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Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder characterised by several factors, such as impaired glutamate neurotransmission affecting crucial functions. Neural stem cells (NSCs) are present in the adult brains of all mammalian species and contribute to the continuous generation of neural cells throughout life. The disruption of glutamate levels during the development of AD could impact NSCs' functionality, influencing their response to the microenvironment. In this work, we isolated adult neural stem cells from both triple transgenic (3xTg)-AD mice and age-matched wild type (WT) mice in order to gather information on any differences between them, particularly concerning the potential mechanisms involved in the internalisation of glutamate and its utilisation for energy production. The 3xTg model offers the ability to recapitulate human pathology with both plaque and tangle hallmarks that are involved in the process of glutamate release. In vitro culture 3xTg NSCs showed a slight morphological difference compared to WT cells and a massive reduction of proliferation and viability. Furthermore, 3xTg NSCs displayed an increase in the expression of glutamate transporters and glutamine synthetase, while glutamate dehydrogenase did not show any reduction, which is typical in AD brains. Data obtained from this basic research study suggest a possible involvement of glutamate in the cellular energy balance, indicating an attempted response of NSCs to the cytotoxic microenvironment in the early stage of AD pathology. This finding is of great interest, as it corroborates the hypothesis that targeting the glutamatergic system could be an extremely promising strategy for new therapeutics in AD., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval: The Ethics Committee for Animal Experiments of the University “Politecnica delle Marche” approved the study with the authorization code 40A31.N.1U3 of 27th September 2019. Informed consent: Not applicable. Conflict of interest: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease are severe disorders characterized by progressive neuron degeneration, leading to cognitive decline, motor dysfunction, and other neurological issues, significantly impairing daily life and the quality of life. Despite advancements in understanding these mechanisms, many aspects remain unclear, and current treatments primarily manage symptoms without halting disease progression. Multiple biological pathways are implicated in neurodegeneration, including oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and aberrant protein folding. Given the multifactorial nature of neurodegenerative diseases, a neuroprotective approach targeting various mechanisms holds significant promise for prevention. Natural products derived from plants, animals, and fungi, known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, show substantial potential in the prevention of neurodegeneration. Unlike synthetic compounds, bioactive compounds from these natural sources offer diverse targets due to their varied structures and biological activities. This review focuses on the potential of bioactive compounds from plants with sedative and mood-modulating effects in preventing and/or slowing down neurodegeneration., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Aim: The use of upper eyelid lipofilling to prevent ocular complications in patients affected by facial nerve palsy is compared to other treatment options., Case Presentation: Ten patients treated with lipofilling of the upper eyelid, who were indicated for facial rehabilitation were identified from the Maxillo-facial Surgery Unit, Policlinico Umberto I. For all patients, fat harvested from the abdomen was processed with soft and short centrifugation., Results: Satisfactory aesthetical and functional results were obtained in most cases. All patients reported a considerable reduction in the use of artificial tear drops and ointment for corneal lubrication. A second procedure was needed in one case to refill the eyelid, and in another one to correct poor aesthetical results. No patients developed postoperative ocular surface disorders., Conclusions: The lipofilling of the upper eyelid procedure was easy to perform, leading to minimal complications rate. Given the small sample size and variability of samples collected in the current study, future studies involving larger cohorts are required to validate the efficacy of upper eyelid lipofilling in comparison to other treatments.

Background: Airbags have significantly decreased fatalities in frontal vehicle accidents, but their deployment can lead to more severe injuries and rarely death. The authors present a case of a penetrating injury causing tissue loss in the left cheek, an "explosion" of the zygomatic arch, and facial nerve damage, discussing the management in the contest of literature examining similar injuries in the head and neck region., Materials and Methods: Reviewing English literature from 1995 to 2023, 9 patients experienced severe airbag-related penetrating head and neck injuries, in 3 cases resulting in death. In addition, we describe the case of a young male reporting a deep cheek laceration with facial nerve damage, tissue loss, and comminuted maxilla-zygomatic fracture; 48 hours after trauma, he underwent surgical reconstruction using a bilobed flap, direct suture of the resected masseter muscle, closed reduction of the comminuted zygomatic arch fracture, and direct neurorrhaphy of the lacerated facial nerve., Results: Five months after surgery, facial nerve function recovery was observed. Mouth opening was restored, but a mixed low-medium hearing loss persisted for high frequencies. In another case marginal nerve damage was reported, but management is not described., Conclusion: The use of seat belts and airbags has led to a significant reduction in the incidence of facial fractures and fatalities after motor vehicle accidents, but at the same time, in some cases, complex facial trauma and/or penetrating injury can be observed. In case of suspected or certain facial nerve damage, it is mandatory to perform exploration and eventual reconstruction within 72 hours., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 by Mutaz B. Habal, MD.)