Hippocampal CA1 neuron survival and cytosolic FKBP12, the 12 kDa FK506-binding protein, after ischemia and tacrolimus treatment in gerbils

Critical appraisal of neuroprotection trials in head injury: what have we learned?

To date, despite very encouraging preclinical results, almost all phase II/III clinical neuroprotection trials in traumatic brain injury (TBI) have failed to show any consistent improvement in outcome for TBI patients. To understand the reasons behind such developments we need to review and evaluate the evolution of trial design as a result of our changing understanding of the pathophysiology of brain cell death and progress of translational research from the laboratory bench to the bedside. This paper attempts to critically appraise these neuroprotection trials, rationalize the paucity of effectiveness, review any recent developments in the field, and try to draw some conclusions on how to move forward.

Endophyte-infected tall fescue diet alters gene expression in heifer luteal tissue as revealed by interspecies microarray analysis

Cattle consuming endophyte-infected tall fescue grass have an associated reduction in circulating progesterone and reduced reproductive rates. In this study, commercially available rat microarrays were used to analyze the gene expression in luteal tissues from heifers fed endophyte-free fescue, endophyte-infected fescue, or endophyte-infected fescue supplemented with the dopamine (DA) antagonist, domperidone. The number of hybridized spots represented approximately 40% of the total 10,000 rat genes/ESTs evaluated. Each luteal sample was analyzed in triplicate, resulting in within treatment correlation coefficients of >/=0.98. Median values of mRNA abundance from luteal tissue taken from the endophyte-infected fed heifers revealed 598 genes and ESTs that were down regulated and 56 genes and ESTs that were upregulated compared with luteal mRNA values from the endophyte-free treatment. There were fewer comparative differences between median values from luteal mRNA from the endophyte-free versus feeding endophyte-infected plus domperidone treated heifers. Only 19 genes and ESTs were upregulated and two were down-regulated.