Remote ischemic preconditioning enhances antioxidant capacity in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injured rats via the ARE pathway.

Background: Remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) is a protective strategy in which transient ischemia and reperfusion in one organ confers protection to another. This can be mediated by humoral responses, transcriptional processes, or both. These protective effects are hypothesized to result from enhanced cellular tolerance to ischemia.

Cellular optical imaging techniques: a dynamic advancing frontier.

This article reviews recent super-resolution (SR) optical imaging techniques for cellular study, encompassing structured illumination microscopy (SIM), point-scanning super-resolution (PS-SR) microscopy, single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM), mathematical and deep learning (DL) SR algorithms. Historically, the resolution of traditional far-field optical imaging was constrained by the diffraction limit. The emergence of SR imaging techniques and image processing algorithms has propelled biological research into nanoscale realm.

Single particle fluorescence imaging of perovskite nanocrystal crystallization for illustrating coupled nucleation-and-growth.

Because of the lack of spatiotemporal characterization techniques, it has been of great challenge to investigate the crystallization of nanocrystals. With a high-speed structured illumination super-resolution fluorescence microscopy (SIM), we hereby report an in situ fluorescence imaging technique to monitor the crystallization of perovskite nanocrystals at single-particle level. By correlating the fluorescence intensity with particle size, we illustrate the coupled nucleation-and-growth of perovskite nanocrystals in polymer matrix.

MiniXL: An open-source, large field-of-view epifluorescence miniscope enabling single-cell resolution and multi-region imaging in mice.

Capturing the intricate dynamics of neural activity in freely behaving animals is essential for understanding the neural mechanisms underpinning specific behaviors. Miniaturized microscopy enables investigators to track population activity at the cellular level, but the field of view (FOV) of these microscopes has often been limited and do not support multi-brain region imaging. To fill this technological gap, we have developed the eXtra Large FOV Miniscope (MiniXL) for mice, a 3.

Melatonin Promotes B-Cell Maturation and Attenuates Post-Ischemic Immunodeficiency in a Murine Model of Transient Focal Cerebral Ischemia.

In this study, we investigated the immunomodulatory effects of melatonin on B-cell maturation and its potential to mitigate immunodeficiency following transient focal cerebral ischemia in mice. Transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was induced in adult C57BL/6 mice, followed by melatonin administration. We evaluated the effects of melatonin on neutrophil infiltration, macrophage and microglial activation in the ischemic brain, and B-cell maturation in both the central nervous system and peripheral blood.

Super-resolution imaging informed scRNA sequencing analysis reveals the critical role of GDF15 in rejuvenating aged hematopoietic stem cells.

Although changes in mitochondrial morphology consistently associated with the aging of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), the specific molecular and cellular mechanisms involved are partially unclear. Live-cell super-resolution (SR) microscopy has been used to identify distinct HSC subsets that characterized by mitochondria unique morphologies and spatial distributions. The integration of SR microscopy with single-cell RNA sequencing enabled the classification of approximately 200 HSCs from young and aged mice into 5 discrete clusters.

Development and validation of a blood biomarker-based model for differentiating stroke etiology in acute large vessel occlusion.

Objective: Early differentiation of stroke etiology in acute large vessel occlusion stroke (LVOS) is crucial for optimizing endovascular treatment strategies. This study aimed to develop and validate a prediction model for pre-procedural etiological differentiation based on admission laboratory parameters.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study at a comprehensive stroke center, enrolling consecutive patients with acute LVOS who underwent endovascular treatment between January 2018 and October 2024.

Bright and photostable yellow fluorescent proteins for extended imaging.

Fluorescent proteins are indispensable molecular tools for visualizing biological structures and processes, but their limited photostability restricts the duration of dynamic imaging experiments. Yellow fluorescent proteins (YFPs), in particular, photobleach rapidly. Here, we introduce mGold2s and mGold2t, YFPs with up to 25-fold greater photostability than mVenus and mCitrine, two commonly used YFPs, while maintaining comparable brightness.

Group verifiable secure aggregate federated learning based on secret sharing.

Federated learning is a distributed machine learning approach designed to tackle the problems of data silos and the security of raw data. Nevertheless, it remains susceptible to privacy leakage risks and aggregation server tampering attacks. Current privacy-preserving methods often involve significant computational and communication overheads, which can be challenging in resource-limited settings, hindering their practical application.

Biphasic glucose-stimulated insulin secretion over decades: a journey from measurements and modeling to mechanistic insights.

Glucose-stimulated insulin release from pancreatic β-cells is critical for maintaining blood glucose homeostasis. An abrupt increase in blood glucose concentration evokes a rapid and transient rise in insulin secretion followed by a prolonged, slower phase. A diminished first phase is one of the earliest indicators of β-cell dysfunction in individuals predisposed to develop type 2 diabetes.

Endogenous hydrogen sulfide persulfidates endothelin type A receptor to inhibit pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cell proliferation.

Background: The binding of endothelin-1 (ET-1) to endothelin type A receptor (ETAR) performs a critical action in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cell (PASMC) proliferation leading to pulmonary vascular structural remodeling. More evidence showed that cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE)-catalyzed endogenous hydrogen sulfide (HS) was involved in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we aimed to explore the effect of endogenous HS/CSE pathway on the ET-1/ETAR binding and its underlying mechanisms in the cellular and animal models of PASMC proliferation.

Mitochondrial dynamics govern whole-body regeneration through stem cell pluripotency and mitonuclear balance.

Tissue regeneration is a complex process involving large changes in cell proliferation, fate determination, and differentiation. Mitochondrial dynamics and metabolism play a crucial role in development and wound repair, but their function in large-scale regeneration remains poorly understood. Planarians offer an excellent model to investigate this process due to their remarkable regenerative abilities.

Melatonin Improves Vasogenic Edema via Inhibition to Water Channel Aquaporin-4 (AQP4) and Metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) Following Permanent Focal Cerebral Ischemia.

The efficacy of melatonin in reducing vasogenic and cytotoxic edema was investigated using a model of permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO). Rats underwent pMCAO, followed by intravenous administration of either melatonin (5 mg/kg) or a vehicle 10 min post-insult. Brain infarction and edema were assessed, and Western blot analyses were conducted to examine the expression levels of aquaporin-4 (AQP4), metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), and the neurovascular tight-junction protein ZO-1 upon sacrifice.

Towards next-generation diagnostic pathology: AI-empowered label-free multiphoton microscopy.

Diagnostic pathology, historically dependent on visual scrutiny by experts, is essential for disease detection. Advances in digital pathology and developments in computer vision technology have led to the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in this field. Despite these advancements, the variability in pathologists' subjective interpretations of diagnostic criteria can lead to inconsistent outcomes.

MiniXL: An open-source, large field-of-view epifluorescence miniature microscope for mice capable of single-cell resolution and multi-brain region imaging.

Capturing the intricate dynamics of neural activity in freely behaving animals is essential for understanding the neural mechanisms underpinning specific behaviors. Miniaturized microscopy enables investigators to track population activity at cellular level, but the field of view (FOV) of these microscopes have been limited and does not allow multiple-brain region imaging. To fill this technological gap, we have developed the eXtra Large field-of-view Miniscope (MiniXL), a 3.

Viscolin-mediated antiapoptotic and neuroprotective effects in cortical neurons exposed to oxygen-glucose deprivation and rats subjected to transient focal cerebral ischemia.

Objective: Previously, we have successfully purified and synthesized viscolin, an agent derived from Viscum coloratum extract, which has shown significant potential in the treatment of stroke. Our study aimed to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of viscolin.

Methods: We first assessed the cytotoxicity of viscolin on primary neuronal cultures and determined its antioxidant and radical scavenging properties.

PDX1+ cell budding morphogenesis in a stem cell-derived islet spheroid system.

Remarkable advances in protocol development have been achieved to manufacture insulin-secreting islets from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). Distinct from current approaches, we devised a tunable strategy to generate islet spheroids enriched for major islet cell types by incorporating PDX1+ cell budding morphogenesis into staged differentiation. In this process that appears to mimic normal islet morphogenesis, the differentiating islet spheroids organize with endocrine cells that are intermingled or arranged in a core-mantle architecture, accompanied with functional heterogeneity.

Erector Spinae Plane Block Versus Thoracolumbar Interfascial Plane Block in Lumbar Spine Surgery: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Study Design: Meta-analysis.

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of postoperative pain control between erector spinae plane block (ESPB) and thoracolumbar interfascial plane (TLIP) block in lumbar spine surgery.

Methods: PubMed, Embase, and MEDLINE electronic databases were searched for articles containing randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published between January 1900 and January 2024.

Anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects of Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb761) on hindlimb skeletal muscle ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.

In posterior spine surgery, retractors exert pressure on paraspinal muscles, elevating intramuscular pressure and compromising blood flow, potentially causing muscle injury during ischemia-reperfusion. Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb 761), known for its antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties and its role in treating cerebrovascular diseases, is investigated for its protective effects against muscle ischemia-reperfusion injury in vitro and in vivo. Animals were randomly divided into the control group, receiving normal saline, and experimental groups, receiving varying doses of EGb761 (25/50/100/200 mg/kg).

Galectin-3 impairs calcium transients and β-cell function.

In diabetes, macrophages and inflammation are increased in the islets, along with β-cell dysfunction. Here, we demonstrate that galectin-3 (Gal3), mainly produced and secreted by macrophages, is elevated in islets from both high-fat diet (HFD)-fed and diabetic db/db mice. Gal3 acutely reduces glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) in β-cell lines and primary islets in mice and humans.