Although recent studies have implicated serotonin 5-HT1B/D receptors in the nociceptive sensitivity of primary afferent neurons, the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we identified a novel functional role of the 5-HT1D receptor subtype in regulating A-type potassium (K(+)) currents (IA) as well as membrane excitability in small trigeminal ganglion (TG) neurons. We found that the selective activation of 5-HT1D, rather than 5-HT1B, receptors ...

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a key mediator of angiogenesis, which is crucial for development and metastasis of tumors including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and elevated VEGF levels in serum and tissues have been known to be related with poor prognosis in patients with HCC. Polymorphisms in VEGF may alter VEGF protein concentrations, influence the process of angiogenesis, and may relate to interindividual variation in tumorigenesis. In this study, we carried out a ...

The aim of this study was to investigate the alterations in regional homogeneity assessed by fMRI in patients with migraine without aura (MWoA). Fifty-six eligible MWoA patients and 32 matched healthy volunteers were enrolled in this study. MWoA patients were divided into three groups according to the headache days per month within 3 months: infrequent episodic migraine (IEM) group, frequent episodic migraine (FEM) group, and chronic migraine (CM) group. Data collection and rest-state ...

BACKGROUND: MOR1 is the main transcript of μ-opioid receptor (MOR) gene, which represents a mandatory molecule for the analgesic effects of opioids and plays an important role in the pathology of inflammatory pain. MicroRNAs (miR) are non-coding molecules that primarily modulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level in various pathophysiological conditions. Based on in silico analysis, an exact match to the seed sequence of miR-134 was found in 3'-untranslated region of MOR1. ...

OBJECTIVE: The research aim was to investigate the effects of dl-3-n-butylphthalide (NBP) on the level of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and clinical outcome in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 170 patients were included and randomly assigned to NBP group and control group. All patients were administrated a basic antiplatelet and lipid-lowering therapy. Among the patients, 86 received additional NBP administration for 30 days, ...

Migraine is a debilitating condition characterized by a multi-factorial and polygenic mode of inheritance. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), a pro-inflammatory cytokine, has been implicated in the pathophysiological mechanisms of migraine. The aim of this study was to investigate whether TNF receptor superfamily member 1b gene (TNFRSF1B) polymorphism affects the occurrence of migraine in the Chinese Han population. We focused on a 15 base pair (bp) insertion/deletion polymorphism ...

Genes involved in the production of nitric oxide (NO) have been suggested as genetic factors for migraine. It has been studied whether polymorphisms in the genes encoding for different types of NO synthase (NOS) could be involved in the liability to migraine; however, most studies yield negative results. The pentanucleotide repeat microsatellite in the promoter region of inducible NOS (NOS2) shows highly significant differences in allelic frequencies among ethnically diverse populations. ...

Stroke is the leading cause of disability and death in the world. Central post-stroke pain (CPSP), a central neuropathic pain syndrome occurring after cerebral stroke, is a serious problem. But on account of the lack of reliable animal models, the mechanisms underlying CPSP remains poorly understood. To better understand of the pathophysiological basis of CPSP, we developed and characterized a new rat model of CPSP. This model is based on a hemorrhagic stroke lesion with intra-thalamic ...

As the main organelles for the clearance of damaged proteins and damaged organelles, the function of lysosomes is crucial for maintaining the intracellular homeostasis of long-lived neurons. A stable acidic environment is essential for lysosomes to perform their functions. TMEM175 has been identified as a new K+ channel that is responsible for regulating lysosomal membrane potential and pH stability in neurons. This study aimed to understand the role of TMEM175 in lysosomal function of ...

Central post-stroke pain (CPSP) is a disabling condition in stroke patients. It is a type of neuropathic pain for which the mechanism and relevant drug pathways remain unknown. Inflammatory response and central disinhibition have been suggested recently. Our previous research has shown targeting P2X4 receptors (P2X4R) may be effective in the treatment of CPSP, but the downstream pathway of the P2X4R has not been studied. In this study, we found the increase in tumor necrosis factor alpha ...

Vestibular migraine (VM) is a multidisciplinary disease under exploration. Multiple temporal patterns of vertigo and migraine make it difficult to diagnose VM, and their effect on the clinical features of VM is still unclear. Here we investigated the clinical features of VM under three temporal patterns. 172 VM patients were enrolled in this study and divided into three groups: 86 patients in group A had an earlier onset of migraine than vertigo, 35 patients in group B had an earlier ...

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is recognized to be a novel mediator after carbon monoxide and nitric oxide in the organism. It can be produced in various mammalian tissues and exert many physiological effects in many systems including the cardiovascular system. A great amount of recent studies have demonstrated that endogenous H2S and exogenous H2S-releasing compounds (such as NaHS, Na2S, and GYY4137) provide protection in many cardiovascular diseases, such as ischemia/reperfusion injury, heart ...

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents the most common primary malignancy of the liver with a worldwide increasing incidence. Although the risk factors for HCC are well characterized, the molecular mechanisms responsible for malignant transformation of hepatocytes are not well understood. In this study, a case-control study including 291 HCC patients and 294 healthy controls was conducted to investigate the association between HCC susceptibility and with a 4-bp insertion/deletion ...

High-flow oxygen inhalation is one of the most effective acute treatments for cluster headache. The therapy was first described for the treatment of cluster headache in 1952 by Horton, and has exhibited some advantages and efficacy compared to other acute medicines. The mechanism is not very clear, but some evidence has demonstrated its relationship to the trigeminovascular system and neuroinflammation. High-flow oxygen inhalation via a non-rebreather mask during cluster headache attacks ...

Background and PurposeAs a very common risk of adverse outcomes of the ischemic stroke patients, sarcopenia is associated with infectious complications and higher mortality. The goal of this retrospective study is to explore the predictive value of serum Cr/CysC ratio in acute ischemic stroke patients receiving nutritional intervention.MethodsWe reviewed adult patients with AIS from December 2019 to February 2020. Patients with acute kidney injury were excluded and all patients received ...