Deficiency of platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α-positive cells in Hirschsprung's disease colon

AIM: To investigate whether the expression of plateletderived growth factor receptor-α-positive(PDGFRα^+)-cells is altered in Hirschsprung's disease(HD).METHODS: HD tissue specimens(n = 10) were collected at the time of pull-through surgery, while colonic control samples were obtained at the time of colostomy closure in patients with imperforate anus(n = 10). Immunolabelling of PDGFRα^+-cells was visualized using confocal microscopy to assess the distribution of these cells, while Western blot analysis was undertaken to quantify PDGFRα protein expression.RESULTS: Confocal microscopy revealed PDGFRα+-cells within the mucosa, myenteric plexus and smooth muscle in normal controls, with a marked reduction in PDGFRα^+-cells in the HD specimens. Western blotting revealed high levels of PDGFRα protein expression in normal controls, while there was a striking decrease in PDGFRα protein expression in the HD colon.CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the altered distribution of PDGFRα^+-cells in both the aganglionic and ganglionic HD bowel may contribute to the motility dysfunction in HD.

Inetetamab combined with tegafur as second-line treatment for human epidermal growth factor receptor-2-positive gastric cancer: A case report

BACKGROUND Human epidermal growth factor receptor-2(HER-2)plays a vital role in tumor cell proliferation and metastasis.However,the prognosis of HER2-positive gastric cancer is poor.Inetetamab,a novel anti-HER2 targeting drug independently developed in China,exhibits more potent antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity than trastuzumab,which is administered as the first-line treatment for HER2-positive gastric cancer in combination with chemotherapy.In this case,the efficacy and safety of inetetamab combined with tegafur was investigated as a second-line treatment for HER2-positive gastric cancer.CASE SUMMARY A 52-year-old male patient with HER2-positive gastric cancer presented with abdominal distension,poor appetite,and fatigue two years after receiving six cycles of oxaliplatin combined with tegafur as first-line treatment after surgery,followed by tegafur monotherapy for six months.The patient was diagnosed with postoperative recurrence of gastric adenocarcinoma.He received 17 cycles of a combination of inetetamab,an innovative domestically developed anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody,and tegafur chemotherapy as the second-line treatment(inetetamab 200 mg on day 1,every 3 wk combined with tegafur twice daily on days 1–14,every 3 wk).Evaluation of the efficacy of the second-line treatment revealed that the patient achieved a stable condition and progression-free survival of 17 months.He tolerated the treatment well without exhibiting any grade 3-4 adverse events.CONCLUSION Inetetamab combined with chemotherapy for the treatment of metastatic HER2-positive gastric cancer demonstrates significant survival benefits and acceptable safety.

Expression and functional characterization of platelet-derived growth factor receptor-like gene

AIM:To investigate the role of platelet-derived growth factor receptor-like gene(PDGFRL)in the anti-cancer therapy for colorectal cancers(CRC).METHODS:PDGFRL mRNA and protein levels were measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR)and immunohistochemistry in CRC and colorectal normal tissues.PDGFRL prokaryotic expression vector was carried out in Escherichia coli(E.coli),and purified by immobilized metal affinity chromatography.The effect of PDGFRL protein on CRC HCT-116 cells was detected by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide(MTT),clone counting,cell cycle,and wound healing assay.RESULTS:Both RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry showed that the expression of PDGFRL in colorectal normal tissues was higher than in cancer tissues.Recombinant pET22b-PDGFRL prokaryotic expression vector was successfully expressed in E.coli,and the target protein was expressed in the form of inclusion bodies.After purification and refolding,recombinant human PDGFRL(rhPDGFRL)could efficiently inhibit the proliferation and invasion of CRC HCT-116 cells detected by MTT,clone counting and wound healing assay.Moreover,rhPDGFRL arrested HCT-116 cell cycling at the G0/G1 phase.CONCLUSION:PDGFRL is a potential gene for application in the anti-cancer therapy for CRC.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 positive breast cancer

The body of evidence investigating human epidermal growth factor receptor-2(HER2)directed therapy in patients with breast cancer(BC)has been growing within the last decade.Recently,the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors(TKIs)has been of particular interest in the treatment of human malignancies.This literature commentary is intended to highlight the most recent findings associated with the widely-studied TKI agents and their clinical significance in improving the outcomes of HER2 positive BC.

Exogenous platelet-derived growth factor improves neurovascular unit recovery after spinal cord injury

The blood-spinal cord barrier plays a vital role in recovery after spinal cord injury.The neurovascular unit concept emphasizes the relationship between nerves and vessels in the brain,while the effect of the blood-spinal cord barrier on the neurovascular unit is rarely reported in spinal cord injury studies.Mouse models of spinal cord injury were established by heavy object impact and then immediately injected with plateletderived growth factor(80μg/kg)at the injury site.Our results showed that after platelet-derived growth factor administration,spinal cord injury,neuronal apoptosis,and blood-spinal cord barrier permeability were reduced,excessive astrocyte proliferation and the autophagyrelated apoptosis signaling pathway were inhibited,collagen synthesis was increased,and mouse locomotor function was improved.In vitro,human umbilical vein endothelial cells were established by exposure to 200μM H2O2.At 2 hours prior to injury,in vitro cell models were treated with 5 ng/mL platelet-derived growth factor.Our results showed that expression of blood-spinal cord barrier-related proteins,including Occludin,Claudin 5,andβ-catenin,was significantly decreased and autophagy was significantly reduced.Additionally,the protective effects of platelet-derived growth factor could be reversed by intraperitoneal injection of 80 mg/kg chloroquine,an autophagy inhibitor,for 3 successive days prior to spinal cord injury.Our findings suggest that platelet-derived growth factor can promote endothelial cell repair by regulating autophagy,improve the function of the blood-spinal cord barrier,and promote the recovery of locomotor function post-spinal cord injury.Approval for animal experiments was obtained from the Animal Ethics Committee,Wenzhou Medical University,China(approval No.wydw2018-0043)in July 2018.

Effect of recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor B on cat corneal endothelial cell viability mediated by adeno-associated virus

AIM: To transduce recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor B (PDGF-B) gene adeno-associated virus(AAV) to in vitro cultured cat corneal endothelial cell (CEC) and observe the effect of the expressed PDGF-BB protein on the viability of cat CEC. METHODS: Cat cornea endothelium was torn under microscope and rapidly cultivated in DMEM to form single layer CEC and the passage 2 endothelial cells were used in this study. The recombinant human PDGF-B gene AAV was constructed and transduced into cat CEC directly. Three groups were as following: blank control group, AAV control group and recombinant AAV group. At 24 hours, 48 hours, and 5 days after transduction, total RNA was extracted from the CEC by Trizol and the expression of PDGF-B gene was detected by fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Viability of the transduced CEC was detected at 48 hours after transduction by MTT assay. Cell morphology was observed under inverted phase contrast microscope. RESULTS: With the torn endothelium culture technique, we rapidly got single layer cat CEC. At 24 hours, 48 hours and 5 days after transduction, fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed there was no significant difference of the expressed PDGF-B gene mRNA between blank control group and AAV control group (P>0.05). In contrast, there were significant differences between two control groups and recombinant AAV group (P<0.05). MTT assay showed that in recombinant AAV group, the expressed PDGF-BB protein could promote the viability of cat CEC. Morphology observation showed at 48 hours after transduction, cells in CEC-AAV-PDGF-B group proliferated into bigger scales in regular triangle to hexagon shape with distinct boundary, while the number of cells was significantly less in the two control groups. CONCLUSION: The recombinant AAV-PDGF-B expresses biological active PDGF-BB protein in cat CEC, which promotes the viability and proliferation of cells.

Vascular endothelial growth factor/platelet-derived growth factor receptor pathway is involved in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell differentiation and directional migration toward gliomas

BACKGROUND： Vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） induces bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell （BMSC） differentiation into vascular endothelial-like cells and promotes BMSC migration toward gliomas. However, the molecular mechanisms by which VEGF induces BMSC differentiation and migration remain poorly understood. OBJECTIVE; To investigate the role of platelet-derived growth factor （PDGF） receptor （PDGFR） in BMSC differentiation and migration induced by VEGE DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： A parallel, controlled, in vitro experiment was performed at the Molecular Neurobiology ＆ Neural Regeneration and Repairing Laboratory, Anhui Provincial Hospital of Anhui Medical University, China from June 2008 to March 2009. MATERIALS： U87 glioma cells were purchased from Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences; mouse anti-human PDGFR and VEGF receptor （VEGFR） monoclonal antibodies were purchased from Peprotech, USA. METHODS： Isolated BMSCs were precultured with neutralizing antibody for VEGFR-1, VEGFR-2, PDGFR-α, and PDGFR-β to block biological activity of related receptors, followed by induced differentiation with 50μg/L VEGF. BMSCs induced with 50μg/L VEGF alone served as the VEGF-induced group. The control group remained untreated. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Cell surface markers were identified by flow cytometry; BMSC surface cytokine receptor expression was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction; the Transwell model was used to observe cell migration. RESULTS： After blocking the PDGFR, VEGF did not induce BMSC cell surface marker CD-31 or von Willebrand factor （vWF） expression. However, inhibition with VEGF receptor blocking agents, VEGF induced BMSCs to express CD-31 and vWE Following inhibition of the PDGFR, the number of cells migrating through the polycarbonate membrane Transwell chamber was decreased, as well as the number of BMSCs migrating to glioma cells. However, through the use of VEGF receptor blocking agents, the number of migrating cells remained unchanged. VEGF preculture increased the number of BMSCs migrating to gliomas. CONCLUSION： VEGF interacts with PDGFRs on the BMSC surface to attract BMSC directional migration and induce BMSC differentiation. The VEGF/PDGFR pathway participates in BMSC directional migration to glioma. VEGF pretreatment increased efficiency of BMSC migration to glioma.

KIT and platelet-derived growth factor receptor α wild-type gastrointestinal stromal tumor associated with neurofibromatosis type 1: Two case reports

BACKGROUND Gastrointestinal stromal tumors(GISTs) associated with neurofibromatosis are uncommon compared to their gastrointestinal counterparts. Patients with neurofibromatosis type 1(NF-1) have an increased risk of developing gastrointestinal tumors, including rare types such as GIST.CASE SUMMARY A 60-year-old male Chinese patient was diagnosed with NF-1 10 years ago and presented with upper abdominal discomfort and black stools. Endoscopic ultrasonography and an enhanced abdominal computed tomography scan revealed a mass located 4 cm from the muscular layer of the descending duodenum. A 59-year-old Chinese woman who was diagnosed with NF-1 25 years ago presented with sudden unconsciousness and black stools. Multiple masses in the duodenum were noted by echogastroscopy and an enhanced abdominal computed tomography scan. Both patients presented with cutaneous neurofibromas. The histologic examination of tumors from both patients revealed spindle cells and low mitotic activity. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells showed strong positivity for KIT(CD117), DOG-1, CD34, and Dehydrogenase Complex Subunit B, and negativity for SMA, desmin, S-100, and β-catenin. None of the six tumors from two patients had KIT exon 9, 11, 13, or 17 or platelet-derived growth factor receptor α exon 12 or 18 mutation, which is a typical finding for sporadic GISTs. None of the six tumors from the two patients had a BRAFV600 E mutation. The patients were alive and well during the follow-up period(range:0.6-5 yr).CONCLUSION There have been only a few previous reports of GISTs associated with NF-1.Although GISTs associated with NF-1 have morphologic and immunohistochemical similarities with GISTs, the pathogenesis, incidence,genetic background, and prognosis are not completely known. A medical history of NF-1 in a patient who has gastrointestinal bleeding or anemia and an intraabdominal mass with nonspecific computed tomography features may help in diagnosing GIST by virtue of the well-known association of these two entities.Molecular genetic studies of cases indicated that GISTs in NF-1 patients have a different pathogenesis than sporadic GISTs.

Effect of Retinoic acid on Platelet-derived Growth Factorand Lung Development in Newborn Rats

Summary: The influence of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) on lung development in newborn rats and the effect of retinoic acid (RA) on PDGF in lung development were investigated. Newborn Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly assigned to two groups: control group and RA group. The rats in RA group was intraperitoneally injected with all trans-retinoic acid (500 μg/kg every day) for consecutive 3 days after birth, while those in the control group were not subjected to intervention. Immunohistochemical assay was performed to locate the expression of PDGF. mRNA levels of PDGF were measured by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) at age of 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 14, 21 days. The method of radial alveolar counts (RAC) was used to measure the amount of the alveoli of the lungs. It was found that with increasing days, levels of PDGF-A and PDGF-B changed to verying degrees. RA could elevate significantly the expression levels of PDGF-A mRNA and protein (P<0.01), but not affect the expression levels of PDGF-B mRNA and protein markedly (P>0.05). It is suggested that PDGF might play an important role in lung development. RA can stimulate lung development through increasing the expression levels of PDGF-A mRNA and protein.

Effects of interleukin-1α on platelet-derived growth factor release from bovine cerebral microvascular endothelial cells

The present study showed that, interleukin-1α (IL-1α) stimulateal cultured bovine cerebral microvascular endothelial cells (BCMEC) releasing growth factor which promoted bovine cerebral microvascular smooth muscle cells (BCMSMC) proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. The mitogenic activity in conditioned medium of BCMEC stimulated by IL-1α was neutralized significantly by the antibody to platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). Imperatorin (Imp), iso-Imperatorin (iso Imp) and 6-(α,α-phenylacetylpiperazinyl)phenyl-5-methyl-4,5-dihydro-3 (2H)-pyridazinone (PMDP) did not affect the releasing of PDGF from IL-1α stimulated BCMEC, but inhibited the promotion of PDGF on the proliferation of BCMSMC. We concluded that the promotion of IL-1α on the proliferation of BCMSMC should be mediated by some growth factors, such as PDGF.

Effects of IL-4 on cyclooxygenase-2 and platelet-derived growth factor in the lungs of COPD rats

Objective： To explore the role of interleukin 4（IL-4）, expressions of cyclooxygenase-2 （COX-2） and platelet-derived growth factor （PDGF） in the model of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD）, in the lungs of rats. Methods： Male Wistar rats were used to build up the model of COPD. Rats were randomly divided into the control group and model group, the IL-4 group and the dexamethasone group. The expressions of COX-2, PDGF-A and PDGF-B in the lung tissue were detected by western blotting and RT-PCR. Results： The expressions of COX-2, PDGF-A and PDGF-B in the model group were increased significantly. Those expressions in the IL-4 and dexamethasone group were notably decreased. Conclusion： IL-4 and dexamethasone could interfere in the establishment of COPD. The expressions of COX-2 and PDGF in the lung tissue of COPD were increased significantly and IL-4 and dexamethasone could decrease those expressions.

Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor and Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor-1 in Human Meningiomas

The expression of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and fibroblast growth factor receptor-1 (FGFR-1) in human meningiomas and the relationships between their expression and the tumors' histological features and angiogenesis were investigated by means of immunohistochemical technique. The expression of bFGF and FGFR-1 was detected by antibody of bFGF or FGFR-1. The tumors' angiogenesis was evaluated by microvascular density (MVD) and, which was observed by use of CD34-antibody immunohistochemically. The results showed that there were varied degrees of the expression of bFGF and FGFR-1 proteins in meningiomas. The expression was correlated with the tumors' histological characters and angiogenesis. It was concluded that bFGF and FGFR-1 might play important roles in meningiomas' angiogenesis and proliferation. The expression positive rate of bFGF and FGFR-1 may provide an indication of evaluating the histological and malignant degree of the tumor.

Significance of 125I radioactive seed implantation on growth differentiation factor and programmed death receptor-1 during treatment of oral cancer

BACKGROUND Oral cancer(OC)is the most common malignant tumor in the oral cavity,and is mainly seen in middle-aged and elderly men.At present,OC is mainly treated clinically by surgery or combined with radiotherapy and chemotherapy;but recently,more and more studies have shown that the stress trauma caused by surgery and the side effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy seriously affect the prognosis of patients.AIM To determine the significance of 125I radioactive seed implantation on growth differentiation factor 11(GDF11)and programmed death receptor-1(PD-1)during treatment of OC.METHODS A total of 184 OC patients admitted to The Second Affiliated Hospital of Jiamusi University from May 2015 to May 2017 were selected as the research subjects for prospective analysis.Of these patients,89 who received 125I radioactive seed implantation therapy were regarded as the research group(RG)and 95 patients who received surgical treatment were regarded as the control group(CG).The clinical efficacy,incidence of adverse reactions and changes in GDF11 and PD-1 before treatment(T0),2 wk after treatment(T1),4 wk after treatment(T2)and 6 wk after treatment(T3)were compared between the two groups.RESULTS The efficacy and recurrence rate in the RG were better than those in the CG(P<0.05),while the incidence of adverse reactions and survival rate were not different.There was no difference in GDF11 and PD-1 between the two groups at T0 and T1,but these factors were lower in the RG than in the CG at T2 and T3(P<0.05).Using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis,GDF11 and PD-1 had good predictive value for efficacy and recurrence(P<0.001).CONCLUSION 125I radioactive seed implantation has clinical efficacy and can reduce the recurrence rate in patients with OC.This therapy has marked potential in clinical application.The detection of GDF11 and PD-1 in patients during treatment showed good predictive value for treatment efficacy and recurrence in OC patients,and may be potential targets for future OC treatment.

Serum vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 and adropin levels in age-related macular degeneration

AIM： To investigate the serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2（VEGFR-2） and adropin in age-related macular degeneration（AMD）patients.·METHODS： Ninety-eight AMD patients were included in the study. Seventy-eight age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers were recruited as the control group.Fundus florescein angiography and optical coherence tomography were performed to assess the posterior segment details. Serum VEGFR-2 and adropin levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and compared between the study groups.· RESULTS： AMD group had significantly increased foveal retinal thickness, serum LDL and HDL levels and significantly decreased subfoveal choroidal thickness（P =0.01, 0.047, 0.025 and 〈0.001, respectively）. Serum VEGFR-2level revealed a significant decrease in AMD patients compared to controls（26.48 ±6.44 vs 30.42 ±7.92 ng/m L,P 〈0.001）. There was an insignificant increase in serum adropin level in AMD patients（6.17±3.19 vs 5.79±2.71 ng/m L,P =0.4）. Serum level of VEGFR-2 in AMD patients had a significant negative correlation with foveal retinal thickness（r =-0.226, P =0.025） and a significant positive correlation with subfoveal choroidal thickness（r=0.2, P=0.048）.·CONCLUSION： The current study demonstrated that the decreased serum VEGFR-2 level may be considered in the development of AMD. Adropin does not seem to play a role in the pathogenesis of AMD.

Expression of fibroblast growth factor-2 and fibroblast growth factor receptor-1 protein in the hippocampus in rats exhibiting chronic stress-induced depression

There is evidence that the expression of members of the fibroblast growth factor （FGF） protein family is altered in post-mortem brains of humans suffering from major depressive disorder. The present study examined whether the expression of fibroblast growth factor-2 （FGF2） and fibroblast growth factor receptor-1 （FGFR1） protein is altered following chronic stress in an animal model. Rats were exposed to 35 days of chronic unpredictable mild stress, and then tested using open-field and sucrose consumption tests. Compared with the control group, rats in the chronic stress group exhibited obvious depressive-like behaviors, including anhedonia, anxiety and decreased mobility. The results of western blot analysis and immunohistochemical analysis revealed a downregulation of the expression of FGF2 and FGFR1 in the hippocampus of rats, particularly in the CA1, CA3 and dentate gyrus. This decreased expression is in accord with the results of post-mortem studies in humans with major depressive disorder. These findings suggest that FGF2 and FGFR1 proteins participate in the pathophysiology of depressive-like behavior, and may play an important role in the mechanism of chronic stress-induced depression.

Expression of NG2 and platelet-derived growth facto receptor alpha in the developing neonatal rat brain

Platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha （PDGFRct） is a marker of oligodendrocyte precursor cells in the central nervous system. NG2 is also considered a marker of oligodendrocyte precursor cells. However, whether there are differences in the distribution and morphol- ogy of oligodendrocyte precursor cells labeled by NG2 or PDGFRa in the developing neonatal rat brain remains unclear. In this study, by immunohistochemical staining, NG2 positive （NG2＋） cells were ubiquitous in the molecular layer, external pyramidal layer, internal pyramidal layer, and polymorphic layer of the cerebral cortex, and corpus callosum, external capsule, piriform cortex, and medial septal nucleus. NG2~ cells were stellate or fusiform in shape with long processes that were progressively decreased and shortened over the course of brain development. The distribution and morphology of PDGFRct positive （PDGFRa＋） cells were coincident with NG2＋ cells. The co- localization of NG2 and PDGFRu in the cell bodies and processes of some cells was confirmed by double immunofluorescence labeling. Moreover, cells double-labeled for NG2 and PDGFRa were predominantly in the early postnatal stage of development. The numbers of NG2＋/PDGFRa＋ cells and PDGFRa＋ cells decreased, but the number of NG2＋ cells increased from postnatal days 3 to 14 in the developing brain. In addition, amoeboid microglial cells of the corpus callosum, newborn brain macrophages in the normal developing brain, did not express NG2 or PDGFRu, but NG2 expression was detected in amoeboid microglia after hypoxia. The present results suggest that NG2 and PDGFRct are specific markers of oligodendrocyte precursor cells at different stages during early development. Additionally, the NG2 protein is involved in inflammatory and pathological processes of amoeboid microglial cells.

Distribution and localization of fibroblast growth factor-8 in rat brain and nerve cells during neural stem/progenitor cell differentiation

The present study explored the distribution and localization of fibroblast growth factor-8 and its potential receptor, fibroblast growth factor receptor-3, in adult rat brain in vivo and in nerve cells during differentiation of neural stem/progenitor cells in vitro. Immunohistochemistry was used to examine the distribution of fibroblast growth factor-8 in adult rat brain in vivo. Localization of fibroblast growth factor-8 and fibroblast growth factor receptor-3 in cells during neural stem/progenitor cell differentiation in vitro was detected by immunofluorescence. Flow cytometry and immunofluorescence were used to evaluate the effect of an anti-fibroblast growth factor-8 antibody on neural stem/progenitor cell differentiation and expansion in vitro. Results from this study confirmed that fibroblast growth factor-8 was mainly distributed in adult midbrain, namely the substantia nigra, compact part, dorsal tier, substantia nigra and reticular part, but was not detected in the forebrain comprising the caudate putamen and striatum. Unusual results were obtained in retrosplenial locations of adult rat brain. We found that fibroblast growth factor-8 and fibroblast growth factor receptor-3 were distributed on the cell membrane and in the cytoplasm of nerve cells using immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence analyses. We considered that the distribution of fibroblast growth factor-8 and fibroblast growth factor receptor-3 in neural cells corresponded to the characteristics of fibroblast growth factor-8, a secretory factor. Addition of an anti-fibroblast growth factor-8 antibody to cultures significantly affected the rate of expansion and differentiation of neural stem/progenitor cells. In contrast, addition of recombinant fibroblast growth factor-8 to differentiation medium promoted neural stem/progenitor cell differentiation and increased the final yields of dopaminergic neurons and total neurons. Our study may help delineate the important roles of fibroblast growth factor-8 in brain activities and neural stem/progenitor cell differentiation.

Repurposed anti-cancer epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors: mechanisms of neuroprotective effects in Alzheimer’s disease

Numerous molecular mechanisms are being examined in an attempt to discover disease-modifying drugs to slow down the underlying neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease.Recent studies have shown the beneficial effects of epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors on the enhancement of behavioral and pathological sequelae in Alzheimer’s disease.Despite the promising effects of epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors in Alzheimer’s disease,there is no irrefutable neuroprotective evidence in well-established animal models using epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors due to many un-explored downstream signaling pathways.This caused controversy about the potential involvement of epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors in any prospective clinical trial.In this review,the mystery beyond the under-investigation of epidermal growth factor receptor in Alzheimer’s disease will be discussed.Furthermore,their molecular mechanisms in neurodegeneration will be explained.Also,we will shed light on SARS-COVID-19 induced neurological manifestations mediated by epidermal growth factor modulation.Finally,we will discuss future perspectives and under-examined epidermal growth factor receptor downstream signaling pathways that warrant more exploration.We conclude that epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors are novel effective therapeutic approaches that require further research in attempts to be repositioned in the delay of Alzheimer’s disease progression.

Basic fibroblast growth factor gene transfection in repair of internal carotid artery aneurysm wall

Surgery or interventional therapy has some risks in the treatment of cerebral aneurysm. We established an internal carotid artery aneurysm model by dripping elastase in the crotch of the right internal and external carotid arteries of New Zealand rabbits. Following model induction, lentivirus carrying basic fibroblast growth factor was injected through the ear vein. We found that the longer the action time of the lentivirus, the smaller the aneurysm volume. Moreover, platelet-derived growth factor expression in the aneurysm increased, but smooth muscle 22 alpha and hypertension-related gene 1 mRNA expression decreased. At 1,2, 3, and 4 weeks following model establishment, following 1 week of injection of lentivirus carrying basic fibroblast growth factor, the later the intervention time, the more severe the blood vessel damage, and the bigger the aneurysm volume, the lower the smooth muscle 22 aJpha and hypertension-related gene ~ mRNA expression. Simultaneously, platelet-derived growth factor expression decreased. These data suggest that recombinant lentivirus carrying basic fibroblast growth factor can repair damaged cells in the aneurysmal wall and inhibit aneurysm dynamic growth, and that the effect is dependent on therapeutic duration.

Electroacupuncture upregulated platelet derived growth factor expression in spared dorsal root ganglion of cats

A bilateral spared dorsal root ganglion model was established in healthy adult cats by bilateral resection of L1-5 and L7-S2 dorsal root ganglia. L6 dorsal root ganglia were spared. Zusanfi （ST36） and Xuanzhong （BL39） or Futu （ST32） and Sanyinjiao （SP6） were alternatively electro-stimulated on the right leg. Immunohistochemical staining of anti-serum platelet-derived growth factor demonstrated that the number of total neurons and medium-small sized platelet-derived growth factor positive neurons was significantly decreased on the 7~ day following injury. After 7 days of acupuncture, the total number of positive and large neurons staining for platelet-derived growth factor on the acupuncture side significantly increased compared to the non-acupuncture side. After acupuncture for 14 days, the total positive and medium-small sized neurons significantly increased compared with the non-acupuncture side. Results indicate that acupuncture promoted the synthesis of platelet-dedved growth factor in spared dorsal root ganglia.