Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0848771 (neurological disability)
 928 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Spinal cord injury (SCI) induces massive cell death, leading to permanent neurological disability. No satisfactory treatment is currently available. Ghrelin, a gastric hormone, is known to stimulate GH release from the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. Here, we report that ghrelin administration improves functional recovery after SCI in part by inhibiting apoptosis of neurons and oligodendrocytes. Ghrelin was not detected in normal, uninjured spinal cords, but spinal cord neurons and oligodendrocytes expressed the ghrelin receptor. Ghrelin significantly inhibited apoptotic cell death of neurons and oligodendrocytes, release of mitochondrial cytochrome c, and activation of caspase-3 after moderate contusion SCI. Ghrelin also significantly increased the level of phosphorylated ERK but decreased the level of phosphorylated p38MAPK. In addition, ghrelin increased the level of ERK-dependent brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression and decreased the level of pronerve growth factor expression. Furthermore, the neuroprotective effects of ghrelin were mediated through the ghrelin receptor. Finally, ghrelin significantly improved functional recovery and reduced the size of the lesion volume and the loss of axons and myelin after injury. These results suggest that ghrelin may represent a potential therapeutic agent after acute SCI in humans.
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PMID:Inhibition of apoptotic cell death by ghrelin improves functional recovery after spinal cord injury. 2066 74

Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is a progressive degenerative disorder that results in major neurological disability. In A-T patients, necropsy has revealed atrophy of cerebellar cortical layers along with Purkinje and granular cell loss. We have previously identified an oxidative stress-mediated increase in phospho-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and the resultant downregulation of Bmi-1 and upregulation of p21 as key components of the mechanism causing defective proliferation of neural stem cells (NSCs) isolated from the subventricular zone (SVZ) of Atm(-/-) mice. However, the in vivo aspect of alteration in SVZ tissue and the functional significance of p38MAPK activation in NSCs for neuropathogenesis of ATM deficiency remain unknown. Here we show that the NSC population was abnormally decreased in the SVZ of 3-month-old Atm(-/-) mice; this decrease was accompanied by p38MAPK activation. However, after a 2-month treatment with the p38MAPK inhibitor SB203580, starting at 1 month old, Atm(-/-) mice showed restoration of normal levels of Bmi-1 and p21 with the rescue of NSC population in the SVZ. In addition, treated Atm(-/-) mice exhibited more Purkinje cells in the cerebellum. Most importantly, motor coordination of Atm(-/-) mice was significantly improved in the treatment group. Our results show for the first time in vivo evidence of depleted NSCs in the SVZ of Atm(-/-) mice and also demonstrate that pharmacologic inhibition of p38MAPK signaling has the potential to treat neurological defects of A-T. This study provides a promising approach targeting the oxidative stress-dependent p38 signaling pathway not only for A-T but also for other neurodegenerative disorders.
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PMID:Targeting p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling restores subventricular zone neural stem cells and corrects neuromotor deficits in Atm knockout mouse. 2319 59