Long-term intermittent theta burst stimulation alleviates Parkinson's disease-related cognitive impairment by modulating GluN2B in the dorsal hippocampus.

Cognitive impairment is one of the typical non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) that severely affects the quality of life of patients. However, limited treatments are currently available, suggesting the urgent need for new therapeutic approaches. Intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS), an updated pattern of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, can potentially improve cognitive function.

A non-linear association between AST/ALT ratio and 28-day mortality in critically ill elderly: evidence from a multicenter study.

With the global aging population, the proportion of elderly patients in ICU continues to rise. The ratio of aspartate aminotransferase to alanine aminotransferase (AST/ALT) has been linked to unfavorable outcomes in several diseases, but its value in critically ill elderly patients remains unclear. Based on the eICU Collaborative Research Database, this study included 22,361 critically ill elderly patients aged ≥ 65 years.

L-DOPA reverses the impaired working memory via lateral habenula Kv7.2 subunit-containing M-channels in experimental parkinsonism.

Non-motor symptoms such as cognitive deficits are often observed in Parkinson's disease, and the effect of L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanin (L-DOPA) treatment on working memory in rats with unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesions of the substantia nigra compacta (SNc) and underlying mechanisms are unclear. In adult male Sprague-Dawley rats, we found that L-DOPA treatment in SNc-lesioned rats reversed working memory impairment, decreased the firing rate of the lateral habenula (LHb) neurons, increased dopamine (DA) levels in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and hippocampus, and reversed reduced expression of M-channel Kv7.2 subunit in the LHb compared with SNc-lesioned rats treated with normal saline (NS).

The effects of visual stimulation on the cortical activity of brainstem stroke dysphagia patients: A functional near-infrared spectroscopy study.

Objective: To investigate the difference in cortical activity under food visual stimulation between patients with brainstem stroke dysphagia and healthy adults by using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Additionally, we seek to identify any potential relationship between cortical activity and swallowing.

Methods: 30 patients with dysphagia after brainstem stroke and 16 healthy adults were selected.

Intermittent theta burst stimulation is superior to 10 Hz-repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in promoting episodic-like memory in healthy male rats by enhancing low γ oscillation and glutamate neuronal activities of the anterior cingulate cortex.

Intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) and high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) produce beneficial after-effects on memory performance. The two modalities have modulatory after-effects on the prefrontal neuronal oscillations and neurotransmitters, which are critically involved in episodic memory processing. However, whether iTBS exerts better cognitive effects than high-frequency rTMS through modulating neuronal oscillations and neurotransmitter levels in the prefrontal cortex has not been determined.

Acute Intermittent Theta-Burst Stimulation Produces Antidepressant-Like Effects by Modulating Neuronal Oscillations and Serotonin Levels of the Medial Prefrontal Cortex in Experimental Parkinson's Disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD)-related depression is associated with aberrant neuronal oscillations and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) neurotransmission in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS), an updated pattern of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, has possible efficacy in PD-related depression. However, whether iTBS alleviates PD-related depression through modulating neuronal oscillations and 5-HT levels in the mPFC has not been determined.

Blockade of mGluR1 and mGluR5 in the lateral habenula produces the opposite effects in the regulation of depressive-like behaviors in the hemiparkinsonian rats.

Depression is one of the most common non-motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD) and the hyperactivity of the lateral habenula (LHb) may contribute to depression. The present study was performed to investigate the effects and mechanisms of group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) in the LHb on PD-related depressive-like behaviors. Unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesions of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) were used to establish the PD rat model.

Long-term intermittent theta burst stimulation enhanced hippocampus-dependent memory by regulating hippocampal theta oscillation and neurotransmitter levels in healthy rats.

Intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS), an updated pattern of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, is a potential candidate for improving memory. The hippocampus has been shown to be involved in the memory-enhancing effect induced by iTBS. However, it remains largely unknown whether this effect is achieved by regulating hippocampal theta oscillation and neurotransmitters gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate, which are strongly related to memory.

Transcranial direct current stimulation of the prefrontal cortex improves depression-like behaviors in rats with Parkinson's disease.

Depression associated with Parkinson's disease (PD) seriously affects patients, and there is a lack of effective treatments. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is increasingly used as a new non-invasive neuromodulation technique in the treatment of neuropsychiatric diseases. However, there is a paucity of research on tDCS for PD-related depression.

Dose and time-dependence of acute intermittent theta-burst stimulation on hippocampus-dependent memory in parkinsonian rats.

Background: The treatment options for cognitive impairments in Parkinson's disease (PD) are limited. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation has been applied in various neurological diseases. However, the effect of intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) as a more developed repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation paradigm on cognitive dysfunction in PD remains largely unclear.

Activation and blockade of 5-HT receptors in the dorsal hippocampus enhance working and hippocampus-dependent memories in the unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesioned rats.

Cognitive dysfunction is a common symptom in Parkinson's disease (PD). Serotonin4 (5-HT) receptors are richly expressed in the dorsal hippocampus (dHIPP) and play an important role in cognitive activities. However, the mechanism underlying the role of dHIPP 5-HT receptors in PD-related cognitive dysfunction remains unclear.

Prevalence and risk factors of disability and anxiety in a retrospective cohort of 432 survivors of Coronavirus Disease-2019 (Covid-19) from China.

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of disability and anxiety in Covid-19 survivors at discharge from hospital and analyze relative risk by exposures.

Design: Multi-center retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Twenty-eight hospitals located in eight provinces of China.

Dopamine D receptors in the lateral habenula regulate depression-related behaviors via a pre-synaptic mechanism in experimental Parkinson's disease.

Although multiple studies report that unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesions of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) in rats induce depressive-like behaviors and hyperactivity of the lateral habenula (LHb), effects of dopamine (DA) D receptors in the LHb on depressive-like behaviors are unclear. Here we found that intra-LHb injection of the different doses of D receptor agonist A412997 and antagonist L741742 produced the different behavioral responses in SNc sham-lesioned rats, and only the high doses of A412997 and L741742 increased the expression of depressive-like behaviors or produced antidepressant-like effects in SNc-lesioned rats. The low doses of A412997 and L741742 altered the firing rate of LHb neurons and release of DA, GABA and glutamate in the LHb via the GABAergic rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg) in SNc sham-lesioned rats, but not in SNc-lesioned rats.

Activation and blockade of 5-HT receptor in the medial septum-diagonal band recover working memory in the hemiparkinsonian rats.

Working memory impairment is a common symptom occurred in Parkinson's disease (PD). The medial septum-diagonal band (MS-DB) complex and 5-HT receptor are involved in modulation of cognition. However, their roles in working memory in PD are still unknown.

Prevalence of Dysphagia in China: An Epidemiological Survey of 5943 Participants.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of dysphagia among an older population and patients with stroke, head and neck cancers (HNCs) or neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) in China, to identify the factors associated with this condition, and to explore the relationship between dysphagia and nutritional status.

Methods: This study included participants 65 years and older living in the community or in nursing homes and patients who had sustained a stroke, HNC, or NDD also recruited in hospitals from 14 provinces of China. The presence of dysphagia was determined by use of a questionnaire, water swallowing test, and/or a videofluoroscopic swallowing study.

Activation and blockade of α-adrenoceptors in the prelimbic cortex regulate anxiety-like behaviors in hemiparkinsonian rats.

At present, whether α-adrenoceptors in the prelimbic cortex (PrL) are involved in Parkinson's disease-related anxiety is unclear. We examined the effects of PrL α-adrenoceptors on anxiety-like behaviors in rats with unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesions of the medial forebrain bundle. Compared to the sham operation, the lesion induced anxiety-like responses as measured by the open field test and elevated plus-maze test.

Alpha-synuclein induces microglial migration via PKM2-dependent glycolysis.

After spinal cord injury, microglial cells are activated and converted to an M1 phenotype. Emerging evidence supports the hypothesis that glucose reprogramming accompanies microglial activation. What contributes to the activation of microglia and glucose reprogramming, however, remains unclear.

High expression of Kruppel-like factor 4 as a predictor of poor prognosis for cervical cancer patient response to radiotherapy.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the associations of Kruppel-like factor 4 expression with sensitivity to radiation therapy in locally advanced cervical squamous cell carcinoma patients.

Methods: The records of 117 locally advanced cervical squamous cell carcinoma patients were retrospectively reviewed, and Kruppel-like factor 4 expression in cervical carcinoma tissues was examined by immunohistochemical staining. The associations of Kruppel-like factor 4 expression with clinicopathological parameters were analyzed.

Α-synuclein induces microglial cell migration through stimulating HIF-1α accumulation.

Microglial cell migration and infiltration plays a critical role in spinal cord injury after thoracoabdominal aortic surgery. In our previous study, α-synuclein, a presynaptic protein was shown to be released from injured neurons and cause microglial cell activation. Here, we aimed to explore the effect of α-synuclein on microglial cell migration.

The response of juxtacellular labeled GABA interneurons in the basolateral amygdaloid nucleus anterior part to 5-HT₂A/₂C receptor activation is decreased in rats with 6-hydroxydopamine lesions.

Here we report that juxtacellular labeled GABA interneurons in the basolateral amygdaloid nucleus anterior part (BLA) of rats with 6-hydroxydopamine lesions of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) showed a more burst-firing pattern, while having no change in the firing rate. In sham-operated and the lesioned rats, systemic administration of 5-HT(2A/2C) receptor agonist DOI produced excitation, inhibition and unchanged in the firing rate of the interneurons, and the mean response of DOI was excitatory. However, cumulative dose producing excitation in the lesioned rats was higher than that of sham-operated rats.

Osthole protects lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury in mice by preventing down-regulation of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2.

The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of acute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) plays a protective role in acute lung injury. Osthole, a natural coumarin derivative extracted from traditional Chinese medicines, is known to have anti-inflammatory effect, but the effect of osthole on the ALI is largely unknown.

Gene expression changes in the pituitary gland of rats exposed to electromagnetic pulses.

Objective: We examined alterations in the expression of tumorigenesis-related genes in the pituitary gland of rats exposed to electromagnetic pulses (EMP).

Methods: The global gene expression profiles of the pituitary gland in EMP-exposed and control groups were detected by cDNA microarray analysis. We then validated and further investigated the reduced expression of two tumorigenesis-related genes, Pten, and Jund, by assessing their mRNA and protein expression by quantitative real-time-PCR, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry in the pituitary gland of rats 6 months after exposure to EMP.

Tert-butyl-2(4,5-dihydrogen-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-3-O-1H-imidazole-3-cationic-1-oxyl-2-pyrrolidine-1-carboxylic ester displays novel cytotoxicity through reactive oxygen species-mediated oxidative damage in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells.

The cytotoxicity of a new nitroxyl nitroxide radical, tert-butyl-2 (4,5-dihydrogen-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-3-O-1H-imidazole-3-cationic-1-oxyl-2-pyrrolidine-1-carboxylic ester (L-NNP) was examined in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. L-NNP treatment resulted in a significant growth inhibition in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. Compared with control, 10, 30, and 50μg/ml L-NNP treatments for 48h induced significant cell and nuclei swelling, and organelle distension.