Project description:Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in brain function modulation and neurodegenerative diseases. However, whether lncRNA regulations are involved in the mechanisms of perioperative neurocognitive disorders (PNCD), especially in anesthesia related brain dysfunction, remains unknown. We explored the expression and regulation pattern profiles of lncRNAs in the hippocampus of aged rats after sevoflurane anesthesia with microarrays.
Project description:The incidence of perioperative neurocognitive disorders (PND) is high, especially after cardiac surgeries, and the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we conducted a prospective observational study to observe serum proteomics differences in PND patients after cardiac valve replacement surgery.
Project description:Perioperative neurocognitive dysfunction (PND) is emerging as a significant complication of surgery in elderly patients. However, the molecular mechanisms of PND are not well known. Here we applied microarray analysis to identify circular RNAs (circRNAs) in hippocampus from a mouse model of PND and control mice. Then, the dysregulated circRNAs were confirmed via quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Then, Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed to probe the vital functions of dysregulated genes.
Project description:Background: Perioperative neurocognitive disorders (PND), a postoperative cognitive dysfunction occurs more often in the elderly. The etiology of PND remains largely elusive. This study aims to understand the etiology in a mouse model with tibial fracture (a surgical trauma), by examining the transcriptome-wide response of hippocampus, a brain region that is tightly associated with memory formation. Methods: Mice at age of 7~8 months were randomly divided into two groups, surgery (tibial fracture) group and control (sham) group. At day (d) 1 after the surgical operation, hippocampal tissues were isolated and then subjected to RNA extraction and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Findings: Levels of respiratory complex related genes are significantly decreased in the brain of mice subjected to surgery. Consequently, the activities of multiple respiratory complexes and respiratory chain function is decreased in the hippocampus of mice with surgical operation. Interpretation: We here propose a novel mechanism of mitochondrial dysfunction in PND etiology, and also provide a potential therapeutic target for PND.
Project description:Fiber diet plays a beneficial role in neurocognitive disorders, like dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease. However, insufficient fiber consumption in public increases the concern about public health, particularly about neurocognitive diseases. To survey the association between fiber dietary and neurocognitive performances, mice were subjected to normal-fiber diet or low-fiber diet during gestation, and the neurocognitive functions of the offspring were assessed. We found that maternal low-fiber diet impaired the cognitive functions, and the impairments can be reversed by butyrate, rather than propionate intake. Mechanism studies showed that HDAC4 might become the most potential mediator in butyrate-dependent neurocognitive improvement. Besides, using human maternal serum and paired umbilical cord blood samples, we demonstrated that the SCFA levels in offspring are positively correlated with levels in maternal serum. Those results provide a solid basis for not only maternal fiber diet regulates neurocognitive functions in offspring through altering SCFA levels, but clinical practice in SCFAs-dependent maternal intervention for offspring health.
Project description:Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has reduced morbidity and mortality in HIV infection; however HIV-1-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) persist despite treatment. We used microarray analysis in post-mortem brain tissues to determine ART effectiveness in the brain and to identify molecular signatures of HAND under ART. We performed microarray analysis using Affymetrix Arrays in portmortem brain tissues from seven treated and eight untreated HAND patients and six uninfected controls.
Project description:HIV+ patients are at an alarmingly higher risk of developing HIV associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). HAND is a spectrum of neurocognitive deficits linked to impairments in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus, areas controlling higher cognitive processes. Studies in HIV+ patients implicate acute viremia and inflammation in driving central nervous system (CNS) impairment. However, the timing and implications of viral dissemination to the CNS, particularly the PFC and hippocampus, remain undefined. We tested the hypothesis that HIV-1 is rapidly and actively established within areas of the CNS responsible for controlling cognition.
