ObjectiveTo conduct a bioinformatics analysis of gene expression profiles in frontal lobe of patients with Parkinson disease (PD), in order to explore the potential mechanism related to depression in PD.MethodsAll the bioinformatics data before March 20th 2019 were acquired from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, using " Parkinson disease” as the key word. The species was limited to human (Homo sapiens), and the detective method was limited to expression profiling by array. ImgGEO (Integrative Gene Expression Meta-Analysis from GEO database), DAVID (the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery), STRING and Cytoscape 3.6.1 software were utilized for data analysis.ResultsTotally, 45 samples (24 PD cases and 21 healthy controls) were obtained from 2 datasets. We identified 236 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the post-mortem frontal lobe between PD cases and healthy controls, in which 146 genes were up-regulated and 90 genes were down-regulated. Based on Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis, the DEGs were mainly enriched in the structures of postsynaptic membrane, cell membrane component, postsynaptic membrane dense area, and myelin sheath, and were involved in the occurrence of PD, depression, and other diseases. These genes were involved in the biological processes of dopaminergic, glutamate-nergic, GABA-nergic synapses, and some other synapses, as well as several signaling pathways (e.g. mitogen- activated protein kinase signal pathway, p53 signal pathway, and Wnt signal pathway), which were associated with PD and depression pathogenesis. Besides, we found that NFKBIA, NRXN1, and RPL35A were the Hub proteins.ConclusionsGene expression in frontal lobe of patients with PD is associated with the pathogenesis of PD. This study provides a theoretical basis for understanding the mechanism of PD occurrence and progression, as well as the potential mechanism of depression in PD.
Valproic acid can reduce the frequency of seizures through various mechanisms and is widely used in clinical practice as a monotherapy or adjunctive treatment for various types of epilepsy and epileptic syndromes. In addition, valproic acid has significant therapeutic effects on comorbidities associated with epilepsy, such as migraines and psychiatric disorders. It can also be effective in terminating status epilepticus and is commonly used as a broad-spectrum antieseizure medication in clinical settings. However, valproic acid has side effects such as teratogenicity, infertility, and menstrual disorders. Additionally, when used in combination with other drugs, the interactions between medications should be carefully considered. Therefore, in clinical practice, it is necessary to strictly adhere to the indications and dosage regimens for the use of valproic acid. This article provides a comprehensive review of the use of valproic acid in different types of seizures, epileptic syndromes, comorbidities associated with epilepsy, post-craniotomy cases, status epilepticus, and special populations. It also summarizes the combination therapy of valproic acid with other drugs, providing a basis for the rational use of valproic acid and individualized drug treatment selection for epilepsy patients.
Objective To investigate the number, distribution and characteristics of the treatment of epilepsy by vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) under China's three-grade diagnosis and treatment system from 2022 to 2023. Methods Researchers from the China Association Against Epilepsy (CAAE) conducted investigations on the number and distribution of epilepsy centers, as well as the number and distribution of VNS treatments for epilepsy from 2022 to 2023 through online and telephone surveys. Results A total of 435 epilepsy centers in China participated in the treatment of epilepsy by VNS under the three-grade system, among which 191 (43.91%) were in the eastern region. From 2022 to 2023, a total of 1 888 VNS procedures were carried out. Among them, 1 255 procedures (66.47%) were carried out in the eastern region; 1 253 procedures (66.37%) were carried out in third-level epilepsy centers, and 635 procedures (33.63%) were carried out in second-level epilepsy centers. Conclusions The promotion and application of VNS for the treatment of epilepsy under China's three-grade diagnosis and treatment system have achieved preliminary outcomes. However, there are still a regional imbalance in the VNS treatment and a shortage of abilities in primary epilepsy c enters.