IntroductionEvery-other-day fasting (EODF) is a classical intermittent fasting (IF) mode with neuroprotective effects that promotes motor function recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats. However, its dynamic effects on the gut microbiota and spinal cord transcriptome remain unknown.MethodsIn this study, 16S rRNA sequencing and RNA-seq analysis were used to investigate the effects of ad libitum (AL) and EODF dietary modes on the structural characteristics of rat gut microbiota in rats and the spinal cord transcriptome at various time points after SCI induction.ResultsOur results showed that both dietary modes affected the bacterial community composition in SCI rats, with EODF treatment inducing and suppressing dynamic changes in the abundances of potentially anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory bacteria. Furthermore, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) enriched after EODF intervention in SCI rats were associated with various biological events, including immune inflammatory response, cell differentiation, protein modification, neural growth, and apoptosis. In particular, significant spatiotemporal differences were apparent in the DEGs associated with neuroprotection between the EODF and AL interventions. These DGEs were mainly focused on days 1, 3, and 7 after SCI. The relative abundance of certain genera was significantly correlated with DEGs associated with neuroprotective effects in the EODF-SCI group.DiscussionOur results showed that EODF treatment may exert neuroprotective effects by modulating the transcriptome expression profile following SCI in rats. Furthermore, gut microbiota may be partially involved in mediating these effects.

OBJECTIVE:There is currently no effective treatment for spinal cord injuries (SCIs). Previous studies have shown that every-other-day fasting (EODF), a dietary restriction method, can reduce SCI size and promote motor function recovery, making it a potential novel treatment. However, the mechanism that underlies the positive impact of EODF on SCI remains unclear. Caspase-dependent apoptosis and necroptosis, which involve receptor-interacting protein kinase (RIPK), drive the loss of nerve cells and restrict motor function recovery after SCI. Dietary restriction has a significant inhibitory effect on Caspase and RIPK expression. This study aimed to investigate whether the EODF diet achieves a neuroprotective effect by inhibiting Caspase-dependent apoptosis and RIPK-dependent necroptosis after SCI. METHODS:The model rats underwent EODF for 4 weeks before SCI or started EODF diet immediately after SCI. Immunoblotting and immunohistochemical analyses were used to assess the impact of the intervention on protein expression. Apoptosis in the spinal cord was detected by TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling. RESULTS:Immunoblotting analysis results revealed that the levels of both RIPK1 and RIPK3 proteins in the injury zone were reduced at 6, 12, and 24 hours and at 3 and 7 days after SCI, respectively. Immunohistochemistry results showed that EODF reduced the expression of Caspase-3 and Bax proteins, while prophylactic EODF decreased the rate of apoptosis detected by TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling within 3 days after SCI. CONCLUSIONS:These findings indicate that the mechanism by which EODF exerts neuroprotective effects may be related to the simultaneous inhibition of apoptosis and necroptosis in SCI.

Studies have found that magnetic stimulation (MS) can induce the plasticity of the spinal cord and promote axon regeneration, resulting in improving motor dysfunction after SCI. However, In the clinical application of repetitive trans-spinal magnetic stimulation (rTSMS), there is no uniform standard for the formulation of treatment parameters, the most important of which is the treatment frequency. This progress has been compared in six groups of animals. After rTSMS, the BBB score and the inclined plate test score of SCI rats increased significantly. Besides, the frequency of 1 Hz significantly increased spinal cord function in the acute and subacute phases after SCI, and the frequency of 15 Hz increased spinal function in the intermediate and chronic phases after SCI. Western blot analysis showed that the expression of GAP-43 in the 15 Hz magnetic stimulation (MS) group increased significantly. Also, rTSMS induced the expression of GAP-43 which may promote axon growth and guided the formation of new nerve connections.This study showed that rTSMS improves spinal cord function in SCI rats. Furthermore, 1 Hz stimulus is more conducive to the recovery of motor function in the acute and subacute phases after SCI, and the frequency of 15 Hz is more conducive to the recovery of motor function in the intermediate and chronic phases after SCI. Besides, rTSMS increases the expression of GAP-43 in the injured spinal cord.

IκB激酶 β(IKKβ)是核因子 κB(NF-κB)信号通路中的关键激酶.在脊髓损伤后,IKKβ 被活化,NF-κB信号通路异常激活,产生大量炎症因子,对脊髓损伤后的恢复产生不利影响.本文主要对IKKβ的结构功能及其在脊髓损伤后炎症反应中的应用进行综述,试图寻找一种治疗脊髓损伤的新靶点.

热量限制可以促进健康和增加寿命,但大多数受试者无法坚持长期限制食物的摄入,这大大限制了其在临床及生活中的应用.近日,由美国南加州大学Valter Longo教授设计开发的模拟禁食饮食(FMD)很好的解决了这一问题,并且多项研究证明该饮食疗法在治疗疾病和延缓衰老中具有一定的效果,本文对FMD疗法的背景做了简要的介绍,重点阐述了FMD对糖尿病、多发性硬化、衰老的影响.希望能够通过本文让读者了解这种新型的禁食疗法.

脊髓损伤后,脊髓损伤平面上下的神经通路的联系中断,从而出现一系列的继发改变,对脊髓损伤患者危害甚为严重.适当对中枢神经系统进行刺激,有利于脊髓损伤患者的康复.作为二十一世纪四大脑科学技术之一,经颅磁刺激目前在临床中应用广泛,通过诱导中枢神经系统的重塑,成为脊髓损伤患者的康复治疗可选择的一项技术.本文对重复经颅磁刺激治疗脊髓损伤后痉挛的研究进行综述,并对其可能的机制和临床应用进行探究,以期对该技术在脊髓损伤康复的临床应用中起到一定的参考作用.

本文通过系统分析子午流注纳甲法治疗脑卒中后遗症的临床文献,探讨传统时间针灸在脑卒中后遗症中的应用价值.选用中国期刊全文数据库(CNKI),查找的1993年到2015年国内外关于甲法治疗脑卒中后遗症的临床研究文献,并对有效文献进行分析.共有18篇有效文献,总体结果是用纳甲法治疗卒中后遗症的临床疗效,治疗组明显优于对照组.总结出纳甲法治疗脑卒中后遗症的疗效显著,同时期待今后的研究工作能够更加全面,更加精准.