PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Sarcoidosis, the multiorgan granulomatous disease of unknown cause, remains mysterious. Several important investigations in the past 2 years add to the accumulating evidence for both occupational and environmental causes of granulomatous inflammation. RECENT FINDINGS: This review considers the most recent studies that contribute to the hypothesis that ...

We currently understand little about the mechanisms that lead to airway remodeling in asthma. The origin of the mesenchymal cells that contribute to fibrosis of the airway is poorly understood. However, emerging evidence suggests that the airway epithelium could contribute to airway remodeling through the process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) ...

Limiting excessive production of inflammatory mediators is an effective therapeutic strategy for many diseases. It's also a promising remedy for neurodegenerative diseases and central nervous system (CNS) injuries. Glucocorticoids are valuable anti-inflammatory agents, but their use is constrained by adverse side-effects. Activators of NF-E2-related factor-2 (Nrf2) signaling represent an attractive ...

BACKGROUND//AIM: In addition to total body fat, the regional distribution and inflammatory status of enlarged adipose tissue are strongly associated with metabolic co-morbidities of obesity. We recently showed that the severity of histological liver lesions related to obesity increases with the amounts of macrophage accumulation in visceral adipose tissue (VAT), ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Inflammatory mediators in both the peripheral circulation and central nervous system (CNS) are dysregulated in major depressive disorder (MDD). Nevertheless, relatively little is known about the role of the T-helper (Th)-2 effector cytokines interleukin (IL)-5 and IL-13 in MDD. METHODS: We examined the serum levels of these cytokines ...

Remyelination is a regenerative process in the central nervous system (CNS) that produces new myelin sheaths from adult stem cells. The decline in remyelination that occurs with advancing age poses a significant barrier to therapy in the CNS, particularly for long-term demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Here we show ...

Fat cells are fragile cells with a short life span outside the body. Ways to reduce cell death in a biochemical way are almost unknown due to scarce information on the type of cellular death that is induced in fat tissue. This study was designed to investigate the apoptotic pathways ...

Exposure to psychosocial stress has been associated with increasing rates of morbidity in humans and in animal models, but the underlying mechanisms are not completely understood. Major stress responsive systems, such as the hypothalamus-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis and the autonomic nervous system (ANS) are under investigation as underlying pathways, but ...

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by the progressive degeneration of dopamine (DA) neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) accompanied by a buildup of proteinaceous aggregates termed Lewy bodies (LB). In addition to protein aggregation and the loss of DA signaling, PD is also characterized by an active immune ...

Cytokines are molecules secreted by peripheral immune cells, microglia, astrocytes and neurons in the central nervous system. Peripheral or central inflammation is characterized by an upregulation of cytokines and their receptors in the brain. Emerging evidence indicates that pro-inflammatory cytokines modulate brain excitability. Findings from both the clinical literature and ...

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) plays versatile roles in the immune system. MIF is also widely expressed during embryonic development, particularly in the nervous system, although its roles in neural development are only beginning to be understood. Evidence from frogs, mice and zebrafish suggests that MIF has a major role ...

Recent studies have indicated that constitutive functions of microglia in the healthy adult central nervous system (CNS) involve immune surveillance, synapse maintenance and trophic support. These functions have been related to the ramified structure of 'resting' microglia and the prominent motility in their processes that provide extensive coverage of the ...

An accumulating body of evidence point to the significance of neuroinflammation and immunogenetics also in schizophrenia. Recent genome-wide studies in schizophrenia suggest immune involvement in schizophrenia. Microglia are the resident macrophage of the brain and major players in innate immunity in the CNS. They respond rapidly to even minor pathological ...

For many years, the central nervous system and the immune system were considered two autonomous entities. However, extensive research in the field of neuroimmunomodulation during the past decades has demonstrated the presence of different neuropeptides and their respective receptors in the immune cells. More importantly, it has provided evidence for ...

Background: Peripheral nociceptive action of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-6 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of numerous pain syndromes. An increase in the level of these cytokines in jugular venous blood has been reported during migraine attacks, suggesting their potential involvement in mediating the intracranial headache of migraine.Methods: ...

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Acute spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury (SCII) is associated with pathological changes, including inflammation, edema, and neuronal apoptosis. Panax notoginsenoside (PNS), an important traditional Chinese medicine, has shown a variety of beneficial effects, including homeostasis maintenance, anti-myocardial ischemia activities, and neuroprotective functions. However, whether it can produce neuroprotective effects ...

To correlate potential inflammatory responses in nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) with a lesion possessing many physiologic and histologic similarities from a model of nonhuman primate NAION (pNAION). Using immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopic analysis, we evaluated the relative numbers of inflammatory cell types in the single available clinical specimen ...

Apoptosis after global or focal cerebral ischemia plays a crucial role in mediating cell death. In this study, we observed the time point expression of physiologic events involving apoptosis regulatory proteins after photochemically-induced focal cerebral ischemia in Sprague-Dawley rats. Protein expression was evaluated at days 1, 3, and 7 by ...

The peripheral nervous system is connected with lymphoid organs through sensory nerves that mediate pain reflexes and may influence immune responses through the release of neuropeptides such as calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). Local and systemic levels of CGRP increase rapidly during inflammatory responses. CGRP inhibits effector functions of various immune ...

ABSTRACT: Obesity is a chronic disease characterized by persistent low-grade inflammation with alterations in gut motility. Motor abnormalities suggest that obesity has effects on the enteric nervous system (ENS), which controls virtually all gut functions. Recent studies have revealed that the gut microbiota can affect obesity and increase inflammatory tone ...

Atopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by impaired epidermal barrier function, inflammatory infiltration, extensive pruritus and a clinical course defined by symptomatic flares and remissions. The mechanisms of disease exacerbation are still poorly understood. Clinical occurrence of atopic dermatitis is often associated with psychological stress. In response ...

All homeotherms use thermogenesis to maintain their core body temperature, ensuring that cellular functions and physiological processes can continue in cold environments. In the prevailing model of thermogenesis, when the hypothalamus senses cold temperatures it triggers sympathetic discharge, resulting in the release of noradrenaline in brown adipose tissue and white ...

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by loss of dopominergic neurons in substantia nigra pars compacta, and can be experimentally induced by the neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1, 2, 3, 6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). Chronic administration of MPTP/probenecid (MPTP/p) leads to oxidative stress, induction of apoptosis, and loss of dopominergic neurons which ...

Sepsis, a systemic inflammatory response to infection, continues to carry a high mortality despite advances in critical care medicine. Elevated sympathetic nerve activity in sepsis has been shown to contribute to early hepatocellular dysfunction and subsequently multiple organ failure, resulting in a poor prognosis, especially in the elderly. Thus, suppression ...

The present study was designed to address the role of macrophages in Mn-induced neurotoxicity and to test the hypothesis that minocycline, a tetracycline derivative, attenuates the biochemical and morphological sequelae of Mn. Mn was unilaterally microinjected into rat nigra followed by systemic minocycline or saline administration 24h later, daily for ...

Formaldehyde (FA) is widely present in the environment, and is also a mammalian metabolite. However, its biological role has not been well understood. Here, we show that FA plays an anti-apoptotic role in cultured hippocampal neurons: FA suppressed staurosporine-induced neuronal apoptosis and inhibited the activity of apoptosis-associated caspase-3/7 proteases in ...

The BCL-2 family includes both pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins, which regulate programmed cell death during development and in response to various apoptotic stimuli. The BH3-only subgroup of pro-apoptotic BCL-2 family members is critical for the induction of apoptotic signaling, by binding to and neutralizing anti-apoptotic BCL-2 family members. During embryonic ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) evokes a systemic immune response including leukocyte migration into the brain and release of pro-inflammatory cytokines; however, the mechanisms underlying TBI pathogenesis and protection are poorly understood. Due to the high incidence of head trauma in the sports field, battlefield and automobile accidents identification ...

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) plays regulatory functions both in immune and nervous system. However, in the visual system, little is known about the cellular types which respond to IL-2 and its effects. Herein, we investigated the influence of IL-2 in the development of central visual pathways. Lister Hooded rats were submitted to ...

Plexins are the receptors for semaphorins, a large family of axon guidance cues. Accordingly, the role of plexins in the development of the nervous system was the first to be acknowledged. However, the expression of plexins is not restricted to neuronal cells, and recent research has been increasingly focused on ...

More than 140years since its recognition as a clinical entity, sarcoidosis remains enigmatic. Its classification as a disease vs. a syndrome is uncertain. Its etiology remains undefined. The "immune paradox" (delayed type hypersensitivity anergy in a setting of exuberant systemic granulomatous response) resists explanation. Its relationship to the Kveim test ...

Interleukin-33 (IL-33), a newly recognized IL-1 family member, is expressed by various tissues and cells. Since it can combine with chromosomes, IL-33 is regarded as an intracellular transcription repressor. Upon proinflammatory stimulation, it is released as an extracellular cytokine to function as an alarmin to dangerous signals. The IL-33 receptor ...

Objective To explore the inhibitory effect of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) on cardiomyocyte apoptosis and the underlying mechanism. Methods In cultured rat cardiomyocytes,apoptosis was induced by the incubation of isoprenaline (10(-5) mol/L) for 48 h. CGRP (10(-8) or 10(-7) mol/L) was administrated for 1 h before incubating isoprenaline to evaluate ...

Neuroglobin (NGB), a newly discovered member of the globin superfamily, may regulate neuronal survival under hypoxia or oxidative stress. Although NGB is greatly expressed in retinal neurons, the biological functions of NGB in retinal diseases remain largely unknown. We investigated the role of NGB in an experimental model of glaucoma, ...

After a traumatic injury of the nervous system or in the course of a neurodegenerative disease, the speed of axonal regeneration and the control of the inflammatory response are fundamental parameters of functional recovery. Spontaneous regeneration takes place in the peripheral nervous system, but the process is slow and often ...

Hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) is a major reactive oxygen species that has been implicated in various neurodegenerative diseases. Quercetin, one of the plant flavonoids, has been reported to harbor various physiological properties including antioxidant activity. In this study, we investigated the neuroprotective effects of quercetin against H(2)O(2)-induced apoptosis in human neuronal ...

There is an increasing recognition that following traumatic brain injury, a cascade of inflammatory mediators is produced, and contributes to the pathological consequences of central nervous system injury. This review summarises the key literature from pre-clinical models that underlies our understanding of innate inflammation following traumatic brain injury before focussing ...

Lead is an important heavy metal pollutant in the environment, and it induces neurodevelopmental toxicity, which is characterized by histological, ultrastructural, and neurochemical changes in the central nervous system. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of prenatal acute lead exposure on apoptosis, GFAP expression, and lead ...

Tryptophan metabolism by the kynurenine pathway (KP) is important to the pathogenesis of inflammatory, infectious, and degenerative diseases. The 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK) branch of the KP is activated in macrophages and microglia, leading to the generation of 3-HK, 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid (3-HAA), and quinolinic acid, which are considered neurotoxic owing to their ...

Traditional thinking considered the nervous system, endocrine system and immune system to be independent of each other. However, it is now widely accepted that these systems interact through the psycho-neuro-endocrino-immune network. The nervous system affects the endocrine and immune systems by releasing neurotransmitters through the hypothalamus in the hypothalamic-pituitary portal ...

Oxidative stress and inflammation represent pathways causing substantial damage to the peripheral nervous system. Levetiracetam (LEV) is a commonly used antiepileptic drug targeting high-voltage activated N-type calcium channels. Recent evidence suggests that LEV may also act as a histone deacetylase inhibitor, suggesting that this drug exhibits both anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative ...

In chronic alcoholism, brain shrinkage and cognitive defects due to neuronal death are well established, though the sequence of molecular events has not been fully explored yet. We explored the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in ethanol induced apoptosis of neuronal cells. Ethanol sensitive miRNAs in SH-SY5Y, a human neuroblastoma cell ...

ABSTRACT: In this review, we first provide a brief historical perspective, discussing how peripheral nerve injury (PNI) may have caused World War I. We then consider the initiation, progression, and resolution of the cellular inflammatory response after PNI, before comparing the PNI inflammatory response with that induced by spinal cord ...

Microglia are the resident macrophages in the central nervous system (CNS). Any insult to the CNS homeostasis will induce a rapid change in microglia morphology, gene expression profile and functional behaviour. These responses of microglia have been collectively known as 'microgliosis'. Interestingly, damage to the nervous system outside the CNS, ...

Schizandra chinensis has been known to have five predominant tastes: salty, sweet, sour, astringent, and bitter. It has also been shown to have various effects on the cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal system, anti-inflammatory, central nervous system, endocrine system, and stress protect. However, its anti-cancer activity on colon carcinoma HCT-116 cells has ...

The contact system is a plasma protease cascade that is initiated by coagulation factor XII activation on cardiovascular cells. The system starts procoagulant and proinflammatory reactions, via the intrinsic pathway of coagulation or the kallikrein-kinin system, respectively. The biochemistry of the contact system in vitro is well understood, however, its ...

Microglia are the brain-resident macrophages responsible for immune surveillance that become activated in response to injury, infection, environmental toxins, and other stimuli that threaten neuronal survival. Previous work from our group demonstrated that mice deficient in Regulator of G-protein Signaling 10 (RGS10), a microglia-enriched GTPase activating protein (GAP) for G-protein ...

Cypermethrin, a type II pyrethroid insecticide, is widely used throughout the world in agriculture, forestry, horticulture and homes. Though the neurotoxicity of cypermethrin has been thoroughly studied in adult rodents, little is so far available regarding the developmental toxicity of cypermethrin to fish in early life stages. To explore the ...

Neurobehavioral stress has been shown to promote tumor growth and progression as well as dampen the immune system. In this study, we investigated whether inhibiting stress hormone production could inhibit the development of mammary carcinoma and metastasis in a rat model of breast carcinogenesis. To enhance β-endorphin (BEP), the endogenous ...

Introduction: Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) causes severe and permanent functional deficits, due to the primary mechanical insult, followed by secondary tissue degeneration. The direct damage is followed by a second phase of tissue degeneration, which may take place over a period of weeks or even months, causing neuronal and ...