Translational Neuroscience最新文献

Spinal cord injury (SCI) seriously affects the health of humans and quality of life, causing disabilities. Due to the ever-increasing traffic and cases of natural disasters, such as earthquakes, the incidence of SCI increases every year, thus causing a huge economic burden to society and patients. The lack of neurotrophic factors in the area affected by SCI and the presence of inhibitory factors for axonal regeneration are important reasons that make spinal cord regeneration and repair extremely difficult. Additionally, the correct projection of axons also plays an important role. As Netrin-1 is a signaling factor that guides axon growth, in this study, to determine whether Netrin-1 can promote axonal regeneration after binding to the receptor DCC following SCI, a Netrin-1/DCC co-expression recombinant lentiviral vector was constructed. This vector was used to assess the effect of Netrin-1 on the NgR1-RhoA-ROCK signaling pathway in an SCI model constructed in this study. Our results suggested that Netrin-1 exerts neuroprotective effects by inhibiting the NgR1-RhoA-ROCK signaling pathway after binding to its receptor DCC.

Parkinson's disease (PD), a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by degeneration of the dopaminergic (DA) neurons, is still lack of available treatments to completely block neurodegeneration. (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a predominant active polyphenol generated from green tea, exerts multiple neuroprotective roles in the nervous system. However, the function role of EGCG in PD and the underlying mechanism remains to be investigated. In the current study, we used the rotenone injection to build the PD rat model, followed by the EGCG treatment and determined by the behavior tests, measurements of malondialdehyde, glutathione, and superoxide dismutase levels, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We revealed that, in PD rats, EGCG upregulates protein kinase D1 (PKD1) and inhibits Parthanatos to ameliorate the impaired motor function, reduce the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase, suppress the oxidative stress, and suppress the inflammation in substantia nigra. These combined results suggest that EGCG can suppress oxidative stress and inflammation to prevent DA neuron degeneration to prevent rotenone-induced motor impairments, laying the foundation for EGCG to be a novel candidate for the treatment of PD.

Spontaneously hyperlipidaemic (Apoe^shl) mice were discovered in 1999 as mice lacking apolipoprotein E (ApoE) owing to a mutation in the Apoe gene. However, age-related behavioural changes in commercially available Apoe^shl mice have not yet been clarified. The behavioural abnormalities of ApoE-deficient mice, which are genetically modified mice artificially deficient in ApoE, have been investigated in detail, and it has been reported that they can serve as a model of Alzheimer's disease (AD). To understand whether Apoe^shl mice can also serve as a murine model of AD, it is necessary to investigate age-related behavioural abnormalities in Apoe^shl mice. In this study, we conducted a series of behavioural experiments on 7- and 11-month-old Apoe^shl mice to investigate the behavioural abnormalities associated with ageing in Apoe^shl mice. In this study, 7-month-old Apoe^shl mice showed decreased body weight and grip strength compared to age-matched wild-type mice. In the open field test, 7-month-old Apoe^shl mice showed increased anxiety-like behaviour compared to wild-type mice, whereas 11-month-old Apoe^shl mice showed decreased anxiety-like behaviour. Moreover, Apoe^shl mice aged 7 and 11 months had increased serum cholesterol levels. These results indicate that the behaviour of Apoe^shl mice changes with age. However, 11-month-old Apoe^shl mice did not show a decline in cognitive function or memory ability similar to murine models of AD. Our findings indicate that Apoe^shl mice can be used to investigate the function of ApoE in the central nervous system.

Interest in the societal and psychological harm caused by widespread envy and social comparison is increasing. Envy is associated with anxiety and depression, though the mechanism by which envy affects neuropsychiatric disorders, such as depression, remains unclear. Clarifying the neurobiological basis of envy's effects on behaviour and emotion regulation in experimental mice is essential for developing disease-prevention and treatment strategies. As mice recognize other mice in neighbouring cages, this study investigated whether they recognize neighbouring cages housed in environmentally enriched cages and suffer psychological stress due to envy. After being raised in an envy-like environment for 3 weeks, we revealed changes in the behaviour of the mice through a series of behavioural experiments. Mice raised in an envious environment showed increased body weight and anxiety-like behaviour but decreased social behaviour and serum corticosterone levels compared to control mice. Thus, mice recognize their neighbouring cages and experience psychological stress due to envy. This study revealed a part of the scientific basis for why envy increased anxiety. Using this novel experimental breeding environment, it may be possible to create an experimental animal model of anxiety disorders.

Objective: To analyze the effect of gradient thrombectomy stent in vitro.

Methods: The cerebrovascular fluid circulation model was made and fixed on the test table. About 0.9% sodium chloride injection was injected to the vascular model through a miniature water pump to circulate it. Four kinds of thrombus products containing different red blood cell (RBC) volumes of 0, 5, 40, and 80% were placed at the target location as thrombus. Each type of thrombus was removed five times using SOLITAIRE stent and gradient thrombectomy stent. The thrombectomy effects were observed by comparison of the two types of stents.

Results: Thrombus containing 80% volume of RBC escaped thrombus fragments during thrombectomy with both stents. Thrombus containing 0% volume of RBC (rich in fibrin) had poor chimerism with stents. In the thrombus containing 0% RBC volume, there was no statistically significant difference between the two stents (p = 1). Thrombus removal was successful in all cases.

Conclusion: The gradient thrombectomy stent is as effective as the currently used thrombectomy stent in vitro studies, and there is much room for improvement.

The limitation of artificial intelligence (AI) large language models to diagnose diseases from the perspective of patient safety remains underexplored and potential challenges, such as diagnostic errors and legal challenges, need to be addressed. To demonstrate the limitations of AI, we used ChatGPT-3.5 developed by OpenAI, as a tool for medical diagnosis using text-based case reports of multiple sclerosis (MS), which was selected as a prototypic disease. We analyzed 98 peer-reviewed case reports selected based on free-full text availability and published within the past decade (2014-2024), excluding any mention of an MS diagnosis to avoid bias. ChatGPT-3.5 was used to interpret clinical presentations and laboratory data from these reports. The model correctly diagnosed MS in 77 cases, achieving an accuracy rate of 78.6%. However, the remaining 21 cases were misdiagnosed, highlighting the model's limitations. Factors contributing to the errors include variability in data presentation and the inherent complexity of MS diagnosis, which requires imaging modalities in addition to clinical presentations and laboratory data. While these findings suggest that AI can support disease diagnosis and healthcare providers in decision-making, inadequate training with large datasets may lead to significant inaccuracies. Integrating AI into clinical practice necessitates rigorous validation and robust regulatory frameworks to ensure responsible use.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1515/tnsci-2020-0127.].

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) stands as a pivotal tool in advancing our comprehension of Schizophrenia, offering insights into functional segregations and integrations. Previous investigations employing either task-based or resting-state fMRI primarily focused on large main regions of interest (ROI), revealing the thalamus and superior temporal gyrus (STG) as prominently affected areas. Recent studies, however, unveiled the cytoarchitectural intricacies within these regions, prompting a more nuanced exploration. In this study, resting-state fMRI was conducted on 72 schizophrenic patients and 74 healthy controls to discern whether distinct thalamic nuclei and STG sub-regions exhibit varied functional integrational connectivity to main networks and to identify the most affected sub-regions in Schizophrenia. Employing seed-based analysis, six sub-ROIs - four in the thalamus and two in the STG - were selected. Our findings unveiled heightened positive functional connectivity in Schizophrenic patients, particularly toward the anterior STG (aSTG) and posterior STG (pSTG). Notably, positive connectivity emerged between the medial division of mediodorsal thalamic nuclei (MDm) and the visual network, while increased functional connectivity linked the ventral lateral nucleus of the thalamus with aSTG. This accentuated functional connectivity potentially influences these sub-regions, contributing to dysfunctions and manifesting symptoms such as language and learning difficulties alongside hallucinations. This study underscores the importance of delineating sub-regional dynamics to enhance our understanding of the nuanced neural alterations in Schizophrenia, paving the way for more targeted interventions and therapeutic approaches.

Humans live under constant threat from pathogenic microorganisms and minimizing such threat has been a major evolutionary selective force in shaping human behavior and health. A particular adaptive mechanism against the harm caused by parasites and their infectiousness is disgust sensitivity, which has evolved to detect and avoid poisonous foods as well as bodily secretions harboring virulent microorganisms. This ubiquitous and reflexive behavior requires the integration of several internal and external sensory signals between the brain, the autonomic nervous system (ANS), and the gastrointestinal tract. Although the emotional expression of disgust is experienced by almost all individuals, the neural mechanisms of sensory signals underlying disgust sensitivity may differ in certain psychiatric conditions. Psychopathy, for instance, is a personality disorder in which disgust sensitivity to contagious bodily secretions is apparently absent or downregulated from its atypical personality temperament. In this review, we provide convergent behavioral, anatomical, and cellular evidence to suggest that a fractured experience of disgust sensitivity might be an additional feature of psychopathic behavior. First, we discuss the neural networks of certain brain regions mediating the emotional states of disgust and then discuss the intersection of the ANS and gastrointestinal tract in the processing of disgust and its relevance to aberrant antisocial behavior. Together, this work highlights the interconnections between the brain and the bilateral body plan as an integrated cell network that is relevant for understanding common principles underlying function and dysfunction of disgust levels in psychiatric domains.

Background: The objective of this study (registered under number 2020 006) was to assess the internal consistency of the revised Mental Health Professional Culture Inventory (MHPCI) scale, which comprises 15 items, among mental health service workers in Romania. Methods: To examine the psychometric properties of the MHPCI questionnaire within the Romanian population, we employed two main methods: The partial credit model (PCM) and Exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Results: A total of 94 individuals were interviewed, and among them, 71 provided complete responses to the questionnaire. All 15 items demonstrate a strong fit with the PCM, as indicated by mean-square (MSQ) outfit and MSQ infit values falling within the range of 0.5 to 1.5. But items 3 and 11 exhibit MSQ values greater than 1.5, suggesting that it may be challenging to predict individuals' responses to these items. The KMO index stands at 0.7, surpassing the recommended threshold of 0.6, signifying an acceptable level of suitability. Nevertheless, only 59.3% of the total variance is accounted for by the first four factors, and these factors do not align with the dimensions identified in the original article. Conclusion: The internal structure of the Romanian version of the MHPCI demonstrates satisfactory psychometric properties. These properties will need to be further validated through additional studies conducted in diverse socio-cultural contexts.