Semiautomated volumetry of the cerebrum, cerebellum-brain stem, and temporal lobe on brain magnetic resonance images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayashi, Norio; Matsuura, Yukihiro; Kawahara, Kazuhiro; Tsujii, Hideo; Yamamoto, Tomoyuki; Sanada, Shigeru; Suzuki, Masayuki; Matsui, Osamu

2008-01-01

The aim of this study was to develop an automated method of segmenting the cerebrum, cerebellum-brain stem, and temporal lobe simultaneously on magnetic resonance (MR) images. We obtained T1-weighted MR images from 10 normal subjects and 19 patients with brain atrophy. To perform automated volumetry from MR images, we performed the following three steps: segmentation of the brain region; separation between the cerebrum and the cerebellum-brain stem; and segmentation of the temporal lobe. Evaluation was based on the correctly recognized region (CRR) (i.e., the region recognized by both the automated and manual methods). The mean CRRs of the normal and atrophic brains were 98.2% and 97.9% for the cerebrum, 87.9% and 88.5% for the cerebellum-brain stem, and 76.9% and 85.8% for the temporal lobe, respectively. We introduce an automated volumetric method for the cerebrum, cerebellum-brain stem, and temporal lobe on brain MR images. Our method can be applied to not only the normal brain but also the atrophic brain. (author)

Paraneoplastic brain stem encephalitis.

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Blaes, Franz

2013-04-01

Paraneoplastic brain stem encephalitis can occur as an isolated clinical syndrome or, more often, may be part of a more widespread encephalitis. Different antineuronal autoantibodies, such as anti-Hu, anti-Ri, and anti-Ma2 can be associated with the syndrome, and the most frequent tumors are lung and testicular cancer. Anti-Hu-associated brain stem encephalitis does not normally respond to immunotherapy; the syndrome may stabilize under tumor treatment. Brain stem encephalitis with anti-Ma2 often improves after immunotherapy and/or tumor therapy, whereas only a minority of anti-Ri positive patients respond to immunosuppressants or tumor treatment. The Opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome (OMS) in children, almost exclusively associated with neuroblastoma, shows a good response to steroids, ACTH, and rituximab, some patients do respond to intravenous immunoglobulins or cyclophosphamide. In adults, OMS is mainly associated with small cell lung cancer or gynecological tumors and only a small part of the patients show improvement after immunotherapy. Earlier diagnosis and treatment seem to be one major problem to improve the prognosis of both, paraneoplastic brain stem encephalitis, and OMS.

Cysteamine induces cholecystokinin release from the duodenum. Evidence for somatostatin as an inhibitory paracrine regulator of cholecystokinin secretion in the rat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abucham, J.; Reichlin, S.

1990-01-01

To determine whether cholecystokinin secretion is regulated by endogenous somatostatin, somatostatin deficiency was induced in vivo with cysteamine (250 mg/kg body wt, IV) or anti-somatostatin antiserum in anaesthetized rats and in vitro with cysteamine (30 micrograms/mL) in a rat duodenum-incubation system. Cholecystokinin secretion was assessed in vivo by measuring amylase in duodenal perfusates collected at 10-minute intervals for 1 hour and in vitro by a carboxy-terminal radioimmunoassay. Cysteamine induced a marked decrease in duodenal immunoreactive somatostatin both in vivo (50%) and in vitro (60%). The rate of amylase secretion increased from 9.7 +/- 2.1 U (mean +/- SE) to 28.0 +/- 4.8 U at 20 minutes (P less than 0.001). The cholecystokinin-receptor antagonist CR-1392 abolished amylase response for 30 minutes, whereas the more potent antagonists Asperlicin (18.0 mg/kg body wt, IV) and L-364,718 (0.25 mg/kg body wt, IV) caused prolonged blockade. The rate of amylase secretion in gastrectomized animals increased from 7.2 +/- 2.0 U to 15.0 +/- 2.2 U 20 minutes after cysteamine administration (P less than 0.01), indicating that the effect was not due to the presence of gastrin. In vitro, cysteamine caused a nearly fourfold increase in cholecystokinin secretion compared with controls (63.1 +/- 4.9 vs. 15.2 +/- 3.7, respectively; P less than 0.001). In vivo immunoneutralization of circulating somatostatin with a high-affinity and high-capacity antiserum produced no significant change in the rate of amylase secretion. These results suggest that cholecystokinin secretion is tonically inhibited by somatostatin and that this effect is mediated by locally secreted (paracrine) but not by circulating somatostatin

The brain stem function in patients with brain bladder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahashi, Toshihiro

1990-01-01

A syndrome of detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia (DSD) is occasionally found in patients with brain bladder. To evaluate the brain stem function in cases of brain bladder, urodynamic study, dynamic CT scan of the brain stem (DCT) and auditory brainstem response (ABR) were performed. The region of interest of DCT aimed at the posterolateral portion of the pons. The results were analysed in contrast with the presense of DSD in urodynamic study. DCT studies were performed in 13 cases with various brain diseases and 5 control cases without neurological diseases. Abnormal patterns of the time-density curve consisted of low peak value, prolongation of filling time and low rapid washout ratio (low clearance ratio) of the contrast medium. Four of 6 cases with DSD showed at least one of the abnormal patterns of the time-density curve bilaterally. In 7 cases without DSD none showed bilateral abnormality of the curve and in 2 of 7 cases only unilateral abnormality was found. ABR was performed in 8 patients with brain diseases. The interpeak latency of the wave I-V (I-V IPL) was considered to be prolonged in 2 cases with DSD compared to that of 4 without DSD. In 2 cases with DSD who had normal DCT findings, measurement of the I-V IPL was impossible due to abnormal pattern of the ABR wave. Above mentioned results suggests the presence of functional disturbance at the posterolateral portion of the pons in cases of brain bladder with DSD. (author)

Brain stem type neuro-Behcet's syndrome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kataoka, Satoshi; Hirose, Genjiro; Kosoegawa, Hiroshi; Oda, Rokuhei; Yoshioka, Akira

1987-01-01

Two cases of brain stem type Neuro-Behcet's syndrome were evaluated by brain CT and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (Super-conducting type, 0.5 tesla) to correlate with the neurological findings. In the acute phase, low density area with peripheral enhancement effect and mass effect were seen at the brain stem in brain CT. MRI revealed a extensive high intensity signal area mainly involving the corticospinal tract in the meso-diencephalon as well as pons by T 2 weighted images (spin echo, TR = 1, 600 msec, TE = 90 msec) and the value of T 1 , T 2 , at the brain stem lesion were prolonged moderately. After high dose steroid treatment, the low density area in brain CT and high signal area in MRI were gradually reduced in its size. Peripheral enhancement effect in brain CT disappeared within 10 months in case 1, one month in the other case. In the chronic stage, the reduction of low density area and atrophy of brain stem were noted in brain CT. The lesion in chronic stage had low intensity in T 1 , T 2 weighted images and the T 1 , T 2 values at the lesion were mildly prolonged in MRI. Sequentially CT with enhancement and MRI examinations with T 1 , T 2 weighted images were useful to detect the lesion and to evaluate the activity, evolution of brain stem type Neuro-Behcet's syndrome. (author)

Brain mesenchymal stem cells: The other stem cells of the brain?

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Appaix, Florence; Nissou, Marie-France; van der Sanden, Boudewijn; Dreyfus, Matthieu; Berger, François; Issartel, Jean-Paul; Wion, Didier

2014-04-26

Multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC), have the potential to differentiate into cells of the mesenchymal lineage and have non-progenitor functions including immunomodulation. The demonstration that MSCs are perivascular cells found in almost all adult tissues raises fascinating perspectives on their role in tissue maintenance and repair. However, some controversies about the physiological role of the perivascular MSCs residing outside the bone marrow and on their therapeutic potential in regenerative medicine exist. In brain, perivascular MSCs like pericytes and adventitial cells, could constitute another stem cell population distinct to the neural stem cell pool. The demonstration of the neuronal potential of MSCs requires stringent criteria including morphological changes, the demonstration of neural biomarkers expression, electrophysiological recordings, and the absence of cell fusion. The recent finding that brain cancer stem cells can transdifferentiate into pericytes is another facet of the plasticity of these cells. It suggests that the perversion of the stem cell potential of pericytes might play an even unsuspected role in cancer formation and tumor progression.

Carbobenzoxy amino acids: Structural requirements for cholecystokinin receptor antagonist activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maton, P.N.; Sutliff, V.E.; Jensen, R.T.; Gardner, J.D.

1985-01-01

The authors used dispersed acini prepared from guinea pig pancreas to examine 28 carbobenzoxy (CBZ) amino acids for their abilities to function as cholecystokinin receptor antagonists. All amino acid derivatives tested, except for CBZ-alanine, CBZ-glycine, and N alpha-CBZ- lysine, were able to inhibit the stimulation of amylase secretion caused by the C-terminal octapeptide of cholecystokinin. In general, there was a good correlation between the ability of a carbobenzoxy amino acid to inhibit stimulated amylase secretion and the ability of the amino acid derivative to inhibit binding of 125 I-cholecystokinin. The inhibition of cholecystokinin-stimulated amylase secretion was competitive, fully reversible, and specific for those secretagogues that interact with the cholecystokinin receptor. The potencies with which the various carbobenzoxy amino acids inhibited the action of cholecystokinin varied 100-fold and CBZ-cystine was the most potent cholecystokinin receptor antagonist. This variation in potency was primarily but not exclusively a function of the hydrophobicity of the amino acid side chain

Delayed radiation injury of brain stem after radiotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Yunli; Liu Yingxin; Xie Dong; Su Danke; Chen Mingzhong

2002-01-01

Objective: To study the clinical characteristics, MRI findings, diagnosis, treatment and prognostic factors of patients with radiation induced brain stem injury in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Methods: From January 1991 to January 2001, 24 patients with radiation injury of brain stem were treated, 14 males and 10 females. The latency ranged from 6 to 38 months, with a median of 18 months. The lesions were located in the pons in 10 patients, mesencephalon + pons in 4, pons + medulla oblongata in 5, medulla oblongata in 2 and mesencephalon + pons + medulla oblongata in 3. MRI findings showed that the injury was chiefly presented as hypointensity foci on T 1 WI and hyperintensity foci on T 2 WI. Results: Eighteen patients were treated with dexamethasone in the early phase, with symptoms relieved in 12 patients but unimproved in 6 patients. Eight 44% patients died within the 8-38 months, leaving 16 patients surviving for 0.5 to 6.0 years. Conclusions: Radiation injury of brain stem has a short latency with severe symptoms, signifying poor prognosis. It is suggested that adequate reduction of irradiation volume and dose at the brain stem should be able to lower the incidence of brain stem injury

Role of sulfate ester in influencing biological activity of cholecystokinin-related peptides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vinayek, R.; Jensen, R.T.; Gardner, J.D.

1987-01-01

In dispersed acini from guinea pig, mouse, or rat pancreas cholecystokinin-(27-33) is a full agonist, and removing the sulfate ester from the tyrosine residue in position 27 caused a 100- to 300-fold decrease in potency with no change in efficacy. In dispersed acini from mouse or rat pancreas, cholecystokinin-(27-32)-NH 2 is a partial agonist, and removing the sulfate ester from the tyrosine in position 27 abolished the efficacy. The desulfated peptide was able, however, to interact with [ 125 I] CCK receptors with a potency that was threefold less than that of cholecystokinin-(27-32)-NH 2 and therefore functioned as a cholecystokinin receptor antagonist. In dispersed acini from guinea pig pancreas cholecystokinin-(27-32)-NH 2 is a cholecystokinin receptor antagonist. Removing the sulfate ester from the tyrosine residue in position 27 of cholecystokinin-(27-32)-NH 2 caused a fourfold decrease in potency but did not abolish the ability of the peptide to interact with cholecystokinin receptors; therefore, desulfated cholecystokinin-(27-32)-NH 2 functioned as a cholecystokinin receptor antagonist

Radioimmunoassay of cholecystokinin in human plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Byrnes, D.J.; Henderson, L.; Borody, T.; Rehfeld, J.F.

1981-01-01

A sensitive radioimmunoassay for cholecystokinin (CCK) has been developed. Porcine CCK-33 was labelled by conjugation with 125 I-hydroxyphenyl-propionic acid succinimide ester. Antibodies were raised against porcine CCK-33 covalently coupled to egg albumin. Plasma samples were extracted with 96% ethanol prior to assay. Free and bound hormone were separated by dextran-coated charcoal. The antibodies bound CCK-8 and CCK-33 with equimolar potency. The assay detection limit was 1 pmol/l plasma. Within and between assay coefficients of variation were +-12.7 and 13.0% at mean plasma CCK concentrations of 13.2 and 13.6 pmol/l. The concentration of CCK in 47 normal fasting subjects ranged from undetectable to 22 pmol/l. Ingestion of a mixed meal in 9 normal subjects increased the plasma concentration from 8.3 +- 2.5 S.E. to 24.4 +- 6.5 pmol/l. (Auth.)

Neurofibromatosis type 1: brain stem tumours

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bilaniuk, L.T.; Molloy, P.T.; Zimmerman, R.A.; Phillips, P.C.; Vaughan, S.N.; Liu, G.T.; Sutton, L.N.; Needle, M.

1997-01-01

We describe the clinical and imaging findings of brain stem tumours in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). The NF1 patients imaged between January 1984 and January 1996 were reviewed and 25 patients were identified with a brain stem tumour. Clinical, radiographical and pathological results were obtained by review of records and images. Brain stem tumour identification occurred much later than the clinical diagnosis of NF1. Medullary enlargement was most frequent (68 %), followed by pontine (52 %) and midbrain enlargement (44 %). Patients were further subdivided into those with diffuse (12 patients) and those with focal (13 patients) tumours. Treatment for hydrocephalus was required in 67 % of the first group and only 15 % of the second group. Surgery was performed in four patients and revealed fibrillary astrocytomas, one of which progressed to an anaplastic astrocytoma. In 40 % of patients both brain stem and optic pathway tumours were present. The biological behaviour of brain stem tumours in NF1 is unknown. Diffuse tumours in the patients with NF1 appear to have a much more favourable prognosis than patients with similar tumours without neurofibromatosis type 1. (orig.). With 7 figs., 3 tabs

Fenofibrate reduces food intake via cholecystokinin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S Yu Vorotnikova

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Реферат по статье: Park MK, Han Y, Kim MS, Seo E, Kang S, Park SY, Koh H, Kim DK, Lee HJ. Reduction of Food Intake by Fenofibrate is Associated with Cholecystokinin Release in Long-Evans Tokushima Rats. Korean J Physiol Pharmacol. 2012 Jun;16(3:181-6.

Cholecystokinin receptor-1 mediates the inhibitory effects of exogenous cholecystokinin octapeptide on cellular morphine dependence

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Wen Di

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8, the most potent endogenous anti-opioid peptide, has been shown to regulate the processes of morphine dependence. In our previous study, we found that exogenous CCK-8 attenuated naloxone induced withdrawal symptoms. To investigate the precise effect of exogenous CCK-8 and the role of cholecystokinin (CCK 1 and/or 2 receptors in morphine dependence, a SH-SY5Y cell model was employed, in which the μ-opioid receptor, CCK1/2 receptors, and endogenous CCK are co-expressed. Results Forty-eight hours after treating SH-SY5Y cells with morphine (10 μM, naloxone (10 μM induced a cAMP overshoot, indicating that cellular morphine dependence had been induced. The CCK receptor and endogenous CCK were up-regulated after chronic morphine exposure. The CCK2 receptor antagonist (LY-288,513 at 1–10 μM inhibited the naloxone-precipitated cAMP overshoot, but the CCK1 receptor antagonist (L-364,718 did not. Interestingly, CCK-8 (0.1-1 μM, a strong CCK receptor agonist, dose-dependently inhibited the naloxone-precipitated cAMP overshoot in SH-SY5Y cells when co-pretreated with morphine. The L-364,718 significantly blocked the inhibitory effect of exogenous CCK-8 on the cAMP overshoot at 1–10 μM, while the LY-288,513 did not. Therefore, the CCK2 receptor appears to be necessary for low concentrations of endogenous CCK to potentiate morphine dependence in SH-SY5Y cells. An additional inhibitory effect of CCK-8 at higher concentrations appears to involve the CCK1 receptor. Conclusions This study reveals the difference between exogenous CCK-8 and endogenous CCK effects on the development of morphine dependence, and provides the first evidence for the participation of the CCK1 receptor in the inhibitory effects of exogenous CCK-8 on morphine dependence.

Analysis of Neural Stem Cells from Human Cortical Brain Structures In Vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Aleksandrova, M A; Poltavtseva, R A; Marei, M V; Sukhikh, G T

2016-05-01

Comparative immunohistochemical analysis of the neocortex from human fetuses showed that neural stem and progenitor cells are present in the brain throughout the gestation period, at least from week 8 through 26. At the same time, neural stem cells from the first and second trimester fetuses differed by the distribution, morphology, growth, and quantity. Immunocytochemical analysis of neural stem cells derived from fetuses at different gestation terms and cultured under different conditions showed their differentiation capacity. Detailed analysis of neural stem cell populations derived from fetuses on gestation weeks 8-9, 18-20, and 26 expressing Lex/SSEA1 was performed.

Childhood Brain Stem Glioma Treatment (PDQ®)—Patient Version

Science.gov (United States)

Childhood brain stem glioma can be a benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer) condition where abnormal cells form in the tissues of the brain stem. Get information about the symptoms, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of newly diagnosed and recurrent childhood brain stem glioma in this expert-reviewed summary.

Brain stem cavernous angioma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delcarpio-O'Donovan, R.; Melanson, D.; Tampieri, D.; Ethier, R.

1988-01-01

Twenty-two cases of cavernous angioma of the brain stem were definitely diagnosed by means of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. In many cases, the diagnosis had remained elusive for several years. Clinically, some cases behaved like multiple sclerosis or brain stem tumor. Others, usually associated with bleeding, caused increased intracranial pressure or subarachnoid hemorrhage. The diagnostic limitations of computed tomography in the posterior fossa are well known. Angiography fails to reveal abnormalities, since this malformation has neither a feeding artery nor a draining vein. Diagnosticians' familiarity with the MR appearance of this lesion may save patients from invasive diagnostic studies and potentially risky treatment

Comparative brain stem lesions on MRI of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, neuromyelitis optica, and multiple sclerosis.

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Zhengqi Lu

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Brain stem lesions are common in patients with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM, neuromyelitis optica (NMO, and multiple sclerosis (MS. OBJECTIVES: To investigate comparative brain stem lesions on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI among adult patients with ADEM, NMO, and MS. METHODS: Sixty-five adult patients with ADEM (n = 17, NMO (n = 23, and MS (n = 25 who had brain stem lesions on MRI were enrolled. Morphological features of brain stem lesions among these diseases were assessed. RESULTS: Patients with ADEM had a higher frequency of midbrain lesions than did patients with NMO (94.1% vs. 17.4%, P<0.001 and MS (94.1% vs. 40.0%, P<0.001; patients with NMO had a lower frequency of pons lesions than did patients with MS (34.8% vs. 84.0%, P<0.001 and ADEM (34.8% vs. 70.6%, P = 0.025; and patients with NMO had a higher frequency of medulla oblongata lesions than did patients with ADEM (91.3% vs. 35.3%, P<0.001 and MS (91.3% vs. 36.0%, P<0.001. On the axial section of the brain stem, the majority (82.4% of patients with ADEM showed lesions on the ventral part; the brain stem lesions in patients with NMO were typically located in the dorsal part (91.3%; and lesions in patients with MS were found in both the ventral (44.0% and dorsal (56.0% parts. The lesions in patients with ADEM (100% and NMO (91.3% had poorly defined margins, while lesions of patients with MS (76.0% had well defined margins. Brain stem lesions in patients with ADEM were usually bilateral and symmetrical (82.4%, while lesions in patients with NMO (87.0% and MS (92.0% were asymmetrical or unilateral. CONCLUSIONS: Brain stem lesions showed various morphological features among adult patients with ADEM, NMO, and MS. The different lesion locations may be helpful in distinguishing these diseases.

Radiotherapy for pediatric brain stem tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shcherbenko, O.I.; Parkhomenko, R.A.; Govorina, E.V.; Zelinskaya, N.I.; Ardatova, G.V.; Nechaeva, V.N.

2000-01-01

The immediate and short-term results of gamma therapy of brain stem tumors in 24 children were evaluated. All the patients were able to sustain treatment due to adjuvant support with dehydrating and hormonal drugs, and beneficial clinical effect was recorded in 80%. However, magnetic resonance tomography showed no decrease in tumor size. Tumor growth relapsed 3-8 months after radiotherapy. Although total dose ranged 60-72 Gy in 19 patients, there was no clinical evidence of radiation injury [ru

Training stem cells for treatment of malignant brain tumors

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Shengwen; Calvin; Li; Mustafa; H; Kabeer; Long; T; Vu; Vic; Keschrumrus; Hong; Zhen; Yin; Brent; A; Dethlefs; Jiang; F; Zhong; John; H; Weiss; William; G; Loudon

2014-01-01

The treatment of malignant brain tumors remains a challenge. Stem cell technology has been applied in the treatment of brain tumors largely because of the ability of some stem cells to infiltrate into regions within the brain where tumor cells migrate as shown in preclinical studies. However, not all of these efforts can translate in the effective treatment that improves the quality of life for pa-tients. Here, we perform a literature review to identify the problems in the field. Given the lack of efficacy of most stem cell-based agents used in the treatment of malignant brain tumors, we found that stem cell distribution(i.e., only a fraction of stem cells applied capable of targeting tumors) are among the limiting factors. We provide guidelines for potential improvements in stem cell distribution. Specifically, we use an engineered tissue graft platform that replicates the in vivo microenvironment, and provide our data to validate that this culture platform is viable for producing stem cells that have better stem cell distribution than with the Petri dish culture system.

Electrical Guidance of Human Stem Cells in the Rat Brain

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Jun-Feng Feng

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Limited migration of neural stem cells in adult brain is a roadblock for the use of stem cell therapies to treat brain diseases and injuries. Here, we report a strategy that mobilizes and guides migration of stem cells in the brain in vivo. We developed a safe stimulation paradigm to deliver directional currents in the brain. Tracking cells expressing GFP demonstrated electrical mobilization and guidance of migration of human neural stem cells, even against co-existing intrinsic cues in the rostral migration stream. Transplanted cells were observed at 3 weeks and 4 months after stimulation in areas guided by the stimulation currents, and with indications of differentiation. Electrical stimulation thus may provide a potential approach to facilitate brain stem cell therapies.

Combination cell therapy with mesenchymal stem cells and neural stem cells for brain stroke in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Hosseini, Seyed Mojtaba; Farahmandnia, Mohammad; Razi, Zahra; Delavari, Somayeh; Shakibajahromi, Benafsheh; Sarvestani, Fatemeh Sabet; Kazemi, Sepehr; Semsar, Maryam

2015-05-01

Brain stroke is the second most important events that lead to disability and morbidity these days. Although, stroke is important, there is no treatment for curing this problem. Nowadays, cell therapy has opened a new window for treating central nervous system disease. In some previous studies the Mesenchymal stem cells and neural stem cells. In this study, we have designed an experiment to assess the combination cell therapy (Mesenchymal and Neural stem cells) effects on brain stroke. The Mesenchymal stem cells were isolated from adult rat bone marrow and the neural stem cells were isolated from ganglion eminence of rat embryo 14 days. The Mesenchymal stem cells were injected 1 day after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and the neural stem cells transplanted 7 day after MCAO. After 28 days, the neurological outcomes and brain lesion volumes were evaluated. Also, the activity of Caspase 3 was assessed in different groups. The group which received combination cell therapy had better neurological examination and less brain lesion. Also the combination cell therapy group had the least Caspase 3 activity among the groups. The combination cell therapy is more effective than Mesenchymal stem cell therapy and neural stem cell therapy separately in treating the brain stroke in rats.

Aberrant brain-stem morphometry associated with sleep disturbance in drug-naïve subjects with Alzheimer's disease

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Lee JH

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Ji Han Lee,1 Won Sang Jung,2 Woo Hee Choi,3 Hyun Kook Lim4 1Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA; 2Department of Radiology, 3Department of Nuclear Medicine, 4Department of Psychiatry, Saint Vincent Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Suwon, South Korea Objective: Among patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD, sleep disturbances are common and serious noncognitive symptoms. Previous studies of AD patients have identified deformations in the brain stem, which may play an important role in the regulation of sleep. The aim of this study was to further investigate the relationship between sleep disturbances and alterations in brain stem morphology in AD.Materials and methods: In 44 patients with AD and 40 healthy elderly controls, sleep disturbances were measured using the Neuropsychiatry Inventory sleep subscale. We employed magnetic resonance imaging-based automated segmentation tools to examine the relationship between sleep disturbances and changes in brain stem morphology.Results: Analyses of the data from AD subjects revealed significant correlations between the Neuropsychiatry Inventory sleep-subscale scores and structural alterations in the left posterior lateral region of the brain stem, as well as normalized brain stem volumes. In addition, significant group differences in posterior brain stem morphology were observed between the AD group and the control group.Conclusion: This study is the first to analyze an association between sleep disturbances and brain stem morphology in AD. In line with previous findings, this study lends support to the possibility that brain stem structural abnormalities might be important neurobiological mechanisms underlying sleep disturbances associated with AD. Further longitudinal research is needed to confirm these findings. Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease, sleep, brain stem, MRI, shape analysis

Stem cells for brain repair in neonatal hypoxia-ischemia.

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Chicha, L; Smith, T; Guzman, R

2014-01-01

Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic insults are a significant cause of pediatric encephalopathy, developmental delays, and spastic cerebral palsy. Although the developing brain's plasticity allows for remarkable self-repair, severe disruption of normal myelination and cortical development upon neonatal brain injury are likely to generate life-persisting sensory-motor and cognitive deficits in the growing child. Currently, no treatments are available that can address the long-term consequences. Thus, regenerative medicine appears as a promising avenue to help restore normal developmental processes in affected infants. Stem cell therapy has proven effective in promoting functional recovery in animal models of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic injury and therefore represents a hopeful therapy for this unmet medical condition. Neural stem cells derived from pluripotent stem cells or fetal tissues as well as umbilical cord blood and mesenchymal stem cells have all shown initial success in improving functional outcomes. However, much still remains to be understood about how those stem cells can safely be administered to infants and what their repair mechanisms in the brain are. In this review, we discuss updated research into pathophysiological mechanisms of neonatal brain injury, the types of stem cell therapies currently being tested in this context, and the potential mechanisms through which exogenous stem cells might interact with and influence the developing brain.

Characterization of Cancer Stem Cells in Patients with Brain ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Gliomas, in general, and astrocytomas, in particular, represent the most frequent primary brain tumors. Nowadays, it is increasingly believed that gliomas may arise from cancer stem cells, which share several characteristics with normal neural stem cells. Brain tumor stem cells have been found to express a ...

Patient-derived stem cells: pathways to drug discovery for brain diseases

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Alan eMackay-Sim

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The concept of drug discovery through stem cell biology is based on technological developments whose genesis is now coincident. The first is automated cell microscopy with concurrent advances in image acquisition and analysis, known as high content screening (HCS. The second is patient-derived stem cells for modelling the cell biology of brain diseases. HCS has developed from the requirements of the pharmaceutical industry for high throughput assays to screen thousands of chemical compounds in the search for new drugs. HCS combines new fluorescent probes with automated microscopy and computational power to quantify the effects of compounds on cell functions. Stem cell biology has advanced greatly since the discovery of genetic reprogramming of somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs. There is now a rush of papers describing their generation from patients with various diseases of the nervous system. Although the majority of these have been genetic diseases, iPSCs have been generated from patients with complex diseases (schizophrenia and sporadic Parkinson’s disease. Some genetic diseases are also modelled in embryonic stem cells generated from blastocysts rejected during in vitro fertilisation. Neural stem cells have been isolated from post-mortem brain of Alzheimer’s patients and neural stem cells generated from biopsies of the olfactory organ of patients is another approach. These olfactory neurosphere-derived cells demonstrate robust disease-specific phenotypes in patients with schizophrenia and Parkinson’s disease. High content screening is already in use to find small molecules for the generation and differentiation of embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells. The challenges for using stem cells for drug discovery are to develop robust stem cell culture methods that meet the rigorous requirements for repeatable, consistent quantities of defined cell types at the industrial scale necessary for high

Cholecystokinin inhibits gastrin secretion independently of paracrine somatostatin secretion in the pig

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schmidt, P T; Hansen, L; Hilsted, L

2004-01-01

BACKGROUND: Cholecystokinin inhibits the secretion of gastrin from antral G cells, an effect that is speculated to be mediated by D cells secreting somatostatin. The aim of the study was to test directly whether cholecystokinin inhibition of antral gastrin secretion is mediated by somatostatin....... METHODS: The effects of CCK on gastrin and somatostatin secretion were studied in isolated vascularly perfused preparations of pig antrum before and after immunoneutralization brought about by infusion of large amounts of a high affinity monoclonal antibody against somatostatin. RESULTS: CCK infusion...... at 10(-9) M and 10(-8) M decreased gastrin output to 70.5% +/- 7.6% (n = 8) and 76.3% +/- 3.6% (n = 7) of basal output, respectively. CCK at 10(-10) M had no effect (n = 6). Somatostatin secretion was dose-dependently increased by CCK infusion and increased to 268 +/- 38.2% (n = 7) of basal secretion...

Infusion of exogenous cholecystokinin-8, gastrin releasing peptide-29 and their combination reduce body weight in diet-induced obese male rats.

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Mhalhal, Thaer R; Washington, Martha C; Newman, Kayla; Heath, John C; Sayegh, Ayman I

2017-02-01

We hypothesized that exogenous gastrin releasing peptide-29 (GRP-29), cholecystokinin-8 (CCK-8) and their combination reduce body weight (BW). To test this hypothesis, BW was measured in four groups of diet-induced obese (DIO) male rats infused in the aorta (close to the junctions of the celiac and cranial mesenteric arteries) with saline, CCK-8 (0.5 nmol/kg), GRP-29 (0.5 nmol/kg) and CCK-8+GRP-29 (0.5 nmol/kg each) once daily for a total of 23 days. We found that CCK-8, GRP-29 and CCK-8+GRP-29 reduce BW relative to saline control. In conclusion, CCK-8, GRP-29 and their combination reduce BW in the DIO rat model. If infused near their gastrointestinal sites of action CCK-8, GRP-29 and their combination may have a role in regulating BW. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Magnetic resonance imaging in brain-stem tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nomura, Mikio; Saito, Hisazumi; Akino, Minoru; Abe, Hiroshi.

1988-01-01

Four patients with brain-stem tumors underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) before and after radiotherapy. The brain-stem tumors were seen as a low signal intensity on T1-weighted images and as a high signal intensity on T2-weighted images. A tumor and its anatomic involvement were more clearly visualized on MRI than on cuncurrently performed CT. Changes in tumor before and after radiotherapy could be determined by measuring the diameter of tumor on sagittal and coronal images. This allowed quantitative evaluation of the reduction of tumor in association with improvement of symptoms. The mean T1 value in the central part of tumors was shortened in all patients after radiotherapy. The results indicate that MRI may assist in determining the effect of radiotherapy for brain-stem tumors. (Namekawa, K)

The Potential of Stem Cells in Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Weston, Nicole M; Sun, Dong

2018-01-25

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a global public health concern, with limited treatment options available. Despite improving survival rate after TBI, treatment is lacking for brain functional recovery and structural repair in clinic. Recent studies have suggested that the mature brain harbors neural stem cells which have regenerative capacity following brain insults. Much progress has been made in preclinical TBI model studies in understanding the behaviors, functions, and regulatory mechanisms of neural stem cells in the injured brain. Different strategies targeting these cell population have been assessed in TBI models. In parallel, cell transplantation strategy using a wide range of stem cells has been explored for TBI treatment in pre-clinical studies and some in clinical trials. This review summarized strategies which have been explored to enhance endogenous neural stem cell-mediated regeneration and recent development in cell transplantation studies for post-TBI brain repair. Thus far, neural regeneration through neural stem cells either by modulating endogenous neural stem cells or by stem cell transplantation has attracted much attention. It is highly speculated that targeting neural stem cells could be a potential strategy to repair and regenerate the injured brain. Neuroprotection and neuroregeneration are major aspects for TBI therapeutic development. With technique advancement, it is hoped that stem cell-based therapy targeting neuroregeneration will be able to translate to clinic in not so far future.

Wallerian degeneration of the corticospinal tract in the brain stem

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uchino, Akira; Onomura, Kentaro; Ohno, Masato

1989-01-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of wallerian degeneration of the corticospinal tract in the brain stem was studied in 25 patients with chronic supratentorial vascular accidents. In the relatively early stages, at least three months after ictus, increased signal intensities in axial T 2 -weighted images - with or without decreased signal intensities in axial T 1 -weighted images - were observed in the brain stem ipsilaterally. In later stages, at least six months after ictus, shrinkage of the brain stem ipsilaterally - with or without decreased signal intensities - was clearly observed in axial T 1 -weighted images. MRI is therefore regarded a sensitive diagnostic modality for evaluating wallerian degeneration in the brain stem. (author)

Cholecystokinin octapeptide induces endogenous opioid-dependent anxiolytic effects in morphine-withdrawal rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, D; Sun, D; Zang, G; Hao, L; Liu, X; Yu, F; Ma, C; Cong, B

2014-09-26

Cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8), a brain-gut peptide, plays an important role in several opioid addictive behaviors. We previously reported that CCK-8 attenuated the expression and reinstatement of morphine-induced conditioned place preference. The possible effects of CCK-8 on the negative affective components of drug abstinence are not clear. There are no studies evaluating the effect of CCK-8 on emotional symptoms, such as anxiety, in morphine-withdrawal animals. We investigated the effects of CCK-8 on the anxiety-like behavior in morphine-withdrawal rats using an elevated plus-maze. Morphine withdrawal elicited time-dependent anxiety-like behaviors with peak effects on day 10 (5 days after induction of morphine dependence). Treatment with CCK-8 (0.1 and 1 μg, i.c.v.) blocked this anxiety in a dose-dependent fashion. A CCK1 receptor antagonist (L-364,718, 10 μg, i.c.v.) blocked the effect of CCK-8. Mu-opioid receptor antagonism with CTAP (10 μg, i.c.v.) decreased the 'anxiolytic' effect. CCK-8 inhibited anxiety-like behaviors in morphine-withdrawal rats by up-regulating endogenous opioids via the CCK1 receptor in rats. This study clearly identifies a distinct function of CCK-8 and a potential medication target of central CCK1 receptors for drugs aimed at ameliorating drug addiction. Copyright © 2014 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Are there fetal stem cells in the maternal brain?

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Osman Demirhan; Necmi (C)ekin; Deniz Ta(s)temir; Erdal Tun(c); Ali irfan Güzel; Demet Meral; Bülent Demirbek

2013-01-01

Fetal cells can enter maternal blood during pregnancy but whether they can also cross the blood-brain barrier to enter the maternal brain remains poorly understood. Previous results suggest that fetal cells are summoned to repair damage to the mother's brain. If this is confirmed, it would open up new and safer avenues of treatment for brain damage caused by strokes and neural diseases. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether a baby's stem cells can enter the maternal brain during pregnancy. Deceased patients who had at least one male offspring and no history of abortion and blood transfusion were included in this study. DNA was extracted from brain tissue samples of deceased women using standard phenol-chloroform extraction and ethanol precipitation methods. Genomic DNA was screened by quantitative fluorescent-polymerase chain reaction amplification together with short tandem repeat markers specific to the Y chromosome, and 13, 18, 21 and X. Any foreign DNA residues that could be used to interpret the presence of fetal stem cells in the maternal brain were monitored. Results indicated that fetal stem cells can not cross the blood-brain barrier to enter the maternal brain.

Effects of cholecystokinin octapeptide on striatal dopamine metabolism and on apomorphine-induced stereotyped cage-climbing in mice

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kovacs, G L; Szabo, G; Telegdy, G [Institute of Pathophysiology, University Medical School, Szeged, Hungary; Penke, B [Institute of Medical Chemistry, University Medical School, Szeged, Hungary

1981-01-29

The effects of sulfated (CCK-8-SE) and non-sulfated (CCK-8-NS) cholecystokinin octapeptide on striatal dopamine (DA) metabolism have been investigated on mice. CCK-8-NS facilitated the disappearance of striatal DA, measured after synthesis inhibition with 350 mg/kg of ..cap alpha..-methyl-p-tyrosine. CCK-8-SE did not affect DA disappearance. In vitro uptake of (/sup 3/H)DA by striatal slices was affected by neither CCK-8-SE, nor CCK-8-NS (10/sup -5/ M). Potassium-induced in vitro release of (/sup 3/H)DA from striatal slices was significantly increased by 10/sup -5/ M CCK-8-NS: however, CCK-8-SE likewise increased DA release in this model system. Apomorphine-induced (1.0 mg/kg) stereotyped cage-climbing behavior was not affected by CCK-8-SE but was enhanced by CCK-8-NS. This effect could be antagonized by haloperidol, but not by naloxone. The data suggest that CCK-8-NS affects striatal DA release, disappearance and receptor sensitivity in the mouse. Dopaminergic mechanisms should therefore be regarded as a possible mode of action of CCK-8-NS on brain functions.

Effects of cholecystokinin octapeptide on striatal dopamine metabolism and on apomorphine-induced stereotyped cage-climbing in mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kovacs, G.L.; Szabo, G.; Telegdy, G.; Penke, B.

1981-01-01

The effects of sulfated (CCK-8-SE) and non-sulfated (CCK-8-NS) cholecystokinin octapeptide on striatal dopamine (DA) metabolism have been investigated on mice. CCK-8-NS facilitated the disappearance of striatal DA, measured after synthesis inhibition with 350 mg/kg of α-methyl-p-tyrosine. CCK-8-SE did not affect DA disappearance. In vitro uptake of [ 3 H]DA by striatal slices was affected by neither CCK-8-SE, nor CCK-8-NS (10 -5 M). Potassium-induced in vitro release of [ 3 H]DA from striatal slices was significantly increased by 10 -5 M CCK-8-NS: however, CCK-8-SE likewise increased DA release in this model system. Apomorphine-induced (1.0 mg/kg) stereotyped cage-climbing behavior was not affected by CCK-8-SE but was enhanced by CCK-8-NS. This effect could be antagonized by haloperidol, but not by naloxone. The data suggest that CCK-8-NS affects striatal DA release, disappearance and receptor sensitivity in the mouse. Dopaminergic mechanisms should therefore be regarded as a possible mode of action of CCK-8-NS on brain functions. (Auth.)

Identification of Multipotent Stem Cells in Human Brain Tissue Following Stroke.

Science.gov (United States)

Tatebayashi, Kotaro; Tanaka, Yasue; Nakano-Doi, Akiko; Sakuma, Rika; Kamachi, Saeko; Shirakawa, Manabu; Uchida, Kazutaka; Kageyama, Hiroto; Takagi, Toshinori; Yoshimura, Shinichi; Matsuyama, Tomohiro; Nakagomi, Takayuki

2017-06-01

Perivascular regions of the brain harbor multipotent stem cells. We previously demonstrated that brain pericytes near blood vessels also develop multipotency following experimental ischemia in mice and these ischemia-induced multipotent stem cells (iSCs) can contribute to neurogenesis. However, it is essential to understand the traits of iSCs in the poststroke human brain for possible applications in stem cell-based therapies for stroke patients. In this study, we report for the first time that iSCs can be isolated from the poststroke human brain. Putative iSCs were derived from poststroke brain tissue obtained from elderly stroke patients requiring decompressive craniectomy and partial lobectomy for diffuse cerebral infarction. Immunohistochemistry showed that these iSCs were localized near blood vessels within poststroke areas containing apoptotic/necrotic neurons and expressed both the stem cell marker nestin and several pericytic markers. Isolated iSCs expressed these same markers and demonstrated high proliferative potential without loss of stemness. Furthermore, isolated iSCs expressed other stem cell markers, such as Sox2, c-myc, and Klf4, and differentiated into multiple cells in vitro, including neurons. These results show that iSCs, which are likely brain pericyte derivatives, are present within the poststroke human brain. This study suggests that iSCs can contribute to neural repair in patients with stroke.

Radioimmunoassay of cholecystokinin in human tissue and plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jansen, J.B.M.J.; Lamers, C.B.H.W.

1983-01-01

A highly sensitive radioimmunoassay for cholecystokinin (CCK) without any cross-reactivity with gastrin is described. The antibody was raised in a rabbit by immunisation with 30% CCK and bound to all COOH-terminal CCK-peptides containing at least 14 amino acid residues. The affinity constant of the antibody was 59.4 x 10 10 l/mol. CCK 33 conjugated to [ 125 I]hydroxyphenylpropionic acid-succinimide ester was used as label. The binding between label and antibody was inhibited by 50% (ID 50 ) at a concentration of 2.8 pmol/l cholecystokinin 33. The detection limit of the assay was between 0.5 and 1.0 pmol/l plasma. Concentrations of CCK in aqueous acid extracts of human upper small intestine were 36.5 +- 9.8 pmol/g and of human cerebral cortex 28.2 +- 2.5 pmol/g tissue. Plasma samples were extracted in 96% ethanol prior to assay. No advantage was obtained by adding aprotinin to the tubes. When frozen at -20 0 C plasma CCK was stable for at least 6 months. Basal plasma CCK concentrations in 30 normal subjects were very low, 0.9 +- 0.1 pmol/l, range 0.5 to 3.1 pmol/l. Intraduodenal administration of fat induced significant increases in plasma CCK from 1.1 +- 0.1 to 8.2 +- 1.3 pmol/l (p = 0.01). Infusion of exogenous CCK, resulting in plasma CCK levels slightly lower than those measured during administration of fat, induced pancreatic enzyme secretion and gallbladder contraction. The reliability of this radioimmunoassay for measurements of CCK in human plasma was extensively evaluated. (Auth.)

Use of a specific cholecystokinin receptor antagonist (L-364,718) to determine the role of cholecystokinin on feeding and body weight in rats with obstructive jaundice.

Science.gov (United States)

Tangoku, A; Doi, R; Chowdhury, P; Pasley, J N; McKay, D W; Rayford, P L

1992-01-01

We conducted a study to examine the role of cholecystokinin in feeding behavior and weight change in rats with obstructive jaundice. Daily food and water intake, body weight, and short-term food intake were determined in two groups of rats with surgically induced obstructive jaundice and in control rats. One group of rats with obstructive jaundice was given L-364,718, a selective cholecystokinin receptor antagonist. Plasma bilirubin and cholecystokinin levels were measured in each rat before and 7 days after surgery. Daily food intake and body weight were decreased in obstructive jaundice rats compared with control rats during the first week after surgery (P less than .05); however, obstructive jaundice rats treated with L-364,718 had increased food intake and body weight (P less than .05). Short-term food intake measured for 30 minutes and 120 minutes in food-deprived obstructive jaundice rats was decreased when compared with control rats (P less than .05), but the obstructive jaundice rats given L-364,718 had increased short-term food intake (P less than .05). Water intake was similar between the two groups of rats. Plasma levels of cholecystokinin and bilirubin were increased in obstructive jaundice rats with and without L-364,718 treatment (P less than .05). The results support the concept that endogenously elevated levels of plasma cholecystokinin play an important role in decreased food intake and subsequent loss of body weight in rats with obstructive jaundice.

Acute traumatic brain-stem hemorrhage produced by sudden caudal displacement of the brain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mirvis, S.E.; Wolf, A.L.; Thompson, R.K.

1990-01-01

This paper determines in an experimental canine study and a clinical review, whether acute caudal displacement of the brain following blunt trauma produces hemorrhage in the rostral anterior midline of the brain stem by tethering the basilar to the fixed carotid arteries. In four dogs, a balloon catheter was suddenly inflated over the frontal lobe; in two, the carotid-basilar vascular connections were severed prior to balloon inflation. ICP was monitored during and after balloon inflation. Hemorrhage was verified by MR imaging and direct inspection of the fixed brain specimens. Admission CT scans demonstrating acute traumatic brain stem hemorrhage (TBH) in human patients were reviewed to determine the site of TBH, predominant site of impact, and neurologic outcome

Stem cells to regenerate the newborn brain

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Velthoven, C.T.J.

2011-01-01

Perinatal hypoxia-ischemia (HI) is a frequent cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality with limited therapeutic options. In this thesis we investigate whether mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) regenerate the neonatal brain after HI injury. We show that transplantation of MSC after neonatal brain injury

Brain stem hypoplasia associated with Cri-du-Chat syndrome

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hong, Jin Ho; Lee, Ha Young; Lim, Myung Kwan; Kim, Mi Young; Kang, Young Hye; Lee, Kyung Hee; Cho, Soon Gu [Dept. of Radiology, Inha University Hospital, Inha University School of Medicine, Incheon (Korea, Republic of)

2013-12-15

Cri-du-Chat syndrome, also called the 5p-syndrome, is a rare genetic abnormality, and only few cases have been reported on its brain MRI findings. We describe the magnetic resonance imaging findings of a 1-year-old girl with Cri-du-Chat syndrome who showed brain stem hypoplasia, particularly in the pons, with normal cerebellum and diffuse hypoplasia of the cerebral hemispheres. We suggest that Cri-du-Chat syndrome chould be suspected in children with brain stem hypoplasia, particularly for those with high-pitched cries.

Wallerian degeneration of the corticospinal tract in the brain stem; MR imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Uchino, Akira; Onomura, Kentaro; Ohno, Masato (Kyushu Rosai Hospital, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka (Japan))

1989-04-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of wallerian degeneration of the corticospinal tract in the brain stem was studied in 25 patients with chronic supratentorial vascular accidents. In the relatively early stages, at least three months after ictus, increased signal intensities in axial T{sub 2}-weighted images - with or without decreased signal intensities in axial T{sub 1}-weighted images - were observed in the brain stem ipsilaterally. In later stages, at least six months after ictus, shrinkage of the brain stem ipsilaterally - with or without decreased signal intensities - was clearly observed in axial T{sub 1}-weighted images. MRI is therefore regarded a sensitive diagnostic modality for evaluating wallerian degeneration in the brain stem. (author).

The effects of CCK-8S on spatial memory and long-term potentiation at CA1 during induction of stress in rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Malihe Sadeghi

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Objective(s: Cholecystokinin (CCK has been proposed as a mediator in stress. However, it is still not fully documented what are its effects. We aimed to evaluate the effects of systemic administration of CCK exactly before induction of stress on spatial memory and synaptic plasticity at CA1 in rats. Materials and Methods: Male Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups: the control, the control-CCK, the stress and the stress-CCK. Restraint stress was induced 6 hr per day, for 24 days. Cholecystokinin sulfated octapeptide (CCK-8S was injected (1.6 µg/kg, IP before each session of stress induction. Spatial memory was evaluated by Morris water maze test. Long term potentiation (LTP in Schaffer collateral-CA1 synapses was assessed (by 100 Hz tetanization in order to investigate synaptic plasticity. Results: Stress impaired spatial memory significantly (P

MRI findings of radiation encephalopathy of brain stem after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liang Changhong; Li Guoye; Huang Biao; Huang Meiping; Zheng Junhui; Tan Shaoheng; Zeng Qiongxin

1998-01-01

Purpose: To study MRI findings and clinical manifestation of radiation encephalopathy (RE) of brain stem. Methods: MRI findings and clinical symptoms in 51 patients with RE of brain stem after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal cancer were reviewed. Results: Clinical symptoms included number weakness or paralysis in the limbs and symptoms of damaged cranial nerves. All lesions appeared hypo- or iso-intense on spin echo(SE) T 1 -weighted images and inhomogeneous and mixed hyper- and iso-intense on Turbo spin echo (TSE) T 2 -weighted images. The lesions were located in mesencephalon, pons, medulla, basilar part of pons, basilar part of pons and medulla oblongata in 2,7,3,9 and 30 patients respectively. The enhancement patterns included irregular rings in 39 patients, spotty in 3 and no enhancement in 9 patients. Mass effect was minimal in all patients. On follow-up MRI, the lesions disappeared in 4 patients, did not change in size and shape in 8 patients and enlarged in 2 patients. Conclusion: MRI could demonstrate the characteristic findings of RE of brain stem. MRI findings sometimes are not consistent with the clinical symptoms

CT findings of traumatic primary brain-stem injury

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hosaka, Yasuaki; Hatashita, Shizuo; Bandou, Kuniaki; Ueki, Yasuyuki; Abe, Kouzou; Koga, Nobunori; Sugimura, Jun; Sakakibara, Tokiwa; Takagi, Suguru

1984-01-01

A series of 27 consecutive patients with traumatic primary brain stem injuries was studied. They were diagnosed by means of clinical signs, neurological examination, and computerized tomography (CT). The CT findings of the brain-stem lesions were classified into 4 types: Type H, spotty, high-density; Type H and L, high- and low-densities; Type L, low-density; Type I, isodensity. The Glasgow coma scale (GCS), neurological findings on admission, CT findings (findings in the brain stem, obliteration of perimesencephalic cistern (PMC), and other findings), and the Glasgow outcome scale (GOS) were examined. In the 9 cases of Type H, there was a correlation between the GCS and the GOS, and the spotty, high-density lesions were localized mainly in the dorsal and/or ventral midbrain parenchyma, but these lesions did not show focal signs and symptoms. Without an obliteration of the PMC, Type-H patients did not always have a bad outcome. In the 4 cases of Type H and L, the 2 cases of Type L, and the 12 cases of Type I, there was an obliteration of the PMC. All of the these cases had a bad outcome (1 case of moderate disability, 3 cases of severe disability, and 14 cases of death). The mechanism producing a spotty, high-density area was discussed. The weaker impact (than the other types) and individual anatomical differences weresupposed to make for a spotty, high-density are in the brain stem. (author)

Neural stem cells in the ischemic and injured brain: endogenous and transplanted.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Jing; Liu, Baohua; Song, Lei; Lu, Lei; Xu, Haitao; Gu, Yue

2012-12-01

Neural stem cells functions as the pool of new neurons in adult brain, and plays important roles in normal brain function. Additionally, this pool reacts to brain ischemia, hemorrhage, trauma and many kinds of diseases, serving as endogenous repair mechanisms. The present manuscript discussed the responses of adult neurogenesis to brain ischemia and other insults, then the potential of neural stem cell transplantation therapy to treat such brain injury conditions.

Stem Cell Technology for (Epi)genetic Brain Disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Riemens, Renzo J M; Soares, Edilene S; Esteller, Manel; Delgado-Morales, Raul

2017-01-01

Despite the enormous efforts of the scientific community over the years, effective therapeutics for many (epi)genetic brain disorders remain unidentified. The common and persistent failures to translate preclinical findings into clinical success are partially attributed to the limited efficiency of current disease models. Although animal and cellular models have substantially improved our knowledge of the pathological processes involved in these disorders, human brain research has generally been hampered by a lack of satisfactory humanized model systems. This, together with our incomplete knowledge of the multifactorial causes in the majority of these disorders, as well as a thorough understanding of associated (epi)genetic alterations, has been impeding progress in gaining more mechanistic insights from translational studies. Over the last years, however, stem cell technology has been offering an alternative approach to study and treat human brain disorders. Owing to this technology, we are now able to obtain a theoretically inexhaustible source of human neural cells and precursors in vitro that offer a platform for disease modeling and the establishment of therapeutic interventions. In addition to the potential to increase our general understanding of how (epi)genetic alterations contribute to the pathology of brain disorders, stem cells and derivatives allow for high-throughput drugs and toxicity testing, and provide a cell source for transplant therapies in regenerative medicine. In the current chapter, we will demonstrate the validity of human stem cell-based models and address the utility of other stem cell-based applications for several human brain disorders with multifactorial and (epi)genetic bases, including Parkinson's disease (PD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), fragile X syndrome (FXS), Angelman syndrome (AS), Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), and Rett syndrome (RTT).

Postsynaptic Depolarization Enhances GABA Drive to Dorsomedial Hypothalamic Neurons through Somatodendritic Cholecystokinin Release.

Science.gov (United States)

Crosby, Karen M; Baimoukhametova, Dinara V; Bains, Jaideep S; Pittman, Quentin J

2015-09-23

Somatodendritically released peptides alter synaptic function through a variety of mechanisms, including autocrine actions that liberate retrograde transmitters. Cholecystokinin (CCK) is a neuropeptide expressed in neurons in the dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus (DMH), a region implicated in satiety and stress. There are clear demonstrations that exogenous CCK modulates food intake and neuropeptide expression in the DMH, but there is no information on how endogenous CCK alters synaptic properties. Here, we provide the first report of somatodendritic release of CCK in the brain in male Sprague Dawley rats. CCK is released from DMH neurons in response to repeated postsynaptic depolarizations, and acts in an autocrine fashion on CCK2 receptors to enhance postsynaptic NMDA receptor function and liberate the retrograde transmitter, nitric oxide (NO). NO subsequently acts presynaptically to enhance GABA release through a soluble guanylate cyclase-mediated pathway. These data provide the first demonstration of synaptic actions of somatodendritically released CCK in the hypothalamus and reveal a new form of retrograde plasticity, depolarization-induced potentiation of inhibition. Significance statement: Somatodendritic signaling using endocannabinoids or nitric oxide to alter the efficacy of afferent transmission is well established. Despite early convincing evidence for somatodendritic release of neurohypophysial peptides in the hypothalamus, there is only limited evidence for this mode of release for other peptides. Here, we provide the first evidence for somatodendritic release of the satiety peptide cholecystokinin (CCK) in the brain. We also reveal a new form of synaptic plasticity in which postsynaptic depolarization results in enhancement of inhibition through the somatodendritic release of CCK. Copyright © 2015 the authors 0270-6474/15/3513160-11$15.00/0.

Childhood Brain Stem Glioma Treatment (PDQ®)—Health Professional Version

Science.gov (United States)

Childhood brain stem glioma presents as a diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG; a fast-growing tumor that is difficult to treat and has a poor prognosis) or a focal glioma (grows more slowly, is easier to treat, and has a better prognosis). Learn about the diagnosis, cellular classification, staging, treatment, and clinical trials for pediatric brain stem glioma in this expert-reviewed summary.

Internalization and cellular processing of cholecystokinin in rat pancreatic acinar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Izzo, R.S.; Pellecchia, C.; Praissman, M.

1988-01-01

To evaluate the internalization of cholecystokinin, monoiodinated imidoester of cholecystokinin octapeptide [ 125 I-(IE)-CCK-8] was bound to dispersed pancreatic acinar cells, and surface-bound and internalized radioligand were differentiated by treating with an acidified glycine buffer. The amount of internalized radioligand was four- and sevenfold greater at 24 and 37 degree C than at 4 degree C between 5 and 60 min of association. Specific binding of radioligand to cell surface receptors was not significantly different at these temperatures. Chloroquine, a lysosomotropic agent that blocks intracellular proteolysis, significantly increased the amount of CCK-8 internalized by 18 and 16% at 30 and 60 min of binding, respectively, compared with control. Dithiothreitol (DTT), a sulfhydryl reducing agent, also augmented the amount of CCK-8 radioligand internalized by 25 and 29% at 30 and 60 min, respectively. The effect of chloroquine and DTT on the processing of internalized radioligand was also considered after an initial 60 min of binding of radioligand to acinar cells. After 180 min of processing, the amount of radioligand internalized was significantly greater in the presence of chloroquine compared with controls, whereas the amount of radioligand declined in acinar cells treated with DTT. Internalized and released radioactivity from acinar cells was rebound to pancreatic membrane homogenates to determine the amount of intact radioligand during intracellular processing. Chloroquine significantly increased the amount of intact 125 I-(IE)-CCK-8 radioligand in released and internalized radioactivity while DTT increased the amount of intact radioligand only in internalized samples. This study shows that pancreatic acinar cells rapidly internalize large amounts of CCK-8 and that chloroquine and DTT inhibit intracellular degradation

Mapping the calcitonin receptor in human brain stem

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bower, Rebekah L; Eftekhari, Sajedeh; Waldvogel, Henry J

2016-01-01

understanding of these hormone systems by mapping CTR expression in the human brain stem, specifically the medulla oblongata. Widespread CTR-like immunoreactivity was observed throughout the medulla. Dense CTR staining was noted in several discrete nuclei, including the nucleus of the solitary tract...... receptors (AMY) are a heterodimer formed by the coexpression of CTR with receptor activity-modifying proteins (RAMPs). CTR with RAMP1 responds potently to both amylin and CGRP. The brain stem is a major site of action for circulating amylin and is a rich site of CGRP binding. This study aimed to enhance our...

Mesenchymal stem cells attenuate blood-brain barrier leakage after cerebral ischemia in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Zhuo; Wang, Liping; Qu, Meijie; Liang, Huaibin; Li, Wanlu; Li, Yongfang; Deng, Lidong; Zhang, Zhijun; Yang, Guo-Yuan

2018-05-03

Ischemic stroke induced matrixmetallo-proteinase-9 (MMP-9) upregulation, which increased blood-brain barrier permeability. Studies demonstrated that mesenchymal stem cell therapy protected blood-brain barrier disruption from several cerebrovascular diseases. However, the underlying mechanism was largely unknown. We therefore hypothesized that mesenchymal stem cells reduced blood-brain barrier destruction by inhibiting matrixmetallo-proteinase-9 and it was related to intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1). Adult ICR male mice (n = 118) underwent 90-min middle cerebral artery occlusion and received 2 × 10 5 mesenchymal stem cell transplantation. Neurobehavioral outcome, infarct volume, and blood-brain barrier permeability were measured after ischemia. The relationship between myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and ICAM-1 release was further determined. We found that intracranial injection of mesenchymal stem cells reduced infarct volume and improved behavioral function in experimental stroke models (p mesenchymal stem cell-treated mice compared to the control group following ischemia (p cells and myeloperoxidase activity were decreased in mesenchymal stem cell-treated mice (p mesenchymal stem cell therapy attenuated blood-brain barrier disruption in mice after ischemia. Mesenchymal stem cells attenuated the upward trend of MMP-9 and potentially via downregulating ICAM-1 in endothelial cells. Adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway may influence MMP-9 expression of neutrophils and resident cells, and ICAM-1 acted as a key factor in the paracrine actions of mesenchymal stem cell.

The brain stem function in patients with brain bladder; Clinical evaluation using dynamic CT scan and auditory brainstem response

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takahashi, Toshihiro (Yokohama City Univ. (Japan). Faculty of Medicine)

1990-11-01

A syndrome of detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia (DSD) is occasionally found in patients with brain bladder. To evaluate the brain stem function in cases of brain bladder, urodynamic study, dynamic CT scan of the brain stem (DCT) and auditory brainstem response (ABR) were performed. The region of interest of DCT aimed at the posterolateral portion of the pons. The results were analysed in contrast with the presense of DSD in urodynamic study. DCT studies were performed in 13 cases with various brain diseases and 5 control cases without neurological diseases. Abnormal patterns of the time-density curve consisted of low peak value, prolongation of filling time and low rapid washout ratio (low clearance ratio) of the contrast medium. Four of 6 cases with DSD showed at least one of the abnormal patterns of the time-density curve bilaterally. In 7 cases without DSD none showed bilateral abnormality of the curve and in 2 of 7 cases only unilateral abnormality was found. ABR was performed in 8 patients with brain diseases. The interpeak latency of the wave I-V (I-V IPL) was considered to be prolonged in 2 cases with DSD compared to that of 4 without DSD. In 2 cases with DSD who had normal DCT findings, measurement of the I-V IPL was impossible due to abnormal pattern of the ABR wave. Above mentioned results suggests the presence of functional disturbance at the posterolateral portion of the pons in cases of brain bladder with DSD. (author).

Research progress in animal models and stem cell therapy for Alzheimer’s disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Han F

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Fabin Han,1,2 Wei Wang1, Chao Chen1 1Centre for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, 2Department of Neurology, Liaocheng People’s Hospital/The Affiliated Liaocheng Hospital, Taishan Medical University, Shandong, People’s Republic of China Abstract: Alzheimer’s disease (AD causes degeneration of brain neurons and leads to memory loss and cognitive impairment. Since current therapeutic strategies cannot cure the disease, stem cell therapy represents a powerful tool for the treatment of AD. We first review the advances in molecular pathogenesis and animal models of AD and then discuss recent clinical studies using small molecules and immunoglobulins to target amyloid-beta plaques for AD therapy. Finally, we discuss stem cell therapy for AD using neural stem cells, olfactory ensheathing cells, embryonic stem cells, and mesenchymal stem cell from bone marrow, umbilical cord, and umbilical cord blood. In particular, patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells are proposed as a future treatment for AD. Keywords: amyloid-beta plaque, neurofibrillary tangle, neural stem cell, olfactory ensheathing cell, mesenchymal stem cell, induced pluripotent stem cell

Radiation and misonidazole in children with brain stem gliomas and supratentorial glioblastoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bloom, H.J.G.; Bugden, R.D.

1982-01-01

In a series of 484 children with intracranial tumors referred to the Royal Marsden Hospital for radiotherapy, there were 47 (12%) examples of inoperable pontine and medullary tumors for which the 5-year survival rate was 17%. The limited local tumor mass in brain stem tumors, the absence of cerebro-spinal or distant metastases, and their often initial good but short-lived response to irradiation, all support the trial of a chemical radiosensitizing agent with which to try and achieve greater and more prolonged local control of the disease. Since the prognosis for cerebral hemisphere glioblastoma, which is relatively uncommon in children, is also extremely poor, such cases were included in this pilot study. The problems and possible risks associated with combined radiotherapy and a chemical radiosensitizer in children with brain tumors is discussed. So far, 8 children with brain stem tumors and 3 children with cerebral hemisphere gliomas heave been treated in this study. In addtion, data is also available on 3 children re-treated for incurrent medulloblastomas. Preliminary observations regarding experience with this small series will be reported including blood misonidazole levels, drug tolerance and the possible influence of anticonvulsants and steriods on toxicity

Transcriptional profiling of adult neural stem-like cells from the human brain.

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Cecilie Jonsgar Sandberg

Full Text Available There is a great potential for the development of new cell replacement strategies based on adult human neural stem-like cells. However, little is known about the hierarchy of cells and the unique molecular properties of stem- and progenitor cells of the nervous system. Stem cells from the adult human brain can be propagated and expanded in vitro as free floating neurospheres that are capable of self-renewal and differentiation into all three cell types of the central nervous system. Here we report the first global gene expression study of adult human neural stem-like cells originating from five human subventricular zone biopsies (mean age 42, range 33-60. Compared to adult human brain tissue, we identified 1,189 genes that were significantly up- and down-regulated in adult human neural stem-like cells (1% false discovery rate. We found that adult human neural stem-like cells express stem cell markers and have reduced levels of markers that are typical of the mature cells in the nervous system. We report that the genes being highly expressed in adult human neural stem-like cells are associated with developmental processes and the extracellular region of the cell. The calcium signaling pathway and neuroactive ligand-receptor interactions are enriched among the most differentially regulated genes between adult human neural stem-like cells and adult human brain tissue. We confirmed the expression of 10 of the most up-regulated genes in adult human neural stem-like cells in an additional sample set that included adult human neural stem-like cells (n = 6, foetal human neural stem cells (n = 1 and human brain tissues (n = 12. The NGFR, SLITRK6 and KCNS3 receptors were further investigated by immunofluorescence and shown to be heterogeneously expressed in spheres. These receptors could potentially serve as new markers for the identification and characterisation of neural stem- and progenitor cells or as targets for manipulation of cellular

Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in acute brain stem infarction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Narisawa, Aya; Shamoto, Hiroshi; Shimizu, Hiroaki; Tominaga, Teiji; Yoshimoto, Takashi

2001-01-01

Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) provides one of the earliest demonstrations of ischemic lesions. However some lesions may be missed in the acute stage due to technical limitation of DWI. We therefore conducted the study to clarify the sensitivity of DWI to acute brain stem infarctions. Twenty-eight patients with the final diagnosis of brain stem infarction (midbrain 2, pons 9, medulla oblongata 17) who had been examined by DWI within 24 hours of onset were retrospectively analyzed for how sensitively the initial DWI demonstrated the final ischemic lesion. Only obvious (distinguishable with DWI alone without referring clinical symptoms and other informations) hyperintensity on DWI was regarded to show an ischemic lesion. Sixteen (57.1%) out of 28 patients had brain stem infarctions demonstrated by initial DWI. In the remaining 12 cases, no obvious ischemic lesion was evident on initial DWI. Subsequent MRI studies obtained 127 hours, on average after the onset showed infarction in the medulla oblongate in 11 cases and in the pons in one case. Negative findings of DWI in the acute stage does not exclude possibility of the brain stem infarction, in particularly medulla oblongata infarction. (author)

Four cases with localized brain-stem lesion on CT scan following closed head injury

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saeki, Naokatsu; Odaki, Masaru; Oka, Nobuo; Takase, Manabu; Ono, Junichi.

1981-01-01

Cases of primary brain-stem injury following closed head injury, verified by a CT scan, have been increasingly reported. However, most of them have other intracranial lesions in addition to the brain stem, resulting in a poor outcome. The CT scan of 200 cases with severe head injury-Araki's classification of types 3 and 4 - were analysed. Four cases out of them had localized brain-stem lesion without any other significant intracranial injury on a CT scan at the acute stage and had a better outcome than had previously been reported. In this analysis, these 4 cases were studied, and the CT findings, prognosis, and pathogenesis of the localized brain-stem injury were discussed. Follow-up CT of three cases, and taken one month or more later, showed diffuse cortical atrophy. This may indicate the presence of diffuse cerebral injury which could not be seen on CT scans at the acute stage. This atrophic change may also be related with the mechanism of posttraumatic conscious impairment and posttraumatic neurological deficits, such as mental symptoms and impairment of the higher cortical function. Shearing injury is a probable pathogenesis for this diffuse cortical injury. On the other hand, one case did not have any cortical atrophy on a follow-up CT scan. Therefore, this is a case with a localized primary brain-stem injury. Coup injury against the brain stem by a tentorial margin in a case with a small tentorial opening is a possible mechanism producing the localized brain-stem injury. (J.P.N.)

Using cholecystokinin to facilitate endoscopic clearance of large common bile duct stones

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Tao; Zhang, Qi-Jie; Zhang, Ming; Zhu, Xiao; Sun, Shu-Xia; Li, Yan-Qing

2014-01-01

AIM: To evaluate the effect of cholecystokinin (CCK) during extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) in the clearance of common bile duct (CBD) stones in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). METHODS: Between January 2007 and September 2012, patients with large CBD stones who were treated with ESWL and ERCP were identified retrospectively. Patients were randomized in equal numbers to cholecystokinin (CCK) and no CCK groups. For each CCK case, a dose (3 ng/kg per min for 10 min) of sulfated octapeptide of CCK-8 was administered intravenously near the beginning of ESWL. ERCP was performed 4 h after a session of ESWL. The clearance rate of the CBD was assessed between the two groups. RESULTS: A total of 148 consecutive cases (CCK group: 74, no CCK group: 74) were tallied. Overall there were 234 ESWLs and 228 ERCPs in the 148 cases. The use of CCK showed a significantly higher rate of successful stone removal in the first ESWL/ERCP procedure (71.6% vs 55.4%, P = 0.035), but resulted in similar outcomes in the second (42.8% vs 39.4%) and third (41.7% vs 40.0%) sessions, as well as total stone clearance (90.5% vs 83.8%). The use of mechanical lithotripsy was reduced in the CCK group (6.8% vs 17.6%, P = 0.023), and extremely large stone (≥ 30 mm) removal was higher in the CCK group (72.7% vs 41.7%, P = 0.038). CONCLUSION: CCK during ESWL can aid with the clearance of CBD stones in the first ESWL/ERCP session. Mechanical lithotripsy usage was reduced and the extremely large stone (≥ 30 mm) clearance rate can be raised. PMID:25110439

Sumoylation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α ameliorates failure of brain stem cardiovascular regulation in experimental brain death.

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Julie Y H Chan

2011-03-01

Full Text Available One aspect of brain death is cardiovascular deregulation because asystole invariably occurs shortly after its diagnosis. A suitable neural substrate for mechanistic delineation of this aspect of brain death resides in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM. RVLM is the origin of a life-and-death signal that our laboratory detected from blood pressure of comatose patients that disappears before brain death ensues. At the same time, transcriptional upregulation of heme oxygenase-1 in RVLM by hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α plays a pro-life role in experimental brain death, and HIF-1α is subject to sumoylation activated by transient cerebral ischemia. It follows that sumoylation of HIF-1α in RVLM in response to hypoxia may play a modulatory role on brain stem cardiovascular regulation during experimental brain death.A clinically relevant animal model that employed mevinphos as the experimental insult in Sprague-Dawley rat was used. Biochemical changes in RVLM during distinct phenotypes in systemic arterial pressure spectrum that reflect maintained or defunct brain stem cardiovascular regulation were studied. Western blot analysis, EMSA, ELISA, confocal microscopy and immunoprecipitation demonstrated that drastic tissue hypoxia, elevated levels of proteins conjugated by small ubiquitin-related modifier-1 (SUMO-1, Ubc9 (the only known conjugating enzyme for the sumoylation pathway or HIF-1α, augmented sumoylation of HIF-1α, nucleus-bound translocation and enhanced transcriptional activity of HIF-1α in RVLM neurons took place preferentially during the pro-life phase of experimental brain death. Furthermore, loss-of-function manipulations by immunoneutralization of SUMO-1, Ubc9 or HIF-1α in RVLM blunted the upregulated nitric oxide synthase I/protein kinase G signaling cascade, which sustains the brain stem cardiovascular regulatory machinery during the pro-life phase.We conclude that sumoylation of HIF-1α in RVLM ameliorates brain stem

Effects of neuroinflammation on the regenerative capacity of brain stem cells.

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Russo, Isabella; Barlati, Sergio; Bosetti, Francesca

2011-03-01

In the adult brain, neurogenesis under physiological conditions occurs in the subventricular zone and in the dentate gyrus. Although the exact molecular mechanisms that regulate neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation are largely unknown, several factors have been shown to affect neurogenesis. Decreased neurogenesis in the hippocampus has been recognized as one of the mechanisms of age-related brain dysfunction. Furthermore, in pathological conditions of the central nervous system associated with neuroinflammation, inflammatory mediators such as cytokines and chemokines can affect the capacity of brain stem cells and alter neurogenesis. In this review, we summarize the state of the art on the effects of neuroinflammation on adult neurogenesis and discuss the use of the lipopolysaccharide-model to study the effects of inflammation and reactive-microglia on brain stem cells and neurogenesis. Furthermore, we discuss the possible causes underlying reduced neurogenesis with normal aging and potential anti-inflammatory, pro-neurogenic interventions aimed at improving memory deficits in normal and pathological aging and in neurodegenerative diseases. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Neurochemistry © 2011 International Society for Neurochemistry.

Cholecystokinin receptors: disparity between phosphoinositide breakdown and amylase releasing activity of CCK analogues in pancreas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, C.W.; Grant, D.; Bianchi, B.; Miller, T.; Witte, D.; Shue, Y.K.; Nadzan, A.

1986-01-01

Cholecystokinin (CCK) peptides are a family of hormones which also occur in brain. In pancreas CCK stimulates the release of amylase, a process that is dependent on the mobilization of intracellular Ca 2+ . Recent evidence suggests that inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate, the breakdown product of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate, is responsible for the rise in intracellular Ca 2+ . Their laboratory has developed assays to study synthetic CCK analogues using radioligand binding, PI breakdown and amylase release. They have shown that there are good correlations among these three assay systems for the carboxy terminal fragments of CCK 8 . Recently, they have discovered synthetic analogues of CCK 4 that are full agonists in amylase release but are ineffective in causing PI breakdown. In particular, A-61576, Boc-5-amino-2-indolemethylene-pent-2-ene-1-oyl-Leu-Asp-Phe-NH 2 , is a full agonist in the amylase releasing assay, but is devoid of PI stimulating activity. A-61576 completely reverses the stimulation of PI response induced by CCK 8 , indicative of an antagonist. Since a mechanism other than the PI breakdown is responsible for amylase release by A-61576, they suggest that separate receptors are responsible for PI breakdown and amylase release

Exogenous glucagon-like peptide-1 reduces body weight and cholecystokinin-8 enhances this reduction in diet-induced obese male rats.

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Mhalhal, Thaer R; Washington, Martha C; Newman, Kayla; Heath, John C; Sayegh, Ayman I

2017-10-01

The sites of action regulating meal size (MS) and intermeal interval (IMI) length by glucagon like peptide-1 (7-36) (GLP-1 (7-36)) and cholecystokinin-8 (CCK-8) reside in the areas supplied by the two major branches of the abdominal aorta, celiac and cranial mesenteric arteries. We hypothesized that infusing GLP-1 near those sites reduces body weight (BW) and adding CCK-8 to this infusion enhances the reduction. Here, we measured BW in diet-induced obese (DIO) male rats maintained and tested on normal rat chow and infused with saline, GLP-1 (0.5nmol/kg) and GLP-1+CCK-8 (0.5nmol/kg each) in the aorta once daily for 21days. We found that GLP-1 and GLP-1+CCK-8 decrease BW relative to saline vehicle and GLP-1+CCK-8 reduced it more than GLP-1 alone. Reduction of BW by GLP-1 alone was accompanied by decreased 24-h food intake, first MS, duration of first meal and number of meals, and an increase in latency to first meal. Reduction of BW by the combination of the peptides was accompanied by decrease 24-h food intake, first MS, duration of first meal and number of meals, and increase in the IMI length, satiety ratio and latency to first meal. In conclusion, GLP-1 reduces BW and CCK-8 enhances this reduction if the peptides are given near their sites of action. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of growth hormone deficiency and recombinant growth hormone therapy on postprandial gallbladder motility and cholecystokinin release.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Moschetta, A.; Twickler, M.; Rehfeld, J.F.; Ooteghem, N.A. van; Castro Cabezas, M.; Portincasa, P.; Berge-Henegouwen, G.P. van; Erpecum, K.J. van

2004-01-01

In addition to cholecystokinin, other hormones have been suggested to be involved in regulation of postprandial gallbladder contraction. We aimed to evaluate effects of growth hormone (GH) on gallbladder contractility and cholecystokinin release. Gallbladder and gastric emptying (by ultrasound) and

Persistent Inflammation Alters the Function of the Endogenous Brain Stem Cell Compartment

OpenAIRE

Pluchino, Stefano; Muzio, Luca; Alfaro-Cervello, Clara; Salani, Giuliana; Porcheri, Cristina; Brambilla, Elena; Cavasinni, Francesca; Bergamaschi, Andrea; Garcia-Verdugo, Jose Manuel; Comi, Giancarlo; Martino, Gianvito; Imitola, Jaime; Deleidi, Michela; Khoury, Samia Joseph

2008-01-01

Endogenous neural stem/precursor cells (NPCs) are considered a functional reservoir for promoting tissue homeostasis and repair after injury, therefore regenerative strategies that mobilize these cells have recently been proposed. Despite evidence of increased neurogenesis upon acute inflammatory insults (e.g. ischaemic stroke), the plasticity of the endogenous brain stem cell compartment in chronic CNS inflammatory disorders remains poorly characterized. Here we show that persistent brain in...

The effects of CCK-8S on spatial memory and long-term potentiation at CA1 during induction of stress in rats.

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Sadeghi, Malihe; Reisi, Parham; Radahmadi, Maryam

2017-12-01

Cholecystokinin (CCK) has been proposed as a mediator in stress. However, it is still not fully documented what are its effects. We aimed to evaluate the effects of systemic administration of CCK exactly before induction of stress on spatial memory and synaptic plasticity at CA1 in rats. Male Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups: the control, the control-CCK, the stress and the stress-CCK. Restraint stress was induced 6 hr per day, for 24 days. Cholecystokinin sulfated octapeptide (CCK-8S) was injected (1.6 µg/kg, IP) before each session of stress induction. Spatial memory was evaluated by Morris water maze test. Long-term potentiation (LTP) in Schaffer collateral-CA1 synapses was assessed (by 100 Hz tetanization) in order to investigate synaptic plasticity. Stress impaired spatial memory significantly ( P stress group. With respect to the control group, both fEPSP amplitude and slope were significantly ( P stress group. However, there were no differences between responses of the control-CCK and Stress-CCK groups compared to the control group. The present results suggest that high levels of CCK-8S during induction of stress can modulate the destructive effects of stress on hippocampal synaptic plasticity and memory. Therefore, the mediatory effects of CCK in stress are likely as compensatory responses.

The stem cell secretome and its role in brain repair.

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Drago, Denise; Cossetti, Chiara; Iraci, Nunzio; Gaude, Edoardo; Musco, Giovanna; Bachi, Angela; Pluchino, Stefano

2013-12-01

Compelling evidence exists that non-haematopoietic stem cells, including mesenchymal (MSCs) and neural/progenitor stem cells (NPCs), exert a substantial beneficial and therapeutic effect after transplantation in experimental central nervous system (CNS) disease models through the secretion of immune modulatory or neurotrophic paracrine factors. This paracrine hypothesis has inspired an alternative outlook on the use of stem cells in regenerative neurology. In this paradigm, significant repair of the injured brain may be achieved by injecting the biologics secreted by stem cells (secretome), rather than implanting stem cells themselves for direct cell replacement. The stem cell secretome (SCS) includes cytokines, chemokines and growth factors, and has gained increasing attention in recent years because of its multiple implications for the repair, restoration or regeneration of injured tissues. Thanks to recent improvements in SCS profiling and manipulation, investigators are now inspired to harness the SCS as a novel alternative therapeutic option that might ensure more efficient outcomes than current stem cell-based therapies for CNS repair. This review discusses the most recent identification of MSC- and NPC-secreted factors, including those that are trafficked within extracellular membrane vesicles (EVs), and reflects on their potential effects on brain repair. It also examines some of the most convincing advances in molecular profiling that have enabled mapping of the SCS. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.. All rights reserved.

Neurogenesis in the brain stem of the rabbit: an autoradiographic study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oblinger, M.M.; Das, G.D.

1981-01-01

With the aid of ( 3 H)-thymidine autoradiography, neurogenesis was documented in the nuclear groups of the medulla oblongata, pons, and mid-brain, as well as in the brain stem reticular formation of the rabbit. Following single injections of ( 3 H)-thymidine, counts were taken of intensely labeled neurons within the nuclei of the functional columns related to the cranial nerves, nuclei of several other functional classifications, and nuclei that did not fit into a functional category. In the brain stem as a whole, neurogenesis was found to occur between days 10.0 and 18.5 of gestation: however, the majority of nuclei studied contained intensely neurons only between days 12.0 and 15.0. Only in the pontine nucleus and the tectum were intensely labeled cells observed as late as day 18.5. Directional gradients of histogenesis were often observed within, as well as between, various nuclei. Within the nuclear columns related to the cranial nerves, a clear mediolateral spread of neurogenesis was observable such that nuclei of the motor columns reached a peak in neurogenesis before those in the sensory columns. Likewise, a mediolateral proliferation pattern was seen in the brain stem reticular formation. Other individual directional gradients were discernible; however, in the brain stem as a whole, distinct overall gradients were not observable. In many individual nuclei, gradients in neuron size were observed such that large neurons preferentially arose prior to smaller neurons. Information pertaining to gradients in neurogenesis, as well as to relationships among functionally related nuclei, are discussed

[Stem Cells in the Brain of Mammals and Human: Fundamental and Applied Aspects].

Science.gov (United States)

Aleksandrova, M A; Marey, M V

2015-01-01

Brain stem cells represent an extremely intriguing phenomenon. The aim of our review is to present an integrity vision of their role in the brain of mammals and humans, and their clinical perspectives. Over last two decades, investigations of biology of the neural stem cells produced significant changes in general knowledge about the processes of development and functioning of the brain. Researches on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of NSC differentiation and behavior led to new understanding of their involvement in learning and memory. In the regenerative medicine, original therapeutic approaches to neurodegenerative brain diseases have been elaborated due to fundamental achievements in this field. They are based on specific regenerative potential of neural stem cells and progenitor cells, which possess the ability to replace dead cells and express crucially significant biologically active factors that are missing in the pathological brain. For the needs of cell substitution therapy in the neural diseases, adequate methods of maintaining stem cells in culture and their differentiation into different types of neurons and glial cells, have been developed currently. The success of modern cellular technologies has significantly expanded the range of cells used for cell therapy. The near future may bring new perspective and distinct progress in brain cell therapy due to optimizing the cells types most promising for medical needs.

Physics strategies for sparing neural stem cells during whole-brain radiation treatments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kirby, Neil; Chuang, Cynthia; Pouliot, Jean; Hwang, Andrew; Barani, Igor J.

2011-01-01

Purpose: Currently, there are no successful long-term treatments or preventive strategies for radiation-induced cognitive impairments, and only a few possibilities have been suggested. One such approach involves reducing the dose to neural stem cell compartments (within and outside of the hippocampus) during whole-brain radiation treatments for brain metastases. This study investigates the fundamental physics issues associated with the sparing of neural stem cells during photon radiotherapy for brain metastases. Methods: Several factors influence the stem cell dose: intracranial scattering, collimator leakage, beam energy, and total number of beams. The relative importance of these factors is investigated through a set of radiation therapy plans, which are all variations of an initial 6 MV intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) plan designed to simultaneously deliver a whole-brain dose of 30 Gy and maximally reduce stem cell compartment dose. Additionally, an in-house leaf segmentation algorithm was developed that utilizes jaw motion to minimize the collimator leakage. Results: The plans are all normalized such that 50% of the PTV receives 30 Gy. For the initial 6 MV IMRT plan, 50% of the stem cells receive a dose greater than 6.3 Gy. Calculations indicate that 3.6 Gy of this dose originates from intracranial scattering. The jaw-tracking segmentation algorithm, used in conjunction with direct machine parameter optimization, reduces the 50% stem cell dose to 4.3 and 3.7 Gy for 6 and 10 MV treatment beams, respectively. Conclusions: Intracranial scattering alone is responsible for a large dose contribution to the stem cell compartment. It is, therefore, important to minimize other contributing factors, particularly the collimator leakage, to maximally reduce dose to these critical structures. The use of collimator jaw tracking in conjunction with modern collimators can minimize this leakage.

Cholecystokinin-From Local Gut Hormone to Ubiquitous Messenger

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rehfeld, Jens F

2017-01-01

Cholecystokinin (CCK) was discovered in 1928 in jejunal extracts as a gallbladder contraction factor. It was later shown to be member of a peptide family, which are all ligands for the CCK1 and CCK2 receptors. CCK peptides are known to be synthetized in small intestinal endocrine I-cells and cere...

Paraneoplastic brain stem encephalitis in a woman with anti-Ma2 antibody.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnett, M; Prosser, J; Sutton, I; Halmagyi, G M; Davies, L; Harper, C; Dalmau, J

2001-02-01

A woman developed brain stem encephalopathy in association with serum anti-Ma2 antibodies and left upper lobe lung mass. T2 weighted MRI of the brain showed abnormalities involving the pons, left middle and superior cerebellar peduncles, and bilateral basal ganglia. Immunohistochemical analysis for serum antineuronal antibodies was confounded by the presence of a non-neuronal specific antinuclear antibody. Immunoblot studies showed the presence of anti-Ma2 antibodies. A premortem tissue diagnosis of the lung mass could not be established despite two CT guided needle biopsies, and the patient died as a result of rapid neurological deterioration. The necropsy showed that the lung lesion was an adenocarcinoma which expressed Ma2 immunoreactive protein. Neuropathological findings included prominent perivascular inflammatory infiltrates, glial nodules, and neuronophagia involving the brain stem, basal ganglia, hippocampus and the dentate nucleus of the cerebellum. Ma2 is an autoantigen previously identified in patients with germ cell tumours of the testis and paraneoplastic brain stem and limbic encephalitis. Our patient's clinical and immunopathological findings indicate that this disorder can affect women with lung adenocarcinoma, and that the encephalitic changes predominate in those regions of the brain known to express high concentrations of Ma proteins.

Brain stem and cerebellar atrophy in chronic progressive neuro-Behçet's disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanoto, Masafumi; Hosoya, Takaaki; Toyoguchi, Yuuki; Oda, Atsuko

2013-01-01

Purpose: Chronic progressive neuro-Behçet's disease (CPNBD) resembles multiple sclerosis (MS) on patient background and image findings, and therefore is difficult to diagnose. The purpose is to identify the characteristic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of CPNBD and to clarify the differences between the MRI findings of CPNBD and those of MS. Materials and methods: The subjects consist of a CPNBD group (n = 4; 1 male and 3 females; mean age, 51 y.o.), a MS group (n = 19; 3 males and 16 females; mean age, 45 y.o.) and a normal control group (n = 23; 10 males and 13 females; mean age, 45 y.o.). Brain stem atrophy, cerebellar atrophy, and leukoencephalopathy were retrospectively evaluated in each subjects. In middle sagittal brain MR images, the prepontine distance was measured as an indirect index of brain stem and cerebellar atrophy and the pontine and mesencephalic distance was measured as a direct index of brain stem atrophy. These indexes were statistically analyzed. Results: Brain stem atrophy, cerebellar atrophy, and leukoencephalopathy were seen in all CPNBD cases. Prepontine distance was significantly different between the CPNBD group and the MS group (p < 0.05), and between the CPNBD group and the normal control group (p < 0.001). Pontine and mesencephalic distance were significantly different between the CPNBD group and the MS group (p < 0.001, p < 0.01 respectively), and between the CPNBD group and the normal control group (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Chronic progressive neuro-Behçet's disease should be considered in patients with brain stem and cerebellar atrophy in addition to leukoencephalopathy similar to that seen in multiple sclerosis

Effects of intravenous administration of bone marrow stromal stem cells on cognitive impairment of the whole-brain irradiated rat models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ding Weijun; Wang Jianhua; Zhu Min; Chen Baoguo; Wang Yang

2007-01-01

Objective: To explore the effect of intravenous infusion of bone marrow stromal stem cells(MSCs) on cognitive function of rats after whole brain irradiation. Methods: MSCs were isolated and cultured from adult rats. After Sprague-Dawly female rats were anaesthetized with chloral hydrate, their whole cerebrum was irradiated with a single dose of 20 Gy by 6 MV X-ray. Seven days after irradiation, 4 x 106 Hoechst33342-1abelled MSCs were intravenously injected into the tail vein of these rats. Four and 8 weeks after transplantation, the learning and memorizing ability was measured with the Y maze test. Immunohistochemical method was used to identify MSCs or ceils derived from MSCs in the brain. Results: The learning and memorizing ability of irradiation groups were significantly different from that of normal control group (P < 0.01). Significant improvement of cognitive impairment was observed in rats treated with MSCs at 4 and 8 weeks after transplantation as compared with the controll groups (P<0.05). This showed that the MSCs survived and were localized to the brain tissue. The number of Hoechst33342 immunohistofluorescence positive cells and double-immunostaining cells significantly decreased in 8 weeks group as compared with the 4 weeks group. Conclusion: Marrow stromal stem cells delivered to the irradiation brain tissue through intravenous route improve the cognitive impairment after whole brain irradiation. These cells may survive and differentiate in the brain tissue of irradiated rats. (authors)

HTLV-I associated myelopathy with multiple spotty areas in cerebral white matter and brain stem by MRI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hara, Yasuo; Takahashi, Mitsuo; Yoshikawa, Hiroo; Yorifuji, Shirou; Tarui, Seiichiro

1988-01-01

A 48-year-old woman was admitted with complaints of urinary incontinence and gait disturbance, both of which had progressed slowly without any sign of remission. Family history was not contributory. Neurologically, extreme spasticity was recoginized in the lower limbs. Babinski sign was positive bilaterally. Flower-like atypical lymphocytes were seen in blood. Positive anti-HTLV-I antibody was confirmed in serum and spinal fluid by western blot. She was diagnosed as having HTLV-I associated myelopathy (HAM). CT reveald calcification in bilateral globus pallidus, and MRI revealed multiple spotty areas in cerebral white matter and brain stem, but no spinal cord lesion was detectable. Electrophysiologically, brain stem auditory evoked potential (BAEP) suggested the presence of bilateral brain stem lesions. Neither median nor posterior tibial nerve somatosensory evoked potentials were evoked, a finding suggesting the existence of spinal cord lesion. In this case, the lesion was not confined to spinal cord, it was also observed in brain stem and cerebral white matter. Such distinct lesions in cerebral white matter and brain stem have not been reported in patients with HAM. It is suggested that HTLV-I is probably associated with cerebral white matter and brain stem.

Reduction of food intake by fenofibrate is associated with cholecystokinin release in long-evanstokushima rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S Yu Vorotnikova

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Реферат по статье: Reduction of food intake by fenofibrate is associated with cholecystokinin release in long-evanstokushima rats Park MK, Han Y, Kim MS, Seo E, Kang S, Park SY, Koh H, Kim DK, Lee HJ. Korean J Physiol Pharmacol Vol 16: 181-186, June, 2012

Aqp 9 and Brain Tumour Stem Cells

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Guri Fossdal

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Several studies have implicated the aquaporins (aqp 1, 4, and 9 in the pathogenesis of malignant brain tumours, suggesting that they contribute to motility, invasiveness, and oedema formation and facilitate metabolism in tumour cells under hypoxic conditions. We have studied the expression of aqp1, 4, and 9 in biopsies from glioblastomas, isolated tumour stem cells grown in a tumoursphere assay and analyzed the progenitor and differentiated cells from these cultures. We have compared these to the situation in normal rat brain, its stem cells, and differentiated cells derived thereof. In short, qPCR in tumour tissue showed presence of aqp1, 4, and 9. In the tumour progenitor population, aqp9 was markedly more highly expressed, whilst in tumour-derived differentiated cells, aqp4 was downregulated. However, immunostaining did not reveal increased protein expression of aqp9 in the tumourspheres containing progenitor cells; in contrast, its expression (both mRNA and protein was high in differentiated cultures. We, therefore, propose that aquaporin 9 may have a central role in the tumorigenesis of glioblastoma.

Delayed radiation-induced necrosis of the brain stem

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yukawa, Osamu; Kodama, Yasunori; Kyoda, Jun; Yuki, Kiyoshi; Taniguchi, Eiji; Katayama, Shoichi; Hiroi, Tadashi; Uozumi, Toru.

1993-01-01

A 46-year-old man had surgery for a mixed glioma of the frontotemporal lobe. Postoperatively he received 50 Gy of irradiation. Sixteen months later he developed left hemiparesis and left facial palsy. MRI revealed lesion brain stem and basal ganglia. Despite chemotherapy and an additional 50 Gy dose, the patient deteriorated. Autopsy revealed a wide spread radiation-induced necrosis in the right cerebral hemisphere, midbrain and pons. In radiation therapy, great care must be taken to protect the normal brain tissue. (author)

The integral biologically effective dose to predict brain stem toxicity of hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clark, Brenda G.; Souhami, Luis; Pla, Conrado; Al-Amro, Abdullah S.; Bahary, Jean-Paul; Villemure, Jean-Guy; Caron, Jean-Louis; Olivier, Andre; Podgorsak, Ervin B.

1998-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this work was to develop a parameter for use during fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy treatment planning to aid in the determination of the appropriate treatment volume and fractionation regimen that will minimize risk of late damage to normal tissue. Materials and Methods: We have used the linear quadratic model to assess the biologically effective dose at the periphery of stereotactic radiotherapy treatment volumes that impinge on the brain stem. This paper reports a retrospective study of 77 patients with malignant and benign intracranial lesions, treated between 1987 and 1995, with the dynamic rotation technique in 6 fractions over a period of 2 weeks, to a total dose of 42 Gy prescribed at the 90% isodose surface. From differential dose-volume histograms, we evaluated biologically effective dose-volume histograms and obtained an integral biologically-effective dose (IBED) in each case. Results: Of the 77 patients in the study, 36 had target volumes positioned so that the brain stem received more than 1% of the prescribed dose, and 4 of these, all treated for meningioma, developed serious late damage involving the brain stem. Other than type of lesion, the only significant variable was the volume of brain stem exposed. An analysis of the IBEDs received by these 36 patients shows evidence of a threshold value for late damage to the brain stem consistent with similar thresholds that have been determined for external beam radiotherapy. Conclusions: We have introduced a new parameter, the IBED, that may be used to represent the fractional effective dose to structures such as the brain stem that are partially irradiated with stereotactic dose distributions. The IBED is easily calculated prior to treatment and may be used to determine appropriate treatment volumes and fractionation regimens minimizing possible toxicity to normal tissue

Brain tumour stem cells: implications for cancer therapy and regenerative medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanchez-Martin, Manuel

2008-09-01

The cancer relapse and mortality rate suggest that current therapies do not eradicate all malignant cells. Currently, it is accepted that tumorigenesis and organogenesis are similar in many respects, as for example, homeostasis is governed by a distinct sub-population of stem cells in both situations. There is increasing evidence that many types of cancer contain their own stem cells: cancer stem cells (CSC), which are characterized by their self-renewing capacity and differentiation ability. The investigation of solid tumour stem cells has gained momentum particularly in the area of brain tumours. Gliomas are the most common type of primary brain tumours. Nearly two-thirds of gliomas are highly malignant lesions with fast progression and unfortunate prognosis. Despite recent advances, two-year survival for glioblastoma (GBM) with optimal therapy is less than 30%. Even among patients with low-grade gliomas that confer a relatively good prognosis, treatment is almost never curative. Recent studies have demonstrated the existence of a small fraction of glioma cells endowed with features of primitive neural progenitor cells and a tumour-initiating function. In general, this fraction is characterized for forming neurospheres, being endowed with drug resistance properties and often, we can isolate some of them using sorting methods with specific antibodies. The molecular characterization of these stem populations will be critical to developing an effective therapy for these tumours with very dismal prognosis. To achieve this aim, the development of a mouse model which recapitulates the nature of these tumours is essential. This review will focus on glioma stem cell knowledge and discuss future implications in brain cancer therapy and regenerative medicine.

Olivary degeneration after cerebellar or brain stem haemorrhage: MRI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Uchino, A. (Dept. of Radiology, Kyushu Univ. Hospital, Fukuoka (Japan) Dept. of Radiology, Kyushu Rosai Hospital, Kitakyushu (Japan)); Hasuo, K. (Dept. of Radiology, Kyushu Univ. Hospital, Fukuoka (Japan)); Uchida, K. (Dept. of Radiology, Kyushu Rosai Hospital, Kitakyushu (Japan)); Matsumoto, S. (Dept. of Radiology, Kyushu Univ. Hospital, Fukuoka (Japan)); Tsukamoto, Y. (Dept. of Radiology, Kyushu Rosai Hospital, Kitakyushu (Japan)); Ohno, M. (Dept. of Radiology, Kyushu Rosai Hospital, Kitakyushu (Japan)); Masuda, K. (Dept. of Radiology, Kyushu Univ. Hospital, Fukuoka (Japan))

1993-05-01

Magnetic resonance (MR) images of seven patients with olivary degeneration caused by cerebellar or brain stem haemorrhages were reviewed. In four patients with cerebellar haemorrhage, old haematomas were identified as being located in the dentate nucleus; the contralateral inferior olivary nuclei were hyperintense on proton-density- and T2-weighted images. In two patients with pontine haemorrhages, the old haematomas were in the tegmentum and the ipsilateral inferior olivary nuclei, which were hyperintense. In one case of midbrain haemorrhage, the inferior olivary nuclei were hyperintense bilaterally. The briefest interval from the ictus to MRI was 2 months. Hypertrophic olivary nuclei were observed only at least 4 months after the ictus. Olivary degeneration after cerebellar or brain stem haemorrhage should not be confused with ischaemic, neoplastic, or other primary pathological conditions of the medulla. (orig.)

Development of cholecystokinin binding sites in rat upper gastrointestinal tract

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robinson, P.H.; Moran, T.H.; Goldrich, M.; McHugh, P.R.

1987-01-01

Autoradiography using 125 I-labeled Bolton Hunter-CCK-33 was used to study the distribution of cholecystokinin binding sites at different stages of development in the rat upper gastrointestinal tract. Cholecystokinin (CCK) binding was present in the distal stomach, esophagus, and gastroduodenal junction in the rat fetus of gestational age of 17 days. In the 20-day fetus, specific binding was found in the gastric mucosa, antral circular muscle, and pyloric sphincter. Mucosal binding declined during postnatal development and had disappeared by day 15. Antral binding declined sharply between day 10 and day 15 and disappeared by day 50. Pyloric muscle binding was present in fetal stomach and persisted in the adult. Pancreatic CCK binding was not observed before day 10. These results suggest that CCK may have a role in the control of gastric emptying and ingestive behavior in the neonatal rat

Preventive sparing of spinal cord and brain stem in the initial irradiation of locally advanced head and neck cancers.

Science.gov (United States)

Farace, Paolo; Piras, Sara; Porru, Sergio; Massazza, Federica; Fadda, Giuseppina; Solla, Ignazio; Piras, Denise; Deidda, Maria Assunta; Amichetti, Maurizio; Possanzini, Marco

2014-01-06

Since reirradiation in recurrent head and neck patients is limited by previous treatment, a marked reduction of maximum doses to spinal cord and brain stem was investigated in the initial irradiation of stage III/IV head and neck cancers. Eighteen patients were planned by simultaneous integrated boost, prescribing 69.3 Gy to PTV1 and 56.1 Gy to PTV2. Nine 6 MV coplanar photon beams at equispaced gantry angles were chosen for each patient. Step-and-shoot IMRT was calculated by direct machine parameter optimization, with the maximum number of segments limited to 80. In the standard plan, optimization considered organs at risk (OAR), dose conformity, maximum dose < 45 Gy to spinal cord and < 50 Gy to brain stem. In the sparing plans, a marked reduction to spinal cord and brain stem were investigated, with/without changes in dose conformity. In the sparing plans, the maximum doses to spinal cord and brain stem were reduced from the initial values (43.5 ± 2.2 Gy and 36.7 ± 14.0 Gy), without significant changes on the other OARs. A marked difference (-15.9 ± 1.9 Gy and -10.1 ± 5.7 Gy) was obtained at the expense of a small difference (-1.3% ± 0.9%) from initial PTV195% coverage (96.6% ± 0.9%). Similar difference (-15.7 ± 2.2 Gy and -10.2 ± 6.1 Gy) was obtained compromising dose conformity, but unaffecting PTV195% and with negligible decrease in PTV295% (-0.3% ± 0.3% from the initial 98.3% ± 0.8%). A marked spinal cord and brain stem preventive sparing was feasible at the expense of a decrease in dose conformity or slightly compromising target coverage. A sparing should be recommended in highly recurrent tumors, to make potential reirradiation safer.

Characterization and visualization of cholecystokinin receptors in rat brain using [3H]pentagastrin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaudreau, P.; Quirion, R.; St Pierre, S.; Pert, C.B.

1983-01-01

[ 3 H]Pentagastrin binds specifically to an apparent single class of CCK receptors on slide-mounted sections of rat brain (KD . 5.6 nM; Bmax . 36.6 fmol/mg protein). This specific binding is temperature-dependent and regulated by ions and nucleotides. The relative potencies of C-terminal fragments of CCK-8(SO 3 H), benzotript and proglumide in inhibiting specific [ 3 H]pentagastrin binding to CCK brain receptors reinforce the concept of different brain and pancreas CCK receptors. CCK receptors were visualized by using tritium-sensitive LKB film analyzed by computerized densitometry. CCK receptors are highly concentrated in the cortex, dentate gyrus, granular and external plexiform layers of the olfactory bulb, anterior olfactory nuclei, olfactory tubercle, claustrum, accumbens nucleus, some nuclei of the amygdala, thalamus and hypothalamus

Amplification of neural stem cell proliferation by intermediate progenitor cells in Drosophila brain development

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Bello Bruno C

2008-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In the mammalian brain, neural stem cells divide asymmetrically and often amplify the number of progeny they generate via symmetrically dividing intermediate progenitors. Here we investigate whether specific neural stem cell-like neuroblasts in the brain of Drosophila might also amplify neuronal proliferation by generating symmetrically dividing intermediate progenitors. Results Cell lineage-tracing and genetic marker analysis show that remarkably large neuroblast lineages exist in the dorsomedial larval brain of Drosophila. These lineages are generated by brain neuroblasts that divide asymmetrically to self renew but, unlike other brain neuroblasts, do not segregate the differentiating cell fate determinant Prospero to their smaller daughter cells. These daughter cells continue to express neuroblast-specific molecular markers and divide repeatedly to produce neural progeny, demonstrating that they are proliferating intermediate progenitors. The proliferative divisions of these intermediate progenitors have novel cellular and molecular features; they are morphologically symmetrical, but molecularly asymmetrical in that key differentiating cell fate determinants are segregated into only one of the two daughter cells. Conclusion Our findings provide cellular and molecular evidence for a new mode of neurogenesis in the larval brain of Drosophila that involves the amplification of neuroblast proliferation through intermediate progenitors. This type of neurogenesis bears remarkable similarities to neurogenesis in the mammalian brain, where neural stem cells as primary progenitors amplify the number of progeny they generate through generation of secondary progenitors. This suggests that key aspects of neural stem cell biology might be conserved in brain development of insects and mammals.

Brain stem tumors in children - therapeutic results in patients of the University Children's Hospital of Cracow in Poland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korab-Chrzanowska, E.; Bartoszewska, J.; Kwiatkowski, S.

2005-01-01

To analyse the treatment results achieved in children treated for brain stem tumours at one institution between the years 1990 and 2004. Material. 20 patients (10 girls, 10 boys) aged 2.8-15.6 years were treated for brain stem tumors at the University Children's Hospital of Cracow (UCHC) in the years 1990-2004. The tumour type was defined basing on imaging studies (CT, MRI), and, in the case of 7 patients, additionally basing on histopathological results. In the collected material the predominant tumor type was benign glioma, detected in 17 patients. Malignant gliomas were diagnosed in 3 children. 7 children were treated by radiotherapy only. Surgical procedures and adjuvant radiotherapy were employed in 3 patients. 6 children underwent radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Combined surgical treatment followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy was employed in 4 patients. Of the 20 patients 6 have died (30%). The surviving group (70%) includes 1 patient with tumor progression (5%), 5 - with stable tumors (25%), and 8 (40%) - with tumor regression. The probability of three-year overall survival for the entire group as calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method was 70% while the probability of three-year progression-free survival was 65%. Conclusions. Diffuse brain stem tumors, mostly those involving the pons, and malignant gliomas have poor prognosis. In the presented material we achieved the best treatment results in patients with exophytic or focal tumors, treated surgically with adjuvant therapy. (author)

MRI of the brain stem using fluid attenuated inversion recivery pulse sequences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Coene, B.; Hajnal, J.V.; Pennock, J.M.; Bydder, G.M.

1993-01-01

Heavily T2-weighted fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequences with inversion times of 2000-2500 ms and echo times of 130-200 ms were used to image the brain stem of a normal adult and five patients. These sequences produce high signal from many white matter tracts and display high lesion contrast. The corticospinal and parietopontine tracts, lateral and medial lemnisci, superior and inferior cerebellar peduncles, medial longitudinal fasciculi, thalamo-olivary tracts the cuneate and gracile fasiculi gave high signal and were directly visualised. The oculomotor and trigeminal nerves were demonstrated within the brain stem. Lesions not seen with conventional T2-weighted spin echo sequences were seen with high contrast in patients with infarction, multiple sclerosis, sarcoidosis, chunt obstruction and metastatic tumour. The anatomical detail and high lesion contrast given by the FLAIR pulse sequence appear likely to be of value in diagnosis of disease in the brain stem. (orig.)

Development of cholecystokinin binding sites in rat upper gastrointestinal tract

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robinson, P.H.; Moran, T.H.; Goldrich, M.; McHugh, P.R.

1987-04-01

Autoradiography using /sup 125/I-labeled Bolton Hunter-CCK-33 was used to study the distribution of cholecystokinin binding sites at different stages of development in the rat upper gastrointestinal tract. Cholecystokinin (CCK) binding was present in the distal stomach, esophagus, and gastroduodenal junction in the rat fetus of gestational age of 17 days. In the 20-day fetus, specific binding was found in the gastric mucosa, antral circular muscle, and pyloric sphincter. Mucosal binding declined during postnatal development and had disappeared by day 15. Antral binding declined sharply between day 10 and day 15 and disappeared by day 50. Pyloric muscle binding was present in fetal stomach and persisted in the adult. Pancreatic CCK binding was not observed before day 10. These results suggest that CCK may have a role in the control of gastric emptying and ingestive behavior in the neonatal rat.

Characterization of TLX expression in neural stem cells and progenitor cells in adult brains.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Shengxiu; Sun, Guoqiang; Murai, Kiyohito; Ye, Peng; Shi, Yanhong

2012-01-01

TLX has been shown to play an important role in regulating the self-renewal and proliferation of neural stem cells in adult brains. However, the cellular distribution of endogenous TLX protein in adult brains remains to be elucidated. In this study, we used immunostaining with a TLX-specific antibody to show that TLX is expressed in both neural stem cells and transit-amplifying neural progenitor cells in the subventricular zone (SVZ) of adult mouse brains. Then, using a double thymidine analog labeling approach, we showed that almost all of the self-renewing neural stem cells expressed TLX. Interestingly, most of the TLX-positive cells in the SVZ represented the thymidine analog-negative, relatively quiescent neural stem cell population. Using cell type markers and short-term BrdU labeling, we demonstrated that TLX was also expressed in the Mash1+ rapidly dividing type C cells. Furthermore, loss of TLX expression dramatically reduced BrdU label-retaining neural stem cells and the actively dividing neural progenitor cells in the SVZ, but substantially increased GFAP staining and extended GFAP processes. These results suggest that TLX is essential to maintain the self-renewing neural stem cells in the SVZ and that the GFAP+ cells in the SVZ lose neural stem cell property upon loss of TLX expression. Understanding the cellular distribution of TLX and its function in specific cell types may provide insights into the development of therapeutic tools for neurodegenerative diseases by targeting TLX in neural stem/progenitors cells.

Infrequent lesions involving the brain stem: assessment with magnetic resonance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonzalez, Alejandro P.; Salvatico, Rosana; Romero, Carlos; Lambre, Hector; Trejo, Mariano; Meli, Francisco

2005-01-01

Purpose: Report five non frequent cases that involve the brain stem studied with MRI. Material and methods: 115 patients were evaluated retrospectively between January 2002 and March 2004. Five non frequent cases were selected. Their ages were between 3 and 75 years, and all of them were male. A 1.5 magnet was used. The diagnosis was made with the clinical evolution, blood and CSF analysis and in one case by biopsy. Results: The mentioned cases were posterior reversible leucoencephalopathy, rhombencephalitis due to listeria monocytogenes, brain stem infiltrating glioma, Leigh syndrome and pontine myelinolysis. Conclusions: We think that the reported cases have to be considered among the different diagnosis of the brainstem pathology, in spite of their non frequent presentation. (author)

Nop2 is expressed during proliferation of neural stem cells and in adult mouse and human brain

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kosi, N.; Alic, I.; Kolačevic, M.; Vrsaljko, N.; Miloševic, N.J.; Sobol, Margaryta; Filimonenko, Anatolij; Hozák, Pavel; Gajovic, S.; Pochet, R.; Mitrečic, D.

2015-01-01

Roč. 1597, February (2015), s. 65-76 ISSN 1872-6240 R&D Projects: GA TA ČR(CZ) TE01020118; GA MPO FR-TI3/588 Institutional support: RVO:68378050 Keywords : Nop2 * Brain * Stem cells * Stroke Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology

Characterization of basal hepatic bile flow and the effects of intravenous cholecystokinin on the liver, sphincter, and gallbladder in patients with sphincter of Oddi spasm.

Science.gov (United States)

Krishnamurthy, Gerbail T; Krishnamurthy, Shakuntala; Watson, Randy D

2004-01-01

The major objectives of this project were to establish the pattern of basal hepatic bile flow and the effects of intravenous administration of cholecystokinin on the liver, sphincter of Oddi, and gallbladder, and to identify reliable parameters for the diagnosis of sphincter of Oddi spasm (SOS). Eight women with clinically suspected sphincter of Oddi spasm (SOS group), ten control subjects (control group), and ten patients who had recently received an opioid (opioid group) were selected for quantitative cholescintigraphy with cholecystokinin. Each patient was studied with 111-185 MBq (3-5 mCi) technetium-99m mebrofenin after 6-8 h of fasting. Hepatic phase images were obtained for 60 min, followed by gallbladder phase images for 30 min. During the gallbladder phase, 10 ng/kg octapeptide of cholecystokinin (CCK-8) was infused over 3 min through an infusion pump. Hepatic extraction fraction, excretion half-time, basal hepatic bile flow into the gallbladder, gallbladder ejection fraction, and post-CCK-8 paradoxical filling (>30% of basal counts) were identified. Seven of the patients with SOS were treated with antispasmodics (calcium channel blockers), and one underwent endoscopic sphincterotomy. Mean (+/-SD) hepatic bile entry into the gallbladder (versus GI tract) was widely variable: it was lower in SOS patients (32%+/-31%) than in controls (61%+/-36%) and the opioid group (61%+/-25%), but the difference was not statistically significant. Hepatic extraction fraction, excretion half-time, and pattern of bile flow through both intrahepatic and extrahepatic ducts were normal in all three groups. Gallbladder mean ejection fraction was 9%+/-4% in the opioid group; this was significantly lower (Pgallbladder refluxed into intrahepatic ducts; it reentered the gallbladder after cessation of CCK-8 infusion (paradoxical gallbladder filling) in all eight patients with SOS, but in none of the patients in the other two groups. Mean paradoxical filling was 204% (+/-193%) in the

Basal ganglia germinoma in children with associated ipsilateral cerebral and brain stem hemiatrophy

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Ozelame, Rodrigo V.; Shroff, Manohar; Wood, Bradley; Bouffet, Eric; Bartels, Ute; Drake, James M.; Hawkins, Cynthia; Blaser, Susan [Hospital for Sick Children, Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Toronto, Ontario (Canada)

2006-04-15

Germinoma is the most common and least-malignant intracranial germ cell tumor, usually found in the midline. Germinoma that arises in the basal ganglia, called ectopic germinoma, is a rare and well-documented entity representing 5% to 10% of all intracranial germinomas. The association of cerebral and/or brain stem atrophy with basal ganglia germinoma on CT and MRI is found in 33% of the cases. To review the literature and describe the CT and MRI findings of basal ganglia germinoma in children, known as ectopic germinoma, with associated ipsilateral cerebral and brain stem hemiatrophy. Three brain CT and six brain MRI studies performed in four children at two institutions were retrospectively reviewed. All patients were male (case 1, 14 years; case 2, 13 years; case 3, 9 years; case 4, 13 years), with pathologically proved germinoma arising in the basal ganglia, and associated ipsilateral cerebral and/or brain stem hemiatrophy on the first imaging study. It is important to note that three of these children presented with cognitive decline, psychosis and slowly progressive hemiparesis as their indication for imaging. Imaging results on initial scans were varied. In all patients, the initial study showed ipsilateral cerebral and/or brain stem hemiatrophy, representing Wallerian degeneration. All patients who underwent CT imaging presented with a hyperdense or calcified lesion in the basal ganglia on unenhanced scans. Only one of these lesions had a mass effect on the surrounding structures. In one of these patients a large, complex, heterogeneous mass appeared 15 months later. Initial MR showed focal or diffusely increased T2 signal in two cases and heterogeneous signal in the other two. (orig.)

Basal ganglia germinoma in children with associated ipsilateral cerebral and brain stem hemiatrophy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ozelame, Rodrigo V.; Shroff, Manohar; Wood, Bradley; Bouffet, Eric; Bartels, Ute; Drake, James M.; Hawkins, Cynthia; Blaser, Susan

2006-01-01

Germinoma is the most common and least-malignant intracranial germ cell tumor, usually found in the midline. Germinoma that arises in the basal ganglia, called ectopic germinoma, is a rare and well-documented entity representing 5% to 10% of all intracranial germinomas. The association of cerebral and/or brain stem atrophy with basal ganglia germinoma on CT and MRI is found in 33% of the cases. To review the literature and describe the CT and MRI findings of basal ganglia germinoma in children, known as ectopic germinoma, with associated ipsilateral cerebral and brain stem hemiatrophy. Three brain CT and six brain MRI studies performed in four children at two institutions were retrospectively reviewed. All patients were male (case 1, 14 years; case 2, 13 years; case 3, 9 years; case 4, 13 years), with pathologically proved germinoma arising in the basal ganglia, and associated ipsilateral cerebral and/or brain stem hemiatrophy on the first imaging study. It is important to note that three of these children presented with cognitive decline, psychosis and slowly progressive hemiparesis as their indication for imaging. Imaging results on initial scans were varied. In all patients, the initial study showed ipsilateral cerebral and/or brain stem hemiatrophy, representing Wallerian degeneration. All patients who underwent CT imaging presented with a hyperdense or calcified lesion in the basal ganglia on unenhanced scans. Only one of these lesions had a mass effect on the surrounding structures. In one of these patients a large, complex, heterogeneous mass appeared 15 months later. Initial MR showed focal or diffusely increased T2 signal in two cases and heterogeneous signal in the other two. (orig.)

Functional characteristics of parvalbumin- and cholecystokinin-expressing basket cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Bartos, Marlene; Elgueta, Claudio

2012-02-15

Cortical neuronal network operations depend critically on the recruitment of GABAergic interneurons and the properties of their inhibitory output signals. Recent evidence indicates a marked difference in the signalling properties of two major types of perisomatic inhibitory interneurons, the parvalbumin- and the cholecystokinin-containing basket cells. Parvalbumin-expressing basket cells are rapidly recruited by excitatory synaptic inputs, generate high-frequency trains of action potentials, discharge single action potentials phase-locked to fast network oscillations and provide fast, stable and timed inhibitory output onto their target cells. In contrast, cholecystokinin-containing basket cells are recruited in a less reliable manner, discharge at moderate frequencies with single action potentials weakly coupled to the phases of fast network oscillations and generate an asynchronous, fluctuating and less timed inhibitory output. These signalling modes are based on cell type-dependent differences in the functional and plastic properties of excitatory input synapses, integrative qualities and in the kinetics and dynamics of inhibitory output synapses. Thus, the two perisomatic inhibitory interneuron types operate with different speed and precision and may therefore contribute differently to the operations of neuronal networks.

Nuclear receptor TLX regulates cell cycle progression in neural stem cells of the developing brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Wenwu; Sun, Guoqiang; Yang, Su; Qu, Qiuhao; Nakashima, Kinichi; Shi, Yanhong

2008-01-01

TLX is an orphan nuclear receptor that is expressed exclusively in vertebrate forebrains. Although TLX is known to be expressed in embryonic brains, the mechanism by which it influences neural development remains largely unknown. We show here that TLX is expressed specifically in periventricular neural stem cells in embryonic brains. Significant thinning of neocortex was observed in embryonic d 14.5 TLX-null brains with reduced nestin labeling and decreased cell proliferation in the germinal zone. Cell cycle analysis revealed both prolonged cell cycles and increased cell cycle exit in TLX-null embryonic brains. Increased expression of a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 and decreased expression of cyclin D1 provide a molecular basis for the deficiency of cell cycle progression in embryonic brains of TLX-null mice. Furthermore, transient knockdown of TLX by in utero electroporation led to precocious cell cycle exit and differentiation of neural stem cells followed by outward migration. Together these results indicate that TLX plays an important role in neural development by regulating cell cycle progression and exit of neural stem cells in the developing brain.

Diet-induced and monosodium-glutamate obesity in mice: Relationship among neuropeptide Y, CART peptide and cholecystokinin in feeding behavior

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Železná, Blanka; Matyšková, Resha; Maixnerová, Jana; Haugvicová, Renata; Blokešová, Darja; Maletínská, Lenka

2007-01-01

Roč. 88, č. 4 (2007), s. 557 ISSN 0006-3525. [American Peptide Society Symposium /20./. 26.06.2007-30.06.2007, Montreal] Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40550506; CEZ:AV0Z50200510 Keywords : cocaine and amphetamine regulated transcript peptide * cholecystokinin Subject RIV: CE - Biochemistry

Cytokine Immunopathogenesis of Enterovirus 71 Brain Stem Encephalitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shih-Min Wang

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Enterovirus 71 (EV71 is one of the most important causes of herpangina and hand, foot, and mouth disease. It can also cause severe complications of the central nervous system (CNS. Brain stem encephalitis with pulmonary edema is the severe complication that can lead to death. EV71 replicates in leukocytes, endothelial cells, and dendritic cells resulting in the production of immune and inflammatory mediators that shape innate and acquired immune responses and the complications of disease. Cytokines, as a part of innate immunity, favor the development of antiviral and Th1 immune responses. Cytokines and chemokines play an important role in the pathogenesis EV71 brain stem encephalitis. Both the CNS and the systemic inflammatory responses to infection play important, but distinctly different, roles in the pathogenesis of EV71 pulmonary edema. Administration of intravenous immunoglobulin and milrinone, a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, has been shown to modulate inflammation, to reduce sympathetic overactivity, and to improve survival in patients with EV71 autonomic nervous system dysregulation and pulmonary edema.

Characterization of TLX expression in neural stem cells and progenitor cells in adult brains.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shengxiu Li

Full Text Available TLX has been shown to play an important role in regulating the self-renewal and proliferation of neural stem cells in adult brains. However, the cellular distribution of endogenous TLX protein in adult brains remains to be elucidated. In this study, we used immunostaining with a TLX-specific antibody to show that TLX is expressed in both neural stem cells and transit-amplifying neural progenitor cells in the subventricular zone (SVZ of adult mouse brains. Then, using a double thymidine analog labeling approach, we showed that almost all of the self-renewing neural stem cells expressed TLX. Interestingly, most of the TLX-positive cells in the SVZ represented the thymidine analog-negative, relatively quiescent neural stem cell population. Using cell type markers and short-term BrdU labeling, we demonstrated that TLX was also expressed in the Mash1+ rapidly dividing type C cells. Furthermore, loss of TLX expression dramatically reduced BrdU label-retaining neural stem cells and the actively dividing neural progenitor cells in the SVZ, but substantially increased GFAP staining and extended GFAP processes. These results suggest that TLX is essential to maintain the self-renewing neural stem cells in the SVZ and that the GFAP+ cells in the SVZ lose neural stem cell property upon loss of TLX expression. Understanding the cellular distribution of TLX and its function in specific cell types may provide insights into the development of therapeutic tools for neurodegenerative diseases by targeting TLX in neural stem/progenitors cells.

A novel and generalizable organotypic slice platform to evaluate stem cell potential for targeting pediatric brain tumors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Shengwen

2008-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Brain tumors are now the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in children under age 15. Malignant gliomas are, for all practical purposes, incurable and new therapeutic approaches are desperately needed. One emerging strategy is to use the tumor tracking capacity inherent in many stem cell populations to deliver therapeutic agents to the brain cancer cells. Current limitations of the stem cell therapy strategy include that stem cells are treated as a single entity and lack of uniform technology is adopted for selection of clinically relevant sub-populations of stem cells. Specifically, therapeutic success relies on the selection of a clinically competent stem cell population based on their capacity of targeting brain tumors. A novel and generalizable organotypic slice platform to evaluate stem cell potential for targeting pediatric brain tumors is proposed to fill the gap in the current work flow of stem cell-based therapy. The organotypic slice platform has advantages of being mimic in vivo model, easier to manipulate to optimize parameters than in vivo models such as rodents and primates. This model serves as a framework to address the discrepancy between anticipated in vivo results and actual in vivo results, a critical barrier to timely progress in the field of the use of stem cells for the treatment of neurological disorders.

Vagally mediated effects of brain stem dopamine on gastric tone and phasic contractions of the rat.

Science.gov (United States)

Anselmi, L; Toti, L; Bove, C; Travagli, R A

2017-11-01

Dopamine (DA)-containing fibers and neurons are embedded within the brain stem dorsal vagal complex (DVC); we have shown previously that DA modulates the membrane properties of neurons of the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) via DA1 and DA2 receptors. The vagally dependent modulation of gastric tone and phasic contractions, i.e., motility, by DA, however, has not been characterized. With the use of microinjections of DA in the DVC while recording gastric tone and motility, the aims of the present study were 1 ) assess the gastric effects of brain stem DA application, 2 ) identify the DA receptor subtype, and, 3 ) identify the postganglionic pathway(s) activated. Dopamine microinjection in the DVC decreased gastric tone and motility in both corpus and antrum in 29 of 34 rats, and the effects were abolished by ipsilateral vagotomy and fourth ventricular treatment with the selective DA2 receptor antagonist L741,626 but not by application of the selective DA1 receptor antagonist SCH 23390. Systemic administration of the cholinergic antagonist atropine attenuated the inhibition of corpus and antrum tone in response to DA microinjection in the DVC. Conversely, systemic administration of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor nitro-l-arginine methyl ester did not alter the DA-induced decrease in gastric tone and motility. Our data provide evidence of a dopaminergic modulation of a brain stem vagal neurocircuit that controls gastric tone and motility. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Dopamine administration in the brain stem decreases gastric tone and phasic contractions. The gastric effects of dopamine are mediated via dopamine 2 receptors on neurons of the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus. The inhibitory effects of dopamine are mediated via inhibition of the postganglionic cholinergic pathway. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Correlation of auditory brain stem response and the MRI measurements in neuro-degenerative disorders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamei, Hidekazu

1989-01-01

The purpose of this study is to elucidate correlations of several MRI measurements of the cranium and brain, functioning as a volume conductor, to the auditory brain stem response (ABR) in neuro-degenerative disorders. The subjects included forty-seven patients with spinocerebellar degeneration (SCD) and sixteen of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Statistically significant positive correlations were found between I-V and III-V interpeak latencies (IPLs) and the area of cranium and brain in the longitudinal section of SCD patients, and between I-III and III-V IPLs and the area in the longitudinal section of those with ALS. And, also there were statistically significant correlations between the amplitude of the V wave and the area of brain stem as well as that of the cranium in the longitudinal section of SCD patients, and between the amplitude of the V wave and the area of the cerebrum in the longitudinal section of ALS. In conclusion, in the ABR, the IPLs were prolonged and the amplitude of the V wave was decreased while the MRI size of the cranium and brain increased. When the ABR is applied to neuro-degenerative disorders, it might be important to consider not only the conduction of the auditory tracts in the brain stem, but also the correlations of the size of the cranium and brain which act as a volume conductor. (author)

Correlation of auditory brain stem response and the MRI measurements in neuro-degenerative disorders

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kamei, Hidekazu (Tokyo Women' s Medical Coll. (Japan))

1989-06-01

The purpose of this study is to elucidate correlations of several MRI measurements of the cranium and brain, functioning as a volume conductor, to the auditory brain stem response (ABR) in neuro-degenerative disorders. The subjects included forty-seven patients with spinocerebellar degeneration (SCD) and sixteen of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Statistically significant positive correlations were found between I-V and III-V interpeak latencies (IPLs) and the area of cranium and brain in the longitudinal section of SCD patients, and between I-III and III-V IPLs and the area in the longitudinal section of those with ALS. And, also there were statistically significant correlations between the amplitude of the V wave and the area of brain stem as well as that of the cranium in the longitudinal section of SCD patients, and between the amplitude of the V wave and the area of the cerebrum in the longitudinal section of ALS. In conclusion, in the ABR, the IPLs were prolonged and the amplitude of the V wave was decreased while the MRI size of the cranium and brain increased. When the ABR is applied to neuro-degenerative disorders, it might be important to consider not only the conduction of the auditory tracts in the brain stem, but also the correlations of the size of the cranium and brain which act as a volume conductor. (author).

The Preclinical Research Progress of Stem Cells Therapy in Parkinson’s Disease

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Jun Zhang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Parkinson’s disease (PD is a type of degenerative disorder of the basal ganglia, causing tremor at rest, muscle rigidity hypokinesia, and dementia. The effectiveness of drug treatments gradually diminishes because the conversion to dopamine within the brain is increasingly disrupted by the progressive degeneration of the dopaminergic terminals. After long-term treatment, most patients with PD suffer from disability that cannot be satisfactorily controlled. To solve these issues, stem cells have recently been used for cell therapy of PD. In this review, the characteristics of different stem cells and their therapeutic effects on PD treatment will be discussed.

Nop2 is expressed during proliferation of neural stem cells and in adult mouse and human brain

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kosi, N.; Alic, I.; Kolacevic, M.; Vrsaljko, N.; Milosevic, N.J.; Sobol, Margaryta; Philimonenko, Anatoly; Hozák, Pavel; Gajovic, S.; Pochet, R.; Mitrecic, D.

2015-01-01

Roč. 1597, FEB 9 (2015), s. 65-76 ISSN 1872-6240 R&D Projects: GA TA ČR(CZ) TE01020118; GA MPO FR-TI3/588 Institutional support: RVO:68378050 Keywords : Nop2 * Brain * Stem cells * Stroke * Nucleolus * Cell cycle Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology

Expression of cholecystokinin receptors in colon cancer and the clinical correlation in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Bee-Piao; Lin, Chun-Hsiang; Chen, Yi-Ching; Kao, Shao-Hsuan

2016-04-01

Cholecystokinin and gastrin receptors are upregulated in many human digestive malignancies; however, the correlation of their expressions with severity of colon carcinoma remains sketchy. Here, we determined the expression of cholecystokinin-1 and cholecystokinin-2 receptor, CCK1R and CCK2R, in colon carcinomas and investigated their correlations with clinicopathological characteristics and 1-year survival rate. Expression of CCK1R and CCK2R was determined by immunohistochemical assay in tissue samples obtained from 97 surgical specimens. Clinicopathological character analysis revealed that higher expression of cytoplasmic CCK1R and CCK2R was significantly associated with several variables including the depth of tumor invasion (P = 0.001), venous invasion (P = 0.023), and progression stage (P = 0.013). In addition, immunohistochemical staining revealed statistically significant associations of nuclear CCK1R expression with higher lymphatic invasion (P = 0.042), progression stage (P = 0.025), and unfavorable survival (P = 0.025). Interestingly, we found no link between nuclear CCK2R expression and all the clinicopathological characteristics examined. Taken these, our findings indicate that nuclear CCK1R represents a potential biomarker for poor prognosis, and CCK1R may play a role differing from CCK2R in colon carcinogenesis.

Stimulation of (3H) spiroperidol binding after prolonged neuroleptic therapy by the cholecystokinin octapeptide analog cerulein

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasar, E.E.; Allikmets, L.K.; Maimets, O.O.; Nurk, A.M.

1985-01-01

Evidence has recently been obtained that cholecystokinin and its analog cerulein have marked antipsychotic action on patients with schizophrenia who are resistant to neuroleptics; this is the basis for interest in this study of the effect of cerulein, a high-affinity analog of the octapeptide cholecystokinin, on binding of tritium-spiroperidol in vivo. Considering the apormorphine-like action of cerulein, this biochemical analysis was undertaken in the form of a comparative study with N-propyl-norapomorphine, a high-affinity analogy of apomorphine

Neurosyphilis Involving Cranial Nerves in Brain Stem: 2 Case Reports

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jang, Ji Hye [Dept. of Radiology, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Woo Suk; Kim, Eui Jong [Dept. of Radiology, Kyung Hee University Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Yoon, Sung Sang; Heo, Sung Hyuk [Dept. of Neurology, Kyung Hee University Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2012-01-15

Neurosyphilis uncommonly presents with cranial neuropathies in acute syphilitic meningitis and meningovascular neurosyphilis. We now report two cases in which the meningeal form of neurosyphilis involved cranial nerves in the brain stem: the oculomotor and trigeminal nerve.

Neurosyphilis Involving Cranial Nerves in Brain Stem: 2 Case Reports

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jang, Ji Hye; Choi, Woo Suk; Kim, Eui Jong; Yoon, Sung Sang; Heo, Sung Hyuk

2012-01-01

Neurosyphilis uncommonly presents with cranial neuropathies in acute syphilitic meningitis and meningovascular neurosyphilis. We now report two cases in which the meningeal form of neurosyphilis involved cranial nerves in the brain stem: the oculomotor and trigeminal nerve.

Activation of neural cholecystokinin-1 receptors induces relaxation of the isolated rat duodenum which is reduced by nitric oxide synthase inhibitors

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S.R. Martins

2006-02-01

Full Text Available Cholecystokinin (CCK influences gastrointestinal motility, by acting on central and peripheral receptors. The aim of the present study was to determine whether CCK has any effect on isolated duodenum longitudinal muscle activity and to characterize the mechanisms involved. Isolated segments of the rat proximal duodenum were mounted for the recording of isometric contractions of longitudinal muscle in the presence of atropine and guanethidine. CCK-8S (EC50: 39; 95% CI: 4.1-152 nM and cerulein (EC50: 58; 95% CI: 18-281 nM induced a concentration-dependent and tetrodotoxin-sensitive relaxation. Nomeganitro-L-arginine (L-NOARG reduced CCK-8S- and cerulein-induced relaxation (IC50: 5.2; 95% CI: 2.5-18 µM in a concentration-dependent manner. The magnitude of 300 nM CCK-8S-induced relaxation was reduced by 100 µM L-NOARG from 73 ± 5.1 to 19 ± 3.5% in an L-arginine but not D-arginine preventable manner. The CCK-1 receptor antagonists proglumide, lorglumide and devazepide, but not the CCK-2 receptor antagonist L-365,260, antagonized CCK-8S-induced relaxation in a concentration-dependent manner. These findings suggest that CCK-8S and cerulein activate intrinsic nitrergic nerves acting on CCK-1 receptors in order to cause relaxation of the rat duodenum longitudinal muscle.

Development and aging of a brain neural stem cell niche.

Science.gov (United States)

Conover, Joanne C; Todd, Krysti L

2017-08-01

In the anterior forebrain, along the lateral wall of the lateral ventricles, a neurogenic stem cell niche is found in a region referred to as the ventricular-subventricular zone (V-SVZ). In rodents, robust V-SVZ neurogenesis provides new neurons to the olfactory bulb throughout adulthood; however, with increasing age stem cell numbers are reduced and neurogenic capacity is significantly diminished, but new olfactory bulb neurons continue to be produced even in old age. Humans, in contrast, show little to no new neurogenesis after two years of age and whether V-SVZ neural stem cells persist in the adult human brain remains unclear. Here, we review functional and organizational differences in the V-SVZ stem cell niche of mice and humans, and examine how aging affects the V-SVZ niche and its associated functions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The influence of heroin abuse on glutathione-dependent enzymes in human brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Gutowicz, Marzena; Kaźmierczak, Beata; Barańczyk-Kuźma, Anna

2011-01-01

Heroin is an illicit narcotic abused by millions of people worldwide. In our earlier studies we have shown that heroin intoxication changes the antioxidant status in human brain. In the present work we continued our studies by estimating the effect of heroin abuse on reduced glutathione (GSH) and enzymes related to this cofactor, such as glutathione S-transferase detoxifying electrophilics (GST) and organic peroxides (as Se-independent glutathione peroxidase-GSHPx), and Se-dependent glutathione peroxidase (Se-GSHPx) specific mainly for hydrogen peroxide. Studies were conducted on human brains obtained from autopsy of 9 heroin abusers and 8 controls. The level of GSH and the activity of glutathione-related enzymes were determined spectrophotometrically. The expression of GST pi on mRNA and protein level was studied by RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. The results indicated significant increase of GST and GSHPx activities, unchanged Se-GSHPx activity, and decreased level of GSH in frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital cortex, brain stem, hippocampus, and white matter of heroin abusers. GST pi expression was increased on both mRNA and protein levels, however the increase was lower in brain stem than in other regions. Heroin affects all regions of human brain, and especially brain stem. Its intoxication leads to an increase of organic rather then inorganic peroxides in various brain regions. Glutathione S-transferase plays an important role during heroin intoxication, however its protective effect is lower in brain stem than in brain cortex or hippocampus. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nanoparticle-mediated transcriptional modification enhances neuronal differentiation of human neural stem cells following transplantation in rat brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiaowei; Tzeng, Stephany Y; Liu, Xiaoyan; Tammia, Markus; Cheng, Yu-Hao; Rolfe, Andrew; Sun, Dong; Zhang, Ning; Green, Jordan J; Wen, Xuejun; Mao, Hai-Quan

2016-04-01

Strategies to enhance survival and direct the differentiation of stem cells in vivo following transplantation in tissue repair site are critical to realizing the potential of stem cell-based therapies. Here we demonstrated an effective approach to promote neuronal differentiation and maturation of human fetal tissue-derived neural stem cells (hNSCs) in a brain lesion site of a rat traumatic brain injury model using biodegradable nanoparticle-mediated transfection method to deliver key transcriptional factor neurogenin-2 to hNSCs when transplanted with a tailored hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogel, generating larger number of more mature neurons engrafted to the host brain tissue than non-transfected cells. The nanoparticle-mediated transcription activation method together with an HA hydrogel delivery matrix provides a translatable approach for stem cell-based regenerative therapy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of neuroinflammation on the regenerative capacity of brain stem cells

OpenAIRE

Russo, Isabella; Barlati, Sergio; Bosetti, Francesca

2011-01-01

In the adult brain, neurogenesis under physiological conditions occurs in the subventricular zone and in the dentate gyrus. Although the exact molecular mechanisms that regulate neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation are largely unknown, several factors have been shown to affect neurogenesis. Decreased neurogenesis in the hippocampus has been recognized as one of the mechanisms of age-related brain dysfunction. Furthermore, in pathological conditions of the central nervous system ...

G protein in stimulation of PI hydrolysis by CCK [cholecystokinin] in isolated rat pancreatic acinar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matozaki, Takashi; Sakamoto, Choitsu; Nagao, Munehiko; Nishizaki, Hogara; Baba, Shigeaki

1988-01-01

To clarify the possible role of a guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G protein) in the signal transducing system activated by cholecystokinin (CCK), actions of CCK on rat pancreatic acini were compared with those of fluoride, a well-known activator of stimulatory (G s ) or inhibitory (G i ) G protein. When acini were incubated with increasing concentrations of either CCK-octapeptide (CCK8) or NaF, a maximal stimulation of amylase release from acini occurred at 100 pM CCK8 or 10 mM NaF, respectively; this secretory rate decreased as CCK8 or NaF concentration was increased. NaF caused an increase in cytoplasmic Ca 2+ concentration from the internal Ca 2+ store and stimulated accumulation of inositol phosphates in acini, as observed with CCK. Guanylimidodiphosphate activated the generation of inositol phosphates in the [ 3 H]inositol-labeled pancreatic acinar cell membrane preparation, with half-maximal and maximal stimulation at 1 and 10 μM, respectively. Furthermore, the effects of submaximal CCK concentrations on inositol phosphate accumulation in membranes were markedly potentiated in the presence of 100 μM GTP, which alone was ineffective. Combined findings of the present study strongly suggest that pancreatic CCK receptors are probably coupled to the activation of polyphosphoinositide (PI) breakdown by a G protein, which appears to be fluoride sensitive but is other than G s - or G i -like protein

An electrophysiological investigation of the effects of cholecystokinin on enteric neurons

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schutte, I.W.M.

1998-01-01

Cholecystokinin (CCK) is a peptide, which is present in the gastrointestinat tract in endocrine cells and in the enteric nervous system (ENS). A possible function in the control of motility of the small intestine has been attributed to neuronal CCK. The aim of this thesis was to obtain a

Human umbilical cord blood stem cells and brain-derived neurotrophic factor for optic nerve injury: a biomechanical evaluation

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Zhong-jun Zhang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Treatment for optic nerve injury by brain-derived neurotrophic factor or the transplantation of human umbilical cord blood stem cells has gained progress, but analysis by biomechanical indicators is rare. Rabbit models of optic nerve injury were established by a clamp. At 7 days after injury, the vitreous body received a one-time injection of 50 μg brain-derived neurotrophic factor or 1 × 10 6 human umbilical cord blood stem cells. After 30 days, the maximum load, maximum stress, maximum strain, elastic limit load, elastic limit stress, and elastic limit strain had clearly improved in rabbit models of optical nerve injury after treatment with brain-derived neurotrophic factor or human umbilical cord blood stem cells. The damage to the ultrastructure of the optic nerve had also been reduced. These findings suggest that human umbilical cord blood stem cells and brain-derived neurotrophic factor effectively repair the injured optical nerve, improve biomechanical properties, and contribute to the recovery after injury.

Role of cholecystokinin in anorexia induction following oral exposure to the 8-ketotrichothecenes deoxynivalenol, 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol, 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol, fusarenon X, and nivalenol.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Wenda; Zhou, Hui-Ren; He, Kaiyu; Pan, Xiao; Sugita-Konishi, Yoshiko; Watanabe, Maiko; Zhang, Haibin; Pestka, James J

2014-04-01

Cereal grain contamination by trichothecene mycotoxins is known to negatively impact human and animal health with adverse effects on food intake and growth being of particular concern. The head blight fungus Fusarium graminearum elaborates five closely related 8-ketotrichothecene congeners: (1) deoxynivalenol (DON), (2) 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3-ADON), (3) 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (15-ADON), (4) fusarenon X (FX), and (5) nivalenol (NIV). While anorexia induction in mice exposed intraperitoneally to DON has been linked to plasma elevation of the satiety hormones cholecystokinin (CCK) and peptide YY₃₋₃₆ (PYY₃₋₃₆), the effects of oral gavage of DON or of other 8-keotrichothecenes on release of these gut peptides have not been established. The purpose of this study was to (1) compare the anorectic responses to the aforementioned 8-ketotrichothecenes following oral gavage at a common dose (2.5 mg/kg bw) and (2) relate these effects to changes plasma CCK and PYY₃₋₃₆ concentrations. Elevation of plasma CCK markedly corresponded to anorexia induction by DON and all other 8-ketotrichothecenes tested. Furthermore, the CCK1 receptor antagonist SR 27897 and the CCK2 receptor antagonist L-365,260 dose-dependently attenuated both CCK- and DON-induced anorexia, which was consistent with this gut satiety hormone being an important mediator of 8-ketotrichothecene-induced food refusal. In contrast to CCK, PYY₃₋₃₆ was moderately elevated by oral gavage with DON and NIV but not by 3-ADON, 15-ADON, or FX. Taken together, the results suggest that CCK plays a major role in anorexia induction following oral exposure to 8-ketotrichothecenes, whereas PYY₃₋₃₆ might play a lesser, congener-dependent role in this response.

Brain stem death as the vital determinant for resumption of spontaneous circulation after cardiac arrest in rats.

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Alice Y W Chang

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Spontaneous circulation returns to less than half of adult cardiac arrest victims who received in-hospital resuscitation. One clue for this disheartening outcome arises from the prognosis that asystole invariably takes place, after a time lag, on diagnosis of brain stem death. The designation of brain stem death as the point of no return further suggests that permanent impairment of the brain stem cardiovascular regulatory machinery precedes death. It follows that a crucial determinant for successful revival of an arrested heart is that spontaneous circulation must resume before brain stem death commences. Here, we evaluated the hypothesis that maintained functional integrity of the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM, a neural substrate that is intimately related to brain stem death and central circulatory regulation, holds the key to the vital time-window between cardiac arrest and resumption of spontaneous circulation. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: An animal model of brain stem death employing the pesticide mevinphos as the experimental insult in Sprague-Dawley rats was used. Intravenous administration of lethal doses of mevinphos elicited an abrupt cardiac arrest, accompanied by elevated systemic arterial pressure and anoxia, augmented neuronal excitability and enhanced microvascular perfusion in RVLM. This period represents the vital time-window between cardiac arrest and resumption of spontaneous circulation in our experimental model. Animals with restored spontaneous circulation exhibited maintained neuronal functionality in RVLM beyond this critical time-window, alongside resumption of baseline tissue oxygen and enhancement of local blood flow. Intriguingly, animals that subsequently died manifested sustained anoxia, diminished local blood flow, depressed mitochondrial electron transport activities and reduced ATP production, leading to necrotic cell death in RVLM. That amelioration of mitochondrial dysfunction and

Endovascular treatment of brain-stem arteriovenous malformations: safety and efficacy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, H.M.; Wang, Y.H.; Chen, Y.F.; Huang, K.M. [Department of Medical Imaging, National Taiwan University Hospital, 7 Chung-Shan South Road, 10016, Taipei (Taiwan); Tu, Y.K. [Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, 7 Chung-Shan South Road, 1001, Taipei (Taiwan)

2003-09-01

Our purpose was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of endovascular treatment of brain-stem arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), reviewing six cases managed in the last 5 years. There were four patients who presented with bleeding, one with a progressive neurological deficit and one with obstructive hydrocephalus. Of the six patients, one showed 100%, one 90%, two 75% and two about 50% angiographic obliteration of the AVM after embolisation; the volume decreased about 75% on average. Five patients had a good outcome and one an acceptable outcome, with a mild postprocedure neurological deficit; none had further bleeding during midterm follow-up. Endovascular management of a brain-stem AVM may be an alternative to treatment such as radiosurgery and microsurgery in selected cases. It may be not as risky as previously thought. Embolisation can reduce the size of the AVM and possibly make it more treatable by radiosurgery and decrease the possibility of radiation injury. (orig.)

MRI measurements of the brain stem and cerebellum in high functioning autistic children

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hashimoto, Toshiaki; Tayama, Masanobu; Miyazaki, Masahito; Murakawa, Kazuyoshi; Kuroda, Yasuhiro

1994-01-01

To determine involvements of the brain stem and/or cerebellum in autism, we compared midsagittal magnetic resonance images of the brains of high functioning autistic children with those of normal controls. We found that the midbrain and medulla oblongata were significantly smaller in these autistic children than in the control children. The pons area did not differ between the two groups, nor was there any difference in the cerebellar vermis area. The ratio of the brain stem and cerebellum to the posterior fossa area did not differ significantly between the high functioning autistic and the control children. The development of the cerebellar vermis area was delayed in autistic children as compared with that in the control children. Thus, it was suggested that significant anatomical changes in the midbrain and medulla oblongata existed in the autistic children. (author)

MRI measurements of the brain stem and cerebellum in high functioning autistic children

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hashimoto, Toshiaki; Tayama, Masanobu; Miyazaki, Masahito; Murakawa, Kazuyoshi; Kuroda, Yasuhiro [Tokushima Univ. (Japan). School of Medicine

1994-01-01

To determine involvements of the brain stem and/or cerebellum in autism, we compared midsagittal magnetic resonance images of the brains of high functioning autistic children with those of normal controls. We found that the midbrain and medulla oblongata were significantly smaller in these autistic children than in the control children. The pons area did not differ between the two groups, nor was there any difference in the cerebellar vermis area. The ratio of the brain stem and cerebellum to the posterior fossa area did not differ significantly between the high functioning autistic and the control children. The development of the cerebellar vermis area was delayed in autistic children as compared with that in the control children. Thus, it was suggested that significant anatomical changes in the midbrain and medulla oblongata existed in the autistic children. (author).

Brain stem auditory evoked responses in chronic alcoholics.

OpenAIRE

Chan, Y W; McLeod, J G; Tuck, R R; Feary, P A

1985-01-01

Brain stem auditory evoked responses (BAERs) were performed on 25 alcoholic patients with Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, 56 alcoholic patients without Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, 24 of whom had cerebellar ataxia, and 37 control subjects. Abnormal BAERs were found in 48% of patients with Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, in 25% of alcoholic patients without Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome but with cerebellar ataxia, and in 13% of alcoholic patients without Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome or ataxia. The mean...

Pediatric brain stem tumors: analysis of 25 cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pinel, M.I.S.; Kalifa, C.; Sarrazin, D.; Lemerle, J.

1985-01-01

The charts of 25 pediatric patients with brain stem tumors have been reviewed. The use of computed tomography was found to have been valuable in diagnosis and follow-up, as well as in the design of radiation therapy portals. Radiotherapy and combination chemotherapy with VM-26 (4'-1 demethyl-epipodophyllo toxin B-D-thenylidene glucoside) and CCNU(1-2-chloroethyl-methyl-3-Cyclohexyl-1-nitrosourea) were the treatment employed. (M.A.C.) [pt

The endogenous regenerative capacity of the damaged newborn brain: boosting neurogenesis with mesenchymal stem cell treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Donega, Vanessa; van Velthoven, Cindy T J; Nijboer, Cora H; Kavelaars, Annemieke; Heijnen, Cobi J

2013-05-01

Neurogenesis continues throughout adulthood. The neurogenic capacity of the brain increases after injury by, e.g., hypoxia-ischemia. However, it is well known that in many cases brain damage does not resolve spontaneously, indicating that the endogenous regenerative capacity of the brain is insufficient. Neonatal encephalopathy leads to high mortality rates and long-term neurologic deficits in babies worldwide. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop more efficient therapeutic strategies. The latest findings indicate that stem cells represent a novel therapeutic possibility to improve outcome in models of neonatal encephalopathy. Transplanted stem cells secrete factors that stimulate and maintain neurogenesis, thereby increasing cell proliferation, neuronal differentiation, and functional integration. Understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying neurogenesis after an insult is crucial for developing tools to enhance the neurogenic capacity of the brain. The aim of this review is to discuss the endogenous capacity of the neonatal brain to regenerate after a cerebral ischemic insult. We present an overview of the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying endogenous regenerative processes during development as well as after a cerebral ischemic insult. Furthermore, we will consider the potential to use stem cell transplantation as a means to boost endogenous neurogenesis and restore brain function.

In vivo Brain Delivery of v-myc Overproduced Human Neural Stem Cells via the Intranasal Pathway: Tumor Characteristics in the Lung of a Nude Mouse

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Eun Seong Lee

2015-01-01

Full Text Available We aimed to monitor the successful brain delivery of stem cells via the intranasal route and to observe the long-term consequence of the immortalized human neural stem cells in the lungs of a nude mouse model. Stably immortalized HB1.F3 human neural stem cells with firefly luciferase gene (F3-effluc were intranasally delivered to BALB/c nude mice. Bioluminescence images were serially acquired until 41 days in vivo and at 4 hours and 41 days ex vivo after intranasal delivery. Lungs were evaluated by histopathology. After intranasal delivery of F3-effluc cells, the intense in vivo signals were detected in the nasal area, migrated toward the brain areas at 4 hours (4 of 13, 30.8%, and gradually decreased for 2 days. The brain signals were confirmed by ex vivo imaging (2 of 4, 50%. In the mice with initial lung signals (4 of 9, 44.4%, the lung signals disappeared for 5 days but reappeared 2 weeks later. The intense lung signals were confirmed to originate from the tumors in the lungs formed by F3-effluc cells by ex vivo imaging and histopathology. We propose that intranasal delivery of immortalized stem cells should be monitored for their successful delivery to the brain and their tumorigenicity longitudinally.

Cholecystokinin A receptor (CCKAR gene variation is associated with language lateralization.

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Sebastian Ocklenburg

Full Text Available Schizophrenia is a psychiatric disorder associated with atypical handedness and language lateralization. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these functional changes are still poorly understood. Therefore, the present study was aimed at investigating whether variation in schizophrenia-related genes modulates individual lateralization patterns. To this end, we genotyped 16 single nucleotide polymorphisms that have previously been linked to schizophrenia on a meta-analysis level in a sample of 444 genetically unrelated healthy participants and examined the association of these polymorphisms with handedness, footedness and language lateralization. We found a significant association of the cholecystokinin-A receptor (CCKAR gene variation rs1800857 and language lateralization assessed using the dichotic listening task. Individuals carrying the schizophrenia risk allele C of this polymorphism showed a marked reduction of the typical left-hemispheric dominance for language processing. Since the cholecystokinin A receptor is involved in dopamine release in the central nervous system, these findings suggest that genetic variation in this receptor may modulate language lateralization due to its impact on dopaminergic pathways.

Stem cells technology: a powerful tool behind new brain treatments.

Science.gov (United States)

Duru, Lucienne N; Quan, Zhenzhen; Qazi, Talal Jamil; Qing, Hong

2018-06-18

Stem cell research has recently become a hot research topic in biomedical research due to the foreseen unlimited potential of stem cells in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. For many years, medicine has been facing intense challenges, such as an insufficient number of organ donations that is preventing clinicians to fulfill the increasing needs. To try and overcome this regrettable matter, research has been aiming at developing strategies to facilitate the in vitro culture and study of stem cells as a tool for tissue regeneration. Meanwhile, new developments in the microfluidics technology brought forward emerging cell culture applications that are currently allowing for a better chemical and physical control of cellular microenvironment. This review presents the latest developments in stem cell research that brought new therapies to the clinics and how the convergence of the microfluidics technology with stem cell research can have positive outcomes on the fields of regenerative medicine and high-throughput screening. These advances will bring new translational solutions for drug discovery and will upgrade in vitro cell culture to a new level of accuracy and performance. We hope this review will provide new insights into the understanding of new brain treatments from the perspective of stem cell technology especially regarding regenerative medicine and tissue engineering.

Brain-stem evoked potentials and noise effects in seagulls.

Science.gov (United States)

Counter, S A

1985-01-01

Brain-stem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) recorded from the seagull were large-amplitude, short-latency, vertex-positive deflections which originate in the eighth nerve and several brain-stem nuclei. BAEP waveforms were similar in latency and configurations to that reported for certain other lower vertebrates and some mammals. BAEP recorded at several pure tone frequencies throughout the seagull's auditory spectrum showed an area of heightened auditory sensitivity between 1 and 3 kHz. This range was also found to be the primary bandwidth of the vocalization output of young seagulls. Masking by white noise and pure tones had remarkable effects on several parameters of the BAEP. In general, the tone- and click-induced BAEP were either reduced or obliterated by both pure tone and white noise maskers of specific signal to noise ratios and high intensity levels. The masking effects observed in this study may be related to the manner in which seagulls respond to intense environmental noise. One possible conclusion is that intense environmental noise, such as aircraft engine noise, may severely alter the seagull's localization apparatus and induce sonogenic stress, both of which could cause collisions with low-flying aircraft.

Efficient and rapid derivation of primitive neural stem cells and generation of brain subtype neurons from human pluripotent stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Yiping; Shin, Soojung; Jha, Balendu Shekhar; Liu, Qiuyue; Sheng, Jianting; Li, Fuhai; Zhan, Ming; Davis, Janine; Bharti, Kapil; Zeng, Xianmin; Rao, Mahendra; Malik, Nasir; Vemuri, Mohan C

2013-11-01

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), including human embryonic stem cells and human induced pluripotent stem cells, are unique cell sources for disease modeling, drug discovery screens, and cell therapy applications. The first step in producing neural lineages from hPSCs is the generation of neural stem cells (NSCs). Current methods of NSC derivation involve the time-consuming, labor-intensive steps of an embryoid body generation or coculture with stromal cell lines that result in low-efficiency derivation of NSCs. In this study, we report a highly efficient serum-free pluripotent stem cell neural induction medium that can induce hPSCs into primitive NSCs (pNSCs) in 7 days, obviating the need for time-consuming, laborious embryoid body generation or rosette picking. The pNSCs expressed the neural stem cell markers Pax6, Sox1, Sox2, and Nestin; were negative for Oct4; could be expanded for multiple passages; and could be differentiated into neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes, in addition to the brain region-specific neuronal subtypes GABAergic, dopaminergic, and motor neurons. Global gene expression of the transcripts of pNSCs was comparable to that of rosette-derived and human fetal-derived NSCs. This work demonstrates an efficient method to generate expandable pNSCs, which can be further differentiated into central nervous system neurons and glia with temporal, spatial, and positional cues of brain regional heterogeneity. This method of pNSC derivation sets the stage for the scalable production of clinically relevant neural cells for cell therapy applications in good manufacturing practice conditions.

Value of CSF gating for T2-weighted images of the temporal lobes and brain stem

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Enzmann, D.R.; O'Donohue, J.; Griffin, C.; Rubin, J.B.; Drace, J.; Wright, A.

1987-01-01

Ungated and CSF-gated long TR, long TE MR images of the temporal lobes, basal ganglia, and brain stem in health and disease were quantitatively compared. Twenty-five pair of images were evaluated for the following three parameters: signal-to-noise ratio (S/N), object contrast, and resolving power. Ungated sequences were performed in the same fashion as gated sequences for TR (TR = 2,000 msec, TE = 80 msec for ungated sequences; TR = 1,500-1,800 msec, TE = 80 msec for CSF-gated sequences). In both normal and pathologic brain tissue, the CSF-gated image was superior to the ungated image in object contrast and resolving power and equivalent in S/N. The major benefit of CSF gating was elimination of phase shift images arising from the basal cisterns and the third ventricle

Auditory Brain Stem Processing in Reptiles and Amphibians: Roles of Coupled Ears

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Willis, Katie L.; Christensen-Dalsgaard, Jakob; Carr, Catherine

2014-01-01

Comparative approaches to the auditory system have yielded great insight into the evolution of sound localization circuits, particularly within the nonmammalian tetrapods. The fossil record demonstrates multiple appearances of tympanic hearing, and examination of the auditory brain stem of various...... groups can reveal the organizing effects of the ear across taxa. If the peripheral structures have a strongly organizing influence on the neural structures, then homologous neural structures should be observed only in groups with a homologous tympanic ear. Therefore, the central auditory systems...... of anurans (frogs), reptiles (including birds), and mammals should all be more similar within each group than among the groups. Although there is large variation in the peripheral auditory system, there is evidence that auditory brain stem nuclei in tetrapods are homologous and have similar functions among...

Syringe needle skull penetration reduces brain injuries and secondary inflammation following intracerebral neural stem cell transplantation

OpenAIRE

Gao, Mou; Dong, Qin; Zhang, Hongtian; Yang, Yang; Zhu, Jianwei; Yang, Zhijun; Xu, Minhui; Xu, Ruxiang

2017-01-01

Intracerebral neural stem cell (NSC) transplantation is beneficial for delivering stem cell grafts effectively, however, this approach may subsequently result in brain injury and secondary inflammation. To reduce the risk of promoting brain injury and secondary inflammation, two methods were compared in the present study. Murine skulls were penetrated using a drill on the left side and a syringe needle on the right. Mice were randomly divided into three groups (n=84/group): Group A, receiving...

[Isolation and identification of brain tumor stem cells from human brain neuroepithelial tumors].

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Jia-sheng; Deng, Yong-wen; Li, Ming-chu; Chen, Feng-Hua; Wang, Yan-jin; Lu, Ming; Fang, Fang; Wu, Jun; Yang, Zhuan-yi; Zhou, Xang-yang; Wang, Fei; Chen, Cheng

2007-01-30

To establish a simplified culture system for the isolation of brain tumor stem cells (BTSCs) from the tumors of human neuroepithelial tissue, to observe the growth and differentiation pattern of BTSCs, and to investigate their expression of the specific markers. Twenty-six patients with brain neuroepithelial tumors underwent tumor resection. Two pieces of tumor tissues were taken from each tumor to be dissociated, triturated into single cells in sterile DMEM-F12 medium, and then filtered. The tumor cells were seeded at a concentration of 200,000 viable cells per mL into serum-free DMEM-F12 medium simply supplemented with B27, human basic fibroblast growth factor (20 microg/L), human epidermal growth factor (20 microg /L), insulin (4 U/L), L-glutamine, penicillin and streptomycin. After the primary brain tumor spheres (BTSs) were generated, they were triturated again and passed in fresh medium. Limiting dilution assay was performed to observe the monoclone formation. 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation test was performed to observe the proliferation of the BTS. The BTSCs were cultured in mitogen-free DMEM-F12 medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum to observe their differentiation. Immunocytochemistry was used to examine the expression of CD133 and nestin, specific markers of BTSC, and the rate of CD133 positive cells. Only a minority of subsets of cells from the tumors of neuroepithelial tissue had the capacity to survive, proliferate, and generate free-floating neurosphere-like BTSs in the simplified serum-free medium. These cells attached to the poly-L-lysine coated coverslips in the serum-supplemented medium and differentiated. The BTSCs were CD133 and nestin positive. The rate of CD133 positive cells in the tumor specimens was (21 +/- 6.2)% - (38 +/- 7.0)%. A new simplified culture system for the isolation of BTSCs is established. The tumors of human neuroepithelial tissue contain CD133 and nestin positive tumor stem cells which can be isolated

Delayed radiation-induced necrosis of the brain stem; A case report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yukawa, Osamu; Kodama, Yasunori; Kyoda, Jun; Yuki, Kiyoshi; Taniguchi, Eiji; Katayama, Shoichi; Hiroi, Tadashi (National Kure Hospital, Hiroshima (Japan)); Uozumi, Toru

1993-03-01

A 46-year-old man had surgery for a mixed glioma of the frontotemporal lobe. Postoperatively he received 50 Gy of irradiation. Sixteen months later he developed left hemiparesis and left facial palsy. MRI revealed lesion brain stem and basal ganglia. Despite chemotherapy and an additional 50 Gy dose, the patient deteriorated. Autopsy revealed a wide spread radiation-induced necrosis in the right cerebral hemisphere, midbrain and pons. In radiation therapy, great care must be taken to protect the normal brain tissue. (author).

Brain stem/brain stem occipital bone ratio and the four-line view in nuchal translucency images of fetuses with open spina bifida.

Science.gov (United States)

Iuculano, Ambra; Zoppi, Maria Angelica; Piras, Alessandra; Arras, Maurizio; Monni, Giovanni

2014-09-10

Abstract Objective: Brain stem depth/brain stem occipital bone distance (BS/BSOB ratio) and the four-line view, in images obtained for nuchal translucency (NT) screening in fetuses with open spina bifida (OSB). Methods: Single center, retrospective study based on the assessment of NT screening images of fetuses with OSB. A ratio between the BS depth and the BSOB distance was calculated (BS/BSOB ratio) and the four-line view observed, and the sensitivity for a BS/BSOB ratio superior/equal to 1, and for the lack of detection of the four-line view were calculated. Results: There were 17 cases of prenatal diagnosis OSB. In six cases, the suspicion on OSB was raised during NT screening, in six cases, the diagnosis was made before 20 weeks and in five cases during anomaly scan. The BS/BSOB ratio was superior/equal to 1 in all 17 cases, and three lines, were visualized in 15/17 images of the OSB cases, being the sensitivity 100% (95% CI, 81 to 100%) and 88% (95% CI, 65 to 96%). Conclusion: Assessment of BS/BSOB ratio and four-line view in NT images is feasible detecting affected by OSB with high sensitivity. The presence of associated anomalies or of an enlarged NT enhances the early detection.

Prediction of standard-dose brain PET image by using MRI and low-dose brain ["1"8F]FDG PET images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Jiayin; Gao, Yaozong; Shi, Feng; Lalush, David S.; Lin, Weili; Shen, Dinggang

2015-01-01

Purpose: Positron emission tomography (PET) is a nuclear medical imaging technology that produces 3D images reflecting tissue metabolic activity in human body. PET has been widely used in various clinical applications, such as in diagnosis of brain disorders. High-quality PET images play an essential role in diagnosing brain diseases/disorders. In practice, in order to obtain high-quality PET images, a standard-dose radionuclide (tracer) needs to be used and injected into a living body. As a result, it will inevitably increase the patient’s exposure to radiation. One solution to solve this problem is predicting standard-dose PET images using low-dose PET images. As yet, no previous studies with this approach have been reported. Accordingly, in this paper, the authors propose a regression forest based framework for predicting a standard-dose brain ["1"8F]FDG PET image by using a low-dose brain ["1"8F]FDG PET image and its corresponding magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) image. Methods: The authors employ a regression forest for predicting the standard-dose brain ["1"8F]FDG PET image by low-dose brain ["1"8F]FDG PET and MRI images. Specifically, the proposed method consists of two main steps. First, based on the segmented brain tissues (i.e., cerebrospinal fluid, gray matter, and white matter) in the MRI image, the authors extract features for each patch in the brain image from both low-dose PET and MRI images to build tissue-specific models that can be used to initially predict standard-dose brain ["1"8F]FDG PET images. Second, an iterative refinement strategy, via estimating the predicted image difference, is used to further improve the prediction accuracy. Results: The authors evaluated their algorithm on a brain dataset, consisting of 11 subjects with MRI, low-dose PET, and standard-dose PET images, using leave-one-out cross-validations. The proposed algorithm gives promising results with well-estimated standard-dose brain ["1"8F]FDG PET image and substantially

Cell Therapy in Parkinson's Disease: Host Brain Repair Machinery Gets a Boost From Stem Cell Grafts.

Science.gov (United States)

Napoli, Eleonora; Borlongan, Cesar V

2017-06-01

This commentary highlights the major findings and future research directions arising from the recent publication by Zuo and colleagues in Stem Cells 2017 (in press). Here, we discuss the novel observations that transplanted human neural stem cells can induce endogenous brain repair by specifically stimulating a host of regenerative processes in the neurogenic niche (i.e., subventricular zone [SVZ]) in an animal model of Parkinson's disease. That the identified therapeutic proteomes, neurotrophic factors, and anti-inflammatory cytokines in the SVZ may facilitate brain regeneration and behavioral recovery open a new venue of research for our understanding of the pathology and treatment of Parkinson's disease. Stem Cells 2017;35:1443-1445. © 2017 AlphaMed Press.

Neural stem cells encapsulated in a functionalized self-assembling peptide hydrogel for brain tissue engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Tzu-Yun; Chen, Ming-Hong; Chang, Wen-Han; Huang, Ming-Yuan; Wang, Tzu-Wei

2013-03-01

Brain injury is almost irreparable due to the poor regenerative capability of neural tissue. Nowadays, new therapeutic strategies have been focused on stem cell therapy and supplying an appropriate three dimensional (3D) matrix for the repair of injured brain tissue. In this study, we specifically linked laminin-derived IKVAV motif on the C-terminal to enrich self-assembling peptide RADA(16) as a functional peptide-based scaffold. Our purpose is providing a functional self-assembling peptide 3D hydrogel with encapsulated neural stem cells to enhance the reconstruction of the injured brain. The physiochemical properties reported that RADA(16)-IKVAV can self-assemble into nanofibrous morphology with bilayer β-sheet structure and become gelationed hydrogel with mechanical stiffness similar to brain tissue. The in vitro results showed that the extended IKVAV sequence can serve as a signal or guiding cue to direct the encapsulated neural stem cells (NSCs) adhesion and then towards neuronal differentiation. Animal study was conducted in a rat brain surgery model to demonstrate the damage in cerebral neocortex/neopallium loss. The results showed that the injected peptide solution immediately in situ formed the 3D hydrogel filling up the cavity and bridging the gaps. The histological analyses revealed the RADA(16)-IKVAV self-assembling peptide hydrogel not only enhanced survival of encapsulated NSCs but also reduced the formation of glial astrocytes. The peptide hydrogel with IKVAV extended motifs also showed the support of encapsulated NSCs in neuronal differentiation and the improvement in brain tissue regeneration after 6 weeks post-transplantation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High-protein diet improves sensitivity to cholecystokinin and shifts the cecal microbiome without altering brain inflammation in diet-induced obesity in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lixin; Jacobs, Jonathan P; Lagishetty, Venu; Yuan, Pu-Qing; Wu, Shuping V; Million, Mulugeta; Reeve, Joseph R; Pisegna, Joseph R; Taché, Yvette

2017-10-01

High-protein diet (HPD) curtails obesity and/or fat mass, but it is unknown whether it reverses neuroinflammation or alters glucose levels, CCK sensitivity, and gut microbiome in rats fed a Western diet (WD)-induced obesity (DIO). Male rats fed a WD (high fat and sugar) for 12 wk were switched to a HPD for 6 wk. Body composition, food intake, meal pattern, sensitivity to intraperitoneal CCK-8S, blood glucose, brain signaling, and cecal microbiota were assessed. When compared with a normal diet, WD increased body weight (9.3%) and fat mass (73.4%). CCK-8S (1.8 or 5.2 nmol/kg) did not alter food intake and meal pattern in DIO rats. Switching to a HPD for 6 wk reduced fat mass (15.7%) with a nonsignificantly reduced body weight gain, normalized blood glucose, and decreased feeding after CCK-8S. DIO rats on the WD or switched to a HPD showed comparable microbial diversity. However, in HPD versus WD rats, there was enrichment of 114 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and depletion of 188 OTUs. Of those, Akkermansia muciniphila (enriched on a HPD), an unclassified Clostridiales, a member of the RF39 order, and a Phascolarctobacterium were significantly associated with fat mass. The WD increased cytokine expression in the hypothalamus and dorsal medulla that was unchanged by switching to HPD. These data indicate that HPD reduces body fat and restores glucose homeostasis and CCK sensitivity, while not modifying brain inflammation. In addition, expansion of cecal Akkermansia muciniphila correlated to fat mass loss may represent a potential peripheral mechanism of HPD beneficial effects.

Brain mesenchymal stem cells: physiology and pathological implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Pombero, Ana; Garcia-Lopez, Raquel; Martinez, Salvador

2016-06-01

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are defined as progenitor cells that give rise to a number of unique, differentiated mesenchymal cell types. This concept has progressively evolved towards an all-encompassing concept including multipotent perivascular cells of almost any tissue. In central nervous system, pericytes are involved in blood-brain barrier, and angiogenesis and vascular tone regulation. They form the neurovascular unit (NVU) together with endothelial cells, astrocytes and neurons. This functional structure provides an optimal microenvironment for neural proliferation in the adult brain. Neurovascular niche include both diffusible signals and direct contact with endothelial and pericytes, which are a source of diffusible neurotrophic signals that affect neural precursors. Therefore, MSCs/pericyte properties such as differentiation capability, as well as immunoregulatory and paracrine effects make them a potential resource in regenerative medicine. © 2016 Japanese Society of Developmental Biologists.

Effects of sevoflurane on adenylate cyclase and phosphodiesterases activity in brain of rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng Changdong; Yang Jianping; Dai Tijun

2009-01-01

Objective: To investigate the effects of sevoflurane on c adenylate cyclase (AC) and phosphodiesterases (PDE) activity in the cerebrocortex, hippocampus and brain stem of rats, and to examine the role of cAMP in sevoflurane anesthesia. Methods: Fourty SD rats were delaminately designed and allocated randomly to 5 groups inhaling 1.5% sevoflurane i.e., no recovery (recovery group, n=8) and one hour after righting reflexrecovery (aware group, n=8). The brain tissues were rapidly dissected into cerebrocortex and hippocampus and brain stem.Then the adenylate cyclase and phosphodiesterases activity were assessed. Results: So far as the activity of AC is concerned, compared with the control group, the activity of AC in the cerebrocortex, hippocampus and brain stem brain stem of induction group and anesthesia group, the cerebrocortex, and hippocampus in the recovery group were significantly increased; compared with those in the anesthesia group, the activity of AC in the cerebrocortex, hippocampus and brain stem of aware group were significantly decreased (P<0.05); For the activity of PDE, compared with the control group, the activity of PDE in the cerebrocortex, hippocampus and brain stem in the induction group and anesthesia group was significantly decreased, compared with that in anesthesia group, the activity of PDE in the cerebrocortex, hippocampus and brain stem of recovery group and aware group was significantly increased (P<0.05). Conclusion: cAMP may play an important role in sevoflurane anesthesia. (authors)

A stable and reproducible human blood-brain barrier model derived from hematopoietic stem cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Romeo Cecchelli

Full Text Available The human blood brain barrier (BBB is a selective barrier formed by human brain endothelial cells (hBECs, which is important to ensure adequate neuronal function and protect the central nervous system (CNS from disease. The development of human in vitro BBB models is thus of utmost importance for drug discovery programs related to CNS diseases. Here, we describe a method to generate a human BBB model using cord blood-derived hematopoietic stem cells. The cells were initially differentiated into ECs followed by the induction of BBB properties by co-culture with pericytes. The brain-like endothelial cells (BLECs express tight junctions and transporters typically observed in brain endothelium and maintain expression of most in vivo BBB properties for at least 20 days. The model is very reproducible since it can be generated from stem cells isolated from different donors and in different laboratories, and could be used to predict CNS distribution of compounds in human. Finally, we provide evidence that Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway mediates in part the BBB inductive properties of pericytes.

Sensorimotor Functional and Structural Networks after Intracerebral Stem Cell Grafts in the Ischemic Mouse Brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Green, Claudia; Minassian, Anuka; Vogel, Stefanie; Diedenhofen, Michael; Beyrau, Andreas; Wiedermann, Dirk; Hoehn, Mathias

2018-02-14

Past investigations on stem cell-mediated recovery after stroke have limited their focus on the extent and morphological development of the ischemic lesion itself over time or on the integration capacity of the stem cell graft ex vivo However, an assessment of the long-term functional and structural improvement in vivo is essential to reliably quantify the regenerative capacity of cell implantation after stroke. We induced ischemic stroke in nude mice and implanted human neural stem cells (H9 derived) into the ipsilateral cortex in the acute phase. Functional and structural connectivity changes of the sensorimotor network were noninvasively monitored using magnetic resonance imaging for 3 months after stem cell implantation. A sharp decrease of the functional sensorimotor network extended even to the contralateral hemisphere, persisting for the whole 12 weeks of observation. In mice with stem cell implantation, functional networks were stabilized early on, pointing to a paracrine effect as an early supportive mechanism of the graft. This stabilization required the persistent vitality of the stem cells, monitored by bioluminescence imaging. Thus, we also observed deterioration of the early network stabilization upon vitality loss of the graft after a few weeks. Structural connectivity analysis showed fiber-density increases between the cortex and white matter regions occurring predominantly on the ischemic hemisphere. These fiber-density changes were nearly the same for both study groups. This motivated us to hypothesize that the stem cells can influence, via early paracrine effect, the functional networks, while observed structural changes are mainly stimulated by the ischemic event. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In recent years, research on strokes has made a shift away from a focus on immediate ischemic effects and towards an emphasis on the long-range effects of the lesion on the whole brain. Outcome improvements in stem cell therapies also require the understanding of

Preclinical evaluation of radiolabeled DOTA-derivatized cyclic minigastrin analogs for targeting cholecystokinin receptor expressing malignancies.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Guggenberg, E. von; Rangger, C.; Sosabowski, J.; Laverman, P.; Reubi, J.C.; Virgolini, I.J.; Decristoforo, C.

2012-01-01

PURPOSE: Targeting of cholecystokinin receptor expressing malignancies such as medullary thyroid carcinoma is currently limited by low in vivo stability of radioligands. To increase the stability, we have developed and preclinically evaluated two cyclic

Conductive Hearing Loss during Infancy: Effects on Later Auditory Brain Stem Electrophysiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Gunnarson, Adele D.; Finitzo, Terese

1991-01-01

Long-term effects on auditory electrophysiology from early fluctuating hearing loss were studied in 27 children, aged 5 to 7 years, who had been evaluated originally in infancy. Findings suggested that early fluctuating hearing loss disrupts later auditory brain stem electrophysiology. (Author/DB)

Characterization of basal hepatic bile flow and the effects of intravenous cholecystokinin on the liver, sphincter, and gallbladder in patients with sphincter of Oddi spasm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krishnamurthy, Gerbail T.; Krishnamurthy, Shakuntala; Watson, Randy D.

2004-01-01

The major objectives of this project were to establish the pattern of basal hepatic bile flow and the effects of intravenous administration of cholecystokinin on the liver, sphincter of Oddi, and gallbladder, and to identify reliable parameters for the diagnosis of sphincter of Oddi spasm (SOS). Eight women with clinically suspected sphincter of Oddi spasm (SOS group), ten control subjects (control group), and ten patients who had recently received an opioid (opioid group) were selected for quantitative cholescintigraphy with cholecystokinin. Each patient was studied with 111-185 MBq (3-5 mCi) technetium-99m mebrofenin after 6-8 h of fasting. Hepatic phase images were obtained for 60 min, followed by gallbladder phase images for 30 min. During the gallbladder phase, 10 ng/kg octapeptide of cholecystokinin (CCK-8) was infused over 3 min through an infusion pump. Hepatic extraction fraction, excretion half-time, basal hepatic bile flow into the gallbladder, gallbladder ejection fraction, and post-CCK-8 paradoxical filling (>30% of basal counts) were identified. Seven of the patients with SOS were treated with antispasmodics (calcium channel blockers), and one underwent endoscopic sphincterotomy. Mean (±SD) hepatic bile entry into the gallbladder (versus GI tract) was widely variable: it was lower in SOS patients (32%±31%) than in controls (61%±36%) and the opioid group (61%±25%), but the difference was not statistically significant. Hepatic extraction fraction, excretion half-time, and pattern of bile flow through both intrahepatic and extrahepatic ducts were normal in all three groups. Gallbladder mean ejection fraction was 9%±4% in the opioid group; this was significantly lower (P<0.0001) than the values in the control group (54%±18%) and the SOS group (48%±29%). Almost all of the bile emptied from the gallbladder refluxed into intrahepatic ducts; it reentered the gallbladder after cessation of CCK-8 infusion (paradoxical gallbladder filling) in all eight

Characterization of basal hepatic bile flow and the effects of intravenous cholecystokinin on the liver, sphincter, and gallbladder in patients with sphincter of Oddi spasm

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krishnamurthy, Gerbail T.; Krishnamurthy, Shakuntala [Department of Nuclear Medicine, Tuality Community Hospital, 335 SE 8th Avenue, OR 97123, Hillsboro (United States); Watson, Randy D. [Department of Gastroenterology, Tuality Community Hospital, Hillsboro, OR (United States)

2004-01-01

The major objectives of this project were to establish the pattern of basal hepatic bile flow and the effects of intravenous administration of cholecystokinin on the liver, sphincter of Oddi, and gallbladder, and to identify reliable parameters for the diagnosis of sphincter of Oddi spasm (SOS). Eight women with clinically suspected sphincter of Oddi spasm (SOS group), ten control subjects (control group), and ten patients who had recently received an opioid (opioid group) were selected for quantitative cholescintigraphy with cholecystokinin. Each patient was studied with 111-185 MBq (3-5 mCi) technetium-99m mebrofenin after 6-8 h of fasting. Hepatic phase images were obtained for 60 min, followed by gallbladder phase images for 30 min. During the gallbladder phase, 10 ng/kg octapeptide of cholecystokinin (CCK-8) was infused over 3 min through an infusion pump. Hepatic extraction fraction, excretion half-time, basal hepatic bile flow into the gallbladder, gallbladder ejection fraction, and post-CCK-8 paradoxical filling (>30% of basal counts) were identified. Seven of the patients with SOS were treated with antispasmodics (calcium channel blockers), and one underwent endoscopic sphincterotomy. Mean ({+-}SD) hepatic bile entry into the gallbladder (versus GI tract) was widely variable: it was lower in SOS patients (32%{+-}31%) than in controls (61%{+-}36%) and the opioid group (61%{+-}25%), but the difference was not statistically significant. Hepatic extraction fraction, excretion half-time, and pattern of bile flow through both intrahepatic and extrahepatic ducts were normal in all three groups. Gallbladder mean ejection fraction was 9%{+-}4% in the opioid group; this was significantly lower (P<0.0001) than the values in the control group (54%{+-}18%) and the SOS group (48%{+-}29%). Almost all of the bile emptied from the gallbladder refluxed into intrahepatic ducts; it reentered the gallbladder after cessation of CCK-8 infusion (paradoxical gallbladder filling

Calcium-dependent plateau potentials in rostral ambiguus neurons in the newborn mouse brain stem in vitro

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rekling, J C; Feldman, J L

1997-01-01

Calcium-dependent plateau potentials in rostral ambiguus neurons in the newborn mouse brain stem in vitro. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 2483-2492, 1997. The nucleus ambiguus contains vagal and glossopharyngeal motoneurons and preganglionic neurons involved in respiration, swallowing, vocalization......-stimulus orthodromic activation, using an electrode placed in the dorsomedial slice near the nucleus tractus solitarius, evoked single excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) or short trains of EPSPs (500 ms to 1 s). However, tetanic stimulation (5 pulses, 10 Hz) induced voltage-dependent afterdepolarizations...

Radioimmunoassay of cholecystokinin in tissue and plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jansen, J.B.M.J.

1984-01-01

The physiological and pathophysiological role of the pancreas hormone, the polypeptide 'cholecystokinin' (CCK) is not well-established yet. This is due to the lack of specific and reliable radioimmunoassays for CCK. The aim of this thesis is to develop such an assay meeting the requirements of high specificity and sensitivity. Several problems were faced, such as (1) the cross-reactivity of existing antibodies with the stomach hormone gastrin and (2) changes in immunoreactivity caused by the introduction of the labelling isotope 125 I and various labels (prepared according to the Bolton-Hunter method) into the polypeptide. The reliability of the assay for the measurement in human tissue and blood is extensively evaluated, inter alia, in patients with pancreas insufficiency (alcohol, cystic fibrosis) and with coeliac disease. (Auth.)

Notching on cancer’s door: Notch signaling in brain tumors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcin eTeodorczyk

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Notch receptors play an essential role in the regulation of central cellular processes during embryonic and postnatal development. The mammalian genome encodes for four Notch paralogs (Notch 1-4, which are activated by three Delta-like (Dll1/3/4 and two Serrate-like (Jagged1/2 ligands. Further, non-canonical Notch ligands such as EGFL7 have been identified and serve mostly as antagonists of Notch signaling. The Notch pathway prevents neuronal differentiation in the central nervous system by driving neural stem cell maintenance and commitment of neural progenitor cells into the glial lineage. Notch is therefore often implicated in the development of brain tumors, as tumor cells share various characteristics with neural stem and progenitor cells. Notch receptors are overexpressed in gliomas and their oncogenicity has been confirmed by gain- and loss-of-function studies in vitro and in vivo. To this end, special attention is paid to the impact of Notch signaling on stem-like brain tumor-propagating cells as these cells contribute to growth, survival, invasion and recurrence of brain tumors. Based on the outcome of ongoing studies in vivo, Notch-directed therapies such as γ secretase inhibitors and blocking antibodies have entered and completed various clinical trials. This review summarizes the current knowledge on Notch signaling in brain tumor formation and therapy.

Neural stem cells in the immature, but not the mature, subventricular zone respond robustly to traumatic brain injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Goodus, Matthew T; Guzman, Alanna M; Calderon, Frances; Jiang, Yuhui; Levison, Steven W

2015-01-01

necessarily lead to the production of many new neurons. On the contrary, many BrdU+/doublecortin+ cells were observed streaming out of the SVZ into the neocortex 2 weeks after injuries to P11 rats. However, very few new mature neurons were seen adjacent to the lesion 28 days after injury. Altogether, these data indicate that immature SVZ cells mount a more robust proliferative response to a focal brain injury than adult cells, which includes an expansion of stem cells, primitive progenitors and neuroblasts. Nonetheless, this regenerative response does not result in significant neuronal replacement, indicating that new strategies need to be implemented to retain the regenerated neurons and glia that are being produced. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Diffusion Tensor Tractography Imaging in a Case of Acute Brain Stem Infarct

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nilgül Yardımcı

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Diffusion tensor tractography enables graphical reconstruction of the white matter pathways in the brain and quantitative study of white matter integrity. With this method virtual dissection of the living human brain can be performed. This technique has many potential clinical applications in neurological disorders, including the investigation of stroke. We present tractography findings of a patient that had an acute ischemic infarct in the brain stem. We aimed to report the disintegration of the white matter tracts at the infarct location in vivo, as well as the associated clinical symptoms. The current use of tractography in neurological disorders shows that it has the potential to improve our understanding of the damage and recovery process in diseases of the brain and spinal cord. From a clinical point of view tractography might be used to test new hypotheses, and to provide important new insights into the organization of the brain and the effects of brain disorders

Nuclear Receptor TLX Regulates Cell Cycle Progression in Neural Stem Cells of the Developing Brain

OpenAIRE

Li, Wenwu; Sun, Guoqiang; Yang, Su; Qu, Qiuhao; Nakashima, Kinichi; Shi, Yanhong

2007-01-01

TLX is an orphan nuclear receptor that is expressed exclusively in vertebrate forebrains. Although TLX is known to be expressed in embryonic brains, the mechanism by which it influences neural development remains largely unknown. We show here that TLX is expressed specifically in periventricular neural stem cells in embryonic brains. Significant thinning of neocortex was observed in embryonic d 14.5 TLX-null brains with reduced nestin labeling and decreased cell proliferation in the germinal ...

VEGF-mediated angiogenesis stimulates neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation in the premature brain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Jinqiao; Sha, Bin; Zhou, Wenhao; Yang, Yi

2010-01-01

This study investigated the effects of angiogenesis on the proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells in the premature brain. We observed the changes in neurogenesis that followed the stimulation and inhibition of angiogenesis by altering vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in a 3-day-old rat model. VEGF expression was overexpressed by adenovirus transfection and down-regulated by siRNA interference. Using immunofluorescence assays, Western blot analysis, and real-time PCR methods, we observed angiogenesis and the proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells. Immunofluorescence assays showed that the number of vWF-positive areas peaked at day 7, and they were highest in the VEGF up-regulation group and lowest in the VEGF down-regulation group at every time point. The number of neural stem cells, neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes in the subventricular zone gradually increased over time in the VEGF up-regulation group. Among the three groups, the number of these cells was highest in the VEGF up-regulation group and lowest in the VEGF down-regulation group at the same time point. Western blot analysis and real-time PCR confirmed these results. These data suggest that angiogenesis may stimulate the proliferation of neural stem cells and differentiation into neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes in the premature brain.

TGFβ lengthens the G1 phase of stem cells in aged mouse brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Daynac, Mathieu; Pineda, Jose R; Chicheportiche, Alexandra; Gauthier, Laurent R; Morizur, Lise; Boussin, François D; Mouthon, Marc-André

2014-12-01

Neurogenesis decreases during aging causing a progressive cognitive decline but it is still controversial whether proliferation defects in neurogenic niches result from a loss of neural stem cells or from an impairment of their progression through the cell cycle. Using an accurate fluorescence-activated cell sorting technique, we show that the pool of neural stem cells is maintained in the subventricular zone of middle-aged mice while they have a reduced proliferative potential eventually leading to the subsequent decrease of their progeny. In addition, we demonstrate that the G1 phase is lengthened during aging specifically in activated stem cells, but not in transit-amplifying cells, and directly impacts on neurogenesis. Finally, we report that inhibition of TGFβ signaling restores cell cycle progression defects in stem cells. Our data highlight the significance of cell cycle dysregulation in stem cells in the aged brain and provide an attractive foundation for the development of anti-TGFβ regenerative therapies based on stimulating endogenous neural stem cells. © 2014 AlphaMed Press.

Accelerated differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells to blood-brain barrier endothelial cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Hollmann, Emma K; Bailey, Amanda K; Potharazu, Archit V; Neely, M Diana; Bowman, Aaron B; Lippmann, Ethan S

2017-04-13

Due to their ability to limitlessly proliferate and specialize into almost any cell type, human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) offer an unprecedented opportunity to generate human brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs), which compose the blood-brain barrier (BBB), for research purposes. Unfortunately, the time, expense, and expertise required to differentiate iPSCs to purified BMECs precludes their widespread use. Here, we report the use of a defined medium that accelerates the differentiation of iPSCs to BMECs while achieving comparable performance to BMECs produced by established methods. Induced pluripotent stem cells were seeded at defined densities and differentiated to BMECs using defined medium termed E6. Resultant purified BMEC phenotypes were assessed through trans-endothelial electrical resistance (TEER), fluorescein permeability, and P-glycoprotein and MRP family efflux transporter activity. Expression of endothelial markers and their signature tight junction proteins were confirmed using immunocytochemistry. The influence of co-culture with astrocytes and pericytes on purified BMECs was assessed via TEER measurements. The robustness of the differentiation method was confirmed across independent iPSC lines. The use of E6 medium, coupled with updated culture methods, reduced the differentiation time of iPSCs to BMECs from thirteen to 8 days. E6-derived BMECs expressed GLUT-1, claudin-5, occludin, PECAM-1, and VE-cadherin and consistently achieved TEER values exceeding 2500 Ω × cm 2 across multiple iPSC lines, with a maximum TEER value of 4678 ± 49 Ω × cm 2 and fluorescein permeability below 1.95 × 10 -7 cm/s. E6-derived BMECs maintained TEER above 1000 Ω × cm 2 for a minimum of 8 days and showed no statistical difference in efflux transporter activity compared to BMECs differentiated by conventional means. The method was also found to support long-term stability of BMECs harboring biallelic PARK2 mutations associated

Senescence from glioma stem cell differentiation promotes tumor growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ouchi, Rie; Okabe, Sachiko; Migita, Toshiro; Nakano, Ichiro; Seimiya, Hiroyuki

2016-01-01

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a lethal brain tumor composed of heterogeneous cellular populations including glioma stem cells (GSCs) and differentiated non-stem glioma cells (NSGCs). While GSCs are involved in tumor initiation and propagation, NSGCs' role remains elusive. Here, we demonstrate that NSGCs undergo senescence and secrete pro-angiogenic proteins, boosting the GSC-derived tumor formation in vivo. We used a GSC model that maintains stemness in neurospheres, but loses the stemness and differentiates into NSGCs upon serum stimulation. These NSGCs downregulated telomerase, shortened telomeres, and eventually became senescent. The senescent NSGCs released pro-angiogenic proteins, including vascular endothelial growth factors and senescence-associated interleukins, such as IL-6 and IL-8. Conditioned medium from senescent NSGCs promoted proliferation of brain microvascular endothelial cells, and mixed implantation of GSCs and senescent NSGCs into mice enhanced the tumorigenic potential of GSCs. The senescent NSGCs seem to be clinically relevant, because both clinical samples and xenografts of GBM contained tumor cells that expressed the senescence markers. Our data suggest that senescent NSGCs promote malignant progression of GBM in part via paracrine effects of the secreted proteins. - Highlights: • Non-stem glioma cells (NSGCs) lose telomerase and eventually become senescent. • Senescent NSGCs secrete pro-angiogenic proteins, such as VEGFs, IL-6, and IL-8. • Senescent NSGCs enhance the growth of brain microvascular endothelial cells. • Senescent NSGCs enhance the tumorigenic potential of glioma stem cells in vivo.

Senescence from glioma stem cell differentiation promotes tumor growth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ouchi, Rie [Division of Molecular Biotherapy, Cancer Chemotherapy Center, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-8-31 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-8550 (Japan); Laboratory of Molecular Target Therapy of Cancer, Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-31 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-8550 (Japan); Okabe, Sachiko; Migita, Toshiro [Division of Molecular Biotherapy, Cancer Chemotherapy Center, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-8-31 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-8550 (Japan); Nakano, Ichiro [Department of Neurosurgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1824 6th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35233 (United States); Seimiya, Hiroyuki, E-mail: hseimiya@jfcr.or.jp [Division of Molecular Biotherapy, Cancer Chemotherapy Center, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-8-31 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-8550 (Japan); Laboratory of Molecular Target Therapy of Cancer, Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-31 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-8550 (Japan)

2016-02-05

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a lethal brain tumor composed of heterogeneous cellular populations including glioma stem cells (GSCs) and differentiated non-stem glioma cells (NSGCs). While GSCs are involved in tumor initiation and propagation, NSGCs' role remains elusive. Here, we demonstrate that NSGCs undergo senescence and secrete pro-angiogenic proteins, boosting the GSC-derived tumor formation in vivo. We used a GSC model that maintains stemness in neurospheres, but loses the stemness and differentiates into NSGCs upon serum stimulation. These NSGCs downregulated telomerase, shortened telomeres, and eventually became senescent. The senescent NSGCs released pro-angiogenic proteins, including vascular endothelial growth factors and senescence-associated interleukins, such as IL-6 and IL-8. Conditioned medium from senescent NSGCs promoted proliferation of brain microvascular endothelial cells, and mixed implantation of GSCs and senescent NSGCs into mice enhanced the tumorigenic potential of GSCs. The senescent NSGCs seem to be clinically relevant, because both clinical samples and xenografts of GBM contained tumor cells that expressed the senescence markers. Our data suggest that senescent NSGCs promote malignant progression of GBM in part via paracrine effects of the secreted proteins. - Highlights: • Non-stem glioma cells (NSGCs) lose telomerase and eventually become senescent. • Senescent NSGCs secrete pro-angiogenic proteins, such as VEGFs, IL-6, and IL-8. • Senescent NSGCs enhance the growth of brain microvascular endothelial cells. • Senescent NSGCs enhance the tumorigenic potential of glioma stem cells in vivo.

Store-Operated Calcium Entries Control Neural Stem Cell Self-Renewal in the Adult Brain Subventricular Zone.

Science.gov (United States)

Domenichini, Florence; Terrié, Elodie; Arnault, Patricia; Harnois, Thomas; Magaud, Christophe; Bois, Patrick; Constantin, Bruno; Coronas, Valérie

2018-05-01

The subventricular zone (SVZ) is the major stem cell niche in the brain of adult mammals. Within this region, neural stem cells (NSC) proliferate, self-renew and give birth to neurons and glial cells. Previous studies underlined enrichment in calcium signaling-related transcripts in adult NSC. Because of their ability to mobilize sustained calcium influxes in response to a wide range of extracellular factors, store-operated channels (SOC) appear to be, among calcium channels, relevant candidates to induce calcium signaling in NSC whose cellular activities are continuously adapted to physiological signals from the microenvironment. By Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), Western blotting and immunocytochemistry experiments, we demonstrate that SVZ cells express molecular actors known to build up SOC, namely transient receptor potential canonical 1 (TRPC1) and Orai1, as well as their activator stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1). Calcium imaging reveals that SVZ cells display store-operated calcium entries. Pharmacological blockade of SOC with SKF-96365 or YM-58483 (also called BTP2) decreases proliferation, impairs self-renewal by shifting the type of SVZ stem cell division from symmetric proliferative to asymmetric, thereby reducing the stem cell population. Brain section immunostainings show that TRPC1, Orai1, and STIM1 are expressed in vivo, in SOX2-positive SVZ NSC. Injection of SKF-96365 in brain lateral ventricle diminishes SVZ cell proliferation and reduces the ability of SVZ cells to form neurospheres in vitro. The present study combining in vitro and in vivo approaches uncovers a major role for SOC in the control of SVZ NSC population and opens new fields of investigation for stem cell biology in health and disease. Stem Cells 2018;36:761-774. © AlphaMed Press 2018.

A phase I trial of etanidazole and hyperfractionated radiotherapy in children with diffuse brain stem glioma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dutton, S.C.; Pomeroy, S.L.; Billett, A.L.; Barnes, P.; Kuhlman, C.; Riese, N.E.; Goumnerova, L.; Scott, R.M.; Coleman, C.N.; Tarbell, N.J.

1997-01-01

Objective: Prospective phase I study to evaluate the toxicity and maximum tolerated dose of etanidazole administered concurrently with hyperfractionated radiation therapy (HRT) for children with brain stem glioma. Materials and Methods: Eighteen patients with brain stem glioma were treated with etanidazole and HRT from 1990-1996. Eligibility required MRI confirmation of diffuse glioma of medulla, pons or mesencephalon, and signs/symptoms of cranial nerve deficit, ataxia or long tract signs of ≤ 6 months duration. Cervico-medullary tumors were excluded. Patients (median age 8.5 years; 11 males, 7 females) received HRT to the tumor volume plus a 2 cm margin with parallel opposed 6-15 MV photons. The total dose was 66 Gy for the first 3 patients, followed by 63 Gy over 4.2 weeks (1.5 Gy BID with 6 hours between fractions) for the subsequent 15 patients. Etanidazole was administered as a rapid IV infusion 30 minutes prior to the morning fraction of HRT at doses of 1.8 gm/m2 x 17 doses (30.6 gm/m2) at step 1 to a maximum of 2.4 gm/m2 x 21 doses (50.4 gm/m2) at step 8. Dose escalation was planned with 3 patients at each of the 8 levels. Results: Three patients were treated at each dose level except level 2, on which only one patient was treated. The highest dose level achieved was step 7 which delivered a total etanidazole dose of 46.2 gm/m2. Two patients were treated at this level, and both patients experienced grade 3 toxicity in the form of a diffuse cutaneous rash. Three patients received a lower dose of 42 gm/m2 without significant toxicity, and this represents the maximum tolerated dose (MTD). There were 24 cases of grade 1 toxicity (10 vomiting, 5 peripheral neuropathy, 2 rash, 2 constipation, 1 skin erythema, 1 weight loss, 3 other), eleven cases of grade 2 toxicity (4 vomiting, 2 skin erythema, 2 constipation, 1 arthalgia, 1 urinary retention, 1 hematologic), and four grade b 3 toxicities (2 rash, 1 vomiting, 1 skin desquamation). Grade 2 or 3 peripheral

Age and Gender Effects On Auditory Brain Stem Response (ABR

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Yones Lotfi

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Objectives: Auditory Brain Stem Response (ABR is a result of eight nerve and brain stem nuclei stimulation. Several factors may affect the latencies, interpeak latencies and amplitudes in ABR especially sex and age. In this study, age and sex influence on ABR were studied. Methods: This study was performed on 120 cases (60 males and 60 females at Akhavan rehabilitation center of university of welfare and rehabilitation sciences, Tehran, Iran. Cases were divided in three age groups: 18-30, 31-50 and 51-70 years old. Each age group consists of 20 males and 20 females. Age and sex influences on absolute latency of wave I and V, and IPL of I-V were examined. Results: Independent t test showed that females have significantly shorter latency of wave I, V, and IPL I-V latency (P<0.001 than males. Two way ANOVA showed that latency of wave I, V and IPL I-V in 51-70 years old group was significantly higher than 18-30 and 31-50 years old groups (P<0.001 Discussion: According to the results of present study and similar studies, in clinical practice, different norms for older adults and both genders should be established.

Anorexigenic effect of cholecystokinin is lost but that of CART (cocaine and amphetamine regulated transcript) peptide is preserved in monosodium glutamate obese mice

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Železná, Blanka; Maixnerová, Jana; Matyšková, Resha; Haugvicová, Renata; Blokešová, Darja; Maletínská, Lenka

2009-01-01

Roč. 58, č. 5 (2009), s. 717-723 ISSN 0862-8408 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA303/05/0614 Grant - others:GA ČR(CZ) GA305/06/0427 Program:GA Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40550506; CEZ:AV0Z5020903 Keywords : monosodium glutamate (MSG) obesity * neuropeptide Y (NPY) * cholecystokinin Subject RIV: CC - Organic Chemistry Impact factor: 1.430, year: 2009

Prognostic factors and therapeutic options of radiotherapy in pediatric brain stem gliomas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Yu-Ming; Shiau, Cheng-Ying; Wong, Tai-Tong; Wang, Ling-Wei; Wu, Le-Jung; Chi, Kwan-Hwa; Chen, Kuang Y.; Yen, Sang-Hue [Veterans General Hospital-Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan (China)

1998-08-01

A retrospective analysis was made to clarify the relationship between prognosis, radiation dose and survival of brain stem gliomas. From 1983 to 1995, 22 children with brain stem tumors were treated by radiotherapy in the Veterans General Hospital-Taipei. Twelve patients had pathology proof and the remainder were diagnosed by computerized tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging. Seven patients had postoperative radiotherapy. Fifteen patients had radiotherapy as primary management, five of whom had adjuvant chemotherapy. All patients received 4000-7060 cGy, either in conventional daily or hyperfractionated twice daily radiotherapy. Survival from date of diagnosis was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate analyses and multivariate analyses were calculated by the log rank test and the Cox proportional hazard model, respectively. Most patients showed improvement following treatment. The overall 2-year survival rate was 55.5% with a median survival of 27.1 months. Two-year survival for patients with primary management of operation and radiotherapy (n=7), radiotherapy alone (n=10) and radiotherapy with adjuvant chemotherapy (n=5) were 66.7, 50 and 53.3%, respectively. In univariate analysis, the study revealed that the growth pattern of tumors and the simultaneous presence of cranial neuropathy and long tract sign were significant prognostic factors (P=0.017 and 0.036). A trend of better outcome with radiation dose >6600 cGy and the hyperfractionation scheme was also noted in our study (P=0.0573 and 0.0615). However, only the hyperfractionation scheme showed significance in multivariate analyses (P=0.0355). Survival was not significantly affected by age, gender or method of diagnosis. Radiotherapy appears to be an effective treatment modality of brain stem tumors. Patients with both cranial neuropathy and long tract signs had a poorer outcome. Hyperfractionated radiotherapy may give better local control and lead to better survival. (author)

Prognostic factors and therapeutic options of radiotherapy in pediatric brain stem gliomas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Yu-Ming; Shiau, Cheng-Ying; Wong, Tai-Tong; Wang, Ling-Wei; Wu, Le-Jung; Chi, Kwan-Hwa; Chen, Kuang Y.; Yen, Sang-Hue

1998-01-01

A retrospective analysis was made to clarify the relationship between prognosis, radiation dose and survival of brain stem gliomas. From 1983 to 1995, 22 children with brain stem tumors were treated by radiotherapy in the Veterans General Hospital-Taipei. Twelve patients had pathology proof and the remainder were diagnosed by computerized tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging. Seven patients had postoperative radiotherapy. Fifteen patients had radiotherapy as primary management, five of whom had adjuvant chemotherapy. All patients received 4000-7060 cGy, either in conventional daily or hyperfractionated twice daily radiotherapy. Survival from date of diagnosis was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate analyses and multivariate analyses were calculated by the log rank test and the Cox proportional hazard model, respectively. Most patients showed improvement following treatment. The overall 2-year survival rate was 55.5% with a median survival of 27.1 months. Two-year survival for patients with primary management of operation and radiotherapy (n=7), radiotherapy alone (n=10) and radiotherapy with adjuvant chemotherapy (n=5) were 66.7, 50 and 53.3%, respectively. In univariate analysis, the study revealed that the growth pattern of tumors and the simultaneous presence of cranial neuropathy and long tract sign were significant prognostic factors (P=0.017 and 0.036). A trend of better outcome with radiation dose >6600 cGy and the hyperfractionation scheme was also noted in our study (P=0.0573 and 0.0615). However, only the hyperfractionation scheme showed significance in multivariate analyses (P=0.0355). Survival was not significantly affected by age, gender or method of diagnosis. Radiotherapy appears to be an effective treatment modality of brain stem tumors. Patients with both cranial neuropathy and long tract signs had a poorer outcome. Hyperfractionated radiotherapy may give better local control and lead to better survival. (author)

Regional brain stem atrophy in idiopathic Parkinson's disease detected by anatomical MRI.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Jubault

Full Text Available Idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the dysfunction of dopaminergic dependent cortico-basal ganglia loops and diagnosed on the basis of motor symptoms (tremors and/or rigidity and bradykinesia. Post-mortem studies tend to show that the destruction of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra constitutes an intermediate step in a broader neurodegenerative process rather than a unique feature of Parkinson's disease, as a consistent pattern of progression would exist, originating from the medulla oblongata/pontine tegmentum. To date, neuroimaging techniques have been unable to characterize the pre-symptomatic stages of PD. However, if such a regular neurodegenerative pattern were to exist, consistent damages would be found in the brain stem, even at early stages of the disease. We recruited 23 PD patients at Hoenn and Yahr stages I to II of the disease and 18 healthy controls (HC matched for age. T1-weighted anatomical scans were acquired (MPRAGE, 1 mm3 resolution and analyzed using an optimized VBM protocol to detect white and grey matter volume reduction without spatial a priori. When the HC group was compared to the PD group, a single cluster exhibited statistical difference (p<0.05 corrected for false detection rate, 4287 mm3 in the brain stem, between the pons and the medulla oblongata. The present study provides in-vivo evidence that brain stem damage may be the first identifiable stage of PD neuropathology, and that the identification of this consistent damage along with other factors could help with earlier diagnosis in the future. This damage could also explain some non-motor symptoms in PD that often precede diagnosis, such as autonomic dysfunction and sleep disorders.

Effects of atelocollagen on neural stem cell function and its migrating capacity into brain in psychiatric disease model.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshinaga, Toshihiro; Hashimoto, Eri; Ukai, Wataru; Ishii, Takao; Shirasaka, Tomohiro; Kigawa, Yoshiyasu; Tateno, Masaru; Kaneta, Hiroo; Watanabe, Kimihiko; Igarashi, Takeshi; Kobayashi, Seiju; Sohma, Hitoshi; Kato, Tadafumi; Saito, Toshikazu

2013-10-01

Stem cell therapy is well proposed as a potential method for the improvement of neurodegenerative damage in the brain. Among several different procedures to reach the cells into the injured lesion, the intravenous (IV) injection has benefit as a minimally invasive approach. However, for the brain disease, prompt development of the effective treatment way of cellular biodistribution of stem cells into the brain after IV injection is needed. Atelocollagen has been used as an adjunctive material in a gene, drug and cell delivery system because of its extremely low antigenicity and bioabsorbability to protect these transplants from intrabody environment. However, there is little work about the direct effect of atelocollagen on stem cells, we examined the functional change of survival, proliferation, migration and differentiation of cultured neural stem cells (NSCs) induced by atelocollagen in vitro. By 72-h treatment 0.01-0.05% atelocollagen showed no significant effects on survival, proliferation and migration of NSCs, while 0.03-0.05% atelocollagen induced significant reduction of neuronal differentiation and increase of astrocytic differentiation. Furthermore, IV treated NSCs complexed with atelocollagen (0.02%) could effectively migrate into the brain rather than NSC treated alone using chronic alcohol binge model rat. These experiments suggested that high dose of atelocollagen exerts direct influence on NSC function but under 0.03% of atelocollagen induces beneficial effect on regenerative approach of IV administration of NSCs for CNS disease.

Diffusion tensor imaging for nerve fiber bundles in the brain stem and spinocerebellar degeneration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Honma, Tsuguo

2009-01-01

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) can create an image of the anisotropic nature of diffusion and express it quantitatively. Nerve fibers have a large anisotropic diffusion, and it is possible to obtain images of the nerve fiber bundle. The purpose of this study is to observe the nerve fiber bundles in the brain stem using DTI and study its potential for diagnosing the type of spinocerebellar degeneration (SCD). Fractional anisotropy (FA) maps and 3D-tractography images were obtained for 41 subjects with no brain stem abnormalities. We created an apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) map and an FA map using DTI for 16 subjects in the disease group (11 with hereditary SCD and 5 with non-hereditary SCD) and 25 in the control group. The diffusion value of the pons and middle cerebellar peduncle was measured using ADC, and the degree of anisotropic diffusion was measured using FA. The pyramidal tract, superior cerebellar peduncle, and inferior cerebellar peduncle were clearly demonstrated for all cases. ADC for the middle cerebellar peduncle in spinocerebellar ataxin (SCA)1 was significantly higher, similar to that for the pons in dentatorubro-pallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA). In MSA-C, ADC for both the pons and middle cerebellar peduncle was significantly elevated and FA was significantly decreased. There were no significant changes in SCA3. We could observe the nerve fiber bundles in the brain stem using DTI. FA and ADC measurements with DTI can aid in diagnosing the type of SCD. (author)

Identifying endogenous neural stem cells in the adult brain in vitro and in vivo: novel approaches.

Science.gov (United States)

Rueger, Maria Adele; Androutsellis-Theotokis, Andreas

2013-01-01

In the 1960s, Joseph Altman reported that the adult mammalian brain is capable of generating new neurons. Today it is understood that some of these neurons are derived from uncommitted cells in the subventricular zone lining the lateral ventricles, and the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. The first area generates new neuroblasts which migrate to the olfactory bulb, whereas hippocampal neurogenesis seems to play roles in particular types of learning and memory. A part of these uncommitted (immature) cells is able to divide and their progeny can generate all three major cell types of the nervous system: neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes; these properties define such cells as neural stem cells. Although the roles of these cells are not yet clear, it is accepted that they affect functions including olfaction and learning/memory. Experiments with insults to the central nervous system also show that neural stem cells are quickly mobilized due to injury and in various disorders by proliferating, and migrating to injury sites. This suggests a role of endogenous neural stem cells in disease. New pools of stem cells are being discovered, suggesting an even more important role for these cells. To understand these cells and to coax them to contribute to tissue repair it would be very useful to be able to image them in the living organism. Here we discuss advances in imaging approaches as well as new concepts that emerge from stem cell biology with emphasis on the interface between imaging and stem cells.

Robotics, stem cells, and brain-computer interfaces in rehabilitation and recovery from stroke: updates and advances.

Science.gov (United States)

Boninger, Michael L; Wechsler, Lawrence R; Stein, Joel

2014-11-01

The aim of this study was to describe the current state and latest advances in robotics, stem cells, and brain-computer interfaces in rehabilitation and recovery for stroke. The authors of this summary recently reviewed this work as part of a national presentation. The article represents the information included in each area. Each area has seen great advances and challenges as products move to market and experiments are ongoing. Robotics, stem cells, and brain-computer interfaces all have tremendous potential to reduce disability and lead to better outcomes for patients with stroke. Continued research and investment will be needed as the field moves forward. With this investment, the potential for recovery of function is likely substantial.

[Distribution of human enterovirus 71 in brainstem of infants with brain stem encephalitis and infection mechanism].

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Bo; Gao, Di; Tang, Da-Wei; Wang, Xiao-Guang; Liu, Shui-Ping; Kong, Xiao-Ping; Liu, Chao; Huang, Jing-Lu; Bi, Qi-Ming; Quan, Li; Luo, Bin

2012-04-01

To explore the mechanism that how human enterovirus 71 (EV71) invades the brainstem and how intercellular adhesion molecules-1 (ICAM-1) participates by analyzing the expression and distribution of human EV71, and ICAM-1 in brainstem of infants with brain stem encephalitis. Twenty-two brainstem of infants with brain stem encephalitis were collected as the experimental group and 10 brainstems of fatal congenital heart disease were selected as the control group. The sections with perivascular cuffings were selected to observe EV71-VP1 expression by immunohistochemistry method and ICAM-1 expression was detected for the sections with EV71-VP1 positive expression. The staining image analysis and statistics analysis were performed. The experiment and control groups were compared. (1) EV71-VP1 positive cells in the experimental group were mainly astrocytes in brainstem with nigger-brown particles, and the control group was negative. (2) ICAM-1 positive cells showed nigger-brown. The expression in inflammatory cells (around blood vessels of brain stem and in glial nodules) and gliocytes increased. The results showed statistical difference comparing with control group (P diagnose fatal EV71 infection in infants. EV71 can invade the brainstem via hematogenous route. ICAM-1 may play an important role in the pathogenic process.

Maternal Inflammation Contributes to Brain Overgrowth and Autism-Associated Behaviors through Altered Redox Signaling in Stem and Progenitor Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janel E. Le Belle

2014-11-01

Full Text Available A period of mild brain overgrowth with an unknown etiology has been identified as one of the most common phenotypes in autism. Here, we test the hypothesis that maternal inflammation during critical periods of embryonic development can cause brain overgrowth and autism-associated behaviors as a result of altered neural stem cell function. Pregnant mice treated with low-dose lipopolysaccharide at embryonic day 9 had offspring with brain overgrowth, with a more pronounced effect in PTEN heterozygotes. Exposure to maternal inflammation also enhanced NADPH oxidase (NOX-PI3K pathway signaling, stimulated the hyperproliferation of neural stem and progenitor cells, increased forebrain microglia, and produced abnormal autism-associated behaviors in affected pups. Our evidence supports the idea that a prenatal neuroinflammatory dysregulation in neural stem cell redox signaling can act in concert with underlying genetic susceptibilities to affect cellular responses to environmentally altered cellular levels of reactive oxygen species.

Incretin physiology beyond glucagon-like peptide 1 and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide: cholecystokinin and gastrin peptides

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rehfeld, J F

2011-01-01

Gastrin and cholecystokinin (CCK) are homologous hormone systems known to regulate gastric acid secretion, gallbladder emptying, and cell growth in the pancreas and stomach. They are, however, also involved in the development and secretory functions of pancreatic islet cells. For instance, foetal...

Effect of exogenous cholecystokinin (CCK)-8 on food intake and plasma CCK, leptin, and insulin concentrations in older and young adults: evidence for increased CCK activity as a cause of the anorexia of aging.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

MacIntosh, C.G.; Morley, J.E.; Wishart, J.M.; Morris, H.A.; Jansen, J.B.M.J.; Horowitz, M.M.; Chapman, I.M.

2001-01-01

Healthy aging is associated with reductions in appetite and food intake--the so-called anorexia of aging, which may predispose to protein-energy malnutrition. One possible cause of the anorexia of aging is an increased satiating effect of cholecystokinin (CCK). To investigate the impact of aging on

Human umbilical cord blood-derived stem cells and brain-derived neurotrophic factor protect injured optic nerve: viscoelasticity characterization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xue-man Lv

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The optic nerve is a viscoelastic solid-like biomaterial. Its normal stress relaxation and creep properties enable the nerve to resist constant strain and protect it from injury. We hypothesized that stress relaxation and creep properties of the optic nerve change after injury. More-over, human brain-derived neurotrophic factor or umbilical cord blood-derived stem cells may restore these changes to normal. To validate this hypothesis, a rabbit model of optic nerve injury was established using a clamp approach. At 7 days after injury, the vitreous body re-ceived a one-time injection of 50 µg human brain-derived neurotrophic factor or 1 × 106 human umbilical cord blood-derived stem cells. At 30 days after injury, stress relaxation and creep properties of the optic nerve that received treatment had recovered greatly, with patho-logical changes in the injured optic nerve also noticeably improved. These results suggest that human brain-derived neurotrophic factor or umbilical cord blood-derived stem cell intervention promotes viscoelasticity recovery of injured optic nerves, and thereby contributes to nerve recovery.

High-resolution anatomy of the human brain stem using 7-T MRI: improved detection of inner structures and nerves?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gizewski, Elke R. [Medical University Innsbruck, Department of Neuroradiology, Innsbruck (Austria); Maderwald, Stefan [University Duisburg-Essen, Erwin L. Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Essen (Germany); Linn, Jennifer; Bochmann, Katja [LMU Munich, Department of Neuroradiology, Munich (Germany); Dassinger, Benjamin [Medical University Innsbruck, Department of Neuroradiology, Innsbruck (Austria); Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Department of Neuroradiology, Giessen (Germany); Forsting, Michael [University Hospital, University Duisburg-Essen, Departments of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, Essen (Germany); Ladd, Mark E. [University Duisburg-Essen, Erwin L. Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Essen (Germany); University Hospital, University Duisburg-Essen, Departments of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, Essen (Germany)

2014-03-15

The purpose of this paper is to assess the value of 7 Tesla (7 T) MRI for the depiction of brain stem and cranial nerve (CN) anatomy. Six volunteers were examined at 7 T using high-resolution SWI, MPRAGE, MP2RAGE, 3D SPACE T2, T2, and PD images to establish scanning parameters targeted at optimizing spatial resolution. Direct comparisons between 3 and 7 T were performed in two additional subjects using the finalized sequences (3 T: T2, PD, MPRAGE, SWAN; 7 T: 3D T2, MPRAGE, SWI, MP2RAGE). Artifacts and the depiction of structures were evaluated by two neuroradiologists using a standardized score sheet. Sequences could be established for high-resolution 7 T imaging even in caudal cranial areas. High in-plane resolution T2, PD, and SWI images provided depiction of inner brain stem structures such as pons fibers, raphe, reticular formation, nerve roots, and periaqueductal gray. MPRAGE and MP2RAGE provided clear depiction of the CNs. 3D T2 images improved depiction of inner brain structure in comparison to T2 images at 3 T. Although the 7-T SWI sequence provided improved contrast to some inner structures, extended areas were influenced by artifacts due to image disturbances from susceptibility differences. Seven-tesla imaging of basal brain areas is feasible and might have significant impact on detection and diagnosis in patients with specific diseases, e.g., trigeminal pain related to affection of the nerve root. Some inner brain stem structures can be depicted at 3 T, but certain sequences at 7 T, in particular 3D SPACE T2, are superior in producing anatomical in vivo images of deep brain stem structures. (orig.)

High-resolution anatomy of the human brain stem using 7-T MRI: improved detection of inner structures and nerves?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gizewski, Elke R.; Maderwald, Stefan; Linn, Jennifer; Bochmann, Katja; Dassinger, Benjamin; Forsting, Michael; Ladd, Mark E.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to assess the value of 7 Tesla (7 T) MRI for the depiction of brain stem and cranial nerve (CN) anatomy. Six volunteers were examined at 7 T using high-resolution SWI, MPRAGE, MP2RAGE, 3D SPACE T2, T2, and PD images to establish scanning parameters targeted at optimizing spatial resolution. Direct comparisons between 3 and 7 T were performed in two additional subjects using the finalized sequences (3 T: T2, PD, MPRAGE, SWAN; 7 T: 3D T2, MPRAGE, SWI, MP2RAGE). Artifacts and the depiction of structures were evaluated by two neuroradiologists using a standardized score sheet. Sequences could be established for high-resolution 7 T imaging even in caudal cranial areas. High in-plane resolution T2, PD, and SWI images provided depiction of inner brain stem structures such as pons fibers, raphe, reticular formation, nerve roots, and periaqueductal gray. MPRAGE and MP2RAGE provided clear depiction of the CNs. 3D T2 images improved depiction of inner brain structure in comparison to T2 images at 3 T. Although the 7-T SWI sequence provided improved contrast to some inner structures, extended areas were influenced by artifacts due to image disturbances from susceptibility differences. Seven-tesla imaging of basal brain areas is feasible and might have significant impact on detection and diagnosis in patients with specific diseases, e.g., trigeminal pain related to affection of the nerve root. Some inner brain stem structures can be depicted at 3 T, but certain sequences at 7 T, in particular 3D SPACE T2, are superior in producing anatomical in vivo images of deep brain stem structures. (orig.)

The stomach, cholecystokinin, and satiety.

Science.gov (United States)

McHugh, P R; Moran, T H

1986-04-01

The stomach of the rhesus monkey empties liquids in a fashion that varies with the character of the solutions. Physiological saline empties exponentially. Glucose solutions empty biphasically--rapidly for the first minutes, then slowly and proportionately to glucose concentration to deliver glucose calories through the pylorus at a regulated rate (0.4 kcal/min). This prolonged and regulated second phase of gastric emptying depends on intestinal inhibition of the stomach. Cholecystokinin (CCK), a hormone released by food in the intestine, is an inhibitor of gastric emptying. In vitro receptor autoradiography demonstrates CCK receptors to be clustered on the circular muscle of the pylorus. Exogenous CCK, in doses that inhibit gastric emptying, will reduce food intake only if combined with an infusion of saline in the stomach. These observations indicate how gastric distension can be a means for provoking satiety. The variably sustained distension produced by the stomach's slow, calorically regulated emptying could prolong intermeal intervals and thus permit high-calorie meals to inhibit further caloric intake over time. CCK, by directly inhibiting gastric emptying during a meal, could promote gastric distension and so restrict the duration and size of individual meals.

Milrinone in Enterovirus 71 Brain Stem Encephalitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

SHIH-MIN eWANG

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Enterovirus 71 (EV71 was implicated in a widespread outbreak of hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD across the Asia Pacific area since 1997 and has also been reported sporadically in patients with brain stem encephalitis. Neurogenic shock with pulmonary edema (PE is a fatal complication of EV71 infection. Among inotropic agents, milrinone is selected as a therapeutic agent for EV71- induced PE due to its immunopathogenesis. Milrinone is a type III phosphodiesterase inhibitor that has both inotropic and vasodilator effects. Its clinical efficacy has been shown by modulating inflammation, reducing sympathetic over-activity, and improving survival in patients with EV71-associated PE. Milrinone exhibits immunoregulatory and anti-inflammatory effects in the management of systemic inflammatory responses in severe EV71 infection.

Optimized Longitudinal Monitoring of Stem Cell Grafts in Mouse Brain Using a Novel Bioluminescent/Near Infrared Fluorescent Fusion Reporter

NARCIS (Netherlands)

L. Mezzanotte (Laura); Iljas, J.D. (Juvita Delancy); I. Que (Ivo); A. Chan (Albert); E.L. Kaijzel (Eric); R.C. Hoeben (Rob); C.W.G.M. Löwik (Clemens)

2017-01-01

textabstractBiodistribution and fate of transplanted stem cells via longitudinal monitoring has been successfully achieved in the last decade using optical imaging. However, sensitive longitudinal imaging of transplanted stem cells in deep tissue like the brain remains challenging not only due to

Abnormal metabolic brain network associated with Parkinson's disease: replication on a new European sample

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tomse, Petra; Jensterle, Luka; Grmek, Marko; Zaletel, Katja [University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Ljubljana (Slovenia); Pirtosek, Zvezdan; Trost, Maja [University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Department of Neurology, 1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Dhawan, Vijay; Peng, Shichun; Eidelberg, David; Ma, Yilong [The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Center for Neurosciences, Manhasset, NY (United States)

2017-05-15

The purpose of this study was to identify the specific metabolic brain pattern characteristic for Parkinson's disease (PD): Parkinson's disease-related pattern (PDRP), using network analysis of [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) brain images in a cohort of Slovenian PD patients. Twenty PD patients (age 70.1 ± 7.8 years, Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Motor Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS-III) 38.3 ± 12.2; disease duration 4.3 ± 4.1 years) and 20 age-matched normal controls (NCs) underwent FDG-PET brain imaging. An automatic voxel-based scaled subprofile model/principal component analysis (SSM/PCA) was applied to these scans for PDRP-Slovenia identification. The pattern was characterized by relative hypermetabolism in pallidum, putamen, thalamus, brain stem, and cerebellum associated with hypometabolism in sensorimotor cortex, posterior parietal, occipital, and frontal cortices. The expression of PDRP-Slovenia discriminated PD patients from NCs (p < 0.0001) and correlated positively with patients' clinical score (MDS-UPDRS-III, p = 0.03). Additionally, its topography agrees well with the original PDRP (p < 0.001) identified in American cohort of PD patients. We validated the PDRP-Slovenia expression on additional FDG-PET scans of 20 PD patients, 20 NCs, and 25 patients with atypical parkinsonism (AP). We confirmed that the expression of PDRP-Slovenia manifests good diagnostic accuracy with specificity and sensitivity of 85-90% at optimal pattern expression cutoff for discrimination of PD patients and NCs and is not expressed in AP. PDRP-Slovenia proves to be a robust and reproducible functional imaging biomarker independent of patient population. It accurately differentiates PD patients from NCs and AP and correlates well with the clinical measure of PD progression. (orig.)

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy limited to the brain stem

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kastrup, O.; Maschke, M.; Diener, H.C. [Neurologische Universitaetsklinik, University of Essen (Germany); Wanke, I. [Department of Neuroradiology, University of Essen (Germany)

2002-03-01

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a subacute demyelinating slow-virus encephalitis caused by the JC polyomavirus in 2-5% of patients with AIDS. MRI typically shows multiple lesions in the cerebral hemispheres. We present a rare case of rapidly evolving and lethal PML with a severe bulbar syndrome and spastic tetraparesis in a patient with AIDS. MRI showed high-signal lesions on T2-weighted images confined to the brain stem, extending from the medulla oblongata to the midbrain. JC virus polymerase chain reaction in cerebrospinal fluid was positive, and neuropathology showed the findings of PML. This case was also notable because of the rapid progression despite improved immune status with antiretroviral therapy. (orig.)

Brain Injury Expands the Numbers of Neural Stem Cells and Progenitors in the SVZ by Enhancing Their Responsiveness to EGF

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dhivyaa Alagappan

2009-04-01

Full Text Available There is an increase in the numbers of neural precursors in the SVZ (subventricular zone after moderate ischaemic injuries, but the extent of stem cell expansion and the resultant cell regeneration is modest. Therefore our studies have focused on understanding the signals that regulate these processes towards achieving a more robust amplification of the stem/progenitor cell pool. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the role of the EGFR [EGF (epidermal growth factor receptor] in the regenerative response of the neonatal SVZ to hypoxic/ischaemic injury. We show that injury recruits quiescent cells in the SVZ to proliferate, that they divide more rapidly and that there is increased EGFR expression on both putative stem cells and progenitors. With the amplification of the precursors in the SVZ after injury there is enhanced sensitivity to EGF, but not to FGF (fibroblast growth factor-2. EGF-dependent SVZ precursor expansion, as measured using the neurosphere assay, is lost when the EGFR is pharmacologically inhibited, and forced expression of a constitutively active EGFR is sufficient to recapitulate the exaggerated proliferation of the neural stem/progenitors that is induced by hypoxic/ischaemic brain injury. Cumulatively, our results reveal that increased EGFR signalling precedes that increase in the abundance of the putative neural stem cells and our studies implicate the EGFR as a key regulator of the expansion of SVZ precursors in response to brain injury. Thus modulating EGFR signalling represents a potential target for therapies to enhance brain repair from endogenous neural precursors following hypoxic/ischaemic and other brain injuries.

Long-term meditation is associated with increased gray matter density in the brain stem

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vestergaard-Poulsen, Peter; Beek, Martijn van; Skewes, Joshua

2009-01-01

density in lower brain stem regions of experienced meditators compared with age-matched nonmeditators. Our findings show that long-term practitioners of meditation have structural differences in brainstem regions concerned with cardiorespiratory control. This could account for some......Extensive practice involving sustained attention can lead to changes in brain structure. Here, we report evidence of structural differences in the lower brainstem of participants engaged in the long-term practice of meditation. Using magnetic resonance imaging, we observed higher gray matter...

Initial Attempts of Development and Characterization of an In Vitro Blood Brain Barrier Model Derived from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Goldeman, Charlotte; Saaby, Lasse; Hall, Vanessa Jane

The human blood brain barrier has yet to be successfully replicated as an in vitro model. One of the more promising approaches has been to develop an in vitro model derived from human pluripotent stem cells. However, as promising as this model may be, a successful replication of the differentiation...... method on different kinds of pluripotent stem cell lines have yet to be accomplished. We try to approach the promising method as described by Stebbins et al. (2015) to differentiate human pluripotent stem cells into brain like endothelial cells (BECs). Five different human pluripotent stem cell lines...... configurations (mono culture, non-contact co-culture and contact co-culture) with primary rat astrocytes to induce barrier-like properties. Endothelial cell media supplemented with retinoic acid were then applied to the cells to ensure selective expansion of BECs. The different culture configurations were...

Mesenchymal Stem Cell Based Therapy for Prostate Cancer

Science.gov (United States)

2015-11-01

Montero-Menei, C.; Menei, P. Mesenchymal Stem Cells as Cellular Vehicles for Delivery of Nanoparticles to Brain Tumors. Biomaterials 2010, 31, 8393... Stem Cells : Considerations for Regenerative Medicine Approaches. Tissue Eng. Part B. Rev. 2010, 16, 159–168. 55. Ellem, S. J.; Taylor, R. a.; Furic, L...Award Number: W81XWH-13-1-0304 TITLE: Mesenchymal Stem Cell -Based Therapy for Prostate Cancer PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: John Isaacs CONTRACTING

Adult neural stem cells: The promise of the future

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Philippe Taupin

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Philippe TaupinNational Neuroscience Institute, National University of SingaporeAbstract: Stem cells are self-renewing undifferentiated cells that give rise to multiple types of specialized cells of the body. In the adult, stem cells are multipotents and contribute to homeostasis of the tissues and regeneration after injury. Until recently, it was believed that the adult brain was devoid of stem cells, hence unable to make new neurons and regenerate. With the recent evidences that neurogenesis occurs in the adult brain and neural stem cells (NSCs reside in the adult central nervous system (CNS, the adult brain has the potential to regenerate and may be amenable to repair. The function(s of NSCs in the adult CNS remains the source of intense research and debates. The promise of the future of adult NSCs is to redefine the functioning and physiopathology of the CNS, as well as to treat a broad range of CNS diseases and injuries.Keywords: neurogenesis, transdifferentiation, plasticity, cellular therapy

Exogenous stem cells pioneer a biobridge to the advantage of host brain cells following stroke: New insights for clinical applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marci G Crowley

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Stroke continues to maintain its status as one of the top causes of mortality within the United States. Currently, the only Food and Drug Administration (FDA-approved drug in place for stroke patients, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA, has a rigid therapeutic window, closing at approximately 4.5 h after stroke onset. Due to this short time frame and other restrictions, such as any condition that increases a patient's risk for hemorrhaging, it has been predicted that <5% of ischemic stroke patients benefit from tPA. Given that rehabilitation therapy remains the only other option for stroke victims, there is a clear unmet clinical need for treatment available for the remaining 95%. While still considered an experimental treatment, the utilization of stem cell therapies for stroke holds consistent promise. Copious preclinical studies report the capacity for transplanted stem cells to rescue the brain parenchyma surrounding the stroke-induced infarct core. At present, the exact mechanisms in which stem cells contribute a robust therapeutic benefit remains unclear. Following stem cell administration, researchers have observed cell replacement, an increase in growth factors, and a reduction in inflammation. With a deeper understanding of the precise mechanism of stem cells, these therapies can be optimized in the clinic to afford the greatest therapeutic benefit. Recent studies have depicted a unique method of endogenous stem cell activation as a result of stem cell therapy. In both traumatic brain injury and stroke models, transplanted mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs facilitated a pathway between the neurogenic niches of the brain and the damaged area through extracellular matrix remodeling. The biobridge pioneered by the MSCs was utilized by the endogenous stem cells, and these cells were able to travel to the damaged areas distal to the neurogenic niches, a feat unachievable without prior remodeling. These studies broaden our understanding of stem

Characterization of the binding of [3H]-(+/-)-L-364,718: a new potent, nonpeptide cholecystokinin antagonist radioligand selective for peripheral receptors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, R.S.; Lotti, V.J.; Chen, T.B.; Kunkel, K.A.

1986-01-01

[3H]-(+/-)-L-364,718 a new, potent and selective nonpeptide peripheral cholecystokinin (CCK) antagonist bound saturably and reversibly to rat pancreatic membranes. The radioligand recognized a single class of binding sites with a high affinity (Kd = 0.23 nM). The binding of [ 3 H]-(+/-)-L-364,718 was stereospecific in that the more biologically active (-)-enantiomer demonstrated greater potency than the (+)-enantiomer. The rank order of potency of various CCK agonists and antagonists in displacing [ 3 H]-(+/-)-L-364,718 correlated with their ability to displace [ 125 I]CCK-8 and their known pharmacological activities in peripheral tissues. However, the absolute potencies of agonists were greater in displacing [ 125 I]CCK-8 than [ 3 H]-(+/-)-L-364,718. As described for other physiologically relevant receptor systems, the potency for displacement of [ 3 H]-(+/-)-L-364,718 binding by CCK agonists, but not antagonists, was reduced by guanosine 5'-(beta, gamma-imido)triphosphate and NaCl and enhanced by MgCl 2 . [ 3 H]-(+/-)-L-364,718 also demonstrated specific binding to bovine gall bladder tissue but not guinea pig brain or gastric glands, consistent with its selectivity as a peripheral CCK antagonist. [ 3 H]-(+/-)-L-364,718 binding to pancreatic membranes was not affected by various pharmacological agents known to interact with other common peptide and nonpeptide receptor systems. These data indicate that [ 3 H]-(+/-)-L-364,718 represents a new potent nonpeptide antagonist radioligand for the study of peripheral CCK receptors which may allow differentiation of agonist and antagonist interactions

Syringe needle skull penetration reduces brain injuries and secondary inflammation following intracerebral neural stem cell transplantation.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Mou; Dong, Qin; Zhang, Hongtian; Yang, Yang; Zhu, Jianwei; Yang, Zhijun; Xu, Minhui; Xu, Ruxiang

2017-03-01

Intracerebral neural stem cell (NSC) transplantation is beneficial for delivering stem cell grafts effectively, however, this approach may subsequently result in brain injury and secondary inflammation. To reduce the risk of promoting brain injury and secondary inflammation, two methods were compared in the present study. Murine skulls were penetrated using a drill on the left side and a syringe needle on the right. Mice were randomly divided into three groups (n=84/group): Group A, receiving NSCs in the left hemisphere and PBS in the right; group B, receiving NSCs in the right hemisphere and PBS in the left; and group C, receiving equal NSCs in both hemispheres. Murine brains were stained for morphological analysis and subsequent evaluation of infiltrated immune cells. ELISA was performed to detect neurotrophic and immunomodulatory factors in the brain. The findings indicated that brain injury and secondary inflammation in the left hemisphere were more severe than those in the right hemisphere, following NSC transplantation. In contrast to the left hemisphere, more neurotrophic factors but less pro-inflammatory cytokines were detected in the right hemisphere. In addition, increased levels of neurotrophic factors and interleukin (IL)-10 were observed in the NSC transplantation side when compared with the PBS-treated hemispheres, although lower levels of IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α were detected. In conclusion, the present study indicated that syringe needle skull penetration vs. drill penetration is an improved method that reduces the risk of brain injury and secondary inflammation following intracerebral NSC transplantation. Furthermore, NSCs have the potential to modulate inflammation secondary to brain injuries.

Neuropeptide Y (NPY), cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) and cholecystokinin (CCK) in winter skate (Raja ocellata): cDNA cloning, tissue distribution and mRNA expression responses to fasting.

Science.gov (United States)

MacDonald, Erin; Volkoff, Hélène

2009-04-01

cDNAs encoding for neuropeptide Y (NPY), cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) and cholecystokinin (CCK) were cloned in an elasmobranch fish, the winter skate. mRNA tissue distribution was examined for the three peptides as well as the effects of two weeks of fasting on their expression. Skate NPY, CART and CCK sequences display similarities with sequences for teleost fish but in general the degree of identity is relatively low (50%). All three peptides are present in brain and in several peripheral tissues, including gut and gonads. Within the brain, the three peptides are expressed in the hypothalamus, telencephalon, optic tectum and cerebellum. Two weeks of fasting induced an increase in telencephalon NPY and an increase in CCK in the gut but had no effects on hypothalamic NPY, CART and CCK, or on telencephalon CART. Our results provide basis for further investigation into the regulation of feeding in winter skate.

Stem cell therapy to protect and repair the developing brain: a review of mechanisms of action of cord blood and amnion epithelial derived cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Margie eCastillo-Melendez

2013-10-01

Full Text Available In the research, clinical and wider community there is great interest in the use of stem cells to reduce the progression, or indeed repair brain injury. Perinatal brain injury may result from acute or chronic insults sustained during fetal development, during the process of birth, or in the newborn period. The most readily identifiable outcome of perinatal brain injury is cerebral palsy, however this is just one consequence in a spectrum of mild to severe neurological deficits. As we review, there are now clinical trials taking place worldwide targeting cerebral palsy with stem cell therapies. It will likely be many years before strong evidence-based results emerge from these trials. With such trials underway, it is both appropriate and timely to address the physiological basis for the efficacy of stem-like cells in preventing damage to, or regenerating, the newborn brain. Appropriate experimental animal models are best placed to deliver this information. Cell availability, the potential for immunological rejection, ethical and logistical considerations, together with the propensity for native cells to form terratomas, make it unlikely that embryonic or fetal stem cells will be practical. Fortunately, these issues do not pertain to the use of human amnion epithelial cells (hAECs, or umbilical cord blood (UCB stem cells that are readily and economically obtained from the placenta and umbilical cord discarded at birth. These cells have the potential for transplantation to the newborn where brain injury is diagnosed or even suspected. We will explore the novel characteristics of hAECs and undifferentiated UCB cells, as well as UCB-derived endothelial progenitor cells and mesenchymal stem cells, and how immunomodulation and anti-inflammatory properties are principal mechanisms of action that are common to these cells, and which in turn may ameliorate the cerebral hypoxia and inflammation that are final pathways in the pathogenesis of perinatal brain

Early changes of auditory brain stem evoked response after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma - a prospective study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lau, S K; Wei, W I; Sham, J S.T.; Choy, D T.K.; Hui, Y [Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong (Hong Kong)

1992-10-01

A prospective study of the effect of radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma on hearing was carried out on 49 patients who had pure tone, impedance audiometry and auditory brain stem evoked response (ABR) recordings before, immediately, three, six and 12 months after radiotherapy. Fourteen patients complained of intermittent tinnitus after radiotherapy. We found that 11 initially normal ears of nine patients developed a middle ear effusion, three to six months after radiotherapy. There was mixed sensorineural and conductive hearing impairment after radiotherapy. Persistent impairment of ABR was detected immediately after completion of radiotherapy. The waves I-III and I-V interpeak latency intervals were significantly prolonged one year after radiotherapy. The study shows that radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma impairs hearing by acting on the middle ear, the cochlea and the brain stem auditory pathway. (Author).

Early changes of auditory brain stem evoked response after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma - a prospective study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lau, S.K.; Wei, W.I.; Sham, J.S.T.; Choy, D.T.K.; Hui, Y.

1992-01-01

A prospective study of the effect of radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma on hearing was carried out on 49 patients who had pure tone, impedance audiometry and auditory brain stem evoked response (ABR) recordings before, immediately, three, six and 12 months after radiotherapy. Fourteen patients complained of intermittent tinnitus after radiotherapy. We found that 11 initially normal ears of nine patients developed a middle ear effusion, three to six months after radiotherapy. There was mixed sensorineural and conductive hearing impairment after radiotherapy. Persistent impairment of ABR was detected immediately after completion of radiotherapy. The waves I-III and I-V interpeak latency intervals were significantly prolonged one year after radiotherapy. The study shows that radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma impairs hearing by acting on the middle ear, the cochlea and the brain stem auditory pathway. (Author)

Cholecystokinin receptors on gallbladder muscle and pancreatic acinar cells: a comparative study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

von Schrenck, T.; Moran, T.H.; Heinz-Erian, P.; Gardner, J.D.; Jensen, R.T.

1988-01-01

To compare receptors for cholecystokinin (CCK) in pancreas and gallbladder, we measured binding of 125I-Bolton-Hunter-labeled CCK-8 (125I-BH-CCK-8) to tissue sections from guinea pig gallbladder and pancreas under identical conditions. In both tissues, binding had similar time-, temperature-, and pH dependence, was reversible, saturable and inhibited only by CCK related peptides or CCK receptor antagonists. Autoradiography localized 125I-BH-CCK-8 binding to the smooth muscle layer in the gallbladder. Binding of 125I-BH-CCK-8 to gallbladder sections was inhibited by various agonists with the following potencies (IC50):CCK-8 (0.4 nM) greater than des(SO3)CCK-8 (0.07 microM) greater than gastrin-17-I (1.7 +/- 0.3 microM) and by various receptor antagonists with the following potencies: L364,718 (1.5 nM) greater than CR 1409 (0.19 microM) greater than asperlicin = CBZ-CCK-(27-32)-NH2 (1 microM) greater than Bt2cGMP (120 microM). Similar potencies were found for the agonists and antagonists for pancreas sections. Inhibition of binding of 125I-BH-CCK-8 by 11 different analogues of proglumide gave similar potencies for both pancreas and gallbladder. The potencies of agonists in stimulating and antagonists in inhibiting CCK-stimulated contraction or amylase release correlated closely with their abilities to inhibit 125I-BH-CCK-8 binding to gallbladder or pancreas sections or acini, respectively. The present results demonstrate and characterize a method that can be used to compare the CCK receptors in guinea pig gallbladder and pancreas under identical conditions. Moreover, this study demonstrates that gallbladder and pancreatic CCK receptors have similar affinities for the various agonists and antagonists tested and, therefore, provides no evidence that they represent different subtypes of CCK receptors that can be distinguished pharmacologically

Dynamic change of serum protein S100b and its clinical significance in patients with traumatic brain injury

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

CHEN Da-qing; ZHU Lie-lie

2005-01-01

Objective: To analyze the dynamic change of serum protein S100b in patients with traumatic brain injury and its clinical value in assessing brain damage. Methods: According to Glasgow coma scale (GCS), 102 cases of traumatic brain injury were divided into mild brain injury group (GCS≥13, n=31, Group A), moderate brain injury group (8brain injury group (GCS≤8, n=34, Group C). Serial S100b concentrations were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in blood samples taken on admission, 12 h, 24 h, 48 h, 72 h and 7 days after traumatic brain injury. Results: The severe brain injury group showed significantly higher concentration of serum S100b, with earlier increase and longer duration, than the mild and moderate brain injury groups. The patients with higher S100b exhibited lower GCS scores and poor clinical prognosis. The increase in S100b could emerge before clinical image evidence indicated so. Conclusions: Serum S100b can be used as a sensitive index for assessment and prediction of traumatic brain injury severity and prognosis.

Cholecystokinin in plasma predicts cardiovascular mortality in elderly females

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gøtze, Jens P.; Rehfeld, Jens F; Alehagen, Urban

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Cholecystokinin (CCK) and gastrin are related gastrointestinal hormones with documented cardiovascular effects of exogenous administration. It is unknown whether measurement of endogenous CCK or gastrin in plasma contains information regarding cardiovascular mortality. METHODS......: Mortality risk was evaluated using Cox proportional hazard regression and Kaplan-Meier analyses. Elderly patients in a primary care setting with symptoms of cardiac disease, i.e. shortness of breath, peripheral edema, and/or fatigue, were evaluated (n=470). Primary care patients were followed for 13years...... information was obtained from 4th quartile gastrin concentrations on 5-year cardiovascular mortality risk. CONCLUSIONS: CCK in plasma is an independent marker of cardiovascular mortality in elderly female patients. The study thus introduces measurement of plasma CCK in gender-specific cardiovascular risk...

Dopaminergic differentiation of human neural stem cells mediated by co-cultured rat striatal brain slices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Anwar, Mohammad Raffaqat; Andreasen, Christian Maaløv; Lippert, Solvej Kølvraa

2008-01-01

differentiation, we co-cultured cells from a human neural forebrain-derived stem cell line (hNS1) with rat striatal brain slices. In brief, coronal slices of neonatal rat striatum were cultured on semiporous membrane inserts placed in six-well trays overlying monolayers of hNS1 cells. After 12 days of co......Properly committed neural stem cells constitute a promising source of cells for transplantation in Parkinson's disease, but a protocol for controlled dopaminergic differentiation is not yet available. To establish a setting for identification of secreted neural compounds promoting dopaminergic...

Guidelines for the pathoanatomical examination of the lower brain stem in ingestive and swallowing disorders and its application to a dysphagic spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 patient

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rub, U; Brunt, ER; Del Turco, D; de Vos, RAI; Gierga, K; Paulson, H; Braak, H

Despite the fact that considerable progress has been made in the last 20 years regarding the three-phase process of ingestion and the lower brain stem nuclei involved in it, no comprehensive descriptions of the ingestion-related lower brain stem nuclei are available for neuropathologists confronted

In vitro delineation of human brain-stem anatomy using a small resonator: correlation with macroscopic and histological findings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maeurer, J.; Mitrovic, T.; Knollmann, F.D.; Luedtke, E.; Requardt

1996-01-01

Our purpose was to investigate the potential of an experimental animal coil using a commercial MRI unit to delineate the anatomical structure of the human brain stem. Three formaldehyde-fixed brain-stem specimens were examined by MRI and sectioned perpendicular to their longitudinal axis. The images were compared with gross anatomy and myelin-stained histological sections. Fibre tracts and nuclei which were not evident on examination of the unstained specimen were readily identified by MRI. Due to its inherent grey/white matter contrast, MRI with a high-resolution coil delineates anatomical structures in a way comparable to the myelin-stained histological sections. However, pigmented structures, readily visible on examination of the unstained specimen were discernible on neither MRI nor on myelin-stained sections. The excellent anatomical detail and grey/white matter contrast provided by these images could make MRI a useful adjunct to the pathologist investigating brain disease. (orig.)

Effectiveness of mesenchymal stems cells cultured by hanging drop vs. conventional culturing on the repair of hypoxic-ischemic-damaged mouse brains, measured by stemness gene expression

OpenAIRE

Lou Yongli; Guo Dewei; Zhang Hui; Song Laijun

2016-01-01

In this study, we investigated the therapeutic effects of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells (hMSCs) cultured by hanging drop and conventional culturing methods on cerebellar repair in hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain injured mice. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to analyze the expression levels of three stemness genes, Oct4, Sox2 and Nanog, and the migration related gene CXCR4. MSC prepared by hanging drop or conventional techniques were adminis...

Distribution of calcium channel Ca(V)1.3 immunoreactivity in the rat spinal cord and brain stem.

Science.gov (United States)

Sukiasyan, N; Hultborn, H; Zhang, M

2009-03-03

The function of local networks in the CNS depends upon both the connectivity between neurons and their intrinsic properties. An intrinsic property of spinal motoneurons is the presence of persistent inward currents (PICs), which are mediated by non-inactivating calcium (mainly Ca(V)1.3) and/or sodium channels and serve to amplify neuronal input signals. It is of fundamental importance for the prediction of network function to determine the distribution of neurons possessing the ion channels that produce PICs. Although the distribution pattern of Ca(V)1.3 immunoreactivity (Ca(V)1.3-IR) has been studied in some specific central nervous regions in some species, so far no systematic investigations have been performed in both the rat spinal cord and brain stem. In the present study this issue was investigated by immunohistochemistry. The results indicated that the Ca(V)1.3-IR neurons were widely distributed across different parts of the spinal cord and the brain stem although with variable labeling intensities. In the spinal gray matter large neurons in the ventral horn (presumably motoneurons) tended to display higher levels of immunoreactivity than smaller neurons in the dorsal horn. In the white matter, a subset of glial cells labeled by an oligodendrocyte marker was also Ca(V)1.3-positive. In the brain stem, neurons in the motor nuclei appeared to have higher levels of immunoreactivity than those in the sensory nuclei. Moreover, a number of nuclei containing monoaminergic cells, for example the locus coeruleus, were also strongly immunoreactive. Ca(V)1.3-IR was consistently detected in the neuronal perikarya regardless of the neuronal type. However, in the large neurons in the spinal ventral horn and the cranial motor nuclei the Ca(V)1.3-IR was clearly detectable in first and second order dendrites. These results indicate that in the rat spinal cord and brain stem Ca(V)1.3 is probably a common calcium channel used by many kinds of neurons to facilitate the neuronal

Bilateral cerebellar and brain stem infarction resulting from vertebral artery injury following cervical trauma without radiographic damage of the spinal column: A case report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mimata, Yoshikuni; Sato, Kotaro; Suzuki, Yoshiaki [Iwate Prefectural Chubu Hospital, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kitakami (Japan); Murakami, Hideki [Iwate Medical University, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, School of Medicine, Morioka (Japan)

2014-01-15

Vertebral artery injury can be a complication of cervical spine injury. Although most cases are asymptomatic, the rare case progresses to severe neurological impairment and fatal outcomes. We experienced a case of bilateral cerebellar and brain stem infarction with fatal outcome resulting from vertebral artery injury associated with cervical spine trauma. A 69-year-old male was admitted to our hospital because of tetraplegia after falling down the stairs and hitting his head on the floor. Marked bony damage of the cervical spine was not apparent on radiographs and CT scans, so the injury was initially considered to be a cervical cord injury without bony damage. However, an intensity change in the intervertebral disc at C5/C6, and a ventral epidural hematoma were observed on MRI. A CT angiogram of the neck showed the right vertebral artery was completely occluded at the C4 level of the spine. Forty-eight hours after injury, the patient lapsed into drowsy consciousness. The cranial CT scan showed a massive low-density area in the bilateral cerebellar hemispheres and brain stem. Anticoagulation was initiated after a diagnosis of the right vertebral artery injury, but the patient developed bilateral cerebellar and brain stem infarction. The patient's brain herniation progressed and the patient died 52 h after injury. We considered that not only anticoagulation but also treatment for thrombosis would have been needed to prevent cranial embolism. We fully realize that early and appropriate treatment are essential to improve the treatment results, and constructing a medical system with a team of orthopedists, radiologists, and neurosurgeons is also very important. (orig.)

Effect of anorexinergic peptides, cholecystokinin (CCK) and cocaine and amphetamine regulated transcript (CART) peptide, on the activity of neurons in hypothalamic structures of C57Bl/6 mice involved in the food intake regulation

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Pirnik, Z.; Maixnerová, Jana; Matyšková, Resha; Koutová, Darja; Železná, Blanka; Maletínská, Lenka; Kiss, A.

2010-01-01

Roč. 31, č. 1 (2010), s. 139-144 ISSN 0196-9781 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA303/05/0614 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40550506 Keywords : cholecystokinin * CART * hypocretin * Fos peptide Subject RIV: CE - Biochemistry Impact factor: 2.654, year: 2010

Substrate-HTcS thin film interaction studies by (S)TEM

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ramaekers, P.P.J.; Klepper, D.; Kitazawa, K.; Ishiguro, T.

1989-01-01

This paper concerns with compatibility aspects beween HTcS thin film either their substrates. The influence of substrate-thin film interaction and thin film microstructure on the superconducting properties is discussed. In this respect, data based on (S)TEM observations are presented. It is

Neural stem cells improve neuronal survival in cultured postmortem brain tissue from aged and Alzheimer patients

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wu, L.; Sluiter, A.A.; Guo, Ho Fu; Balesar, R. A.; Swaab, D. F.; Zhou, Jiang Ning; Verwer, R. W H

Neurodegenerative diseases are progressive and incurable and are becoming ever more prevalent. To study whether neural stem cell can reactivate or rescue functions of impaired neurons in the human aging and neurodegenerating brain, we co-cultured postmortem slices from Alzheimer patients and control

Labeling and in vivo visualization of transplanted adipose tissue-derived stem cells with safe cadmium-free aqueous ZnS coating of ZnS-AgInS2 nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Ogihara, Yusuke; Yukawa, Hiroshi; Kameyama, Tatsuya; Nishi, Hiroyasu; Onoshima, Daisuke; Ishikawa, Tetsuya; Torimoto, Tsukasa; Baba, Yoshinobu

2017-01-01

The facile synthesis of ZnS-AgInS2 (ZAIS) as cadmium-free QDs and their application, mainly in solar cells, has been reported by our groups. In the present study, we investigated the safety and the usefulness for labeling and in vivo imaging of a newly synthesized aqueous ZnS-coated ZAIS (ZnS-ZAIS) carboxylated nanoparticles (ZZC) to stem cells. ZZC shows the strong fluorescence in aqueous solutions such as PBS and cell culture medium, and a complex of ZZC and octa-arginine (R8) peptides (R8-ZZC) can achieve the highly efficient labeling of adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ASCs). The cytotoxicity of R8-ZZC to ASCs was found to be extremely low in comparison to that of CdSe-based QDs, and R8-ZZC was confirmed to have no influence on the proliferation rate or the differentiation ability of ASCs. Moreover, R8-ZZC was not found to induce the production of major inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-12p70, IL-6 and MCP-1) in ASCs. Transplanted R8-ZZC-labeled ASCs could be quantitatively detected in the lungs and liver mainly using an in vivo imaging system. In addition, high-speed multiphoton confocal laser microscopy revealed the presence of aggregates of transplanted ASCs at many sites in the lungs, whereas individual ASCs were found to have accumulated in the liver.

Reelin signaling in the migration of ventral brain stem and spinal cord neurons

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Sandra eBlaess

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The extracellular matrix protein Reelin is an important orchestrator of neuronal migration during the development of the central nervous system. While its role and mechanism of action have been extensively studied and reviewed in the formation of dorsal laminar brain structures like the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum, its functions during the neuronal migration events that result in the nuclear organization of the ventral central nervous system are less well understood. In an attempt to delineate an underlying pattern of Reelin action in the formation of neuronal cell clusters, this review highlights the role of Reelin signaling in the migration of neuronal populations that originate in the ventral brain stem and the spinal cord.

Effectiveness of mesenchymal stems cells cultured by hanging drop vs. conventional culturing on the repair of hypoxic-ischemic-damaged mouse brains, measured by stemness gene expression

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Lou Yongli

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In this study, we investigated the therapeutic effects of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells (hMSCs cultured by hanging drop and conventional culturing methods on cerebellar repair in hypoxic-ischemic (HI brain injured mice. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR was used to analyze the expression levels of three stemness genes, Oct4, Sox2 and Nanog, and the migration related gene CXCR4. MSC prepared by hanging drop or conventional techniques were administered intranasally to nine day old mice, and analyzed by MRI at day 28. Results indicate that the MSCs, especially the hanging drop cultured MSCs, significantly improved the mice’s cerebellar damage repair. MSCs derived from the hanging drop culture were smaller than those from the conventional culture. The gene expression levels were significantly increased for the MSCs derived from the hanging drop culture. The mechanism might relate to the fact that the hanging drop cultured MSCs can be kept in an undifferentiated state, resulting in its higher expression level of migration receptor of CXCR4.

Sex differences in morphology of the brain stem and cerebellum with normal ageing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oguro, H.; Okada, K.; Yamaguchi, S.; Kobayashi, S.

1998-01-01

The cerebral hemispheres become atrophic with age. The sex of the individual may affect this process. There are few studies of the effects of age and sex on the brain stem and cerebellum. We used MRI morphometry to study changes in these structures in 152 normal subjects over 40 years of age. In the linear measurements, men showed significant age-associated atrophy in the tegmentum and pretectum of the midbrain and the base of the pons. In women, only the pretectum of the midbrain showed significant ageing effects after the age of 50 years, and thereafter remained rather constant. Only men had significant age-associated reduction in area of the crebellar vermis area after the age of 70 years. Both men and women showed supratentorial brain atrophy that progressed by decades. There were significant correlations between supratentorial brain atrophy and the diameter of the ventral midbrain, pretectum, and base of the pons in men, and between brain atrophy and the diameter of the fourth ventricle in women. (orig.)

Sex differences in morphology of the brain stem and cerebellum with normal ageing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oguro, H.; Okada, K.; Yamaguchi, S.; Kobayashi, S. [Internal Medicine III, Shimane Medical University, Izumo (Japan)

1998-12-01

The cerebral hemispheres become atrophic with age. The sex of the individual may affect this process. There are few studies of the effects of age and sex on the brain stem and cerebellum. We used MRI morphometry to study changes in these structures in 152 normal subjects over 40 years of age. In the linear measurements, men showed significant age-associated atrophy in the tegmentum and pretectum of the midbrain and the base of the pons. In women, only the pretectum of the midbrain showed significant ageing effects after the age of 50 years, and thereafter remained rather constant. Only men had significant age-associated reduction in area of the crebellar vermis area after the age of 70 years. Both men and women showed supratentorial brain atrophy that progressed by decades. There were significant correlations between supratentorial brain atrophy and the diameter of the ventral midbrain, pretectum, and base of the pons in men, and between brain atrophy and the diameter of the fourth ventricle in women. (orig.) With 4 figs., 3 tabs., 16 refs.

Student’s STEM Literacy in Biotechnology Learning at Junior High School

Science.gov (United States)

Nurlaely, N.; Permanasari, A.; Riandi, R.

2017-09-01

A considerable study to student’s STEM literacy achievement profile, especially in biotechnology learning, has been conducted to make the innovation of the STEM-based learning. The study aims to find out the STEM literacy. The sample is taken through purposive sampling technique to 45 students of 9th grade of a junior high school in Tasikmalaya district. The instruments are multiple choice questions. Data are analysed by calculating mean score of students’ STEM literacy achievement. The results show that student’s STEM literacy achievement was low. Science literacy aspect was the lowest, while mathematical literacy gained better than another aspect. The low achievement of students’ STEM literacy was because of learning activities that have not been able to integrate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in science learning. The literacy profile indicates the importance of applying STEM approach to science learning, and it is recommended to improve students’ STEM literacy achievement.

Tomographic criteria of gliomas in the brain stem in infants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Machado Junior, M.A.; Bracchi, M.; D'Incerti, L.; Passerini, A.

1994-01-01

The relationship between Computed Tomography Imaging, histopathological and prognostic data is evaluated by reviewing 37 cases of brain stem neoplasm in infants. The results indicate a presence of a cystic lesion with solid mural nodule as the single prognostic criteria of a greater survival rate. Such finding frequently corresponds to Pilocytic Astrocytomas. No correlations between contrast enhancement and prognostic was found. The association between the prognostic value to the densitometric characteristics of the lesions was not possible. It was concluded that the evaluations of the extension of such lesion is fundamental. Therefore, Magnetic Resonance Imaging has more value than computed tomography. (M.A.C.)

Murine cytomegalovirus infection of neural stem cells alters neurogenesis in the developing brain.

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Manohar B Mutnal

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV brain infection causes serious neuro-developmental sequelae including: mental retardation, cerebral palsy, and sensorineural hearing loss. But, the mechanisms of injury and pathogenesis to the fetal brain are not completely understood. The present study addresses potential pathogenic mechanisms by which this virus injures the CNS using a neonatal mouse model that mirrors congenital brain infection. This investigation focused on, analysis of cell types infected with mouse cytomegalovirus (MCMV and the pattern of injury to the developing brain.We used our MCMV infection model and a multi-color flow cytometry approach to quantify the effect of viral infection on the developing brain, identifying specific target cells and the consequent effect on neurogenesis. In this study, we show that neural stem cells (NSCs and neuronal precursor cells are the principal target cells for MCMV in the developing brain. In addition, viral infection was demonstrated to cause a loss of NSCs expressing CD133 and nestin. We also showed that infection of neonates leads to subsequent abnormal brain development as indicated by loss of CD24(hi cells that incorporated BrdU. This neonatal brain infection was also associated with altered expression of Oct4, a multipotency marker; as well as down regulation of the neurotrophins BDNF and NT3, which are essential to regulate the birth and differentiation of neurons during normal brain development. Finally, we report decreased expression of doublecortin, a marker to identify young neurons, following viral brain infection.MCMV brain infection of newborn mice causes significant loss of NSCs, decreased proliferation of neuronal precursor cells, and marked loss of young neurons.

Brain Stem Infarction Due to Basilar Artery Dissection in a Patient with Moyamoya Disease Four Years after Successful Bilateral Revascularization Surgeries.

Science.gov (United States)

Abe, Takatsugu; Fujimura, Miki; Mugikura, Shunji; Endo, Hidenori; Tominaga, Teiji

2016-06-01

Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a rare cerebrovascular disease with an unknown etiology and is characterized by intrinsic fragility in the intracranial vascular walls such as the affected internal elastic lamina and thinning medial layer. The association of MMD with intracranial arterial dissection is extremely rare, whereas that with basilar artery dissection (BAD) has not been reported previously. A 46-year-old woman developed brain stem infarction due to BAD 4 years after successful bilateral superficial temporal artery-middle cerebral artery anastomosis with indirect pial synangiosis for ischemic-onset MMD. She presented with sudden occipitalgia and subsequently developed transient dysarthria and mild hemiparesis. Although a transient ischemic attack was initially suspected, her condition deteriorated in a manner that was consistent with left hemiplegia with severe dysarthria. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging revealed brain stem infarction, and MR angiography delineated a double-lumen sign in the basilar artery, indicating BAD. She was treated conservatively and brain stem infarction did not expand. One year after the onset of brain stem infarction, her activity of daily living is still dependent (modified Rankin Scale of 4), and there were no morphological changes associated with BAD or recurrent cerebrovascular events during the follow-up period. The association of MMD with BAD is extremely rare. While considering the common underlying pathology such as an affected internal elastic lamina and fragile medial layer, the occurrence of BAD in a patient with MMD in a stable hemodynamic state is apparently unique. Copyright © 2016 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Trans-differentiation of neural stem cells: a therapeutic mechanism against the radiation induced brain damage.

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Kyeung Min Joo

Full Text Available Radiation therapy is an indispensable therapeutic modality for various brain diseases. Though endogenous neural stem cells (NSCs would provide regenerative potential, many patients nevertheless suffer from radiation-induced brain damage. Accordingly, we tested beneficial effects of exogenous NSC supplementation using in vivo mouse models that received whole brain irradiation. Systemic supplementation of primarily cultured mouse fetal NSCs inhibited radiation-induced brain atrophy and thereby preserved brain functions such as short-term memory. Transplanted NSCs migrated to the irradiated brain and differentiated into neurons, astrocytes, or oligodendrocytes. In addition, neurotrophic factors such as NGF were significantly increased in the brain by NSCs, indicating that both paracrine and replacement effects could be the therapeutic mechanisms of NSCs. Interestingly, NSCs also differentiated into brain endothelial cells, which was accompanied by the restoration the cerebral blood flow that was reduced from the irradiation. Inhibition of the VEGF signaling reduced the migration and trans-differentiation of NSCs. Therefore, trans-differentiation of NSCs into brain endothelial cells by the VEGF signaling and the consequential restoration of the cerebral blood flow would also be one of the therapeutic mechanisms of NSCs. In summary, our data demonstrate that exogenous NSC supplementation could prevent radiation-induced functional loss of the brain. Therefore, successful combination of brain radiation therapy and NSC supplementation would provide a highly promising therapeutic option for patients with various brain diseases.

Long-term meditation is associated with increased gray matter density in the brain stem

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vestergaard-Poulsen, Peter; Beek, Martijn van; Skewes, Joshua

2009-01-01

Extensive practice involving sustained attention can lead to changes in brain structure. Here, we report evidence of structural differences in the lower brainstem of participants engaged in the long-term practice of meditation. Using magnetic resonance imaging, we observed higher gray matter...... density in lower brain stem regions of experienced meditators compared with age-matched nonmeditators. Our findings show that long-term practitioners of meditation have structural differences in brainstem regions concerned with cardiorespiratory control. This could account for some...... of the cardiorespiratory parasympathetic effects and traits, as well as the cognitive, emotional, and immunoreactive impact reported in several studies of different meditation practices....

The Role of Cholecystokinin in Peripheral Taste Signaling in Mice

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Ryusuke Yoshida

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Cholecystokinin (CCK is a gut hormone released from enteroendocrine cells. CCK functions as an anorexigenic factor by acting on CCK receptors expressed on the vagal afferent nerve and hypothalamus with a synergistic interaction between leptin. In the gut, tastants such as amino acids and bitter compounds stimulate CCK release from enteroendocrine cells via activation of taste transduction pathways. CCK is also expressed in taste buds, suggesting potential roles of CCK in taste signaling in the peripheral taste organ. In the present study, we focused on the function of CCK in the initial responses to taste stimulation. CCK was coexpressed with type II taste cell markers such as Gα-gustducin, phospholipase Cβ2, and transient receptor potential channel M5. Furthermore, a small subset (~30% of CCK-expressing taste cells expressed a sweet/umami taste receptor component, taste receptor type 1 member 3, in taste buds. Because type II taste cells are sweet, umami or bitter taste cells, the majority of CCK-expressing taste cells may be bitter taste cells. CCK-A and -B receptors were expressed in both taste cells and gustatory neurons. CCK receptor knockout mice showed reduced neural responses to bitter compounds compared with wild-type mice. Consistently, intravenous injection of CCK-Ar antagonist lorglumide selectively suppressed gustatory nerve responses to bitter compounds. Intravenous injection of CCK-8 transiently increased gustatory nerve activities in a dose-dependent manner whereas administration of CCK-8 did not affect activities of bitter-sensitive taste cells. Collectively, CCK may be a functionally important neurotransmitter or neuromodulator to activate bitter nerve fibers in peripheral taste tissues.

IL8-CXCR2 pathway inhibition as a therapeutic strategy against MDS and AML stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Schinke, Carolina; Giricz, Orsolya; Li, Weijuan; Shastri, Aditi; Gordon, Shanisha; Barreyro, Laura; Barreryo, Laura; Bhagat, Tushar; Bhattacharyya, Sanchari; Ramachandra, Nandini; Bartenstein, Matthias; Pellagatti, Andrea; Boultwood, Jacqueline; Wickrema, Amittha; Yu, Yiting; Will, Britta; Wei, Sheng; Steidl, Ulrich; Verma, Amit

2015-05-14

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are associated with disease-initiating stem cells that are not eliminated by conventional therapies. Novel therapeutic targets against preleukemic stem cells need to be identified for potentially curative strategies. We conducted parallel transcriptional analysis of highly fractionated stem and progenitor populations in MDS, AML, and control samples and found interleukin 8 (IL8) to be consistently overexpressed in patient samples. The receptor for IL8, CXCR2, was also significantly increased in MDS CD34(+) cells from a large clinical cohort and was predictive of increased transfusion dependence. High CXCR2 expression was also an adverse prognostic factor in The Cancer Genome Atlas AML cohort, further pointing to the critical role of the IL8-CXCR2 axis in AML/MDS. Functionally, CXCR2 inhibition by knockdown and pharmacologic approaches led to a significant reduction in proliferation in several leukemic cell lines and primary MDS/AML samples via induction of G0/G1 cell cycle arrest. Importantly, inhibition of CXCR2 selectively inhibited immature hematopoietic stem cells from MDS/AML samples without an effect on healthy controls. CXCR2 knockdown also impaired leukemic growth in vivo. Together, these studies demonstrate that the IL8 receptor CXCR2 is an adverse prognostic factor in MDS/AML and is a potential therapeutic target against immature leukemic stem cell-enriched cell fractions in MDS and AML. © 2015 by The American Society of Hematology.

Morphological and histochemical changes in the brain stem in case of experimental hemispheric intracerebral hemorrhage

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S. I. Tertishniy

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Aim. Investigation of the extent of morphological changes and activity of biogenic amines (according to the intensity of luminescence in the neurons of the brain stem in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH. Methods and results. ICH was designed on 29 white rats of Vistar line by the administration of autologous blood in the cerebral hemisphere. It was revealed that increased luminescence intensity by 18.4±5.5% was registered in monoaminergic neurons in 1–6 hours after experimental ICH. After 12 hours – 1 day development of dislocation syndrome leads to mosaic focal ischemic neuronal injuries with maximum reduction in the level of catecholamines by 29.5±5.0% compared with control cases. Three–6 days after ICH on a background of selective neuronal necrosis in substantial number of neurons in the nuclei of the brainstem the level of catecholamines is significantly reduced. Conclusion. Disclosed observations reflect significant functional pathology of neurons responsible for the regulation of cardiorespiratory function and may underlie disturbances of integrative activity in the brain stem in general.

Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) Have a Superior Neuroprotective Capacity Over Fetal MSCs in the Hypoxic-Ischemic Mouse Brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Hawkins, Kate E; Corcelli, Michelangelo; Dowding, Kate; Ranzoni, Anna M; Vlahova, Filipa; Hau, Kwan-Leong; Hunjan, Avina; Peebles, Donald; Gressens, Pierre; Hagberg, Henrik; de Coppi, Paolo; Hristova, Mariya; Guillot, Pascale V

2018-05-01

Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have huge potential for regenerative medicine. In particular, the use of pluripotent stem cell-derived mesenchymal stem cells (PSC-MSCs) overcomes the hurdle of replicative senescence associated with the in vitro expansion of primary cells and has increased therapeutic benefits in comparison to the use of various adult sources of MSCs in a wide range of animal disease models. On the other hand, fetal MSCs exhibit faster growth kinetics and possess longer telomeres and a wider differentiation potential than adult MSCs. Here, for the first time, we compare the therapeutic potential of PSC-MSCs (ES-MSCs from embryonic stem cells) to fetal MSCs (AF-MSCs from the amniotic fluid), demonstrating that ES-MSCs have a superior neuroprotective potential over AF-MSCs in the mouse brain following hypoxia-ischemia. Further, we demonstrate that nuclear factor (NF)-κB-stimulated interleukin (IL)-13 production contributes to an increased in vitro anti-inflammatory potential of ES-MSC-conditioned medium (CM) over AF-MSC-CM, thus suggesting a potential mechanism for this observation. Moreover, we show that induced pluripotent stem cell-derived MSCs (iMSCs) exhibit many similarities to ES-MSCs, including enhanced NF-κB signaling and IL-13 production in comparison to AF-MSCs. Future studies should assess whether iMSCs also exhibit similar neuroprotective potential to ES-MSCs, thus presenting a potential strategy to overcome the ethical issues associated with the use of embryonic stem cells and providing a potential source of cells for autologous use against neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy in humans. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2018;7:439-449. © 2018 The Authors Stem Cells Translational Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of AlphaMed Press.

Multiple sources of 1,2-diacylglycerol in isolated rat pancreatic acini stimulated by cholecystokinin. Involvement of phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate and phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matozaki, T.; Williams, J.A.

1989-01-01

Changes in the cellular content of 1,2-diacylglycerol (DAG) in isolated rat pancreatic acini in response to agonist stimulation were studied using a sensitive mass assay. When acini were stimulated by 10 nM COOH-terminal cholecystokinin-octapeptide (CCK8), the increase in DAG was biphasic, consisting of an early peak at 5 s and a second, larger, gradual increase that was maximal by 15 min. The basal level of DAG in acini was 1.04 nmol/mg of protein, which was increased to 1.24 nmol/mg of protein at 5 s and 2.76 nmol/mg of protein at 30 min. In comparison, the increase in DAG stimulated by 30 pM CCK8, a submaximal concentration for amylase release, was monophasic, increasing without an early peak but sustained to 60 min. Other Ca2+-mobilizing secretagogues such as carbamylcholine and bombesin increased DAG in acini, whereas vasoactive intestinal peptide, which acts to increase cAMP, had no effect. Phorbol ester and Ca2+ ionophore also stimulated DAG production. Analysis of the mass level of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (1,4,5-IP3) showed that the generation of 1,4,5-IP3 stimulated by 10 nM CCK8 peaked at 5 s, a finding consistent with the early peak of DAG. The basal level was 4.7 pmol/mg of protein, which was increased to 144.6 pmol/mg of protein at 5 s by 10 nM CCK8. The levels of 1,4,5-IP3 then returned toward basal in contrast to the gradual and sustained increase of DAG. The dose dependencies of 1,4,5-IP3 and DAG formation at 5 s with respect to CCK8 were almost identical. This suggests that phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate hydrolysis is a major source of the early increase in DAG but not of the sustained increase in DAG. Therefore, a possible contribution of phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis to DAG formation was examined utilizing acini prelabeled with [3H]choline. CCK8 (1 nM) maximally increased [3H]choline metabolite release by 133% of control at 30 min

Transcranial magnetic stimulation of human adult stem cells in the mammalian brain

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Karlea L Kremer

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The burden of stroke on the community is growing, and therefore, so is the need for a therapy to overcome the disability following stroke. Cellular-based therapies are being actively investigated at a pre-clinical and clinical level. Studies have reported the beneficial effects of exogenous stem cell implantation, however, these benefits are also associated with limited survival of implanted stem cells. This exploratory study investigated the use of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS as a complementary therapy to increase stem cell survival following implantation of human dental pulp stem cells (DPSC in the rodent cortex. Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats were anaesthetised and injected with 6x105 DPSC or control media via an intracranial injection, and then received real TMS (TMS0.2Hz or sham TMS (TMSsham every 2nd day beginning on day 3 post DPSC injection for 2 weeks. Brain sections were analysed for the survival, migration and differentiation characteristics of the implanted cells. Results: In animals treated with DPSC and TMS0.2Hz there were significantly less implanted DPSC and those that survived remained in the original cerebral hemisphere compared to animals that received TMSsham. The surviving implanted DPSC in TMS0.2Hz were also found to express the apoptotic marker Caspase-3. Conclusions: We suggest that TMS at this intensity may cause an increase in glutamate levels, which promotes an unfavourable environment for stem cell implantation, proliferation and differentiation. It should be noted that only one paradigm of TMS was tested as this was conducted as an exploratory study, and further TMS paradigms should be investigated in the future.

Radiosynthesis of (S)-["1"8F]T1: The first PET radioligand for molecular imaging of α3β4 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarasamkan, Jiradanai; Fischer, Steffen; Deuther-Conrad, Winnie; Ludwig, Friedrich-Alexander; Scheunemann, Matthias; Arunrungvichian, Kuntarat; Vajragupta, Opa; Brust, Peter

2017-01-01

Recent pharmacologic data revealed the implication of α3β4 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in nicotine and drug addiction. To image α3β4 nAChRs in vivo, we aimed to establish the synthesis of a ["1"8F]-labelled analog of the highly affine and selective α3β4 ligand (S)-3-(4-(4-fluorophenyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)quinuclidine ((S)-T1). (S)-["1"8F]T1 was synthesized from ethynyl-4-["1"8F]fluorobenzene (["1"8F]5) and (S)-azidoquinuclidine by click reaction. After a synthesis time of 130 min (S)-["1"8F]T1 was obtained with a radiochemical yield (non-decay corrected) of 4.3±1.3%, a radiochemical purity of >99% and a molar activity of >158 GBq/μmol. The brain uptake and the brain-to-blood ratio of (S)-["1"8F]T1 in mice at 30 min post injection were 2.02 (SUV) and 6.1, respectively. According to an ex-vivo analysis, the tracer remained intact (>99%) in brain. Only one major radiometabolite was detected in plasma and urine samples. In-vitro autoradiography on pig brain slices revealed binding of (S)-["1"8F]T1 to brain regions associated with the expression of α3β4 nAChRs, which could be reduced by the α3β4 nAChR selective drug AT-1001. These findings make (S)-["1"8F]T1 a potential tool for the non-invasive imaging of α3β4 nAChRs in the brain by PET. - Highlights: • (S)-["1"8F]T1 is a promising α3ß4 nAChR ligand for PET imaging. • The novel radioligand (S)-["1"8F]T1 was synthesized by click reaction. • The potential of (S)-["1"8F]T1 was shown by in vitro autoradiography and in vivo evaluation in mice.

Biochemical characterization of the pancreatic cholecystokinin receptor using monofunctional photoactivatable probes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pearson, R.K.; Miller, L.J.; Powers, S.P.; Hadac, E.M.

1987-01-01

Receptor characterization by affinity labeling can be enhanced by taking multiple complementary approaches. To extend our observations on the subunit structure of the rat pancreatic cholecystokinin (CCK) receptor (made using bifunctional cross-linking reagents), we synthesized two monofunctional photoactivatable receptor probes. CCK-8 was acylated with the iodinated aryl azide derivatives, methyl-3-azido-4-hydroxy-5-[ 125 I]iodobenzimidate and N-[4-(4'-azido-3'-[ 125 I]iodophenylazo)benzoyl]-3-aminopropionyl-N- oxy- succinimide. The products were purified by reverse-phase HPLC to a specific radioactivity of 2000 Ci/mmol. Both analogs demonstrated saturable and specific binding to rat pancreatic plasma membranes. Photoaffinity labeling of pancreatic membranes with these monofunctional probes identified an Mr 85,000-95,000 protein that was not part of a larger disulfide-linked complex. High affinity for CCK was demonstrated by the concentration-dependent inhibition of labeling observed with competing CCK-8 (IC50 = 1 nM). On sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) this protein co-migrates with the major component we identified using a series of cross-linkable, iodinated decapeptide analogs of CCK, and is different from the major protein labeled using 125 I-Bolton Hunter-CCK-33. Thus, these results support the presence of an Mr 85,000-95,000 subunit in the pancreatic CCK receptor, while the small size of these photoaffinity probes and their monovalency suggest that this subunit may contain or be spatially apposed to the active binding site. These probes should be very useful in the further characterization of this and other receptors for this hormone

Human Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cells: Rational for Use as a Neuroprotectant in Ischemic Brain Disease

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Hadar Arien-Zakay

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The use of stem cells for reparative medicine was first proposed more than three decades ago. Hematopoietic stem cells from bone marrow, peripheral blood and human umbilical cord blood (CB have gained major use for treatment of hematological indications. CB, however, is also a source of cells capable of differentiating into various non-hematopoietic cell types, including neural cells. Several animal model reports have shown that CB cells may be used for treatment of neurological injuries. This review summarizes the information available on the origin of CB-derived neuronal cells and the mechanisms proposed to explain their action. The potential use of stem/progenitor cells for treatment of ischemic brain injuries is discussed. Issues that remain to be resolved at the present stage of preclinical trials are addressed.

CCK increases the transport of insulin into the brain.

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May, Aaron A; Liu, Min; Woods, Stephen C; Begg, Denovan P

2016-10-15

Food intake occurs in bouts or meals, and numerous meal-generated signals have been identified that act to limit the size of ongoing meals. Hormones such as cholecystokinin (CCK) are secreted from the intestine as ingested food is being processed, and in addition to aiding the digestive process, they provide a signal to the brain that contributes to satiation, limiting the size of the meal. The potency of CCK to elicit satiation is enhanced by elevated levels of adiposity signals such as insulin. In the present experiments we asked whether CCK and insulin interact at the level of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). We first isolated rat brain capillary endothelial cells that comprise the BBB and found that they express the mRNA for both the CCK1R and the insulin receptor, providing a basis for a possible interaction. We then administered insulin intraperitoneally to another group of rats and 15min later administered CCK-8 intraperitoneally to half of those rats. After another 15min, CSF and blood samples were obtained and assayed for immunoreactive insulin. Plasma insulin was comparably elevated above baseline in both the CCK-8 and control groups, indicating that the CCK had no effect on circulating insulin levels given these parameters. In contrast, rats administered CCK had CSF-insulin levels that were more than twice as high as those of control rats. We conclude that circulating CCK greatly facilitates the transport of insulin into the brain, likely by acting directly at the BBB. These findings imply that in circumstances in which the plasma levels of both CCK and insulin are elevated, such as during and soon after meals, satiation is likely to be due, in part, to this newly-discovered synergy between CCK and insulin. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PET molecular imaging in stem cell therapy for neurological diseases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Jiachuan; Zhang, Hong [Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang (China); Zhejiang University, Medical PET Center, Hangzhou (China); Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou (China); Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou (China); Tian, Mei [University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Department of Experimental Diagnostic Imaging, Houston, TX (United States)

2011-10-15

Human neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, spinal cord injury and multiple sclerosis are caused by loss of different types of neurons and glial cells in the brain and spinal cord. At present, there are no effective therapies against these disorders. Discovery of the therapeutic potential of stem cells offers new strategies for the treatment of neurological diseases. Direct assessment of stem cells' survival, interaction with the host and impact on neuronal functions after transplantation requires advanced in vivo imaging techniques. Positron emission tomography (PET) is a potential molecular imaging modality to evaluate the viability and function of transplanted tissue or stem cells in the nervous system. This review focuses on PET molecular imaging in stem cell therapy for neurological diseases. (orig.)

Influence of the extracellular matrix on endogenous and transplanted stem cells after brain damage

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Lars eRoll

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The limited regeneration capacity of the adult central nervous system requires strategies to improve recovery of patients. In this context, the interaction of endogenous as well as transplanted stem cells with their environment is crucial. An understanding of the molecular mechanisms could help to improve regeneration by targeted manipulation.In the course of reactive gliosis, astrocytes upregulate Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP and start, in many cases, to proliferate. Beside GFAP, subpopulations of these astroglial cells coexpress neural progenitor markers like Nestin. Although cells express these markers, the proportion of cells that eventually give rise to neurons is limited in many cases in vivo compared to the situation in vitro. In the first section, we present the characteristics of endogenous progenitor-like cells and discuss the differences in their neurogenic potential in vitro and in vivo.As the environment plays an important role for survival, proliferation, migration, and other processes, the second section of the review describes changes in the extracellular matrix (ECM, a complex network that contains numerous signaling molecules. It appears that signals in the damaged central nervous system lead to an activation and de-differentiation of astrocytes, but do not effectively promote neuronal differentiation of these cells. Factors that influence stem cells during development are upregulated in the damaged brain as part of an environment resembling a stem cell niche. We give a general description of the ECM composition, with focus on stem cell-associated factors like the glycoprotein Tenascin-C.Stem cell transplantation is considered as potential treatment strategy. Interaction of transplanted stem cells with the host environment is critical for the outcome of stem cell-based therapies. Possible mechanisms involving the ECM by which transplanted stem cells might improve recovery are discussed in the last section.

Neural stem cells and neuro/gliogenesis in the central nervous system: understanding the structural and functional plasticity of the developing, mature, and diseased brain.

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Yamaguchi, Masahiro; Seki, Tatsunori; Imayoshi, Itaru; Tamamaki, Nobuaki; Hayashi, Yoshitaka; Tatebayashi, Yoshitaka; Hitoshi, Seiji

2016-05-01

Neurons and glia in the central nervous system (CNS) originate from neural stem cells (NSCs). Knowledge of the mechanisms of neuro/gliogenesis from NSCs is fundamental to our understanding of how complex brain architecture and function develop. NSCs are present not only in the developing brain but also in the mature brain in adults. Adult neurogenesis likely provides remarkable plasticity to the mature brain. In addition, recent progress in basic research in mental disorders suggests an etiological link with impaired neuro/gliogenesis in particular brain regions. Here, we review the recent progress and discuss future directions in stem cell and neuro/gliogenesis biology by introducing several topics presented at a joint meeting of the Japanese Association of Anatomists and the Physiological Society of Japan in 2015. Collectively, these topics indicated that neuro/gliogenesis from NSCs is a common event occurring in many brain regions at various ages in animals. Given that significant structural and functional changes in cells and neural networks are accompanied by neuro/gliogenesis from NSCs and the integration of newly generated cells into the network, stem cell and neuro/gliogenesis biology provides a good platform from which to develop an integrated understanding of the structural and functional plasticity that underlies the development of the CNS, its remodeling in adulthood, and the recovery from diseases that affect it.

Importance of the gut-brain axis in the control of glucose homeostasis.

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Migrenne, Stéphanie; Marsollier, Nicolas; Cruciani-Guglielmacci, Céline; Magnan, Christophe

2006-12-01

Adult mammals finely match glucose production to glucose utilization, thus allowing glycaemia to be maintained in a physiological range of 0.8-1.2mg/dl whatever the energetic status of the mammal (i.e. fed or fasted, rested or exercised). To accomplish this, peripheral signals originating from the gut 'inform' the central nervous system, which in turn is able to monitor the status of both peripheral glucose stores and ongoing fuel availability. Indeed, both secretion and action of hormones regulating endogenous glucose production and utilization are regulated by the autonomic nervous system. These gut signals are either hormonal (e.g. glucagon-like peptide-1, ghrelin and cholecystokinine) or neuronal (e.g. afferent vagus nerve fibres). Recent data, combined with the development of incretin analogues for treatment of diabetes, highlight the importance of the gut-brain axis, especially glucagon-like peptide-1 and ghrelin, in the control of glucose homeostasis.

Novel Regenerative Therapies Based on Regionally Induced Multipotent Stem Cells in Post-Stroke Brains: Their Origin, Characterization, and Perspective.

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Takagi, Toshinori; Yoshimura, Shinichi; Sakuma, Rika; Nakano-Doi, Akiko; Matsuyama, Tomohiro; Nakagomi, Takayuki

2017-12-01

Brain injuries such as ischemic stroke cause severe neural loss. Until recently, it was believed that post-ischemic areas mainly contain necrotic tissue and inflammatory cells. However, using a mouse model of cerebral infarction, we demonstrated that stem cells develop within ischemic areas. Ischemia-induced stem cells can function as neural progenitors; thus, we initially named them injury/ischemia-induced neural stem/progenitor cells (iNSPCs). However, because they differentiate into more than neural lineages, we now refer to them as ischemia-induced multipotent stem cells (iSCs). Very recently, we showed that putative iNSPCs/iSCs are present within post-stroke areas in human brains. Because iNSPCs/iSCs isolated from mouse and human ischemic tissues can differentiate into neuronal lineages in vitro, it is possible that a clearer understanding of iNSPC/iSC profiles and the molecules that regulate iNSPC/iSC fate (e.g., proliferation, differentiation, and survival) would make it possible to perform neural regeneration/repair in patients following stroke. In this article, we introduce the origin and traits of iNSPCs/iSCs based on our reports and recent viewpoints. We also discuss their possible contribution to neurogenesis through endogenous and exogenous iNSPC/iSC therapies following ischemic stroke.

Evaluation of quality of life in long-term survivors of paediatric brain stem tumors, treated with radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skowronska-Gardas, Anna; Pedziwiatr, Katarzyna; Chojnacka, Marzanna

2004-01-01

The quality of life in long-term survivors of paediatric brain stem tumors, treated with radiotherapy is evaluated. They suffer predominantly from pre-treatment neurological impairments, which seriously influence their quality of life. The most often observed treatment sequelae are pituitary insufficiency and hearing loss

Clinical translation of stem cell therapy in traumatic brain injury: the potential of encapsulated mesenchymal cell biodelivery of glucagon-like peptide-1

OpenAIRE

Heile, Anna; Brinker, Thomas

2011-01-01

Traumatic brain injury remains a major cause of death and disability; it is estimated that annually 10 million people are affected. Preclinical studies have shown the potential therapeutic value of stem cell therapies. Neuroprotective as well as regenerative properties of stem cells have been suggested to be the mechanism of action in preclinical studies. However, up to now stem cell therapy has not been studied extensively in clinical trials. This article summarizes the current experimental ...

The U.S. STEM Undergraduate Model: Applying System Dynamics to Help Meet President Obama's Goals for One Million STEM Graduates and the U.S. Navy's Civilian STEM Workforce Needs

Science.gov (United States)

Business-Higher Education Forum, 2013

2013-01-01

This report shows how insights gained from system dynamics modeling and the U.S. STEM Undergraduate Model® can help inform the Navy's strategy to grow a robust civilian workforce that is strongly invested with Navy-relevant STEM skills and ready to contribute to the next generation of Naval innovation. This work positions the Navy to serve a…

Electroresponsive properties and membrane potential trajectories of three types of inspiratory neurons in the newborn mouse brain stem in vitro

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rekling, J C; Champagnat, J; Denavit-Saubié, M

1996-01-01

with the aim of extending the classification of inspiratory neurons to include analysis of active membrane properties. 2. The slice generated a regular rhythmic motor output recorded as burst of action potentials on a XII nerve root with a peak to peak time of 11.5 +/- 3.4 s and a duration of 483 +/- 54 ms......1. The electrophysiological properties of inspiratory neurons were studied in a rhythmically active thick-slice preparation of the newborn mouse brain stem maintained in vitro. Whole cell patch recordings were performed from 60 inspiratory neurons within the rostral ventrolateral part of the slice...

Human Embryonic Stem Cell Therapy in Crohn’s Disease: A Case Report

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Shroff, Geeta

2016-01-01

Patient: Male, 21 Final Diagnosis: Crohn’s disease Symptoms: Intolerance to specific foods • abdominal pain and diarrhea Medication: Human embryonic stem cell therapy Clinical Procedure: Human embryonic stem cell transplantation Specialty: Gastroenterology Objective: Unusual or unexpected effect of treatment Background: Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory disease of the intestines, mainly the colon and ileum, related with ulcers and fistulae. It is estimated to affect 565 000 people in the United States. Currently available therapies, such as antibiotics, thiopurines, and anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha agents, are only observed to reduce the complications associated with Crohn’s disease and to improve quality of life, but cannot cure the disease. Stem cell therapy appears to have certain advantages over conventional therapies. Our study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of human embryonic stem cell therapy in a patient with Crohn’s disease. Case Report: A 21-year-old male with chief complaints of intolerance to specific foods, abdominal pain, and diarrhea underwent human embryonic stem cell therapy for two months. After undergoing human embryonic stem cell therapy, the patient showed symptomatic relief. He had no complaints of back pain, abdominal pain, or diarrhea and had improved digestion. The patient had no signs and symptoms of skin infection, and had improved limb stamina, strength, and endurance. The condition of patient was stable after the therapy. Conclusions: Human embryonic stem cell therapy might serve as a new optimistic treatment approach for Crohn’s disease. PMID:26923312

Therapy of brain stem tumors - palliative conception with prospect of curative success

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bamberg, M.; Budach, V.; Clar, H.E.; Schmitt, G.

1984-01-01

From 1969 to 1981, 23 patients with tumors in the pons region were irradiated at the Department of Radiotherapy of the West German Tumor Center in Essen. The age of the patients ranged from 18 months to 50 years. Fifteen patients (65%) were younger than 18 years, one was 25 years old, and seven were between 40 and 50 years old. In two cases the histologic diagnosis of an astrocytoma I and astrocytoma II could be confirmed by exploratory excision and cyst punction, respectively. Nineteen patients received a shunt system (ventriculoatrial shunt) prior to radiotherapy in order to achieve a pressure reduction. After a follow-up period of 1.5 to 12 years, eleven patients are alive, and twelve patients died from a local recurrence or from progressive tumor growth. The five-year survival rate is 47%. Five of the surviving patients show no or only slight adverse effects on their general condition and are able to attend school or carry out their profession (in Karnofsky: 90 to 100%). Four other patients suffering from marked remaining neurologic symptoms are able to take care of themselves (Karnofsky: 70 to 80%). Two patients need permanent nursing (Karnofsky: 50 to 60%). Because of the local propagation tendency of pons tumors, radiotherapy should be locally restricted to the brain stem and the adjacent brain structures, e.g. cerebellum and proximal neck marrow. The authors recommend target volumes of 55 to 60 Gy, which must be applied within 6 to 8 weeks, taking into account the age of patients. This palliative therapy conception should be applied routinely in the hope of bringing about a curative treatment to this group of patients. (orig.) [de

Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell Treatment Normalizes Cortical Gene Expression after Traumatic Brain Injury.

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Darkazalli, Ali; Vied, Cynthia; Badger, Crystal-Dawn; Levenson, Cathy W

2017-01-01

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) results in a progressive disease state with many adverse and long-term neurological consequences. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have emerged as a promising cytotherapy and have been previously shown to reduce secondary apoptosis and cognitive deficits associated with TBI. Consistent with the established literature, we observed that systemically administered human MSCs (hMSCs) accumulate with high specificity at the TBI lesion boundary zone known as the penumbra. Substantial work has been done to illuminate the mechanisms by which MSCs, and the bioactive molecules they secrete, exert their therapeutic effect. However, no such work has been published to examine the effect of MSC treatment on gene expression in the brain post-TBI. In the present study, we use high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNAseq) of cortical tissue from the TBI penumbra to assess the molecular effects of both TBI and subsequent treatment with intravenously delivered hMSCs. RNAseq revealed that expression of almost 7000 cortical genes in the penumbra were differentially regulated by TBI. Pathway analysis using the KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathway database revealed that TBI regulated a large number of genes belonging to pathways involved in metabolism, receptor-mediated cell signaling, neuronal plasticity, immune cell recruitment and infiltration, and neurodegenerative disease. Remarkably, hMSC treatment was found to normalize 49% of all genes disrupted by TBI, with notably robust normalization of specific pathways within the categories mentioned above, including neuroactive receptor-ligand interactions (57%), glycolysis and gluconeogenesis (81%), and Parkinson's disease (100%). These data provide evidence in support of the multi-mechanistic nature of stem cell therapy and suggest that hMSC treatment is capable of simultaneously normalizing a wide variety of important molecular pathways that are disrupted by brain injury.

A case of myxedema coma presenting as a brain stem infarct in a 74-year-old Korean woman.

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Ahn, Ji Yun; Kwon, Hyuk-Sool; Ahn, Hee Chol; Sohn, You Dong

2010-09-01

Myxedema coma is the extreme form of untreated hypothyroidism. In reality, few patients present comatose with severe myxedema. We describe a patient with myxedema coma which was initially misdiagnosed as a brain stem infarct. She presented to the hospital with alteration of the mental status, generalized edema, hypothermia, hypoventilation, and hypotension. Initially her brain stem reflexes were absent. After respiratory and circulatory support, her neurologic status was not improved soon. The diagnosis of myxedema coma was often missed or delayed due to various clinical findings and concomitant medical condition and precipitating factors. It is more difficult to diagnose when a patient has no medical history of hypothyroidism. A high index of clinical suspicion can make a timely diagnosis and initiate appropriate treatment. We report this case to alert clinicians considering diagnosis of myxedema coma in patients with severe decompensated metabolic state including mental change.

Spatio-temporal neural stem cell behavior that leads to both perfect and imperfect structural brain regeneration in adult newts.

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Urata, Yuko; Yamashita, Wataru; Inoue, Takeshi; Agata, Kiyokazu

2018-06-14

Adult newts can regenerate large parts of their brain from adult neural stem cells (NSCs), but how adult NSCs reorganize brain structures during regeneration remains unclear. In development, elaborate brain structures are produced under broadly coordinated regulations of embryonic NSCs in the neural tube, whereas brain regeneration entails exquisite control of the reestablishment of certain brain parts, suggesting a yet-unknown mechanism directs NSCs upon partial brain excision. Here we report that upon one-quarter excision of the adult newt ( Pleurodeles waltl ) mesencephalon, active participation of local NSCs around specific brain subregions' boundaries leads to some imperfect and some perfect brain regeneration along an individual's rostrocaudal axis. Regeneration phenotypes depend on how the wound closing occurs using local NSCs, and perfect regeneration replicates development-like processes but takes more than one year. Our findings indicate that newt brain regeneration is supported by modularity of boundary-domain NSCs with self-organizing ability in neighboring fields. © 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Endometrial regeneration using autologous adult stem cells followed by conception by in vitro fertilization in a patient of severe Asherman′s syndrome

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Chaitanya B Nagori

2011-01-01

Full Text Available In a woman with severe Asherman′s syndrome, curettage followed by placement of intrauterine contraceptive device (IUCD (IUCD with cyclical hormonal therapy was tried for 6 months, for development of the endometrium. When this failed, autologous stem cells were tried as an alternative therapy. From adult autologous stem cells isolated from patient′s own bone marrow, endometrial angiogenic stem cells were separated using immunomagnetic isolation. These cells were placed in the endometrial cavity under ultrasound guidance after curettage. Patient was then given cyclical hormonal therapy. Endometrium was assessed intermittently on ultrasound. On development of endometrium with a thickness of 8 mm and good vascularity, in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer was done. This resulted in positive biochemical pregnancy followed by confirmation of gestational sac, yolk sac, and embryonic pole with cardiac activity on ultrasound. Endometrial angiogenic stem cells isolated from autologous adult stem cells could regenerate injured endometrium not responding to conventional treatment for Asherman′s syndrome.

Establishment of 9L/F344 rat intracerebral glioma model of brain tumor stem cells

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Zong-yu XIAO

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Objective To establish the 9L/F344 rat intracerebral glioma model of brain tumor stem cells.  Methods Rat 9L gliosarcoma stem-like cells were cultured in serum-free suspension. The expression of CD133 and nestin were tested by immunohistochemistry. A total of 48 inbredline male F344 rats were randomly divided into 2 groups, and 9L tumor sphere cells and 9L monolayer cells were respectively implanted into the right caudate nucleus of F344 rats in 2 groups. Survival time was observed and determined using the method of Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Fourteen days after implantation or when the rats were dying, their brains were perfused and sectioned for HE staining, and CD133 and nestin were detected by immunohistochemistry.  Results Rat 9L tumor spheres were formed with suspension culture in serum-free medium. The gliomas formed in both groups were invasive without obvious capsule. More new vessels, bleeding and necrosis could be detected in 9L tumor spheres group. The tumor cells in both groups were positive for CD133 and nestin. There was no significant difference in the expression of CD133 and nestin between 2 groups (P > 0.05, for all. According to the expression of nestin, the tumors formed by 9L tumor sphere cells were more invasive. The median survival time of the rats bearing 9L tumor sphere cells was 15 d (95%CI: 15.219-15.781, and the median survival time of the rats bearing 9L monolayer cells was 21 d (95%CI: 20.395-21.605. There was significant difference between 2 groups (χ2 = 12.800, P = 0.000.  Conclusions 9L/F344 rat intracerebral glioma model of brain tumor stem cells is successfully established, which provides a glioma model for the future research. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2015.04.012

Transmigration of neural stem cells across the blood brain barrier induced by glioma cells.

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Mónica Díaz-Coránguez

Full Text Available Transit of human neural stem cells, ReNcell CX, through the blood brain barrier (BBB was evaluated in an in vitro model of BBB and in nude mice. The BBB model was based on rat brain microvascular endothelial cells (RBMECs cultured on Millicell inserts bathed from the basolateral side with conditioned media (CM from astrocytes or glioma C6 cells. Glioma C6 CM induced a significant transendothelial migration of ReNcells CX in comparison to astrocyte CM. The presence in glioma C6 CM of high amounts of HGF, VEGF, zonulin and PGE2, together with the low abundance of EGF, promoted ReNcells CX transmigration. In contrast cytokines IFN-α, TNF-α, IL-12p70, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10, as well as metalloproteinases -2 and -9 were present in equal amounts in glioma C6 and astrocyte CMs. ReNcells expressed the tight junction proteins occludin and claudins 1, 3 and 4, and the cell adhesion molecule CRTAM, while RBMECs expressed occludin, claudins 1 and 5 and CRTAM. Competing CRTAM mediated adhesion with soluble CRTAM, inhibited ReNcells CX transmigration, and at the sites of transmigration, the expression of occludin and claudin-5 diminished in RBMECs. In nude mice we found that ReNcells CX injected into systemic circulation passed the BBB and reached intracranial gliomas, which overexpressed HGF, VEGF and zonulin/prehaptoglobin 2.

Transmigration of neural stem cells across the blood brain barrier induced by glioma cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Díaz-Coránguez, Mónica; Segovia, José; López-Ornelas, Adolfo; Puerta-Guardo, Henry; Ludert, Juan; Chávez, Bibiana; Meraz-Cruz, Noemi; González-Mariscal, Lorenza

2013-01-01

Transit of human neural stem cells, ReNcell CX, through the blood brain barrier (BBB) was evaluated in an in vitro model of BBB and in nude mice. The BBB model was based on rat brain microvascular endothelial cells (RBMECs) cultured on Millicell inserts bathed from the basolateral side with conditioned media (CM) from astrocytes or glioma C6 cells. Glioma C6 CM induced a significant transendothelial migration of ReNcells CX in comparison to astrocyte CM. The presence in glioma C6 CM of high amounts of HGF, VEGF, zonulin and PGE2, together with the low abundance of EGF, promoted ReNcells CX transmigration. In contrast cytokines IFN-α, TNF-α, IL-12p70, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10, as well as metalloproteinases -2 and -9 were present in equal amounts in glioma C6 and astrocyte CMs. ReNcells expressed the tight junction proteins occludin and claudins 1, 3 and 4, and the cell adhesion molecule CRTAM, while RBMECs expressed occludin, claudins 1 and 5 and CRTAM. Competing CRTAM mediated adhesion with soluble CRTAM, inhibited ReNcells CX transmigration, and at the sites of transmigration, the expression of occludin and claudin-5 diminished in RBMECs. In nude mice we found that ReNcells CX injected into systemic circulation passed the BBB and reached intracranial gliomas, which overexpressed HGF, VEGF and zonulin/prehaptoglobin 2.

Brain Cancer Stem Cells in Adults and Children: Cell Biology and Therapeutic Implications.

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Abou-Antoun, Tamara J; Hale, James S; Lathia, Justin D; Dombrowski, Stephen M

2017-04-01

Brain tumors represent some of the most malignant cancers in both children and adults. Current treatment options target the majority of tumor cells but do not adequately target self-renewing cancer stem cells (CSCs). CSCs have been reported to resist the most aggressive radiation and chemotherapies, and give rise to recurrent, treatment-resistant secondary malignancies. With advancing technologies, we now have a better understanding of the genetic, epigenetic and molecular signatures and microenvironmental influences which are useful in distinguishing between distinctly different tumor subtypes. As a result, efforts are now underway to identify and target CSCs within various tumor subtypes based on this foundation. This review discusses progress in CSC biology as it relates to targeted therapies which may be uniquely different between pediatric and adult brain tumors. Studies to date suggest that pediatric brain tumors may benefit more from genetic and epigenetic targeted therapies, while combination treatments aimed specifically at multiple molecular pathways may be more effective in treating adult brain tumors which seem to have a greater propensity towards microenvironmental interactions. Ultimately, CSC targeting approaches in combination with current clinical therapies have the potential to be more effective owing to their ability to compromise CSCs maintenance and the mechanisms which underlie their highly aggressive and deadly nature.

THE EFFECT OF BETA GLUCAN OF SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISAE ON THE INCREASE OF THE NUMBER OF BRAIN CELLS IN SUBSTANTIA NIGRA BRAIN OF PARKINSON’S WISTAR STRAIN RAT (RATTUS NORVEGICUS MODEL INDUCED WITH ROTENONE

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Masruroh Rahayu

2015-01-01

Full Text Available ackground and aims. One of many neurodegenerative diseases afflicting the elderly is Parkinson. Beta glucan from Saccharomyces cerevisae is very potential to be used as a regenerative therapy of Parkinson's disease. Beta glucan can increase the mobilization of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs from the bone marrow into the damaged tissues. Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs which have been mobilized can regenerate and differentiate into brain cells so that the symptoms of Parkinson would be reduced. This research aims to find out the effects of the addition of Saccharomyces cerevisae toward the number of brain cells in substantia nigra Parkinson’s rat model. Method. The research was experimental in vivo using the draft of randomized post test only controlled group design. There were five groups that become the sample in this research with 5 rats for each group, i.e. negative control group, positive control group, Treatment Group 1, 2 and 3 (Rotenone + Saccharomyces cerevisae 18 mg/kgBB, 36 mg/kgBB, 72 mg/kgBBfor 4 weeks. Variable measured in this study was the number of brain cells in substantia nigra. The results of this study showed that Treatment Group 3 (72 mg/kgBB was a group with the largest number of brain cells than the other treatment groups. Statistical data obtained showed that the average number of brain cells in negative control group was 192.00 cells; positive control amounted to 116.80 cells; Treatment 1 amounted to 135.40 cells; Treatment 2 amounted to 140.80 cells; and Treatment 3 amounted to 161.80 cells. Result. The result of ANOVA test showed a significant difference between groups (p< 0.05, while the correlation test result indicated a strong correlation between the dose of Saccharomyces cerevisae and the number of substantia nigra of rat’s brain cells (r = 0,818. Conclusion. From this research, it can be concluded that the addition of Saccharomyces cerevisae with a dose of 18mg/kgBB, 36mg/kgBBdan 72 mg/kgBB is able to increase

Monitoring the Bystander Killing Effect of Human Multipotent Stem Cells for Treatment of Malignant Brain Tumors

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Cindy Leten

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Tumor infiltrating stem cells have been suggested as a vehicle for the delivery of a suicide gene towards otherwise difficult to treat tumors like glioma. We have used herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase expressing human multipotent adult progenitor cells in two brain tumor models (hU87 and Hs683 in immune-compromised mice. In order to determine the best time point for the administration of the codrug ganciclovir, the stem cell distribution and viability were monitored in vivo using bioluminescence (BLI and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI. Treatment was assessed by in vivo BLI and MRI of the tumors. We were able to show that suicide gene therapy using HSV-tk expressing stem cells can be followed in vivo by MRI and BLI. This has the advantage that (1 outliers can be detected earlier, (2 GCV treatment can be initiated based on stem cell distribution rather than on empirical time points, and (3 a more thorough follow-up can be provided prior to and after treatment of these animals. In contrast to rodent stem cell and tumor models, treatment success was limited in our model using human cell lines. This was most likely due to the lack of immune components in the immune-compromised rodents.

Large-scale identification of microRNA targets in murine Dgcr8-deficient embryonic stem cell lines.

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Matthew P A Davis

Full Text Available Small RNAs such as microRNAs play important roles in embryonic stem cell maintenance and differentiation. A broad range of microRNAs is expressed in embryonic stem cells while only a fraction of their targets have been identified. We have performed large-scale identification of embryonic stem cell microRNA targets using a murine embryonic stem cell line deficient in the expression of Dgcr8. These cells are heavily depleted for microRNAs, allowing us to reintroduce specific microRNA duplexes and identify refined target sets. We used deep sequencing of small RNAs, mRNA expression profiling and bioinformatics analysis of microRNA seed matches in 3' UTRs to identify target transcripts. Consequently, we have identified a network of microRNAs that converge on the regulation of several important cellular pathways. Additionally, our experiments have revealed a novel candidate for Dgcr8-independent microRNA genesis and highlighted the challenges currently facing miRNA annotation.

Effects of the pyrethroid insecticide, deltamethrin, on respiratory modulated hypoglossal motoneurons in a brain stem slice from newborn mice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rekling, J C; Theophilidis, G

1995-01-01

We have studied the action of deltamethrin on respiratory modulated hypoglossal motoneurons in a brain stem slice from newborn mice. Deltamethrin depolarized the hypoglossal motoneurons, increased the background synaptic noise and reduced the frequency and amplitude of current elicited action...

Umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cell transplantation combined with hyperbaric oxygen treatment for repair of traumatic brain injury

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Zhou, Hai-xiao; Liu, Zhi-gang; Liu, Xiao-jiao; Chen, Qian-xue

2016-01-01

Transplantation of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) for repair of traumatic brain injury has been used in the clinic. Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment has long been widely used as an adjunctive therapy for treating traumatic brain injury. UC-MSC transplantation combined with HBO treatment is expected to yield better therapeutic effects on traumatic brain injury. In this study, we established rat models of severe traumatic brain injury by pressurized fluid (2.5–3.0 atm impact force). The injured rats were then administered UC-MSC transplantation via the tail vein in combination with HBO treatment. Compared with monotherapy, aquaporin 4 expression decreased in the injured rat brain, but growth-associated protein-43 expression, calaxon-like structures, and CM-Dil-positive cell number increased. Following combination therapy, however, rat cognitive and neurological function significantly improved. UC-MSC transplantation combined with HBO therapyfor repair of traumatic brain injury shows better therapeutic effects than monotherapy and significantly promotes recovery of neurological functions. PMID:26981097

Umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cell transplantation combined with hyperbaric oxygen treatment for repair of traumatic brain injury

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hai-xiao Zhou

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Transplantation of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs for repair of traumatic brain injury has been used in the clinic. Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO treatment has long been widely used as an adjunctive therapy for treating traumatic brain injury. UC-MSC transplantation combined with HBO treatment is expected to yield better therapeutic effects on traumatic brain injury. In this study, we established rat models of severe traumatic brain injury by pressurized fluid (2.5-3.0 atm impact force. The injured rats were then administered UC-MSC transplantation via the tail vein in combination with HBO treatment. Compared with monotherapy, aquaporin 4 expression decreased in the injured rat brain, but growth-associated protein-43 expression, calaxon-like structures, and CM-Dil-positive cell number increased. Following combination therapy, however, rat cognitive and neurological function significantly improved. UC-MSC transplantation combined with HBO therapyfor repair of traumatic brain injury shows better therapeutic effects than monotherapy and significantly promotes recovery of neurological functions.

Differential Responses of Human Fetal Brain Neural Stem Cells to Zika Virus Infection

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Erica L. McGrath

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Zika virus (ZIKV infection causes microcephaly in a subset of infants born to infected pregnant mothers. It is unknown whether human individual differences contribute to differential susceptibility of ZIKV-related neuropathology. Here, we use an Asian-lineage ZIKV strain, isolated from the 2015 Mexican outbreak (Mex1-7, to infect primary human neural stem cells (hNSCs originally derived from three individual fetal brains. All three strains of hNSCs exhibited similar rates of Mex1-7 infection and reduced proliferation. However, Mex1-7 decreased neuronal differentiation in only two of the three stem cell strains. Correspondingly, ZIKA-mediated transcriptome alterations were similar in these two strains but significantly different from that of the third strain with no ZIKV-induced neuronal reduction. This study thus confirms that an Asian-lineage ZIKV strain infects primary hNSCs and demonstrates a cell-strain-dependent response of hNSCs to ZIKV infection.

Differential Responses of Human Fetal Brain Neural Stem Cells to Zika Virus Infection.

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McGrath, Erica L; Rossi, Shannan L; Gao, Junling; Widen, Steven G; Grant, Auston C; Dunn, Tiffany J; Azar, Sasha R; Roundy, Christopher M; Xiong, Ying; Prusak, Deborah J; Loucas, Bradford D; Wood, Thomas G; Yu, Yongjia; Fernández-Salas, Ildefonso; Weaver, Scott C; Vasilakis, Nikos; Wu, Ping

2017-03-14

Zika virus (ZIKV) infection causes microcephaly in a subset of infants born to infected pregnant mothers. It is unknown whether human individual differences contribute to differential susceptibility of ZIKV-related neuropathology. Here, we use an Asian-lineage ZIKV strain, isolated from the 2015 Mexican outbreak (Mex1-7), to infect primary human neural stem cells (hNSCs) originally derived from three individual fetal brains. All three strains of hNSCs exhibited similar rates of Mex1-7 infection and reduced proliferation. However, Mex1-7 decreased neuronal differentiation in only two of the three stem cell strains. Correspondingly, ZIKA-mediated transcriptome alterations were similar in these two strains but significantly different from that of the third strain with no ZIKV-induced neuronal reduction. This study thus confirms that an Asian-lineage ZIKV strain infects primary hNSCs and demonstrates a cell-strain-dependent response of hNSCs to ZIKV infection. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

IL-6 deficiency leads to reduced metallothionein-I+II expression and increased oxidative stress in the brain stem after 6-aminonicotinamide treatment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Penkowa, M; Hidalgo, J

2000-01-01

-AN-injected IL-6KO mice reactive astrocytosis and recruitment of macrophages and T-lymphocytes were clearly reduced, as were BM leukopoiesis and spleen immune reaction. Expression of MT-I+II was significantly reduced while MT-III was increased. Oxidative stress, as determined by measuring nitrated...... in brain stem gray matter areas and BM toxicity. In both normal and genetically IL-6-deficient mice (IL-6 knockout (IL-6KO) mice), the extent of astroglial degeneration/cell death in the brain stem was similar as determined from disappearance of GFAP immunoreactivity. In 6-AN-injected normal mice reactive...... tyrosine and malondialdehyde, was increased by 6-AN to a greater extent in IL-6KO mice. The blood-brain barrier to albumin was only disrupted in 6-AN-injected normal mice, which likely is due to the substantial migration of blood-derived inflammatory cells into the CNS. The present results demonstrate...

Tipifarnib in Treating Young Patients With Recurrent or Progressive High-Grade Glioma, Medulloblastoma, Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor, or Brain Stem Glioma

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-07

Childhood High-grade Cerebral Astrocytoma; Childhood Oligodendroglioma; Recurrent Childhood Brain Stem Glioma; Recurrent Childhood Cerebellar Astrocytoma; Recurrent Childhood Cerebral Astrocytoma; Recurrent Childhood Medulloblastoma; Recurrent Childhood Supratentorial Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor; Recurrent Childhood Visual Pathway and Hypothalamic Glioma

Stem cell therapy for retinal diseases

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia, José Mauricio; Mendonça, Luisa; Brant, Rodrigo; Abud, Murilo; Regatieri, Caio; Diniz, Bruno

2015-01-01

In this review, we discuss about current knowledge about stem cell (SC) therapy in the treatment of retinal degeneration. Both human embryonic stem cell and induced pluripotent stem cell has been growth in culture for a long time, and started to be explored in the treatment of blinding conditions. The Food and Drug Administration, recently, has granted clinical trials using SC retinal therapy to treat complex disorders, as Stargardt’s dystrophy, and patients with geographic atrophy, providing good outcomes. This study’s intent is to overview the critical regeneration of the subretinal anatomy through retinal pigment epithelium transplantation, with the goal of reestablish important pathways from the retina to the occipital cortex of the brain, as well as the differentiation from pluripotent quiescent SC to adult retina, and its relationship with a primary retinal injury, different techniques of transplantation, management of immune rejection and tumorigenicity, its potential application in improving patients’ vision, and, finally, approaching future directions and challenges for the treatment of several conditions. PMID:25621115

Induced Neural Stem Cells Achieve Long-Term Survival and Functional Integration in the Adult Mouse Brain

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Kathrin Hemmer

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Differentiated cells can be converted directly into multipotent neural stem cells (i.e., induced neural stem cells [iNSCs]. iNSCs offer an attractive alternative to induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC technology with regard to regenerative therapies. Here, we show an in vivo long-term analysis of transplanted iNSCs in the adult mouse brain. iNSCs showed sound in vivo long-term survival rates without graft overgrowths. The cells displayed a neural multilineage potential with a clear bias toward astrocytes and a permanent downregulation of progenitor and cell-cycle markers, indicating that iNSCs are not predisposed to tumor formation. Furthermore, the formation of synaptic connections as well as neuronal and glial electrophysiological properties demonstrated that differentiated iNSCs migrated, functionally integrated, and interacted with the existing neuronal circuitry. We conclude that iNSC long-term transplantation is a safe procedure; moreover, it might represent an interesting tool for future personalized regenerative applications.

A functional study of EGFR and Notch signaling in brain cancer stem-like cells from glioblastoma multiforme (Ph.d.)

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Kristoffersen, Karina

2013-01-01

Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) is the most common and aggressive brain tumor in adults with a median survival for newly diagnosed GBM patients at less than 1.5 year. Despite intense treatment efforts the vast majority of patients will experience relapse and much research today is therefore searching...... for new molecular and cellular targets that can improve the prognosis for GBM patients. One such target is the brain cancer stem-like cells (bCSC) that are believed to be responsible for tumor initiation, progression, treatment resistance and ultimately relapse. bCSC are identified based...... on their resemblance to normal neural stem cells (NSC) and their tumorigenic potential. Like for NSC, the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and Notch receptor signaling pathways are believed to be important for the maintenance of bCSC. These pathways as such present promising targets in a future anti-bCSC GBM...

The other side of the brain: The politics of split-brain research in the 1970s-1980s.

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Staub, Michael E

2016-11-01

In the course of the 1970s and 1980s, theories derived from neuropsychological research on the bisected brain came rapidly to achieve the status of common sense in the United States and Canada, inflecting all manner of popular and academic discussion. These theories often posited that the right hemisphere was the seat of creative expression, whereas the left hemisphere housed rationality and language. This article analyzes the political and cultural implications of theories about the split brain. Gender relations, educational reform, management theory, race relations, and countercultural concepts about self-expression all quickly came to be viewed through the lens of left-brain/right-brain neuropsychological research. Yet these theories were often contradictory. On the one hand, some psychophysiological experiments premised that the brain was inherently plastic in nature, and thus self-improvement techniques (like mindfulness meditation) could be practiced to unfurl the right hemisphere's intuitive potentialities. On the other hand, other psychophysiological experiments concluded that Native Americans as well as African Americans and persons from "the East" appeared inherently to possess more highly developed right-brain talents, and therefore suffered in the context of a left-hemisphere-dominated Western society. In both instances, psychologists put neuroscientific research to political and social use. This article thus connects a story from the annals of the neurosciences to the history of psychological experimentation. It analyzes the critical impact that speculative ideas about the split brain were to have not only on the post-1960s history of psychology but also on what soon emerged after the 1990s as the social neuroscience revolution. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) depolarizes a subset of inspiratory neurons in the newborn mouse brain stem in vitro

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rekling, J C; Champagnat, J; Denavit-Saubié, M

1996-01-01

neurons located in the rostral ventrolateral part of the slice. 2. Bath-applied TRH (1 microM) decreased the time between inspiratory discharges recorded on the XII nerve from 12.3 +/- 3.3 s to 4.9 +/- 1.1 s (n = 28; means +/- SD), i.e., caused an approximate threefold increase in the respiratory...... frequency. The coefficient of variation of the time between the inspiratory discharges decreased by one-half. Thus the respiratory output became more stable in response to TRH. The duration of the inspiratory discharges increased from 474 +/- 108 ms to 679 +/- 114 ms, and the amplitude decreased by 24...... in a thick brain stem slice preparation from the newborn mouse. The action of TRH on the respiratory output from the slice was investigated by recordings from the XII nerve. Cellular responses to TRH were investigated using whole cell recordings from hypoglossal motoneurons and three types of inspiratory...

Estradiol receptors mediate estradiol-induced inhibition of mitochondrial Ca^{2+} efflux in rat caudate nucleus and brain stem

OpenAIRE

PETROVIC, SNJEZANA; MILOSEVIC, MAJA; RISTIC-MEDIC, DANIJELA; VELICKOVIC, NATASA; DRAKULIC, DUNJA; GRKOVIC, IVANA; HORVAT, ANICA

2015-01-01

Our earlier studies found that in vitro estradiol modulates mitochondrial Ca2+ transport in discrete brain regions. The present study examined the role of estradiol receptors (ERs) in estradiol-induced inhibition of Ca^{2+} efflux from synaptosomal mitochondria isolated from rat caudate nuclei and brain stems. Radioactively labeled CaCl_2 (0.6?0.75 µCi ^45CaCl_{2}) was used for Ca^{2+} transport monitoring. The results revealed that in the presence of ER antagonist 7\\alpha,17ß-[9[(4,4,5,5,5-...

Stem cells and treatment of brain and spinal cord injury

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Syková, Eva

2009-01-01

Roč. 276, Suppl.1 (2009), s. 40-40 ISSN 1742-464X. [Congress of the Federation-of-European-Biochemical-Societies /34./. 04.07.2009-09.07.2009, Prague] Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50390703 Keywords : Stem cells Subject RIV: FH - Neurology

Cholecystokinin cholescintigraphic findings in the cystic duct syndrome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fink-Bennett, D.; DeRidder, P.; Kolozsi, W.; Gordon, R.; Rapp, J.

1985-01-01

Fourteen patients with a cystic duct syndrome (CDS) underwent cholecystokinin (CCK) cholescintigraphy. All patients presented with persistent postprandial right upper quadrant pain and biliary colic. None of the patients had an abnormal oral cholecystography, gallbladder (GB) ultrasound exam or upper GI series. Each patient received 5 mCi of technetium-99m disofenin. When the GB maximally filled, 0.02 microgram/kg CCK was administered (3 min) intravenously. Background corrected gallbladder ejection fractions (GBEFs) were determined every 5 min X 4 by rationing the pre-CCK GB counts minus post-CCK GB counts to pre-CCK GB counts. GBEFs were: 12% (3 patients), 17% (2), 0%, 1.3%, 3%, 4%, 6%, 11%, 14%, 18.5%, and 22% (1 each). All patients underwent a surgical exploration and all had macro- or microscopically abnormal cystic ducts with (12 patients) or without (2 patients) concomitant chronic cholecystitis. No patient with a partially occluded cystic duct with or without concomitant chronic cholecystitis had an ejection fraction that exceeded 22%. In an appropriate clinical setting, a low EF response to CCK should alert the physician to the presence of either chronic acalculous cholecystitis, CDS, or the combination of both

Wilson's disease: two treatment modalities. Correlations to pretreatment and posttreatment brain MRI

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Leiros da Costa, Maria do Desterro [Federal University of Paraiba, Movement Disorders Unit, Paraiba (Brazil); Spitz, Mariana; Bacheschi, Luiz Alberto; Barbosa, Egberto Reis [University of Sao Paulo, Movement Disorders Unit, Sao Paulo (Brazil); Leite, Claudia Costa; Lucato, Leandro Tavares [University of Sao Paulo, Department of Radiology, Sao Paulo (Brazil)

2009-10-15

Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies on Wilson's disease (WD) show lack of correlations between neurological and neuroimaging features. Long-term follow-up reports with sequential brain MRI in patients with neurological WD comparing different modalities of treatment are scarce. Eighteen patients with neurological WD underwent pretreatment and posttreatment brain MRI scans to evaluate the range of abnormalities and the evolution along these different periods. All patients underwent at least two MRI scans at different intervals, up to 11 years after the beginning of treatment. MRI findings were correlated with clinical picture, clinical severity, duration of neurological symptoms, and treatment with two different drugs. Patients were divided into two groups according to treatment: d-penicillamine (D-P), zinc (Zn), and Zn after the onset of severe intolerance to D-P. MRI scans before treatment showed, in all patients, hypersignal intensity lesions on T2- and proton-density-weighted images bilaterally and symmetrically at basal nuclei, thalamus, brain stem, cerebellum, brain cortex, and brain white matter. The most common neurological symptoms were: dysarthria, parkinsonism, dystonia, tremor, psychiatric disturbances, dysphagia, risus sardonicus, ataxia, chorea, and athetosis. From the neurological point of view, there was no difference on the evolution between the group treated exclusively with D-P and the one treated with Zn. Analysis of MRI scans with longer intervals after the beginning of treatment depicted a trend for neuroimaging worsening, without neurological correspondence, among patients treated with Zn. Neuroimaging pattern of evolution was more favorable for the group that received exclusively D-P. (orig.)

Childhood Brain Stem Glioma Treatment

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... The tentorium separates the supratentorium from the infratentorium (right panel). The skull and meninges protect the brain and spinal cord (left panel). Brain tumors are the second most common ...

Proliferation of differentiated glial cells in the brain stem

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P.C. Barradas

1998-02-01

Full Text Available Classical studies of macroglial proliferation in muride rodents have provided conflicting evidence concerning the proliferating capabilities of oligodendrocytes and microglia. Furthermore, little information has been obtained in other mammalian orders and very little is known about glial cell proliferation and differentiation in the subclass Metatheria although valuable knowledge may be obtained from the protracted period of central nervous system maturation in these forms. Thus, we have studied the proliferative capacity of phenotypically identified brain stem oligodendrocytes by tritiated thymidine radioautography and have compared it with known features of oligodendroglial differentiation as well as with proliferation of microglia in the opossum Didelphis marsupialis. We have detected a previously undescribed ephemeral, regionally heterogeneous proliferation of oligodendrocytes expressing the actin-binding, ensheathment-related protein 2'3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase (CNPase, that is not necessarily related to the known regional and temporal heterogeneity of expression of CNPase in cell bodies. On the other hand, proliferation of microglia tagged by the binding of Griffonia simplicifolia B4 isolectin, which recognizes an alpha-D-galactosyl-bearing glycoprotein of the plasma membrane of macrophages/microglia, is known to be long lasting, showing no regional heterogeneity and being found amongst both ameboid and differentiated ramified cells, although at different rates. The functional significance of the proliferative behavior of these differentiated cells is unknown but may provide a low-grade cell renewal in the normal brain and may be augmented under pathological conditions.

Efficient and Fast Differentiation of Human Neural Stem Cells from Human Embryonic Stem Cells for Cell Therapy

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Xinxin Han

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Stem cell-based therapies have been used for repairing damaged brain tissue and helping functional recovery after brain injury. Aberrance neurogenesis is related with brain injury, and multipotential neural stem cells from human embryonic stem (hES cells provide a great promise for cell replacement therapies. Optimized protocols for neural differentiation are necessary to produce functional human neural stem cells (hNSCs for cell therapy. However, the qualified procedure is scarce and detailed features of hNSCs originated from hES cells are still unclear. In this study, we developed a method to obtain hNSCs from hES cells, by which we could harvest abundant hNSCs in a relatively short time. Then, we examined the expression of pluripotent and multipotent marker genes through immunostaining and confirmed differentiation potential of the differentiated hNSCs. Furthermore, we analyzed the mitotic activity of these hNSCs. In this report, we provided comprehensive features of hNSCs and delivered the knowledge about how to obtain more high-quality hNSCs from hES cells which may help to accelerate the NSC-based therapies in brain injury treatment.

CD44v6 regulates growth of brain tumor stem cells partially through the AKT-mediated pathway.

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Mayumi Jijiwa

Full Text Available Identification of stem cell-like brain tumor cells (brain tumor stem-like cells; BTSC has gained substantial attention by scientists and physicians. However, the mechanism of tumor initiation and proliferation is still poorly understood. CD44 is a cell surface protein linked to tumorigenesis in various cancers. In particular, one of its variant isoforms, CD44v6, is associated with several cancer types. To date its expression and function in BTSC is yet to be identified. Here, we demonstrate the presence and function of the variant form 6 of CD44 (CD44v6 in BTSC of a subset of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM. Patients with CD44(high GBM exhibited significantly poorer prognoses. Among various variant forms, CD44v6 was the only isoform that was detected in BTSC and its knockdown inhibited in vitro growth of BTSC from CD44(high GBM but not from CD44(low GBM. In contrast, this siRNA-mediated growth inhibition was not apparent in the matched GBM sample that does not possess stem-like properties. Stimulation with a CD44v6 ligand, osteopontin (OPN, increased expression of phosphorylated AKT in CD44(high GBM, but not in CD44(low GBM. Lastly, in a mouse spontaneous intracranial tumor model, CD44v6 was abundantly expressed by tumor precursors, in contrast to no detectable CD44v6 expression in normal neural precursors. Furthermore, overexpression of mouse CD44v6 or OPN, but not its dominant negative form, resulted in enhanced growth of the mouse tumor stem-like cells in vitro. Collectively, these data indicate that a subset of GBM expresses high CD44 in BTSC, and its growth may depend on CD44v6/AKT pathway.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Regulate Blood Brain Barrier Integrity in Traumatic Brain Injury Through Production of the Soluble Factor TIMP3

Science.gov (United States)

Menge, Tyler; Zhao, Yuhai; Zhao, Jing; Wataha, Kathryn; Geber, Michael; Zhang, Jianhu; Letourneau, Phillip; Redell, John; Shen, Li; Wang, Jing; Peng, Zhalong; Xue, Hasen; Kozar, Rosemary; Cox, Charles S.; Khakoo, Aarif Y.; Holcomb, John B.; Dash, Pramod K.; Pati, Shibani

2013-01-01

Mesenchymal stem cells (MCSs) have been shown to have therapeutic potential in multiple disease states associated with vascular instability including traumatic brain injury (TBI). In the present study, Tissue Inhibitor of Matrix Metalloproteinase-3 (TIMP3) is identified as the soluble factor produced by MSCs that can recapitulate the beneficial effects of MSCs on endothelial function and blood brain barrier (BBB) compromise in TBI. Attenuation of TIMP3 expression in MSCs completely abrogates the effect of MSCs on BBB permeability and stability, while intravenous administration of rTIMP3 alone can inhibit BBB permeability in TBI. Our results demonstrate that MSCs increase circulating levels of soluble TIMP3, which inhibits VEGF-A induced breakdown of endothelial AJs in vitro and in vivo. These findings elucidate a clear molecular mechanism for the effects of MSCs on the BBB in TBI, and directly demonstrate a role for TIMP3 in regulation of BBB integrity. PMID:23175708

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Neural Cells Survive and Mature in the Nonhuman Primate Brain

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Marina E. Emborg

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs opens up the possibility for personalized cell therapy. Here, we show that transplanted autologous rhesus monkey iPSC-derived neural progenitors survive for up to 6 months and differentiate into neurons, astrocytes, and myelinating oligodendrocytes in the brains of MPTP-induced hemiparkinsonian rhesus monkeys with a minimal presence of inflammatory cells and reactive glia. This finding represents a significant step toward personalized regenerative therapies.

Postnatal Development of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) and Tyrosine Protein Kinase B (TrkB) Receptor Immunoreactivity in Multiple Brain Stem Respiratory-Related Nuclei of the Rat

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Qiuli; Wong-Riley, Margaret T.T.

2013-01-01

Previously, we found a transient imbalance between suppressed excitation and enhanced inhibition in the respiratory network of the rat around postnatal days (P) 12–13, a critical period when the hypoxic ventilatory response is at its weakest. The mechanism underlying the imbalance is poorly understood. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its tyrosine protein kinase B (TrkB) receptors are known to potentiate glutamatergic and attenuate gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic neurotransmission, and BDNF is essential for respiratory development. We hypothesized that the excitation-inhibition imbalance during the critical period stemmed from a reduced expression of BDNF and TrkB at that time within respiratory-related nuclei of the brain stem. An in-depth, semiquantitative immunohistochemical study was undertaken in seven respiratory-related brain stem nuclei and one nonrespiratory nucleus in P0–21 rats. The results indicate that the expressions of BDNF and TrkB: 1) in the pre-Bötzinger complex, nucleus ambiguus, commissural and ventrolateral subnuclei of solitary tract nucleus, and retrotrapezoid nucleus/parafacial respiratory group were significantly reduced at P12, but returned to P11 levels by P14; 2) in the lateral paragigantocellular nucleus and parapyramidal region were increased from P0 to P7, but were strikingly reduced at P10 and plateaued thereafter; and 3) in the nonrespiratory cuneate nucleus showed a gentle plateau throughout the first 3 post-natal weeks, with only a slight decline of BDNF expression after P11. Thus, the significant downregulation of both BDNF and TrkB in respiratory-related nuclei during the critical period may form the basis of, or at least contribute to, the inhibitory-excitatory imbalance within the respiratory network during this time. PMID:22678720

In vitro model of cerebral ischemia by using brain microvascular endothelial cells derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Kokubu, Yasuhiro; Yamaguchi, Tomoko; Kawabata, Kenji

2017-04-29

Brain-derived microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs), which play a central role in blood brain barrier (BBB), can be used for the evaluation of drug transport into the brain. Although human BMEC cell lines have already been reported, they lack original properties such as barrier integrity. Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) can be used for various applications such as regenerative therapy, drug screening, and pathological study. In the recent study, an induction method of BMECs from PSCs has been established, making it possible to more precisely study the in vitro human BBB function. Here, using induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell-derived BMECs, we examined the effects of oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) and OGD/reoxygenation (OGD/R) on BBB permeability. OGD disrupted the barrier function, and the dysfunction was rapidly restored by re-supply of the oxygen and glucose. Interestingly, TNF-α, which is known to be secreted from astrocytes and microglia in the cerebral ischemia, prevented the restoration of OGD-induced barrier dysfunction in an apoptosis-independent manner. Thus, we could establish the in vitro BBB disease model that mimics the cerebral ischemia by using iPS cell-derived BMECs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

It takes two to tango, a dance between the cells of origin and cancer stem cells in the Drosophila larval brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Janssens, Derek H; Lee, Cheng-Yu

2014-04-01

During malignant transformation the cells of origin give rise to cancer stem cells which possess the capacity to undergo limitless rounds of self-renewing division, regenerating themselves while producing more tumor cells. Within normal tissues, a limitless self-renewal capacity is unique to the stem cells, which divide asymmetrically to produce more restricted progenitors. Accumulating evidence suggests that misregulation of the self-renewal machinery in stem cell progeny can lead to tumorigenesis, but how it influences the properties of the resulting tumors remains unclear. Studies of the type II neural stem cell (neuroblast) lineages in the Drosophila larval brain have identified a regulatory cascade that promotes commitment to a progenitor cell identity by restricting their response to the self-renewal machinery. Brain tumor (Brat) and Numb initiate this cascade by asymmetrically extinguishing the activity of the self-renewal factors. Subsequently, Earmuff (Erm) and the SWI/SNF complex stably restrict the competence of the progenitor cell to respond to reactivation of self-renewal mechanisms. Together, this cascade programs the progenitor cell to undergo limited rounds of division, generating exclusive differentiated progeny. Here we review how defects in this cascade lead to tumor initiation and how inhibiting the self-renewal mechanisms may be an effective strategy to block CSC expansion. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Brain catalase in the streptozotocin-rat model of sporadic Alzheimer's disease treated with the iron chelator-monoamine oxidase inhibitor, M30.

Science.gov (United States)

Sofic, E; Salkovic-Petrisic, M; Tahirovic, I; Sapcanin, A; Mandel, S; Youdim, M; Riederer, P

2015-04-01

Low intracerebroventricular (icv) doses of streptozotocin (STZ) produce regionally specific brain neurochemical changes in rats that are similar to those found in the brain of patients with sporadic Alzheimer's disease (sAD). Since oxidative stress is thought to be one of the major pathologic processes in sAD, catalase (CAT) activity was estimated in the regional brain tissue of animals treated intracerebroventricularly with STZ and the multitarget iron chelator, antioxidant and MAO-inhibitor M30 [5-(N-methyl-N-propargylaminomethyl)-8-hydroxyquinoline]. Five-day oral pre-treatment of adult male Wistar rats with 10 mg/kg/day M30 dose was followed by a single injection of STZ (1 mg/kg, icv). CAT activity was measured colorimetrically in the hippocampus (HPC), brain stem (BS) and cerebellum (CB) of the control, STZ-, M30- and STZ + M30-treated rats, respectively, 4 weeks after the STZ treatment. STZ-treated rats demonstrated significantly lower CAT activity in all three brain regions in comparison to the controls (p effects in this non-transgenic sAD model.

Establishment and Characterization of a Tumor Stem Cell-Based Glioblastoma Invasion Model.

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Stine Skov Jensen

Full Text Available Glioblastoma is the most frequent and malignant brain tumor. Recurrence is inevitable and most likely connected to tumor invasion and presence of therapy resistant stem-like tumor cells. The aim was therefore to establish and characterize a three-dimensional in vivo-like in vitro model taking invasion and tumor stemness into account.Glioblastoma stem cell-like containing spheroid (GSS cultures derived from three different patients were established and characterized. The spheroids were implanted in vitro into rat brain slice cultures grown in stem cell medium and in vivo into brains of immuno-compromised mice. Invasion was followed in the slice cultures by confocal time-lapse microscopy. Using immunohistochemistry, we compared tumor cell invasion as well as expression of proliferation and stem cell markers between the models.We observed a pronounced invasion into brain slice cultures both by confocal time-lapse microscopy and immunohistochemistry. This invasion closely resembled the invasion in vivo. The Ki-67 proliferation indexes in spheroids implanted into brain slices were lower than in free-floating spheroids. The expression of stem cell markers varied between free-floating spheroids, spheroids implanted into brain slices and tumors in vivo.The established invasion model kept in stem cell medium closely mimics tumor cell invasion into the brain in vivo preserving also to some extent the expression of stem cell markers. The model is feasible and robust and we suggest the model as an in vivo-like model with a great potential in glioma studies and drug discovery.

Effects of a high plant protein diet on the somatotropic system and cholecystokinin in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Hevrøy, Ernst M; El-Mowafi, Adel; Taylor, Richard; Norberg, Birgitta; Espe, Marit

2008-12-01

To investigate the endocrine signalling from dietary plant protein on somatotropic system and gastrointestinal hormone cholecystokinin (CCK), two iso-amino acid diets based on either high plant or high fish meal protein were fed to Atlantic salmon. Salmon with an average starting weight of 641+/-23 g (N=180), were fed a fish meal (FM) based diet (containing 40% FM) or diets mainly consisting of blended plant proteins (PP) containing only 13% marine protein, of which only 5% was FM for 3 months. mRNA levels of target genes GH, GH-R, IGF-I, IGF-II, IGFBP-1, IGF-IR in addition to CCK-L, were studied in brain, hepatic tissue and fast muscle, and circulating levels of IGF-I in plasma of Atlantic salmon were measured. We detected reduced feed intake resulting in lower growth, weight gain and muscle protein accretion in salmon fed plant protein compared to a diet based on fish meal. There were no significant effects on the regulation of the target genes in brain or in hepatic tissues, but a trend of down-regulation of IGF-I was detected in fast muscle. Lower feed intake, and therefore lower intake of the indispensable amino acids, may have resulted in lower pituitary GH and lower IGF-I mRNA levels in muscle tissues. This, together with higher protein catabolism, may be the main cause of the reduced growth of salmon fed plant protein diet. There were no signalling effects detected either by the minor differences of the diets on mRNA levels of GH, GH-R, IGF-IR, IGF-II, IGFBP-1, CCK or plasma protein IGF-I.

Induced neural stem cells achieve long-term survival and functional integration in the adult mouse brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Hemmer, Kathrin; Zhang, Mingyue; van Wüllen, Thea; Sakalem, Marna; Tapia, Natalia; Baumuratov, Aidos; Kaltschmidt, Christian; Kaltschmidt, Barbara; Schöler, Hans R; Zhang, Weiqi; Schwamborn, Jens C

2014-09-09

Differentiated cells can be converted directly into multipotent neural stem cells (i.e., induced neural stem cells [iNSCs]). iNSCs offer an attractive alternative to induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology with regard to regenerative therapies. Here, we show an in vivo long-term analysis of transplanted iNSCs in the adult mouse brain. iNSCs showed sound in vivo long-term survival rates without graft overgrowths. The cells displayed a neural multilineage potential with a clear bias toward astrocytes and a permanent downregulation of progenitor and cell-cycle markers, indicating that iNSCs are not predisposed to tumor formation. Furthermore, the formation of synaptic connections as well as neuronal and glial electrophysiological properties demonstrated that differentiated iNSCs migrated, functionally integrated, and interacted with the existing neuronal circuitry. We conclude that iNSC long-term transplantation is a safe procedure; moreover, it might represent an interesting tool for future personalized regenerative applications. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

HTR8/SVneo Cells Display Trophoblast Progenitor Cell-Like Characteristics Indicative of Self-Renewal, Repopulation Activity, and Expression of “Stemness-” Associated Transcription Factors

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Maja Weber

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. JEG3 is a choriocarcinoma—and HTR8/SVneo a transformed extravillous trophoblast—cell line often used to model the physiologically invasive extravillous trophoblast. Past studies suggest that these cell lines possess some stem or progenitor cell characteristics. Aim was to study whether these cells fulfill minimum criteria used to identify stem-like (progenitor cells. In summary, we found that the expression profile of HTR8/SVneo (CDX2+, NOTCH1+, SOX2+, NANOG+, and OCT- is distinct from JEG3 (CDX2+ and NOTCH1+ as seen only in human-serum blocked immunocytochemistry. This correlates with HTR8/SVneo’s self-renewal capacities, as made visible via spheroid formation and multi-passagability in hanging drops protocols paralleling those used to maintain embryoid bodies. JEG3 displayed only low propensity to form and reform spheroids. HTR8/SVneo spheroids migrated to cover and seemingly repopulate human chorionic villi during confrontation cultures with placental explants in hanging drops. We conclude that HTR8/SVneo spheroid cells possess progenitor cell traits that are probably attained through corruption of “stemness-” associated transcription factor networks. Furthermore, trophoblastic cells are highly prone to unspecific binding, which is resistant to conventional blocking methods, but which can be alleviated through blockage with human serum.

The role of CXC chemokine ligand (CXCL)12-CXC chemokine receptor (CXCR)4 signalling in the migration of neural stem cells towards a brain tumour

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Meulen, A. A. E.; Biber, K.; Lukovac, S.; Balasubramaniyan, V.; den Dunnen, W. F. A.; Boddeke, H. W. G. M.; Mooij, J. J. A.

2009-01-01

Aims: It has been shown that neural stem cells (NSCs) migrate towards areas of brain injury or brain tumours and that NSCs have the capacity to track infiltrating tumour cells. The possible mechanism behind the migratory behaviour of NSCs is not yet completely understood. As chemokines are involved

Cholecystokinin-Assisted Hydrodissection of the Gallbladder Fossa during FDG PET/CT-guided Liver Ablation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tewari, Sanjit O., E-mail: tewaris@mskcc.org [Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Molecular Imaging and Therapy Service, Department of Radiology (United States); Petre, Elena N., E-mail: petree@mskcc.org [Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Interventional Radiology Service, Department of Radiology (United States); Osborne, Joseph, E-mail: osbornej@mskcc.org [Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Molecular Imaging and Therapy Service, Department of Radiology (United States); Sofocleous, Constantinos T., E-mail: sofoclec@mskcc.org [Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Interventional Radiology Service, Department of Radiology (United States)

2013-12-15

A 68-year-old female with colorectal cancer developed a metachronous isolated fluorodeoxyglucose-avid (FDG-avid) segment 5/6 gallbladder fossa hepatic lesion and was referred for percutaneous ablation. Pre-procedure computed tomography (CT) images demonstrated a distended gallbladder abutting the segment 5/6 hepatic metastasis. In order to perform ablation with clear margins and avoid direct puncture and aspiration of the gallbladder, cholecystokinin was administered intravenously to stimulate gallbladder contraction before hydrodissection. Subsequently, the lesion was ablated successfully with sufficient margins, of greater than 1.0 cm, using microwave with ultrasound and FDG PET/CT guidance. The patient tolerated the procedure very well and was discharged home the next day.

Therapeutic Potential of Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cells on Brain Damage of a Model of Stroke

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Mohammad Reza Nikravesh

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Human cord blood-derived stem cells are a rich source of stem cells as well as precursors. With regard to the researchers have focused on the therapeutic potential of stem cell in the neurological disease such as stroke, the aim of this study was the investiga-tion of the therapeutic effects of human cord blood-derived stem cells in cerebral ischemia on rat. Methods: This study was carried out on young rats. Firstly, to create a laboratory model of ischemic stroke, carotid artery of animals was occluded for 30 minutes. Then, umbilical cord blood cells were isolated and labeled using bromodeoxyuridine and 2×105 cells were injected into the experimental group via the tail vein. Rats with hypoxic condi-tions were used as a sham group. A group of animals did not receive any injection or sur-geries were used as a control. Results: Obtained results were evaluated based on behavior-al responses and immunohistochemistry, with emphasis on areas of putamen and caudate nucleus in the control, sham and experimental groups. Our results indicated that behavioral recovery was observed in the experimental group compared to the either the sham or the control group. However, histological studies demonstrated a low percent of tissue injury in the experimental group in comparison with the sham group. Conclusion: Stem cell trans-plantation is beneficial for the brain tissue reparation after hypoxic ischemic cell death.

Brain cystogenesis capacity of Toxoplasma gondii, avirulent Tehran strain in mice

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Mehrzad Saraei

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Objective: To investigate the brain cystogenesis capacity of Tehran strain of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii that had been isolated from a patient with lymphadenitis in 1973. Methods: A volume of 0.5 mL mice brain suspension containing 20 tissue cysts of Tehran strain of T. gondii was inoculated intraperitoneally to each of 25 male BALB/c mice. The number of brain cysts was counted in unstained squash-smears for 10 mice during weeks 7-9 and for 15 mice during weeks 13-14 post-infection. Nonparametric test of Mann-Whitney was used to demonstrate means differences. Results: There was a significant difference in the means for the number of brain cysts between weeks 7-9 (228.3依144.8 and weeks 13-14 (1 239.8依429.3 post-infection (P<0.05. The minimum and the maximum of cysts were 70 and 1 531 during weeks 7-9 post-infection, and 12 and 5 170 during weeks 13-14 post-infection, respectively. The mean number of brain cysts in the right cerebral hemisphere was insignificantly higher than that of the left cerebral hemisphere. Furthermore, the number of cysts counted in the right or the left hemispheres was significantly higher than those enumerated for cerebellum+brain stem altogether. Conclusions: It is concluded that the brain cystogenesis capacity of T. gondii, Tehran strain shows enormous variation in mice regarding the duration of infection. In addition, the cystogenesis observed in cerebellum+brain stem is lower than the right and left cerebral hemispheres.

The SAMP8 mouse for investigating memory and the role of insulin in the brain.

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Rhea, Elizabeth M; Banks, William A

2017-08-01

SAMP8 mice exhibit changes that commonly occur with normal aging late in life, but do so at a much earlier age. These changes include impairments in learning and memory as early as 8months of age and so the SAMP8 is a useful model to investigate those age-related brain changes that may affect cognition. As brain insulin signaling and memory decline with aging, the SAMP8 model is useful for investigating these changes and interventions that might prevent the decline. This review will summarize the SAMP8 mouse model, highlight changes in brain insulin signaling and its role in memory, and discuss intranasal insulin delivery in investigating effects on insulin metabolism and memory in the SAMP8 mice. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Taurine Induces Proliferation of Neural Stem Cells and Synapse Development in the Developing Mouse Brain

Science.gov (United States)

Shivaraj, Mattu Chetana; Marcy, Guillaume; Low, Guoliang; Ryu, Jae Ryun; Zhao, Xianfeng; Rosales, Francisco J.; Goh, Eyleen L. K.

2012-01-01

Taurine is a sulfur-containing amino acid present in high concentrations in mammalian tissues. It has been implicated in several processes involving brain development and neurotransmission. However, the role of taurine in hippocampal neurogenesis during brain development is still unknown. Here we show that taurine regulates neural progenitor cell (NPC) proliferation in the dentate gyrus of the developing brain as well as in cultured early postnatal (P5) hippocampal progenitor cells and hippocampal slices derived from P5 mice brains. Taurine increased cell proliferation without having a significant effect on neural differentiation both in cultured P5 NPCs as well as cultured hippocampal slices and in vivo. Expression level analysis of synaptic proteins revealed that taurine increases the expression of Synapsin 1 and PSD 95. We also found that taurine stimulates the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 indicating a possible role of the ERK pathway in mediating the changes that we observed, especially in proliferation. Taken together, our results demonstrate a role for taurine in neural stem/progenitor cell proliferation in developing brain and suggest the involvement of the ERK1/2 pathways in mediating these actions. Our study also shows that taurine influences the levels of proteins associated with synapse development. This is the first evidence showing the effect of taurine on early postnatal neuronal development using a combination of in vitro, ex-vivo and in vivo systems. PMID:22916184

A detrimental effect of a combined chemotherapy-radiotherapy approach in children with diffuse intrinsic brain stem gliomas?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Freeman, Carolyn R.; Kepner, Jim; Kun, Larry E.; Sanford, Robert A.; Kadota, Richard; Mandell, Lynda; Friedman, Henry

2000-01-01

Purpose: To compare the proportion of patients that survive at least 1 year following treatment with hyperfractionated radiotherapy (HRT) to a dose of 70.2 Gy on Pediatric Oncology Group (POG) study no. 8495 with that of patients treated with similar radiotherapy plus cisplatinum given by continuous infusion on weeks 1, 3, and 5 of radiotherapy on POG no. 9239. Methods and Materials: The eligibility criteria for the two studies were identical and included age 3 to 21 years, previously untreated tumor involving the brain stem of which two-thirds was in the pons, history less than 6 months, and clinical findings typical for diffuse intrinsic brain stem glioma, including cranial nerve deficits, long tract signs, and ataxia. The outcome of 57 patients who were treated at the 70.2 Gy dose level of POG no. 8495 between May 1986 and February 1988 was compared with that of 64 patients treated with identical radiotherapy plus cisplatinum on POG no. 9239 between June 1992 and March 1996. Results: The number of patients accrued to POG no. 9239 was determined to guarantee that the probability was at least 0.80 of correctly detecting that the 1-year survival rate exceeded that of patients on POG no. 8495 by 0.2. However, the z value for this test was -1.564, giving a p value of 0.9411. That is, there is almost sufficient evidence to conclude that survival for patients receiving HRT plus cisplatinum on POG no. 9239 was worse than that for patients receiving the same radiotherapy alone on POG no. 8495. Conclusion: The finding that patients who received cisplatinum given as a radiosensitizing agent concurrent with HRT fared less well than those receiving the same dose of HRT alone was unexpected and is clearly a cause for concern as many current protocols for patients with diffuse intrinsic brain stem gliomas call for use of chemotherapeutic and/or biological agents given concurrent with radiotherapy

Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: Need for Research & Potential Applications. It’s status in India

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Shripad D. Banavali

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that through replications have the capabilities of both self-renewal and differentiation into mature specialized cells. Broadly, there are two types of stem cells, embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. Embryonic stem cell biology has been associated with ethical controversy and also their growth is difficult to control. Adult stem cells are located in tissues throughout the body and function as a reservoir to replace damaged or aging cells. Embryonic stem cells are by definitions, the master cells capable of differentiating into every type of cells either in-vitro or in-vivo. Several lines of evidence suggests, however, that adult stem cells and even terminally differentiated somatic cells under appropriate micro-environmental cues are able to be reprogrammed and contribute to a much wider spectrum of differentiated progeny than previously anticipated. Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSCs, for example, from different sources have been shown to cross the tissue boundaries and give rise to the cells of the other germ layers.In the past few years, the plasticity of adult cells in several post-natal tissues has attracted special attention in regenerative medicine. Stem cell therapies represent a new field of biomedical science which could provide in the future the cure for diseases until now considered incurable. The reconstitution of adult stem cells may be promising source for the regeneration of damaged tissues and for the resolution of organ dysfunction. However, there are two major limitations to the use of such cells:- (i They are rare and (ii Only a few types exist that can be isolated without harming the patient.Due to the inability to efficiently and safely harvest or expand stem cells from most adult organs (e.g. liver, gastrointestinal tract, heart, brain, the majority of human stem cell trials have focused on clinical applications for HSCs, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs, or both, which can be easily

Brain stem slice conditioned medium contains endogenous BDNF and GDNF that affect neural crest boundary cap cells in co-culture.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaiser, Andreas; Kale, Ajay; Novozhilova, Ekaterina; Siratirakun, Piyaporn; Aquino, Jorge B; Thonabulsombat, Charoensri; Ernfors, Patrik; Olivius, Petri

2014-05-30

Conditioned medium (CM), made by collecting medium after a few days in cell culture and then re-using it to further stimulate other cells, is a known experimental concept since the 1950s. Our group has explored this technique to stimulate the performance of cells in culture in general, and to evaluate stem- and progenitor cell aptitude for auditory nerve repair enhancement in particular. As compared to other mediums, all primary endpoints in our published experimental settings have weighed in favor of conditioned culture medium, where we have shown that conditioned culture medium has a stimulatory effect on cell survival. In order to explore the reasons for this improved survival we set out to analyze the conditioned culture medium. We utilized ELISA kits to investigate whether brain stem (BS) slice CM contains any significant amounts of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glial cell derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF). We further looked for a donor cell with progenitor characteristics that would be receptive to BDNF and GDNF. We chose the well-documented boundary cap (BC) progenitor cells to be tested in our in vitro co-culture setting together with cochlear nucleus (CN) of the BS. The results show that BS CM contains BDNF and GDNF and that survival of BC cells, as well as BC cell differentiation into neurons, were enhanced when BS CM were used. Altogether, we conclude that BC cells transplanted into a BDNF and GDNF rich environment could be suitable for treatment of a traumatized or degenerated auditory nerve. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Use of a nitrotryptophan-containing peptide for photoaffinity labeling the pancreatic cholecystokinin receptor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klueppelberg, U.G.; Gaisano, H.Y.; Powers, S.P.; Miller, L.J.

1989-01-01

The authors report the preparation and characterization of a new type of intrinsic photoaffinity labeling probe, on the basis of the incorporation of a photolabile nitrotryptophan into a biologically relevant domain of a peptide. The model system used was the pancreatic cholecystokinin (CCK) receptor, previously affinity labeled with a variety of probes. Those studies have suggested that an M r = 85,000-95,000 protein is more likely to be labeled as the site of covalent attachment approaches the receptor-binding domain of this hormone. Indeed, CCK has a Trp in the center of its receptor-binding region, and replacement of that residue with 6-nitrotryptophan resulted in a photolabile probe which affinity labeled the same M r = 85,000-95,000 pancreatic membrane protein. This probe, 125 I-D-Tyr-Gly-[(Nle 28,31 ,6-NO 2 -Trp 30 )CCK-26-33], was synthesized by solid-phase and solution techniques and characterized by mass spectrometry. Following oxidative iodination, it was purified on HPLC to 2000 Ci/mmol. Binding to pancreatic membranes was rapid, temperature dependent, reversible, saturable, and specific and was with high affinity. While its binding affinity was only 3-fold lower than that of native CCK-8, this probe was 70-fold less potent than native hormone in stimulating amylase secretion and equally efficacious to native hormone

Mesenchymal stem cells support neuronal fiber growth in an organotypic brain slice co-culture model.

Science.gov (United States)

Sygnecka, Katja; Heider, Andreas; Scherf, Nico; Alt, Rüdiger; Franke, Heike; Heine, Claudia

2015-04-01

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been identified as promising candidates for neuroregenerative cell therapies. However, the impact of different isolation procedures on the functional and regenerative characteristics of MSC populations has not been studied thoroughly. To quantify these differences, we directly compared classically isolated bulk bone marrow-derived MSCs (bulk BM-MSCs) to the subpopulation Sca-1(+)Lin(-)CD45(-)-derived MSCs(-) (SL45-MSCs), isolated by fluorescence-activated cell sorting from bulk BM-cell suspensions. Both populations were analyzed with respect to functional readouts, that are, frequency of fibroblast colony forming units (CFU-f), general morphology, and expression of stem cell markers. The SL45-MSC population is characterized by greater morphological homogeneity, higher CFU-f frequency, and significantly increased nestin expression compared with bulk BM-MSCs. We further quantified the potential of both cell populations to enhance neuronal fiber growth, using an ex vivo model of organotypic brain slice co-cultures of the mesocortical dopaminergic projection system. The MSC populations were cultivated underneath the slice co-cultures without direct contact using a transwell system. After cultivation, the fiber density in the border region between the two brain slices was quantified. While both populations significantly enhanced fiber outgrowth as compared with controls, purified SL45-MSCs stimulated fiber growth to a larger degree. Subsequently, we analyzed the expression of different growth factors in both cell populations. The results show a significantly higher expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and basic fibroblast growth factor in the SL45-MSCs population. Altogether, we conclude that MSC preparations enriched for primary MSCs promote neuronal regeneration and axonal regrowth, more effectively than bulk BM-MSCs, an effect that may be mediated by a higher BDNF secretion.

Brain Gain or Brain Circulation? U.S. Doctoral Recipients Returning to South Korea

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jenny J.; Kim, Dongbin

2010-01-01

This study explored the reasons for current reverse mobility patterns in South Korea and how the country benefits from returning U.S. doctoral recipients in the forms of brain gain and brain circulation. Based on interviews of Korean faculty who studied in the U.S., this study found that while the political economy might help to explain why Korean…

Establishment and Characterization of a Tumor Stem Cell-Based Glioblastoma Invasion Model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Stine Skov; Meyer, Morten; Petterson, Stine Asferg

2016-01-01

AIMS: Glioblastoma is the most frequent and malignant brain tumor. Recurrence is inevitable and most likely connected to tumor invasion and presence of therapy resistant stem-like tumor cells. The aim was therefore to establish and characterize a three-dimensional in vivo-like in vitro model taking...... invasion and tumor stemness into account. METHODS: Glioblastoma stem cell-like containing spheroid (GSS) cultures derived from three different patients were established and characterized. The spheroids were implanted in vitro into rat brain slice cultures grown in stem cell medium and in vivo into brains...... of immuno-compromised mice. Invasion was followed in the slice cultures by confocal time-lapse microscopy. Using immunohistochemistry, we compared tumor cell invasion as well as expression of proliferation and stem cell markers between the models. RESULTS: We observed a pronounced invasion into brain slice...

Evolution of brain region volumes during artificial selection for relative brain size.

Science.gov (United States)

Kotrschal, Alexander; Zeng, Hong-Li; van der Bijl, Wouter; Öhman-Mägi, Caroline; Kotrschal, Kurt; Pelckmans, Kristiaan; Kolm, Niclas

2017-12-01

The vertebrate brain shows an extremely conserved layout across taxa. Still, the relative sizes of separate brain regions vary markedly between species. One interesting pattern is that larger brains seem associated with increased relative sizes only of certain brain regions, for instance telencephalon and cerebellum. Till now, the evolutionary association between separate brain regions and overall brain size is based on comparative evidence and remains experimentally untested. Here, we test the evolutionary response of brain regions to directional selection on brain size in guppies (Poecilia reticulata) selected for large and small relative brain size. In these animals, artificial selection led to a fast response in relative brain size, while body size remained unchanged. We use microcomputer tomography to investigate how the volumes of 11 main brain regions respond to selection for larger versus smaller brains. We found no differences in relative brain region volumes between large- and small-brained animals and only minor sex-specific variation. Also, selection did not change allometric scaling between brain and brain region sizes. Our results suggest that brain regions respond similarly to strong directional selection on relative brain size, which indicates that brain anatomy variation in contemporary species most likely stem from direct selection on key regions. © 2017 The Author(s). Evolution © 2017 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural cells survive and mature in the nonhuman primate brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Emborg, Marina E; Liu, Yan; Xi, Jiajie; Zhang, Xiaoqing; Yin, Yingnan; Lu, Jianfeng; Joers, Valerie; Swanson, Christine; Holden, James E; Zhang, Su-Chun

2013-03-28

The generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) opens up the possibility for personalized cell therapy. Here, we show that transplanted autologous rhesus monkey iPSC-derived neural progenitors survive for up to 6 months and differentiate into neurons, astrocytes, and myelinating oligodendrocytes in the brains of MPTP-induced hemiparkinsonian rhesus monkeys with a minimal presence of inflammatory cells and reactive glia. This finding represents a significant step toward personalized regenerative therapies. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

21st Nantes Actualités Transplantation: "When Stem Cells Meet Immunology".

Science.gov (United States)

Anegon, Ignacio; Nguyen, Tuan Huy

2017-01-01

"When Stem Cells Meet Immunology" has been the topic of the 21st annual "Nantes Actualités en Transplantation" meeting (June 9-10, 2016, Nantes, France). This meeting brought together pioneers and leading experts in the fields of stem cells, biomaterials and immunoregulation. Presentations covered multipotent (mesenchymal and hematopoietic) and pluripotent stem cells (embryonic and induced) for regenerative medicine of incurable diseases, immunotherapy and blood transfusions. An additional focus had been immune rejections and responses of allogeneic or autologous stem cells. Conversely, stem cells are also able to directly modulate the immune response through the production of immunoregulatory molecules. Moreover, stem cells may also provide an unlimited source of immune cells (DCs, NK cells, B cells, and T cells) that can operate as "super" immune cells, for example, through genetic engineering with chimeric antigen receptors.This meeting report puts presentations into an overall context highlighting new potential biomarkers for potency prediction of mesenchymal stem cell-derived and pluripotent stem cell-derived multicellular organoids. Finally, we propose future directions arising from the flourishing encounter of stem cell and immune biology.

Targeting Malignant Brain Tumors with Antibodies

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Rok Razpotnik

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Antibodies have been shown to be a potent therapeutic tool. However, their use for targeting brain diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases and brain cancers, has been limited, particularly because the blood–brain barrier (BBB makes brain tissue hard to access by conventional antibody-targeting strategies. In this review, we summarize new antibody therapeutic approaches to target brain tumors, especially malignant gliomas, as well as their potential drawbacks. Many different brain delivery platforms for antibodies have been studied such as liposomes, nanoparticle-based systems, cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs, and cell-based approaches. We have already shown the successful delivery of single-chain fragment variable (scFv with CPP as a linker between two variable domains in the brain. Antibodies normally face poor penetration through the BBB, with some variants sufficiently passing the barrier on their own. A “Trojan horse” method allows passage of biomolecules, such as antibodies, through the BBB by receptor-mediated transcytosis (RMT. Such examples of therapeutic antibodies are the bispecific antibodies where one binding specificity recognizes and binds a BBB receptor, enabling RMT and where a second binding specificity recognizes an antigen as a therapeutic target. On the other hand, cell-based systems such as stem cells (SCs are a promising delivery system because of their tumor tropism and ability to cross the BBB. Genetically engineered SCs can be used in gene therapy, where they express anti-tumor drugs, including antibodies. Different types and sources of SCs have been studied for the delivery of therapeutics to the brain; both mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs and neural stem cells (NSCs show great potential. Following the success in treatment of leukemias and lymphomas, the adoptive T-cell therapies, especially the chimeric antigen receptor-T cells (CAR-Ts, are making their way into glioma treatment as another type of cell

Your Brain and Nervous System

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... Safe Videos for Educators Search English Español Your Brain & Nervous System KidsHealth / For Kids / Your Brain & Nervous ... The coolest wetsuit? Nope — he needs his cerebellum! Brain Stem Keeps You Breathing — and More Another brain ...

Cancer stem cell hypotheses: Impact on modern molecular

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

basis for the so-called cancer stem cell (CSC) hypotheses. The first exact proof of CSC ... or less equal ability for tumour regeneration and repopulation. (Nowell 1976 .... Also, there are reports that the 'stemness' (stem-like properties) of brain.

Biomimetic brain tumor niche regulates glioblastoma cells towards a cancer stem cell phenotype.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yung-Chiang; Lee, I-Chi; Chen, Pin-Yuan

2018-05-01

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most malignant primary brain tumor and contains tumorigenic cancer stem cells (CSCs), which support the progression of tumor growth. The selection of CSCs and facilitation of the brain tumor niches may assist the development of novel therapeutics for GBM. Herein, hydrogel materials composed of agarose and hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HMC) in different concentrations were established and compared to emulate brain tumor niches and CSC microenvironments within a label-free system. Human GBM cell line, U-87 MG, was cultured on a series of HMC-agarose based culture system. Cell aggregation and spheroids formation were investigated after 4 days of culture, and 2.5% HMC-agarose based culture system demonstrated the largest spheroids number and size. Moreover, CD133 marker expression of GBM cells after 6 days of culture in 2.5% HMC-agarose based culture system was 60%, relatively higher than the control group at only 15%. Additionally, cells on 2.5% HMC-agarose based culture system show the highest chemoresistance, even at the high dose of 500 µM temozolomide for 72 h, the live cell ratio was still > 80%. Furthermore, the results also indicate that the expression of ABCG2 gene was up-regulated after culture in 2.5% HMC-agarose based culture system. Therefore, our results demonstrated that biomimetic brain tumor microenvironment may regulate GBM cells towards the CSC phenotype and expression of CSC characteristics. The microenvironment selection and spheroids formation in HMC-agarose based culture system may provide a label-free CSC selection strategy and drug testing model for future biomedical applications.

Posterior brain in fetuses with open spina bifida at 11 to 13 weeks.

Science.gov (United States)

Lachmann, Robert; Chaoui, Rabih; Moratalla, Jose; Picciarelli, Gemma; Nicolaides, Kypros H

2011-01-01

To measure the changes in the posterior fossa in first-trimester fetuses with open spina bifida (OSB). The brain stem diameter and brain stem to occipital bone (BSOB) diameter were measured in stored images of the mid-sagittal view of the fetal face at 11(+0) to 13(+6) weeks from 30 fetuses with OSB and 1000 normal controls. In the control group, the brain stem and BSOB diameter increased significantly with crown-rump length (CRL) and the brain stem to BSOB ratio decreased. In the spina bifida group, the brain stem diameter was above the 95th percentile of the control group in 29 (96.7%) cases, the BSOB diameter was below the 5th percentile in 26 (86.7%) and the brain stem to BSOB ratio was above the 95th percentile in all cases. At 11 to 13 weeks the majority of fetuses with OSB have measurable abnormalities in the posterior brain.

Pivotal Role of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Secreted by Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Severe Intraventricular Hemorrhage in Newborn Rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahn, So Yoon; Chang, Yun Sil; Sung, Dong Kyung; Sung, Se In; Ahn, Jee-Yin; Park, Won Soon

2017-01-24

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation protects against neonatal severe intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH)-induced brain injury by a paracrine rather than regenerative mechanism; however, the paracrine factors involved and their roles have not yet been delineated. This study aimed to identify the paracrine mediator(s) and to determine their role in mediating the therapeutic effects of MSCs in severe IVH. We first identified significant upregulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in MSCs compared with fibroblasts, in both DNA and antibody microarrays, after thrombin exposure. We then knocked down BDNF in MSCs by transfection with small interfering (si)RNA specific for human BDNF. The therapeutic effects of MSCs with or without BDNF knockdown were evaluated in vitro in rat neuronal cells challenged with thrombin, and in vivo in newborn Sprague-Dawley rats by injecting 200 μl of blood on postnatal day 4 (P4), and transplanting MSCs (1 × 105 cells) intraventricularly on P6. siRNA-induced BDNF knockdown abolished the in vitro benefits of MSCs on thrombin-induced neuronal cell death. BDNF knockdown also abolished the in vivo protective effects against severe IVH-induced brain injuries such as the attenuation of posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus, impaired behavioral test performance, increased astrogliosis, increased number of TUNEL cells, ED-1+ cells, and inflammatory cytokines, and reduced myelin basic protein expression. Our data indicate that BDNF secreted by transplanted MSCs is one of the critical paracrine factors that play a seminal role in attenuating severe IVH-induced brain injuries in newborn rats.

Serpina1 is a potent inhibitor of IL-8-induced hematopoietic stem cell mobilization

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Pel, M; van Os, R; Velders, GA; Hagoort, H; Heegaard, PMH; Lindley, IJD; Willemze, R; Fibbe, WE

2006-01-01

Here, we report that cytokine-induced (granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and IL-8) hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) and hematopoietic progenitor cell (HPC) mobilization is completely inhibited after low-dose (0.5 Gy) total-body irradiation (TBI). Because neutrophil granular proteases are regulatory

Serpina1 is a potent inhibitor of IL-8-induced hematopoietic stem cell mobilization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

van Pel, M.; van Os, R.; Velders, G.A.

2006-01-01

Here, we report that cytokine-induced (granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and IL-8) hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) and hematopoietic progenitor cell (HPC) mobilization is completely inhibited after low-dose (0.5 Gy) total-body irradiation (TBI). Because neutrophil granular proteases are regulat...

The neural stem cell fate determinant TLX promotes tumorigenesis and genesis of cells resembling glioma stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Hyo-Jung; Kim, Jun-Kyum; Jeon, Hye-Min; Oh, Se-Yeong; Kim, Sung-Hak; Nam, Do-Hyun; Kim, Hyunggee

2010-11-01

A growing body of evidence indicates that deregulation of stem cell fate determinants is a hallmark of many types of malignancies. The neural stem cell fate determinant TLX plays a pivotal role in neurogenesis in the adult brain by maintaining neural stem cells. Here, we report a tumorigenic role of TLX in brain tumor initiation and progression. Increased TLX expression was observed in a number of glioma cells and glioma stem cells, and correlated with poor survival of patients with gliomas. Ectopic expression of TLX in the U87MG glioma cell line and Ink4a/Arf-deficient mouse astrocytes (Ink4a/Arf(-/-) astrocytes) induced cell proliferation with a concomitant increase in cyclin D expression, and accelerated foci formation in soft agar and tumor formation in in vivo transplantation assays. Furthermore, overexpression of TLX in Ink4a/Arf(-/-) astrocytes inhibited cell migration and invasion and promoted neurosphere formation and Nestin expression, which are hallmark characteristics of glioma stem cells, under stem cell culture conditions. Our results indicate that TLX is involved in glioma stem cell genesis and represents a potential therapeutic target for this type of malignancy.

Human CD8 T cells generated in vitro from hematopoietic stem cells are functionally mature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zúñiga-Pflücker Juan

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background T cell development occurs within the highly specialized thymus. Cytotoxic CD8 T cells are critical in adaptive immunity by targeting virally infected or tumor cells. In this study, we addressed whether functional CD8 T cells can be generated fully in vitro using human umbilical cord blood (UCB hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs in coculture with OP9-DL1 cells. Results HSC/OP9-DL1 cocultures supported the differentiation of CD8 T cells, which were TCR/CD3hi CD27hi CD1aneg and thus phenotypically resembled mature functional CD8 single positive thymocytes. These in vitro-generated T cells also appeared to be conventional CD8 cells, as they expressed high levels of Eomes and low levels of Plzf, albeit not identical to ex vivo UCB CD8 T cells. Consistent with the phenotypic and molecular characterization, upon TCR-stimulation, in vitro-generated CD8 T cells proliferated, expressed activation markers (MHC-II, CD25, CD38, secreted IFN-γ and expressed Granzyme B, a cytotoxic T-cell effector molecule. Conclusion Taken together, the ability to direct human hematopoietic stem cell or T-progenitor cells towards a mature functional phenotype raises the possibility of establishing cell-based treatments for T-immunodeficiencies by rapidly restoring CD8 effector function, thereby mitigating the risks associated with opportunistic infections.

Exophytic pilocytic astrocytoma of the brain stem in an adult with encasement of the caudal cranial nerve complex (IX-XII): presurgical anatomical neuroimaging using MRI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yousry, Indra; Yousry, Tarek A. [Department of Neuroradiology, Klinikum Grosshadern, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377, Munich (Germany); Muacevic, Alexander; Olteanu-Nerbe, Vlad [Department of Neurosurgery, Klinikum Grosshadern, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich (Germany); Naidich, Thomas P. [Department of Radiology, Section of Neuroradiology, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York (United States)

2004-07-01

We describe a rare case of adult pilocytic astrocytoma in which exophytic growth from the brain stem presented as a right cerebellopontine angle mass. An initial MRI examination using T2- and T1-weighted images without and with contrast suggested the diagnosis of schwannoma. Subsequent use of 3D CISS (three-dimensional constructive interference in steady state) and T1-weighted contrast-enhanced 3D MP-RAGE (three-dimensional magnetization prepared rapid acquisition gradient echo) sequences led to the diagnosis of an exophytic brain stem tumor, documented the precise relationships of the tumor to cranial nerve VIII, revealed encasement of cranial nerves IX-XII (later confirmed intraoperatively), and provided the proper basis for planning surgical management. (orig.)

Exophytic pilocytic astrocytoma of the brain stem in an adult with encasement of the caudal cranial nerve complex (IX-XII): presurgical anatomical neuroimaging using MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yousry, Indra; Yousry, Tarek A.; Muacevic, Alexander; Olteanu-Nerbe, Vlad; Naidich, Thomas P.

2004-01-01

We describe a rare case of adult pilocytic astrocytoma in which exophytic growth from the brain stem presented as a right cerebellopontine angle mass. An initial MRI examination using T2- and T1-weighted images without and with contrast suggested the diagnosis of schwannoma. Subsequent use of 3D CISS (three-dimensional constructive interference in steady state) and T1-weighted contrast-enhanced 3D MP-RAGE (three-dimensional magnetization prepared rapid acquisition gradient echo) sequences led to the diagnosis of an exophytic brain stem tumor, documented the precise relationships of the tumor to cranial nerve VIII, revealed encasement of cranial nerves IX-XII (later confirmed intraoperatively), and provided the proper basis for planning surgical management. (orig.)

When stem cells grow old: phenotypes and mechanisms of stem cell aging

Science.gov (United States)

Schultz, Michael B.; Sinclair, David A.

2016-01-01

All multicellular organisms undergo a decline in tissue and organ function as they age. An attractive theory is that a loss in stem cell number and/or activity over time causes this decline. In accordance with this theory, aging phenotypes have been described for stem cells of multiple tissues, including those of the hematopoietic system, intestine, muscle, brain, skin and germline. Here, we discuss recent advances in our understanding of why adult stem cells age and how this aging impacts diseases and lifespan. With this increased understanding, it is feasible to design and test interventions that delay stem cell aging and improve both health and lifespan. PMID:26732838

14C-dopamine microinjected into the brain-stem of the rat: dispersion kinetics, site content and functional dose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Myers, R.D.; Hoch, D.B.

1978-01-01

A morphological analysis was undertaken of both the dispersion characteristics and tissue content of dopamine (DA) microinjected acutely into the brain-stem of the anesthetized rat. 14C-DA, with a specific activity of 56-62 mCi/mMol, was infused unilaterally into the pars compacta of the substantia nigra in one of four test volumes: 0.5, 1.0, 4.0 or 8.0 microliters. The concentration of the 14C-DA solution was 1.0 microCi/microliter, equivalent to 3.01 micrograms/microliters, which was delivered at an injection rate of 1.0 microliter per 45 sec. At an interval of either one min or 15 min following the microinjection, the rat's brain was removed rapidly from its calvarium, flash frozen and then cut in the coronal plane on a freezing microtome in 500 micron slabs. After each of the respective serial slabs was mounted on glass, the Eik Nes-Brizzee trochar technique for the discrete removal of tissue samples was used to obtain 0.5 mm dia. cylindrical plugs of meso-diencephalic tissue at distances from the site of injection ranging from 0.5 to 2.5 mm, center to center. Each sample plug was subsequently solubilized and 14C-DA activity quantitated by liquid scintillation spectrometry. The results show that regardless of volume, the spatial patterning of the microinjected solution assumes a tear-drop or pear shape, not a sphere. Further, as the volume of the injection is increased from 0.5 to 8.0 microliters, the magnitude of the dispersion of 14C-DA is enhanced throughout the surrounding parenchyma, but not in a linear fashion

Single-Cell Transcriptomics Reveals a Population of Dormant Neural Stem Cells that Become Activated upon Brain Injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Llorens-Bobadilla, Enric; Zhao, Sheng; Baser, Avni; Saiz-Castro, Gonzalo; Zwadlo, Klara; Martin-Villalba, Ana

2015-09-03

Heterogeneous pools of adult neural stem cells (NSCs) contribute to brain maintenance and regeneration after injury. The balance of NSC activation and quiescence, as well as the induction of lineage-specific transcription factors, may contribute to diversity of neuronal and glial fates. To identify molecular hallmarks governing these characteristics, we performed single-cell sequencing of an unbiased pool of adult subventricular zone NSCs. This analysis identified a discrete, dormant NSC subpopulation that already expresses distinct combinations of lineage-specific transcription factors during homeostasis. Dormant NSCs enter a primed-quiescent state before activation, which is accompanied by downregulation of glycolytic metabolism, Notch, and BMP signaling and a concomitant upregulation of lineage-specific transcription factors and protein synthesis. In response to brain ischemia, interferon gamma signaling induces dormant NSC subpopulations to enter the primed-quiescent state. This study unveils general principles underlying NSC activation and lineage priming and opens potential avenues for regenerative medicine in the brain. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Insulin-Resistant Brain State: the culprit in sporadic Alzheimer’s Disease?

Science.gov (United States)

Correia, Sónia C.; Santos, Renato X.; Perry, George; Zhu, Xiongwei; Moreira, Paula I.; Smith, Mark A.

2011-01-01

Severe abnormalities in brain glucose/energy metabolism and insulin signaling have been documented to take a pivotal role in early sporadic Alzheimer’s disease (sAD) pathology. Indeed, the “insulin-resistant brain state” has been hypothesized to form the core of the neurodegenerative events that occur in sAD. In this vein, intracerebroventricular administration of subdiabetogenic doses of streptozotocin (STZ) in rats can induce an insulin-resistant brain state, which is proposed as a suitable experimental model of sAD. This review highlights the involvement of disturbed brain insulin metabolism in sAD etiopathogenesis. Furthermore, current knowledge demonstrates that central STZ administration produces brain pathology and behavioral changes that resemble changes found in sAD patients. The STZ-intracerebroventricularly treated rat represents a promising experimental tool in this field by providing new insights concerning early brain alterations in sAD, which can be translated in novel etiopathogenic and therapeutic approaches in this disease. PMID:21262392

Effect of Mobile Phone-Induced Electromagnetic Field on Brain Hemodynamics and Human Stem Cell Functioning: Possible Mechanistic Link to Cancer Risk and Early Diagnostic Value of Electronphotonic Imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhargav, Hemant; Srinivasan, T M; Varambally, S; Gangadhar, B N; Koka, Prasad

2015-01-01

The mobile phones (MP) are low power radio devices which work on electromagnetic fields (EMFs), in the frequency range of 900-1800 MHz. Exposure to MPEMFs may affect brain physiology and lead to various health hazards including brain tumors. Earlier studies with positron emission tomography (PET) have found alterations in cerebral blood flow (CBF) after acute exposure to MPEMFs. It is widely accepted that DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and their misrepair in stem cells are critical events in the multistage origination of various leukemia and tumors, including brain tumors such as gliomas. Both significant misbalance in DSB repair and severe stress response have been triggered by MPEMFs and EMFs from cell towers. It has been shown that stem cells are most sensitive to microwave exposure and react to more frequencies than do differentiated cells. This may be important for cancer risk assessment and indicates that stem cells are the most relevant cellular model for validating safe mobile communication signals. Recently developed technology for recording the human bio-electromagnetic (BEM) field using Electron photonic Imaging (EPI) or Gas Discharge Visualisation (GDV) technique provides useful information about the human BEM. Studies have recorded acute effects of Mobile Phone Electromagnetic Fields (MPEMFs) using EPI and found quantifiable effects on human BEM field. Present manuscript reviews evidences of altered brain physiology and stem cell functioning due to mobile phone/cell tower radiations, its association with increased cancer risk and explores early diagnostic value of EPI imaging in detecting EMF induced changes on human BEM.

Osmotherapy in brain edema

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grände, Per-Olof; Romner, Bertil

2012-01-01

Despite the fact that it has been used since the 1960s in diseases associated with brain edema and has been investigated in >150 publications on head injury, very little has been published on the outcome of osmotherapy. We can only speculate whether osmotherapy improves outcome, has no effect......, osmotherapy can be negative for outcome, which may explain why we lack scientific support for its use. These drawbacks, and the fact that the most recent Cochrane meta-analyses of osmotherapy in brain edema and stroke could not find any beneficial effects on outcome, make routine use of osmotherapy in brain...... edema doubtful. Nevertheless, the use of osmotherapy as a temporary measure may be justified to acutely prevent brain stem compression until other measures, such as evacuation of space-occupying lesions or decompressive craniotomy, can be performed. This article is the Con part in a Pro-Con debate...

Neurogenesis and brain injury: managing a renewable resource for repair

OpenAIRE

Hallbergson, Anna F.; Gnatenco, Carmen; Peterson, Daniel A.

2003-01-01

The brain shows limited ability to repair itself, but neurogenesis in certain areas of the adult brain suggests that neural stem cells may be used for structural brain repair. It will be necessary to understand how neurogenesis in the adult brain is regulated to develop strategies that harness neural stem cells for therapeutic use.

Distribution of PDE8A in the nervous system of the Sprague-Dawley rat

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kruse, Lars Schack; Møller, Morten; Kruuse, Christina

2011-01-01

in the brain of adult male Sprague-Dawley rats and in the trigeminal ganglion. PDE8A was confined to neuronal perikaryal cytoplasm and to processes extending from those perikarya. The neurons exhibiting PDE8A-immunoreactivity were widely distributed in the forebrain, brain stem, and cerebellum. Strongly...... immunoreactive neurons were located in the olfactory bulb, the septal area, zona incerta, and reticular nucleus of the thalamus. Less immunoreactivity was seen in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex. Intense staining was detected in both the substantia nigra and the sensory trigeminal nucleus. In cerebellum PDE8....... The localization of the cAMP degrading PDE8A may indicate a role for PDE8A in cAMP signaling related to pain transmission, motor function, cognition and olfaction....

The cell-specific pattern of cholecystokinin peptides in endocrine cells versus neurons is governed by the expression of prohormone convertases 1/3, 2, and 5/6

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bundgaard, J.R.; Hannibal, J.; Zhu, X.

2008-01-01

Most peptide hormone genes are, in addition to endocrine cells, also expressed in neurons. The peptide hormone cholecystokinin (CCK) is expressed in different molecular forms in cerebral neurons and intestinal endocrine cells. To understand this difference, we examined the roles of the neuroendoc...

Neural stem cell heterogeneity through time and space in the ventricular-subventricular zone.

Science.gov (United States)

Rushing, Gabrielle; Ihrie, Rebecca A

2016-08-01

The origin and classification of neural stem cells (NSCs) has been a subject of intense investigation for the past two decades. Efforts to categorize NSCs based on their location, function and expression have established that these cells are a heterogeneous pool in both the embryonic and adult brain. The discovery and additional characterization of adult NSCs has introduced the possibility of using these cells as a source for neuronal and glial replacement following injury or disease. To understand how one could manipulate NSC developmental programs for therapeutic use, additional work is needed to elucidate how NSCs are programmed and how signals during development are interpreted to determine cell fate. This review describes the identification, classification and characterization of NSCs within the large neurogenic niche of the ventricular-subventricular zone (V-SVZ). A literature search was conducted using Pubmed including the keywords "ventricular-subventricular zone," "neural stem cell," "heterogeneity," "identity" and/or "single cell" to find relevant manuscripts to include within the review. A special focus was placed on more recent findings using single-cell level analyses on neural stem cells within their niche(s). This review discusses over 20 research articles detailing findings on V-SVZ NSC heterogeneity, over 25 articles describing fate determinants of NSCs, and focuses on 8 recent publications using distinct single-cell analyses of neural stem cells including flow cytometry and RNA-seq. Additionally, over 60 manuscripts highlighting the markers expressed on cells within the NSC lineage are included in a chart divided by cell type. Investigation of NSC heterogeneity and fate decisions is ongoing. Thus far, much research has been conducted in mice however, findings in human and other mammalian species are also discussed here. Implications of NSC heterogeneity established in the embryo for the properties of NSCs in the adult brain are explored, including

Irradiation of the potential cancer stem cell niches in the adult brain improves progression-free survival of patients with malignant glioma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evers, Patrick; Lee, Percy P; DeMarco, John; Agazaryan, Nzhde; Sayre, James W; Selch, Michael; Pajonk, Frank

2010-01-01

Glioblastoma is the most common brain tumor in adults. The mechanisms leading to glioblastoma are not well understood but animal studies support that inactivation of tumor suppressor genes in neural stem cells (NSC) is required and sufficient to induce glial cancers. This suggests that the NSC niches in the brain may harbor cancer stem cells (CSCs), Thus providing novel therapy targets. We hypothesize that higher radiation doses to these NSC niches improve patient survival by eradicating CSCs. 55 adult patients with Grade 3 or Grade 4 glial cancer treated with radiotherapy at UCLA between February of 2003 and May of 2009 were included in this retrospective study. Using radiation planning software and patient radiological records, the SVZ and SGL were reconstructed for each of these patients and dosimetry data for these structures was calculated. Using Kaplan-Meier analysis we show that patients whose bilateral subventricular zone (SVZ) received greater than the median SVZ dose (= 43 Gy) had a significant improvement in progression-free survival if compared to patients who received less than the median dose (15.0 vs 7.2 months PFS; P = 0.028). Furthermore, a mean dose >43 Gy to the bilateral SVZ yielded a hazard ratio of 0.73 (P = 0.019). Importantly, similarly analyzing total prescription dose failed to illustrate a statistically significant impact. Our study leads us to hypothesize that in glioma targeted radiotherapy of the stem cell niches in the adult brain could yield significant benefits over radiotherapy of the primary tumor mass alone and that damage caused by smaller fractions of radiation maybe less efficiently detected by the DNA repair mechanisms in CSCs

Jejunal feeding is followed by a greater rise in plasma cholecystokinin, peptide YY, glucagon-like peptide 1, and glucagon-like peptide 2 concentrations compared with gastric feeding in vivo in humans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Luttikhold, Joanna; van Norren, Klaske; Rijna, Herman

2016-01-01

and the associated endocrine response in vivo in humans remains largely unexplored. OBJECTIVE: We compared the impact of administering enteral nutrition as either gastric feeding or jejunal feeding on endocrine responses in vivo in humans. DESIGN: In a randomized, crossover study design, 12 healthy young men (mean...... and a greater postprandial incremental AUC for GLP-1 and cholecystokinin (all P young men results in similar postprandial plasma amino acid and glucose concentrations....... However, the endocrine response differs substantially, with higher peak plasma cholecystokinin, PYY, GLP-1, and GLP-2 concentrations being attained after jejunal feeding. This effect may result in an improved anabolic response, greater insulin sensitivity, and an improved intestinotropic effect...

Presenilins are required for maintenance of neural stem cells in the developing brain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kim Woo-Young

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract The early embryonic lethality of mutant mice bearing germ-line deletions of both presenilin genes precluded the study of their functions in neural development. We therefore employed the Cre-loxP technology to generate presenilin conditional double knockout (PS cDKO mice, in which expression of both presenilins is inactivated in neural progenitor cells (NPC or neural stem cells and their derivative neurons and glia beginning at embryonic day 11 (E11. In PS cDKO mice, dividing NPCs labeled by BrdU are decreased in number beginning at E13.5. By E15.5, fewer than 20% of NPCs remain in PS cDKO mice. The depletion of NPCs is accompanied by severe morphological defects and hemorrhages in the PS cDKO embryonic brain. Interkinetic nuclear migration of NPCs is also disrupted in PS cDKO embryos, as evidenced by displacement of S-phase and M-phase nuclei in the ventricular zone of the telencephalon. Furthermore, the depletion of neural progenitor cells in PS cDKO embryos is due to NPCs exiting cell cycle and differentiating into neurons rather than reentering cell cycle between E13.5 and E14.5 following PS inactivation in most NPCs. The length of cell cycle, however, is unchanged in PS cDKO embryos. Expression of Notch target genes, Hes1 and Hes5, is significantly decreased in PS cDKO brains, whereas Dll1 expression is up-regulated, indicating that Notch signaling is effectively blocked by PS inactivation. These findings demonstrate that presenilins are essential for neural progenitor cells to re-enter cell cycle and thus ensure proper expansion of neural progenitor pool during embryonic neural development.

When stem cells grow old: phenotypes and mechanisms of stem cell aging.

Science.gov (United States)

Schultz, Michael B; Sinclair, David A

2016-01-01

All multicellular organisms undergo a decline in tissue and organ function as they age. An attractive theory is that a loss in stem cell number and/or activity over time causes this decline. In accordance with this theory, aging phenotypes have been described for stem cells of multiple tissues, including those of the hematopoietic system, intestine, muscle, brain, skin and germline. Here, we discuss recent advances in our understanding of why adult stem cells age and how this aging impacts diseases and lifespan. With this increased understanding, it is feasible to design and test interventions that delay stem cell aging and improve both health and lifespan. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Stem Cell Therapy: Repurposing Cell-Based Regenerative Medicine Beyond Cell Replacement.

Science.gov (United States)

Napoli, Eleonora; Lippert, Trenton; Borlongan, Cesar V

2018-02-27

Stem cells exhibit simple and naive cellular features, yet their exact purpose for regenerative medicine continues to elude even the most elegantly designed research paradigms from developmental biology to clinical therapeutics. Based on their capacity to divide indefinitely and their dynamic differentiation into any type of tissue, the advent of transplantable stem cells has offered a potential treatment for aging-related and injury-mediated diseases. Recent laboratory evidence has demonstrated that transplanted human neural stem cells facilitate endogenous reparative mechanisms by initiating multiple regenerative processes in the brain neurogenic areas. Within these highly proliferative niches reside a myriad of potent regenerative molecules, including anti-inflammatory cytokines, proteomes, and neurotrophic factors, altogether representing a biochemical cocktail vital for restoring brain function in the aging and diseased brain. Here, we advance the concept of therapeutically repurposing stem cells not towards cell replacement per se, but rather exploiting the cells' intrinsic properties to serve as the host brain regenerative catalysts.

The Bachelor’s to PhD STEM Pipeline No Longer Leaks More Women Than Men: A 30-Year Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David I. Miller

2015-02-01

Full Text Available For three decades, research and public discourse about women’s underrepresentation in academic science have often focused on the leaky pipeline metaphor. According to this metaphor, women are more likely than men to leave science at multiple points from the beginning of college through academic tenure. We used retrospective longitudinal methods to investigate how accurately this metaphor has described the bachelor’s to PhD pipeline in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM fields in the United States (U.S. since the 1970s. Among STEM bachelor’s degree earners in the 1970s and 1980s, women were less likely than men to later earn a STEM PhD. However, this gender difference closed in the 1990s. Qualitatively similar trends were found across STEM disciplines. The leaky pipeline metaphor therefore partially explains historical gender differences in the U.S., but no longer describes current gender differences in the bachelor’s to PhD transition in STEM. Our results help constrain theories of how various factors contribute to women’s underrepresentation in STEM. Overall, these results point to the need to understand gender differences at the bachelor’s level and below to understand women’s representation in STEM at the PhD level and above.

Culture of Mouse Neural Stem Cell Precursors

OpenAIRE

Currle, D. Spencer; Hu, Jia Sheng; Kolski-Andreaco, Aaron; Monuki, Edwin S.

2007-01-01

Primary neural stem cell cultures are useful for studying the mechanisms underlying central nervous system development. Stem cell research will increase our understanding of the nervous system and may allow us to develop treatments for currently incurable brain diseases and injuries. In addition, stem cells should be used for stem cell research aimed at the detailed study of mechanisms of neural differentiation and transdifferentiation and the genetic and environmental signals that direct the...

Astroglial Activation by an Enriched Environment after Transplantation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Enhances Angiogenesis after Hypoxic-Ischemic Brain Injury

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sung-Rae Cho

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs has paracrine effects; however, the effects are known to be largely limited. Here we investigated the combination effects of cell transplantation and enriched environment (EE in a model of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. Brain damage was induced in seven-day-old mice by unilateral carotid artery ligation and exposure to hypoxia (8% O2 for 90 min. At six weeks of age, the mice were randomly assigned to four groups: phosphate-buffered saline (PBS-control (CON, PBS-EE, MSC-CON, and MSC-EE. Rotarod and grip strength tests were performed to evaluate neurobehavioral functions. Histologic evaluations were also performed to confirm the extent of astrocyte activation and endogenous angiogenesis. An array-based multiplex ELISA and Western blot were used to identify growth factors in vivo and in vitro. Two weeks after treatment, levels of astrocyte density and angiogenic factors were increased in MSC-EE mice, but glial scarring was not increased. Eight weeks after treatment, angiogenesis was increased, and behavioral outcomes were synergistically improved in the MSC-EE group. Astrocytes co-cultured with MSCs expressed higher levels of angiogenic factors than astrocytes cultured alone. The mechanisms of this synergistic effect included enhanced repair processes, such as increased endogenous angiogenesis and upregulation of angiogenic factors released from activated astrocytes.

Leukoencephalopathy with brain stem and spinal cord involvement and lactate elevation is associated with cell-type-dependent splicing of mtAspRS mRNA

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Berge, Laura; Dooves, Stephanie; van Berkel, Carola G. M.; Polder, Emiel; van der Knaap, Marjo S.; Scheper, Gert C.

2012-01-01

LBSL (leukoencephalopathy with brain stem and spinal cord involvement and lactate elevation) is an autosomal recessive white matter disorder with slowly progressive cerebellar ataxia, spasticity and dorsal column dysfunction. Magnetic resonance imaging shows characteristic abnormalities in the

Synthesis and evaluation of radioiodinated (S,S)-2-({alpha}-(2-iodophenoxy)benzyl)morpholine for imaging brain norepinephrine transporter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kanegawa, Naoki; Kimura, Hiroyuki; Sugita, Taku; Kajiyama, Satomi; Kuge, Yuji; Saji, Hideo [Kyoto University, Department of Patho-Functional Bioanalysis, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto (Japan); Kiyono, Yasushi [Kyoto University, Radioisotopes Research Laboratory, Kyoto University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto (Japan); Kawashima, Hidekazu [Kyoto University, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Diagnostic Imaging, Graduate School of Medicine, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto (Japan); Ueda, Masashi [Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Radioisotope Laboratory, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto (Japan)

2006-06-15

Abnormality of the brain norepinephrine transporter (NET) has been reported in several psychiatric and neuronal disorders. Since NET is an important target for the diagnosis of these diseases, the development of radiopharmaceuticals for imaging of brain NET has been eagerly awaited. In this study, we synthesized (S,S)-2-({alpha}-(2-iodophenoxy)benzyl)morpholine [(S,S)-IPBM], a derivative of reboxetine iodinated at position 2 of the phenoxy ring, and evaluated its potential as a radiopharmaceutical for imaging brain NET using SPECT. (S,S)-{sup 123/125}I-IPBM was synthesized in a halogen exchange reaction. The affinity and selectivity of (S,S)-IPBM for NET was measured by assaying the displacement of {sup 3}H-nisoxetine and (S,S)-{sup 125}I-IPBM from the binding site in rat brain membrane, respectively. The biodistribution of (S,S)-{sup 125}I-IPBM was also determined in rats. Furthermore, SPECT studies with (S,S)-{sup 123}I-IPBM were carried out in the common marmoset. (S,S)-{sup 125}I-IPBM was prepared with high radiochemical yields (65%) and high radiochemical purity (>98%). (S,S)-IPBM showed high affinity and selectivity for NET in the binding assay experiments. In biodistribution experiments, (S,S)-{sup 125}I-IPBM showed rapid uptake in the brain, and the regional cerebral distribution was consistent with the density of NET. The administration of nisoxetine, a selective NET-binding agent, decreased the accumulation of (S,S)-{sup 125}I-IPBM in the brain, but the administration of selective serotonin transporter and dopamine transporter binding agents caused no significant changes in the accumulation. Moreover, (S,S)-{sup 123}I-IPBM allowed brain NET imaging in the common marmoset with SPECT. These results suggest that (S,S)-{sup 123}I-IPBM is a potential SPECT radiopharmaceutical for imaging brain NET. (orig.)

Ochratoxin A at nanomolar concentration perturbs the homeostasis of neural stem cells in highly differentiated but not in immature three-dimensional brain cell cultures.

Science.gov (United States)

Zurich, Marie-Gabrielle; Honegger, Paul

2011-08-28

Ochratoxin A (OTA), a fungal contaminant of basic food commodities, is known to be highly cytotoxic, but the pathways underlying adverse effects at subcytotoxic concentrations remain to be elucidated. Recent reports indicate that OTA affects cell cycle regulation. Therefore, 3D brain cell cultures were used to study OTA effects on mitotically active neural stem/progenitor cells, comparing highly differentiated cultures with their immature counterparts. Changes in the rate of DNA synthesis were related to early changes in the mRNA expression of neural stem/progenitor cell markers. OTA at 10nM, a concentration below the cytotoxic level, was ineffective in immature cultures, whereas in mature cultures it significantly decreased the rate of DNA synthesis together with the mRNA expression of key transcriptional regulators such as Sox2, Mash1, Hes5, and Gli1; the cell cycle activator cyclin D2; the phenotypic markers nestin, doublecortin, and PDGFRα. These effects were largely prevented by Sonic hedgehog (Shh) peptide (500ngml(-1)) administration, indicating that OTA impaired the Shh pathway and the Sox2 regulatory transcription factor critical for stem cell self-renewal. Similar adverse effects of OTA in vivo might perturb the regulation of stem cell proliferation in the adult brain and in other organs exhibiting homeostatic and/or regenerative cell proliferation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

STEM learning on electricity using arduino-phet based experiment to improve 8th grade students’ STEM literacy

Science.gov (United States)

Prima, E. C.; Oktaviani, T. D.; Sholihin, H.

2018-05-01

Technology is the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry. One way to support the development of the technology is by integrating the use of technology and build the technology with the learning process in the form of STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) Learning approach. Applying STEM Learning could improve Students’ STEM Literacy. The learning approach is applied in every aspect of Learning including the application of STEM Learning in the lesson plan and worksheet. The method used in this research is weak experimental method. One group class (N=15) is taken and learn using STEM Learning approach. The topic choosen is the electricity topic which is separated into electrical circuit and parameters. The learning process is separated into 3 meetings. 15 Students are given a STEM Literacy test item before and after the lesson. The result of the normalized gain shows there are improvement in students’ STEM Literacy by 0.16 categorieed as low improvement. The most higher improvement is the students’ technology literacy, because students learn using the same technology in every meeting. This factor influences students’ technology literacy so the result is higher than another.

A small stem-loop structure of the Ebola virus trailer is essential for replication and interacts with heat-shock protein A8.

Science.gov (United States)

Sztuba-Solinska, Joanna; Diaz, Larissa; Kumar, Mia R; Kolb, Gaëlle; Wiley, Michael R; Jozwick, Lucas; Kuhn, Jens H; Palacios, Gustavo; Radoshitzky, Sheli R; J Le Grice, Stuart F; Johnson, Reed F

2016-11-16

Ebola virus (EBOV) is a single-stranded negative-sense RNA virus belonging to the Filoviridae family. The leader and trailer non-coding regions of the EBOV genome likely regulate its transcription, replication, and progeny genome packaging. We investigated the cis-acting RNA signals involved in RNA-RNA and RNA-protein interactions that regulate replication of eGFP-encoding EBOV minigenomic RNA and identified heat shock cognate protein family A (HSC70) member 8 (HSPA8) as an EBOV trailer-interacting host protein. Mutational analysis of the trailer HSPA8 binding motif revealed that this interaction is essential for EBOV minigenome replication. Selective 2'-hydroxyl acylation analyzed by primer extension analysis of the secondary structure of the EBOV minigenomic RNA indicates formation of a small stem-loop composed of the HSPA8 motif, a 3' stem-loop (nucleotides 1868-1890) that is similar to a previously identified structure in the replicative intermediate (RI) RNA and a panhandle domain involving a trailer-to-leader interaction. Results of minigenome assays and an EBOV reverse genetic system rescue support a role for both the panhandle domain and HSPA8 motif 1 in virus replication. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research 2016. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

Radiotherapy combined with Tegafur (FT-207s) for brain tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aoki, Yoshiro

1981-01-01

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) has anti-tumor effects as an anti-metabolite, but it cannot pass the Blood-Brain-Barrier (BBB). FT-207 a masked-compound of 5-FU, is easily lipid soluble and is able to pass the BBB. Twenty eight patients of primary brain tumor and 8 patients of metastatic brain tumor were treated with irradiation combined with 750 mg of FT-207 suppository. Twenty four patients of primary brain tumor were treated only with irradiation as control. The mean survival time was 20.4 +- 11.8 months for the combined therapy group and 17.6 +- 8.6 months for the control. The concentration of FT-207 and 5-FU in serum and in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was investigated after administration of 750 mg of FT-207 suppository per annum. The maximum concentration of FT-207 and of 5-FU in serum was 20.4 +- 11.8 mcg/ml and 0.06 +- 0.02 mcg/ml, respectively. There were observed several side effects, such as anorexia, nausea, exanthema and etc. These side effects were not so great as to interrupt the therapy at the dose level of 750 mg of FT-207. However, at the dose of 1500 mg, one case showed disturbance of consciousness, to which attention should be called. (author)

Cancer Stem Cells – New Approach to Cancerogenensis and Treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zuzana Mačingová

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Recently, there is an increasing evidence supporting the theory of cancer stem cells not only in leukemia but also in solid cancer. To date, the existence of cancer stem cells has been proven in acute and chronic myeloid leukemia, in breast cancer, in brain tumors, in lung cancer and gastrointestinal tumors. This review is focusing on the recent discovery of stem cells in leukemia, human brain tumors and breast cancer. A small population of cells in the tumor (less than 1 % shows the potential to give rise to the tumor and its growth. These cells have a substantial characteristic of stem cells – ability for self-renewal without loss of proliferation capacity with each cell division. Furthermore they are immortal, rather resistant to treatment and express typical markers of stem cells. The origin of these resident cancer stem cells is not clear. Whether the cancer stem cells originate from normal stem cells in consequence of genetic and epigenetic changes and/or redifferentiation from somatic tumor cells to the stem-like cells remains to be investigated. We propose the idea of the relation between normal tissue stem cells and cancer stem cells and their populations – progenitor cells. Based on this we highlight one of the major characteristic of stem cell – plasticity, which is equally important in the physiological regeneration process as well as carcinogenesis. Furthermore, we consider the microenvironment as a limiting factor for tumor genesis in AML, breast cancer and brain tumors. Thus the biological properties of cancer stem cells are just beginning to be revealed, the continuation of these studies should lead to the development of cancer stem cells target therapies for cancer treatment.

MRI patterns in prolonged low response states following traumatic brain injury in children and adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Patrick, Peter D; Mabry, Jennifer L; Gurka, Matthew J; Buck, Marcia L; Boatwright, Evelyn; Blackman, James A

2007-01-01

To explore the relationship between location and pattern of brain injury identified on MRI and prolonged low response state in children post-traumatic brain injury (TBI). This observational study compared 15 children who spontaneously recovered within 30 days post-TBI to 17 who remained in a prolonged low response state. 92.9% of children with brain stem injury were in the low response group. The predicted probability was 0.81 for brain stem injury alone, increasing to 0.95 with a regional pattern of injury to the brain stem, basal ganglia, and thalamus. Low response state in children post-TBI is strongly correlated with two distinctive regions of injury: the brain stem alone, and an injury pattern to the brain stem, basal ganglia, and thalamus. This study demonstrates the need for large-scale clinical studies using MRI as a tool for outcome assessment in children and adolescents following severe TBI.

Thymosin beta-4 promotes mesenchymal stem cell proliferation via an interleukin-8-dependent mechanism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeon, Byung-Joon; Yang, Yoolhee; Kyung Shim, Su; Yang, Heung-Mo; Cho, Daeho; Ik Bang, Sa

2013-01-01

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) hold great promise for the field of tissue regeneration. Because only a limited number of MSCs can be obtained from each donor site, it is important to establish standard methods for MSC expansion using growth and trophic factors. Thymosin β4 (Tβ4) is a novel trophic factor that has antimicrobial effects and the potential to promote tissue repair. Tβ4 is a ubiquitous, naturally-occurring peptide in the wound bed. Therefore, the relationship between Tβ4 and MSCs, especially adjacent adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ASCs), merits consideration. Exogenous Tβ4 treatment enhanced the proliferation of human ASCs, resulting in prominent nuclear localization of PCNA immunoreactivity. In addition, exogenous Tβ4 also increased IL-8 secretion and blocking of IL-8 with neutralizing antibodies decreased Tβ4-induced ASC proliferation, suggesting that IL-8 is a critical mediator of Tβ4-enhanced proliferation. Moreover, Tβ4 activated phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and increased the nuclear translocation of NF-κB. These observation provide that Tβ4 promotes the expansion of human ASCs via an IL-8-dependent mechanism that involves the ERK and NF-κB pathways. Therefore, Tβ4 could be used as a tool for MSC expansion in cell therapeutics. - Highlights: • This is fundamental information required to correlate Tβ4 with MSC expansion. • MSC expansion by Tβ4 is involved in enhancement of IL-8 and ERK/NF-κB pathway. • Tβ4 could be used as a tool for MSC expansion in cell therapeutics

Thymosin beta-4 promotes mesenchymal stem cell proliferation via an interleukin-8-dependent mechanism

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jeon, Byung-Joon [Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Korea University Medical Center, Gojan 1-dong, Danwon-gu, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do 425-707 (Korea, Republic of); Yang, Yoolhee; Kyung Shim, Su [Department of Plastic Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 50 Ilwon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 135-710 (Korea, Republic of); Yang, Heung-Mo [Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 50 Ilwon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 135-710 (Korea, Republic of); Cho, Daeho, E-mail: cdhkor@sookmyung.ac.kr [Department of Life Science, Sookmyung Women' s University, Hyochangwon-gil 52, Yongsan-gu, Seoul 140-742 (Korea, Republic of); Ik Bang, Sa, E-mail: si55.bang@samsung.com [Department of Plastic Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 50 Ilwon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 135-710 (Korea, Republic of)

2013-10-15

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) hold great promise for the field of tissue regeneration. Because only a limited number of MSCs can be obtained from each donor site, it is important to establish standard methods for MSC expansion using growth and trophic factors. Thymosin β4 (Tβ4) is a novel trophic factor that has antimicrobial effects and the potential to promote tissue repair. Tβ4 is a ubiquitous, naturally-occurring peptide in the wound bed. Therefore, the relationship between Tβ4 and MSCs, especially adjacent adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ASCs), merits consideration. Exogenous Tβ4 treatment enhanced the proliferation of human ASCs, resulting in prominent nuclear localization of PCNA immunoreactivity. In addition, exogenous Tβ4 also increased IL-8 secretion and blocking of IL-8 with neutralizing antibodies decreased Tβ4-induced ASC proliferation, suggesting that IL-8 is a critical mediator of Tβ4-enhanced proliferation. Moreover, Tβ4 activated phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and increased the nuclear translocation of NF-κB. These observation provide that Tβ4 promotes the expansion of human ASCs via an IL-8-dependent mechanism that involves the ERK and NF-κB pathways. Therefore, Tβ4 could be used as a tool for MSC expansion in cell therapeutics. - Highlights: • This is fundamental information required to correlate Tβ4 with MSC expansion. • MSC expansion by Tβ4 is involved in enhancement of IL-8 and ERK/NF-κB pathway. • Tβ4 could be used as a tool for MSC expansion in cell therapeutics.

Road for understanding cancer stem cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Serakinci, Nedime; Erzik, Can

2007-01-01

There is increasing evidence suggesting that stem cells are susceptive to carcinogenesis and, consequently, can be the origin of many cancers. Recently, the neoplastic potential of stem cells has been supported by many groups showing the existence of subpopulations with stem cell characteristics...... in tumor biopsies such as brain and breast. Evidence supporting the cancer stem cell hypothesis has gained impact due to progress in stem cell biology and development of new models to validate the self-renewal potential of stem cells. Recent evidence on the possible identification of cancer stem cells may...... offer an opportunity to use these cells as future therapeutic targets. Therefore, model systems in this field have become very important and useful. This review will focus on the state of knowledge on cancer stem cell research, including cell line models for cancer stem cells. The latter will, as models...

Critical appraisal of cerebral blood flow measured from brain stem and cerebellar regions after 133 Xe inhalation in humans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Juge, O.; Meyer, J.S.; Sakai, F.; Yamaguchi, F.; Yamamoto, M.; Shaw, T.

1979-01-01

Validity of regional blood flow (rCBF) measurements recorded over the human posterior fossa after 133Xe inhalation was tested. Recording of counts from both brain stem and cerebellum (BSC) was reproducible and contamination by counts derived from surrounding anatomical structures was low and no greater than that found over hemispheres. BSC flow values showed significant correlation with the state of awareness as judged by clinical and EEG evaluation

Aging differentially affects male and female neural stem cell neurogenic properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jay Waldron

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Jay Waldron1, Althea McCourty1, Laurent Lecanu1,21The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Canada; 2Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, CanadaPurpose: Neural stem cell transplantation as a brain repair strategy is a very promising technology. However, despite many attempts, the clinical success remains very deceiving. Despite clear evidence that sexual dimorphism rules many aspects of human biology, the occurrence of a sex difference in neural stem cell biology is largely understudied. Herein, we propose to determine whether gender is a dimension that drives the fate of neural stem cells through aging. Should it occur, we believe that neural stem cell sexual dimorphism and its variation during aging should be taken into account to refine clinical approaches of brain repair strategies.Methods: Neural stem cells were isolated from the subventricular zone of three- and 20-month-old male and female Long-Evans rats. Expression of the estrogen receptors, ERα and ERβ, progesterone receptor, androgen receptor, and glucocorticoid receptor was analyzed and quantified by Western blotting on undifferentiated neural stem cells. A second set of neural stem cells was treated with retinoic acid to trigger differentiation, and the expression of neuronal, astroglial, and oligodendroglial markers was determined using Western blotting.Conclusion: We provided in vitro evidence that the fate of neural stem cells is affected by sex and aging. Indeed, young male neural stem cells mainly expressed markers of neuronal and oligodendroglial fate, whereas young female neural stem cells underwent differentiation towards an astroglial phenotype. Aging resulted in a lessened capacity to express neuron and astrocyte markers. Undifferentiated neural stem cells displayed sexual dimorphism in the expression of steroid receptors, in particular ERα and ERβ, and the expression level of several steroid receptors increased

[Inhibitory effect of murine cytomegalovirus infection on neural stem cells' differentiation and its mechanisms].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Yu-feng; Fang, Feng; Dong, Yong-sui; Zhou, Hua; Zhen, Hong; Liu, Jin; Li, Ge

2006-07-01

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the leading infectious cause of congenital anomalies of the central nervous system caused by intrauterine infection. However, the exact pathogenesis of these brain abnormalities has not been fully elucidated. It has been reported that periependymitis, periventricular necrosis and calcification are the most frequent findings in the brains of congenital CMV infection. Because a number of multipotential neural stem cells (NSCs) have been identified from ventricular zone, it is possible that NSCs in this area are primary targets for viral infection, which seems to be primarily responsible for the generation of the brain abnormalities. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to investigate the effect and mechanism of murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) infection on neural stem cells' differentiation in vitro and its role in the mechanisms of brain abnormalities caused by congenital cytomegalovirus infection. NSCs were prepared from fetal BALB/c mouse and were infected with recombinant MCMV RM461 inserted with a report gene LacZ at 1 multiplicity of infection (MOI = 1). The effect of MCMV infection on neural stem cells' differentiation was observed by detecting the ratio of nestin, GFAP and NSE positive cells with immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry on day 2 postinfection. The effects of MCMV infection on gene expression of Wnt-1 and neurogenin 1 (Ngn1) related to neural differentiation were detected by RT-PCR. NSCs isolated from embryonic mouse brains strongly expressed nestin, a specific marker of NSCs and had the capacity to differentiate into NF-200 and NSE positive neurons or GFAP positive astrocytes. At MOI = 1, the results of flow cytometry assay showed that nestin positive cells' proportion in the infection group [(62.2 +/- 1.8)%] was higher than that in the normal group [(37.2 +/- 2.4)%] (t = 4.62, P differentiation, which may be primary causes of disorders of brain development in congenital CMV infection. The decreased

Current status of treating neurodegenerative disease with induced pluripotent stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Pen, A E; Jensen, U B

2017-01-01

Degenerative diseases of the brain have proven challenging to treat, let alone cure. One of the treatment options is the use of stem cell therapy, which has been under investigation for several years. However, treatment with stem cells comes with a number of drawbacks, for instance the source of these cells. Currently, a number of options are tested to produce stem cells, although the main issues of quantity and ethics remain for most of them. Over recent years, the potential of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has been widely investigated and these cells seem promising for production of numerous different tissues both in vitro and in vivo. One of the major advantages of iPSCs is that they can be made autologous and can provide a sufficient quantity of cells by culturing, making the use of other stem cell sources unnecessary. As the first descriptions of iPSC production with the transcription factors Sox2, Klf4, Oct4 and C-Myc, called the Yamanaka factors, a variety of methods has been developed to convert somatic cells from all germ layers to pluripotent stem cells. Improvement of these methods is necessary to increase the efficiency of reprogramming, the quality of pluripotency and the safety of these cells before use in human trials. This review focusses on the current accomplishments and remaining challenges in the production and use of iPSCs for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases of the brain such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Uncovering the mechanism(s) of deep brain stimulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Gang; Yu Chao; Lin Ling; Lu, Stephen C-Y

2005-01-01

Deep brain stimulators, often called 'pacemakers for the brain', are implantable devices which continuously deliver impulse stimulation to specific targeted nuclei of deep brain structure, namely deep brain stimulation (DBS). To date, deep brain stimulation (DBS) is the most effective clinical technique for the treatment of several medically refractory movement disorders (e.g., Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, and dystonia). In addition, new clinical applications of DBS for other neurologic and psychiatric disorders (e.g., epilepsy and obsessive-compulsive disorder) have been put forward. Although DBS has been effective in the treatment of movement disorders and is rapidly being explored for the treatment of other neurologic disorders, the scientific understanding of its mechanisms of action remains unclear and continues to be debated in the scientific community. Optimization of DBS technology for present and future therapeutic applications will depend on identification of the therapeutic mechanism(s) of action. The goal of this review is to address our present knowledge of the effects of high-frequency stimulation within the central nervous system and comment on the functional implications of this knowledge for uncovering the mechanism(s) of DBS

The Corpus Callosum Area and Brain Volume in Alzheimer's Disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment and Healthy Controls

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, Hee Seok; Kim, Kwang Ki; Yoon, Yup Yoon [Dongguk University Medical Center, Goyang (Korea, Republic of); Seo, Hyung Suk [Korea University Ansan Hospital, Ansan (Korea, Republic of)

2009-07-15

To compare the corpus callosum (CC) area and brain volume among individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and healthy controls (HC). To evaluate the relationship of CC area and brain volume in 111 subjects (M:F = 48:63; mean age, 56.9 years) without memory disturbance and 28 subjects (11:17; 66.7years) with memory disturbance. The 11 AD (3:8; 75.7 years), 17 MCI (8:9; 60.9 years) and 28 selected HC (11:17; 66.4 years) patients were investigated for comparison of their CC area and brain volume. A good positive linear correlation was found between CC area and brain volume in subjects without and with memory disturbance (r = 0.64 and 0.66, respectively, p < 0.01). The CC area and brain volume in AD patients (498.7 +- 72 mm{sup 2}, 715.4 +- 107 cm3) were significantly smaller than in MCI patients (595.9 +- 108, 844.1 +- 85) and the HCs (563.2 +- 75, 818.9 +- 109) (p < 0.05). The CC area and brain volume were not significantly different between MCI patients and the HCs. The CC area was significantly correlated with brain volume. Both CC area and brain volume were significantly smaller in the AD patients

Milk Fat Globule-Epidermal Growth Factor-8 Pretreatment Attenuates Apoptosis and Inflammation via the Integrin-β3 Pathway after Surgical Brain Injury in Rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yicai Xiao

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Iatrogenic brain injury inevitably occurs in neurosurgical operations, leading to brain edema, ischemia, intracranial hematoma, and other postoperative complications, eventually worsening neurological outcomes of patients. If apoptotic cells are not rapidly eliminated by phagocytic engulfment, they may communicate with surrounding cells to undergo secondary necrosis and releasing toxic signals. Recent studies have shown that milk fat globule-epidermal growth factor-8 (MFGE8, which promotes phagocytosis and inhibits inflammation, is an endogenous protective factor in response to brain infarction, Alzheimer’s disease, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and prion disease. In the present study, we sought to investigate the different effects of both pretreated and posttreated recombinant milk fat globule-epidermal growth factor-8 (rhMFGE8 for the surgical brain injury (SBI rat model and potential involvement of its receptor integrin β3 for apoptosis and neuroinflammation after SBI. One hundred and sixty-seven male rats were employed in the preset study. Experiment 1 was performed to evaluate neurological scores and MFGE8, cleaved caspase-3 (CC3, and interleukine-1 beta (IL-1β levels at 3, 24, and 120 h after SBI. Experiment 2 was performed to evaluate the effects of rhMFGE8 pretreatment (10 min before SBI and rhMFGE8 posttreatment (6 h after SBI on brain edema at 24 and 72 h after SBI. Experiment 3 was performed to evaluate the potential anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory effects of rhMFGE8 pretreatment and posttreatment. Experiment 4 sought to investigate the involvement of the integrin-β3 signal in the effects of MFGE8 pretreatment. Our data showed rhMFGE8 pretreatment alleviated neurological deficits and decreased brain water content and apoptotic cells in the SBI model, which exhibited neurological dysfunction, apoptosis, and inflammation. Meanwhile, MFGE8 siRNA, which inhibited endogenous MFGE8 expression, significantly increased IL-1�

STEM CELL RESEARCH-CONCEPT AND CONTROVERSIES

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Dr. E. P. Gharoro

cells, heart cells, brain cells, etc.). Some researchers regard them as offering the greatest potential for the .... anaemia, heart damage, corneal damage, etc. To be useful for transplant purposes, stem cells must ... activity in the brain was demonstrated contradicting caja's “no new neurons” dogma. However, research into.

Evaluating the prognosis and degree of brain injury by combined S-100 protein and neuron specific enolase determination

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Xihua Wang; Xinding Zhang

2006-01-01

Background:S-100 and neuron specific enolase(NSE)possess the characteristics of specific distribution in brain and relative stable content.Some studies suggest that combined detection of the both is of very importance for evaluating the degree of brain injury.OBJECTIVE: To observe the changes of S-100 protein and NSE levels at different time points after acute brain injury,and evaluate the values of combined detection detection of the both for different injury degrees,pathological changes and prognosis.DESIGN: Case-control observation SETTING: Department of Neurosurgery,Second Affiliated Hospital,Lanzhou University.PARTICIPANTS:Thirty-four inpatients with brain injury,19 males and 15 females,aged 15 to 73 years.who received treatment between September 2005 and May 2006 in the Department of Neurosurgery. Second Affiliated Hospital,Lanzhou University,were recruited.The patients were admitted to hospital at 24 hours after brain injury.After admission,skull CT confirmed that they suffered from brain injury.Following Glasgow coma score(GCS)on admission,the patients were assigned into 3 groups:severe group(GCS 3 to 8 points,n=15).moderate group(GCS 9 to 12 points,n=8)and mild group(GCS 13 to 15 points,n=11).Following Glasgow outcome scale(GOS)at 3 months after brain injury,the patients were assigned into good outcome group (GOS 4 to 5 points,good recovery and moderate disability included,n=19)and poor outcome group(GOS 1 to 3 points,severe disability,vegetative state and death,n=15).Ten subjects who received health examination concurrently were chosen as normal control group,including 6 males and 4 females,aged(45.4±14.3)years.In our laboratory,the normal level of NSE was≤15.2 ng/L,and that of S100 was≤0.105 μg/L.METHODS:①Blood samples of control group were collected when the subjects received health examination Blood samples of patients with brain injury were collected at 24 hours,3,7 and 14 days after injury.According to the instructions of NSE and S-100 kits

What’s New in Traumatic Brain Injury: Update on Tracking, Monitoring and Treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cesar Reis

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Traumatic brain injury (TBI, defined as an alteration in brain functions caused by an external force, is responsible for high morbidity and mortality around the world. It is important to identify and treat TBI victims as early as possible. Tracking and monitoring TBI with neuroimaging technologies, including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI, positron emission tomography (PET, and high definition fiber tracking (HDFT show increasing sensitivity and specificity. Classical electrophysiological monitoring, together with newly established brain-on-chip, cerebral microdialysis techniques, both benefit TBI. First generation molecular biomarkers, based on genomic and proteomic changes following TBI, have proven effective and economical. It is conceivable that TBI-specific biomarkers will be developed with the combination of systems biology and bioinformation strategies. Advances in treatment of TBI include stem cell-based and nanotechnology-based therapy, physical and pharmaceutical interventions and also new use in TBI for approved drugs which all present favorable promise in preventing and reversing TBI.

What’s New in Traumatic Brain Injury: Update on Tracking, Monitoring and Treatment

Science.gov (United States)

Reis, Cesar; Wang, Yuechun; Akyol, Onat; Ho, Wing Mann; Applegate II, Richard; Stier, Gary; Martin, Robert; Zhang, John H.

2015-01-01

Traumatic brain injury (TBI), defined as an alteration in brain functions caused by an external force, is responsible for high morbidity and mortality around the world. It is important to identify and treat TBI victims as early as possible. Tracking and monitoring TBI with neuroimaging technologies, including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), positron emission tomography (PET), and high definition fiber tracking (HDFT) show increasing sensitivity and specificity. Classical electrophysiological monitoring, together with newly established brain-on-chip, cerebral microdialysis techniques, both benefit TBI. First generation molecular biomarkers, based on genomic and proteomic changes following TBI, have proven effective and economical. It is conceivable that TBI-specific biomarkers will be developed with the combination of systems biology and bioinformation strategies. Advances in treatment of TBI include stem cell-based and nanotechnology-based therapy, physical and pharmaceutical interventions and also new use in TBI for approved drugs which all present favorable promise in preventing and reversing TBI. PMID:26016501

Myosins and DYNLL1/LC8 in the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Calábria, Luciana Karen; Peixoto, Pablo Marco Veras; Passos Lima, Andreia Barcelos; Peixoto, Leonardo Gomes; de Moraes, Viviane Rodrigues Alves; Teixeira, Renata Roland; Dos Santos, Claudia Tavares; E Silva, Letícia Oliveira; da Silva, Maria de Fátima Rodrigues; dos Santos, Ana Alice Diniz; Garcia-Cairasco, Norberto; Martins, Antônio Roberto; Espreafico, Enilza Maria; Espindola, Foued Salmen

2011-09-01

Honey bees have brain structures with specialized and developed systems of communication that account for memory, learning capacity and behavioral organization with a set of genes homologous to vertebrate genes. Many microtubule- and actin-based molecular motors are involved in axonal/dendritic transport. Myosin-Va is present in the honey bee Apis mellifera nervous system of the larvae and adult castes and subcastes. DYNLL1/LC8 and myosin-IIb, -VI and -IXb have also been detected in the adult brain. SNARE proteins, such as CaMKII, clathrin, syntaxin, SNAP25, munc18, synaptophysin and synaptotagmin, are also expressed in the honey bee brain. Honey bee myosin-Va displayed ATP-dependent solubility and was associated with DYNLL1/LC8 and SNARE proteins in the membrane vesicle-enriched fraction. Myosin-Va expression was also decreased after the intracerebral injection of melittin and NMDA. The immunolocalization of myosin-Va and -IV, DYNLL1/LC8, and synaptophysin in mushroom bodies, and optical and antennal lobes was compared with the brain morphology based on Neo-Timm histochemistry and revealed a distinct and punctate distribution. This result suggested that the pattern of localization is associated with neuron function. Therefore, our data indicated that the roles of myosins, DYNLL1/LC8, and SNARE proteins in the nervous and visual systems of honey bees should be further studied under different developmental, caste and behavioral conditions. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Systemic Injection of Neural Stem/progenitor Cells in Mice With Chronic EAE

OpenAIRE

Donegà, Matteo; Giusto, Elena; Cossetti, Chiara; Schaeffer, Julia; Pluchino, Stefano

2014-01-01

Neural stem/precursor cells (NPCs) are a promising stem cell source for transplantation approaches aiming at brain repair or restoration in regenerative neurology. This directive has arisen from the extensive evidence that brain repair is achieved after focal or systemic NPC transplantation in several pre clinical models of neurological diseases.

A flexible multi-stimuli in situ (S)TEM: Concept, optical performance, and outlook

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Börrnert, Felix; Müller, Heiko; Riedel, Thomas; Linck, Martin; Kirkland, Angus I.; Haider, Max.; Büchner, Bernd; Lichte, Hannes

2015-01-01

The progress in (scanning) transmission electron microscopy development had led to an unprecedented knowledge of the microscopic structure of functional materials at the atomic level. Additionally, although not widely used yet, electron holography is capable to map the electric and magnetic potential distributions at the sub-nanometer scale. Nevertheless, in situ studies inside a (scanning) transmission electron microscope ((S)TEM) are extremely challenging because of the much restricted size and accessibility of the sample space. Here, we introduce a concept for a dedicated in situ (S)TEM with a large sample chamber for flexible multi-stimuli experimental setups and report about the electron optical performance of the instrument. We demonstrate a maximum resolving power of about 1 nm in conventional imaging mode and substantially better than 5 nm in scanning mode while providing an effectively usable “pole piece gap” of 70 mm. - Highlights: • A concept for a (S)TEM with a large sample chamber is outlined. • An actual microscope is modified and has now a 70 mm high sample space. • The resolving power is about 1 nm in TEM and better than 5 nm in STEM mode. • Possible dedicated in situ microscopes with present technology are discussed

A flexible multi-stimuli in situ (S)TEM: Concept, optical performance, and outlook

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Börrnert, Felix, E-mail: felix.boerrnert@triebenberg.de [Speziallabor Triebenberg, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden (Germany); IFW Dresden, PF 27 01 16, 01171 Dresden (Germany); Department of Materials, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PH (United Kingdom); Müller, Heiko; Riedel, Thomas; Linck, Martin [CEOS GmbH, Englerstraße 28, 69126 Heidelberg (Germany); Kirkland, Angus I. [Department of Materials, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PH (United Kingdom); Haider, Max. [CEOS GmbH, Englerstraße 28, 69126 Heidelberg (Germany); Büchner, Bernd [IFW Dresden, PF 27 01 16, 01171 Dresden (Germany); Lichte, Hannes [Speziallabor Triebenberg, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden (Germany)

2015-04-15

The progress in (scanning) transmission electron microscopy development had led to an unprecedented knowledge of the microscopic structure of functional materials at the atomic level. Additionally, although not widely used yet, electron holography is capable to map the electric and magnetic potential distributions at the sub-nanometer scale. Nevertheless, in situ studies inside a (scanning) transmission electron microscope ((S)TEM) are extremely challenging because of the much restricted size and accessibility of the sample space. Here, we introduce a concept for a dedicated in situ (S)TEM with a large sample chamber for flexible multi-stimuli experimental setups and report about the electron optical performance of the instrument. We demonstrate a maximum resolving power of about 1 nm in conventional imaging mode and substantially better than 5 nm in scanning mode while providing an effectively usable “pole piece gap” of 70 mm. - Highlights: • A concept for a (S)TEM with a large sample chamber is outlined. • An actual microscope is modified and has now a 70 mm high sample space. • The resolving power is about 1 nm in TEM and better than 5 nm in STEM mode. • Possible dedicated in situ microscopes with present technology are discussed.

Educating Tomorrow’s STEM Leaders in Third-Space Skills

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ravi Pradhan

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Companies worldwide are facing an acute shortage of qualified graduates in STEM disciplines, in particular those with more non-technical skills, such as teamwork, innovative thinking, communication, adaptability and emotional intelligence. A top U.S. university calls it the missing “third space” set of skills beyond hard business and technical knowledge. Recent findings of neuroscience affirm the critical role of emotions, “heart” intelligence and mind-body links in learning and cognition. A core foundation of the “third skills set” is mindfulness based emotional intelligence, consistent with ancient Eastern wisdom traditions. The author passionately believes we have to think outside-the-box to bring such skills into the education of STEM graduates in Asia as well as around the world.

Comparative study of expression and activity of glucose transporters between stem cell-derived brain microvascular endothelial cells and hCMEC/D3 cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Ahmad, Abraham J

2017-10-01

Glucose constitutes a major source of energy of mammalian brains. Glucose uptake at the blood-brain barrier (BBB) occurs through a facilitated glucose transport, through glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1), although other isoforms have been described at the BBB. Mutations in GLUT1 are associated with the GLUT1 deficiency syndrome, yet none of the current in vitro models of the human BBB maybe suited for modeling such a disorder. In this study, we investigated the expression of glucose transporters and glucose diffusion across brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) derived from healthy patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). We investigated the expression of different glucose transporters at the BBB using immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry and measured glucose uptake and diffusion across BMEC monolayers obtained from two iPSC lines and from hCMEC/D3 cells. BMEC monolayers showed expression of several glucose transporters, in particular GLUT1, GLUT3, and GLUT4. Diffusion of glucose across the monolayers was mediated via a saturable transcellular mechanism and partially inhibited by pharmacological inhibitors. Taken together, our study suggests the presence of several glucose transporters isoforms at the human BBB and demonstrates the feasibility of modeling glucose across the BBB using patient-derived stem cells. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Observations on the contributions of environmental restraints and innate stem cell ability to hematopoietic regeneration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duke-Cohan, J.S.

1988-01-01

A competitive repopulation assay utilizing chromosome markers was used to assay the reconstituting potential of hematopoietic populations. The test populations consisted of tibial murine marrow locally irradiated with doses ranging from 1.5 Gy to 8.5 Gy and of marrow generated from either murine splenic or marrow stem cells. The purpose of this assay was to assess the innate proliferative potential and microenvironmental influences on the ability to repopulate. Regardless of origin, spleen repopulating ability consistently agreed with spleen colony-forming unit (CFU-s) content. Doses of radiation from 5 Gy to 8.5 Gy diminished, by a factor of 2, the ability to repopulate marrow despite maintenance of CFU-s levels. Marrow generated from splenic stem cells had one-fifth the repopulating ability of marrow derived from marrow stem cells, even though CFU-s levels were equivalent. The results imply that the splenic environment can only maintain stem cells at the level of the CFU-s, even if the stem cells were originally of higher quality, and that their original potential cannot be regained in a marrow environment. Nevertheless, the marrow can maintain more primitive stem cells, but this reserve is drained to support CFU-s levels

STEM Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Yu; Fang, Michael; Shauman, Kimberlee

2015-08-01

Improving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, especially for traditionally disadvantaged groups, is widely recognized as pivotal to the U.S.'s long-term economic growth and security. In this article, we review and discuss current research on STEM education in the U.S., drawing on recent research in sociology and related fields. The reviewed literature shows that different social factors affect the two major components of STEM education attainment: (1) attainment of education in general, and (2) attainment of STEM education relative to non-STEM education conditional on educational attainment. Cognitive and social psychological characteristics matter for both major components, as do structural influences at the neighborhood, school, and broader cultural levels. However, while commonly used measures of socioeconomic status (SES) predict the attainment of general education, social psychological factors are more important influences on participation and achievement in STEM versus non-STEM education. Domestically, disparities by family SES, race, and gender persist in STEM education. Internationally, American students lag behind those in some countries with less economic resources. Explanations for group disparities within the U.S. and the mediocre international ranking of US student performance require more research, a task that is best accomplished through interdisciplinary approaches.

Immunotherapy targeting immune check-point(s) in brain metastases.

Science.gov (United States)

Di Giacomo, Anna Maria; Valente, Monica; Covre, Alessia; Danielli, Riccardo; Maio, Michele

2017-08-01

Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies (mAb) directed to different immune check-point(s) is showing a significant clinical impact in a growing number of human tumors of different histotype, both in terms of disease response and long-term survival patients. In this rapidly changing scenario, treatment of brain metastases remains an high unmeet medical need, and the efficacy of immunotherapy in these highly dismal clinical setting remains to be largely demonstrated. Nevertheless, up-coming observations are beginning to suggest a clinical potential of cancer immunotherapy also in brain metastases, regardless the underlying tumor histotype. These observations remain to be validated in larger clinical trials eventually designed also to address the efficacy of therapeutic mAb to immune check-point(s) within multimodality therapies for brain metastases. Noteworthy, the initial proofs of efficacy on immunotherapy in central nervous system metastases are already fostering clinical trials investigating its therapeutic potential also in primary brain tumors. We here review ongoing immunotherapeutic approaches to brain metastases and primary brain tumors, and the foreseeable strategies to overcome their main biologic hurdles and clinical challenges. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

dp53 Restrains ectopic neural stem cell formation in the Drosophila brain in a non-apoptotic mechanism involving Archipelago and cyclin E.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yingshi Ouyang

Full Text Available Accumulating evidence suggests that tumor-initiating stem cells or cancer stem cells (CSCs possibly originating from normal stem cells may be the root cause of certain malignancies. How stem cell homeostasis is impaired in tumor tissues is not well understood, although certain tumor suppressors have been implicated. In this study, we use the Drosophila neural stem cells (NSCs called neuroblasts as a model to study this process. Loss-of-function of Numb, a key cell fate determinant with well-conserved mammalian counterparts, leads to the formation of ectopic neuroblasts and a tumor phenotype in the larval brain. Overexpression of the Drosophila tumor suppressor p53 (dp53 was able to suppress ectopic neuroblast formation caused by numb loss-of-function. This occurred in a non-apoptotic manner and was independent of Dacapo, the fly counterpart of the well-characterized mammalian p53 target p21 involved in cellular senescence. The observation that dp53 affected Edu incorporation into neuroblasts led us to test the hypothesis that dp53 acts through regulation of factors involved in cell cycle progression. Our results show that the inhibitory effect of dp53 on ectopic neuroblast formation was mediated largely through its regulation of Cyclin E (Cyc E. Overexpression of Cyc E was able to abrogate dp53's ability to rescue numb loss-of-function phenotypes. Increasing Cyc E levels by attenuating Archipelago (Ago, a recently identified transcriptional target of dp53 and a negative regulator of Cyc E, had similar effects. Conversely, reducing Cyc E activity by overexpressing Ago blocked ectopic neuroblast formation in numb mutant. Our results reveal an intimate connection between cell cycle progression and NSC self-renewal vs. differentiation control, and indicate that p53-mediated regulation of ectopic NSC self-renewal through the Ago/Cyc E axis becomes particularly important when NSC homeostasis is perturbed as in numb loss-of-function condition. This has

Heterogeneity of brain blood flow and permeability during acute hypertension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baumbach, G.L.; Heistad, D.D.

1985-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine regional autoregulation of blood flow in the brain during acute hypertension. In anesthetized cats severe hypertension increased blood flow more in cerebrum (159%) and cerebellum (106%) than brain stem (58%). In contrast to the heterogeneous autoregulatory response, hypocapnia produced uniform vasoconstriction in the brain. The authors also compared vasodilatation during severe hypertension with vasodilatation during hypercapnia. During hypercapnia, blood flow increased as much in brain stem, as in cerebrum and cerebellum. Thus, regional differences in autoregulation appear to be specific for autoregulatory stimulus and are not secondary to nonspecific differences in vasoconstrictor or vasodilator capacity. To determine whether the blood-brain barrier is more susceptible to hypertensive disruption in regions with less effective autoregulation, permeability of the barrier was quantitated with 125 I-albumin. Severe hypertension produced disruption of the barrier in cerebrum but not in brain stem. Thus, there are parallel differences in effectiveness of autoregulation and susceptibility to disruption of the blood-brain barrier in different regions of the brain

HMGA1 silencing reduces stemness and temozolomide resistance in glioblastoma stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Colamaio, Marianna; Tosti, Nadia; Puca, Francesca; Mari, Alessia; Gattordo, Rosaria; Kuzay, Yalçın; Federico, Antonella; Pepe, Anna; Sarnataro, Daniela; Ragozzino, Elvira; Raia, Maddalena; Hirata, Hidenari; Gemei, Marica; Mimori, Koshi; Del Vecchio, Luigi; Battista, Sabrina; Fusco, Alfredo

2016-10-01

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) develops from a small subpopulation of stem-like cells, which are endowed with the ability to self-renew, proliferate and give rise to progeny of multiple neuroepithelial lineages. These cells are resistant to conventional chemo- and radiotherapy and are hence also responsible for tumor recurrence. HMGA1 overexpression has been shown to correlate with proliferation, invasion, and angiogenesis of GBMs and to affect self-renewal of cancer stem cells from colon cancer. The role of HMGA1 in GBM tumor stem cells is not completely understood. We have investigated the role of HMGA1 in brain tumor stem cell (BTSC) self-renewal, stemness and resistance to temozolomide by shRNA- mediated HMGA1 silencing. We first report that HMGA1 is overexpressed in a subset of BTSC lines from human GBMs. Then, we show that HMGA1 knockdown reduces self-renewal, sphere forming efficiency and stemness, and sensitizes BTSCs to temozolomide. Interestingly, HMGA1 silencing also leads to reduced tumor initiation ability in vivo. These results demonstrate a pivotal role of HMGA1 in cancer stem cell gliomagenesis and endorse HMGA1 as a suitable target for CSC-specific GBM therapy.

In vivo differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells into neural stem cells by chimera formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Hyun Woo; Hong, Yean Ju; Kim, Jong Soo; Song, Hyuk; Cho, Ssang Gu; Bae, Hojae; Kim, Changsung; Byun, Sung June; Do, Jeong Tae

2017-01-01

Like embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can differentiate into all three germ layers in an in vitro system. Here, we developed a new technology for obtaining neural stem cells (NSCs) from iPSCs through chimera formation, in an in vivo environment. iPSCs contributed to the neural lineage in the chimera, which could be efficiently purified and directly cultured as NSCs in vitro. The iPSC-derived, in vivo-differentiated NSCs expressed NSC markers, and their gene-expression pattern more closely resembled that of fetal brain-derived NSCs than in vitro-differentiated NSCs. This system could be applied for differentiating pluripotent stem cells into specialized cell types whose differentiation protocols are not well established.

Stem cell transplantation therapy for multifaceted therapeutic benefits after stroke.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Ling; Wei, Zheng Z; Jiang, Michael Qize; Mohamad, Osama; Yu, Shan Ping

2017-10-01

One of the exciting advances in modern medicine and life science is cell-based neurovascular regeneration of damaged brain tissues and repair of neuronal structures. The progress in stem cell biology and creation of adult induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells has significantly improved basic and pre-clinical research in disease mechanisms and generated enthusiasm for potential applications in the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) diseases including stroke. Endogenous neural stem cells and cultured stem cells are capable of self-renewal and give rise to virtually all types of cells essential for the makeup of neuronal structures. Meanwhile, stem cells and neural progenitor cells are well-known for their potential for trophic support after transplantation into the ischemic brain. Thus, stem cell-based therapies provide an attractive future for protecting and repairing damaged brain tissues after injury and in various disease states. Moreover, basic research on naïve and differentiated stem cells including iPS cells has markedly improved our understanding of cellular and molecular mechanisms of neurological disorders, and provides a platform for the discovery of novel drug targets. The latest advances indicate that combinatorial approaches using cell based therapy with additional treatments such as protective reagents, preconditioning strategies and rehabilitation therapy can significantly improve therapeutic benefits. In this review, we will discuss the characteristics of cell therapy in different ischemic models and the application of stem cells and progenitor cells as regenerative medicine for the treatment of stroke. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Brain death and related issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akhtar, M.; Mushtaq, S.; Jamil, K.; Ahmed, S.

2003-01-01

Concerns about the erroneous diagnosis of death and premature burial have been expressed from times immemorial. Patients with brain stem death have absolutely no chance of recovery. Brain death is considered at par with death in most of the countries. General public in most parts of the world shows reluctance to accept this concept due to different social, cultural and religious backgrounds and state of literacy and awareness. The criteria for the diagnosis of brain death have been established which include certain pre-conditions, exclusions and tests of the brain stem function. These criteria are universally accepted. The criteria in children are somewhat different from the adults. The subject is intimately related with organ transplantation. If the patients is registered as organ donor or the family consents, organs can be harvested from brain dead patients for transplantation. Pakistan is amongst the few countries where no legislation exists to accept brain death as being at par with death of an individual, and to facilitate and regulate, cadaveric organ donation and transplantation. (author)

FigS8.txt

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — This is an ASCII file with georeferencing information containing data plotted in Figure S8 of the supplemental information section of the manuscript. This dataset is...

YAP/TAZ enhance mammalian embryonic neural stem cell characteristics in a Tead-dependent manner

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, Dasol; Byun, Sung-Hyun; Park, Soojeong; Kim, Juwan; Kim, Inhee; Ha, Soobong; Kwon, Mookwang; Yoon, Keejung, E-mail: keejung@skku.edu

2015-02-27

Mammalian brain development is regulated by multiple signaling pathways controlling cell proliferation, migration and differentiation. Here we show that YAP/TAZ enhance embryonic neural stem cell characteristics in a cell autonomous fashion using diverse experimental approaches. Introduction of retroviral vectors expressing YAP or TAZ into the mouse embryonic brain induced cell localization in the ventricular zone (VZ), which is the embryonic neural stem cell niche. This change in cell distribution in the cortical layer is due to the increased stemness of infected cells; YAP-expressing cells were colabeled with Sox2, a neural stem cell marker, and YAP/TAZ increased the frequency and size of neurospheres, indicating enhanced self-renewal- and proliferative ability of neural stem cells. These effects appear to be TEA domain family transcription factor (Tead)–dependent; a Tead binding-defective YAP mutant lost the ability to promote neural stem cell characteristics. Consistently, in utero gene transfer of a constitutively active form of Tead2 (Tead2-VP16) recapitulated all the features of YAP/TAZ overexpression, and dominant negative Tead2-EnR resulted in marked cell exit from the VZ toward outer cortical layers. Taken together, these results indicate that the Tead-dependent YAP/TAZ signaling pathway plays important roles in neural stem cell maintenance by enhancing stemness of neural stem cells during mammalian brain development. - Highlights: • Roles of YAP and Tead in vivo during mammalian brain development are clarified. • Expression of YAP promotes embryonic neural stem cell characteristics in vivo in a cell autonomous fashion. • Enhancement of neural stem cell characteristics by YAP depends on Tead. • Transcriptionally active form of Tead alone can recapitulate the effects of YAP. • Transcriptionally repressive form of Tead severely reduces stem cell characteristics.

YAP/TAZ enhance mammalian embryonic neural stem cell characteristics in a Tead-dependent manner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Dasol; Byun, Sung-Hyun; Park, Soojeong; Kim, Juwan; Kim, Inhee; Ha, Soobong; Kwon, Mookwang; Yoon, Keejung

2015-01-01

Mammalian brain development is regulated by multiple signaling pathways controlling cell proliferation, migration and differentiation. Here we show that YAP/TAZ enhance embryonic neural stem cell characteristics in a cell autonomous fashion using diverse experimental approaches. Introduction of retroviral vectors expressing YAP or TAZ into the mouse embryonic brain induced cell localization in the ventricular zone (VZ), which is the embryonic neural stem cell niche. This change in cell distribution in the cortical layer is due to the increased stemness of infected cells; YAP-expressing cells were colabeled with Sox2, a neural stem cell marker, and YAP/TAZ increased the frequency and size of neurospheres, indicating enhanced self-renewal- and proliferative ability of neural stem cells. These effects appear to be TEA domain family transcription factor (Tead)–dependent; a Tead binding-defective YAP mutant lost the ability to promote neural stem cell characteristics. Consistently, in utero gene transfer of a constitutively active form of Tead2 (Tead2-VP16) recapitulated all the features of YAP/TAZ overexpression, and dominant negative Tead2-EnR resulted in marked cell exit from the VZ toward outer cortical layers. Taken together, these results indicate that the Tead-dependent YAP/TAZ signaling pathway plays important roles in neural stem cell maintenance by enhancing stemness of neural stem cells during mammalian brain development. - Highlights: • Roles of YAP and Tead in vivo during mammalian brain development are clarified. • Expression of YAP promotes embryonic neural stem cell characteristics in vivo in a cell autonomous fashion. • Enhancement of neural stem cell characteristics by YAP depends on Tead. • Transcriptionally active form of Tead alone can recapitulate the effects of YAP. • Transcriptionally repressive form of Tead severely reduces stem cell characteristics

Synergistic effect of CART (cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript peptide and cholecystokinin on food intake regulation in lean mice

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Kiss Alexander

2008-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background CART (cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript peptide and cholecystokinin (CCK are neuromodulators involved in feeding behavior. This study is based on previously found synergistic effect of leptin and CCK on food intake and our hypothesis on a co-operation of the CART peptide and CCK in food intake regulation and Fos activation in their common targets, the nucleus tractus solitarii of the brainstem (NTS, the paraventricular nucleus (PVN, and the dorsomedial nucleus (DMH of the hypothalamus. Results In fasted C57BL/6 mice, the anorexigenic effect of CART(61-102 in the doses of 0.1 or 0.5 μg/mouse was significantly enhanced by low doses of CCK-8 of 0.4 or 4 μg/kg, while 1 mg/kg dose of CCK-A receptor antagonist devazepide blocked the effect of CART(61-102 on food intake. After simultaneous administration of 0.1 μg/mouse CART(61-102 and of 4 μg/kg of CCK-8, the number of Fos-positive neurons in NTS, PVN, and DMH was significantly higher than after administration of each particular peptide. Besides, CART(61-102 and CCK-8 showed an additive effect on inhibition of the locomotor activity of mice in an open field test. Conclusion The synergistic and long-lasting effect of the CART peptide and CCK on food intake and their additive effect on Fos immunoreactivity in their common targets suggest a co-operative action of CART peptide and CCK which could be related to synergistic effect of leptin on CCK satiety.

Female mice lacking cholecystokinin 1 receptors have compromised neurogenesis, and fewer dopaminergic cells in the olfactory bulb

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yi eSui

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Neurogenesis in the adult rodent brain is largely restricted to the subependymal zone (SVZ of the lateral ventricle and subgranular zone (SGZ of the dentate gyrus (DG. We examined whether cholecystokinin (CCK through actions mediated by CCK1 receptors (CCK1R is involved in regulating neurogenesis. Proliferating cells in the SVZ, measured by 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU injected 2 hours prior to death or by immunoreactivity against Ki67, were reduced by 37% and 42%, respectively, in female (but not male mice lacking CCK1Rs (CCK1R-/- compared to wild-type (WT. Generation of neuroblasts in the SVZ and rostral migratory stream was also affected, since the number of doublecortin (DCX-immunoreactive (ir neuroblasts in these regions decreased by 29%. In the SGZ of female CCK1R-/- mice, BrdU-positive (+ and Ki67-ir cells were reduced by 38% and 56%, respectively, while DCX-ir neuroblasts were down 80%. Subsequently, the effect of reduced SVZ/SGZ proliferation on the generation and survival of mature adult-born cells in female CCK1R-/- mice was examined. In the OB granule cell layer (GCL, the number of neuronal nuclei (NeuN-ir and calretinin-ir cells was stable compared to WT, and 42 days after BrdU injections, the number of BrdU+ cells co-expressing GABA- or NeuN-like immunoreactivity (LI was similar. Compared to WT, the granule cell layer of the DG in female CCK1R-/- mice had a similar number of calbindin-ir cells and BrdU+ cells co-expressing calbindin-LI 42 days after BrdU injections. However, the OB glomerular layer (GL of CCK1R-/- female mice had 11% fewer NeuN-ir cells, 23% less TH-ir cells, and a 38% and 29% reduction in BrdU+ cells that co-expressed TH-LI or GABA-LI, respectively. We conclude that CCK, via CCK1Rs, is involved in regulating the generation of proliferating cells and neuroblasts in the adult female mouse brain, and mechanisms are in place to maintain steady neuronal populations in the OB and DG when the rate of proliferation is

Nestin-positive mesenchymal stem cells favour the astroglial lineage in neural progenitors and stem cells by releasing active BMP4

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Leprince Pierre

2004-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Spontaneous repair is limited after CNS injury or degeneration because neurogenesis and axonal regrowth rarely occur in the adult brain. As a result, cell transplantation has raised much interest as potential treatment for patients with CNS lesions. Several types of cells have been considered as candidates for such cell transplantation and replacement therapies. Foetal brain tissue has already been shown to have significant effects in patients with Parkinson's disease. Clinical use of the foetal brain tissue is, however, limited by ethical and technical problems as it requires high numbers of grafted foetal cells and immunosuppression. Alternatively, several reports suggested that mesenchymal stem cells, isolated from adult bone marrow, are multipotent cells and could be used in autograft approach for replacement therapies. Results In this study, we addressed the question of the possible influence of mesenchymal stem cells on neural stem cell fate. We have previously reported that adult rat mesenchymal stem cells are able to express nestin in defined culture conditions (in the absence of serum and after 25 cell population doublings and we report here that nestin-positive (but not nestin-negative mesenchymal stem cells are able to favour the astroglial lineage in neural progenitors and stem cells cultivated from embryonic striatum. The increase of the number of GFAP-positive cells is associated with a significant decrease of the number of Tuj1- and O4-positive cells. Using quantitative RT-PCR, we demonstrate that mesenchymal stem cells express LIF, CNTF, BMP2 and BMP4 mRNAs, four cytokines known to play a role in astroglial fate decision. In this model, BMP4 is responsible for the astroglial stimulation and oligodendroglial inhibition, as 1 this cytokine is present in a biologically-active form only in nestin-positive mesenchymal stem cells conditioned medium and 2 anti-BMP4 antibodies inhibit the nestin-positive mesenchymal

Characteristics of MR imaging of brain stem glioma for the treatment of combination chemotherapy with interferon-. beta. and ACNU in addition to radiotherapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wakabayashi, Toshihiko; Yoshida, Jun; Sugita, Kenichiro (Nagoya Univ. (Japan). Faculty of Medicine)

1990-08-01

In an attempt to improve the prognosis of brain stem glioma patients, a new treatment using a combination of chemotherapy of interferon-{beta}, ACNU, (1) - (4 - Amino - 2 - methyl - 5 - primidinyl) - methyl - 3 - (2-chloroethyl) - 3 -nitrosourea hydrochloride, and radiation, so called IAR therapy, was utilized on 19 patients who were diagnosed through CT and/or MRI findings as having pontine glioma. Eight of these patients were given IAR therapy at four week intervals and the changes were checked on MRI. The MRI response was classified into 3 types, that is, type 1: diffuse low intensity lesion on T{sub 1} WI changing to isodensity and tumor mass disappearing rapidly; type 2: located high intensity lesion in low intensity on T{sub 1} WI once appearing on decreasing the whole tumor size, then this lesion disappearing gradually; type 3: spotted low and/or iso mosaic intensity lesion appearing on and after treatment, with little change in tumor mass. The type 1 patients showed rapid improvement of neurological deficits and good recovery was obtained. Type 2 patients also recovered well but at recurrent periods tended to show disseminated sings intraspinally. The type 3 patients did not recover from neurological deficits well. But there were no significant differences of prognosis among these 3 types. Furthermore, MRI showed more precise data than CT scan on brain stem lesions and seemed to be more useful for diagnosis and follow-up treatment than CT scan. Though it is suggested that IAR combination therapy should be respected as the first choice for the treatment of brain stem glioma, it is strongly requested that some maintenance therapy is established for continuing the reduction time after induction of complete or partial remission with IAR therapy. (author).

Downregulation of heat shock protein B8 decreases osteogenic differentiation potential of dental pulp stem cells during in vitro proliferation.

Science.gov (United States)

Flanagan, M; Li, C; Dietrich, M A; Richard, M; Yao, S

2018-04-01

Tissue-derived stem cells, such as dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs), reduce differentiation capability during in vitro culture. We found that cultured DPSCs reduce expression of heat shock protein B8 (HspB8) and GIPC PDZ domain containing family member 2 (Gipc2). Our objectives were to evaluate the changes in DPSC composition during in vitro proliferation and to determine whether HspB8 and Gipc2 have function in differentiation potential of DPSCs. Different passages of rat DPSCs were evaluated for changes in CD90+ and/or CD271+ stem cells and changes in osteogenic potential. Real-time RT-PCR and immunostaining were conducted to determine expression of HspB8 and Gipc2. Expression of the genes in DPSCs was knocked down by siRNA, followed by osteogenic induction to evaluate the function of the genes. About 90% of cells in the DPSC cultures were CD90+ and/or CD271+ cells without dramatic change during in vitro proliferation. The DPSCs at passages 3 to 5 (P3 to P5) possess strong osteogenic potential, but such potential was greatly reduced at later passages. Expression of HspB8 and Gipc2 was significantly reduced at P11 versus P3. Knock-down of HspB8 expression abolished osteogenic potential of the DPSCs, but knock-down of Gipc2 had no effect. CD90+ and CD271+ cells are the major components of DPSCs in in vitro culture. High-level expression of HspB8 was critical for maintaining differentiation potential of DPSCs. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Stem cells: Concepts and prospects

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

development exemplified by murine experiments motivated the ... from specific regions of the brain, cardiac stem cells from atrial ..... have also been shown to integrate and differentiate .... to vascular network structures in three dimensional.

Stem Cells in Regenerative Medicine

OpenAIRE

Sykova, Eva; Forostyak, Serhiy

2013-01-01

Background: A number of cardiovascular, neurological, musculoskeletal and other diseases have a limited capacity for repair and only a modest progress has been made in treatment of brain diseases. The discovery of stem cells has opened new possibilities for the treatment of these maladies, and cell therapy now stands at the cutting-edge of modern regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. Experimental data and the first clinical trials employing stem cells have shown their broad therapeuti...

Mesenchymal Stem Cells of Dental Origin-Their Potential for Antiinflammatory and Regenerative Actions in Brain and Gut Damage.

Science.gov (United States)

Földes, Anna; Kádár, Kristóf; Kerémi, Beáta; Zsembery, Ákos; Gyires, Klára; S Zádori, Zoltán; Varga, Gábor

2016-01-01

Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, traumatic brain and spinal cord injury and neuroinflammatory multiple sclerosis are diverse disorders of the central nervous system. However, they are all characterized by various levels of inappropriate inflammatory/immune response along with tissue destruction. In the gastrointestinal system, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is also a consequence of tissue destruction resulting from an uncontrolled inflammation. Interestingly, there are many similarities in the immunopathomechanisms of these CNS disorders and the various forms of IBD. Since it is very hard or impossible to cure them by conventional manner, novel therapeutic approaches such as the use of mesenchymal stem cells, are needed. Mesenchymal stem cells have already been isolated from various tissues including the dental pulp and periodontal ligament. Such cells possess transdifferentiating capabilities for different tissue specific cells to serve as new building blocks for regeneration. But more importantly, they are also potent immunomodulators inhibiting proinflammatory processes and stimulating anti-inflammatory mechanisms. The present review was prepared to compare the immunopathomechanisms of the above mentioned neurodegenerative, neurotraumatic and neuroinflammatory diseases with IBD. Additionally, we considered the potential use of mesenchymal stem cells, especially those from dental origin to treat such disorders. We conceive that such efforts will yield considerable advance in treatment options for central and peripheral disorders related to inflammatory degeneration.

The effect of electromagnetic radiation on the rat brain: an experimental study.

Science.gov (United States)

Eser, Olcay; Songur, Ahmet; Aktas, Cevat; Karavelioglu, Ergun; Caglar, Veli; Aylak, Firdevs; Ozguner, Fehmi; Kanter, Mehmet

2013-01-01

The aim of this study is to determine the structural changes of electromagnetic waves in the frontal cortex, brain stem and cerebellum. 24 Wistar Albino adult male rats were randomly divided into four groups: group I consisted of control rats, and groups II-IV comprised electromagnetically irradiated (EMR) with 900, 1800 and 2450 MHz. The heads of the rats were exposed to 900, 1800 and 2450 MHz microwaves irradiation for 1h per day for 2 months. While the histopathological changes in the frontal cortex and brain stem were normal in the control group, there were severe degenerative changes, shrunken cytoplasm and extensively dark pyknotic nuclei in the EMR groups. Biochemical analysis demonstrated that the Total Antioxidative Capacity level was significantly decreased in the EMR groups and also Total Oxidative Capacity and Oxidative Stress Index levels were significantly increased in the frontal cortex, brain stem and cerebellum. IL-1β level was significantly increased in the EMR groups in the brain stem. EMR causes to structural changes in the frontal cortex, brain stem and cerebellum and impair the oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokine system. This deterioration can cause to disease including loss of these areas function and cancer development.

Metabolites from inhalation of aerosolized S-8 synthetic jet fuel in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Tremblay, Raphael T; Martin, Sheppard A; Fisher, Jeffrey W

2011-01-01

Alternative fuels are being considered for civilian and military uses. One of these is S-8, a replacement jet fuel synthesized using the Fischer-Tropsch process, which contains no aromatic compounds and is mainly composed of straight and branched alkanes. Metabolites of S-8 fuel in laboratory animals have not been identified. The goal of this study was to identify metabolic products from exposure to aerosolized S-8 and a designed straight-chain alkane/polyaromatic mixture (decane, undecane, dodecane, tridecane, tetradecane, pentadecane, naphthalene, and 2-methylnaphthalene) in male Fischer 344 rats. Collected blood and tissue samples were analyzed for 70 straight and branched alcohols and ketones ranging from 7 to 15 carbons. No fuel metabolites were observed in the blood, lungs, brain, and fat following S-8 exposure. Metabolites were detected in the liver, urine, and feces. Most of the metabolites were 2- and 3-position alcohols and ketones of prominent hydrocarbons with very few 1- or 4-position metabolites. Following exposure to the alkane mixture, metabolites were observed in the blood, liver, and lungs. Interestingly, heavy metabolites (3-tridecanone, 2-tridecanol, and 2-tetradecanol) were observed only in the lung tissues possibly indicating that metabolism occurred in the lungs. With the exception of these heavy metabolites, the metabolic profiles observed in this study are consistent with previous studies reporting on the metabolism of individual alkanes. Further work is needed to determine the potential metabolic interactions of parent, primary, and secondary metabolites and identify more polar metabolites. Some metabolites may have potential use as biomarkers of exposure to fuels.

Serum S-100β protein as a biomarker for brain damage in patients with encephalopathy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takeda, Munekazu; Yaguchi, Arino; Yamada, Sou; Nagai, Atsushi; Yuzawa, Junji

2008-01-01

Cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of S-100β protein, an acidic calcium-binding protein found in astrocytes and Schwann cells, increase after central nervous system damage. Serum S-100β protein, thus, has been expected to be a biochemical marker of brain cell damage. Several reports show a relation between severity of head injury and serum S-100β protein levels, although, there are still not significant advances in the study of S-100β regarding the prediction of the clinical outcome in brain diseases. The objective of the present study was to verify S-100β as a marker for the clinical outcome in patients with encephalopathy. Serum S-100β protein concentrations (pg/ml) were measured daily using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) until discharge from the intensive care unit (ICU) in 82 patients (54 men, 28 women; age 20-93 years [mean 61.0±19.2]) with moderate or severe encephalopathy. There were 50 survivors and 32 non-survivors. S-100β levels were significantly lower in survivors (240.2 pg/ml) than in non-survivors (1,594.8 pg/ml) from day 1 until ICU discharge. The electroencephalogram (EEG) and computed tomography (CT) abnormalities were correlated with S-100β levels. The optimal cut-off value at 451.2 pg/ml calculated from receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed the sensitivity of 80.2% and specificity of 78.1% for ICU mortality. Our results indicate that serum S-100β protein could be a useful biomarker to assess brain damage and predict prognosis in patients with encephalopathy. (author)

The Role of Glucose Transporters in Brain Disease: Diabetes and Alzheimer’s Disease

OpenAIRE

Shah, Kaushik; DeSilva, Shanal; Abbruscato, Thomas

2012-01-01

The occurrence of altered brain glucose metabolism has long been suggested in both diabetes and Alzheimer’s diseases. However, the preceding mechanism to altered glucose metabolism has not been well understood. Glucose enters the brain via glucose transporters primarily present at the blood-brain barrier. Any changes in glucose transporter function and expression dramatically affects brain glucose homeostasis and function. In the brains of both diabetic and Alzheimer’s dis...

Analysis of electron beam damage of exfoliated MoS2 sheets and quantitative HAADF-STEM imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia, Alejandra; Raya, Andres M.; Mariscal, Marcelo M.; Esparza, Rodrigo; Herrera, Miriam; Molina, Sergio I.; Scavello, Giovanni; Galindo, Pedro L.; Jose-Yacaman, Miguel; Ponce, Arturo

2014-01-01

In this work we examined MoS 2 sheets by aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) at three different energies: 80, 120 and 200 kV. Structural damage of the MoS 2 sheets has been controlled at 80 kV according a theoretical calculation based on the inelastic scattering of the electrons involved in the interaction electron–matter. The threshold energy for the MoS 2 material has been found and experimentally verified in the microscope. At energies higher than the energy threshold we show surface and edge defects produced by the electron beam irradiation. Quantitative analysis at atomic level in the images obtained at 80 kV has been performed using the experimental images and via STEM simulations using SICSTEM software to determine the exact number of MoS 2 layers. - Highlights: • MoS 2 sheets were exfoliated by using hydrogen gas flow to separate the MoS 2 layers. • The optimum energy to avoid structural damage was calculated. • Cs-corrected STEM imaging was used to obtain atomic resolution images. • Three energies were used in STEM imaging: 80, 120 and 200 kV. • A quantitative method for determining the number of layers has been applied

Characterization and localization of 3H-arginine8-vasopressin binding to rat kidney and brain tissue

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dorsa, D.M.; Majumdar, L.A.; Petracca, F.M.; Baskin, D.G.; Cornett, L.E.

1983-01-01

Anatomic, behavioral and pharmacologic evidence suggests that arginine8-vasopressin (AVP) serves as a CNS neurotransmitter or neuromodulator. AVP binding to membrane and tissue slice preparations from brain and kidney was characterized, and the anatomical distribution of these binding sites was examined. Conditions for the binding assay were optimized using kidney medullary tissue. Binding of 3 H-AVP (S.A. . 30-51 Ci/mmol, NEN) to brain and kidney membranes and tissue slices was saturable, temperature dependent, linearly related to protein concentration (or number of tissue slices), reversible, and specific since the ability of cold AVP to displace 3 H-AVP from binding was greater than oxytocin and other related peptide fragments. Autoradiographic localization of 3 H-AVP binding was restricted to kidney medullary tissue. In brain tissue, 3 H-AVP binding was found to occur in concentrated foci. Brainstem areas such as the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) showed a high density of AVP binding sites. Since local injections of AVP into the NTS have been shown to influence blood pressure, the present study presents the first anatomical evidence for the presence of AVP specific binding sites which might mediate this effect

Transdifferentiation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)-secreting mesenchymal stem cells significantly enhance BDNF secretion and Schwann cell marker proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Bierlein De la Rosa, Metzere; Sharma, Anup D; Mallapragada, Surya K; Sakaguchi, Donald S

2017-11-01

The use of genetically modified mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is a rapidly growing area of research targeting delivery of therapeutic factors for neuro-repair. Cells can be programmed to hypersecrete various growth/trophic factors such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), and nerve growth factor (NGF) to promote regenerative neurite outgrowth. In addition to genetic modifications, MSCs can be subjected to transdifferentiation protocols to generate neural cell types to physically and biologically support nerve regeneration. In this study, we have taken a novel approach by combining these two unique strategies and evaluated the impact of transdifferentiating genetically modified MSCs into a Schwann cell-like phenotype. After 8 days in transdifferentiation media, approximately 30-50% of transdifferentiated BDNF-secreting cells immunolabeled for Schwann cell markers such as S100β, S100, and p75 NTR . An enhancement was observed 20 days after inducing transdifferentiation with minimal decreases in expression levels. BDNF production was quantified by ELISA, and its biological activity tested via the PC12-TrkB cell assay. Importantly, the bioactivity of secreted BDNF was verified by the increased neurite outgrowth of PC12-TrkB cells. These findings demonstrate that not only is BDNF actively secreted by the transdifferentiated BDNF-MSCs, but also that it has the capacity to promote neurite sprouting and regeneration. Given the fact that BDNF production remained stable for over 20 days, we believe that these cells have the capacity to produce sustainable, effective, BDNF concentrations over prolonged time periods and should be tested within an in vivo system for future experiments. Copyright © 2017 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor ameliorates brain stem cardiovascular dysregulation during experimental temporal lobe status epilepticus.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ching-Yi Tsai

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Status epilepticus (SE is an acute, prolonged epileptic crisis with a mortality rate of 20-30%; the underlying mechanism is not completely understood. We assessed the hypothesis that brain stem cardiovascular dysregulation occurs during SE because of oxidative stress in rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM, a key nucleus of the baroreflex loop; to be ameliorated by brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF via an antioxidant action. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In a clinically relevant experimental model of temporal lobe SE (TLSE using Sprague-Dawley rats, sustained hippocampal seizure activity was accompanied by progressive hypotension that was preceded by a reduction in baroreflex-mediated sympathetic vasomotor tone; heart rate and baroreflex-mediated cardiac responses remained unaltered. Biochemical experiments further showed concurrent augmentation of superoxide anion, phosphorylated p47(phox subunit of NADPH oxidase and mRNA or protein levels of BDNF, tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB, angiotensin AT1 receptor subtype (AT1R, nitric oxide synthase II (NOS II or peroxynitrite in RVLM. Whereas pretreatment by microinjection bilaterally into RVLM of a superoxide dismutase mimetic (tempol, a specific antagonist of NADPH oxidase (apocynin or an AT1R antagonist (losartan blunted significantly the augmented superoxide anion or phosphorylated p47(phox subunit in RVLM, hypotension and the reduced baroreflex-mediated sympathetic vasomotor tone during experimental TLSE, pretreatment with a recombinant human TrkB-Fc fusion protein or an antisense bdnf oligonucleotide significantly potentiated all those events, alongside peroxynitrite. However, none of the pretreatments affected the insignificant changes in heart rate and baroreflex-mediated cardiac responses. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We conclude that formation of peroxynitrite by a reaction between superoxide anion generated by NADPH oxidase in RVLM on activation by AT1R and NOS II

Comparing CAT12 and VBM8 for Detecting Brain Morphological Abnormalities in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Farnaz Farokhian

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The identification of the brain morphological alterations that play important roles in neurodegenerative/neurological diseases will contribute to our understanding of the causes of these diseases. Various automated software programs are designed to provide an automatic framework to detect brain morphological changes in structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI data. A voxel-based morphometry (VBM analysis can also be used for the detection of brain volumetric abnormalities. Here, we compared gray matter (GM and white matter (WM abnormality results obtained by a VBM analysis using the Computational Anatomy Toolbox (CAT12 via the current version of Statistical Parametric Mapping software (SPM12 with the results obtained by a VBM analysis using the VBM8 toolbox implemented in the older software SPM8, in adult temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE patients with (n = 51 and without (n = 57 hippocampus sclerosis (HS, compared to healthy adult controls (n = 28. The VBM analysis using CAT12 showed that compared to the healthy controls, significant GM and WM reductions were located in ipsilateral mesial temporal lobes in the TLE-HS patients, and slight GM amygdala swelling was present in the right TLE-no patients (n = 27. In contrast, the VBM analysis via the VBM8 toolbox showed significant GM and WM reductions only in the left TLE-HS patients (n = 25 compared to the healthy controls. Our findings thus demonstrate that compared to VBM8, a VBM analysis using CAT12 provides a more accurate volumetric analysis of the brain regions in TLE. Our results further indicate that a VBM analysis using CAT12 is more robust and accurate against volumetric alterations than the VBM8 toolbox.

The Postischemic Environment Differentially Impacts Teratoma or Tumor Formation After Transplantation of Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Neural Progenitors

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Seminatore, CH.; Polentes, J.; Ellman, D.; Kozubenko, Nataliya; Itier, V.; Tine, S.; Tritschler, L.; Brenot, M.; Guidou, E.; Blondeau, J.; Lhuillier, M.; Bugi, A.; Aubry, L.; Jendelová, Pavla; Syková, Eva; Perrier, A. L.; Finsen, B.; Onteniente, B.

2010-01-01

Roč. 41, č. 1 (2010), s. 153-159 ISSN 0039-2499 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50390703 Keywords : brain transplantation * human embryonic stem cells * neural differentiation Subject RIV: FH - Neurology Impact factor: 5.756, year: 2010

The metastasis-promoting S100A4 protein confers neuroprotection in brain injury

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dmytriyeva, Oksana; Pankratova, Stanislava; Owczarek, Sylwia

2012-01-01

and downregulating the neuroprotective protein metallothionein I+II. We identify two neurotrophic motifs in S100A4 and show that these motifs are neuroprotective in animal models of brain trauma. Finally, we find that S100A4 rescues neurons via the Janus kinase/STAT pathway and, partially, the interleukin-10......Identification of novel pro-survival factors in the brain is paramount for developing neuroprotective therapies. The multifunctional S100 family proteins have important roles in many human diseases and are also upregulated by brain injury. However, S100 functions in the nervous system remain...... unclear. Here we show that the S100A4 protein, mostly studied in cancer, is overexpressed in the damaged human and rodent brain and released from stressed astrocytes. Genetic deletion of S100A4 exacerbates neuronal loss after brain trauma or excitotoxicity, increasing oxidative cell damage...

Locomotion, physical development, and brain myelination in rats treated with ionizing radiation in utero

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaman, M.S.

1989-01-01

Effects of ionizing radiation on the emergence of locomotion skill and some physical development parameters were studied in laboratory rats (Fisher F-344 inbred strain). Rats were treated with 3 different doses of radiation (150 R, 15 R, and 6.8 R) delivered on the 20th day of the prenatal life. Results indicated that relatively moderate (15 R) to high (150 R) doses of radiation have effects on certain locomotion and physical development parameters. Exposure to 150 R affected pivoting, cliff-avoidance, upper jaw tooth eruption, body weight, and organs, such as brain, cerebral cortex, ovary, kidney, heart and spleen weights. Other parameters, such as negative geotaxis, eye opening, and lower jaw tooth eruption appeared to be affected in the 150 R treated animals. Exposure to 15 R affected pivoting and cliff-avoidance parameters. The cerebral cortex weight of the 15 R treated animals was found to be reduced at the age of day 30. Exposure to 6.8 R had no adverse effects on these parameters. Prenatal exposure to 150 R of radiation reduced the cerebral cortex weight by 22.07% at 30 days of age, and 20.15% at 52 days of age which caused a reduction in cerebral cortex myelin content by 20.16, and 22.89% at the ages of day 30 and day 52 respectively. Exposure to 150 R did not affect the myelin content of the cerebellum or the brain stem; or the myelin concentration (mg myelin/g brain tissue weight) of the cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and the brain stem. Exposure to 15 R, and 6.8 R did not affect either the myelin content or the myelin concentration of these brain areas

Recovery function of the human brain stem auditory-evoked potential.