Urine-derived stem cells in neurological diseases: current state-of-the-art and future directions.

Stem cells have potential applications in the field of neurological diseases, as they allow for the development of new biological models. These models can improve our understanding of the underlying pathologies and facilitate the screening of new therapeutics in the context of precision medicine. Stem cells have also been applied in clinical tests to repair tissues and improve functional recovery. Nevertheless, although promising, commonly used stem cells display some limitations that curb the scope of their applications, such as the difficulty of obtention. In that regard, urine-derived cells can be reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). However, their obtaining can be challenging due to the low yield and complexity of the multi-phased and typically expensive differentiation protocols. As an alternative, urine-derived stem cells (UDSCs), included within the population of urine-derived cells, present a mesenchymal-like phenotype and have shown promising properties for similar purposes. Importantly, UDSCs have been differentiated into neuronal-like cells, auspicious for disease modeling, while overcoming some of the shortcomings presented by other stem cells for these purposes. Thus, this review assesses the current state and future perspectives regarding the potential of UDSCs in the ambit of neurological diseases, both for disease modeling and therapeutic applications.

Recent Advances in Extracellular Vesicles in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Emergent Perspectives.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a severe and incurable neurodegenerative disease characterized by the progressive death of motor neurons, leading to paralysis and death. It is a rare disease characterized by high patient-to-patient heterogeneity, which makes its study arduous and complex. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as important players in the development of ALS. Thus, ALS phenotype-expressing cells can spread their abnormal bioactive cargo through the secretion of EVs, even in distant tissues. Importantly, owing to their nature and composition, EVs' formation and cargo can be exploited for better comprehension of this elusive disease and identification of novel biomarkers, as well as for potential therapeutic applications, such as those based on stem cell-derived exosomes. This review highlights recent advances in the identification of the role of EVs in ALS etiopathology and how EVs can be promising new therapeutic strategies.

Memory and Cognition-Related Neuroplasticity Enhancement by Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Rodents: A Systematic Review.

Brain stimulation techniques, including transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), were identified as promising therapeutic tools to modulate synaptic plasticity abnormalities and minimize memory and learning deficits in many neuropsychiatric diseases. Here, we revised the effect of tDCS on the modulation of neuroplasticity and cognition in several animal disease models of brain diseases affecting plasticity and cognition. Studies included in this review were searched following the terms ("transcranial direct current stimulation") AND (mice OR mouse OR animal) and according to the PRISMA statement requirements. Overall, the studies collected suggest that tDCS was able to modulate brain plasticity due to synaptic modifications within the stimulated area. Changes in plasticity-related mechanisms were achieved through induction of long-term potentiation (LTP) and upregulation of neuroplasticity-related proteins, such as c-fos, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), or N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs). Taken into account all revised studies, tDCS is a safe, easy, and noninvasive brain stimulation technique, therapeutically reliable, and with promising potential to promote cognitive enhancement and neuroplasticity. Since the use of tDCS has increased as a novel therapeutic approach in humans, animal studies are important to better understand its mechanisms as well as to help improve the stimulation protocols and their potential role in different neuropathologies.

Haemodynamic and analgesic control in a perioperative opioid-free approach to bariatric surgery - A case report.

New approaches to bariatric surgery aim to achieve stress-free anaesthesia with sympathetic stability to protect organs and provide sufficient tissue perfusion, analgesia and rapid emergence. Opioid-free and multimodal approaches to anaesthesia provide intra- and post-operative sedation and analgesia, particularly advantageous in morbidly obese patients, but their feasibility and efficacy are still disputed. We describe the case of a female patient proposed for laparoscopic bariatric surgery, conducted under an opioid-free anaesthesia protocol, the haemodynamic, ventilatory and analgesic control, and intra- and post-operative monitoring and complications.

Misinterpretation and Limitations of pEEG Monitoring During Multimodal General Anesthesia: A Case Report.

The adequate titration of hypnotic agents can be achieved using processed electroencephalogram (pEEG) monitors. pEEG monitors with a spectrogram, such as bilateral bispectral index (BIS), are useful because they can show different signatures that suggest the effect of a given drug on brain activity. Multimodal general anesthesia is based on a combination of hypnotic and antinociceptive agents. We report a case of awareness in a patient monitored with bilateral BIS during multimodal general anesthesia. This case illustrates the limitations of the index and the value of the spectrogram in the assessment of hypnosis.

Effect of Boussignac continuous positive airway pressure ventilation on Pao2 and Pao2/Fio2 ratio immediately after extubation in morbidly obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery: a randomized controlled trial.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Pathophysiological changes after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass may increase the risk of pulmonary complications in morbidly obese patients. The purpose of the study was to assess the impact of immediate postextubation use of Boussignac continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on arterial oxygenation in morbidly obese patients undergoing laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. The hypothesis is that the use of CPAP may improve oxygenation in the postoperative period when compared to Venturi mask. DESIGN: Randomized controlled study. SETTING: A tertiary referral hospital. PATIENTS: Recruited morbidly obese adult patients undergoing laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. INTERVENTIONS: Boussignac CPAP or Venturi mask was randomly applied immediately after extubation in the operating room and was maintained during the first 2 hours in the recovery room. MEASUREMENTS: Pao2 and Pao2/fraction of inspired oxygen (Fio2) ratio values were measured preoperatively and at 1 (T1), 2 (T2), and 24 hours (T24) after extubation, through arterial blood samples. Secondary outcomes (spirometric parameters) were measured at the same periods. For comparison between groups, Student t test, Mann-Whitney U nonparametric test, and χ(2) test were used. Statistical significance is at P < .05. MAIN RESULTS: Twenty-four patients were included, 12 in each group. There were no differences in preoperative evaluation. There were significant differences between groups in Pao2 and Pao2/Fio2 mean values at T1, T2, and T24, being superior in the Boussignac group. During the 24 hours postextubation, 9% of patients in the Boussignac group and 50% in the Venturi group had a Pao2 less than 60 mm Hg in at least 1 of the evaluations. After extubation, a Pao2/Fio2 ratio value less than 300 was observed in all patients in the Venturi group and in 55% in Boussignac group in at least 1 of the evaluations. There were no differences in spirometric parameters between groups at T1, T2, and T24. CONCLUSIONS: Application of Boussignac CPAP for 2 hours after extubation improved oxygenation but did not improve forced expiratory volume at 1 second and forced vital capacity.