Stigmasterol protects human brain microvessel endothelial cells against ischemia-reperfusion injury through suppressing EPHA2 phosphorylation / 中国天然药物

Stigmasterol is a plant sterol with anti-apoptotic, anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effect through multiple mechanisms. In this study, we further assessed whether it exerts protective effect on human brain microvessel endothelial cells (HBMECs) against ischemia-reperfusion injury and explored the underlying mechanisms. HBMECs were used to establish an in vitro oxygen and glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) model, while a middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model of rats were constructed. The interaction between stigmasterol and EPHA2 was detected by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA). The results showed that 10 μmol·L-1 stigmasterol significantly protected cell viability, alleviated the loss of tight junction proteins and attenuated the blood-brain barrier (BBB) damage induced by OGD/R in thein vitro model. Subsequent molecular docking showed that stigmasterol might interact with EPHA2 at multiple sites, including T692, a critical gatekeep residue of this receptor. Exogenous ephrin-A1 (an EPHA2 ligand) exacerbated OGD/R-induced EPHA2 phosphorylation at S897, facilitated ZO-1/claudin-5 loss, and promoted BBB leakage in vitro, which were significantly attenuated after stigmasterol treatment. The rat MCAO model confirmed these protective effects in vivo. In summary, these findings suggest that stigmasterol protects HBMECs against ischemia-reperfusion injury by maintaining cell viability, reducing the loss of tight junction proteins, and attenuating the BBB damage. These protective effects are at least meditated by its interaction with EPHA2 and inhibitory effect on EPHA2 phosphorylation.

Updated Understanding of the Glial-Vascular Unit in Central Nervous System Disorders / 神经科学通报·英文版

The concept of the glial-vascular unit (GVU) was raised recently to emphasize the close associations between brain cells and cerebral vessels, and their coordinated reactions to diverse neurological insults from a "glio-centric" view. GVU is a multicellular structure composed of glial cells, perivascular cells, and perivascular space. Each component is closely linked, collectively forming the GVU. The central roles of glial and perivascular cells and their multi-level interconnections in the GVU under normal conditions and in central nervous system (CNS) disorders have not been elucidated in detail. Here, we comprehensively review the intensive interactions between glial cells and perivascular cells in the niche of perivascular space, which take part in the modulation of cerebral blood flow and angiogenesis, formation of the blood-brain barrier, and clearance of neurotoxic wastes. Next, we discuss dysfunctions of the GVU in various neurological diseases, including ischemic stroke, spinal cord injury, Alzheimer's disease, and major depression disorder. In addition, we highlight the possible therapies targeting the GVU, which may have potential clinical applications.

Parkinson's Disease: A Multisystem Disorder / 神经科学通报·英文版

The way sporadic Parkinson's disease (PD) is perceived has undergone drastic changes in recent decades. For a long time, PD was considered a brain disease characterized by motor disturbances; however, the identification of several risk factors and the hypothesis that PD has a gastrointestinal onset have shed additional light. Today, after recognition of prodromal non-motor symptoms and the pathological processes driving their evolution, there is a greater understanding of the involvement of other organ systems. For this reason, PD is increasingly seen as a multiorgan and multisystemic pathology that arises from the interaction of susceptible genetic factors with a challenging environment during aging-related decline.

Soybean isoflavones alleviate cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats by inhibiting ferroptosis and inflammatory cascade reaction / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the mechanism that mediates the effect of soybean isoflavones (SI) against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in light of the regulation of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), ferroptosis, inflammatory response and blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability.@*METHODS@#A total of 120 male SD rats were equally randomized into sham-operated group (Sham group), cerebral I/R injury group and SI pretreatment group (SI group). Focal cerebral I/R injury was induced in the latter two groups using a modified monofilament occlusion technique, and the intraoperative changes of real-time cerebral cortex blood flow were monitored using a laser Doppler flowmeter (LDF). The postoperative changes of cerebral pathological morphology and the ultrastructure of the neurons and the BBB were observed with optical and transmission electron microscopy. The neurological deficits of the rats was assessed, and the severities of cerebral infarction, brain edema and BBB disruption were quantified. The contents of Fe2+, GSH, MDA and MPO in the ischemic penumbra were determined with spectrophotometric tests. Serum levels of TNF-α and IL-1βwere analyzed using ELISA, and the expressions of GPX4, MMP-9 and occludin around the lesion were detected with Western blotting and immunohistochemistry.@*RESULTS@#The rCBF was sharply reduced in the rats in I/R group and SI group after successful insertion of the monofilament. Compared with those in Sham group, the rats in I/R group showed significantly increased neurological deficit scores, cerebral infarction volume, brain water content and Evans blue permeability (P < 0.01), decreased Fe2+ level, increased MDA level, decreased GSH content and GPX4 expression (P < 0.01), increased MPO content and serum levels of TNF-α and IL-1β (P < 0.01), increased MMP-9 expression and lowered occludin expression (P < 0.01). All these changes were significantly ameliorated in rats pretreated with IS prior to I/R injury (P < 0.05 or 0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#SI preconditioning reduces cerebral I/R injury in rats possibly by improving rCBF, inhibiting ferroptosis and inflammatory response and protecting the BBB.

Progress on Prevention and Treatment of Cerebral Small Vascular Disease Using Integrative Medicine / 中国结合医学杂志

Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is a senile brain lesion caused by the abnormal structure and function of arterioles, venules and capillaries in the aging brain. The etiology of CSVD is complex, and disease is often asymptomatic in its early stages. However, as CSVD develops, brain disorders may occur, such as stroke, cognitive dysfunction, dyskinesia and mood disorders, and heart, kidney, eye and systemic disorders. As the population continues to age, the burden of CSVD is increasing. Moreover, there is an urgent need for better screening methods and diagnostic markers for CSVD, in addition to preventive and asymptomatic- and mild-stage treatments. Integrative medicine (IM), which combines the holistic concepts and syndrome differentiations of Chinese medicine with modern medical perspectives, has unique advantages for the prevention and treatment of CSVD. In this review, we summarize the biological markers, ultrasound and imaging features, disease-related genes and risk factors relevant to CSVD diagnosis and screening. Furthermore, we discuss IM-based CSVD prevention and treatment strategies to stimulate further research in this field.

Effect of radiofrequency radiation from 5G mobile phone on blood-brain barrier in mice / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect of radiofrequency radiation (RF) from 5G mobile phone communication frequency bands (3.5 GHz and 4.9 GHz) on the permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in mice.Methods:A total of 24 healthy adult male C57BL/6 mice (6-8 weeks old) were randomly divided into Sham, 3.5 GHz RF and 4.9 GHz RF groups, and 8 mice in each group. Mice in the RF groups were systemically exposed to 5G cell phone radiation for consecutive 35 d(1 h/d) with 50 W/m 2 power density. The BBB permeability of mice was detected by Evans Blue (EB) fluorescence experiment. The expression levels of the BBB tight junction-related proteins (ZO-1, occludin and claudin-11) and the gap junction-related protein Connexin 43 were determined by Western blot. Results:The number of spots, fluorescence intensity and comprehensive score of EB were significantly increased in 3.5 GHz RF group and 4.9 GHz RF group compared with the Sham group ( t=12.98, 17.82, P<0.001). Compared with the Sham group, the content of S100B in mouse serum was significantly increased in 3.5 GHz RF group and 4.9 GHz RF group ( t=19.34, 14.68, P<0.001). The BBB permeability was increased in the RF group. The expression level of occludin protein was significantly reduced in the 3.5 GHz RF group ( t=-3.13, P<0.05), and this decrease was much profound in the 4.9 GHz RF group ( t=-6.55, P<0.01). But the protein levels of ZO-1, Claudin-11 and Connexin 43 in the cerebral cortex of the RF groups had no significantly difference in comparison with the Sham group( P>0.05). Conclusions:The continuous exposure of mobile phone RF at 3.5 GHz or 4.9 GHz for 35 d (1 h/d) induces an increase of BBB permeability in the mouse cerebral cortex, perhaps by reducing the expression of occludin protein.

Genetic inhibition of MLKL exerts protective effects against cognitive impairment and neuroinflammation in a cerebral small vessel disease model / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

OBJECTIVE To identify the role of mixed lineage kinase domain like protein(MLKL)in cerebral small vessel disease(CSVD)and explore the underlying mechanism.METHODS Transient bilateral common carotid artery occlusion(tBCCAO)was used to establish a mouse model of CSVD.Immunofluorescence staining and Western blotting were used to observe the expres-sions of RIPK3/MLKL signaling molecules in brain tissues at 7,14 and 28 d after tBCCAO.Open field test,rotarod test,Y-maze and novel object recognition test were used to observe the effect of MLKL knockout on cognitive func-tion after tBCCAO.Blood-brain barrier(BBB)disruption was observed by sodium fluorescein permeability test and the expressions of tight junction proteins.Immunoflu-orescence staining and Western blotting were used to detect the expression of microglia marker Iba-1,astro-cyte marker GFAP,and NLRP3/Caspase-1 signaling mol-ecules in the hippocampus of CSVD mice.ELISA was used to detect the level of inflammatory factors(TNF-α,IL-1β,IL-18)in hippocampus.RESULTS The expres-sions of RIPK3/MLKL signaling molecules increased in cortex and hippocampus after tBCCAO,especially on day 14.The expression of pMLKL mainly increased in neurons,glia cells and endothelial cells in CSVD mice.MLKL knockout improved the cognitive functions such as motor learning,spatial learning and working memory,and object recognition ability in CSVD mice.MLKL knock-out alleviated the leakage of sodium fluorescein and attenuated the down-regulation of tight junction proteins at 1 d and 14 d after tBCCAO.At 14 d after tBCCAO,MLKL knock out inhibited the activations of microglia and astrocytes,attenuated the expressions of NLRP3/cas-pase-1 molecules,and decreased the levels of inflamma-tory factors in the hippocampus of mice.CONCLUSION Genetic inhibition of MLKL exerts protective effects against cognitive impairment by ameliorating BBB dam-age and neuroinflammation in a mouse cerebral small vessel disease model.

Vascular endothelial cell dysfunction and Alzheimer's disease / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

Alzheimer's disease(AD)is a neurode-generative disease with complex pathological mecha-nism characterized by accumulation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain.Increasing evi-dence suggests that vascular dysfunction due to endothe-lial cell injury may have a pathogenic role in the occur-rence and development of AD.Malfunction of the blood-brain barrier caused by endothelial cell dysfunction is associated with the accumulation of several neurotoxic molecules within brain parenchyma,a reduction in cerebral blood flow,amyloid-β transfer and hypoxia,especially at the early stages of the disease.At the same time,it can-not be ignored that the peripheral arterial vascular endo-thelial cell dysfunction also seems to be closely related to the risk and the severity of symptoms of AD.Some mole-cules are thought to be messengers connecting the central and peripheral endothelial cells.Peripheral and central vascular endothelial cells communicate with each other and influence the progression of AD through some common mechanisms.In this review,we provide an ap-praisal of the endothelial cell dysfunction in cerebral and systemic vasculature,and give the evidence that vascular pathology is inextricably linked to disease onset and pro-gression of AD.

Effect of ventilator-induced lung injury on blood-brain barrier permeability in rats / 中华危重病急救医学

Objective:To observe the effect of ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) on blood-brain barrier permeability in rats.Methods:Forty-eight healthy clean male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into sham operation (Sham) group, low tidal volume (LVT) mechanical ventilation group (LVT group), normal tidal volume (NVT) mechanical ventilation group (NVT group) and high tidal volume (HVT) mechanical ventilation group (HVT group) with 12 rats in each group. After anesthesia, rats in the Sham group were intubated and kept spontaneous breathing. The rats in different tidal volume (VT) groups were mechanically ventilated by endotracheal intubation with VT of 6 mL/kg (LVT group), 10 mL/kg (NVT group), and 20 mL/kg (HVT group), respectively. The inspiration-expiration ratio of the three groups was 1∶1, the ventilation frequency was 40 times/min, and the ventilation time was 3 hours. At the end of the experiment, the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of rats was collected, and the levels of pro-inflammatory factors [tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukins (IL-1β and IL-6)] in BALF were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The lung tissues of rats were collected, and the lung wet/dry weight (W/D) ratio was calculated. The pathological changes of lung tissues were observed under light microscopy after hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, and lung injury scores were performed. The brain tissue of rats was taken to measure the brain water content, and the Evans blue (EB) content of brain tissue was measured to reflect the permeability of the blood-brain barrier. The tight junction proteins in the brain tissues were detected by Western blotting.Results:After 3 hours of mechanical ventilation, with the increase of VT, the degree of lung injury in VILI rats gradually increased. When VT reached 20 mL/kg, lung tissue structure was significantly injured, alveolar wall edema, alveolar congestion, lung interstitial thickening, a large number of inflammatory cells infiltrated, and the lung injury score, lung W/D ratio, and the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 in BALF were significantly higher than those in the Sham group [lung injury score: 10.6±1.1 vs. 1.4±1.0, lung W/D ratio: 6.6±0.8 vs. 3.7±0.6, TNF-α(ng/L): 832.9±97.9 vs. 103.8±23.3, IL-1β (ng/L): 68.9±14.1 vs. 15.7±2.6, IL-6 (ng/L): 70.8±16.4 vs. 20.3±5.4, all P < 0.05]. Lung injury in rats was accompanied by aggravating brain injury. When VT reached 20 mL/kg, brain water content and EB content in brain tissue were significantly higher than those in the Sham group [brain water content: (85.4±3.6)% vs. (68.7±2.7)%, EB content in brain tissue (μg/g): 887±78 vs. 97±14, both P < 0.05], and the protein expressions of claudin-5, occluding and zonula occluden-1 (ZO-1) in the brain tissue were significantly lower than those in the Sham group [claudin-5 protein (claudin-5/β-actin): 0.67±0.12 vs. 1.45±0.19, occludin protein (occludin/β-actin): 0.48±0.11 vs. 0.99±0.21, ZO-1 protein (ZO-1/β-actin): 0.13±0.03 vs. 0.63±0.12, all P < 0.05]. Conclusion:VILI can induce brain edema and increase blood-brain barrier permeability in rats, which may be related to the down-regulation of tight junction protein expression in the brain tissue.

Research progress of biomimetic nano drug delivery system in nervous system disease / 药学学报

Brain delivery of drugs remains challenging due to the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). With advances in nanotechnology and biotechnology, new possibilities for brain-targeted drug delivery have emerged. Biomimetic nano drug delivery systems with high brain-targeting and BBB-penetrating capabilities, along with good biocompatibility and safety, can enable 'invisible' drug delivery. In this review, five different types of biomimetic strategies are presented and their research progress in central nervous system disorders is reviewed. Finally, the challenges and future prospects for biomimetic nano drug delivery systems in intracerebral drug delivery are summarized.

Transdermal drug delivery technology for brain-targeted drug delivery / 药学学报

Intracerebral delivery of drugs for the treatment of central nervous system disorders is usually limited by the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Transdermal drug delivery systems (TDDS) have the advantage of improving patient compliance and avoiding first-pass effects compared to intravenous, oral and intranasal drug delivery, and are an emerging non-invasive drug delivery route that facilitates long-term drug delivery to patients. The discovery of direct subcutaneous targeting of lymphatic pathways to brain tissue has made TDDS a new brain-targeted drug delivery strategy. At the same time, the development of nano-delivery technology has further facilitated the application of TDDS for targeted drug delivery to the brain. This review summarizes the mechanism of transdermal drug delivery into the brain and the application of TDDS in the treatment of brain diseases, providing new ideas and methods for the treatment of central nervous system diseases.

Research advances in brain lactate level and hepatic encephalopathy / 临床肝胆病杂志

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a common complication and an independent risk factor for death in patients with liver cirrhosis. Brain lactate level is associated with the progression and severity of HE, and research on brain lactate level may help to further explain the pathogenesis of HE. This article summarizes the metabolic process of brain lactate, the association between brain lactate level and HE, and the potential therapeutic targets for HE and provides a reference for clinicians to further systematically evaluate the progression, treatment outcome, and prognosis of patients with HE, in order to reduce the medical burden of patients and improve the prognosis of patients with HE.

Effect of Angelica dahurica coumarins on the transport behavior of puerarin across blood-brain barrier in vitro and in vivo / 药学学报

A BBB co-culture cell model consisting of rat brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMEC) and astrocytes (AS) was established to study the effect of Angelica dahurica coumarins on the transport behavior of puerarin across blood-brain barrier (BBB) in vitro and in vivo. The barrier function of this model was evaluated by measuring the transendothelial resistance, phenol red permeability and BBB related protein expression. The permeability assay and western blot methods were performed to study the effects of Angelica dahurica coumarins on the BBB permeability and the expression of BBB related protein. The animal experiment protocols in this study were approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Xi'an Jiaotong University (Animal Ethics No.: 2021-1329). The results showed that the established BMEC/AS co-culture model could be used to evaluate drug transport across BBB in vitro. After combined with Angelica dahurica coumarins, the transport capacity of puerarin was significantly increased in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, Angelica dahurica coumarins enhanced BBB permeability and inhibited the protein expression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp), zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and occludin. Angelica dahurica coumarins might increase BBB permeability by inhibiting the expression of P-gp and tight junction protein, thereby increasing the content of puerarin in brain tissue.

Research Progress on Protective Effect and Mechanism of Salidroside on Cerebral Ischemia Injury： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Ischemic stroke is caused by a variety of factors caused by intracerebral artery stenosis or obstruction， can lead to cerebral ischemia， hypoxia， neuronal necrosis and neurological dysfunction and other pathological injuries， with high morbidity， high disability rate， high mortality characteristics. Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury is the main secondary injury， which can lead to permanent disability or even death in severe cases. With the development of traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） modernization， the extraction and application of active components of TCM have been paid more and more attention. Salidroside， as the main active component of Rhodirosea， a rare Chinese medicinal herb， has been proved to fight cerebral ischemia injury by inhibiting cell apoptosis， anti-oxidative stress， reducing inflammatory response， protecting blood-brain barrier， regulating autophagy， promoting nerve remodeling and synaptic regeneration in preclinical trials. However， due to its multi-pathway， multi-pathway and multi-target action characteristics， the specific mechanism of salidroside to improve cerebral ischemia injury has not been fully elucidated. By reviewing relevant literature in the past decade， the author reviewed the mechanism of action of salidroside in the treatment of ischemic brain injury， and summarized the recent progress of its pharmacokinetic studies and safety evaluation， in order to provide theoretical basis and new research ideas for the development and clinical application of the active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine.

Meridian Tropism and Compatibility of Chinese Medicine from Theory of Brain Sweat Pore / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Since LIU Hejian proposed the concept of sweat pore， the theory of sweat pore has experienced accelerated development. Especially with the advances in modern human anatomy and physiology， the microscopic anatomy of sweat pore begins to focus on the intercellular space， ion channels and other membranous space with channels， pores， doors， etc.， which exert the functions of exchanging fluid， information， and energy inside and outside blood vessels and discharging metabolic wastes so as to maintain the normal operation of organs. Therefore， sweat pore is the structural basis for the movement of Qi and the central link of Qi-fluid exchange in the body. The brain， as the house of original spirit， is in charge of the spirit of five Zang-organs. The brain sweat pore is pivotal for the circulation of Qi， blood， and fluid in the brain， and it is the structural basis for the normal physiological functions of the brain. The dysfunction of the brain sweat pore will cause the stagnation of Qi and the abnormal transport of blood and fluid. It will cause the abnormal exchange of Qi， liquid and other material and information， which fail to nourish the original spirt and cause the loss of vital activity， eventually leading to consciousness and emotion disorders. The treatment should focus on opening the brain sweat pore， smoothing the exchange of Qi and fluid inside and outside the pore， and restoring the Qi movement， so as to cure encephalopathy. At present， western medicine treatment of encephalopathy needs to solve the problem of drug efflux from the blood-brain barrier and improve the effective concentration of drugs into the brain. The structure and function of brain sweat pore is similar to those of the blood-brain barrier. The aromatic resuscitative medicines and wind-extinguishing medicines can open the brain sweat pore. When being combined with other medicines， they can lead the medicine to enter the brain to restore the Qi movement of the brain sweat pore and enhance the therapeutic effect. Liver-pacifying wind-extinguishing medicines， insect medicines， tonifying medicines， heat-clearing toxin-removing medicines， and damp-draining medicines can treat pathological factors such as wind， phlegm， stasis， deficiency， toxin， and dampness， respectively. These medicines， combined with the medicines with the tropism to brain meridians， can open the brain sweat pore and guide the medicine into the brain to enhance the effective concentration of the medicine， thereby enhancing the efficacy against encephalopathy.

Advances in preclinical studies on borneol as an adjuvant for glioma / 药学实践杂志

Glioma is a common primary malignant brain tumor. At present, the main clinical treatment is surgical resection combined with radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Due to the selective permeability of the blood-brain barrier and the characteristics of multi-drug resistance of tumor cells, the therapeutic effect is not ideal. In recent years, studies have found that borneol could open the blood-brain barrier and promote the infiltration of chemotherapy drugs. When borneol is combined with or co-carried with chemotherapy drugs, chemotherapy drugs could target more glioma tissues and increase efficacy. The preclinical studies on the combination of borneol and chemotherapy drugs in recent years were reviewed in this article, in order to provide useful reference for the treatment of glioma.

Salmonella-mediated blood‒brain barrier penetration, tumor homing and tumor microenvironment regulation for enhanced chemo/bacterial glioma therapy

Chemotherapy is an important adjuvant treatment of glioma, while the efficacy is far from satisfactory, due not only to the biological barriers of blood‒brain barrier (BBB) and blood‒tumor barrier (BTB) but also to the intrinsic resistance of glioma cells via multiple survival mechanisms such as up-regulation of P-glycoprotein (P-gp). To address these limitations, we report a bacteria-based drug delivery strategy for BBB/BTB transportation, glioma targeting, and chemo-sensitization. Bacteria selectively colonized into hypoxic tumor region and modulated tumor microenvironment, including macrophages repolarization and neutrophils infiltration. Specifically, tumor migration of neutrophils was employed as hitchhiking delivery of doxorubicin (DOX)-loaded bacterial outer membrane vesicles (OMVs/DOX). By virtue of the surface pathogen-associated molecular patterns derived from native bacteria, OMVs/DOX could be selectively recognized by neutrophils, thus facilitating glioma targeted delivery of drug with significantly enhanced tumor accumulation by 18-fold as compared to the classical passive targeting effect. Moreover, the P-gp expression on tumor cells was silenced by bacteria type III secretion effector to sensitize the efficacy of DOX, resulting in complete tumor eradication with 100% survival of all treated mice. In addition, the colonized bacteria were finally cleared by anti-bacterial activity of DOX to minimize the potential infection risk, and cardiotoxicity of DOX was also avoided, achieving excellent compatibility. This work provides an efficient trans-BBB/BTB drug delivery strategy via cell hitchhiking for enhanced glioma therapy.

Pathogenesis of cerebral small vessel disease / 国际脑血管病杂志

Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is an important cause of ischemic stroke and vascular dementia, which brings heavy burden to families and society. The prevention and treatment of CSVD has always been a research hotspot, but its pathogenesis is still not completely clear. This article reviews the pathogenesis of CSVD, including chronic cerebral hypoperfusion, blood-brain barrier dysfunction, vascular endothelial dysfunction, interstitial fluid reflux disorder, inflammatory response, and genetic factors, in order to provide more sufficient theoretical basis for early intervention and treatment of CSVD.

Correlation between paroxysmal slow-wave events and cognitive impairment in patients with cerebral small vessel disease / 国际脑血管病杂志

Objective:To investigate the correlation between paroxysmal slow-wave events (PSWEs) and cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) and CSVD-related cognitive impairment.Methods:Patients with CSVD visited Weihai Municipal Hospital from March 2021 to April 2022 were included, and sex- and age-matched healthy controls were recruited for cross-sectional analysis. The patients with CSVD were further divided into cognitive impairment group and non-cognitive impairment group. The self-developed Python script was used to detect the PSWE parameters in electroencephalogram records. Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were used to evaluate cognitive function. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine whether PWSE parameters were the independent related factors of CSVD and CSVD-related cognitive impairment. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine the correlation between the PSWE parameters and overall cognitive function (MoCA total score) in patients with CSVD. Results:A total of 76 patients with CSVD (including 41 patients with cognitive impairment and 35 patients without cognitive impairment) and 45 healthy controls were included. Compared with the healthy control group, PWSEs in the F3 (left frontal area) and O1 (left occipital area) regions of the CSVD group occurred more frequently and lasted longer (all P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the frequency (odds ratio [ OR] 1.080, 95% confidence interval [ CI] 1.023-1.140; P=0.005) and duration ( OR 1.006, 95% CI 1.001-1.011; P=0.023) of PWSEs in the left frontal area, as well as the frequency ( OR 1.052, 95% CI 1.010-1.095; P=0.014) and duration ( OR 1.003, 95% CI 1.000-1.006; P=0.028) of PWSEs in the left occipital region were the independent related factors for CSVD. The frequency ( OR 1.106, 95% CI 1.033-1.183; P=0.004) and duration ( OR1.010, 95% CI 1.003-1.017; P=0.004) of PWSEs in the left frontal area were the independent risk factors for cognitive impairment in patients with CSVD. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the frequency ( β= –0.242, P=0.045) and duration ( β= –0.235, P=0.046) of PWSEs in the left frontal region were negatively correlated with the overall cognitive function score in patients with CSVD. Conclusions:The frequency and duration of PSWEs in some brain regions of patients with CSVD increase, and there is an independent correlation between PSWEs and cognitive impairment, suggesting that the damage of blood-brain barrier may participate in the pathogenesis of cognitive impairment in patients with CSVD.

The modulation and mechanisms of high-altitude hypoxia in drug transport across the blood-brain barrier / 药学学报

The function of the central nervous system was significantly altered under high-altitude hypoxia, and these changes lead to central nervous system disease and affected the metabolism of drugs in vivo. The blood-brain barrier is essential for maintaining central nervous system stability and plays a key role in the regulation of drug metabolism, and barrier structure and dysfunction affect drug transport to the brain. Changes in the structure and function of the blood-brain barrier and the transport of drugs across the blood-brain barrier under high-altitude hypoxia are regulated by changes in brain microvascular endothelial cells, astrocytes and pericytes, and are regulated by drug metabolism factors such as drug transporters and drug metabolizing enzymes. This article reviews the effects of high-altitude hypoxia on the structure and function of the blood-brain barrier and the effects of changes in the blood-brain barrier on drug metabolism. We investigate the regulatory effects and underlying mechanisms of the blood-brain barrier and related pathways such as transcription factors, inflammatory factors and nuclear receptors on drug transport under high-altitude hypoxia.