Search results for "spinal cord"

BAG3 mediates chaperone-based aggresome-targeting and selective autophagy of misfolded proteins.

2010

Increasing evidence indicates the existence of selective autophagy pathways, but the manner in which substrates are recognized and targeted to the autophagy system is poorly understood. One strategy is transport of a particular substrate to the aggresome, a perinuclear compartment with high autophagic activity. In this paper, we identify a new cellular pathway that uses the specificity of heat-shock protein 70 (Hsp70) to misfolded proteins as the basis for aggresome-targeting and autophagic degradation. This pathway is regulated by the stress-induced co-chaperone Bcl-2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3), which interacts with the microtubule-motor dynein and selectively directs Hsp70 substrates …

Erythropoietin and Its Double Receptors.

2019

Neuroprotective role of erythropoietin in spinal cord ischemic injury: Where have we been and where are we going?

2018

I read with great interest the study recently published by Yamanaka and colleagues,1 reporting the results of the study aimed to pharmacologically induce b common receptor (bcR) subunit upregulation before ischemia to optimize the neuroprotective effect of erythropoietin (EPO). The authors hypothesized that bcR subunit upregulation by diazoxide (DZ) before ischemia amplifies the neuroprotective effects of EPO in mice after spinal cord injury (SCI). They reported that that optimal bcR upregulation occurred at 36 hours after DZ administration, and the optimal DZ dosage for bcR induction was 20 mg/kg. Motor function at 48 hours after treatment was significantly better preserved in the DZ with …

Contemporary spinal cord protection during thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic surgery and endovascular aortic repair: a position paper of the vascu…

2015

Ischaemic spinal cord injury (SCI) remains the Achilles heel of open and endovascular descending thoracic and thoracoabdominal repair. Neurological outcomes have improved coincidentially with the introduction of neuroprotective measures. However, SCI (paraplegia and paraparesis) remains the most devastating complication. The aim of this position paper is to provide physicians with broad information regarding spinal cord blood supply, to share strategies for shortening intraprocedural spinal cord ischaemia and to increase spinal cord tolerance to transitory ischaemia through detection of ischaemia and augmentation of spinal cord blood perfusion. This study is meant to support physicians cari…

Revision Surgery for Primary Spinal Tumor: Too Little Too Late

2017

Primary tumors of the spine are rare and represent less than 8% of all bone tumors.1 Because of their low prevalence, they are often misdiagnosed and consequently managed improperly. Unlike metastatic spine tumors, some primary tumors can be cured. Spine tumors are classified according to their histology. How- ever, patient age and anatomic location add relevant information on the biological behavior of the tumor. In children, the most frequent spinal tumors are malignant and are represented by neuroblastoma and sarcoma. In adults, the most common spinal tumors are multiple myeloma, osteosarcoma, histiocytosis, chordoma, and hemangioma. These tumors often develop in the anterior vertebral b…

The Relationship of Sexism and Gender Ideology to Self-Concept and Self-Esteem in Persons with Spinal Cord Injury

2017

The process of adapting to a physical disability is complex and multi-dimensional. It is influenced by many variables that affect adequate life adjustment and psychological wellbeing. This study addresses the specific effects of sexism and gender stereotypes on self-esteem and selfconcept in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). The research design is cross-sectional and correlational. The sample comprises 127 persons, including 95 men and 32 women, with a long-term spinal injury. The results of the MANOVAs do not demonstrate statistically significant differences based on sex for the following variables: self-esteem, self-concept, traditional sexism and neosexism. The relationships among v…

Preclinical Retinal Neurodegeneration in a Model of Multiple Sclerosis

2012

Neurodegeneration plays a major role in multiple sclerosis (MS), in which it is thought to be the main determinant of permanent disability. However, the relationship between the immune response and the onset of neurodegeneration is still a matter of debate. Moreover, recent findings in MS patients raised the question of whether primary neurodegenerative changes can occur in the retina independent of optic nerve inflammation. Using a rat model of MS that frequently leads to optic neuritis, we have investigated the interconnection between neurodegenerative and inflammatory changes in the retina and the optic nerves with special focus on preclinical disease stages. We report that, before manif…

Magnetic resonance imaging and optical coherence tomography correlations in multiple sclerosis beyond anatomical landmarks.

2020

Abstract Objective To investigate multiple sclerosis (MS) optical coherence tomography (OCT) cross-sectional correlations with central nervous system (CNS) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Material and methods Peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL), ganglion cell layer (GCL), inner plexiform layer (IPL), inner (INL) and outer nuclear layer (ONL) of 54 relapsing remitting (RRMS) and 38 progressive (PMS, 9 primary and 29 secondary) patients were measured. With less than 3 months brain parenchymal fraction (BPF), spinal cord (SC), total gray matter (GM) and white matter volumes were calculated. Demographical and clinical data was compared according to the history of optic neuritis (H…

Expression of the ALS-causing variant hSOD1G93A leads to an impaired integrity and altered regulation of claudin-5 expression in an in vitro blood–sp…

2015

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive paralysis due to the loss of primary and secondary motor neurons. Mutations in the Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD1) gene are associated with familial ALS and to date numerous hypotheses for ALS pathology exist including impairment of the blood–spinal cord barrier. In transgenic mice carrying mutated SOD1 genes, a disrupted blood–spinal cord barrier as well as decreased levels of tight junction (TJ) proteins ZO-1, occludin, and claudin-5 were detected. Here, we examined TJ protein levels and barrier function of primary blood–spinal cord barrier endothelial cells of presymptomatic hSOD1G93…

The somatotopy of the spinal cord: a comprehensive descrption.

2016

For the benefit of medical students, in this paper we examine the somatotopic organization of the spinal cord, which shows a similar organization in mammalians. The dorsal horn is comprised of sensory nuclei with deutoneurons; the lateral horn contains preganglionic visceral motoneurons; the ventral horn is subdivided into a medial column innervating the paravertebral muscles, a central column, C3-C6, innervating the diaphragm, and a lateral column innervating the limb muscles. In the lateral column of the ventral horn, the dorsal motoneuron groups innervate the intrinsc arm muscles; the dorsal posterior motoneuron groups innervate hand muscles; the lateroventral motoneuron groups innervate…