Combination treatment with rapamycin and glucocorticoid protects the death of mesostriatal dopaminergic neurons in animal model of Parkinson's disease.

Glucocorticoids have been used to treat inflammatory diseases because of their potent anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive actions. However, chronic use of high levels of glucocorticoids causes several adverse effects, limiting their clinical utility. Here, we explored the therapeutic potential of a combination treatment involving reduced concentrations of rapamycin, an autophagy activator and immunosuppressant, and glucocorticoids in an animal model of Parkinson's disease (PD).

Activation of CamKIIα expressing neurons on ventrolateral periaqueductal gray improves behavioral hypersensitivity and thalamic discharge in a trigeminal neuralgia rat model.

Background: Preceding studies have reported the association of chronic neuropathic orofacial pain with altered ongoing function in the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG). However, its role in trigeminal neuralgia (TN) lacks attention. We here reported the aspect that vlPAG neurons play in TN nociceptive processing by employing excitatory neuron-specific optogenetic approaches.

The Effect of Optogenetic Inhibition of the Anterior Cingulate Cortex in Neuropathic Pain Following Sciatic Nerve Injury.

Cortical disinhibition is the underlying pathological alteration contributing to neuropathic pain associated with peripheral nerve injury. Nerve injury resulting in disinhibition of the anterior cingulate cortex has been reported. However, the effect of optogenetic inhibition of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) on the sensory component of nerve injury-induced neuropathic pain has not been well studied.

Production of high molecular weight poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) copolymer by Cupriavidus malaysiensis USMAA1020 utilising substrate with longer carbon chain.

Long carbon chain alkanediols are used in the production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB-co-4HB)], however these substrates possess high toxicity towards bacterial cells. This study demonstrated the effective utilisation of a long carbon chain alkanediol, namely 1,8-octanediol, to enhance the yield and production of a copolymer with a high molecular weight of over 1000 kDa, which is desirable for novel applications in medical and biopharmaceuticals. The increased PHA content (47-61 wt%) and concentration (1.

Consistency of neuropsychiatric syndromes across dementias: results from the European Alzheimer Disease Consortium. Part II.

Background/aims: The aim of this study was to determine the consistency of neuropsychiatric subsyndromes of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory across several clinical and demographic subgroups (e.g. dementia subtypes, dementia severity, medication use, age and gender) in a large sample of outpatients with dementia.