ABCC2 rs2273697 is associated with valproic acid concentrations in patients with epilepsy on valproic acid monotherapy.

Valproic acid (VPA), a widely used antiepileptic drug, is characterized by intensive inter-individual variability in concentration. Both efflux and influx transporters are reported to play important roles in the disposition of VPA, however, no comprehensive investigation into the association of the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in ABC/SLC families with VPA concentration are reported. In the present study, we investigated the association of 12 SNPs in ABCC2, ABCC4, ABCG2, MCT1, MCT2, and OATP2B1 in 187 Chinese patients with epilepsy on VPA monotherapy with the trough concentrations of VPA. The data showed that VPA concentration in patients with ABCC2 rs2273697 AA genotype was significantly higher than that in those with GA+GG genotypes (p=0.000). The findings of the present study suggest that ABCC2 polymorphisms influence VPA concentrations in patients with epilepsy on VPA monotherapy, which may affect the treatment outcomes.

A satisfaction survey of current medicines used for migraine therapy in China: is Chinese patent medicine effective compared with Western medicine for the acute treatment of migraine?

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the patient satisfaction with medications commonly used for migraine therapy in patients seen in headache clinic in China with emphasis on the evaluation of Chinese patent medicine (CPM) in relieving acute migraine attack. METHODS: Patients admitted at headache clinics in the neurological departments of four hospitals during April to October 2011 were enrolled in the investigation. The questionnaire was designed based on the validation of a diagnostic questionnaire for a population-based survey in China in 2009. RESULTS: Among 219 eligible patients, 58% had used CPM at the acute attack of migraine while the guideline-recommended treatments were seldom used. However, patients using CPMs were less satisfied than those using Western Medicines (WMs) in either single medication groups or mixed medication groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Fifty-eight percent of the eligible respondents in Guangdong and Guangxi Province had used CPM at the acute attack of migraine, but based on our data, the effect of CPM on treating migraine attack was poor with low satisfaction compared with WMs. However, many factors may bias or explain our findings. This suggests the need for accelerated research in understanding patient choice, treatment availability, and use of medications.

Cultured human embryonic neocortical cells survive and grow in infarcted cavities of adult rat brains and interconnect with host brain.

BACKGROUND: There are no reports on exnografting cultured human fetal neocortical cells in this infracted cavities of adult rat brains. This study was undertaken to observe whether cultured human cortical neurons and astrocytes can survive and grow in the infarcted cavities of adult rat brains and whether they interconnect with host brains. METHODS: The right middle cerebral artery was ligated distal to the striatal branches in 16 adult stroke-prone renovascular hypertensive rats. One week later, cultured cells from human embryonic cerebral cortexes were stereotaxically transferred to the infarcted cavity of 11 rats. The other 5 rats receiving sham transplants served as controls. For immunosuppression, all transplanted rats received intraperitoneal injection of cyclosporine A daily starting on the day of grafting. Immunohistochemistry for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), synaptophysin, neurofilament, and microtubule associated protein-2 (MAP-2) was performed on brain sections perfused in situ 8 weeks after transplantation. RESULTS: Grafts in the infarcted cavities of 6 of 10 surviving rats consisted of bands of neurons with an immature appearance, bundles of fibers, and GFAP-immunopositive astrocytes, which were unevenly distributed. The grafts were rich in synaptophysin, neurofilament, and MAP2-positive neurons with long processes. The graft/host border was diffuse with dendrites apparently bridging over to the host brain, into which neurofilament immunopositive fibers protruded. CONCLUSION: Cultured human fetal brain cells can survive and grow in the infarcted cavities of immunodepressed rats and integrate with the host brain.

Tight junction disruption of blood-brain barrier in white matter lesions in chronic hypertensive rats.

Tight junctions (TJs) are the most important structure of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Studies have shown that triggering of white matter lesions (WMLs) may be related to a BBB dysfunction, but rarely have studies observed the progressive changes in TJs longitudinally. In our present study, the ultrastructure of TJs was observed using a transmission electron microscope in Stroke-prone Renalvascular Hypertensive Rats. Western blotting was used to detect TJ-related proteins zonula occludens-1 and occludin. The results showed that in Stroke-prone Renalvascular Hypertensive Rats, the severity of WMLs increased gradually. TJs was destroyed gradually 8 weeks after hypertension. The levels of zonula occludens-1 and occludin also decreased gradually. These data suggested that long-term hypertension may contribute toward the gradual disruption of TJs of BBB and induce WMLs in chronic hypertensive rats.

The role of SDF-1/CXCR4 in the vasculogenesis and remodeling of cerebral arteriovenous malformation.

BACKGROUND: Cerebral arteriovenous malformation (AVM) involves the vasculogenesis of cerebral blood vessels and can cause severe intracranial hemorrhage. Stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) and its receptor, CXCR4, are believed to exert multiple physiological functions including angiogenesis. Thus, we investigated the role of SDF-1/CXCR4 in the vasculogenesis of cerebral AVM. METHODS: Brain AVM lesions from surgical resections were analyzed for the expression of SDF-1, CXCR4, VEGF-A, and HIF-1 by using immunohistochemical staining. Flow cytometry was used to quantify the level of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). Further, in an animal study, chronic cerebral hypoperfusion model rats were analyzed for the expression of SDF-1 and HIF-1. CXCR4 antagonist, AMD3100, was also used to detect its effects on cerebral vasculogenesis and SDF-1 expression. RESULTS: Large amounts of CXCR4-positive CD45(+) cells were found in brain AVM lesion blood vessel walls, which also have higher SDF-1 expression. Cerebral AVM patients also had higher level of EPCs and SDF-1. In chronic cerebral hypoperfusion rats, SDF-1, HIF-1, and CD45 expressions were elevated. The application of AMD3100 effectively suppressed angiogenesis and infiltration of CXCR4-positive CD45(+) cells in hypoperfusion rats compared to controls. CONCLUSION: The SDF-1/CXCR4 axis plays an important role in the vasculogenesis and migration of inflammatory cells in cerebral AVM lesions, possibly via the recruitment of bone marrow EPCs.

Profiling of alternative polyadenylation sites in luminal B breast cancer using the SAPAS method.

Breast cancer (BC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality in females and is recognized as a molecularly heterogeneous disease. Previous studies have suggested that alternative messenger RNA (mRNA) processing, particularly alternative polyadenylation [poly(A)] (APA), can be a powerful molecular biomarker with prognostic potential. Therefore, in the present study, we profiled APA sites in the luminal B subtype of BC by sequencing APA sites (SAPAS) method, in order to assess the relation of these APA site-switching events to the recognized molecular subtypes of BC, and to discover novel candidate genes and pathways in BC. Through comprehensive analysis, the trend of APA site-switching events in the 3' untranslated regions (3'UTRs) in the luminal B subtype of BC were found to be the same as that in MCF7 cell lines. Among the genes involved in the events, a significantly greater number of genes was found with shortened 3'UTRs in the samples, which were samples of primary cancer with relatively low proliferation. These findings may provide novel information for the clinical diagnosis and prognosis on a molecular level. Several potential biomarkers with significantly differential tandem 3'UTRs and expression were found and validated. The related biological progresses and pathways involved were partly confirmed by other studies. In conclusion, this study provides new insight into the diagnosis and prognosis of BC from the APA site profile aspect.

[Study on effect of electrical stimulus on repairing of astrocytes and neurons in rehabilitation after middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the mechanism of rehabilitation after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). METHODS: MCAO model was reproduced with two-kidney, two clip renovascular hypertensive rats stroke-prone (RHRSP), which were divided into two groups, the treated group (treated with electric stimulus) and the control group (untreated model) randomly. The rehabilitation of rats was evaluated by balance beam walking test. The ultrastructural changes of neurons and astrocytes, expressions of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive cells, neurofilament (NF) protein, and cerebral capillary dilatation M-associated protein-2 (MAP2), as well as the neurons apoptosis and the number of dilatation of cerebral capillary in the margin of infarcted area were observed by the end of 1st, 3rd, 6th and 9th week after modeling. RESULTS: The motor function of paralysed limbs recovered better in the treated group than that in the control group by the end of 3-9th week after MCAO, the expression of GFAP-positive cells in astrocytes and NF, MAP2 in neurons as well as the number of cerebral capillary dilatation at the margin of infarcted area were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Electric stimulation treatment could improve the recovery of motor function of paralyzed limbs. It might be due to the effect of electric stimulus in increasing astrocytes proliferation, reinforcing activity of neurons and evoking the dilatation of cerebral capillary.

Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR)-γ co-activator 1-α and hypoxia induced factor-1α mediate neuro- and vascular protection by hypoxic preconditioning in vitro.

Preconditioning-induced cellular adaptation is a new therapeutic strategy for ischemic stroke. This research aims to examine the role of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR)-γ co-activator 1-α (PGC-1α) and hypoxia induced factor-1α (HIF-1α) in hypoxic preconditioning-induced protection. In this study, rat artery endothelial cells and neuronal PC12 cells were preconditioned with hypoxia before oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) insult. Cell viability, protein expression and oxidative stress were then evaluated. PGC-1α and HIF-1α were knocked down by RNA interference. We found that hypoxic preconditioning significantly reduced cell damage, enhanced the expression of PGC-1α, HIF-1α and VEGF and attenuated oxidative stress in endothelial and PC12 cells in OGD model. The protective effects of hypoxic preconditioning were hardly detected in HIF-1α or PGC-1α deficit cells. The loss of protection was accompanied with a significant loss of VEGF expression in HIF-1α or PGC-1α deficit PC12 cells and PGC-1α deficit endothelial cells as well as a considerable decrease of anti-oxidative effects in PGC-1α knocked-down endothelial cells. The present study demonstrated that both PGC-1α and HIF-1α played crucial roles in hypoxic preconditioning in endothelial and neuronal cells.

Pleiotrophin promotes microglia proliferation and secretion of neurotrophic factors by activating extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 pathway.

Pleiotrophin (PTN) is an effective neuroprotective factor and its expression is strikingly increased in microglia after ischemia/reperfusion injury. However, whether PTN could provide neurotrophic support to neurons by regulating microglia function is not clear. In this study, we demonstrated that the expression of PTN was induced in microglia after oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion. PTN promoted the proliferation of microglia by enhancing the G1 to S phase transition. PTN also stimulated the secretion of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) in microglia, but did not upregulate the expression of proinflammatory factors such as TNF-α, IL-1ß and iNOS. Mechanistically, we found that PTN increased the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 in microglia in both concentration-dependent and time-dependent manners. In addition, ERK1/2 inhibitor U0126 abolished the proliferation and G1 to S phase transition of microglia stimulated by PTN, and inhibited the production of BDNF, CNTF and NGF induced by PTN. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that PTN-ERK1/2 pathway plays important role in regulating microglia growth and secretion of neurotrophic factors. These findings provide new insight into the neuroprotective role of PTN and suggest that PTN is a new target for therapeutic intervention of stroke.

DL-3-n-butylphthalide protects endothelial cells against oxidative/nitrosative stress, mitochondrial damage and subsequent cell death after oxygen glucose deprivation in vitro.

DL-3-n-butylphthalide (NBP) has been used for stroke treatment in China for years. Recently, we found that NBP can reduce the incidence of stroke and have protective action on cerebral microvessels, suggesting a direct action of NBP on endothelial cells. However, it is difficult to evaluate the direct action of NBP on endothelial cells in vivo because of the interactions of endothelial cells with other types of neuronal cells. Therefore, we investigated whether NBP protects against oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD)-induced cell injury in an immortalized human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) in vitro. Cells were exposed to OGD, leading to endothelial damage. Endothelial injury was assessed by measuring MTT and the changes in chromatin morphology. Mitochondrial superoxide, mitochondrial membrane potential and mitochondrial morphology were assessed using MitoSOX Red. Rhodamine 123 and MitoTracker, respectively. Nitrosative stress was assessed by measuring the production of peroxynitrite. The activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) is evaluated using SOD assay kit-WST. The expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1alpha) was assessed at the protein level by immunofluorescence and Western blotting. NBP at doses between 0.01 and 100 micromol/L dose-dependently protected against OGD-induced cell death. In addition, NBP attenuated OGD-induced mitochondria superoxide, cellular formation of peroxynitrite, and decrease in SOD activity, mitochondria fragmentation and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. In parallel, NBP enhanced OGD-induced HIF-1alpha expression. This study demonstrates that NBP can protect HUVEC against OGD-induced oxidative/nitrosative stress, mitochondrial damage and subsequent cell death. This protective effect is, at least in part, associated with its enhancement on OGD-induced HIF-1alpha expression.