Brain energy homeostasis is a vital physiological function in maintaining a balanced internal metabolic environment.The impairment of energy homeostasis is recognized as a key pathophysiological basis for brain metabo...Brain energy homeostasis is a vital physiological function in maintaining a balanced internal metabolic environment.The impairment of energy homeostasis is recognized as a key pathophysiological basis for brain metabolic disorders and related neurodegenerative diseases.Dendrobium species(‘Shihu’in Chinese)such as D.officinale,D.huoshanense,D.nobile,D.chrysanthum,D.loddigesii,D.moniliforme,D.gratiosissimum,D.candidum and D.caulis are widely used as traditional Chinese medicines/nutraceuticals to control and treat neurodegenerative disorders.These dietary herbs and their derived compounds possess a variety of biological properties,such as suppression of oxidative stress and neuroinflammation,regulation of energy homeostasis mainly through improving brain mitochondria function,insulin signaling and lipid metabolism.Furthermore,they reduce neurotoxicity,alleviate brain injury and neuropathy,and prevent neurodegenerative conditions including stroke,Alzheimer’s disease,Parkinson’s disease,and Huntington’s disease in humans and/or rodents.Moreover,the nutraceuticals from Dendrobium species promote gut health and aid digestion,which appear to be associated with beneficial effects on brain energy homeostasis.Based on the above-mentioned health benefits associated with Dendrobium species,this work reviews their nutraceutical role in neurodegenerative disorders and further suggests the need to elucidate mechanisms of the underlying molecular actions.展开更多
Terahertz(THz)technology offers novel opportunities in biology and medicine,thanks to the unique features of THzwave interactions with tissues and cells.Among them,we particularly notice strong sensitivity of THz wave...Terahertz(THz)technology offers novel opportunities in biology and medicine,thanks to the unique features of THzwave interactions with tissues and cells.Among them,we particularly notice strong sensitivity of THz waves to the tissue water,as a medium for biochemical reactions and a main endogenous marker for THz spectroscopy and imaging.Tissues of the brain have an exceptionally high content of water.This factor,along with the features of the structural organization and biochemistry of neuronal and glial tissues,makes the brain an exciting subject to study in the THz range.In this paper,progress and prospects of THz technology in neurodiagnostics are overviewed,including diagnosis of neurodegenerative disease,myelin deficit,tumors of the central nervous system(with an emphasis on brain gliomas),and traumatic brain injuries.Fundamental and applied challenges in study of the THz-wave–brain tissue interactions and development of the THz biomedical tools and systems for neurodiagnostics are discussed.展开更多
Objective To assess the expression level of D-Tyr-tRNATyr deacylase(DTD) in SAMP8 mice and speculate the function of DTD in disorders associated with Alzheimer's disease(AD).Methods Altogether 12 SAMP8 mice and 12...Objective To assess the expression level of D-Tyr-tRNATyr deacylase(DTD) in SAMP8 mice and speculate the function of DTD in disorders associated with Alzheimer's disease(AD).Methods Altogether 12 SAMP8 mice and 12 SAMR1 mice were used in this study.Semi-quantita-tive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) and Western blot were performed to detect the mRNA and protein levels of DTD in the mice.Purified DTD protein was injected into lateral ventricle to investigate the function of DTD in SAMP mice.The behavior of the mice was tested by using a Step-through Test System.Results Both mRNA and protein levels of DTD were found to be significantly lower in SAMP8 mice compared with those in SAMR1 mice(P<0.05).In vivo injection of DTD protein did not lead to an obvious change in behavior of SAM mice.Conclusions DTD might function in the process of AD-associated pathology and could possibly participate in physiology process in a long-term manner to orchestrate with other regulators in order to maintain the balance of organism.展开更多
Background: Motor neuron degeneration or loss in the spinal cord is the characteristic phenotype of motor neuron diseases or spinal cord injuries. Being proliferative and located near neurons, astrocytes are considere...Background: Motor neuron degeneration or loss in the spinal cord is the characteristic phenotype of motor neuron diseases or spinal cord injuries. Being proliferative and located near neurons, astrocytes are considered ideal cell sources for regenerating neurons.Methods: We selected and tested different combinations of the small molecules for inducing the conversion of human and mouse astrocytes into neurons. Microscopic imaging and immunocytochemistry analyses were used to characterize the morphology and phenotype of the induced neurons while RT-q PCR was utilized to analyze changes in gene expression. In addition, whole-cell patch-clamp recordings were measured to examine the electrophysiological properties of induced neurons.Results: The results showed that human astrocytes could be rapidly and efficiently converted into motor neuronlike cells by treatment with defined small molecules, with a yield of over 85% motor neuron-like cells attained. The induced motor neuron-like cells expressed the pan-neuronal markers TUJ1, MAP2, Neu N, and Synapsin 1 and motor neuron markers HB9, ISL1, CHAT, and VACh T. During the conversion process, the cells did not pass through a proliferative neural progenitor cell intermediate. The induced motor neurons were functional, showing the electrophysiological properties of neurons. The same chemical cocktail could induce spinal cord astrocytes from an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis mouse model carrying a SOD1 mutation to become motor neuron-like cells that exhibited a decrease in cell survival and an increase in oxidative stress compared to that observed in wild-type MNs derived from healthy mice. Moreover, the chemical induction reduced oxidative stress in the mutant astrocytes.Conclusions: The results of the present study demonstrated the feasibility of chemically converting human and mouse astrocytes into motor neuron-like cells that are useful for neurodegenerative disease modeling and regenerative medicine.展开更多
Neurodegenerative diseases are often associated with the accumulation of oxidative stress and neuroinflammation.Edible bird’s nest(EBN)is a glycoprotein(sialylated mucin glycopeptides)found to be beneficial against n...Neurodegenerative diseases are often associated with the accumulation of oxidative stress and neuroinflammation.Edible bird’s nest(EBN)is a glycoprotein(sialylated mucin glycopeptides)found to be beneficial against neurodegenerative diseases.Antioxidative,anti-inflammatory,and anti-apoptotic properties of EBN in preserving neuronal cells were widely researched using in vitro and in vivo models.Functional effects of EBN are often linked to its great number of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory glycopeptides.Bioactive compounds in EBN,especially sialic acid,add value to neurotrophic potential of EBN and contribute to neuronal repair and protection.Various studies reporting the neuroprotective effects of EBN,their molecular mechanisms,and neuroactive composition were gathered in this review to provide better insights on the neuroprotective effects of EBN.展开更多
Primary progressive aphasia presents with aphasia, with or without other minor cognitive dysfunction. It refers to core linguistic disorders caused by neurodegenerative disease. Three main PPA variants are recognized:...Primary progressive aphasia presents with aphasia, with or without other minor cognitive dysfunction. It refers to core linguistic disorders caused by neurodegenerative disease. Three main PPA variants are recognized: nonfluent/agrammatic, semantic and logopenic. Correctly classifying patients during life according to the underlying histopathology will become increasingly important as cause-specific treatments become available. This article reviews clinical and histopathological studies of PPA, with particular reference to updated PPA classifications. Currently, one-to-one relationships do not exist within PPA subtypes. The semantic variant has the best correspondence between the clinical syndrome and the underlying pathological cause and the logopenic variant the worst correspondence. The use of future biomarkers should facilitate accurate clinicopathological correlation of patients during life.展开更多
Plant-based milks are on the rise due to an increased awareness of their sustainability and health benefits.Currently,dairy milk is the most nutritionally complete beverage,but it suffers from the presence of indigest...Plant-based milks are on the rise due to an increased awareness of their sustainability and health benefits.Currently,dairy milk is the most nutritionally complete beverage,but it suffers from the presence of indigestible lactose and allergenic proteins.Coconut milk has been around for a long time,but its application is limited due to a perceived lack of specific nutrients,high saturated fat levels,and low acceptability.Recent evidence indicates,however,that the saturated fat and other plant-based components found in coconut milk are good for metabolic outcomes and brain health.The conversion of coconut milk to yoghurt will further improve its functionality by boosting its existing nutritional qualities.In this article,the nutritional value of coconut milk,as well as its potential downsides,its application as yoghurt,and suggestions for enhancing its nutritional functionality will be examined.展开更多
基金funded by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2018YFC1706105)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(81872961)+1 种基金Key Project at Central Government Level(2060302)Collaborative Innovation Project of Dendrobium Industrialization Development in Anhui Province.
文摘Brain energy homeostasis is a vital physiological function in maintaining a balanced internal metabolic environment.The impairment of energy homeostasis is recognized as a key pathophysiological basis for brain metabolic disorders and related neurodegenerative diseases.Dendrobium species(‘Shihu’in Chinese)such as D.officinale,D.huoshanense,D.nobile,D.chrysanthum,D.loddigesii,D.moniliforme,D.gratiosissimum,D.candidum and D.caulis are widely used as traditional Chinese medicines/nutraceuticals to control and treat neurodegenerative disorders.These dietary herbs and their derived compounds possess a variety of biological properties,such as suppression of oxidative stress and neuroinflammation,regulation of energy homeostasis mainly through improving brain mitochondria function,insulin signaling and lipid metabolism.Furthermore,they reduce neurotoxicity,alleviate brain injury and neuropathy,and prevent neurodegenerative conditions including stroke,Alzheimer’s disease,Parkinson’s disease,and Huntington’s disease in humans and/or rodents.Moreover,the nutraceuticals from Dendrobium species promote gut health and aid digestion,which appear to be associated with beneficial effects on brain energy homeostasis.Based on the above-mentioned health benefits associated with Dendrobium species,this work reviews their nutraceutical role in neurodegenerative disorders and further suggests the need to elucidate mechanisms of the underlying molecular actions.
基金The work was supported by the Russian Science Foundation,Project#22-22-00596.
文摘Terahertz(THz)technology offers novel opportunities in biology and medicine,thanks to the unique features of THzwave interactions with tissues and cells.Among them,we particularly notice strong sensitivity of THz waves to the tissue water,as a medium for biochemical reactions and a main endogenous marker for THz spectroscopy and imaging.Tissues of the brain have an exceptionally high content of water.This factor,along with the features of the structural organization and biochemistry of neuronal and glial tissues,makes the brain an exciting subject to study in the THz range.In this paper,progress and prospects of THz technology in neurodiagnostics are overviewed,including diagnosis of neurodegenerative disease,myelin deficit,tumors of the central nervous system(with an emphasis on brain gliomas),and traumatic brain injuries.Fundamental and applied challenges in study of the THz-wave–brain tissue interactions and development of the THz biomedical tools and systems for neurodiagnostics are discussed.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (30721063)
文摘Objective To assess the expression level of D-Tyr-tRNATyr deacylase(DTD) in SAMP8 mice and speculate the function of DTD in disorders associated with Alzheimer's disease(AD).Methods Altogether 12 SAMP8 mice and 12 SAMR1 mice were used in this study.Semi-quantita-tive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) and Western blot were performed to detect the mRNA and protein levels of DTD in the mice.Purified DTD protein was injected into lateral ventricle to investigate the function of DTD in SAMP mice.The behavior of the mice was tested by using a Step-through Test System.Results Both mRNA and protein levels of DTD were found to be significantly lower in SAMP8 mice compared with those in SAMR1 mice(P<0.05).In vivo injection of DTD protein did not lead to an obvious change in behavior of SAM mice.Conclusions DTD might function in the process of AD-associated pathology and could possibly participate in physiology process in a long-term manner to orchestrate with other regulators in order to maintain the balance of organism.
基金supported in part by the National Nature Science Foundation of China (81830064, 81721092)the National Key Research and Development Plan (2017YFC1103304)+1 种基金the CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences (CIFMS, 2019-I2M-5-059)the Military Medical Research and Development Projects (AWS17J005, 2019–126)。
文摘Background: Motor neuron degeneration or loss in the spinal cord is the characteristic phenotype of motor neuron diseases or spinal cord injuries. Being proliferative and located near neurons, astrocytes are considered ideal cell sources for regenerating neurons.Methods: We selected and tested different combinations of the small molecules for inducing the conversion of human and mouse astrocytes into neurons. Microscopic imaging and immunocytochemistry analyses were used to characterize the morphology and phenotype of the induced neurons while RT-q PCR was utilized to analyze changes in gene expression. In addition, whole-cell patch-clamp recordings were measured to examine the electrophysiological properties of induced neurons.Results: The results showed that human astrocytes could be rapidly and efficiently converted into motor neuronlike cells by treatment with defined small molecules, with a yield of over 85% motor neuron-like cells attained. The induced motor neuron-like cells expressed the pan-neuronal markers TUJ1, MAP2, Neu N, and Synapsin 1 and motor neuron markers HB9, ISL1, CHAT, and VACh T. During the conversion process, the cells did not pass through a proliferative neural progenitor cell intermediate. The induced motor neurons were functional, showing the electrophysiological properties of neurons. The same chemical cocktail could induce spinal cord astrocytes from an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis mouse model carrying a SOD1 mutation to become motor neuron-like cells that exhibited a decrease in cell survival and an increase in oxidative stress compared to that observed in wild-type MNs derived from healthy mice. Moreover, the chemical induction reduced oxidative stress in the mutant astrocytes.Conclusions: The results of the present study demonstrated the feasibility of chemically converting human and mouse astrocytes into motor neuron-like cells that are useful for neurodegenerative disease modeling and regenerative medicine.
基金supported by the Research Excellence Consortium(KKP/2020/UKM-UKM/5/1)provided by Ministry of Higher Education,Malaysiasupported by the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme(FRGS),Project No.FP016-2019A,Reference Code:FRGS/1/2019/SKK09/UM/02/2.
文摘Neurodegenerative diseases are often associated with the accumulation of oxidative stress and neuroinflammation.Edible bird’s nest(EBN)is a glycoprotein(sialylated mucin glycopeptides)found to be beneficial against neurodegenerative diseases.Antioxidative,anti-inflammatory,and anti-apoptotic properties of EBN in preserving neuronal cells were widely researched using in vitro and in vivo models.Functional effects of EBN are often linked to its great number of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory glycopeptides.Bioactive compounds in EBN,especially sialic acid,add value to neurotrophic potential of EBN and contribute to neuronal repair and protection.Various studies reporting the neuroprotective effects of EBN,their molecular mechanisms,and neuroactive composition were gathered in this review to provide better insights on the neuroprotective effects of EBN.
文摘Primary progressive aphasia presents with aphasia, with or without other minor cognitive dysfunction. It refers to core linguistic disorders caused by neurodegenerative disease. Three main PPA variants are recognized: nonfluent/agrammatic, semantic and logopenic. Correctly classifying patients during life according to the underlying histopathology will become increasingly important as cause-specific treatments become available. This article reviews clinical and histopathological studies of PPA, with particular reference to updated PPA classifications. Currently, one-to-one relationships do not exist within PPA subtypes. The semantic variant has the best correspondence between the clinical syndrome and the underlying pathological cause and the logopenic variant the worst correspondence. The use of future biomarkers should facilitate accurate clinicopathological correlation of patients during life.
基金Universiti Putra Malaysia Inisiatif Putra Siswazah Grant,with a reference to UPM.RMC.800-2/1/2022/GPIPS/9740400Ministry of Higher Education,Malaysia(01-01-20-2323FR,with reference code:FRGS/1/2020/STG01/UPM/02/2)for the financial support。
文摘Plant-based milks are on the rise due to an increased awareness of their sustainability and health benefits.Currently,dairy milk is the most nutritionally complete beverage,but it suffers from the presence of indigestible lactose and allergenic proteins.Coconut milk has been around for a long time,but its application is limited due to a perceived lack of specific nutrients,high saturated fat levels,and low acceptability.Recent evidence indicates,however,that the saturated fat and other plant-based components found in coconut milk are good for metabolic outcomes and brain health.The conversion of coconut milk to yoghurt will further improve its functionality by boosting its existing nutritional qualities.In this article,the nutritional value of coconut milk,as well as its potential downsides,its application as yoghurt,and suggestions for enhancing its nutritional functionality will be examined.
