Disturbed neural development has been postulated as a crucial factor in the pathophysiology of schizophrenic psychoses. The neurobiochemical basis for such changes of cytoarchitecture and changed neural plasticity could involve an alteration in the regulation of neurotrophic factors. In order to test this hypothesis, BDNF and NT-3 levels in post-mortem brain tissue from schizophrenic patients w...

Neurotrophins are important proteins that regulate survival, development and function of neurons. They are produced by a variety of cells and exert their effects upon binding to specific tyrosine kinase receptors. The first neurotrophin to be identified was Nerve Growth Factor (NGF). From the pioneer studies performed by Rita-Levi Montalcini, awarded with the Nobel Prize, other neurotrophins ha...

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Taekwondo exercise on Brain-derived neurotrophic factor and the Stroop test in undergraduate students. METHODS Fourteen male subjects participated in this study. They were separated into a Control group (N = 7) and an Exercise group (N = 7). Subjects participated in Taekwondo exercise training for 8 weeks. They underwent to Ta...

The neurotrophin gene family comprises four structurally related basic proteins, NGF, BDNF, NT-3 and NT-4/5. Despite high structural homology, these neurotrophins operate via different high-affinity membrane receptors, differ in target specificity, patterns of spatial and temporal distribution and responses to injury of the neuronal tissue. Based on the recent data, some aspects of BDNF and NT-...

background one of the main challenges in skin flap surgery is tissue ischemia and following necrosis. the present study compares the effects of fibroblast growth factors 1 and 2 on increasing cutaneous vasculature, improving ischemia, and preventing distal necrosis in ischemic skin flaps in rat model. methods thirty rats were allocated into 3 groups (n=10) and 2×8 cm dorsal random-pattern skin ...

Crosstalk between angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis in embryonic development continues during postnatal life and has specific mechanisms involving factors that initiate activation of the intracellular cascade for their specific receptors. Platelet-derived growth factors (PDGFs) and their corresponding receptors (PDGFRs) are known as important regulators of blood vessel development in both norm...

Mitogenic activities on confluent fibroblasts by sera from patients with scleroderma and normal controls were studied. In experiments using eight different fibroblast strains (one human fetal lung fibroblast, one foreskin fibroblast, three adult skin fibroblast, and three scleroderma fibroblast), pooled scleroderma serum showed lower mitogenic activity by 3H-thymidine incorporation assay than p...

The aim of the present study was to quantitatively analyze the expression of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-A and PDGF-B in the vascular walls of patients with lower extremity arterial occlusive disease (LEAOD). The expression levels of PDGF-A and PDGF-B in the lower extremity arteries of 19 LEAOD patients (case group) and three healthy subjects (control group) was determined using quant...

Neurotrophins are growth factors that are important in neuronal development and survival as well as synapse formation and plasticity. Many of the effects of neurotrophins are mediated by changes in protein expression as a result of altered transcription or translation. To determine whether neurotrophins regulate the production of microRNAs (miRNAs), small RNA species that modulate protein trans...

Two research areas that could benefit from a greater focus on the role of the reward pathway are maternal depression and maternal addiction. Both depression and addiction in mothers are mediated by deficiencies in the reward pathway and represent substantial risks to the health of offspring and future generations. This targeted review discusses maternal reward deficits in depressed and addicted...