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Strokes are one of the leading causes of death and disability in the world. Previously we have found that conventional protein kinase Cγ (cPKCγ) plays neuroprotective role in ischemic strokes. Further, we found that cPKCγ knockdown increased the level of cleaved (cl)-Caspase-3. However, the precise mechanisms underlying cPKCγ-mediated neuronal death remain unclear. To this end, a model incorporating 1 h oxygen-glucose deprivation/24 h reoxygenation (1 h OGD/24 h R) was established in cortical neurons. We found that cPKCγ knockdown remarkably increased neuronal death after OGD. We also found that cPKCγ knockdown increased the level of cl-Caspase-3 through the upstream initiators Capsases-9 (not Caspase-8/12) in OGD-treated neurons. Overexpression of cPKCγ could decrease neuronal death and cl-Caspase-3 and -9 levels. Moreover, cPKCγ knockdown further reduced the phosphorylation levels of p38 MAPK, p90RSK, and Bad. In addition, the protein levels of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl were decreased after cPKCγ knockdown, whereas that of Bax was increased. In conclusion, our results suggest that cPKCγ partly alleviates ischemic injury through activating the p38 MAPK-p90RSK-Bad pathway and inhibiting Caspase-9 initiated apoptosis. This may have potential as a therapeutic target for ischemic stroke.

Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) refers to the mycobacteria other than M. tuberculosis complex and M. leprae complex, which is widely distributed in the natural environment and people can infect NTM from the environment. With the increased number of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and the continuous use of immunosuppressants around the world, the number of diseases caused by NTM are also increasing continuously. However, NTM related intracranial infection is still a rare or even rare disease in clinic, which is often misdiagnosed or even missed diagnosis since the negative results of cerebrospinal fluid bacteria culture, the poor effect of anti-tuberculosis treatment and the high mortality. In present paper, we intend to summarize the documents that have been reported so far in order to review the definition of NTM, the susceptible population, classification, diagnosis and treatment of NTM related intracranial infection for further strengthening and improving awareness of such a kind of the disease. DOI: 10.11855/j.issn.0577-7402.2019.10.15