Kallmann's syndrome is caused by the failure of olfactory axons and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons to enter the embryonic forebrain, resulting in anosmia and sterility. Sox10 mutations have been associated with Kallmann's syndrome phenotypes, but their effect on olfactory system development is unknown. We recently showed that Sox10 is expressed by neural crest-derived olfactory e...

The amino acid variant β-methyl-amino-L-alanine (BMAA) has long been associated with the increased incidence and progression of the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/Parkinsonism dementia complex (ALS/PDC). Previous studies have indicated that BMAA damages neurons via excitotoxic mechanisms. We have challenged rat olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) with exogenous BMAA and found it to be cytotoxic. ...

In this study, we assess the feasibility of bioluminescence imaging to monitor the survival of Schwann cells (SCs) and olfactory ensheathing glia cells (OECs) after implantation in the lesioned spinal cord of adult rats. To this end, purified SCs and OECs were genetically modified with lentiviral vectors encoding luciferase-2 and GFP and implanted in the lesioned dorsal column. The bioluminesc...

BACKGROUND Nicotine use is one of the most important risk factors for the development of cardiovascular and periodontal diseases. Numerous reports have suggested the possible contribution of disturbed lipid metabolism for the development of both disease groups. Despite these observations, little is known about the relationship between tobacco smoking and the development of these diseases. Our p...

introduction: spinal cord injuries (sci) lead to permanent irreversible functional deficits.  poor prognosis of patients is the motivation of searching a treatment for the chronic injury.  planting stem cells provides us with a promising strategy. in the meanwhile, the use of olfactory ensheathing cells (oecs) has shown very good results.  this study aims at evaluating the effect of transplante...

Introduction: Spinal cord injuries (SCI) lead to permanent irreversible functional deficits.  Poor prognosis of patients is the motivation of searching a treatment for the chronic injury.  Planting stem cells provides us with a promising strategy. In the meanwhile, the use of olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) has shown very good results.  This study aims at evaluating the effe...

OBJECTIVE This study is to investigate the effect of the combination of the olfactory ensheathing cells (OEC) transplantation and intravitreous injection of ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) on the retinal ganglia cells' (RGC) apoptosis and axonals' reparation and regeneration. METHODS In this study, the supraorbital margin exposure of the optic nerves was used to establish adult SD rats' op...

BACKGROUND Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease caused by pathogenic microorganisms, such as Porphyromonas gingivalis, and characterized by the destruction of the periodontium. Obese individuals have an increased risk for periodontitis and show decreased serum levels of adiponectin. This in-vitro study was established to examine whether adiponectin modulates critical effects of lipopolysacc...

Increasing evidence suggests that microRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in impaired endothelial cell (EC) angiogenesis during aging. However, their exact roles in the aging process remain unclear. We aimed to determine whether miRNAs cause angiogenesis defects in ECs during aging and to uncover the underlying mechanisms. To study the miRNA-induced changes in ECs during aging, we performed mic...

Axons of olfactory receptor cells (ORCs) grow from the olfactory epithelium (OE) to the olfactory bulb (OB), where they travel through the olfactory nerve layer (ONL) of the OB, reorganize extensively, and innervate specific synaptic targets in the glomeruli. Within the ONL a unique population of glial cells, the olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs), surround ORC axon fascicles and accompany them...