Identifying Microglia and Peripheral Infiltrating Macrophages in the Injured Spinal Cords Using Flow Cytometry.

In a healthy spinal cord, peripheral infiltrating macrophages are almost undetectable, and microglia (MG) participate in maintaining the stability of the spinal cord microenvironment by phagocytosis, clearing cellular debris, and producing neurotrophic factors. After spinal cord injury (SCI), MG are activated, and peripheral immune cells infiltrate into the injured spinal cord. Among these immune cells, activated MG and peripheral infiltrating macrophages (Mø) play crucial roles in the pathological process of SCI.

The gut microbiota in mice with erythropoietin-induced abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Background: In recent years, a novel animal abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) model was established by administering erythropoietin (EPO) to wild-type (WT) mice. However, the influence of EPO on the murine fecal microbiota remains uninvestigated. Therefore, this study aims to explore the potential association between gut microbiota changes and AAA development in this model.

Ezrin, a novel marker of ependymal cells, can be used to demonstrate their proliferation regulation after spinal cord injury in mice.

Ependymal cells (EpCs), as a potential stem cell niche, have gained interest for their potential in vivo stem cell therapy for spinal cord injury (SCI). Heterogeneity of spinal EpCs may contribute to differences in the ability of spinal EpCs to proliferate, differentiate and transition after injury, while there is limited understanding of the regulation of these events. Our research found that ezrin (Ezr) was expressed highly in EpCs of the spinal cord, and its upregulation rapidly occurred after injury (6 h).

Exosomes derived from vMIP-II-Lamp2b gene-modified M2 cells provide neuroprotection by targeting the injured spinal cord, inhibiting chemokine signals and modulating microglia/macrophage polarization in mice.

Inflammation is one of the key injury factors for spinal cord injury (SCI). Exosomes (Exos) derived from M2 macrophages have been shown to inhibit inflammation and be beneficial in SCI animal models. However, lacking targetability restricts their application prospects.

The polarization of microglia and infiltrated macrophages in the injured mice spinal cords: a dynamic analysis.

Background: Following spinal cord injury (SCI), a large number of peripheral monocytes infiltrate into the lesion area and differentiate into macrophages (Mø). These monocyte-derived Mø are very difficult to distinguish from the local activated microglia (MG). Therefore, the term Mø/MG are often used to define the infiltrated Mø and/or activated MG.

Effect of morroniside on the transcriptome profiles of rat in injured spinal cords.

We have previously reported that morroniside promoted motor activity after spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats. However, the mechanism by which morroniside induces recovery of injured spinal cord (SC) remains unknown. In the current study, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was employed to evaluate changes of gene expressions at the transcriptional level of the injured spinal cords in morroniside-administrated rats.

The neuroprotective role of morroniside against spinal cord injury in female rats.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a disabling condition that often leads to permanent neurological deficits without an effective treatment. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced during oxidative stress play a vital role in the pathogenesis following SCI. The antioxidant morroniside is the main active component of the Chinese medicine Cornus officinalis.

VX-765 reduces neuroinflammation after spinal cord injury in mice.

Inflammation is a major cause of neuronal injury after spinal cord injury. We hypothesized that inhibiting caspase-1 activation may reduce neuroinflammation after spinal cord injury, thus producing a protective effect in the injured spinal cord. A mouse model of T9 contusive spinal cord injury was established using an Infinite Horizon Impactor, and VX-765, a selective inhibitor of caspase-1, was administered for 7 successive days after spinal cord injury.

CRID3, a blocker of apoptosis associated speck like protein containing a card, ameliorates murine spinal cord injury by improving local immune microenvironment.

Background: After spinal cord injury (SCI), destructive immune cell subsets are dominant in the local microenvironment, which are the important mechanism of injury. Studies have shown that inflammasomes play an important role in the inflammation following SCI, and apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a card (ASC) is the adaptor protein shared by inflammasomes. Therefore, we speculated that inhibiting ASC may improve the local microenvironment of injured spinal cord.

Effect of VX‑765 on the transcriptome profile of mice spinal cords with acute injury.

Previous studies have shown that caspase-1 plays an important role in the acute inflammatory response of spinal cord injury (SCI). VX‑765, a novel and irreversible caspase‑1 inhibitor, has been reported to effectively intervene in inflammation. However, the effect of VX‑765 on genome‑wide transcription in acutely injured spinal cords remains unknown.

Anti-Osteoporotic Activity of an Edible Traditional Chinese Medicine on Bone Metabolism of Ovariectomized Rats Through RANKL/RANK/TRAF6-Mediated Signaling Pathways.

Given the limitations of existing therapeutic agents for treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis, there still remains a need for more options with both efficacy and less adverse effects. Y. C.

Serum exosomal microRNA transcriptome profiling in subacute spinal cord injured rats.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in a series of pathology of spinal cord injury (SCI). Although, locally expressed miRNAs have advantages in studying the pathological mechanism, they cannot be used as biomarkers. The "free circulation" miRNAs can be used as biomarkers, but they have low concentration and poor stability in body fluids.

Neuroprotective effects of P7C3 against spinal cord injury in rats.

Unlabelled: Spinal cord injury (SCI), a serious neurological disease, has few therapeutic interventions. A small molecule, P7C3, has been confirmed to play a role in neuroprotection of some neurological diseases. But the effect of P7C3 on acute SCI has not been investigated.

Identification of serum exosomal microRNAs in acute spinal cord injured rats.

Unlabelled: It is important to find specific and easily detectable diagnostic markers in acute stage of spinal cord injury for guiding treatment and estimating prognosis. Although, microRNAs are attractive biomarkers, there is still no uniform standard for clinical evaluation of spinal cord injury based on “free circulation” miRNA spectrum. The reason may be that miRNA analysis from biological fluids is influenced by many pre-analysis variables.

Transcriptome profile of rat genes in bone marrow-derived macrophages at different activation statuses by RNA-sequencing.

The underlying mechanisms of macrophage polarization have been detected by genome-wide transcriptome analysis in a variety of mammals. However, the transcriptome profile of rat genes in bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMM) at different activation statuses has not been reported. Therefore, we performed RNA-Sequencing to identify gene expression signatures of rat BMM polarized in vitro with different stimuli.

Effect of M2 macrophage adoptive transfer on transcriptome profile of injured spinal cords in rats.

Unlabelled: The previous studies showed that alternatively activated anti-inflammatory macrophage (M2) adoptive immunity can improve the proportion of local M2 cells and play the neuroprotective effect after spinal cord injury (SCI). Its molecular mechanism is not yet very clear. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the effect of the M2 adoptive transfer on the local expression of gene transcription.

Expression and localization of absent in melanoma 2 in the injured spinal cord.

In traumatic brain injury, absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2) has been demonstrated to be involved in pyroptotic neuronal cell death. Although the pathophysiological mechanism of spinal cord injury is similar to that of brain injury, the expression and cellular localization of AIM2 after spinal cord injury is still not very clear. In the present study, we used a rat model of T9 spinal cord contusive injury, produced using the weight drop method.

Increased ceruloplasmin expression caused by infiltrated leukocytes, activated microglia, and astrocytes in injured female rat spinal cords.

Ceruloplasmin (Cp), an enzyme containing six copper atoms, has important roles in iron homeostasis and antioxidant defense. After spinal cord injury (SCI), the cellular components in the local microenvironment are very complex and include functional changes of resident cells and the infiltration of leukocytes. It has been confirmed that Cp is elevated primarily in astrocytes and to a lesser extent in macrophages following SCI in mice.

Expression and Cellular Localization of IFITM1 in Normal and Injured Rat Spinal Cords.

Interferon-induced transmembrane protein 1 (IFITM1) is a member of the IFITM family that is associated with some acute-phase cytokine-stimulated response. Recently, we demonstrated that IFITM1 was significantly upregulated in the injured spinal cords at the mRNA level. However, its expression and cellular localization at the protein level is still unclear.

Spatio-temporal expression of Hexokinase-3 in the injured female rat spinal cords.

Hexokinase-3 (HK3) is a member of hexokinase family, which can catalyze the first step of glucose metabolism. It can increase ATP levels, reduce the production of reactive oxygen species, increase mitochondrial biogenesis, protect mitochondrial membrane potential and play an antioxidant role. However, the change of its expression in spinal cord after injury is still unknown.

[Recombinant expression of Schistosoma japonicum fructose-1, 6-bisphos- phate aldolase and its expression in different developmental stages of S. japonicum].

Objective: To clone, express and purify Schistosoma japonicum fructose-1, 6-bisphosphate aldolase (SjFBPA) in E. coli and observe its expression in different developmental stages of S. japonicum.

[Study the value of screening hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer kindreds by detecting the expression of hMLH1/hMSH2 with tissue microarray].

Objective: To study the value of screening hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) kindreds by detecting the expressions of hMLH1/hMSH2 with tissue microarray.

Methods: A tissue microarray with 22 colorectal cancers from HNPCC families and 15 sporadic colorectal cancers was established, and the expressions of hMLH1/hMSH2 were detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC).

Results: The expressions of hMLH1 or hMSH2 were negative in 15 of 22 HNPCC and 1 of 15 sporadic colorectal cancers in routine IHC.