Effects of Anti-Seizure Medication on Neuregulin-1 Gene and Protein in Patients with First-Episode Focal Epilepsy.

Introduction: Neuregulin-1 (NRG-1) appears to play a role in the pathogenesis of several neuropsychiatric disorders, including epilepsy. We conducted a study to investigate the effect of anti-seizure medication on NRG-1 mRNA and NRG-1 protein levels in patients with first-episode focal epilepsy. Methods: The levels of NRG-1 mRNA isoforms (type I, II, III, and IV) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 39 healthy controls, 39 first-episode focal epilepsy patients before anti-seizure medication (ASM) therapy and four weeks after administration of ASM were measured by RT-qPCR, and the levels of NRG-1 protein in the serum of samples of each group were determined using ELISA. In addition the relationship between efficacy, NRG-1 mRNA expression, and NRG-1 protein expression was analyzed. Results: The levels of NRG-1 mRNA progressively increased in patients with first-episode focal epilepsy treated with ASM and were distinctly different from those before medication, but remained lower than in healthy controls (all P < 0.001). Before and after drug administration, NRG-1 protein levels were substantially higher in epileptic patients than in healthy controls, and no significant changes were detected with prolonged follow-up (P < 0.001). Patients with epilepsy who utilized ASM were able to control seizures with an overall efficacy of 97.4%. There was a negative correlation between NRG-1 mRNA levels and efficacy: as NRG-1 mRNA levels increased, seizures reduced (all P < 0.05). Conclusion: Our research indicated that NRG-1 may play a role in the pathophysiology of epilepsy. NRG-1 mRNA may provide ideas for the discovery of novel epilepsy therapeutic markers and therapeutic targets for novel ASM.

Elevated peripheral Neuregulin-1 protein levels in non-medicated focal epilepsy patients.

INTRODUCTION: The Neuregulin-1 (NRG-1) gene has been identified as a susceptibility gene for schizophrenia. Schizophrenia and epilepsy shared some common clinical manifestations and common pathogenesis. Therefore, it is necessary to explore whether there is a relationship between NRG-1 and epilepsy. This study aimed to investigate the expression level of NRG-1 in peripheral blood of non-medicated patients with first-onset focal epilepsy. METHODS: A total of 83 non-medicated first-onset focal epilepsy patients and 80 healthy controls were involved in this study. Serum NRG-1 protein levels were determined by ELISA. RESULTS: Compared to healthy controls (mean ± SD, 3.97 ± 2.37), NRG-1 protein levels were statistically significantly higher in patients (mean ± SD, 5.37 ± 3.48) (P = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that NRG-1 protein may play a role in the pathogenesis of focal epilepsy, which provides insights into the search for epilepsy potential therapeutic markers and new drug treatment targets.

Exosomes: A new option for osteoporosis treatment.

Osteoporosis is a systemic bone disease characterized by reduced bone mass and destruction of bone microarchitecture, leading to increased bone fragility and susceptibility to fracture. However, the pathogenesis and molecular mechanisms of this disease remain unclear. Extracellular vesicles, structures originating from the plasma membrane and ranging from 30 nm to 5 µm in diameter, play an important role in intercellular communication in the bone microenvironment. Exosomes are extracellular vesicles that deliver cargo molecules, including endogenous proteins, lipids and nucleic acids. These cargo molecules are encapsulated in a lipid bilayer and internalized by target cells through receptor-ligand interactions or lipid membrane fusion. With the advancement of exosome research, exosome therapy for osteoporosis is fast becoming a research hotspot for researchers. This review aims to discuss the role of exosomes in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. In addition, emerging diagnostic and therapeutic properties of exosomes are described to highlight the potential role of exosomes in osteoporosis.