Potassium and calcium channels in different nerve cells act as therapeutic targets in neurological disorders

The central nervous system, information integration center of the body, is mainly composed of neurons and glial cells. The neuron is one of the most basic and important structural and functional units of the central nervous system, with sensory stimulation and excitation conduction functions. Astrocytes and microglia belong to the glial cell family, which is the main source of cytokines and represents the main defense system of the central nervous system. Nerve cells undergo neurotransmission or gliotransmission, which regulates neuronal activity via the ion channels, receptors, or transporters expressed on nerve cell membranes. Ion channels, composed of large transmembrane proteins, play crucial roles in maintaining nerve cell homeostasis. These channels are also important for control of the membrane potential and in the secretion of neurotransmitters. A variety of cellular functions and life activities, including functional regulation of the central nervous system, the generation and conduction of nerve excitation, the occurrence of receptor potential, heart pulsation, smooth muscle peristalsis, skeletal muscle contraction, and hormone secretion, are closely related to ion channels associated with passive transmembrane transport. Two types of ion channels in the central nervous system, potassium channels and calcium channels, are closely related to various neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and epilepsy. Accordingly, various drugs that can affect these ion channels have been explored deeply to provide new directions for the treatment of these neurological disorders. In this review, we focus on the functions of potassium and calcium ion channels in different nerve cells and their involvement in neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, depression, epilepsy, autism, and rare disorders. We also describe several clinical drugs that target potassium or calcium channels in nerve cells and could be used to treat these disorders. We concluded that there are few clinical drugs that can improve the pathology these diseases by acting on potassium or calcium ions. Although a few novel ion-channelspecific modulators have been discovered, meaningful therapies have largely not yet been realized. The lack of target-specific drugs, their requirement to cross the blood–brain barrier, and their exact underlying mechanisms all need further attention. This review aims to explain the urgent problems that need research progress and provide comprehensive information aiming to arouse the research community's interest in the development of ion channel-targeting drugs and the identification of new therapeutic targets for that can increase the cure rate of nervous system diseases and reduce the occurrence of adverse reactions in other systems.

Advances in the Clinical Application of Trendelenburg Position

The Trendelenburg position and reverse Trendelenburg position are frequently employed during lower abdominal surgery to achieve optimal surgical field visualization and complete exposure of the operative site, particularly under pneumoperitoneum conditions. However, these positions can have significant impacts on the patient’s physiological functions. This article overviews the historical background of Trendelenburg position and reverse Trendelenbury position, their effects on various physiological functions, recent advancements in their clinical applications, and strategies for preventing and managing associated complications.

Predicting Pressure Ulcer Risk with the Braden Q Scale in Chinese Pediatric Patients in ICU

Objective: The purpose of this study was to: ( 1 ) observe the value of the score of Braden Q scale in predicting pressure ulcers in pediatric Intensive Care Unit ( ICU) patients in China, ( 2) determine the critical cutoff point for classifying patient risk, and ( 3) describe the pressure ulcer incidence. Methods: A prospective cohort descriptive study with a convenience sample of 198 patients bed-ridden for at least 24 hours without pre-existing pressure ulcers enrolled from a pediatric intensive care unit ( PICU) . The Braden Q score and skin assessment were independently rated, and data collectors were blinded to the other measures. Patients were observed for up to 3 times per week for 2 weeks and once a week thereafter until PICU discharge. Results: Fourteen patients ( 7. 1%) developed pressure ulcers; 12 ( 85. 7%) were Stage I pres-sure ulcers, 2 ( 14. 3%) were Stage II, and there were no Stage III or IV pressure ulcers. Most pressure ulcers ( 64. 3%) were present at the first observation. The Braden Q Scale has an overall cumulative variance contribution rate of 69. 599%. Using Stage I+ pressure ulcer data obtained during the first observation, a Receiver Operator Characteristic ( ROC) curve for each possible score of the Braden Q Scale was constructed. The area under the curve ( AUC) was 0. 57, and the 95% confidence interval was 0. 50-0. 62. At a cutoff score of 19, the sensitivity was 0. 71, and the specificity was 0. 53. The AUC of each item of the Braden Q Scale was 0. 543-0. 612. Conclusions: PICU patients are susceptible to pressure ulcers. The value of the Braden Q Scale in the studied pediatric population was relatively poor, and it should be optimized before it is used in Chinese pediatric patients.

Development and validation of a risk-prediction model for immune-related adverse events in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer receiving PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide and is the most common cancer in males.Immune-checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)that target programmed cell death protein-1(PD-1)or programmed cell death-ligand 1(PD-L1)have achieved impressive efficacy in the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer(NSCLC)(Pardoll,2012;Champiat et al.,2016;Gao et al.,2022).Although ICIs are usually well tolerated,they are often accompanied by immune-related adverse events(irAEs)(Doroshow et al.,2019).Non-specific activation of the immune system produces off-target immune and inflammatory responses that can affect virtually any organ or system(O'Kane et al.,2017;Puzanov et al.,2017).