Effect of Cyperus rotundus on ischemia-induced brain damage and memory dysfunction in rats

Objective(s): Global cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury causes loss of pyramidal cells in CA1 region of hippocampus. In this study, we investigated the possible neuroprotective effects of the ethanol extract of Cyperus rotundus (EECR) on a model of global transient ischemia in rat, by evaluating the pathophysiology of the hippocampal tissue and spatial memory. Materials and Methods: Treatment group (EECR, 100 mg/kg/day) was gavaged from 4 days before, to 3 days after ischemia. Morris water maze test was performed 1 week after ischemia for 4 days. Brain tissue was prepared for Nissl staining. Results: Our data showed no statistical difference between the treatment and ischemia groups in water maze task. So, treatment of ischemia with EECR cannot improve spatial learning and memory. On the contrary EECR ameliorated the CA1 pyramidal cell loss due to transient global ischemia/ reperfusion injury. Conclusion: These results suggest that EECR cannot reduce the ischemia-induced, cognitive impairments seen after transient, global cerebral ischemia but can prevent pyramidal cell loss in CA1 region of hippocampus. © 2015, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved

Hypoxia Inducible Factor 1: A Urinary Biomarker of Kidney Disease.

Identifying noninvasive biomarkers of kidney disease is valuable for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Hypoxia inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) expression is known to be elevated in the kidneys in several renal disease pathologies. We hypothesized that the urinary HIF-1a mRNA level may be a suitable biomarker for expression of this protein in chronic kidney disease (CKD). We compared HIF-1a mRNA levels from urine pellets of CKD and healthy subjects. To ensure that urinary HIF-1a mRNA is of kidney origin, we examined colocalization of HIF-1a mRNA with two kidney specific markers in urine cells. We found that HIF-1a mRNA is readily quantifiable in urine pellets and its expression was significantly higher in CKD patients compared with healthy adults. We also showed that the urinary HIF-1a mRNA comes primarily from cells of renal origin. Our data suggest that urinary HIF-1a mRNA is a potential biomarker in CKD and can be noninvasively assessed in patients

Early Detection of t(8;21) Chromosomal Translocations During Treatment of PML-RARA Positive Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia: A Case Study

Here we describe a female patient who developed acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) characterized by t(l5;17) translocation at diagnosis. The patient began treatment with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) + chemotherapy. During follow up, the patient was found to be negative for the t(15;17) transcript after 3 months of therapy which remained undetectable, thereafter. However, the emergence of a small clone with a t(8;21) abnormality was observed in the bone marrow and peripheral blood (PB) cells between 3 and 18 months following treatment initiation. The abnormal translocation observed in PB cells obtained at 3 months was detected after the second cycle of consolidation therapy and reappeared at 15 months during maintenance treatment, a period without ATRA. Although based on a single case, we conclude that genetic screening of multiple translocations in AML patients should be requested to allow early identification of other emerging clones during therapy that may manifest clinically following treatment

Pneumococcal infection of respiratory cells exposed to welding fumes; Role of oxidative stress and HIF-1 alpha

Colt Foundation: CF/05/12

Huygens Principle-based Microwave Brain Imaging through Finite Difference Time Domain

This paper investigates the application of Huygens principle (HP) in brain imaging. We employ simulation techniques, specifically the Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) method, in order to comprehensively evaluate the efficacy of this methodology in detecting strokes within the brain. The FDTD method is particularly noteworthy due to its straightforward implementation and high level of accuracy. Moreover, its compatibility with time domain analysis allows us to effectively incorporate time-varying sources. In order to demonstrate the effectiveness of HP procedure, we examine various scenarios in our simulations. The results provide compelling evidence of the considerable potential of HP imaging for the brain, highlighting its adaptability for a wide range of applications. These research findings yield valuable insights into the possibilities of using HP for brain imaging, laying the foundation for future advancements and innovation in the field of brain imaging for stroke detection

Clinical and molecular spectrum of P/Q type calcium channel Cav2.1 in epileptic patients

Background: Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by the potential to induce seizure and accompanied by cognitive, psychological, and social consequences. CACNA1A gene is a voltage-gated P/Q-type Cav2.1 channel that is broadly expressed in the central nervous system, and the pathogenic variants within this gene may be associated with the epileptic phenotype. In the present study, we collected clinical and molecular data related to epileptic patients with CACNA1A pathogenic variants and investigated possible meaningful relationship between age at onset, neurodevelopmental disorders, type of seizures, brain imaging abnormalities, genotype, and protein domains. Results: In our retrospective literature studies, from among 890 articles reviewed, a total of 90 individuals were related to epilepsy phenotype. Our findings showed that about 90 percent of patients have shown the first symptoms in childhood and teenage years and different types of neurodevelopmental disorders, such as intellectual disability, developmental arrest, and behavioral disorders, have been common findings for these patients. Further, a wide range of abnormalities have been observed in their brain imaging, and generalized seizures have been the most type of seizures in these patients. However, our data showed no specific genotype�phenotype correlation in epileptic patients with CACNA1A pathogenic alterations. Conclusions: Our study focused on epileptic phenotype in patients with CACNA1A pathogenic variants and showed a wide range of clinical and molecular heterogeneity with no specific genotype�phenotype correlation. It seems that incomplete penetrance, de-novo variants, and modifier genes are obstacles in predicting the clinical outcome. © 2021, The Author(s)

Leu226Trp CACNA1A variant associated with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy with and without intellectual disability

Objective: Epilepsy is a disease of Central Nervous System (CNS) characterized by abnormal brain activity and recurrent seizures and is considered a clinically and genetically heterogeneous disease. Here, we investigated pathogenic genetic alteration and described the clinical characteristics of three Iranian family members affected by Idiopathic Generalized Epilepsy (IGE) with and without intellectual disability. Methods: A non-consanguineous Iranian family with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy was enrolled in the study. The comprehensive neurological evaluation included motor and sensory skills, vision, hearing, speech, coordination, and mood. Whole-exome Sequencing (WES) was performed on the proband to detect probable pathogenic variant, and after the filtering process, probable variants were evaluated with familial segregation analysis using Sanger sequencing. Results: Using WES, we identified a heterozygous missense substitution (NM023035.3:c.T677G:p.Leu226Trp) in CACNA1A gene in the studied family with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy with and without intellectual disability and psychiatric phenotype. Considering the patients� clinical synopsis, familial segregation analysis, and literature review, we postulated this variant to be causative of the disease. Indeed, the resulting missense mutation of Leu226Trp affects a highly conserved residue supporting our hypothesis that this mutation is potentially pathogenic. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of juvenile myoclonic epilepsy related to CACNA1A gene. Our results provide evidence for expanding the clinical and molecular findings related to the CACNA1A gene. © 2022 Elsevier B.V