Astrocytes are the greatest number and special ramified cell-type in CNS. They have several functions: their processes and cerebral vessels form the blood-brain barrier (BBB); their synapses represent the third element of the tripartite synapse; they provide a certain degree of metabolic supplement for neurons.Astrocytes provide essential metabolic support for neighboring neurons and other cell types, and protect their neighboring cells by ingesting excessive glutamate and K + and releasing growth
Aging is a systemic process, which is a risk factor for impaired physiological functions, and finally death. The molecular mechanisms driving aging process and the associated cognitive decline are not fully understood. The hypothalamus acts as the arbiter that orchestrates systemic aging through neuroinflammatory signaling. Our recent findings revealed that Menin plays important roles in neuroinflammation and brain development. Here, we found that the hypothalamic Menin signaling diminished in aged mice, which correlates with systemic aging and cognitive deficits. Restoring Menin expression in ventromedial nucleus of hypothalamus (VMH) of aged mice extended lifespan, improved learning and memory, and ameliorated aging biomarkers, while inhibiting Menin in VMH of middle-aged mice induced premature aging and accelerated cognitive decline. We further found that Menin epigenetically regulates neuroinflammatory and metabolic pathways, including D-serine metabolism. Aging-associated Menin reduction led to impaired D-serine release by VMH-hippocampus neural circuit, while D-serine supplement rescued cognitive decline in aged mice. Collectively, VMH Menin serves as a key regulator of systemic aging and aging-related cognitive decline.
Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic multisystem inflammatory disease which affects 10%-40% of psoriasis patients. [1][2][3] Many lines of evidence indicate that patients with PsA have a greater risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, mainly linked to systemic inflammation, medications, traditional cardiovascular risk factors as well. 4-6 Among these risk factors, diabetes is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases in the general population 7 and the presence of diabetes in PsA significantly enhances the risk of cardiovascular disease in patients. 8 A number of cross-sectional and case-control studies have suggested that patients with PsA have a higher prevalence of diabetes
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