Ototoxic drug-induced apoptosis of inner ear cel s has been shown to be associated with calpain expression. Cisplatin has severe ototoxicity, and can induce cochlear cel apoptosis. This study assumed that cisplatin activated calpain expression in apoptotic cochlear cel s. A mouse model of cisplatin-induced ototoxicity was established by intraperitoneal injection with cisplatin (2.5, 3.5, 4.5, 5.5 mg/kg). Immunofluorescence staining, image analysis and western blotting were used to detect the expression of calpain 1 and calpain 2 in the mouse cochlea. At the same time, the auditory brainstem response was measured to observe the change in hearing. Results revealed that after intraperitoneal injection with cisplatin for 5 days, the auditory brainstem response threshold shifts increased in mice. Calpain 1 and calpain 2 expression significantly increased in outer hair cel s, the spiral ganglion and stria vascularis. Calpain 2 protein expression markedly increased with an in-creased dose of cisplatin. Results suggested that calpain 1 and calpain 2 mediated cispla-tin-induced ototoxicity in BALB/c mice. During this process, calpain 2 plays a leading role.

Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive cognitive impairment and neuropathology. Recent preclinical and epidemiological studies proposed statins as a possible therapeutic drug for Alzheimer’s disease, but the exact mechanisms of action are stil unknown. Biliverdin reductase-A is a pleiotropic enzyme involved in cel ular stress responses. It not only transforms biliverdin-IX alpha into the antioxidant bilirubin-IX alpha but its serine/threonine/tyrosine kinase activity is able to modulate cel signaling networks. We previously reported the beneficial effects of atorvastatin treatment on biliverdin reductase-A and heme oxygenase-1 in the brains of a well characterized pre-clinical model of Alzheimer’s disease, aged beagles, together with observed improvement in cognition. Here we extend our knowledge of the effects of atorvastatin on inducible nitric oxide synthase in parietal cortex, cerebel um and liver of the same animals. We demonstrated that atorvastatin treatment (80 mg/day for 14.5 months) to aged beagles selectively increased inducible nitric oxide synthase in the parietal cortex but not in the cerebel um. In contrast, inducible nitric oxide synthase protein levels were significantly decreased in the liver. Significant positive correlations were found between biliverdin reductase-A and inducible nitric oxide synthase as wel as heme oxygenase-1 protein levels in the parietal cortex. The opposite was observed in the liver. Inducible nitric oxide synthase up-regulation in the parietal cortex was positively associated with improved biliverdin reductase-A functions, whereas the oxidative-induced impairment of biliverdin reductase-A in the liver negatively affected inducible nitric oxide synthase expression, thus suggesting a role for biliverdin reductase-A in atorvastatin-dependent inducible nitric oxide synthase changes. Interestingly, increased inducible nitric oxide synthase levels in the parietal cortex were not associated with higher oxidative/nitrosative stress levels. We hypothesize that biliverdin reductase-A-dependent inducible nitric oxide synthase regulation strongly contributes to the cognitive improvement observed fol owing atorvastatin treatment.

Drug treatment, electric stimulation and decimeter wave therapy have been shown to promote the repair and regeneration of the peripheral nerves at the injured site. This study prepared a Mackin-non’s model of rat sciatic nerve compression. Electric stimulation was given immediately after neurolysis, and decimeter wave radiation was performed at 1 and 12 weeks post-operation. Histo-logical observation revealed that intraoperative electric stimulation and decimeter wave therapy could improve the local blood circulation of repaired sites, al eviate hypoxia of compressed nerves, and lessen adhesion of compressed nerves, thereby decreasing the formation of new entrapments and enhancing compressed nerve regeneration through an improved microenvironment for rege-neration. Immunohistochemical staining results revealed that intraoperative electric stimulation and decimeter wave could promote the expression of S-100 protein. Motor nerve conduction velocity and amplitude, the number and diameter of myelinated nerve fibers, and sciatic functional index were significantly increased in the treated rats. These results verified that intraoperative electric stimulation and decimeter wave therapy contributed to the regeneration and the recovery of the functions in the compressed nerves.

X-linked methyl-CpG binding protein 2 mutations can induce symptoms similar to those of Parkin-son’s disease and dopamine metabolism disorders, but the specific role of X-linked methyl-CpG binding protein 2 in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease remains unknown. In the present study, we used 6-hydroxydopamine-induced human neuroblastoma cel (SH-SY5Y cel s) injury as a cel model of Parkinson’s disease. The 6-hydroxydopamine (50 μmol/L) treatment decreased protein levels for both X-linked methyl-CpG binding protein 2 and tyrosine hydroxylase in these cel s, and led to cel death. However, overexpression of X-linked methyl-CpG binding protein 2 was able to ameliorate the effects of 6-hydroxydopamine, it reduced 6-hydroxydopamine-induced apoptosis, and increased the levels of tyrosine hydroxylase in SH-SY5Y cel s. These findings suggesting that X-linked methyl-CpG binding protein 2 may be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.

In this study, we constructed tissue-engineered nerves with acel ular nerve al ografts in Sprague-Dawley rats, which were prepared using chemical detergents-enzymatic digestion and mechanical methods, in combination with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s of Wistar rats cultured in vitro, to repair 15 mm sciatic bone defects in Wistar rats. At postoperative 12 weeks, electrophysiological detection results showed that the conduction velocity of regenerated nerve after repair with tis-sue-engineered nerves was similar to that after autologous nerve grafting, and was higher than that after repair with acel ular nerve al ografts. Immunohistochemical staining revealed that motor endplates with acetylcholinesterase-positive nerve fibers were orderly arranged in the middle and superior parts of the gastrocnemius muscle;regenerated nerve tracts and sprouted branches were connected with motor endplates, as shown by acetylcholinesterase histochemistry combined with silver staining. The wet weight ratio of the tibialis anterior muscle at the affected contralateral hind limb was similar to the sciatic nerve after repair with autologous nerve grafts, and higher than that after repair with acel ular nerve al ografts. The hind limb motor function at the affected side was significantly improved, indicating that acel ular nerve al ografts combined with bone marrow me-senchymal stem cel bridging could promote functional recovery of rats with sciatic nerve defects.

In multiple sclerosis, gray matter atrophy is extensive, and cognitive deficits and mood disorders are frequently encountered. It has been conjectured that focal atrophy is associated with emotional de-cline. However, conventional MRI has revealed that the pathological characteristics cannot ful y account for the mood disorders. Moreover, there is no correlation between cognitive disorders and MRI results in clinical y isolated syndromes or in cases of definite multiple sclerosis. In this case-control study, voxel-based morphometric analysis was performed on 11 subjects with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, and the results show that these patients exhibit gray matter atrophy. Moreover, the gray matter atrophy in the superior and middle gyri of the right frontal lobe in patients with multiple sclerosis was correlated with scores from the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale. The scores obtained with the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status were associated with gray matter atrophy in the middle gyrus of the left frontal lobe, the superior and middle gyrus of the right frontal lobe, the middle gyrus of the left cingulate, the superior and middle gyri of the left frontal lobe, and the triangular area of the left frontal lobe. However, there was no statistical significance. These findings suggest that the cingulate and frontal cortices of the nant hemisphere are the most severely atrophic regions of the brain, and this atrophy is correlated with cognitive decline and emotional abnormalities.

Tensile stress and tensile strain directly affect the quality of nerve regeneration after bridging nerve defects by poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) conduit transplantation and autogenous nerve grafting for sciatic nerve injury. This study col ected the sciatic nerve from the gluteus maximus muscle from fresh human cadaver, and established 10-mm-long sciatic nerve injury models by removing the ischium, fol owing which poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) conduits or autogenous nerve grafts were transplanted. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the axon and myelin sheath were torn, and the vessels of basilar membrane were obstructed in the poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) con-duit-repaired sciatic nerve fol owing tensile testing. There were no significant differences in tensile tests with autogenous nerve graft-repaired sciatic nerve. Fol owing poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) conduit transplantation for sciatic nerve repair, tensile test results suggest that maximum tensile load, maximum stress, elastic limit load and elastic limit stress increased compared with autogen-ous nerve grafts, but elastic limit strain and maximum strain decreased. Moreover, the tendencies of stress-strain curves of sciatic nerves were similar after transplantation of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) conduits or autogenous nerve grafts. Results showed that after transplantation in vitro for sciatic nerve injury, poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) conduits exhibited good intensity, elasticity and plasticity, indicating that poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) conduits are suitable for sciatic nerve injury repair.

To stop the progression of Alzheimer’s disease in the early stage, it is necessary to identify new therapeutic targets. We examined striatal-enriched phosphatase 61 expression in the brain tissues of 12-month-old APPswe/PSEN1dE9 transgenic mice. Immunohistochemistry showed that al-enriched phosphatase 61 protein expression was significantly increased but phosphorylated N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 2B levels were significantly decreased in the cortex and hippocam-pus of APPswe/PSEN1dE9 transgenic mice. Western blotting of a cel model of Alzheimer’s disease consisting of amyloid-beta peptide (1-42)-treated C57BL/6 mouse cortical neurons in vitro showed that valeric acid (AP5), an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, significantly inhibited amyloid-beta 1-42-induced increased activity of striatal-enriched phosphatase 61. In addition, the phos-phorylation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 2B at Tyr1472 was impaired in amyloid-beta 1-42-treated cortical neurons, but knockdown of striatal-enriched phosphatase 61 enhanced the phosphorylation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 2B. Col ectively, these findings indicate that striatal-enriched phosphatase 61 can disturb N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor transport and inhibit the progression of learning and study disturbances induced by Alzheimer’s disease. Thus, al-enriched phosphatase 61 may represent a new target for inhibiting the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

Oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage have been implicated in the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Oxidative stress is characterized by the overproduction of reactive oxygen species, which can induce mitochondrial DNA mutations, damage the mitochondrial respiratory chain, alter membrane permeability, and influence Ca2+ homeostasis and mitochondrial defense systems. Al these changes are implicated in the development of these neurodegenerative diseases, mediating or amplifying neuronal dysfunction and triggering neurodegeneration. This paper summarizes the contribution of oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage to the onset of neurodegenerative eases and discusses strategies to modify mitochondrial dysfunction that may be attractive thera-peutic interventions for the treatment of various neurodegenerative diseases.