Patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) often suffer from cognitive function impairments even when they have received proper treatment, such as the clipping or coiling of aneurysms, and this causes problems with returning to work and burdens the family. Increasing attention has been paid to mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived extracellular vesicle (MSC-EV) as promising therapeutic vesicles for stroke management. In this study, we explored the potential role of MSC-EV in a rat model of SAH. We observed that MSC-EV ameliorated early brain injury (EBI) after SAH by reducing the apoptosis of neurons and that SAH induced an increase in the expression level of miR-21 in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. In addition, using miRNA profiling and CSF sequencing data from the exRNA Atlas, we demonstrated that EV-derived miR-21 protected neurons from apoptosis and alleviated SAH-induced cognitive dysfunction. The neuroprotective role of MSC-EV was abrogated by miR-21 knockdown or the administration of MK2206, a PTEN/Akt inhibitor. Overall, our results suggest that MSC-EV promotes neuronal survival and alleviates EBI after SAH through transferring miR-21 to recipient neurons.

Peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptors (PPARs) are nuclear receptors which down‐regulate inflammatory signaling pathways. Therefore, we hypothesized that alterations of PPAR functions can contribute to human immunodeficiency virus‐1 (HIV‐1)‐induced dysfunction of brain endothelial cells. Indeed, treatment with HIV‐1 transactivator of transcription (Tat) protein decreased PPAR transactivation in brain endothelial cells. We next stably over‐expressed PPARα and PPARγ in a newly developed cell line of human brain endothelial cells (hCMEC/D3 cells). Tat‐induced up‐regulation of inflammatory mediators, such as interleukin (IL)‐1β, tumor necrosis factor‐α, CCL2, and E‐selectin were markedly attenuated in hCMEC/D3 over‐expressing PPARα or PPARγ. These results were confirmed in CCL2 and E‐selectin promoter activity studies. Similar protective effects were observed in hCMEC/D3 after activation of PPARγ by exogenous PPAR agonists (dPGJ2 and rosiglitazone). PPAR over‐expression also prevented Tat‐induced binding activity and transactivation of nuclear factor‐κB. Importantly, increased PPAR activity attenuated induction of IL‐1β, tumor necrosis factor‐α, CCL2, and E‐selectin in hCMEC/D3 cells co‐cultured with HIV‐1‐infected Jurkat cells. The protective effects of PPAR over‐expression were reversed by the antagonists of PPARα (MK886) or PPARγ (GW9662). The present data suggest that targeting PPAR signaling may provide a novel therapeutic approach to attenuate HIV‐1‐induced local inflammatory responses in brain endothelial cells.

Introduction: Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CIRI) is the main factor that leads to poor prognosis of cerebral ischemia. Apoptosis has been shown to occur during the process of CIRI. Extracellular vesicles derived from mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs-EVs) have shown broad potential for treating brain dysfunction and eliciting neuroprotective effects after stroke through neurogenesis and angiogenesis. However, the mechanism of action of extracellular vesicles during CIRI is not well known. Methods: A middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model was induced by the modified Longa method, and MSCs-EVs were injected via the tail vein. Results: Our results showed that MSCs-EVs significantly alleviated neurological deficits, reduced the volume of cerebral infarction and brain water content, improved pathological lesions in cortical brain tissue, and attenuated neuronal apoptosis in the cortex at 24 h and 48 h after MCAO in rats. Western blotting analysis showed that MSCs-EVs significantly upregulated p-AMPK and downregulated p-JAK2, p-STAT3 and p-NF-κB. In addition, an AMPK pathway blocker reversed the effect of MSCs-EVs on brain damage. Conclusion: These results indicate that MSCs-EVs protected MCAO-injured rats, possibly by regulating the AMPK and JAK2/STAT3/NF-κB signaling pathways. This study supports the use of MSCs-EVs as a potential treatment strategy for MCAO in the future.

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ACEI/ARBs are effective on the secondary prevention of AF, especially in patients receiving AAD and suffering from hypertension.

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Cerebral ischemia is a common cerebrovascular condition which often induces neuronal apoptosis, leading to brain damage. The sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling pathway has been reported to be involved in ischemic stroke, but the underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. In the present study, we demonstrated that expressions of Shh, Ptch, and Gli-1 were significantly downregulated at 24 h following oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) injury in neurons in vitro, effects which were associated with increasing numbers of apoptotic cells and reactive oxygen species generation. In addition, expressions of synaptic proteins (neuroligin and neurexin) were significantly downregulated at 8 h following OGD, also associated with concomitant neuronal apoptosis. Treatment with purmorphamine, a Shh agonist, increased Gli-1 in the nucleus of neurons and protected against OGD injury, whereas the Shh inhibitor, cyclopamine, produced the opposite effects. Activation of Shh signals promoted CREB and Akt phosphorylation; upregulated the expressions of BDNF, neuroligin, and neurexin; and decreased NF-κB phosphorylation following OGD. Notably, this activation of Shh signals was accompanied by improved neurobehavioral responses along with attenuations in edema and apoptosis at 48 h postischemic insult in rats. Taken together, these results demonstrate that activation of the Shh signaling pathway played a neuroprotective role in response to ischemic exposure via promotion of synaptic and neuronal health.

Abstract:Objective: To investigate the relationship between growth patterns and mandibular posterior tooth-alveolar bone complex morphology in a Chinese population with normal occlusion. Methods: Forty-five patients with normal occlusion (23 males, 22 females) were included in this study. Among these patients, 20 displayed the vertical growth pattern, and 20 had the horizontal growth pattern, while the remaining patients displayed the average growth pattern. All of the patients underwent dental cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), which included the region of the mandibular posterior teeth and the alveolar. A linear regression analysis and a correlation analysis between the facial height index (FHI) and the alveolar bone morphology were performed. Results: The inclination of the molars, the thickness of the cortical bone, and the height of the mandibular bone differed significantly between patients with the horizontal growth pattern and those with the vertical growth pattern (P<0.05). Significant positive correlations were found between: the FHI and the inclination of the molars; the FHI and the thickness of the cortical bone; and the FHI and the height of the mandibular bone. Conclusions: The mandibular posterior tooth-alveolar bone complex morphology may be affected by growth patterns.