EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON PLASTICITY OF PROLIFERATED NEURAL STEM CELLS IN ADULT RATS AFTER CEREBRAL INFARCTION

RECENT studies demonstrated that neural stemcells have the potential of self-renewal and couldproliferate then differentiate into neurons and as-trocytes under some physiological and pathological condi-tions.They may be involved in neural function restoration.1It has clinical significance to study the changes of neuralstem cells after cerebral infarction,since cerebral infarctionis a common disease causing loss of neural function.2Poly-sialylated neural cell adhesion molecule PSA-NCAM)isa…     

发育期补充DHA对大鼠海马突触可塑性的影响

目的探讨鱼油DHA对海马突触可塑性的影响,为DHA对学习记忆的作用提供电生理依据。方法将大鼠分为灌胃鱼油组和对照组,每天分别灌以5×103ml·g-1体重的鱼油和生理盐水,90d后运用在位电生理实验方法,刺激大鼠海马穿通纤维—齿状回通路,在同一动物上记录海马DG区的LTP和LTD。结果与对照组相比,鱼油组明显增强了PS诱导的LTP,对EPSP诱导的LTP无影响;对PS和EPSP诱导的LTD均有明显的减弱作用。结论补充鱼油对海马突触可塑性有一定影响,这种影响可能是鱼油提高学习记忆能力的生理依据之一。     

Cognitive Function and Language of a Child with an Arachnoid Cyst in the Left Frontai Fossa

Summary: The authors inspected the cognitive function of a boy with a congenital arachnoid cyst in the left frontal fossa. Neuropsychological tests described his cognition, including language, memory, and frontal functions, as mildly retarded overall. The boy's verbal ability was delayed, but his frontal function was intact. We supposed that the cyst would not affect his cognitive function. SPECT images showed low perfusion in the left temporal lobe. Dysfunction of the left temporal lobe should cause delayed language leading to learning difficulty. Neuropsychological evaluation of cognitive function concurrent with rCBF imaging was necessary not only for describing the influence of the cyst but also in discriminating its psychological aspects     

Targeting Aurora B kinase prevents and overcomes resistance to EGFR inhibitors in lung cancer by enhancing BIM- and PUMA-mediated apoptosis

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Synaptic Plasticity in Mouse Models of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Analysis of synaptic plasticity together with behavioral and molecular studies have become a popular approach to model autism spectrum disorders in order to gain insight into the pathosphysiological mechanisms and to find therapeutic targets. Abnormalities of specific types of synaptic plasticity have been revealed in numerous genetically modified mice that have molecular construct validity to human autism spectrum disorders. Constrained by the feasibility of technique, the common regions analyzed in most studies are hippocampus and visual cortex. The relevance of the synaptic defects in these regions to the behavioral abnormalities of autistic like behaviors is still a subject of debate. Because the exact regions or circuits responsible for the core features of autistic behaviors in humans are still poorly understood, investigation using region-specific conditional mutant mice may help to provide the insight into the neuroanatomical basis of autism in the future.     

THE EFFECT OF REPETITIVE ELECTRICAL STIMULATION ON THE MOTOR EVOKED HEMODYNAMIC RESPONSES

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of short-term repetitive electrical stimulation (rES training session) on the motor-evoked hemodynamic responses. The fMRI echo-planar images (EPI) were recorded before and after the rES training. The right median nerve (MN) was stimulated during rES. The rES training resulted in a significant increase in activity in a number of supraspinal regions, including sensorimotor and associative cortical areas. On the subcortical level, the effect was also found in the cerebellum, the midbrain, and the thalamus. Possible mechanisms of the neuronal plastic changes observed after rES, and memory processes involved in learning are discussed.     

High-plasticity mesenchymal stem cells isolated from adult-retained primary teeth and autogenous adult tooth pulp—A potential source for regenerative therapies?

PurposeThe objective of this study was to compare the growth rate, morphology, immunohistology and plasticity of autogenous adult-retained SHEDs (arSHEDs) and adult dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) obtained from the same donor.MethodsExpression of the mesenchymal stem cell markers CD44, CD90, CD105, caspase-3 and GAPDH were assessed using RT-PCR. Caspase-3 and CD44 were also evaluated at the protein level by western blotting of cell lysates. Plasticity of DPSCs and arSHEDs were tested by culture in adipogenic, chondrogenic, osteogenic and Schwann cells induction media.ResultsDPSCs and arSHEDs were isolated by explant culturing and were similarly positive for growth rate and all tested markers. Furthermore, DPSCs and arSHEDs could be driven to adipocyte, chondrocyte, osteocyte and Schwann cells lineages thus indicating similar plasticity as precursor cells.ConclusionThis study demonstrates the similarities between DPSCs and arSHEDs in a unique situation, where both stem cells (SC) types were obtained from a single patient and thus represent an alternative source of SC’s for tissue engineering and regeneration.     

Effect of transcranial direct current stimulation on neuroplasticity in corticomotor pathways of the tongue muscles

The aim of this study is to investigate effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on neuroplasticity in corticomotor pathways related to tongue muscles evoked by a training task using the tongue drive system (TDS). Using a crossover design, 13 healthy participants completed two sessions of tDCS while performing 30 min of TDS training. Sessions were spaced at least 2 weeks apart and participants randomly received anodal and sham tDCS stimulation in the first session and the other condition in the second session. Single and paired pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation was used to elicit motor evoked potentials (MEPs) of the tongue at three time‐points: before, immediately after and 30 min after training. Participant‐based reports of fun, pain, fatigue and motivation, level of difficulty and effort were evaluated on numerical rating scales. There was no consistent significant effect of anodal and sham stimulation on single or paired pulse stimulation MEP amplitude immediately or 30 min after TDS training. Irrespective of tDCS type, training with TDS induced cortical plasticity in terms of increased MEP amplitudes for higher stimulus intensities after 30 min compared with before and immediately after training. Participant‐based reports revealed no significant difference between tDCS conditions for level of fun, fatigue, motivation, difficulty and level of effort but a significant increase in pain in the anodal condition, although pain level was low for both conditions. In conclusion, tongue MEP amplitudes appear to be sensitive to training with the tongue using TDS; however, anodal tDCS does not have an impact on training‐evoked neuroplasticity of tongue corticomotor pathways.