Neuroscience letters
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Cell therapy is thought to have a central role in restorative therapy, which aims to restore the function of the damaged nervous system. Neural stem cells (NSCs) can differentiate into neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effects of transplanting NSCs into rats which have the animal model of Alzheimer's disease (AD). ⋯ Immunohistochemical detection of p75(NGFR) showed that the number of cholinergic neurons of the NSCs-transplanted group was significant higher than that of the glia-transplanted group in medial septum (MS) and vertical diagonal branch (VDB) (P<0.05). Learning and memory abilities were also measured by Y-maze test. The results indicate that transplanted NSCs can differentiate into cholinergic neurons, which may play an important role in the therapeutic effects of transplanted NSCs.
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Neuroscience letters · Jan 2009
Effects of electro-acupuncture on NT-4 expression in spinal dorsal root ganglion and associated segments of the spinal dorsal horn in cats subjected to adjacent dorsal root ganglionectomy.
It is well known that neuroplasticity occurs in the central nervous system in response to injury. Electro-acupuncture (EA) may also promote neuroplasticity. But little is known about the underlying molecular mechanisms for the beneficial effects of EA. ⋯ Adjacent ganglionectomy leads to a significant decrease in NT-4 expression in the L(6) DRG, but no change in the spinal dorsal horn. Following EA treatment a significant increase occurred in the L(6) DRG at 14 days post-operation (dpo) as well as the L(6) cord segment at 7 and 14 dpo. These findings pointed to a possible association between NT-4 expression and EA promoted spinal cord plasticity in adult cats subjected to partial ganglionectomy.
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Neuroscience letters · Jan 2009
Randomized Controlled TrialThe neural substrates of verum acupuncture compared to non-penetrating placebo needle: an fMRI study.
Acupuncture, an ancient East Asian therapeutic technique, is currently emerging as an important modality in complementary and alternative medicine around the world. Several studies have provided useful information regarding neurophysiological mechanisms of acupuncture in human brain activation. We explored brain activation using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and compared verum acupuncture to placebo needles. ⋯ Verum acupuncture stimulation elicited significant activation in both motor function-related brain areas, including the caudate, claustrum, and cerebellum, and limbic-related structures, such as the medial frontal gyrus, the cingulate gyrus, and the fusiform gyrus. These findings suggest that acupuncture not only elicited acupoint-implicated brain activation, but also modulated the affective components of the pain matrix. The current investigation of the specific pattern of the brain activation related to genuine acupuncture provides new information regarding the neurobiological basis of acupuncture.
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Neuroscience letters · Jan 2009
The intracellular mobility of NPY and a putative mitochondrial form of NPY in neuronal cells.
Preproneuropeptide Y is a precursor peptide to mature neuropeptide Y (NPY), which is a universally expressed peptide in the central and peripheral nervous system. NPY is normally routed to endoplasmic reticulum and secretory vesicles in cells, which secrete NPY. In our previous studies, we found a functional Leucine7 to Proline7 (L7P) polymorphism in the signal peptide sequence of preproNPY. ⋯ The mobility in the cells with the putative mitochondrial construct was found to be very low. According to the results of the present study, the mitochondrial truncated peptide stays in the mitochondrion. It can be hypothesized that this could be one of the factors affecting energy balance of the membranes of the mitochondrion.
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Neuroscience letters · Jan 2009
Spinal cord stimulation induces c-Fos expression in the dorsal horn in rats with neuropathic pain after partial sciatic nerve injury.
Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is an established treatment for intractable neuropathic pain, especially CRPS-1. The mechanisms of action of SCS have only been partly elucidated and include suppression of the hyper-excitability of the Wide Dynamic Range neurons and a GABA increase in the dorsal horn. In the present study we demonstrate an increase of c-Fos immunoreactive cells in the dorsal horn after SCS, suggesting early cellular activation that may preclude earlier described electrophysiological and biochemical changes in the dorsal horn after SCS. ⋯ A sham group (n=6) also had a SCS device implanted, but did not receive SCS. After SCS the animals were perfused and histology was performed for quantification of c-Fos immunoreactivity in the dorsal horns. We found a significant increase in c-Fos in the SCS group compared to our sham group and control tissue, indicating late cellular activity in the dorsal horn after SCS.