Temporal trends and rural-urban disparities in cerebrovascular risk factors, in-hospital management and outcomes in ischaemic strokes in China from 2005 to 2015: a nationwide serial cross-sectional survey

Unveiling the neuroprotective potential of dietary polysaccharides: a systematic review

Central nervous system (CNS) disorders present a growing and costly global health challenge, accounting for over 11% of the diseases burden in high-income countries. Despite current treatments, patients often experience persistent symptoms that significantly affect their quality of life. Dietary polysaccharides have garnered attention for their potential as interventions for CNS disorders due to their diverse mechanisms of action, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects. Through an analysis of research articles published between January 5, 2013 and August 30, 2023, encompassing the intervention effects of dietary polysaccharides on Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, depression, anxiety disorders, autism spectrum disorder, epilepsy, and stroke, we have conducted a comprehensive review with the aim of elucidating the role and mechanisms of dietary polysaccharides in various CNS diseases, spanning neurodegenerative, psychiatric, neurodevelopmental disorders, and neurological dysfunctions. At least four categories of mechanistic bases are included in the dietary polysaccharides' intervention against CNS disease, which involves oxidative stress reduction, neuronal production, metabolic regulation, and gut barrier integrity. Notably, the ability of dietary polysaccharides to resist oxidation and modulate gut microbiota not only helps to curb the development of these diseases at an early stage, but also holds promise for the development of novel therapeutic agents for CNS diseases. In conclusion, this comprehensive review strives to advance therapeutic strategies for CNS disorders by elucidating the potential of dietary polysaccharides and advocating interdisciplinary collaboration to propel further research in this realm.

Regulators of phagocytosis as pharmacologic targets for stroke treatment

Stroke, including ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, causes massive cell death in the brain, which is followed by secondary inflammatory injury initiated by disease-associated molecular patterns released from dead cells. Phagocytosis, a cellular process of engulfment and digestion of dead cells, promotes the resolution of inflammation and repair following stroke. However, professional or non-professional phagocytes also phagocytose stressed but viable cells in the brain or excessively phagocytose myelin sheaths or prune synapses, consequently exacerbating brain injury and impairing repair following stroke. Phagocytosis includes the smell, eating and digestion phases. Notably, efficient phagocytosis critically depends on phagocyte capacity to take up dead cells continually due to the limited number of phagocytes vs. dead cells after injury. Moreover, phenotypic polarization of phagocytes occurring after phagocytosis is also essential to the proresolving and prorepair properties of phagocytosis. Much has been learned about the molecular signals and regulatory mechanisms governing the sense and recognition of dead cells by phagocytes during the smell and eating phase following stroke. However, some key areas remain extremely understudied, including the mechanisms involved in digestion regulation, continual phagocytosis and phagocytosis-induced phenotypic switching following stroke. Here, we summarize new discoveries related to the molecular mechanisms and multifaceted effects of phagocytosis on brain injury and repair following stroke and highlight the knowledge gaps in poststroke phagocytosis. We suggest that advancing the understanding of poststroke phagocytosis will help identify more biological targets for stroke treatment.