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15 August 2013, Volume 8 Issue 23 Previous Issue    Next Issue

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The role of autophagic and lysosomal pathways in ischemic brain injury Zhaohua Gu, Yinyi Sun, Kangyong Liu, Fen Wang, Ting Zhang, Qiang Li, Liwei Shen, Ling Zhou, Liang Dong, Nan Shi, Qian Zhang, Wei Zhang, Meizhen Zhao, Xiaojiang Sun 2013, 8 (23):  2117-2125.  doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2013.23.001 Abstract ( 204 )   PDF (763KB) ( 1993 )   Save null References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Is longer sevoflurane preconditioning neuroprotective in permanent focal cerebral ischemia Caiwei Qiu, Bo Sheng, Shurong Wang, Jin Liu 2013, 8 (23):  2126-2133.  doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2013.23.002 Abstract ( 209 )   PDF (344KB) ( 1339 )   Save Sevoflurane preconditioning has neuroprotective effects in the cerebral ischemia/reperfusion model. However, its influence on permanent cerebral ischemia remains unclear. In the present study, the rats were exposed to sevoflurane for 15, 30, 60, and 120 minutes, followed by induction of perma-nent cerebral ischemia. Results demonstrated that 30- and 60-minute sevoflurane preconditioning significantly reduced the infarct volume at 24 hours after cerebral ischemia, and 60-minute sevoflurane preconditioning additionally reduced the number of TUNEL- and caspase-3-positive cells in the ischemic penumbra. However, 120-minute sevoflurane preconditioning did not show evident neuroprotective effects. Moreover, 60-minute sevoflurane preconditioning significantly at-tenuated neurological deficits and infarct volume in rats at 4 days after cerebral ischemia. These findings indicated that 60-minute sevoflurane preconditioning can induce the best neuroprotective effects in rats with permanent cerebral ischemia through the inhibition of apoptosis. Related Articles | Metrics

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Morphology of platelet Golgi apparatus and their significance after acute cerebral infarction Wei Lu, Dong Xu, Ranran Tu, Zhiping Hu 2013, 8 (23):  2134-2143.  doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2013.23.003 Abstract ( 239 )   PDF (313KB) ( 802 )   Save Blood samples were harvested from the antecubital vein of 20 fasting patients with acute cerebral infarction at 1, 7 and 15 days after onset to prepare blood platelet suspension. Fasting antecubital vein blood was collected from an additional 20 normal adults as controls. Under transmission elec-tron microscope, platelet Golgi tubules and vesicles became significantly thickened, enlarged, and irregular after acute cerebral infarction. Alpha granules in platelets significantly reduced in number, especially 1 day after cerebral infarction. Under immunoelectron microscopy, a few alpha granules aggregated around Golgi tubules and vesicles after infarction. These results suggested that platelet Golgi apparatus displayed significant morphological changes, which were possibly associated with enhanced synthetic and secretory functions of activated platelets after acute cerebral infarction. This study used Golgi apparatus blocking agent Brefeldin A to block Golgi apparatus in an aim to study the effects of Golgi apparatus on CD40L expression on the surface of activated platelets. Flow cytometry revealed that CD40L expression on activated platelet surfaces decreased significantly when Golgi apparatus was blocked, which indicated that Golgi apparatus participated in the syn-thesis and transport of CD40L to the platelet surface. Related Articles | Metrics

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Anti-inflammatory and anti-thrombogenic effects of atorvastatin in acute ischemic stroke Lianqiu Min, Shuai Shao, Xiaoning Wu, Lin Cong, Ping Liu, Haiping Zhao, Yumin Luo 2013, 8 (23):  2144-2154.  doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2013.23.004 Abstract ( 222 )   PDF (229KB) ( 1746 )   Save Atorvastatin decreases inflammation and thrombogenesis in patients with carotid artery plaque. Atorvastatin is administered to lower lipid levels, but its anti-inflammatory and anti-thrombogenic effects remain unclear. Eighty-nine patients from northeastern China with acute ischemic stroke caused by large-artery atherosclerosis were randomly divided into the study and control groups. All patients received routine treatment, including antiplatelet therapy, circulatory support, and symp-tomatic treatment. The study group (n = 43) also received daily atorvastatin 20 mg/d, and the control group (n = 46) received daily placebo pills containing glucose. After 4 weeks, the levels of C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, and D-dimer were significantly lower in the study group than in the control group. Decreases in the levels of C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, and D-dimer were not associated with de-creases in the levels of triacylglycerol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. These results suggest that atorvastatin reduces inflammation and thrombogenesis independent of its lipid-lowering effects in patients with acute ischemic stroke caused by large-artery atherosclerosis. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Tri-linear interpolation-based cerebral white matter fiber imaging Shan Jiang, Pengfei Zhang, Tong Han, Weihua Liu, Meixia Liu 2013, 8 (23):  2155-2164.  doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2013.23.005 Abstract ( 541 )   PDF (424KB) ( 1584 )   Save Diffusion tensor imaging is a unique method to visualize white matter fibers three-dimensionally, non-invasively and in vivo, and therefore it is an important tool for observing and researching neural regeneration. Different diffusion tensor imaging-based fiber tracking methods have been already investigated, but making the computing faster, fiber tracking longer and smoother and the details shown clearer are needed to be improved for clinical applications. This study proposed a new fiber tracking strategy based on tri-linear interpolation. We selected a patient with acute infarction of the right basal ganglia and designed experiments based on either the tri-linear interpolation algorithm or tensorline algorithm. Fiber tracking in the same regions of interest (genu of the corpus callosum) was performed separately. The validity of the tri-linear interpolation algorithm was verified by quan-titative analysis, and its feasibility in clinical diagnosis was confirmed by the contrast between tracking results and the disease condition of the patient as well as the actual brain anatomy. Statis-tical results showed that the maximum length and average length of the white matter fibers tracked by the tri-linear interpolation algorithm were significantly longer. The tracking images of the fibers indicated that this method can obtain smoother tracked fibers, more obvious orientation and clearer details. Tracking fiber abnormalities are in good agreement with the actual condition of patients, and tracking displayed fibers that passed though the corpus callosum, which was consistent with the anatomical structures of the brain. Therefore, the tri-linear interpolation algorithm can achieve a clear, anatomically correct and reliable tracking result. Related Articles | Metrics

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Oligomeric proanthocyanidin protects retinal ganglion cells against oxidative stress-induced apoptosis Mohsen Fathi Najafi, Saber Zahri, Fatemeh Vahedi, Leila Esmaililian Toosi, Nazila Ariaee 2013, 8 (23):  2165-2170.  doi: | Abstract ( 191 )   PDF (188KB) ( 2093 )   Save null References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Noggin versus basic fibroblast growth factor on the differentiation of human embryonic stem cells Yan Zhang, Junmei Zhou, Zhenfu Fang, Manxi Jiang, Xuejin Chen 2013, 8 (23):  2171-2177.  doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2013.23.007 Abstract ( 227 )   PDF (267KB) ( 1232 )   Save The difference between Noggin and basic fibroblast growth factor for the neural precursor differen-tiation from human embryonic stem cells has not been studied. In this study, 100 μg/L Noggin or 20 μg/L basic fibroblast growth factor in serum-free neural induction medium was used to differen-tiate human embryonic stem cells H14 into neural precursors using monolayer differentiation. Two weeks after induction, significantly higher numbers of neural rosettes formed in the Noggin-induced group than the basic fibroblast growth factor-induced group, as detected by phase contrast micro-scope. Immunofluorescence staining revealed expression levels of Nestin, β-III Tubulin and Sox-1 were higher in the induced cells and reverse-transcription PCR showed induced cells expressed Nestin, Sox-1 and Neurofilament mRNA. Protein and mRNA expression in the Noggin-induced group was increased compared with the basic fibroblast growth factor-induced group. Noggin has a greater effect than basic fibroblast growth factor on the induction of human embryonic stem cell differentiation into neural precursors by monolayer differentiation, as Noggin accelerates and in-creases the differentiation of neural precursors. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Ceramide is involved in alcohol-induced neural proliferation Zhixin Wang, Tongxing Deng, Jiexin Deng, Jinbo Deng, Xiaoqun Gao, Yuanyuan Shi, Bin Liu, Zhanyou Ma, Haixiao Jin 2013, 8 (23):  2178-2189.  doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2013.23.008 Abstract ( 162 )   PDF (502KB) ( 1404 )   Save null References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Antenatal taurine reduces cerebral cell apoptosis in fetal rats with intrauterine growth restriction Jing Liu, Xiaofeng Wang, Ying Liu, Na Yang, Jing Xu, Xiaotun Ren 2013, 8 (23):  2190-2197.  doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2013.23.009 Abstract ( 183 )   PDF (300KB) ( 1368 )   Save From pregnancy to parturition, Sprague-Dawley rats were daily administered a low protein diet to establish a model of intrauterine growth restriction. From the 12th day of pregnancy, 300 mg/kg taurine was daily added to food until spontaneous delivery occurred. Brain tissues from normal neonatal rats at 6 hours after delivery, neonatal rats with intrauterine growth restriction, and neo-natal rats with intrauterine growth restriction undergoing taurine supplement were obtained for fur-ther experiments. The terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated biotin-16-dUTP nick-end labeling assay revealed that the number of apoptotic cells in the brain tissue of neonatal rats with intrauterine growth restriction significantly increased. Taurine supplement in pregnant rats reduced cell apoptosis in brain tissue from neonatal rats with intrauterine growth restriction. Immunohistochemical staining revealed that taurine supplement increased glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor expression and decreased caspase-3 expression in the cerebral cortex of intra-uterine growth-restricted fetal rats. These results indicate that taurine supplement reduces cell apoptosis through the glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor-caspase-3 signaling pathway, re-sulting in a protective effect on the intrauterine growth-restricted fetal rat brain. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Overexpression of cytoglobin gene inhibits hypoxic injury to SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells Overexpression of cytoglobin gene inhibits hypoxic injury to SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells 2013, 8 (23):  2198-2203.  doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2013.23.010 Abstract ( 217 )   PDF (303KB) ( 1513 )   Save A plasmid for cytoglobin expression, pAcGFP1-C1-cytoglobin, was transfected into SH-SY5Y cells. Cobalt chloride was used to establish a model of hypoxia. Western blotting indicated that cytoglobin was overexpressed and there was low expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α in SH-SY5Y cells after transfection. Following cobalt chloride-induced hypoxia, cytoglobin and hypoxia-inducible fac-tor-1α expression gradually increased in SH-SY5Y cells. Flow cytometry showed that with increas-ing duration of hypoxia, the proportion of normal cells significantly diminished in the transfected and non-transfected groups. The proportion of cells in the early stages of apoptosis increased. However, the proportion of apoptotic cells was significantly lower in the transfected group compared with the non-transfected group. These results demonstrate that cytoglobin and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α are strongly up-regulated by hypoxia, and that there is a strong relationship between hypox-ia-inducible factor-1α and cytoglobin during hypoxic injury. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Recanalization of extracranial internal carotid artery occlusion Liqun Jiao, Gang Song, Yang Hua, Yan Ma, Yanfei Chen, Yabing Wang, Feng Ling 2013, 8 (23):  2204-2206.  doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2013.23.011 Abstract ( 262 )   PDF (138KB) ( 1336 )   Save This study aimed to summarize therapy experience of carotid endarterectomy, carotid endarterectomy combined with Fogarty catheter embolectomy, and hybrid surgery for the treatment of extracranial internal carotid artery occlusion. The study included 65 patients with extracranial in-ternal carotid artery occlusion who underwent carotid endarterectomy, carotid endarterectomy combined with Fogarty catheter embolectomy, or hybrid surgery in the Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, China between January 2006 and December 2012. Prior to surgery, all patients underwent perfusion CT or xenon CT to evaluate the occlusion. The procedure for each patient was chosen according to digital subtraction angiography data. The ca-rotid artery was successfully recanalized in 46 of 51 patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy, 9 of 10 patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy combined with Fogarty catheter embolectomy, and 3 of 4 patients who underwent hybrid surgery. In patients with symptomatic ca-rotid artery occlusion, the carotid artery can be recanalized by choosing a treatment procedure based on imaging examination findings. References | Related Articles | Metrics