Ion channels boost axonal injury in multiple sclerosis

Selected transient receptor potential channel genes' expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of multiple sclerosis

Transient receptor potential channels have responsibilities in many cellular processes such as cytokine production, cell differentiation, and cytotoxicity by affecting intracellular cation levels or intracellular signal pathways. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune central nervous system (CNS) disease caused by environmental and genetic factors. In this study, we aim to investigate TRPV1-TRPV4, TRPM2, TRPM4, TRPM7, TRPC6, and TRPA1 mRNA expression levels, which are associated with the inflammatory process, in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients. Thirty-five healthy controls and age-gender matched thirty patients with RRMS were involved in the study. TRPC6, TRPA1, TRPM2, TRPM4, TRPM7, TRPV1, TRPV2, TRPV3, and TRPV4 PBMCs mRNA expression levels were determined by qPCR. In the present study, the TRPC6, TRPM7, TRPV1, TRPV3, and TRPV4 mRNA expressions of RRMS patients in PBMCs decreased at a significant level compared to the healthy control group (p = .000, p = .000, p = .044, p = .000, p = .004, respectively). The decreased expression of TRPC6, TRPM7, TRPV1, TRPV3, and TRPV4 in PBMCs may be associated with the pathogenesis of MS. Further studies are required to understand the mechanism of the relation between these TRP channels and MS and other autoimmune diseases.

Early detection of widespread progressive brain injury after cardiac arrest: a single case DTI and post-mortem histology study

Objective

We tested the hypothesis in sense of a proof of principle that white matter (WM) degeneration after cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA) can be assessed much earlier by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) than by conventional MRI.

Methods

We performed DTI and T2-weighted FLAIR imaging over four serial acquisitions of a 76-year-old man with unresponsive wakefulness syndrome at day 41, 75, 173 and 284 after CPA. DTI was also performed in ten healthy control subjects. Fractional anisotropy (FA) derived from DTI was assessed in eleven regions of interest within the cerebral white matter (WM) and compared with post-mortem neuropathological findings.

Results

In contrast to conventional FLAIR images that revealed only circumscribed WM damage, the first DTI demonstrated significant reduction of FA across the whole WM. The following FLAIR images (MRI 2-4) revealed increasing atrophy and leukoaraiosis paralleled by clinical deterioration with reduction of wakefulness and intractable seizures. Neuropathological findings confirmed the widespread and marked brain injury following CPA.

Conclusion

DTI may help to evaluate microstructural brain damage following CPA and may have predictive value for further evolution of cerebral degeneration in the chronic phase after CPA.

Sodium imaging as a marker of tissue injury in patients with multiple sclerosis

Recent studies have suggested that intra-axonal sodium accumulation contribute to axonal degeneration in patients with MS. Advances in MRI hardware and software allow acquisition of brain sodium signal in vivo. This review begins with a summary of the experimental evidence for impairment of sodium homeostasis in MS. Then, MRI methods for sodium acquisition are reviewed and the application of the techniques in patients with MS is discussed. Sodium imaging and ultra-high field MRI have the potential to provide tissue-specific markers of neurodegeneration in MS.