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Introduction: Recent research indicates that some brain structures show alterations in conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Among them, are the basal ganglia that are involved in motor, cognitive and behavioral neural circuits. Objective: Review the literature that describes possible volumetric alterations in the basal ganglia of individuals with ASD and the impacts that these changes have on the severity of the condition. Methodology: This systematic review was registered in the design and reported according to the PRISMA Items and registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023394787). The study analyzed data from published clinical, case‐contemplate, and cohort trials. The following databases were consulted: PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, using the Medical Subject Titles (MeSH) "Autism Spectrum Disorder" and "Basal Ganglia". The last search was carried out on February 28, 2023. Results: Thirty‐five eligible articles were collected, analyzed, and grouped according to the levels of alterations. Conclusion: The present study showed important volumetric alterations in the basal ganglia in ASD. However, the examined studies have methodological weaknesses that do not allow generalization and correlation with ASD manifestations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated the effects of supplementation with catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) antioxidants, isolated or combined, on the freezability of collared peccary sperm. Semen aliquots from ten individuals were diluted in Tris‐yolk with or without the presence of antioxidants CAT (200 or 400 IU/mL) and SOD (150 or 300 IU/mL) alone or in combination (CAT: 200 IU/mL + SOD: 150 IU/mL), and then cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen (−196°C). After 1 week, samples were thawed and evaluated for kinetic parameters, membrane functionality and integrity, mitochondrial activity, chromatin integrity, sperm morphology, sperm cell binding capacity and intracellular oxidative levels. Regardless of the use of antioxidants, the treatments did not differ in any of the evaluated parameters, except for the treatment with 300 IU/mL SOD, which showed the highest percentage of static cells (69.1 ± 4.4%) when compared to the group without antioxidant (51.6 ± 3.3%). In general, all samples maintained around 50% of functional membranes, 40% of intact membranes with mitochondrial activity, more than 99% of cells with condensed chromatin, as well as more than 70% of morphologically normal cells. Regarding the binding capacity, the minimum and maximum values found ranged from 33.8 to 194 spermatozoa bound to the perivitelline membrane. Finally, regardless of the presence of antioxidants, all thawed groups showed similar levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In conclusion, supplementation with CAT or SOD antioxidants, at the tested concentrations, does not bring benefits to freezability, and the increase in SOD concentration resulted in negative effects on sperm motility in collared peccary semen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epilepsy is a disease characterized by the periodic occurrence of seizures. Seizures can be controlled by antiseizure medications, which can improve the lives of individuals with epilepsy when given proper treatment. Therefore, this study aimed to review the scientific literature on brain neuroplasticity after treatment with antiseizure drugs in different regions of the brain. According to the findings, that several antiseizure, such as lamotrigine, diazepam, levetiracetam, and valproic acid, in addition to controlling seizures, can also act on neuroplasticity in different brain regions. The study of this topic becomes important, as it will help to understand the neuroplastic mechanisms of these drugs, in addition to helping to improve the effectiveness of these drugs in controlling the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the advancement of in vivo studies and clinical trials, the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases has been better understood. However, gaps still need to be better elucidated, which justifies the publication of reviews that explore the mechanisms related to the development of these diseases. Studies show that vitamin E supplementation can protect neurons from the damage caused by oxidative stress, with a positive impact on the prevention and progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Thus, this review aims to summarize the scientific evidence of the effects of vitamin E supplementation on neuroprotection and on neurodegeneration markers in experimental models. A search for studies published between 2000 and 2023 was carried out in the PubMed, Web of Science, Virtual Health Library (BVS), and Embase databases, in which the effects of vitamin E in experimental models of neurodegeneration were investigated. A total of 5669 potentially eligible studies were identified. After excluding the duplicates, 5373 remained, of which 5253 were excluded after checking the titles, 90 articles after reading the abstracts, and 11 after fully reviewing the manuscripts, leaving 19 publications to be included in this review. Experiments with in vivo models of neurodegenerative diseases demonstrated that vitamin E supplementation significantly improved memory, cognition, learning, motor function, and brain markers associated with neuroregeneration and neuroprotection. Vitamin E supplementation reduced beta-amyloid (Aβ) deposition and toxicity in experimental models of Alzheimer's disease. In addition, it decreased tau-protein hyperphosphorylation and increased superoxide dismutase and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in rodents, which seems to indicate the potential use of vitamin E in preventing and delaying the progress of degenerative lesions in the central nervous system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

S100 proteins belong group of calcium-binding proteins and are present in physiological intracellular and extracellular regulatory activities, such as cell differentiation, and act in inflammatory and neoplastic pathological processes. Recently, its expressions in the nervous system have been extensively studied, seeking to elucidate its action at the level of the thalamus: A structure of the central nervous system that is part of important circuits, such as somatosensory, behavioral, memory and cognitive, as well as being responsible for the transmission and regulation of information to the cerebral cortex. This article is an integrative review of scientific literature, which analyzed 12 studies present in Pubmed. The analysis showed that the relationship of S100 proteins and the thalamus has been described in neoplastic processes, mental disorders, hypoxia, trauma, stress, infection, Parkinson's disease and epilepsy. In summary, it is possible to conclude that this protein family is relevant as a marker in processes of thalamic injury, requiring further studies to better understand its clinical, preclinical meanings and its prognostic value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesenchymal cells (MCs) exhibit great regenerative potential due to their intrinsic properties and ability to restore tissue function, either directly through transdifferentiation or indirectly through paracrine effects. This study aimed to evaluate morphometric and phenotypic changes in MCs grown with facial nerve-conditioned medium in the presence or absence of fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2). For quantitative phenotypic analysis, the expression of GFAP, OX-42, MAP-2, β-tubulin III, NeuN, and NF-200 was analyzed by immunocytochemistry. Cells cultured with facial nerve-conditioned medium in the presence of FGF-2 expressed GFAP, OX-42, MAP-2, β-tubulin III, NeuN, and NF-200. On average, the area and perimeter of GFAP-positive cells were higher in the group cultured with facial nerve-conditioned medium compared to the group cultured with conditioned medium and FGF-2 (p=0.0001). This study demonstrated the plasticity of MCs for neuronal and glial lineages and opens up new research perspectives in cell therapy and trans.differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Mucuna pruriens (L.)DC. (Mp) has been used in the treatment of numerous diseases in Indian Ayurvedic medicine, mainly for delaying the symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD), and has as its main component levodopa (L-DOPA). The aim of this work is to systematically review the effects of Mp supplementation on experimental models of PD due to its neuroprotective and antioxidant properties. MATERIALS AND Methods: The search was conducted through PubMed, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Library, and Scientific Electronic Library Online databases, where a number of relevant articles were found. Results: Mp demonstrated significant positive responses in the experimental models of PD by improving motor deficits and by enhancing the activity of the antioxidant systems, reducing oxidative stress. In addition, it presented some advantages when compared to a conventional antiparkinsonian drug as it minimized the occurrence and severity of dyskinesias. Conclusion: Thus, considering that the use of herbal medicines decreases the likelihood of side effects associated with the pharmaceutical drugs, this work aims to summarize and evaluate the data available regarding the mechanism of action of Mp and the reported benefits of this plant as an alternative to improve the quality of life of individuals with PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neurotrophic factors and peripheral nerves are known to be good substrates for bridging CNS trauma. The involvement of fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) activation in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) was examined following spinal cord injury in the rat. We evaluated whether FGF-2 increases the ability of a sciatic nerve graft to enhance neuronal plasticity, in a gap promoted by complete transection of the spinal cord. The rats were subjected to a 4 mm-long gap at low thoracic level and were repaired with saline (Saline or control group, n = 10), or fragment of the sciatic nerve (Nerve group, n = 10), or fragment of the sciatic nerve to which FGF-2 (Nerve + FGF-2 group, n = 10) had been added immediately after lesion. The effects of the FGF-2 and fragment of the sciatic nerve grafts on neuronal plasticity were investigated using choline acetyl transferase (ChAT)-immunoreactivity of neurons in the dorsal root ganglion after 8 weeks. Preservation of the area and diameter of neuronal cell bodies in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) was seen in animals treated with the sciatic nerve, an effect enhanced by the addition of FGF-2. Thus, the addition of exogenous FGF-2 to a sciatic nerve fragment grafted in a gap of the rat spinal cord submitted to complete transection was able to improve neuroprotection in the DRG. The results emphasized that the manipulation of the microenvironment in the wound might amplify the regenerative capacity of peripheral neurons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]