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Disruption of the gut‐brain axis in Parkinson's disease (PD) may lead to motor symptoms and PD pathogenesis. Recently, the neuroprotective potential of different PPARδ‐agonists has been shown. We aimed to reveal the effects of erucic acid, peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptors (PPARs)‐ligand in rotenone‐induced PD model in zebrafish, focusing on the gut‐brain axis. Adult zebrafish were exposed to rotenone and erucic acid for 30 days. Liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) analysis was performed. Raw files were analysed by Proteome Discoverer 2.4 software; peptide lists were searched against Danio rerio proteins. STRING database was used for protein annotations or interactions. Lipid peroxidation (LPO), nitric oxide (No), alkaline phosphatase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione S‐transferase (GST), acetylcholinesterase and the expressions of PD‐related genes were determined. Immunohistochemical tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) staining was performed. LC–MS/MS analyses allowed identification of over 2000 proteins in each sample. The 2502 and 2707 proteins overlapped for intestine and brain. The 196 and 243 significantly dysregulated proteins in the brain and intestines were found in rotenone groups. Erucic acid treatment corrected the changes in the expression of proteins associated with cytoskeletal organisation, transport and localisation and improved locomotor activity, expressions of TH, PD‐related genes (lrrk2, park2, park7, pink1) and oxidant‐damage in brain and intestines in the rotenone group as evidenced by decreased LPO, No and increased GST. Our results showed beneficial effects of erucic acid as a PPARδ‐ligand in neurotoxin‐induced PD model in zebrafish. We believe that our study will shed light on the mechanism of the effects of PPARδ agonists and ω9‐fatty acids in the gut‐brain axis of PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We compared electron microscopic histologic changes of the radial artery grafts in non-diabetic and diabetic patients.Methods: Thirty-six patients were divided into three groups according to their diabetic status (Group I had no diabetes mellitus [DM], Group II had type two DM and HbA1c levels were <7.5%, and Group III had type 2 DM but HbA1c levels were >7.5%). Distal parts of radial artery grafts were evaluated with scanning electron microscopy in a blind fashion by two histologists. Electron microscopic scores were compared among the groups.Results: Radial artery electron microscopic scores were significantly different between group 1, 2 and 1, 3 and 2, 3 (p = 0.028, p < 0.001, and p < 0.001). In linear regression analysis, duration of DM (p = 0.027) and fasting plasma glucose (p = 0.001) were found as independent risk factors for histologic changes of radial artery grafts.Conclusion: Duration of DM and poor glycemic control were found to be associated with radial artery electron microscopic changes. doi: 10.1111/jocs.12761 (J Card Surg 2016;31:410-415). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reconstruction of large bone defects is still a major problem. Tissue-engineering approaches have become a focus in regeneration of bone. In particular, critical- sized defects do not ossify spontaneously. The use of electrospinning is attracting increasing attention in the preparation of tissue-engineering scaffolds. Recently, acellular scaffolds carrying bioactive agents have been used as scaffolds in ''in situ'' tissue engineering for soft and hard tissue repair. Poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) with two different molecular weights were synthesized, and the blends of these two were electrospun into nonwoven membranes composed of nanofibers/micropores. To stimulate bone formation, an active drug, ''simvastatin'' was loaded either after the membranes were formed or during electrospinning. The matrices were then spiral-wound to produce scaffolds with 3D-structures having both macro- and microchannels. Eight-millimeter diameter critical size cranial defects were created in rats. Scaffolds with or without simvastatin were then implanted into these defects. Samples from the implant sites were removed after 1, 3, and 6 months postimplantation. Bone regeneration and tissue response were followed by X-ray microcomputed tomography and histological analysis. These in vivo results exhibited osseous tissue integration within the implant and mineralized bone restoration of the calvarium. Both microCT and histological data clearly demonstrated that the more successful results were observed with the ''simvastatincontaining PCL scaffolds,'' in which simvastatin was incorporated into the PCL scaffolds during electrospinning. For these samples, bone mineralization was quite significant when compared with the other groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]