BACKGROUND Sensitive and specific biomarkers for the early detection of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) are urgently needed to reduce the high morbidity and mortality of the disease. The discovery of serum microRNAs (miRNAs) and their unique concentration profiles in patients with various diseases makes them attractive, novel noninvasive biomarkers for tumor diagnosis. In this study, we investigated the serum miRNA profile in ESCC patients to develop a novel diagnostic ESCC biomarker. METHODS Serum samples were taken from 290 ESCC patients and 140 age- and sex-matched controls. Solexa sequencing technology was used for an initial screen of miRNAs in serum samples from 141 patients and 40 controls. A hydrolysis probe–based stem–loop quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) assay was conducted in the training and verification phases to confirm the concentrations of selected miRNAs in serum samples from 149 patients and 100 controls. RESULTS The Solexa sequencing results demonstrated marked upregulation of 25 serum miRNAs in ESCC patients compared with controls. RT-qPCR analysis identified a profile of 7 serum miRNAs (miR-10a, miR-22, miR-100, miR-148b, miR-223, miR-133a, and miR-127-3p) as ESCC biomarkers. The area under the ROC curve for the selected miRNAs ranged from 0.817 to 0.949, significantly higher than for carcinoembryonic antigen (0.549; P < 0.0005). More importantly, this panel of 7 miRNAs clearly distinguished stage I/II ESCC patients from controls. CONCLUSIONS This panel of 7 serum miRNAs holds promise as a novel blood-based biomarker for the diagnosis of ESCC.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized pathologically by the deposition of β-amyloid peptides (Aβ) and the accumulation of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) composed of hyper-phosphorylated tau. Regardless of the pathological hallmarks, synaptic dysfunction is widely accepted as a causal event in AD. Of the two major types of synapses in the central nervous system (CNS): glutamatergic and GABAergic, which provide excitatory and inhibitory outputs respectively, abundant data implicate an impaired glutamatergic system during disease progression. However, emerging evidence supports the notion that disrupted default neuronal network underlies impaired memory, and that alterations of GABAergic circuits, either plays a primary role or as a compensatory response to excitotoxicity, may also contribute to AD by disrupting the overall network function. The goal of this review is to provide an overview of the involvement of Aβ, tau and apolipoprotein E4 (apoE4), the major genetic risk factor in late-onset AD (LOAD), in GABAergic neurotransmission and the potential of modulating the GABAergic function as AD therapy.

The β-amyloid (Aβ) peptide has been postulated to be a key determinant in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Aβ is produced through sequential cleavage of the β-amyloid precursor protein (APP) by β- and γ-secretases. APP and relevant secretases are transmembrane proteins and traffic through the secretory pathway in a highly regulated fashion. Perturbation of their intracellular trafficking may affect dynamic interactions among these proteins, thus altering Aβ generation and accelerating disease pathogenesis. Herein, we review recent progress elucidating the regulation of intracellular trafficking of these essential protein components in AD.

The potential antidiabetic activity of ethyl acetate extract of the leaves of Lagerstroemia speciosa (LSL) was investigated by alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase inhibition assay. Six pentacyclic triterpenes (oleanolic acid, arjunolic acid, asiatic acid, maslinic acid, corosolic acid and 23-hydroxyursolic acid) were isolated from LSL. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analysis and their alpha-glycosidase and alpha-amylase inhibitory activities were investigated. They exhibited no or weak inhibitory activity against alpha-amylase and middle alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activities. Corosolic acid, which shows best bioactivity against alpha-glucosidase (IC(50) = 3.53 microg/mL), contributes most to the alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity of EtOAc extract. The kinetics of inhibition of corosolic acid was also discussed. Results from this study might provide the scientific evidence for LSL for the treatment of diabetes in traditional medicine.

The degeneration of cholinergic neurons and cholinergic hypofunction are pathologies associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) mediate acetylcholine-induced neurotransmission and five mAChR subtypes (M1-M5) have been identified. Among them, M1 mAChR is widely expressed in the central nervous system and has been implicated in many physiological and pathological brain functions. In addition, M1 mAChR is postulated to be an important therapeutic target for AD and several other neurodegenerative diseases. In this article, we review recent progress in understanding the functional involvement of M1 mAChR in AD pathology and in developing M1 mAChR agonists for AD treatment.Keywords: agonist; Alzheimer's disease; amyloid; cholinergic hypofunction; M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor; tau IntroductionAlzheimer's disease (AD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative disorder afflicting millions of people. It is diagnosed by the progressive loss of cognitive function and behavioral defi cits and is characterized by the presence of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), senile plaques, cholinergic neuron loss, and neuronal atrophy at autopsy [1,2] . Senile plaques and NFTs are major pathological hallmarks of AD in the brain. Senile plaques consist of deposits of small peptides called β-amyloid (Aβ). Multiple lines of evidence suggest that the overproduction/ aggregation of neurotoxic Aβ in vulnerable brain regions is the primary cause of AD [3][4][5][6] . NFTs are formed by accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau protein [7, 8] . Tau is a microtubule-binding protein whose function is to stabilize microtubules and facilitate fast axonal transport. Once highly phosphorylated, tau dissociates from microtubules and is prone to aggregate, forming paired helical fi laments that aggregate into NFTs [9, 10] .The third important hallmark of AD is cholinergic hypofunction. The neurotransmitter acetylcholine abnormalities; and (5) reduction in nAChR levels [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] .Recent evidence indicates that cholinergic hypofunction is closely linked to Aβ and tau pathologies [20] . As a major receptor group for ACh, mAChRs have also been implicated in the pathophysiology of AD. In the present review, we focus on M1 mAChR, the dominant mAChR subtype involved in learning and memory, and discuss its involvement in AD.Neurosci Bull April 1, 2014, 30(2): 295-307 296Overview of the mAChR Family m A C h R s a r e s e v e n -t r a n s m e m b r a n e G -p r o t e i ncoupled receptors. Upon binding to the endogenous neurotransmitter ACh, mAChRs couple to G proteins to transduct signals [21][22][23] . So far, fi ve mAChR subtypes (M1-M5) have been identifi ed and are divided into two categories based on the manner of signal transduction: M1, M3, and M5 subtypes preferentially interact with the G q/11 family of G proteins, activating phospholipase C and mobilizing intracellular calcium, while M2 and M4 subtypes couple to the G o/i family, inhibiting adenylate cyclases and reducing intracel...