INTRODUCTION: The most recent local study on the incidence of histological subtypes of all brain and spinal tumours treated surgically was published in 2000. In view of the outdated data, we investigated the presenting characteristics, histological subtypes and outcomes of adult patients who underwent surgery for brain or spinal tumours at our institution. METHODS: A single-centre retrospective review of 501 patients who underwent surgery for brain or spinal tumours from 2016 to 2020 was conducted. The inclusion criteria were (a) patients who had a brain or spinal tumour that was histologically verified and (b) patients who were aged 18 years and above at the time of surgery. RESULTS: Four hundred and thirty-five patients (86.8%) had brain tumours and 66 patients (13.2%) had spinal tumours. Patients with brain tumours frequently presented with cranial nerve palsy, headache and weakness, while patients with spinal tumours frequently presented with weakness, numbness and back pain. Overall, the most common histological types of brain and spinal tumours were metastases, meningiomas and tumours of the sellar region. The most common complications after surgery were cerebrospinal fluid leak, diabetes insipidus and urinary tract infection. In addition, 15.2% of the brain tumours and 13.6% of the spinal tumours recurred, while 25.7% of patients with brain tumours and 18.2% of patients with spinal tumours died. High-grade gliomas and metastases had the poorest survival and highest recurrence rates. CONCLUSION This study serves as a comprehensive update of the epidemiology of brain and spinal tumours and could help guide further studies on brain and spinal tumours.
Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Aged ; Central Nervous System Neoplasms/pathology* ; Brain Neoplasms/pathology* ; Treatment Outcome ; Postoperative Complications ; Young Adult ; Spinal Neoplasms/pathology* ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Aged, 80 and over ; Adolescent

INTRODUCTION: Interpretation and analysis of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans in clinical settings comprise time-consuming visual ratings and complex neuroimage processing that require trained professionals. To combat these challenges, artificial intelligence (AI) techniques can aid clinicians in interpreting brain MRI for accurate diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases but they require extensive validation. Thus, the aim of this study was to validate the use of AI-based AQUA (Neurophet Inc., Seoul, Republic of Korea) segmentation software in a Southeast Asian community-based cohort with normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. METHOD: Study participants belonged to the community-based Biomarker and Cognition Study in Singapore. Participants aged between 30 and 95 years, having cognitive concerns, with no diagnosis of major psychiatric, neurological or systemic disorders who were recruited consecutively between April 2022 and July 2023 were included. Participants underwent neuropsychological assessments and structural MRI, and were classified as cognitively normal, with MCI or with dementia. MRI pre-processing using automated pipelines, along with human-based visual ratings, were compared against AI-based automated AQUA output. Default mode network grey matter (GM) volumes were compared between cognitively normal, MCI and dementia groups. RESULTS: A total of 90 participants (mean age at visit was 63.32±10.96 years) were included in the study (30 cognitively normal, 40 MCI and 20 dementia). Non-parametric Spearman correlation analysis indicated that AQUA-based and human-based visual ratings were correlated with total (ρ=0.66; P<0.0001), periventricular (ρ=0.50; P<0.0001) and deep (ρ=0.57; P<0.0001) white matter hyperintensities (WMH). Additionally, volumetric WMH obtained from AQUA and automated pipelines was also strongly correlated (ρ=0.84; P<0.0001) and these correlations remained after controlling for age at visit, sex and diagnosis. Linear regression analyses illustrated significantly different AQUA-derived default mode network GM volumes between cognitively normal, MCI and dementia groups. Dementia participants had significant atrophy in the posterior cingulate cortex compared to cognitively normal participants (P=0.021; 95% confidence interval [CI] -1.25 to -0.08) and in the hippocampus compared to cognitively normal (P=0.0049; 95% CI -1.05 to -0.16) and MCI participants (P=0.0036; 95% CI -1.02 to -0.17). CONCLUSION Our findings demonstrate high concordance between human-based visual ratings and AQUA-based ratings of WMH. Additionally, the AQUA GM segmentation pipeline showed good differentiation in key regions between cognitively normal, MCI and dementia participants. Based on these findings, the automated AQUA software could aid clinicians in examining MRI scans of patients with cognitive impairment.
Humans ; Cognitive Dysfunction/pathology* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Female ; Aged ; Artificial Intelligence ; Software ; Dementia/diagnostic imaging* ; Aged, 80 and over ; Adult ; Singapore ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Brain/pathology* ; Cohort Studies ; Gray Matter/pathology* ; Southeast Asian People

Gliomas are the most common primary neuroepithelial tumors of the central nervous system in adults, of which glioblastoma is the deadliest subtype. Apart from the intrinsically indestructible characteristics of glioma (stem) cells, accumulating evidence suggests that the tumor microenvironment also plays a vital role in the refractoriness of glioblastoma. The primary functions of platelets are to stop bleeding and regulate thrombosis under physiological conditions. Furthermore, platelets are also active elements that participate in a variety of processes of tumor development, including tumor growth, invasion, and chemoresistance. Glioma cells recruit and activate resting platelets to become tumor-educated platelets (TEPs), which in turn can promote the proliferation, invasion, stemness, and chemoresistance of glioma cells. TEPs can be used to obtain genetic information about gliomas, which is helpful for early diagnosis and monitoring of therapeutic effects. Platelet membranes are intriguing biomimetic materials for developing efficacious drug carriers to enhance antiglioma activity. Herein, we review the recent research referring to the contribution of platelets to the malignant characteristics of gliomas and focusing on the molecular mechanisms mediating the interaction between TEPs and glioma (stem) cells, as well as present the challenges and opportunities in targeting platelets for glioma therapy.
Humans ; Glioma/metabolism* ; Blood Platelets/physiology* ; Brain Neoplasms/pathology* ; Tumor Microenvironment

BACKGROUND: The primary limitation to kidney transplantation is organ shortage. Recent progress in gene editing and immunosuppressive regimens has made xenotransplantation with porcine organs a possibility. However, evidence in pig-to-human xenotransplantation remains scarce, and antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) is a major obstacle to clinical applications of xenotransplantation. METHODS: We conducted a kidney xenotransplantation in a brain-dead human recipient using a porcine kidney with five gene edits (5GE) on March 25, 2024 at Xijing Hospital, China. Clinical-grade immunosuppressive regimens were employed, and the observation period lasted 22 days. We collected and analyzed the xenograft function, ultrasound findings, sequential protocol biopsies, and immune surveillance of the recipient during the observation. RESULTS: The combination of 5GE in the porcine kidney and clinical-grade immunosuppressive regimens prevented hyperacute rejection. The xenograft kidney underwent delayed graft function in the first week, but urine output increased later and the single xenograft kidney maintained electrolyte and pH homeostasis from postoperative day (POD) 12 to 19. We observed AMR at 24 h post-transplantation, due to the presence of pre-existing anti-porcine antibodies and cytotoxicity before transplantation; this AMR persisted throughout the observation period. Plasma exchange and intravenous immunoglobulin treatment mitigated the AMR. We observed activation of latent porcine cytomegalovirus toward the end of the study, which might have contributed to coagulation disorder in the recipient. CONCLUSIONS 5GE and clinical-grade immunosuppressive regimens were sufficient to prevent hyperacute rejection during pig-to-human kidney xenotransplantation. Pre-existing anti-porcine antibodies predisposed the xenograft to AMR. Plasma exchange and intravenous immunoglobulin were safe and effective in the treatment of AMR after kidney xenotransplantation.
Transplantation, Heterologous/methods* ; Kidney Transplantation/methods* ; Heterografts/pathology* ; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous/administration & dosage* ; Graft Survival/immunology* ; Humans ; Animals ; Sus scrofa ; Graft Rejection/prevention & control* ; Kidney/pathology* ; Gene Editing ; Species Specificity ; Immunosuppression Therapy/methods* ; Plasma Exchange ; Brain Death ; Biopsy ; Male ; Aged

Humans ; Glioma/metabolism* ; Consensus ; China ; Brain Neoplasms/pathology* ; Pathology, Molecular

In different stages of schizophrenia (SZ), alterations in gray matter volume (GMV) of patients are normally regulated by various pathological mechanisms. Instead of analyzing stage-specific changes, this study employed a multivariate structural covariance model and sliding-window approach to investigate the illness duration-related developmental trajectory of GMV in SZ. The trajectory is defined as a sequence of brain regions activated by illness duration, represented as a sparsely directed matrix. By applying this approach to structural magnetic resonance imaging data from 145 patients with SZ, we observed a continuous developmental trajectory of GMV from cortical to subcortical regions, with an average change occurring every 0.208 years, covering a time window of 20.176 years. The starting points were widely distributed across all networks, except for the ventral attention network. These findings provide insights into the neuropathological mechanism of SZ with a neuroprogressive model and facilitate the development of process for aided diagnosis and intervention with the starting points.
Humans ; Schizophrenia/pathology* ; Gray Matter/pathology* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Disease Progression ; Male ; Female ; Brain/pathology* ; Cerebral Cortex/pathology* ; Adult

Listeria brainstem encephalitis with myelitis is extremely rare in clinical practice.Since the clinical manifestations are non-specific,MRI is helpful for diagnosis.Positive cerebrospinal fluid culture is considered the gold standard for diagnosis.This article reports a case of an immunocompetent individual with listeria brainstem encephalitis with myelitis,aiming to enhance the awareness of this condition.
Humans ; Brain Stem/pathology* ; Diagnostic Errors ; Encephalitis/complications* ; Encephalomyelitis, Acute Disseminated/diagnosis* ; Listeriosis/complications* ; Myelitis/complications*

OBJECTIVE: To observe the dynamic changes of microvascular injury and repair in the penumbra of traumatic brain injury (TBI) rats with effective cerebral perfusion microvascular imaging using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). METHODS: Transparent closed cranial windows were placed in craniotomy rats after TBI caused by weight drop. All the rats in TBI group and control group underwent head MRI examination on the first postoperative day, and the changes of cerebral cortical microvessel density were measured by OCTA through cranial windows on d0, d2, d4, d6, and d8. On the second day after the operation, the same number of rats in the two groups were selected to complete the immunohistochemical staining of brain tissue with pimonidazole, an indicator of hypoxia. RESULTS: MRI T2W1 and immunohistochemical staining demonstrated that edema and hypoxia in the traumatic brain tissue extended deeply throughout the entire cortex. OCTA showed that the cortical surface veins of the rats in both groups were significantly dilated and tortuous after operation, and recovered to the postoperative day level on d8. The effective perfusion microvessel density of the rats in both groups gradually recovered after a temporary decrease, and the TBI group decreased from 39.38%±4.48% on d0 to 27.84%±6.01% on d2, which was significantly lower than that on d0, d6, and d8 (P < 0.05). The highest value was 61.71%±7.69% on d8, which was significantly higher than that on d0, d2, and d4 (P < 0.05). The control group decreased from 44.59%±7.78% on d0 to 36.69%±5.49% on d2, which was significantly lower than that on d0, d6, and d8 (P < 0.05). The highest value was 51.92%±5.96% on d8, which was significantly higher than that on d2, and d4 (P < 0.05). Comparing the two groups, the effective perfusion microvessel density in the TBI group was significantly lower than that in the control group on d2 (P=0.021), and significantly higher than that in the control group on d8 (P=0.030). CONCLUSION OCTA can be used as a method of imaging and measurement of effective perfusion microvessels in the injured cerebral cortex of TBI rats. After TBI, the effective perfusion microvessel density in the wound penumbra gradually recovered after decreasing, and increased significantly on d8.
Animals ; Brain Injuries, Traumatic/physiopathology* ; Rats ; Tomography, Optical Coherence/methods* ; Male ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Microvessels/pathology* ; Microvascular Density ; Cerebral Cortex/blood supply* ; Cerebrovascular Circulation

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether Buyang Huanwu Decoction (BYHWD) had a good curative effect on the neuroprotection of red nucleus neurons after spinal cord injury (SCI) and the possible molecular mechanism. METHODS: Ninety male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 5 groups (n=18 per group) according to a random number table, including the control, model, low- (12.78 g/kg, BL group), medium- (25.65 g/kg, BM group), and high-dose BYHWD groups (51.30 g/kg, BH group). A rubrospinal tract transection model in rats was established, and different doses of BYHWD were intragastrically administrated for 4 weeks. The forelimb locomotor function was recorded using the spontaneous vertical exploration test. Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) level in red nucleus was detected through an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The morphology and number of red nucleus neurons were observed using Nissl's staining and axonal retrograde tracing by Fluoro-Gold (FG). The expression of cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA), nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) p65, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in red nucleus were detected using immunohistochemistry and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the utilization rate of bilateral forelimbs, unilateral right forelimbs, proportion of FG-labeled positive neurons, cAMP level, protein expressions of PKA and BDNF, and BDNF mRNA expression were significantly decreased in the model group (P<0.01), while NF-κB p65 was increased in the model group (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the utilization rate of bilateral forelimbs and unilateral right forelimbs were significantly higher in the BL, BM and BH groups (P<0.01), the proportion of FG-labeled positive neurons, cAMP level, protein expressions of PKA and BDNF and BDNF mRNA expression in all BYHWD groups were increased (P<0.05 or P<0.01), while NF-κB p65 were decreased in all BYHWD groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS BYHWD possesses a sound neuroprotective effect on red nucleus neurons after SCI, and the efficacy was dose-related. The mechanism may be related to regulating the cAMP/PKA/NF-κ B p65 signaling pathway, finally promoting expression of BDNF.
Animals ; Spinal Cord Injuries/pathology* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Male ; Cyclic AMP/metabolism* ; Transcription Factor RelA/metabolism* ; Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor/genetics* ; Red Nucleus/metabolism* ; Recovery of Function/drug effects* ; Neurons/metabolism* ; Rats

OBJECTIVES: Exposure to rare earth elements (REEs) has been linked to various systemic diseases, but their impact on the offspring blood-brain barrier (BBB) via the gut-brain axis remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the effects of maternal exposure to neodymium oxide (Nd₂O₃) on the BBB integrity of offspring rats, and to evaluate the potential protective role of bifidobacterium tetrad viable tablets (BTVT) against Nd₂O₃-induced intestinal and BBB damage. METHODS: Healthy adult SD rats were mated at a 1:1 male-to-female ratio, with the day of vaginal plug detection marked as gestational day 0. A total of 60 pregnant rats were randomly assigned to the following groups: Control, 50 mg/(kg·d) Nd₂O₃, 100 mg/(kg·d) Nd₂O₃, 200 mg/(kg·d) Nd₂O₃, and 200 mg/(kg·d) Nd₂O₃ + BTVT group. Treatments were administered by daily oral gavage throughout pregnancy and lactation. On postnatal day 21 (weaning), offspring feces, brain, and colon tissues were collected. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was used to assess structural changes in brain and intestinal tissues. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in feces were quantified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Evans Blue (EB) dye extravasation assessed BBB permeability. Gene and protein expression levels of tight junction proteins occludin and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) were measured by reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) and Western blotting (WB), respectively. Neodymium levels in brain tissue were determined via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). RESULTS: HE staining revealed that maternal Nd₂O₃ exposure caused mucosal edema, increased submucosal spacing, and lymphocyte infiltration in offspring colon, as well as neuronal degeneration and vacuolization in brain tissue. BTVT intervention alleviated these changes. GC-MS analysis showed that levels of acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, and isobutyric acid significantly decreased, while valeric acid and isovaleric acid increased in offspring of Nd₂O₃-exposed mothers (P<0.05). BTVT significantly restored levels of acetic, propionic, and isobutyric acids and reduced valeric acid content (P<0.05). EB permeability was significantly elevated in Nd₂O₃-exposed offspring brains (P<0.05), but reduced with BTVT treatment (P<0.05). RT-PCR and WB showed downregulation of occludin and ZO-1 expression following Nd₂O₃ exposure (P<0.05), which was reversed by BTVT (P<0.05). ICP-MS results indicated significantly increased brain neodymium levels in offspring from all Nd₂O₃-exposed groups (P<0.05), while BTVT significantly reduced neodymium accumulation compared to the 200 mg/(kg·d) Nd₂O₃ group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Maternal exposure to Nd₂O₃ during pregnancy and lactation disrupts intestinal health and BBB integrity in offspring, elevates brain neodymium accumulation, and induces neuronal degeneration. BTVT effectively mitigates Nd₂O₃-induced intestinal and BBB damage in offspring, potentially through modulation of the gut-brain axis.
Animals ; Female ; Blood-Brain Barrier/pathology* ; Pregnancy ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; Male ; Neodymium/toxicity* ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects/prevention & control* ; Lactation ; Maternal Exposure/adverse effects* ; Brain