Current neurovascular research
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Ischemic stroke is a leading cause of death and cognitive impairment worldwide. However, the mechanisms of progressive cognitive decline following brain ischemia are not yet certain. ⋯ Data from animal models and clinical studies of ischemic stroke have demonstrated an increase in expression and processing of amyloid precursor protein (APP) to a neurotoxic form of oligomeric β-amyloid peptide (Aβ) and hyperphosphorylation of tau protein. The authors of this review are using advances in methods and technologies to study cerebrovascular diseases and this review examines the hypothesis that pathological mechanisms common to both brain ischemia and Alzheimer's dementia are contributing to cognitive impairment and brain ischemia-related dementia.
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High glucose driven reactive oxygen intermediates production and inflammatory damage are recognized contributors of nerve dysfunction and subsequent damage in diabetic neuropathy. Sulforaphane, a known chemotherapeutic agent holds a promise for diabetic neuropathy because of its dual antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The present study investigated the effect of sulforaphane in streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic neuropathy in rats. ⋯ Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) inhibition seemed to be responsible for antiinflammatory activity of sulforaphane as there was reduction in NF-κB expression and IκB kinase (IKK) phosphorylation along with abrogation of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukine-6 (IL-6) levels. Here in this study we provide an evidence that sulforaphane is effective in reversing the various deficits in experimental diabetic neuropathy. This study supports the defensive role of Nrf2 in neurons under conditions of oxidative stress and also suggests that the NF-κB pathway is an important modulator of inflammatory damage in diabetic neuropathy.
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Chronic stress can cause emotional dysfunction, but exposure to an enriched environment (EE) can benefit emotional homeostasis. Recent studies have demonstrated that EE can ameliorate stress-induced depressive-like behaviors. Whether hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity and corticosteroid receptors are involved in these effects of EE is not known. ⋯ These effects were ameliorated by EE. Also we found that 21 days of restraint stress resulted in low HPA axis activity, and a reduction of MR mRNA and MR/GR ratio in the hippocampus of rats, which was restored by EE. Thus, our current results emphasizes the efficiency of EE in the amelioration of stress-induced decrease in the mRNA expression of MR and MR/GR ratio as well as behavioral depression, providing initial evidence for a possible mechanism by which an enriched environment can restore stress-induced deficits.