The Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteomic Response to Traumatic and Nontraumatic Acute Brain Injury: A Prospective Study.

BACKGROUND: Quantitative analysis of ventricular cerebrospinal fluid (vCSF) proteins following acute brain injury (ABI) may help identify pathophysiological pathways and potential biomarkers that can predict unfavorable outcome. METHODS: In this prospective proteomic analysis study, consecutive patients with severe ABI expected to require intraventricular catheterization for intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring for at least 5 days and patients without ABI admitted for elective clipping of an unruptured cerebral aneurysm were included. vCSF samples were collected within the first 24 h after ABI and ventriculostomy insertion and then every 24 h for 5 days. In patients without ABI, a single vCSF sample was collected at the time of elective clipping. Data-independent acquisition and sequential window acquisition of all theoretical spectra (SWATH) mass spectrometry were used to compare differences in protein expression in patients with ABI and patients without ABI and in patients with traumatic and nontraumatic ABI. Differences in protein expression according to different ICP values, intensive care unit outcome, subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) versus traumatic brain injury (TBI), and good versus poor 3-month functional status (assessed by using the Glasgow Outcome Scale) were also evaluated. vCSF proteins with significant differences between groups were compared by using linear models and selected for gene ontology analysis using R Language and the Panther database. RESULTS: We included 50 patients with ABI (SAH n = 23, TBI n = 15, intracranial hemorrhage n = 6, ischemic stroke n = 3, others n = 3) and 12 patients without ABI. There were significant differences in the expression of 255 proteins between patients with and without ABI (p < 0.01). There were intraday and interday differences in expression of seven proteins related to increased inflammation, apoptosis, oxidative stress, and cellular response to hypoxia and injury. Among these, glial fibrillary acidic protein expression was higher in patients with ABI with severe intracranial hypertension (ICH) (ICP ≥ 30 mm Hg) or death compared to those without (log 2 fold change: + 2.4; p < 0.001), suggesting extensive primary astroglial injury or death. There were differences in the expression of 96 proteins between patients with traumatic and nontraumatic ABI (p < 0.05); intraday and interday differences were observed for six proteins related to structural damage, complement activation, and cholesterol metabolism. Thirty-nine vCSF proteins were associated with an increased risk of severe ICH (ICP ≥ 30 mm Hg) in patients with traumatic compared with nontraumatic ABI (p < 0.05). No significant differences were found in protein expression between patients with SAH versus TBI or between those with good versus poor 3-month Glasgow Outcome Scale score. CONCLUSIONS: Dysregulated vCSF protein expression after ABI may be associated with an increased risk of severe ICH and death.

Oxidative Stress and Heavy Metals in Plants.

Oxidative stress is a pathological process related to not only animal kingdom but also plants. Regarding oxidative stress in plants, heavy metals are frequently discussed as causative stimuli with relevance to ecology. Because heavy metals have broad technological importance, they can easily contaminate the environment. Much of previous effort regarding the harmful impact of the heavy metals was given to their toxicology in the animals and humans. Their implication in plant pathogeneses is less known and remains underestimated.The current paper summarizes basic facts about heavy metals, their distribution in soil, mobility, accumulation by plants, and initiation of oxidative stress including the decline in basal metabolism. The both actual and frontier studies in the field are summarized and discussed. The major pathophysiological pathways are introduced as well and link between heavy metals toxicity and their ability to initiate an oxidative damage is provided. Mobility and bioaccessibility of the metals is also considered as key factors in their impact on oxidative stress development in the plant. The metals like lead, mercury, copper, cadmium, iron, zinc, nickel, vanadium are depicted in the text.Heavy metals appear to be significant contributors to pathological processes in the plants and oxidative stress is probably an important contributor to the effect. The most sensitive plant species are enlisted and discussed in this review. The facts presented here outline next effort to investigate pathological processes in the plants.

Alzheimer's disease biomarker-guided diagnostic workflow using the added value of six combined cerebrospinal fluid candidates: Aß1-42, total-tau, phosphorylated-tau, NFL, neurogranin, and YKL-40.

INTRODUCTION: The diagnostic and classificatory performances of all combinations of three core (amyloid ß peptide [i.e., Aß1-42], total tau [t-tau], and phosphorylated tau) and three novel (neurofilament light chain protein, neurogranin, and YKL-40) cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers of neurodegeneration were compared among individuals with mild cognitive impairment (n = 41), Alzheimer's disease dementia (ADD; n = 35), frontotemporal dementia (FTD; n = 9), and cognitively healthy controls (HC; n = 21), using 10-fold cross-validation. METHODS: The combinations ranking in the top 10 according to diagnostic accuracy in differentiating between distinct diagnostic categories were identified. RESULTS: The single biomarkers or biomarker combinations generating the best area under the receiver operating characteristics (AUROCs) were the following: the combination [amyloid ß peptide + phosphorylated tau + neurofilament light chain] for distinguishing between ADD patients and HC (AUROC = 0.86), t-tau for distinguishing between ADD and FTD patients (AUROC = 0.82), and t-tau for distinguishing between FTD patients and HC (AUROC = 0.78). CONCLUSIONS: Novel and established cerebrospinal fluid markers perform with at least fair accuracy in the discrimination between ADD and FTD. The classification of mild cognitive impairment individuals was poor.

Hydrogen sulfide slows down progression of experimental Alzheimer's disease by targeting multiple pathophysiological mechanisms.

It has been previously reported that brain hydrogen sulfide (H2S) synthesis is severely decreased in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, and plasma H2S levels are negatively correlated with the severity of AD. Here we extensively investigated whether treatment with a H2S donor and spa-waters rich in H2S induces neuroprotection and slows down progression of AD. Studies with sodium hydrosulfide (a H2S donor) and Tabiano's spa-water were carried out in three experimental models of AD. Short-term and long-term treatments with sodium hydrosulfide and/or Tabiano's spa-water significantly protected against impairment in learning and memory in rat models of AD induced by brain injection of ß-amyloid1-40 (Aß) or streptozotocin, and in an AD mouse model harboring human transgenes APPSwe, PS1M146V and tauP301L (3xTg-AD mice). The improvement in behavioral performance was associated with hippocampus was size of Aß plaques and preservation of the morphological picture, as found in AD rats. Further, lowered concentration/phosphorylation levels of proteins thought to be the central events in AD pathophysiology, namely amyloid precursor protein, presenilin-1, Aß1-42 and tau phosphorylated at Thr181, Ser396 and Ser202, were detected in 3xTg-AD mice treated with spa-water. The excitotoxicity-triggered oxidative and nitrosative stress was counteracted in 3xTg-AD mice, as indicated by the decreased levels of malondialdehyde and nitrites in the cerebral cortex. Hippocampus reduced activity of c-jun N-terminal kinases, extracellular signal-regulated kinases and p38, which have an established role not only in phosphorylation of tau protein but also in inflammation and apoptosis, was also found. Consistently, decrease in tumor necrosis factor-α level, up-regulation of Bcl-2, and down-regulation of BAX and the downstream executioner caspase-3, also occurred in the hippocampus of 3xTg-AD mice after treatment with Tabiano's spa-water, thus suggesting that it is also able to modulate inflammation and apoptosis. Our findings indicate that appropriate treatments with H2S donors and Tabiano's spa-waters, and may be other spa-waters rich in H2S content, might represent an innovative approach to slow down AD progression in humans by targeting multiple pathophysiological mechanisms.

Primary headaches.

Headache disorders, characterized by recurrent headache, are among the most common disorders of the nervous system. Primary headache disorders are by definition not the result of any other underlying disease or process. In this chapter the current status of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) research and applications for clinical practice for the three main primary headaches - migraine, cluster headache, and tension-type headache - will be described. Primary headaches are clinically diagnosed disorders, with typically normal routine CSF measurements. Research in these headaches has been focused on identifying pathophysiologic pathways with a wide array of measured molecules. CSF research in the headache field is still in the discovery phase, with most studies performed in migraine and with unreplicated findings for most of the identified molecules. From a clinical standpoint it would be of great value if CSF biomarkers could be used as disorder-specific biomarkers for difficult primary headache cases, or to predict treatment responsiveness or risk for headache chronification. These applications are currently not yet feasible. For future research into CSF biomarkers for primary headache disorders, two different strategies should be employed: hypothesis-driven and nonhypothesis-driven biochemical research, to show new avenues for treatment strategies and develop prediction models for clinical use.

Melanocortins protect against progression of Alzheimer's disease in triple-transgenic mice by targeting multiple pathophysiological pathways.

Besides specific triggering causes, Alzheimer's disease (AD) involves pathophysiological pathways that are common to acute and chronic neurodegenerative disorders. Melanocortins induce neuroprotection in experimental acute neurodegenerative conditions, and low melanocortin levels have been found in occasional studies performed in AD-type dementia patients. Here we investigated the possible neuroprotective role of melanocortins in a chronic neurodegenerative disorder, AD, by using 12-week-old (at the start of the study) triple-transgenic (3xTg-AD) mice harboring human transgenes APPSwe, PS1M146V, and tauP301L. Treatment of 3xTg-AD mice, once daily until the end of the study (30 weeks of age), with the melanocortin analog [Nle(4),D-Phe(7)]-α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (NDP-α-MSH) reduced cerebral cortex/hippocampus phosphorylation/level of all AD-related biomarkers investigated (mediators of amyloid/tau cascade, oxidative/nitrosative stress, inflammation, apoptosis), decreased neuronal loss, induced over-expression of the synaptic activity-dependent gene Zif268, and improved cognitive functions, relative to saline-treated 3xTg-AD mice. Pharmacological blockade of melanocortin MC4 receptors prevented all neuroprotective effects of NDP-α-MSH. Our study identifies, for the first time, a class of drugs, MC4 receptor-stimulating melanocortins, that are able to counteract the progression of experimental AD by targeting pathophysiological mechanisms up- and down-stream of ß-amyloid and tau. These data could have important clinical implications.

Antagonistas de los receptores de la endotelina para la hipertensión arterial pulmonar / Endothelin receptor antagonists for pulmonary arterial hypertension / Antagonistas dos receptores de endotelina para a hipertensão arterial pulmonar

La hipertensión arterial pulmonar (HAP) es consecuencia de una alteración aguda o crónica de la vasculatura pulmonar, que se caracteriza por el aumento de la presión arterial pulmonar como consecuencia del aumento de la resistencia vascular pulmonar. La fisiopatología de la HAP se caracteriza por la vasoconstricción pulmonar vascular, la proliferación de células musculares lisas, y la trombosis. Estos cambios son el resultado de un desequilibrio entre agentes vasodilatadores (prostaciclina, óxido nítrico, péptido intestinal vaso activo) y vasoconstrictores (tromboxano A2, endotelina, serotonina), los inhibidores de factores de crecimiento y mitógenos, y factores antitrombóticos y protrombóticos. Los recientes avances en el tratamiento están dirigidos a restablecer el equilibrio entre estos sistemas. Los antagonistas de los receptores de endotelina (bosentán, ambrisentán), inhibidores de la fosfodiesterasa tipo 5 (sildenafilo, tadalafilo), y prostaciclina (epoprostenol, iloprost, treprostinil, beraprost) representan las diferentes clases de medicamentos que se utilizan actualmente en monoterapia y en combinación para el tratamiento de la HAP. El propósito de esta revisión es proporcionar al lector una actualización del tratamiento de la HAP con antagonistas de los receptores de la endotelina.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a consequence of acute or chronic disorder of the pulmonary vasculature, which is characterized by increased pulmonary artery pressure as a result of increased pulmonary vascular resistance. The pathophysiology of PAH is characterized by pulmonary vascular vasoconstriction, smooth muscle cell proliferation, and thrombosis. These changes are a result of an imbalance between vasodilators (prostacyclin, nitric oxide, vasoactive intestinal peptide) and vasoconstrictors (thromboxane A2, endothelin, serotonin), growth inhibitors and mitogenic factors, and antithrombotic and prothrombotic factors. Recent advances in treatment are directed at restoring the balance between these systems. Endothelin receptor antagonists (bosentan, ambrisentan), phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (sildenafil, tadalafil), and prostacylin (epoprostenol, iloprost, treprostinil, beraprost) represent the different classes of medications that are currently used in monotherapy and in combination to treat PAH. The purpose of this review is to provide the reader with an update on the treatment of PAH with antagonists of endothelin receptors.

A hipertensão arterial pulmonar (HAP) é uma consequência da doença aguda ou crônica da vasculatura pulmonar, o que é caracterizado pelo aumento da pressão da artéria pulmonar, como um resultado da resistência vascular pulmonar aumentada. A fisiopatologia de HAP é caracterizada pela vasoconstrição pulmonar vascular, proliferação de células de músculo liso, e trombose. Estas alterações são um resultado de um desequilíbrio entre os vasodilatadores (prostaciclina, o óxido nítrico, o péptido intestinal vasoativo) e vasoconstritores (tromboxano A2, endotelina, serotonina), e inibidores de crescimento de fatores miogênicos, e fatores antitrombóticos e pró-trombóticos. Avanços recentes no tratamento são dirigidos para o restabelecimento do equilíbrio entre estes sistemas. Antagonistas do receptor da endotelina (bosentan, ambrisentan), inibidores da fosfodiesterasa tipo 5 (sildenafilo, tadalafilo) e prostaciclina (epoprostenol, iloprost, treprostinil, beraprost) representam as diferentes classes de medicamentos que são usados atualmente em monoterapia e em combinação para tratar HAP. O objetivo desta revisão é fornecer ao leitor uma atualização sobre o tratamento da HAP com os antagonistas dos receptores de endotelina.

Antagonistas de los receptores de la endotelina para la hipertensión arterial pulmonar / Endothelin receptor antagonists for pulmonary arterial hypertension / Antagonistas dos receptores de endotelina para a hipertensÒo arterial pulmonar

La hipertensión arterial pulmonar (HAP) es consecuencia de una alteración aguda o crónica de la vasculatura pulmonar, que se caracteriza por el aumento de la presión arterial pulmonar como consecuencia del aumento de la resistencia vascular pulmonar. La fisiopatología de la HAP se caracteriza por la vasoconstricción pulmonar vascular, la proliferación de células musculares lisas, y la trombosis. Estos cambios son el resultado de un desequilibrio entre agentes vasodilatadores (prostaciclina, óxido nítrico, péptido intestinal vaso activo) y vasoconstrictores (tromboxano A2, endotelina, serotonina), los inhibidores de factores de crecimiento y mitógenos, y factores antitrombóticos y protrombóticos. Los recientes avances en el tratamiento están dirigidos a restablecer el equilibrio entre estos sistemas. Los antagonistas de los receptores de endotelina (bosentán, ambrisentán), inhibidores de la fosfodiesterasa tipo 5 (sildenafilo, tadalafilo), y prostaciclina (epoprostenol, iloprost, treprostinil, beraprost) representan las diferentes clases de medicamentos que se utilizan actualmente en monoterapia y en combinación para el tratamiento de la HAP. El propósito de esta revisión es proporcionar al lector una actualización del tratamiento de la HAP con antagonistas de los receptores de la endotelina.(AU)

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a consequence of acute or chronic disorder of the pulmonary vasculature, which is characterized by increased pulmonary artery pressure as a result of increased pulmonary vascular resistance. The pathophysiology of PAH is characterized by pulmonary vascular vasoconstriction, smooth muscle cell proliferation, and thrombosis. These changes are a result of an imbalance between vasodilators (prostacyclin, nitric oxide, vasoactive intestinal peptide) and vasoconstrictors (thromboxane A2, endothelin, serotonin), growth inhibitors and mitogenic factors, and antithrombotic and prothrombotic factors. Recent advances in treatment are directed at restoring the balance between these systems. Endothelin receptor antagonists (bosentan, ambrisentan), phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (sildenafil, tadalafil), and prostacylin (epoprostenol, iloprost, treprostinil, beraprost) represent the different classes of medications that are currently used in monotherapy and in combination to treat PAH. The purpose of this review is to provide the reader with an update on the treatment of PAH with antagonists of endothelin receptors.(AU)

A hipertensÒo arterial pulmonar (HAP) é uma consequÛncia da doenþa aguda ou cr¶nica da vasculatura pulmonar, o que é caracterizado pelo aumento da pressÒo da artéria pulmonar, como um resultado da resistÛncia vascular pulmonar aumentada. A fisiopatologia de HAP é caracterizada pela vasoconstriþÒo pulmonar vascular, proliferaþÒo de células de músculo liso, e trombose. Estas alteraþ§es sÒo um resultado de um desequilíbrio entre os vasodilatadores (prostaciclina, o óxido nítrico, o péptido intestinal vasoativo) e vasoconstritores (tromboxano A2, endotelina, serotonina), e inibidores de crescimento de fatores miogÛnicos, e fatores antitrombóticos e pró-trombóticos. Avanþos recentes no tratamento sÒo dirigidos para o restabelecimento do equilíbrio entre estes sistemas. Antagonistas do receptor da endotelina (bosentan, ambrisentan), inibidores da fosfodiesterasa tipo 5 (sildenafilo, tadalafilo) e prostaciclina (epoprostenol, iloprost, treprostinil, beraprost) representam as diferentes classes de medicamentos que sÒo usados atualmente em monoterapia e em combinaþÒo para tratar HAP. O objetivo desta revisÒo é fornecer ao leitor uma atualizaþÒo sobre o tratamento da HAP com os antagonistas dos receptores de endotelina.(AU)