Venous hemodynamics in neurological disorders: an analytical review with hydrodynamic analysis.

Venous abnormalities contribute to the pathophysiology of several neurological conditions. This paper reviews the literature regarding venous abnormalities in multiple sclerosis (MS), leukoaraiosis, and normal-pressure hydrocephalus (NPH). The review is supplemented with hydrodynamic analysis to assess the effects on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) dynamics and cerebral blood flow (CBF) of venous hypertension in general, and chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) in particular.CCSVI-like venous anomalies seem unlikely to account for reduced CBF in patients with MS, thus other mechanisms must be at work, which increase the hydraulic resistance of the cerebral vascular bed in MS. Similarly, hydrodynamic changes appear to be responsible for reduced CBF in leukoaraiosis. The hydrodynamic properties of the periventricular veins make these vessels particularly vulnerable to ischemia and plaque formation.Venous hypertension in the dural sinuses can alter intracranial compliance. Consequently, venous hypertension may change the CSF dynamics, affecting the intracranial windkessel mechanism. MS and NPH appear to share some similar characteristics, with both conditions exhibiting increased CSF pulsatility in the aqueduct of Sylvius.CCSVI appears to be a real phenomenon associated with MS, which causes venous hypertension in the dural sinuses. However, the role of CCSVI in the pathophysiology of MS remains unclear

Oligodendrocytes: biology and pathology

Oligodendrocytes are the myelinating cells of the central nervous system (CNS). They are the end product of a cell lineage which has to undergo a complex and precisely timed program of proliferation, migration, differentiation, and myelination to finally produce the insulating sheath of axons. Due to this complex differentiation program, and due to their unique metabolism/physiology, oligodendrocytes count among the most vulnerable cells of the CNS. In this review, we first describe the different steps eventually culminating in the formation of mature oligodendrocytes and myelin sheaths, as they were revealed by studies in rodents. We will then show differences and similarities of human oligodendrocyte development. Finally, we will lay out the different pathways leading to oligodendrocyte and myelin loss in human CNS diseases, and we will reveal the different principles leading to the restoration of myelin sheaths or to a failure to do so

Anticancer and antioxidant activities of Guiera senegalensis

Background: Medicinal plants contain physiologically active principles that over the years have been exploited in traditional medicine for the treatment of various ailments.Objectives: The ethanolic extract of Guiera senegalensis was tested in vitro as anticancer and antioxidant agent as well as for its phenolic and flavonoidal contents.Methods: The trypan blue technique was used for the anticancer activity against Ehrlich Ascites Carcinoma Cells (EACC) while the antioxidant activity of the plant extract was determined by 2, 2 diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The total phenolic and flavonoidal contents were estimated using colorimetric methods.Results: The ethanolic extract at a concentration of 13 μg/ml caused 100% cytotoxic effect against EACC. Moreover, it possessed a considerable antioxidant activity against DPPH radical. Guiera senegalensis extract was found to contain appreciable amounts of phenolic and flavonoidal compounds.Conclusion: It can be concluded that Guiera senegalensis possesses sufficient in vitro anticancer and antioxidant activities to warrant further detailed study of its pharm acology and phytochemistry.Key words: Anticancer, antioxidant, phenolic content, flavonoidal content, Guiera senegalensi

Application of the restricted-access precolumn packing material alkyl-diol silica in a column-switching system for the determination of ketoprofen enantiomers in horse plasma.

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