Hsa-miR-877-5p Expression in Acute Ischemic Stroke Based on Bioinformatics Analysis and Clinical Validation.

Inflammation and immunity play important roles in the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke. This study aimed to explore key regulatory genes in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and their underlying mechanisms to provide new research targets for the diagnosis and treatment of ischemic stroke. We searched for differentially expressed mRNAs and miRNAs in patients with AIS and healthy populations in GEO databases, constructed a miRNA-mRNA network, and screened key miRNAs using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression and the support vector machine-recursive feature elimination model. Correlations between key miRNAs and infiltrating immune cells and inflammatory factors were analyzed using CIBERSORT and immunoassays and verified using clinical experiments. Bioinformatics analysis identified hsa-miR-877-5p as a key regulatory miRNA in AIS that can modulate immune and inflammatory responses. In clinical studies, it was verified by quantitative PCR analysis that the expression of hsa-miR-877-5p in the blood of AIS patients was higher than that of the healthy group. Then, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay revealed that the expression of IL-23 and TNF-α related to inflammation in AIS patients was higher than that of the healthy. Quantitative PCR further found that the relative mRNA expression of IL-23, CXCR3, and TNF-α in AIS group was higher than that of the healthy group. This study may provide a basis for a more comprehensive understanding of the potential mechanism of the occurrence and development of AIS, and hsa-miR-877-5p and its downstream effectors IL-23, CXCR3, and TNF-α may be potential intervention targets in AIS.

Rhabdomyolysis-induced acute kidney injury after administration of a red yeast rice supplement: A case report.

BACKGROUND: A few reports have revealed induction of rhabdomyolysis by a red yeast rice (RYR) supplement or by RYR in combination with abiraterone (an androgen biosynthesis inhibitor). CASE SUMMARY: A 76-year-old man presented with progressive limb weakness, muscle soreness, and acute kidney injury (AKI). He had been taking the anti-prostate cancer drug abiraterone for 14 mo and had added a RYR supplement 3 mo before symptom onset. After being diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis-induced AKI, the patient discontinued these drugs and responded well to hemodialysis and hemoperfusion. After 23 d of treatment, creatine kinase levels returned to normal and serum creatinine levels decreased. CONCLUSION: We speculate that statins, the main lipid-lowering component of RYR, or a combination of statins and abiraterone, will increase the risk of rhabdomyolysis.

Curcumin alleviates orofacial allodynia and improves cognitive impairment via regulating hippocampal synaptic plasticity in a mouse model of trigeminal neuralgia.

OBJECTIVE: Cognitive impairment, one of the most prevalent complications of trigeminal neuralgia, is troubling for patients and clinicians due to limited therapeutic options. Curcumin shows antinociception and neuroprotection pharmacologically, suggesting that it may have therapeutic effect on this complication. This study aimed to investigate whether curcumin alleviates orofacial allodynia and improves cognitive impairment by regulating hippocampal CA1 region synaptic plasticity in trigeminal neuralgia. METHODS: A mouse model of trigeminal neuralgia was established by partially transecting the infraorbital nerve (pT-ION). Curcumin was administered by gavage twice daily for 14 days. Nociceptive thresholds were measured using the von Frey and acetone test, and the cognitive functions were evaluated using the Morris water maze test. Dendritic spines and synaptic ultrastructures in the hippocampal CA1 area were observed by Golgi staining and transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS: Curcumin intervention increased the mechanical and cold pain thresholds of models. It decreased the escape latency and distance to the platform and increased the number of platform crossings and dwell time in the target quadrant of models, and improved spatial learning and memory deficits. Furthermore, it partially restored the disorder of the density and proportion of dendritic spines and the abnormal density and structure of synapses in the hippocampal CA1 region of models. CONCLUSION: Curcumin alleviates abnormal orofacial pain and cognitive impairment in pT-ION mice by a mechanism that may be related to the synaptic plasticity of hippocampal CA1, suggesting that curcumin is a potential strategy for repairing cognitive dysfunction under long-term neuropathic pain conditions.

Electroacupuncture alleviates orofacial allodynia and anxiety-like behaviors by regulating synaptic plasticity of the CA1 hippocampal region in a mouse model of trigeminal neuralgia.

Objective: Trigeminal neuralgia (TN), one of the most severe and debilitating chronic pain conditions, is often accompanied by mood disorders, such as anxiety and depression. Electroacupuncture (EA) is a characteristic therapy of Traditional Chinese Medicine with analgesic and anxiolytic effects. This study aimed to investigate whether EA ameliorates abnormal TN orofacial pain and anxiety-like behavior by altering synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus CA1. Materials and methods: A mouse infraorbital nerve transection model (pT-ION) of neuropathic pain was established, and EA or sham EA was used to treat ipsilateral acupuncture points (GV20-Baihui and ST7-Xiaguan). Golgi-Cox staining and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were administrated to observe the changes of synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus CA1. Results: Stable and persistent orofacial allodynia and anxiety-like behaviors induced by pT-ION were related to changes in hippocampal synaptic plasticity. Golgi stainings showed a decrease in the density of dendritic spines, especially mushroom-type dendritic spines, in hippocampal CA1 neurons of pT-ION mice. TEM results showed that the density of synapses, membrane thickness of the postsynaptic density, and length of the synaptic active zone were decreased, whereas the width of the synaptic cleft was increased in pT-ION mice. EA attenuated pT-ION-induced orofacial allodynia and anxiety-like behaviors and effectively reversed the abnormal changes in dendritic spines and synapse of the hippocampal CA1 region. Conclusion: EA modulates synaptic plasticity of hippocampal CA1 neurons, thereby reducing abnormal orofacial pain and anxiety-like behavior. This provides evidence for a TN treatment strategy.

A Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study of Abnormal Frontoparietal Network Function in Migraine without Aura.

BACKGROUND This study aimed to investigate frontoparietal network (FPN) dysfunction in participants with migraine without aura (MwoA). MATERIAL AND METHODS We selected 48 age-, sex-, and education level-matched graduate students (24 participants with MwoA [MwoA group] and 24 healthy controls). RS-fMRI and independent component analysis were used to examine the FPN and to compare abnormal encephalic regional homogeneity values. The Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), and Self-Rating Scale of Sleep (SRSS) were used to evaluate attention, anxiety, depression, and sleep, respectively. Pearson's correlation was applied to evaluate the association between abnormal brain areas and the scores for each scale. RESULTS Neural function activity in encephalic regions of FPN showed abnormal changes in the MwoA group. The MwoA group had significantly lower MAAS scores (P<0.001), higher SAS scores (P<0.001), and higher SDS (P=0.06) and SRSS scores (P=0.26). In the MwoA group, functional activity of the right parietal lobule in the left FPN was positively correlated with MAAS scores (P=0.01) and negatively correlated with SAS (P=0.02). The orbital part of left inferior frontal gyrus activity in the right FPN was positively correlated with SDS (P=0.04) and SRSS (P<0.001). Right superior marginal gyrus activity in the right FPN was positively correlated with SDS (P=0.02). CONCLUSIONS Abnormal FPN function was correlated with attention, anxiety, depression, and sleep status in the MwoA group. These results offer further insights into the evaluation and treatment of MwoA.