Current Neurovascular Research - Volume 4, Issue 3, 2007

“These chemical messengers, however, or hormones (from [the Greek word] I excite or arouse), as we might call them, have to be carried from the organ where they are produced to the organ which they affect by means of the blood stream and the continually recurring physiological needs of the organism must determine their repeated production and circulation throughout the body.” As part of his second Croonian lecture Read More

The CD133+ bone marrow cell (BMC) population includes primitive multipotent stem cells which induce neoangiogenesis. Studies suggested transplantation of these cells to infarcted myocardium can have a favorable impact on tissue perfusion and contractile performance. We assessed the feasibility, safety and functional outcomes of autologus CD133+ BMC transplantation during coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) Read More

We sought to evaluate the influence of specific vasoactive gene knockouts on the process of intracranial aneurysm formation in mice. Thirty wild type, 7 nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-2 knockout, 6 NOS-3 knockout, and 8 plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1 knockout female mice underwent left common carotid artery ligation at 2 to 6 months of age. After a survival period (average 20.4 months ± 1.5 months), the brains wer Read More

A stress response consisting of elevated levels of cortisol and catecholamines is common after acute stroke. The plasma levels of natriuretic peptides are known to be elevated after ischemic stroke, but the relations of these neurohormonal systems in the acute phase of stroke and their impact on long-term prognosis have not been studied previously. A series of 51 consecutive patients (mean age 68±11years) with an isc Read More

The present study was designed to investigate whether the neuroprotective effect of nimesulide was mediated by inhibiting expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and/or matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) in a rat model of thrombolytic reperfusion after the embolic focal cerebral ischemia (FCI). It was found that nimesulide at therapeutically relevant doses (3, 6 and 12 mg/kg) decreased neurological deficits, infarc Read More

Thyroid hormones (THs), including triiodothyronine (T3) and tetraiodothyronine (T4), are recognized as key metabolic hormones of the body. THs are essential for normal maturation and function of the mammalian central nervous system (CNS) and its deficiency, during a critical period of development, profoundly affects cognitive function. Sodiumpotassium adenosine 5'-triphosphatase (Na+, K+-ATPase) is a crucial enzym Read More

Impacting a significant portion of the world's population with increasing incidence in minorities, the young, and the physically active, diabetes mellitus (DM) and its complications affect approximately 20 million individuals in the United States and over 100 million individuals worldwide. In particular, vascular disease from DM may lead to some of the most serious complications that can extend into both the cardiac and ner Read More

Na+/H+ exchangers (NHEs) conduct the electroneutral exchange of proton (H+) and sodium (Na+) ions across cellular membranes down their concentration gradients. To date, nine NHE family members have been cloned from mammals and share a common secondary structure. The ubiquitous exclusive plasma membrane NHE isoform 1 (NHE1) is a major membrane transport mechanism in regulation of intracellular Read More

Old age is associated with an enhanced susceptibility to stroke and poor recovery from brain injury, but the cellular processes underlying these phenomena are only recently coming to light. Potential mechanisms include changes in brain plasticity-promoting factors, unregulated expression of neurotoxic factors, or differences in the generation of scar tissue that impedes the formation of new axons and blood vessels in the in Read More