuroimmunology and related study. This Special Issue showcases traditional medicines from across the globe, from the Himalayas to Africa and many places in between. The Special Issue describes important anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties of a variety of botanicals with clinical and pre-clinical outcomes. It also describes some equally important “negative” data on some popular candidates including green tea and cannabis. Together these studies reveal candidate traditional medicines with real-world effects at least as good as current pharmaceuticals.

The olfactory system participates in the reception, integration, and interpretation of olfactory signals. This chemical sense is essential for survival since it is involved in basic behaviors and physiological processes. Olfactory function decreases with age; however, olfactory impairments are also observed in several neurodegenerative and psychiatric pathologies. It is widely described that olfactory dysfunction is an early symptom in Parkinson (PD) and Alzheimer (AD) diseases, furthermore, olfactory brain areas are affected by the pathological hallmarks of these diseases before the brain areas involved in the motor and cognitive impairments, respectively. This information suggests a key role of olfactory system damage in the beginning of a neurodegenerative process. Not only does the early injury of the olfactory system occur in AD and PD, but also in other pathologies since increasing evidence indicate the presence of olfactory impairments in other neurogenerative and psychiatric diseases namely, depression, schizophrenia, and autism among others. In addition, people with systemic chronic diseases that promote central nervous system damage such as type 2 diabetes and obesity also show olfactory dysfunction, which also suggests that olfactory alterations in these individuals could be an early manifestation of a neurodegenerative process. Then, the aim of the manuscript is to describe the information which supports that olfactory system impairment is a prodromal factor for the development of several neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders, to recognize it as a shared mechanism of degeneration among diverse neuropathologies, and discuss the relevance of the assessment of the olfactory function in the diagnosis and improvement of neurodegeneration.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common functional disorder of the gut-brain axis, characterized by abdominal pain and altered bowel habits. A 38-year-old male patient with a sedentary lifestyle, diagnosed with IBS based on Rome IV criteria, was underwent Yoga and Naturopathy interventions for one month in our outpatient department. The result showed a reduced Irritable Bowel Syndrome Severity Score (IBS-SSS) (315 to 109) and perceived stress (PSS) score (29 to 12) level. Heart rate variability (HRV) analysis showed increased SDNN (35.4 to 48.3 ms) and RMSSD (41.3 to 58.3 ms) values, indicative of improved HRV. Notably, parasympathetic dominance was observed, evidenced by increased pNN50% (14.56 to 18.41) and H.F (41.92 to 59.63 n.u) values, while the LF/HF ratio (1.381 to 0.675) decreased. This case report suggests that lifestyle change through Yoga and Naturopathic intervention is useful in the management of IBS with psychological co-morbidities .

According to Kelley et al. (2023), BBI Integrative ‘recognises the historical importance of Eastern health practices in the entire field of PNI’ (psychoneuroimmunology). We applaud this editorial innovation and believe that it is an important step in advancing the ability to provide healing to human beings.This article aims to illustrate suggestions for scientific research and integrative care derived from studying the ancient Chinese medicine and philosophy using pathophysiological and clinical examples. It shows how some fundamental categories of ancient Chinese philosophies, such as the yin–yang theory, and healing models, such as yang sheng (nurturing life), can help us understand how the immune system works and where the foundations of health are rooted. It also examines some examples of the yin–yang dialectic in immunology, such as T helper 1 (Th1) circuit control by the same cells that initially produce cytokines (IL-12 and IFN-γ) to activate this circuit and then produce Th2 circuit cytokines (IL-4) to moderate it. In addition, the transformation of regulatory T-cells into inflammatory T-cells (Th17) and the IL-6 dual pro- or anti-inflammatory face, depends on the context. In the first example, yin is present in yang. In the second, the yang is in the yin. Finally, we present an example of the cytokine yin–yang. This article also shows the surprising concordances of ancient Chinese chronobiology with the modern science of circadian rhythms and the unknown connections between organs, such as between the lungs and gut, which has drawn the attention of modern scientific research only recently. Finally, this article highlights the peculiar approach of ancient Chinese medicine to prevention and treatment, called yang sheng, which shows strong concordance with the model proposed by Psychoneuroendocrineimmunology.

Post-stroke depression (PSD) is a prevalent neuropsychiatric condition that affects approximately one-third of stroke survivors, leading to impaired rehabilitation and reduced quality of life. Despite its significant impact, the precise mechanisms underlying PSD remain incompletely understood. Emerging evidence suggests that inflammation may play a pivotal role in its pathogenesis. Notably, recent studies have highlighted the involvement of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-18 (IL-18) in PSD. Elevated levels of IL-18 following stroke have been observed, indicating its potential contribution to the propagation of inflammation, disruption of neurotransmitter balance, and neuronal damage. IL-18 may also serve as a valuable biomarker for predicting the risk of PSD. Moreover, dysregulation of IL-18 signaling has emerged as a critical factor in the development of PSD. Therefore, modulating IL-18 expression holds promise as a strategy to prevent the progression of PSD. This review provided a comprehensive summary of the current evidence elucidating the diverse immunological and pathological mechanisms of IL-18 in PSD. We also assessed therapeutic strategies that target IL-18 signaling for the management and treatment of PSD. By elucidating the multifaceted role of IL-18 in PSD, this review provides insights into potential therapeutic avenues for improving the outcomes and well-being of individuals affected by PSD.

Autoimmune disease is an immune response that damages the body’s tissues, thereby disrupting the body’s physiological functions. Myasthenia gravis represents one such condition characterized by muscle weakness due to impaired neuromuscular transmission. While it can affect anyone, it tends to be more prevalent among women aged 20–30 and men over 50. This disease, deemed a genetic disorder, typically emerges in old age when antibodies target receptors in the muscles. In this study, we sought to identify the genes that can affect myasthenia gravis by leveraging several databases, including the GWAS Catalog, HaploReg, GTEx portal, and Ensembl. Specifically, our focus was on exploring genomic variants and the expression of the LTA and CTLA4 genes. Our findings reveal that two variants (rs2071591 and rs231770) impact LTA expression in both muscle and brain tissue, while affecting CTLA4 expression in testicular cell tissue. Subsequently, we assessed the allele frequency of these variants across regional populations, namely African, American, East Asian, European, and Southeast Asian. This study demonstrates that the LTA and CTLA4 genes have a higher frequency in African, East Asian, and European populations compared to American and Southeast Asian populations. Consequently, our finding suggests that the latter two populations might have relatively higher susceptibility to the autoimmune disease myasthenia gravis. Therefore, variations in these genes not only offer insights into disease susceptibility, diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers, but also open up avenues for identifying candidate drug targets through genomic-driven drug repurposing.

Background

Asiaticoside is a pentacyclic triterpenoid saponin constituent of the medicinal herb Centella asiatica, known for its neuroprotective, anticancer and other biological effects. The present study aims to develop and characterise asiaticoside encapsulated alginate chitosan nanoparticles (ACNPs) and evaluate their antiproliferative potential on C6 glioma cells.

Methods

ACNPs were prepared by the ionic gelation polyelectrolyte complexation technique and characterised by dynamic light scattering, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Cytotoxicity and antiproliferative effect of ACNPs were studied on C6 glioma cells using MTT and EdU-assays. Apoptosis/necrosis in C6 glioma cells was determined by annexin V and acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EtBr) assays. Intracellular ROS generation in C6 glioma cells exposed with ACNP was determined by DCFDA assay using flow cytometry. Cell cycle analysis in C6 glioma cells treated with ACNP was performed by flow cytometry.

Results

Synthesised ACNPs showed spherical shape with 200 nm particle size, good thermal stability, and an acceptable polydispersity index. ASI from synthesized ACNPs demonstrated 90% encapsulation efficiency (EE) and 10% drug release within 24 h. Upon ACNP treatment mBA cells exhibited good cell viability and intact cell morphology. However, C6 cells displayed dose-dependent cytotoxicity when treated with ACNP. Annexin V and acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EtBr) assays revealed late apoptosis and necrosis (p < 0.05) in C6 glioma cells treated with ACNP. Likewise, ACNPs significantly augmented reactive oxygen species generation (p < 0.05) in C6 glioma cells. ACNP treatment also resulted in cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase with chromatin condensation in C6 glioma cells.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that ACNPs act as an antiproliferative agent against C6 glioma cells via an increased intracellular ROS pathway that promotes apoptosis/necrosis. This study throws light on more in-depth mechanistic aspects of managing brain disorders using C. asiatica and its phytoconstituents.

Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychotropic Cannabis sativa derivative, and L-theanine, a green tea derivative, are gaining attention as potential promotors of psychological and cognitive health. The purpose of this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study was to determine whether eight-week, daily consumption of beverages containing CBD, along with L-theanine, would improve psychological health, cognitive function, serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) as well as innate immune cell quantity and function in young, healthy adults. A total of 102 healthy participants were randomly assigned to, and successfully completed, 8 weeks of one of four treatment arms: 1) 60 mg CBD plus L-theanine (CB60; n = 25); 2) 30 mg CBD plus L-theanine (CB30; n = 28); 3) vehicle containing only L-theanine (LTV; n = 24); and 4) a calorie-matched placebo (PLAC; n = 25). After 8 weeks, plasma cannabinoid metabolite concentrations were significantly increased (p < 0.001) in CB60 and CB30 groups. There were no significant changes in anxiety, fatigue, and cognition, or serum BDNF concentrations as a result of the intervention and no treatment-related changes in natural killer (NK) and NKT cell populations or function. ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05189275).