This article investigates the role of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and its downstream signaling targets in mediating cellular processes such as autophagy, apoptosis, and inflammation, offering insights into how acupuncture may treat common central nervous system (CNS) diseases, including ischemic stroke, spinal cord injury, Parkinson disease, and Alzheimer disease. AMPK and its downstream effectors are pivotal in the signaling pathways that underlie the pathophysiology of CNS diseases. These pathways are implicated in a variety of cellular responses that contribute to the progression of neurological disorders. During CNS injury, AMPK can be activated through phosphorylation, triggering the regulation of downstream molecules and exerting protective effects on neuronal function. Acupuncture has been shown to promote neuroprotection and enhance recovery in CNS diseases through multiple mechanisms, one of which involves the activation of AMPK-related signaling pathways. Nevertheless, numerous unresolved challenges remain in this research field.
Objective To evaluate the relation of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 ribonucleic acid (RNA) loads in cerebrospinal fluid with central neurological diseases. Methods The inpatients with HIV-1 infection diagnosed by Public Health Clinical Center of Chengdu between January 1st, 2015 and March 1st, 2018 were retrospectively included. The included patients were divided into central neurological disease group and non-central neurological disease group, and high viral load group and low viral load group. The demographic data, CD4+ T lymphocyte count, routine detection of cerebrospinal fluid, HIV RNA load in cerebrospinal fluid and plasma of patients with and without central neurological diseases were observed and compared.Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors for central neurological diseases. Results A total of 367 patients were included. In the central neurological disease group, 210 cases (57.22%) were complicated with central neurological diseases, and cryptococcus infection was the most. Compared with the non-central neurological disease group, the increase rate of cerebrospinal fluid cell counts, cerebrospinal fluid cell counts, cerebrospinal fluid HIV RNA positivity and cerebrospinal fluid HIV RNA load were higher in the central neurological disease group (P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that HIV RNA load in cerebrospinal fluid≥100 000 copies/mL and CD4+ T lymphocyte count<200 cells/mm3 were risk factors for central neurological diseases. Conclusion Cerebrospinal fluid HIV RNA load≥100 000 copies/mL is an independent risk factor for HIV/AIDS patients with central neurological diseases and clinical treatment should take this factor into consideration to reasonably optimize the selection of antiretroviral therapy.
Age is the main cause of neurodegenerative changes in the central nervous system (CNS), and the loss of neurons would increase with the migration of the disease. The current treatment is also mainly used to relieve symptoms, while the function of CNS is very difficult to recover. The emergence of endogenous stem cells has brought new hope for the treatment of CNS diseases. However, this nerve regeneration is only in some specific areas, and the recovery of neural function remains unknown. More and more experts in the field of neuroscience have carried out various in vivo or in vitro experiments, in order to increase nerve regeneration and nerve function recovery through mechanism research, in the expectation that the results would be applied to the treatment of CNS diseases. This article reviews the recent progress of endogenous neural stem cells in degenerative diseases of CNS.
Objective To develop a novel prediction model based on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) lactate for early identification of high-risk central nervous system (CNS) infection patients in the emergency setting. Methods Patients diagnosed with CNS infections admitted to the Department of Emergency Medicine of West China Hospital, Sichuan University between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2023 were retrospectively selected. Patients were classified into a survival group and a death group according to their 28-day survival status, and clinical characteristics were compared between groups. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify independent predictors of 28-day mortality, which were subsequently used to construct a nomogram. Results A total of 173 patients were included, comprising 135 in the survival group and 38 in the death group. Multivariate analysis identified the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation Ⅳ (APACHE Ⅳ) score [odds ratio (OR)=1.027, 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.002, 1.055), P=0.034], CSF lactate [OR=1.147, 95%CI (1.025, 1.286), P=0.018], and interleukin-6 [OR=1.002, 95%CI (1.001, 1.004), P=0.002] as independent predictors of 28-day mortality. The integrated model combining APACHE Ⅳ score, CSF lactate, and interleukin-6, demonstrated superior predictive performance compared with the APACHE Ⅳ score alone (P=0.020), and showed good calibration (Hosmer-Lemeshow P=0.50). Conclusions This tool may provide a useful instrument for emergency physicians to assess the 28-day mortality risk in patients with CNS infections, potentially facilitating early and targeted interventions for high-risk individuals. However, as the findings of this study are derived from a single-center retrospective dataset, the clinical applicability of this model requires further external validation through large-scale, prospective, multicenter studies to evaluate its generalizability.
ObjectiveTo analyze the effect of carotid artery stenosis degree and intervention for carotid artery stenosis on the incidence of central nervous system complications after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCABG) and explore the influencing factors. MethodsA total of 1 150 patients undergoing OPCABG in our hospital from June 2018 to June 2021 were selected and divided into two groups according to whether there were central nervous system complications, including a central nervous system complication group [n=61, 43 males and 18 females with a median age of 68.0 (63.0, 74.0) years] and a non-central nervous system complication group [n=1 089, 796 males and 293 females with a median age of 65.5 (59.0, 70.0) years]. The risk factors for central nervous system complications after OPCABG were analyzed. ResultsUnivariate analysis showed that age, smoking, hyperlipidemia, preoperative left ventricular ejection fraction, intra-aortic ballon pump (IABP), postoperative arrhythmia, postoperative thoracotomy and blood transfusion volume were associated with central nervous system complications. The incidence of central nervous system complications in patients with severe carotid artery stenosis or occlusion (11.63%) was higher than that in the non-stenosis and mild stenosis patients (4.80%) and moderate stenosis patients (4.76%) with a statistical difference (P=0.038). The intervention for carotid artery stenosis before or during the operation did not reduce the incidence of central nervous system complications after the operation (42.11% vs. 2.99%, P<0.001). Age, postoperative arrhythmia, severe unilateral or bilateral carotid artery stenosis and occlusion were independent risk factors for postoperative central nervous system complications (P<0.05). Conclusion The age, smoking, hyperlipidemia, preoperative left ventricular ejection fraction, intraoperative use of IABP, postoperative arrhythmia, secondary thoracotomy after surgery, blood transfusion volume and OPCABG are associated with the incidence of postoperative central nervous system complications in patients. Age, postoperative arrhythmia, severe unilateral or bilateral carotid artery stenosis and occlusion are independent risk factors for postoperative central nervous system complications. In patients with severe carotid artery stenosis, preoperative treatment of the carotid artery will not reduce the incidence of central nervous system complications.
Central nervous system vascular disease can be combined with a variety of ocular signs, such as orbital pain, flash, visual field defects, vision loss, eye muscle paralysis. Therefore, some patients were first diagnosed in ophthalmology, including aneurysm rupture, arterial dissection, cerebral apoplexy and other critical nervous system diseases that need rapid treatment. If the doctors didn't know enough, the diagnosis and treatment might be delayed. Most of the vascular diseases of the central nervous system related to ophthalmology have clinical manifestations that cannot be explained by ophthalmology. In the face of chronic conjunctivitis, unexplained visual field defect or cranial nerve paralysis with local ineffective treatment, it is necessary to broaden the thinking of differential diagnosis. To understand the characteristics of vascular diseases of the central nervous system that are prone to ocular manifestations can provide references for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of ophthalmology.