Potential role of hydrogen sulfide in central nervous system tumors: a narrative review

Cav3.2 channel regulates cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury: a promising target for intervention

JOURNAL/nrgr/04.03/01300535-202419110-00028/figure1/v/2024-03-08T184507Z/r/image-tiff Calcium influx into neurons triggers neuronal death during cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. Various calcium channels are involved in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. Cav3.2 channel is a main subtype of T-type calcium channels. T-type calcium channel blockers, such as pimozide and mibefradil, have been shown to prevent cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury-induced brain injury. However, the role of Cav3.2 channels in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury remains unclear. Here, in vitro and in vivo models of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury were established using middle cerebral artery occlusion in mice and high glucose hypoxia/reoxygenation exposure in primary hippocampal neurons. The results showed that Cav3.2 expression was significantly upregulated in injured hippocampal tissue and primary hippocampal neurons. We further established a Cav3.2 gene-knockout mouse model of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. Cav3.2 knockout markedly reduced infarct volume and brain water content, and alleviated neurological dysfunction after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. Additionally, Cav3.2 knockout attenuated cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury-induced oxidative stress, inflammatory response, and neuronal apoptosis. In the hippocampus of Cav3.2-knockout mice, calcineurin overexpression offset the beneficial effect of Cav3.2 knockout after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. These findings suggest that the neuroprotective function of Cav3.2 knockout is mediated by calcineurin/nuclear factor of activated T cells 3 signaling. Findings from this study suggest that Cav3.2 could be a promising target for treatment of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Growth hormone promotes the reconstruction of injured axons in the hypothalamo-neurohypophyseal system

JOURNAL/nrgr/04.03/01300535-202410000-00026/figure1/v/2024-02-06T055622Z/r/image-tiff Previous studies have shown that growth hormone can regulate hypothalamic energy metabolism, stress, and hormone release. Therefore, growth hormone has great potential for treating hypothalamic injury. In this study, we established a specific hypothalamic axon injury model by inducing hypothalamic pituitary stalk electric lesions in male mice. We then treated mice by intraperitoneal administration of growth hormone. Our results showed that growth hormone increased the expression of insulin-like growth factor 1 and its receptors, and promoted the survival of hypothalamic neurons, axonal regeneration, and vascular reconstruction from the median eminence through the posterior pituitary. Altogether, this alleviated hypothalamic injury-caused central diabetes insipidus and anxiety. These results suggest that growth hormone can promote axonal reconstruction after hypothalamic injury by regulating the growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor 1 axis.

Advances of nanotechnology for intracerebral hemorrhage therapy

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), the most devastating subtype of stoke, is of high mortality at 5 years and even those survivors usually would suffer permanent disabilities. Fortunately, various preclinical active drugs have been approached in ICH, meanwhile, the therapeutic effects of these pharmaceutical ingredients could be fully boosted with the assistance of nanotechnology. In this review, besides the pathology of ICH, some ICH therapeutically available active drugs and their employed nanotechnologies, material functions, and therapeutic principles were comprehensively discussed hoping to provide novel and efficient strategies for ICH therapy in the future.

Implications of Hydrogen Sulfide in Development of Pulmonary Hypertension

The pathological mechanisms underlying pulmonary hypertension (PH), as well as its treatment strategy, are crucial issues in this field. This review aimed to summarize the pathological mechanisms by which the hydrogen sulfide (H2S) pathway contributes to PH development and its future implications. The data in this review were obtained from Medline and PubMed sources up to 2022 using the search terms "hydrogen sulfide" and "pulmonary hypertension". In the review, we discussed the significance of endogenous H2S pathway alteration in PH development and showed the advance of the role of H2S as the third gasotransmitter in the mechanisms for hypoxic PH, monocrotaline-induced PH, high blood flow-induced PH, and congenital heart disease-associated PH. Notably, H2S plays a crucial role in the development of PH via certain mechanisms, such as inhibiting the proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells, suppressing the inflammation and oxidative stress of pulmonary artery endothelial cells, inducing pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell apoptosis, and interacting with other gaseous signaling pathways. Recently, a variety of H2S donors were developed, including naturally occurring donors and synthetic H2S donors. Therefore, understanding the role of H2S in PH development may help in further exploring novel potential therapeutic targets of PH.