Neuroscience
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The M1 polarization of microglia, followed by the production of pro-inflammatory mediators, hinders functional recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI). Our previous study has illuminated that specificity protein 1 (Sp1) expression is increased following SCI, whereas the function and regulatory mechanism of Sp1 during M1 polarization of microglia following SCI remain unknown. RNA binding protein, HuR, has been shown to be up-regulated in the injured spinal cord through analysis of the GEO database. ⋯ Enhanced expression of HuR was observed in both SCI mice and LPS-treated BV2 cells, while Sp1 knockdown restrained M1 polarization of microglia and its associated inflammation by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway. Silencing Sp1 also suppressed microglia activation and its mediated inflammatory response, which could be reversed by overexpression of HuR. In conclusion, silencing Sp1 restrains M1 polarization of microglia through the HuR/NF-κB axis, leading to neuroprotection, and thus promotes functional restoration following SCI.
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Recent researches have noted many changes of short-term dynamic modalities in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients' brain functional networks. In this study, the dynamic functional brain networks of 82 MCI patients and 85 individuals in the normal control (NC) group were constructed using the sliding window method and Pearson correlation. The window size was determined using single-scale time-dependent (SSTD) method. ⋯ R. This study on DFC states explores changes in the brain functional networks of patients with MCI from the perspective of alterations in the community structures of DFC states. The findings could provide new insights into the pathological changes in the brains of MCI patients.