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Exosomes are vesicles with a double globular membrane of lipids that can be secreted by a variety of cells, including stem cells. Exosomes have unique biological characteristics and irreplaceable powerful functions which play an important role in intercellular communication. The various cytokines, signal proteins, lipids and regulatory nucleic acids contained in stem cell exosomes can play a protective role against the injury of kidney, liver, heart, blood vessels and nerves. Stem cell exosomes delay the process of intervertebral disc degeneration by inhibiting the apoptosis of nucleus pulposus cells and increasing the synthesis of extracellular matrix, etc. The mechanism of its role is mainly through miRNA and related signaling pathways. Exosomes contain complex components. Although the mechanism of action of exosomes in intervertebral discs has been preliminarily explored, the components contained in exosomes are complex and the specific situation has not been fully understood, which still needs further study. In this review, the characteristics and functions of stem cell exosomes, extraction, identification and storage methods, the impacttovarious other tissues, as well as the effects on intervertebral discs and their mechanisms were elaborated in order to provide a basis for the study of intervertebral disc degenerative diseases.
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OBJECTIVE@#To explore the genetic basis for a patient with episodic ataxia and pyramidal tract signs.@*METHODS@#The patient was subjected to high-throughput sequencing, Sanger sequencing and analysis of dynamic variant site associated with spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA).@*RESULTS@#The patient was an adolescent male presenting with episodic ataxia, bilateral knee hyper-reflexia and ankle clonus. By genetic testing, he was found to harbor a c.1159-1162dupAAGT variant of PDHA1 gene. The same variant was not found in his parents and elder sister. No abnormalities were found by SCA dynamic variant screening. The patient was diagnosed as pyruvate dehydrogenase E1alpha deficiency due to variant of the PDHA1 gene.@*CONCLUSION@#The de novo c.1159-1162dupAAGT variant of the PDHA1 gene probably underlies the disease in the proband. Patients with pyruvate dehydrogenase E1alpha deficiency have complex phenotypes and very few have pyramidal tract involvement, which may be attributed to abnormal early neuronal development.
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Objective To verify the anti-inflammatory effects of intra-articular injection of botulinum toxin type A (BoNT/A) on adjuvant-induced arthritis using a rat model.Methods A murine model of chronic ankle arthritis was established in 90 Wistar rats by injection of 0.1 ml of complete Freund adjuvant (CFA) into the pads of their left paws.They were then randomly divided into a BoNT group (n =30) which received an intra-articular injection of 0.1 ml (20 IU) of BoNT/A,an NS group (n=30) which received intra-articular injection of0.1 ml of normal saline solution and a sham group (n =30) which were punctured without any injection.In addition,30 normal rats formed a control group.Infrared thermal imaging was performed and an index of arthritis was evaluated every three days.The infrared thermal imaging revealed the expression of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) through hematoxy-eosin (HE) staining.Results The arthritis index began to increase 3 days after the injection of CFA and it had increased significantly after 10 days,reaching a peak value of 18,24 days after the injection.The infrared thermal imaging showed that the temperature in the right paw increased greatly after the injection.Following the development of arthritis,the temperature declined gradually,arriving at a steady temperature of between 37.5 and 38.0 ℃ in both ankles 20 days after the injection.The average temperature in both paws of the BoNT group had decreased significantly more by 7 and 14 days after the injection than in the NS and sham groups.The expression of IL-1β in the synovium of the ankle joint also had decreased significantly more in the BoNT group after 7 and 14 days.HE scoring showed an obvious histopathologic change in the hypertrophic synovium,inflamnatory cell infiltration,cartilage destruction and exposure of subchondral bone after 7 and 14 days compared with right after the injection in all groups except the control group.Moreover,the average HE scores of the BoNT group rats after 7 and 14 days were significantly lower than those seen in the NS and sham groups at the same time points.Conclusion Intra-articular injection of botulinum toxin type A has an anti-inflammatory effect on arthritis induced by complete Freund adjuvant,at least in rats.
ABSTRACT
The mild cognitive impairment and vascular cognitive impairment no dementia are the early stages for Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia proposed in recent years.They both not only have some differences,but also have many crosses and contacts in concepts,diagnostic criteria,epidemiology,pathology,neuropsychology,and biological markers,etc.This article reviews the recent progresses and problems facing in recent years.