Search

Macrophage migration is thought to participate in obesity-related cardiovascular diseases. Matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8) possesses proteolytic activity on the extracellular matrix (ECM), which promotes macrophage migration to the site of vascular injury. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a bioactive peptide involved in MMP expression. However, it is uncertain whether NPY can regulate the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8) in macrophages. In this study, wild-type C57BL/6 and NPY-/- mice were fed a high-fat diet and subjected to subcutaneous carotid artery injury with ferric chloride, to observe the role of NPY and macrophages in neointima formation. In addition, Raw264.7 cells were treated with NPY and its antagonists to observe MMP-8 expression and macrophage migration. We found that NPY-/- mice exhibited significantly reduced neointima formation after carotid artery injury. The content of macrophages and MMP-8 in the neointima and media were also significantly reduced in NPY-/- mice compared with C57BL/6 mice. Moreover, the expression of MMP-8 in macrophages was also decreased in NPY-/- mice. NPY increased MMP-8 messenger RNA and protein expression in Raw264.7 cells in vitro, and this effect was abrogated by the Y1R antagonist. In addition, NPY increased the phosphorylation of ERK1/2, which was significantly attenuated by co-treatment with the Y1R antagonist. Moreover, NPY-induced MMP-8 expression could be decreased by the ERK1/2 inhibitor PD98059. Furthermore, NPY promoted macrophage migration across type I collagen in vitro. In conclusion, NPY promotes macrophage migration by upregulating MMP-8 expression, which we believe to be an underappreciated mechanism of the increased progression of neointima formation.

Tau protein, simply referred to as Tau, is a type of microtubule-associated protein involved in the development of nervous system. After experiencing conformational changes, abnormal mRNA splicing, etc., Tau dissociates from microtubules and undergoes a series of post-translational modification (PTM) to form pathological aggregation, which induces neurodegenerative diseases and tauopathies eventually. Numerous clinical studies suggest that it is of great significance for the early diagnosis, tracking, prevention and treatment of tauopathies by studying the pathological process of Tau protein, analyzing and evaluating its PTM and quantitative detection of concentration changes. In this paper, the conventional analysis methods for Tau protein at home and abroad were summarized and compared. Specifically, the related applications and latest research progresses of optical and electrochemical biosensors were mainly described. Furthermore, the summary of its future directions and the potential applications were proposed, which provided reference for the further research and application.

ObjectiveTo characterize the association of onset to puncture time (OPT) with clinical outcomes among patients with acute basilar artery occlusion receiving endovascular therapy (EVT) in clinical practice.MethodsUsing the EVT for Acute Basilar Artery Occlusion (BASILAR) study, we identified consecutive patients with acute basilar artery occlusion receiving EVT in 47 comprehensive stroke centers in China from January 2014 to May 2019. The primary outcome was favorable functional outcome (defined as modified Rankin Scale score [mRS] 0–3) at 90 days. Secondary outcomes included function independence (mRS 0–2), mortality, and symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage. The associations of OPT with clinical outcomes were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression (OPT as a categorical variable) and restricted cubic spline regression (OPT as a continuous variable).ResultsAmong 639 eligible patients, the median age was 64 years, and median OPT was 328 minutes (interquartile range 220–490). Treatment within 4–8 hours and 8–12 hours was associated with lower rates of favorable outcome (adjusted odds ratio, 0.63 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.40–0.98] and 0.47 [95% CI, 0.23–0.93], respectively) compared with treatment within 4 hours. Restricted cubic spline regression analysis showed that the OPT had L-shaped associations with favorable outcome (pnonlinearity = 0.028) and functional independence (pnonlinearity = 0.025), with significant benefit loss throughout the first 9 hours, but then appeared relatively flat. The odds of mortality increased relatively for OPT up to 9 hours, but then leveled off (pnonlinearity = 0.042). The association between symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage and OPT was not significant.ConclusionAmong patients with acute basilar artery occlusion in routine practice, earlier treatment with EVT was associated with better outcomes throughout the first 9 hours after onset, but benefit may sustain unchanged afterwards.Classification of EvidenceThis study provides Class II evidence that for patients with acute ischemic stroke due to basilar artery occlusion, earlier EVT is associated with better outcomes.

Supplemental material, Supplementary_Material for Nurse Practitioner Involvement in Medicare Accountable Care Organizations: Association With Quality of Care by Nicole Huang, Mukaila Raji, Yu-Li Lin, Lin-Na Chou and Yong-Fang Kuo in American Journal of Medical Quality