Neuro endocrinology letters最新文献

Background: Estrogens mediate various effects in the brain not only via classical estrogen receptors (ERs) but also through their splice variants. We showed earlier that the ERα splice variant TADDI is abundantly expressed in the human hypothalamic supraoptic nucleus (SON).

Methods: In the present study we aimed at determining a possible effect of TADDI on human SON neuronal morphometric parameters in 58 control patients from 20 to 94 years old and in 26 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) aged 54-94 years old. The size of neuronal nuclear and perikaryal profiles was determined as measure of the neuronal metabolic activity in relation to the intensity of TADDI immunocytochemical staining. The size of SON neuronal nuclei and perikarya were also measured with respect to the wild type (wt) ERα nuclear staining in the group of 11 elderly patients.

Results: Independently of gender, age or AD status SON neuronal nuclei and perikarya were significantly smaller in neurons with moderate and strong TADDI staining than in neurons that did not express this ERα splice variant. On the contrary, neuronal nuclei and perikarya were considerably larger in SON neurons with moderate and strong nuclear staining for wt ERα as compared to neurons that showed an absence of the classic receptor. It is noteworthy that TADDI immunoreactivity was increased in control patients with pneumonia and/or respiratory insufficiency.

Conclusions: We showed for the first time the association of the ERα splice variant TADDI with neuronal morphometric parameters in the human postmortem brain tissue.

The most complexed issue of eukaryogenesis is the origin of the nucleus. Many hypotheses have been forwarded to explain this. Most of them are complicated and intangible. Here, a new and relatively simple hypothesis to address this unresolved problem has been hypothesized. This hypothesis is denominated as "Theory of Nucleus Origin from Bacterial Sporulation" (TNOBS). The hypothesis points out that the nucleus may be derived from a bacterial endospore, particularly, when sporulation is arrested at stage 4 due to a gene mutation. At this stage, a double membrane structure containing a chromosome (foreospore) has developed, which is reminiscent of a nucleus. In addition to the forespore, the mother cell also contains an additional chromosome. This morphologically specific cell is referred as a proto-nucleate cell (PTC). The PTC requires additional energy to maintain their newly formed endomembrane compartment (protonucleus). This energy demand has the potential of driving the expression of genes for energy production from the cytosolic chromosome which finally evolves to mitochondria, whereas the forespore develops to the nucleus. This TNOBS considers the nucleus and mitochondrion having derived simultaneously in the same cell. Moreover, this scenario avoids the difficulty to explain how an α-proteobacterium (precursor of mitochondria) can be taken up by the host despite of lacking capacity for classic endocytosis. It is further suggested that PTC generation may not be an extremely rare event in nature due to the widely existing spore-forming bacteria and frequent mutations. TNOBS is comparably simple and may, in some of its principle traits, be even reproducible under laboratory conditions.

Objectives: To investigate the effect of short-term spinal cord electrical stimulation (stSCS) on postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) and its effect on sleep quality in patients in Guangxi, China.

Material and methods: 160 patients with acute PHN patients were divided into a control group and an experimental group according to the random number table method, 80 cases each. The experimental group was implanted with percutaneous epidural electrodes and given short-term spinal cord electrical stimulation treatment, while the control group was treated with nerve block therapy to compare the efficacy and sleep quality of the two groups of patients in different periods. Pain Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were used to evaluate the analgesic effect and sleep quality, respectively.

Results: The patients in the experimental group had significantly lower visual analog scale (VAS) scores and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores at 1, 2, 3 d, 1 week, and 1 and 3 months after treatment than those in the control group [after treatment 3 months: (0.86±0.31) points to (2.97±0.55) points, (5.4±1.16) score to (7.46±1.27) score], the difference was statistically significant (both P<0.05), and VAS and PSQI scores of the two groups showed a significant downward trend with the increase of treatment time.

Conclusion: The clinical effect of short-term spinal cord electrical stimulation on PHN is good, and it can play a rapid and effective relief effect on pain in patients. At the same time, it will effectively improve patient's sleep quality, with high safety.

Background: Sectional image of the peripheral nerves is a prerequisite for studying the morphological parameters of fascicular groups. Ultra-high precision MicroCT scan can explicitly display the internal morphology of physiological tissues. This study aimed to quantitatively measure the basic morphological parameters of fascicular groups of a peripheral nerve on MicroCT images, obtain the statistical principles and investigate the variation pattern of these morphological parameters during the process of fascicular group extension.

Methods: Peripheral nerve specimens were processed with fat removal, decellularization, freezing, and drying, etc. The morphological parameters including area, perimeter, and the degree of circularity of each fascicular group in the peripheral nerve on MicroCT images were obtained by the image processing method. The cross-sectional area, cross-sectional perimeter, and cross-sectional degree of circularity of the single fascicular group were analyzed. Correlation between the cross-sectional area of single fascicular group and fascicular group extension, the correlation between the perimeter of cross-sectional single fascicular group and fascicular group extension, and correlation between the cross-sectional degree of circularity of single fascicular group and fascicular group extension were analyzed.

Results: The cross-sectional area of fascicular groups confirmed the Beta distribution with a dominant proportion of small-area fascicular groups and a low percentage of large-area fascicular groups. Within the range of 3 mm, no significant correlation was observed between the cross-sectional area and the spatial extension of fascicular groups. The perimeter of the fascicular group section was normally distributed. The perimeter of the fascicular group section that did not remain stable immediately after the fascicular group - was split or merged, but it gradually became stable after the fascicular groups extended to a certain distance. The cross-sectional area of the fascicular groups did not change significantly during this period. The degree of circularity of the fascicular group section followed the t distribution pattern with scale/position parameters. Similarly, it gradually approached the average value only after the fascicular groups extended to a certain length.

Conclusion: Current study revealed the general rules of the basic morphometric parameters of fascicular groups in the process of spatial extension, which provided a pivotal basis for the repair of peripheral nerves and the diagnosis and treatment of neurological diseases and was of academic value and significance.

Background: Although several studies have demonstrated that preexisting diabetes mellitus (DM) may increase the risk of lung cancer (LC), rare research of the certain pathophysiology was reported up to now.

Methods: Aiming to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and LC, gene expression profiles GSE55650 and GSE136043 were downloaded in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. We carried out biological function analysis to seek significantly enriched pathways and functions for DEGs. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was performed to explore hub genes for diabetes and LC during Metformin's treatment.

Results: Finally, the study found that there were 756 genes overlapped between T2DM and LC samples. It contained 133 common genes up-regulated both in T2DM and LC (DEGs1), 275 independent genes down-regulated in LC (DEGs2), 246 common genes down-regulated in both (DEGs3), and 102 independent genes down-regulated in diabetes (DEGs4). Glycine, serine and threonine metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, TGF-beta signaling pathway, and pathways in cancer were significantly enriched in DEGs2 and DEGs4. Four hub genes (C3, THBS1, CXCL1, and TTN) were identified after treatment of Metformin (P<0.05, T-test).

Conclusion: Our findings demonstrated that the above-mentioned hub genes might play functional roles in the treatment of metformin for patients with diabetes and LC.

Background: Atypical trigeminal neuropathic pain (aTNP) is a disabling clinical entity. If conservative treatment fails neuromodulation could be indicated. Motor cortex stimulation (MCS) has emerged as an alternative advanced management of such cases.

Case report: We report a case of a patient with bilateral aTNP effectively treated with bilateral MCS. We describe case history, preoperative planning, surgical technique, follow-up and stimulation settings. The surgical technique and the settings used were both gradually adjusted according to current knowledge.

Conclusions: The bilateral MCS led to substantial pain relief in a patient for whom previous pharmacological management had failed. Initial VAS 10/10 with attacks of acute pain was reduced to median VAS 2/10 (maximum VAS 5/10) without acute attacks since the second electrode parameters were set. The reported results for MCS treatment of TNP in the literature demonstrate good long-term efficacy with low complication rates. Although MCS remains to be an off-label procedure, our case demonstrates that in a well-chosen candidate this option could provide impressive results. Although no clear evidence is currently given, we believe that future studies will elucidate indication criteria, surgical technique and stimulation parameters for MCS so it could be offered in a regular basis to patients with refractory pain.

Objective: Although the cause of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is still controversial, it is generally accepted that neuroinflammation plays a key role in AD pathogenesis. Thus, regulating the polarization of microglia will help in recovering from AD since microglia can be polarized into classical M1 and alternative M2 phenotypes, M1 microglia leading to neuroinflammation and M2 microglia acting as anti-inflammatory effectors. Our previous study demonstrated that eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), an essential n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, may modulate glial cell activity and functions, but it is not clear whether EPA plays a role in microglial polarization. Here, we aimed to test the hypothesis that EPA may regulate the polarization of microglia and subsequently alleviate neuroinflammation and neuronal damage.

Methods: Male C57BL/6 mice were fed an EPA-supplemented diet or a palm oil-supplemented diet for 42 days. On day 28 of diet feeding, the mice received a single intracerebroventricular injection of β-peptide fragment 1-42(Aβ1-42) or saline. The polarization of M1 and M2 microglia was evaluated by western blot using the respective markers. Changes in inflammatory cytokine mRNA levels were examined using real-time PCR. Neurological deficits were analysed using the Morris water maze and TdT-mediated dUTP Nick-End Labeling (TUNEL) assays.

Results: EPA supplementation effectively reversed the increasing trend of M1 microglial markers and the decreased expression of M2 microglial markers in the hippocampus mediated by Aβ1-42 and normalized the Aβ-induced upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines and the downregulation of anti-inflammatory factors. Consistent with these findings, EPA significantly improved cognitive function and inhibited apoptotic neuronal death in the hippocampus.

Conclusion: These results demonstrated that EPA appears to have potential effects on regulating microglial polarization, which contributes to alleviating neuroinflammation and may have beneficial effects for preventing and treating AD.

Objectives: The present study aimed to clarify the effects of Gypenosides on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury. Using rat H9c2 cardiomyocytes as the research object, the model of cardiomyocyte hypoxia and reoxygenation was established to observe the protective effects of Gypenosides on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury, revealing the key targets and possible mechanisms for Gypenosides to exert myocardial protection.

Material and methods: A model of cardiomyocyte hypoxia and reoxygenation was prepared. The activity of cardiomyocytes was detected by CCK-8 method. The cardiomyocyte injury was evaluated by LDH assay. The cardiomyocyte apoptosis rate was detected by flow cytometry. The mitochondrial membrane potential of cardiomyocytes was detected by JC-1 staining. Western blot was used to detect the expression of MPTP downstream apoptotic pathways and MPTP opening-related regulatory factors.

Results: The cell survival rate of each Gypenosides pretreatment group was significantly higher than that of the hypoxia-reoxygenation group, indicating that Gypenosides could inhibit cell apoptosis and the decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential of hypoxia-reoxygenation cells. The expressions Cytochrome C, APAFl, Caspase-9, and Caspase-3 proteins were significantly lower than those of the hypoxia-reoxygenation group, the expression of Bax was significantly lower than those of the hypoxia-reoxygenation group, while the expression of Bcl2 was significantly higher than those of the hypoxia-reoxygenation group.

Conclusion: Gypenosides can effectively reduce myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats. By regulating Bax and Bcl2, Gypenosides can inhibit MPTP opening and the activation of downstream apoptotic pathways, thereby reducing myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Objectives: The presented study aimed to describe the dynamics of the serum levels of the complement components C3, C4, and C1 inhibitor in women immediately before and after giving birth by caesarean section (CS).

Design and setting: 57 pregnant women undergoing caesarean section were included in this prospective observational study. Blood samples were taken 30 minutes before CS and 30 minutes after the delivery. C3, C4, and C1 inhibitor levels were analysed and the functional C1 inhibitor test performed. Angiotensin-converting enzyme concentrations before delivery were also determined.

Results: Before delivery, C3 value was elevated above the reference limits for the healthy adult population in 39% of patients. Following birth, C3 median value dropped from 1.4 to 1.2 g/L. C1 inhibitor concentrations were also reduced - the median value of the C1 inhibitor before the birth was 222 mg/L, dropping to 198 mg/L after delivery. Even before the CS, C1 inhibitor concentrations were below reference range in 40% of patients, which increased to 56% after delivery; its activity however did not significantly change. In two patients with perioperative uterine hypotonia, notable complement activation was detected. ACE levels were below the normative values for adult population in 25% of patients.

Conclusion: Concentrations of all analysed components significantly decreased after delivery, which was not associated with blood loss or amount of intravenous liquids. This highlights the necessity of proper reporting of the time point of blood sampling in any studies or case reports detailing the immunological condition of patients in the peripartal period.

Objectives: The beneficial effects of ozone therapy consist mainly of the promotion of blood circulation: peripheral and central ischemia, immunomodulatory effect, energy boost, regenerative and reparative properties, and correction of chronic oxidative stress. Ozone therapy increases interest in new neuroprotective strategies that may represent therapeutic targets for minimizing the effects of oxidative stress.

Methods: The overview examines the latest literature in neurological pathologies treated with ozone therapy as well as our own experience with ozone therapy. The effectiveness of treatments is connected to the ability of ozone therapy to reactivate the antioxidant system to address oxidative stress for chronic neurodegenerative diseases, strokes, and other pathologies. Application options include large and small autohemotherapy, intramuscular application, intra-articular, intradiscal, paravertebral and epidural, non-invasive rectal, transdermal, mucosal, or ozonated oils and ointments. The combination of different types of ozone therapy stimulates the benefits of the effects of ozone.

Results: Clinical studies on O2-O3 therapy have been shown to be efficient in the treatment of neurological degenerative disorders, multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular, peripheral vascular, orthopedic, gastrointestinal and genitourinary pathologies, fibromyalgia, skin diseases/wound healing, diabetes/ulcers, infectious diseases, and lung diseases, including the pandemic disease caused by the COVID-19 coronavirus.

Conclusion: Ozone therapy is a relatively fast administration of ozone gas. When the correct dose is administered, no side effects occur. Further clinical and experimental studies will be needed to determine the optimal administration schedule and to evaluate the combination of ozone therapy with other therapies to increase the effectiveness of treatment.