Major depressive disorder (MDD) continues to be a primary cause of disability globally, with a significant number of patients exhibiting resistance to standard pharmacological and psychotherapeutic in Show more
Major depressive disorder (MDD) continues to be a primary cause of disability globally, with a significant number of patients exhibiting resistance to standard pharmacological and psychotherapeutic interventions. In recent years, non-invasive brain stimulation techniques, especially transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), have emerged as promising therapies for treatment-resistant MDD. A comprehensive search was performed in PubMed, which included all studies published over the last ten years. Eligible studies encompassed both animal models and clinical investigations. This review provides a comparative overview of transcranial electrical stimulation modalities, with a focus on their mechanisms of action, clinical efficacy, and underlying neurobiological mechanisms. We pay particular attention to the role of the neurotrophin system, specifically brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), in mediating the treatment effects of transcranial stimulation. Recent findings indicate that neuromodulation could improve neuroplasticity by increasing BDNF levels and associated signaling pathways, which may help stabilize mood and enhance the improvement of individuals with MDD. A more profound understanding of these mechanisms could lead to more precise, biomarker-driven interventions. Further research is essential to elucidating the long-term effects of brain stimulation on neurotrophin levels and to creating more individualized treatment strategies. Show less
Increased pollution by plastics has become a serious global environmental problem, but the concerns for human health have been raised after reported presence of microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (N Show more
Increased pollution by plastics has become a serious global environmental problem, but the concerns for human health have been raised after reported presence of microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) in food and beverages. Unfortunately, few studies have investigate the potentially harmful effects of MPs/NPs on early human development and human health. Therefore, we used a new platform to study possible effects of polystyrene NPs (PSNPs) on the transcription profile of preimplantation human embryos and human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). Two pluripotency genes, LEFTY1 and LEFTY2, which encode secreted ligands of the transforming growth factor-beta, were downregulated, while CA4 and OCLM, which are related to eye development, were upregulated in both samples. The gene set enrichment analysis showed that the development of atrioventricular heart valves and the dysfunction of cellular components, including extracellular matrix, were significantly affected after exposure of hiPSCs to PSNPs. Finally, using the HiPathia method, which uncovers disease mechanisms and predicts clinical outcomes, we determined the APOC3 circuit, which is responsible for increased risk for ischemic cardiovascular disease. These results clearly demonstrate that better understanding of NPs bioactivities and its implications for human health is of extreme importance. Thus, the presented platform opens further aspects to study interactions between different environmental and intracellular pollutions with the aim to decipher the mechanism and origin of human diseases. Show less