Interferon beta(IFN-β) treatment exerts potential neuroprotective effects through neurotrophic factors and novel neurotensin/neurotensin high affinity receptor 1 pathway

Multiple sclerosis（MS）is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system（CNS）characterized by coexisting processes of inflammation,demyelination,axonal neurodegeneration,and gliosis.It is the most common disabling neurological disease in young adulthood.

Establishment of Human Neuroblastoma Cell-Line (SK-N-SH) as an In Vitro Model of Morphine Addiction

Morphine is a schedule II-controlled substance that used to allow the diminution of intra-operative, post-operative orchronic pain. However, its usage is limited due to addiction and overdose liabilities. Morphine was observed to cause tolerance,dependence and withdrawal in human. Justification: to date lack of scientific evidence of morphine addiction was carried out byusing specific single human neuroblastoma cell-line (SK-N-SH). Therefore, this study was performed to establish the morphineaddiction model in this cell line. The cells were exposed to morphine for 24 hrs before treatment with methadone, as ananti-withdrawal drug for subsequence 24 hours. The cytosolic fraction of the cell was used in different objectives including receptoraffinity, withdrawal properties, endocytic machinery, desensitisation or internalisation and cellular adaptation. The result shows thatmorphine and methadone bind to the μ-opioid receptor. The morphine-treated cells were observed to increase the expression ofaddiction markers, have a low rate of the endocytic machinery, cause desensitisation of receptor and reduce cellular adaptation.Those changes by morphine were normalised by the treatment of methadone. As a whole, it is postulated that neuroblastoma cell line,SK-N-SH, can be used as an in-vitro model to demonstrate morphine addiction before animal and human testing.

Optical coherence tomography and T cell gene expression analysis in patients with benign multiple sclerosis

Benign multiple sclerosis is a retrospective diagnosis based primarily on a lack of motor symptom progression. Recent findings that suggest patients with benign multiple sclerosis experience non-motor symptoms highlight the need for a more prospective means to diagnose benign multiple sclerosis early in order to help direct patient care. In this study, we present optical coherence tomography and T cell neurotrophin gene analysis findings in a small number of patients with benign multiple sclerosis. Our results demonstrated that retinal nerve fiber layer was mildly thinned, and T cells had a distinct gene expression profile that included upregulation of interleukin 10 and leukemia inhibitory factor, downregulation of interleukin 6 and neurotensin high affinity receptor 1（a novel neurotrophin receptor）. These findings add evidence for further investigation into optical coherence tomography and m RNA profiling in larger cohorts as a potential means to diagnose benign multiple sclerosis in a more prospective manner.