Breast Cancer Immune Landscape: Interplay Between Systemic and Local Immunity.

Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common malignancies in women worldwide. Numerous studies in immuno-oncology and successful trials of immunotherapy have demonstrated the causal role of the immune system in cancer pathogenesis. The interaction between the tumor and the immune system is known to have a dual nature. Despite cytotoxic lymphocyte activity against transformed cells, a tumor can escape immune surveillance and leverage chronic inflammation to maintain its own development. Research on antitumor immunity primarily focuses on the role of the tumor microenvironment, whereas the systemic immune response beyond the tumor site is described less thoroughly. Here, a comprehensive review of the formation of the immune profile in breast cancer patients is offered. The interplay between systemic and local immune reactions as self-sustaining mechanism of tumor progression is described and the functional activity of the main cell populations related to innate and adaptive immunity is discussed. Additionally, the interaction between different functional levels of the immune system and their contribution to the development of the pro- or anti-tumor immune response in BC is highlighted. The presented data can potentially inform the development of new immunotherapy strategies in the treatment of patients with BC.

Biodiversity of Phototrophs and Culturable Fungi in Gobustan Caves.

Unique natural objects, such as the caves of the Gobustan National Historical and Artistic Preserve, are also of great cultural and historical value due to rock art and sites of ancient people. A favorable microclimate makes these habitats convenient for colonization by microbiota, including phototrophs. In arid regions with intense seasonal fluctuations of microclimatic parameters, the conditions for survival are the least favorable; therefore, it becomes especially important to determine the composition of communities that are the most adapted to specific conditions. This work aimed to identify the biodiversity of communities of caves and grottoes of the Gobustan Reserve. The studies were carried out in July 2019. Samples were analyzed for cyanobacteria and algae by microscopy and cultivation methods, microfungi were isolated by soil dilution, and the fouling glass method was also used. In total, 29 taxa of cyanobacteria and algae, 18 taxa of fungi, and 3 species of mosses were identified. The studied habitats were dominated by the algae Chlorella vulgaris, Aphanocapsa sp., and Stichococcus bacillaris; the subdominants were Jaaginema subtilissimum, Leptolyngbya tenuis, Chlorococcum minutum, and Humidophila contenta. Microfungi had the highest occurrence of Aspergillus niger, Aureobasidium pullulans, Alternaria alternata, and Talaromyces ruber. It was noted that cyanobacteria dominated in morphologically differentiated biofilms and green algae on the rocks. The greatest number of microfungi was found in the aphotic zone and bryophyte tufts. The dominance of green algae is atypical for most caves of other regions and may be associated with intense lighting of habitats. The absence of protonema is a consequence of the aridity and low moisture content of the substrates.

Inhibition of mitochondrial respiration by general anesthetic drugs.

General anesthetic drugs have been associated with various unwanted effects including an interference with mitochondrial function. We had previously observed increases of lactate formation in the mouse brain during anesthesia with volatile anesthetic agents. In the present work, we used mitochondria that were freshly isolated from mouse brain to test mitochondrial respiration and ATP synthesis in the presence of six common anesthetic drugs. The volatile anesthetics isoflurane, halothane, and (to a lesser extent) sevoflurane caused an inhibition of complex I of the electron transport chain in a dose-dependent manner. Significant effects were seen at concentrations that are reached under clinical conditions (< 0.5 mM). Pentobarbital and propofol also inhibited complex I but at concentrations that were two-fold higher than clinical EC50 values. Only propofol caused an inhibition of complex II. Complex IV respiration was not affected by either agent. Ketamine did not affect mitochondrial respiration. Similarly, all anesthetic agents except ketamine suppressed ATP production at high concentrations. Only halothane increased cytochrome c release indicating damage of the mitochondrial membrane. In summary, volatile general anesthetic agents as well as pentobarbital and propofol dose-dependently inhibit mitochondrial respiration. This action may contribute to depressive actions of the drugs in the brain.

Relationship between the Levels of lncRNA H19 in Plasma and Different Adipose Tissue Depots with Patients' Response to Bariatric Surgery.

Bariatric surgery represents a widespread approach to treating morbid obesity. The search for biomarkers to identify patients to whom this type of treatment will be most effective is needed. Our aim was to characterize the relationship of levels of lncRNA H19 in plasma and different adipose tissue depots with patients' response to bariatric surgery. The study includes control subjects, patients with obesity and patients with obesity accompanied by impaired carbohydrate metabolism (ICM). Quantitative analysis of lncRNA H19 levels has been performed using qPCR in plasma and subcutaneous (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT). Patients with obesity without ICM have higher levels of lncRNA H19 in VAT compared to SAT, and higher levels of lncRNA H19 in SAT compared to SAT of control individuals. One year after the intervention, levels of lncRNA H19 decreased in SAT of patients with obesity without ICM. The preoperative level of lncRNA H19 in VAT demonstrates a positive correlation with excess weight loss and a negative correlation with initial BMI. In conclusion, ICM affects expression of lncRNA H19 in SAT of patients with obesity. The preoperative level of lncRNA H19 in VAT can be used to predict excess weight loss in patients with obesity after bariatric surgery.

Regulatory Action of Plasma from Patients with Obesity and Diabetes towards Muscle Cells Differentiation and Bioenergetics Revealed by the C2C12 Cell Model and MicroRNA Analysis.

Obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are often combined and pathologically affect many tissues due to changes in circulating bioactive molecules. In this work, we evaluated the effect of blood plasma from obese (OB) patients or from obese patients comorbid with diabetes (OBD) on skeletal muscle function and metabolic state. We employed the mouse myoblasts C2C12 differentiation model to test the regulatory effect of plasma exposure at several levels: (1) cell morphology; (2) functional activity of mitochondria; (3) expression levels of several mitochondria regulators, i.e., Atgl, Pgc1b, and miR-378a-3p. Existing databases were used to computationally predict and analyze mir-378a-3p potential targets. We show that short-term exposure to OB or OBD patients' plasma is sufficient to affect C2C12 properties. In fact, the expression of genes that regulate skeletal muscle differentiation and growth was downregulated in both OB- and OBD-treated cells, maximal mitochondrial respiration rate was downregulated in the OBD group, while in the OB group, a metabolic switch to glycolysis was detected. These alterations correlated with a decrease in ATGL and Pgc1b expression in the OB group and with an increase of miR-378a-3p levels in the OBD group.

Prognosis of Different Types of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Progression: Current State and Perspectives.

Despite advances in diagnostics and therapy of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the problem of prognosis and prevention of tumor progression is still highly important. Even if NSCLC is diagnosed in the early stages, almost a quarter of patients develop relapse; most of them die from recurrent disease. A large number of different markers have been proposed to predict the risk of NSCLC progression; however, none of them are used in clinical practice. It is obvious that this situation is related to the economic and methodological complexity of the proposed markers and/or their insufficient efficiency due to a lack of effective study models and tumor heterogeneity. Another reason may be that potential markers are developed for NSCLC progression in general, which is represented by at least four pathogenetically-distinct processes: synchronous lymph node metastasis, local, regional, and distant recurrence. In this review, we summarize data from published literature on clinicopathological, genetic, and molecular factors associated with different types of NSCLC progression and emphasize challenges and approaches to developing prognostic factors. In conclusion, we highlight the importance of further studies to reveal molecular mechanisms of NSCLC progression and the need for differential analysis of markers of local, regional, and distant recurrences for disease prognosis.

Heterogeneity of the nucleic acid repertoire of plasma extracellular vesicles demonstrated using high-sensitivity fluorescence-activated sorting.

The aim of this study was to investigate cell source-dependent nucleic acids repertoire of diverse subpopulations of plasma extracellular vesicles (EVs). Blood plasma from nine healthy volunteers was used for the analysis. Samples of EVs were obtained by differential centrifugation of plasma. The application of high-sensitivity fluorescence-activated vesicles sorting (hs-FAVS) using fluorophore-conjugated anti-CD41-FITC (Fluorescein isothiocyanate) and anti-CD235a-PE antibodies allowed the isolation of three subpopulations of EVs, namely CD41+ CD235a-, CD41-CD235a+ and CD41-CD235a dim. The high purity (>97%) of the sorted subpopulations was verified by high-sensitivity flow cytometry. Presence of nanosized objects in sorted samples was confirmed by combination of low-voltage scanning electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. The amount of material in sorted samples was enough to perform Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR)-based nucleic acid quantification. The most prominent differences in the nucleic acid repertoire were noted between CD41+ CD235- vs. CD41-CD235a+ vesicles: the former contained significantly (p = 0.004) higher amount of mitochondrial DNA, and platelet enriched miR-21-5p (4-fold), miR-223-3p (38-fold) and miR-199a-3p (187-fold), but lower amount of erythrocyte enriched miR-451a (90-fold). CD41-CD235a+ and CD41-CD235a dim vesicles differed in levels of miR-451a (p = 0.016) and miR-21-5p (p = 0.031). Nuclear DNA was below the limit of detection in all EV subpopulations. The hs-FCM-based determination of the number of sorted EVs allowed the calculation of per single-event miRNA concentrations. It was demonstrated that the most abundant marker in CD41+ CD235a- subpopulation was miR-223-3p, reaching 38.2 molecules per event. In the CD41-CD235+ subpopulation, the most abundant marker was miR-451a, reaching 24.7 molecules per event. Taken together, our findings indicate that erythrocyte- and platelet-derived EVs carry different repertoires of nucleic acids, which were similar to the composition of their cellular sources.

Evaluation of human macrophage functional state by voltammetric monitoring of nitrite ions.

The method for assessing the level of nitric oxide (II) (NO) by voltammetric monitoring of nitrite ions was carried out on models M1 and M2 of polarized macrophages induced from monocytes of human peripheral blood with the addition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interleukin-4 (IL-4), respectively. The model of induction of M1 and M2 macrophages was used in the work to achieve the corresponding shifts in the functional status of studied cells. Ethyl nitrite (EtONO) was used as a standard compound of nitrite ions for electrochemical measurements. Electrochemical determination of nitrite ions was performed by anodic linear sweep voltammetry in the first-order derivative mode (ALSV FOD) in Britton-Robinson (BR) buffer with pH 4.02 on carbon ink modified graphite electrode. EtONO calibrations were linear over a concentration range from 2 to 9 µmol L-1 with corresponding regression equation y = 0.768c - 0.048. Limit of detection (LOD) (S/N = 3) was 0.38 µmol L-1. The results of the study showed the fundamental possibility of using voltammetry to assess indirectly the production of nitric oxide by cells in supernatants of the monocytic macrophage lineage. The level of nitric oxide metabolites (nitrite ions) in supernatants was associated with the functional state of macrophages.

Application of high-sensitivity flow cytometry in combination with low-voltage scanning electron microscopy for characterization of nanosized objects during platelet concentrate storage.

Platelet concentrates are used in clinic for therapy and prophylaxis of conditions associated with platelet deficiency or malfunction. The characteristics of platelet concentrates gradually change during pretransfusion storage, affecting their clinical effectiveness and the risk of adverse transfusion reactions. The presence of platelet-derived membrane vesicles is an important characteristic of platelet concentrates. Due to their functionality, changes in the number and molecular compositions of platelet-derived vesicles have major effects on the clinical properties of platelet preparations. The existence of different subpopulations of membrane vesicles requires analytical methods capable of providing information at the individual vesicle level. Such methods include flow cytometry and electron microscopy. However, conventional flow cytometry has certain limitations, since the diameters of many platelet-derived membrane vesicles are smaller than its detection limit. The use of classical scanning electron microscopy is also limited due to the requirement for coating with a layer of conductive material, which impedes the detection of small extracellular vesicles. Here, a combination of high-sensitivity flow cytometry and low-voltage scanning electron microscopy was used to increase sensitivity and resolution in the detection of nanosized objects present in platelet concentrates during storage. Apheresis platelet concentrates from eight healthy adult donors were investigated on days 2 and 7 of storage. Fractions of nanosized objects were obtained by differential centrifugation. Fluorophore-conjugated antibodies were used to detect marker-positive vesicles derived from platelets (CD41), red blood cells (CD235a), leukocytes (CD45), and endothelial cells (VEGFR2). Near-spherical objects with diameters ranging from 25 to 700 nm were observed by low-voltage scanning electron microscopy in platelet concentrates and its fractions. On day 7 of storage, objects with diameters of less than 100 nm were attached to and clustered near the terminal ends of pseudopod-like projections. High-sensitivity flow cytometry showed that during storage numbers of CD41(pos) vesicles elevated more than fivefold and numbers of marker-negative nanosized objects, which did not carry any of the investigated cell type-specific markers elevated more than twofold. Major changes in both CD41(pos) vesicles and marker-negative nanosized objects abundances were observed for objects with diameters around 100 nm bead equivalents. Overall, these results emphasized the importance of application of high-sensitivity methods for monitoring the characteristics of cell-derived nanosized objects during platelet concentrate storage.

Release of Mitochondrial and Nuclear DNA During On-Pump Heart Surgery: Kinetics and Relation to Extracellular Vesicles.

During heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), the release of mitochondrial (mtDNA) and nuclear DNA (nDNA) and their association to extracellular vesicles were investigated. In patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG, n = 12), blood was sampled before, during, and after surgery from peripheral artery, pulmonary artery, and the coronary sinus. Plasma was separated in three fractions: microvesicles, exosomes, and supernatant. mtDNA and nDNA were measured by qPCR. mtDNA and nDNA levels increased after start of surgery, but before CPB, and increased further during CPB. mtDNA copy number was about 1000-fold higher than nDNA. mtDNA was predominantly localized to the vesicular fractions in plasma, whereas nDNA was predominantly in the supernatant. The amount of free mtDNA increased after surgery. There was no net release or disappearance of DNAs across the pulmonary, systemic, or coronary circulation. Extracellular DNAs, in particular mtDNA, may be important contributors to the whole-body inflammation during CPB.

Heparinase treatment of heparin-contaminated plasma from coronary artery bypass grafting patients enables reliable quantification of microRNAs.

BACKGROUND: microRNAs have recently been identified as powerful biomarkers of human disease. Reliable polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based quantification of nucleic acids in clinical samples contaminated with polymerase inhibitor heparin requires deheparinization. However, the effects of deheparinization procedure on quantification of nucleic acids remain largely unknown. The aim of this study was to determine whether the deheparinization procedure completely eliminates the inhibition of amplification, while maintaining RNA integrity and technical variability of the measured microRNA levels. METHODS: Heparinized plasma from 9 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and the heparin-free plasma from 58 rats were spiked with a synthetic RNA oligonucleotide and total RNA was extracted. The RNA solutions were then treated with heparinase I to remove contaminating heparin prior to reverse transcription. Levels of synthetic spike-in RNA oligonucleotide, as well as endogenous hsa-miR-1-3p and hsa-miR-208a-3p, were measured using quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR). The amplification efficiency and presence of inhibitors in individual samples were directly determined using calibration curves. RESULTS: In contrast to RNA samples from rat plasma, RNA samples derived from the CABG patient plasma contained inhibitors, which were completely eliminated by treatment with heparinase. The procedure caused a decrease in the amount of detected RNA; however, the technical variability of the measured targets did not change, allowing for the quantification of circulating endogenous hsa-miR-1-3p and hsa-miR-208a-3p in the plasma of CABG patients. CONCLUSIONS: The heparinase treatment procedure enables utilization of RT-qPCR for reliable microRNA quantification in heparinized plasma.

Laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy in a patient with vault prolapse of the sigmoid stump.

Surgical creation of a neovagina using the sigmoid was one of the main techniques used in patients with Mayer-Rokinatsky-Küster-Hauser syndrome. Nowadays, this surgery is not common as a result of the high frequency of complications and adverse outcomes, one of which is sigmoid neovagina prolapse. There are no standards of treatment because of the rarity of these clinical events; therefore, any medical case is important. We present a case report of a 72-year-old patient with prolapse of the sigmoid stump. Perscrutation of this example allows us to conclude that laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy is the optimal operation for patients with apical prolapse and a history of sigmoidal colpopoiesis owing to its high level of safety and excellent outcomes.

Various lamin A/C mutations alter expression profile of mesenchymal stem cells in mutation specific manner.

Various mutations in LMNA gene, encoding for nuclear lamin A/C protein, lead to laminopathies and contribute to over ten human disorders, mostly affecting tissues of mesenchymal origin such as fat tissue, muscle tissue, and bones. Recently it was demonstrated that lamins not only play a structural role providing communication between extra-nuclear structures and components of cell nucleus but also control cell fate and differentiation. In our study we assessed the effect of various LMNA mutations on the expression profile of mesenchymal multipotent stem cells (MMSC) during adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation. We used lentiviral approach to modify human MMSC with LMNA-constructs bearing mutations associated with different laminopathies--G465D, R482L, G232E, R527C, and R471C. The impact of various mutations on MMSC differentiation properties and expression profile was assessed by colony-forming unit analysis, histological staining, expression of the key differentiation markers promoting adipogenesis and osteogenesis followed by the analysis of the whole set of genes involved in lineage-specific differentiation using PCR expression arrays. We demonstrate that various LMNA mutations influence the differentiation efficacy of MMSC in mutation-specific manner. Each LMNA mutation promotes a unique expression pattern of genes involved in a lineage-specific differentiation and this pattern is shared by the phenotype-specific mutations.

Brain functional connectivity network breakdown and restoration in blindness.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize brain functional connectivity in subjects with prechiasmatic visual system damage and relate functional connectivity features to extent of vision loss. METHODS: In this case-control study, resting-state, eyes-closed EEG activity was recorded in patients with partial optic nerve damage (n = 15) and uninjured controls (n = 13). We analyzed power density and functional connectivity (coherence, Granger causality), the latter as (1) between-areal coupling strength and (2) individually thresholded binary graphs. Functional connectivity was then modulated by noninvasive repetitive transorbital alternating current stimulation (rtACS; 10 days, 40 minutes daily; n = 7; sham, n = 8) to study how this would affect connectivity networks and perception. RESULTS: Patients exhibited lower spectral power (p = 0.005), decreased short- (p = 0.015) and long-range (p = 0.033) coherence, and less densely clustered coherence networks (p = 0.025) in the high-alpha frequency band (11-13 Hz). rtACS strengthened short- (p = 0.003) and long-range (p = 0.032) alpha coherence and this was correlated with improved detection abilities (r = 0.57, p = 0.035) and processing speed (r = 0.56, p = 0.049), respectively. CONCLUSION: Vision loss in the blind is caused not only by primary tissue damage but also by a breakdown of synchronization in brain networks. Because visual field improvements are associated with resynchronization of alpha band coherence, brain connectivity is a key component in partial blindness and in restoration of vision.

Early changes of gene expression profiles in the rat model of arterial injury.

PURPOSE: Restenosis caused by intimal hyperplasia (IH) remains a significant drawback for vascular interventions. It is crucial to understand the molecular mechanisms that control activation of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) after the injury in order to develop strategies to prevent IH. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the early alterations in arterial-wall gene expression after balloon injury in the rat carotid artery with focus on the induction of an inflammatory response. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to injury of the left common carotid artery by using a 2-F Fogarty catheter. The arteries were harvested 5, 10, and 20 hours after injury. Uninjured arteries from an additional eight rats were used as controls. RNA was isolated and used for genome-wide microarray expression analysis, followed by validation of selected genes with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Immunohistochemistry was performed on the cross-sectioned vessels. RESULTS: Analysis of gene expression by microarrays showed that the most differentially expressed genes were primarily associated with inflammation, cell proliferation, migration, and adhesion. As confirmed by qRT-PCR, microarray data showed a significant (P < .005) upregulation of cytokines and chemokines (IL-6, CCL2, CXCL1, AIMP1, and CD44) just 5 hours after injury. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that CCL2 and the adhesion receptor CD44 were expressed by SMCs in the early response to injury and in the absence of leukocyte infiltration. CONCLUSIONS: Arterial injury is followed by an early induction of inflammatory genes in the vessel wall that appears to be confined to SMCs.

Trematode Himasthla elongata mariner element (Hemar): structure and applications.

We cloned and analyzed Hemar1-the full-length mariner of Himasthla elongata. Hemar1 amount and distribution in the genome is typical for the transposable elements. Hemar1 closest relatives found in databases are the mariner-like element (MLE) of Girardia tigrina with 88% similarity in the most conserved transposase domain and Cemar1 of Caenorhabditis elegans with the most similar inverted terminal repeats. Hydra's (Cnidaria) MLE are the next in similarity to Hemar1. We checked whether sequences similar to Hemar1 exist in intermediate and definitive hosts of the parasitic trematode and did not find obvious similarity. This fact, together with the data of Hemar1 evolutionary position, argues against recent MLE-mediated horizontal transfer in this parasite-host model. Our results demonstrate that H. elongata generates genomic variability in asexual parthenogenetic generations within the snail. Transposon insertional display based on full-length sequence showed that Hemar1 could be located in the regions involved in generating clonal diversity in rediae and cercariae, that is, trematode parthenitae.

Transcorneal electrical stimulation alters morphology and survival of retinal ganglion cells after optic nerve damage.

Traumatic optic nerve injury leads to retrograde death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), but transcorneal electrical stimulation (TES) can increase the cell survival rate. To understand the mechanisms and to further define the TES-induced effects we monitored in living animals RGC morphology and survival after optic nerve crush (ONC) in real time by using in vivo confocal neuroimaging (ICON) of the retina. ONC was performed in rats and ICON was performed before crush and on post-lesion days 3, 7 and 15 which allowed us to repeatedly record RGC number and size. TES or sham-stimulation were performed immediately after the crush and on post-injury day 11. Three days after ONC we detected a higher percentage of surviving RGCs in the TES group as compared to sham-treated controls. However, the difference was below significance level on day 7 and disappeared completely by day 15. The death rate was more variable amongst the TES-treated rats than in the control group. Morphological analysis revealed that average cell size changed significantly in the control group but not in stimulated animals and the morphological alterations of surviving neurons were smaller in TES-treated compared to control cells. In conclusion, TES delays post-traumatic cell death significantly. Moreover, we found "responder animals" which also benefited in the long-term from the treatment. Our in vivo cellular imaging results provide evidence that TES reduces ONC-associated neuronal swelling and shrinkage especially in RGCs which survived long-term. Further studies are now needed to determine the differences of responders vs. non-responders.

Transcorneal alternating current stimulation after severe axon damage in rats results in "long-term silent survivor" neurons.

Transcorneal alternating current stimulation (tACS) was proposed to decrease acute death of retinal ganglion cells after optic nerve transection in rats, but it is not known if cell survival is long-term and associated with functional restoration. We therefore evaluated the effects of tACS in a rat model of optic nerve crush using anatomical, electrophysiological and behavioural measures. Rats were trained in a brightness discrimination visual task and the retinal ganglion cell number was quantified with in vivo confocal neuroimaging. Thereafter, severe optic nerve crush or sham crush was performed and rats were treated under anaesthesia either with tACS or sham stimulation immediately after the lesion and on day 3, 7, 11, 15, 19 and 23. Brightness discrimination was evaluated for 6 weeks and retinal ganglion cells were counted in vivo on post-crush days 7 and 28. In additional rats we studied the influence of tACS on bioelectrical activity. On post-lesion day 28, the tACS-treated group showed a neuronal survival of 28.2% which was significantly greater than in sham operates (8.6%). All animals with optic nerve crush were significantly impaired in brightness discrimination and did not recover performance, irrespective to which group they belonged. In accordance with this, there was no significant influence of the stimulation on EEG power spectra. In conclusion, tACS induced long-term neuronal protection from delayed retrograde cell death, but in this case of severe axonal damage tACS did not influence functional restoration and EEG signals recorded over the visual cortex.

Transcorneal alternating current stimulation induces EEG "aftereffects" only in rats with an intact visual system but not after severe optic nerve damage.

Noninvasive alternating current stimulation can induce vision restoration in patients with chronic optic nerve damage and results in electroencephalogram (EEG) aftereffects. To better understand the mechanisms of action, we studied such EEG "aftereffects" of transcorneal alternating current stimulation (tACS) at the chronic posttraumatic state in rats. EEG baseline was recorded from visual cortex under ketamine/xylazine narcosis of healthy rats and rats with chronic severe optic nerve crush. One week later, both groups were again anesthetized and stimulated transcorneally twice for 12 min each time. tACS-induced changes were compared with baseline EEG. Over the course of 65 min narcosis baseline EEG revealed a shift from a dominant delta power to theta. This shift was significantly delayed in lesioned animals compared with healthy controls. tACS applied during the late narcosis stage in normal rats led to significantly increased theta power with a parallel shift of the dominating peak to higher frequency which outlasted the stimulation period by 15 min (aftereffects). EEG in lesioned rats was not significantly changed. In rodents, tACS can induce neuroplasticity as shown by EEG aftereffects that outlast the stimulation period. But this requires a minimal level of brain activation because aftereffects are not seen when tACS is applied during deep anesthesia and not when applied to animals after severe optic nerve damage. We conclude that tACS is only effective to induce cortical plasticity when the the retina can be excited.

Non-invasive alternating current stimulation improves vision in optic neuropathy.

PURPOSE: Partial blindness after visual system damage is considered irreversible, yet the brain has residual visual capacities and considerable plasticity potential. We now applied non-invasive alternating current stimulation (ACS) to the visual system of patients with optic nerve damage with the aim to induce recovery of visual functions. METHODS: In a prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial patients with several year old partial optic nerve lesions were treated with ACS (n = 12) or placebo-stimulation (n = 10). ACS was delivered transorbitally for 40 minutes on 10 days. Visual outcome measures and EEG were measured before and after treatment. RESULTS: ACS, but not placebo, led to significant improvement of a visual field detection deficit by 69%, and also significantly improved temporal processing of visual stimuli, detection performance in static perimetry, and visual acuity. These changes were associated with alpha-band changes in the EEG power spectra. Visual improvements were stable for at least 2-months. CONCLUSIONS: ACS can induce vision restoration many years after optic neuropathy. Though the mechanism is still unclear, EEG changes indicate increased synchronization in posterior brain regions. The present study provides Class Ib evidence that non-invasive transorbital ACS is well tolerated and improves visual function in optic neuropathy.