Search results for "Degenerative Diseases"
showing 10 items of 158 documents
The Role of Adrenoceptors in the Retina
2020
The retina is a part of the central nervous system, a thin multilayer with neuronal lamination, responsible for detecting, preprocessing, and sending visual information to the brain. Many retinal diseases are characterized by hemodynamic perturbations and neurodegeneration leading to vision loss and reduced quality of life. Since catecholamines and respective bindings sites have been characterized in the retina, we systematically reviewed the literature with regard to retinal expression, distribution and function of alpha1 (α1)-, alpha2 (α2)-, and beta (β)-adrenoceptors (ARs). Moreover, we discuss the role of the individual adrenoceptors as targets for the treatment of retinal diseases.
Biochemical Biomarkers and Neurodegenerative Diseases
2021
Neurodegenerative diseases (ND) are a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by progressive dysfunction and loss of neurons in different areas of the central nervous system or peripheral nervous system [...]
Aceruloplasminaemia: a family with a novel mutation and long-term therapy with deferasirox.
2014
Ceruloplasmin is a member of the multicopper oxidase family that plays a major role in the transport of iron in the body. Aceruloplasminaemia (ACP) is a rare disease and is clinically identified by iron overload in liver, pancreas, brain, and other organs, and by microcytic anaemia. So far, the iron chelator deferasirox was given for therapy only up to 6 months due to side effects. Here, we describe a novel mutation leading to ACP and report for the first time a long-term therapy, that is, 2 years with deferasirox. ACP was diagnosed in 3 siblings using clinical and biochemical characteristics, HFE and ceruloplasmin mutational analysis, liver biopsy, brain-, liver-, and heart-MRI. For iron d…
Temporal dynamics of hippocampal neurogenesis in chronic neurodegeneration.
2014
Increased neurogenesis has been reported in neurodegenerative disease, but its significance is unclear. In a mouse model of prion disease, Gomez-Nicola et al. detect increased neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus that partially counteracts neuronal loss. Targeting neurogenesis may have therapeutic potential.
Benefits of nonlinear analysis indices of walking stride interval in the evaluation of neurodegenerative diseases.
2021
Indices characterising the long-range temporal structure of walking stride interval (SI) variability such as Hurst exponent (H) and fractal dimension (D) may be used in addition to indices measuring the amount of variability like the coefficient of variation (CV). We assess the added value of the former indices in a clinical neurological context. Our aim is to demonstrate that they provide a clinical significance in aging and in frequent neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease, Huntington, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Indices assessing the temporal structure of variability are mainly dependent on SI time series length and algorithms used, making quantitative comparisons…
Reprogramming of Pericyte-Derived Cells of the Adult Human Brain into Induced Neuronal Cells
2012
SummaryReprogramming of somatic cells into neurons provides a new approach toward cell-based therapy of neurodegenerative diseases. A major challenge for the translation of neuronal reprogramming into therapy is whether the adult human brain contains cell populations amenable to direct somatic cell conversion. Here we show that cells from the adult human cerebral cortex expressing pericyte hallmarks can be reprogrammed into neuronal cells by retrovirus-mediated coexpression of the transcription factors Sox2 and Mash1. These induced neuronal cells acquire the ability of repetitive action potential firing and serve as synaptic targets for other neurons, indicating their capability of integrat…
Mitochondrial transcriptional study of the effect of aflatoxins, enniatins and carotenoids in vitro in a blood brain barrier model
2020
C. maxima (var. Delica), a variety of pumpkin, is well known for its high concentration on carotenoids, possessing dietary benefits and antioxidant properties. Aflatoxins and enniatins are common mycotoxins present in food and feed with an extended toxicity profile in humans and animals. Both types of substances reach a wide range of tissues and organs and have the capability to penetrate the blood brain barrier. Since carotenoids and mycotoxins have been reported to modify diverse mitochondrial processes individually, transcriptional in vitro studies on human epithelial cells ECV 304 were conducted to analyze the relative expression of 13 mitochondria related genes. ECV 304 cells were diff…
Oxidative Stress and Mitochondrial Damage in Neurodegenerative Diseases: From Molecular Mechanisms to Targeted Therapies
2020
The progression of Alzheimer's dementia is associated with neurovasculature impairment, which includes inflammation, microthromboses, and reduced cerebral blood flow. Here, we investigate the effects of β amyloid peptides on the function of platelets, the cells driving haemostasis. Amyloid peptide β1-42 (Aβ1-42), Aβ1-40, and Aβ25-35 were tested in static adhesion experiments, and it was found that platelets preferentially adhere to Aβ1-42 compared to other Aβ peptides. In addition, significant platelet spreading was observed over Aβ1-42, while Aβ1-40, Aβ25-35, and the scAβ1-42 control did not seem to induce any platelet spreading, which suggested that only Aβ1-42 activates platelet signalli…
Aging and neuroinflammatory disorders: New biomarkers and therapeutic targets
2019
: Chronic neuroinflammation is a common feature of the pathogenic mechanisms involved in various neurodegenerative age-associated disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and dementia. : In particular, persistent low-grade inflammation may disrupt the brain endothelial barrier and cause a significant increase of pro-inflammatory cytokines and immune cells into the cerebral tissue that, in turn, leads to microglia dysfunction and loss of neuroprotective properties. : Nowadays, growing evidence highlights a strong association between persistent peripheral inflammation, as well as metabolic alterations, and neurodegenerative disorder susceptibility. The…
Neuroprotective effects of behavioural training and nicotine on age-related deficits in spatial learning.
2006
Studies in humans and animals show a clear decline in spatial memory with age and several approaches have been adopted to alleviate this impairment. The purpose of our review is to assess the studies that have suggested the possible neuroprotective actions of behavioural training and nicotine-applied both independently and in conjunction-on age-related deficits in spatial learning. Both spatial pretraining and nonspatial experiences influence an animal's performance in spatial tasks. In aged rats, the experience of training in the water maze task increases the number of newly generated neurons in the hippocampus. The neuroprotective effects of nicotine have been demonstrated in both in-vitr…