However, the prevalence
of subtler forms of neurocognitive dysfunction, which together with HAD are termed HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND), continues to escalate in the post-cART era. The microgliosis, astrogliosis, dendritic damage, and synaptic and neuronal loss observed in autopsy cases suggest an underlying neuroinflammatory process, due to the neurotoxic factors released by HIV-infected/activated macrophages/microglia in the brain, might underlie the pathogenesis of HAND in the post-cART era. These factors are known to induce the integrated stress response (ISR) in several neurodegenerative diseases; we Selleck ABT 263 have previously shown that BiP, an indicator of general ISR activation, is upregulated in cortical autopsy tissue from HIV-infected patients.
The ISR is composed of three pathways, each with its own initiator protein: PERK, IRE1α and ATF6. Methods: To further elucidate the specific ISR pathways activated in the central nervous system of HAND patients, we examined the protein levels of several ISR proteins, including ATF6, peIF2α and ATF4, in cortical tissue from HIV-infected patients. Results: The ISR does not respond in an all-or-none fashion in HAND, but rather demonstrates a nuanced activation pattern. Specifically, our studies implicate the ATF6 pathway of the ISR as a more likely candidate than the PERK pathway for increases in BiP levels in astrocytes. Conclusion: These findings begin to characterize the nature of the ISR response in HAND and provide potential targets for therapeutic intervention in this disease. “
“Ependymosarcoma Autophagy inhibitor supplier is a new entity of find more malignant gliomas composed of ependymal and sarcomatous components. We report a rare case of ependymosarcoma
with eosinophlic cells which occurred to the right trigon of the lateral ventricle. A 62-year-old man complained of headaches over a 2-month period. A hard, gray mass was found in the right trigon of the lateral ventricle during the operation. Although he received radiation and chemotherapy, the patient died due to tumor disseminating through the whole brain within 7 months after the operation. The histological examination revealed that the anaplastic glial components intermingled with the sarcomatous components. Immunohistochemically, sarcomatous cells were positive for α smooth muscle actin and desmin. However, anaplastic glial cells were not positive for these markers. In addition, Masson trichrome stain showed a plethora of collagen fibers between sarcomatous cells, but no collagen fibers were produced by the glial tumor cells. Solid focal papillary lesions of the glial tumor showed dot-like epithelial membrane antigen and diffuse cytoplasmic D2-40 immunoreactivity. Based on the above findings, these anaplastic glial tumor cells should show focal ependymal differentiation, and sarcomatous cells show myofibroblastic differentiation.