Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a non-invasive therapy that has been implicated in treatment of serious neurological disorders. However, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the effects of rTMS remain unclear. Therefore, this study examined the differential effects of repetitive magnetic stimulation (rMS) in an in vitro neuronal model of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, depending on low and high frequency. Neuro-2a cells were differentiated with retinoic acid and established for in vitro neuronal model of I/R injury under a subsequent 3 h of oxygen and glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) condition. After the I/R injury, the differentiated neuronal cells were stimulated with rMS on day 1 and randomly divided into three groups: OGD/R+sham, OGD/R+low-frequency, and OGD/R+high-frequency groups. High-frequency rMS increases cell proliferation through activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases and AKT-signaling pathway and inhibits apoptosis in OGD/R-injured cells. Furthermore, high-frequency rMS increases Ca2+–calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII)-cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB) signaling pathway, further leading to alternation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression and synaptic plasticity in OGD/R injured cells. These results verified the neurobiological mechanisms of frequency-dependent rMS in I/R injury-treated neuronal cells. These mechanisms will help develop more powerful and credible rTMS stimulation treatment protocols.

Recent studies of the distribution of PKC isoenzymes in the mouse kidney demonstrated that PKC-α, -βI, and -δ are expressed in intercalated cells. The purpose of this study was to identify the intercalated cell subtypes that express the different PKC isoenzymes and determine the location of the PKC isoenzymes within these cells. Adult C57BL/6 mice kidney tissues were processed for multiple-labeling immunohistochemistry. Antibodies against the vacuolar H+-ATPase and pendrin were used to identify intercalated cell subtypes, whereas antibodies against calbindin D28K and aquaporin-2 (AQP2) were used to identify connecting tubule cells and principal cells of the collecting duct, respectively. Within type A intercalated cells, PKC-δ was highly expressed in the apical part of the cells, whereas immunoreactivity for both PKC-α and PKC-βI was weak. Type B intercalated cells exhibited strong expression of PKC-α, -βI, and -δ. PKC-α and -βI were localized throughout the cytoplasm, whereas PKC-δ was restricted to the basal domain. Within non-A-non-B cells, immunoreactivity for both PKC-α and PKC-βI was high in intensity and localized diffusely in the cytoplasm, whereas PKC-δ was localized in the apical part of the cells. None of the PKC isoenzymes (PKC-α, -βI, or -δ) were expressed in the calbindin D28K-positive connecting tubule cells. Within AQP2-positive principal cells of the collecting duct, PKC-α was expressed on the basolateral plasma membrane, but no significant staining was detected for PKC-βI and -δ. In summary, this study demonstrates distinct and differential expression patterns of PKC-α, -βI, and -δ in the three subtypes of intercalated cells in the mouse kidney.

The benefits of dissecting inferior pulmonary ligament (IPL) during upper lobectomy using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for early-stage lung cancer remains controversial. This study evaluates the effect of IPL dissection by comparing the lung volume, bronchial angle, and bronchial tortuosity of the left lower lobe (LLL) during VATS upper lobectomy. Medical records of all patients who underwent VATS left upper lobectomy for early-stage lung cancer were evaluated. Patients were divided into group P (preservation) and group D (dissection). Pre- and post-surgery lung volumes, bronchial angles (angle 1: axial angulation; angle 2: vertical angulation), and bronchial tortuosity (curvature index of the left main bronchus) were measured using computed tomography images for comparison. Forty patients were included in each group. Patient characteristics such as age, gender, body mass index, and smoking status, and preoperative lung volume, bronchial angles, and tortuosity were not significantly different between the two groups, and there was no statistically significant difference in the axial and vertical angulations; however, the change in pre- and postoperative bronchial tortuosity (0.03 ± 0.03 vs. 0.06 ± 0.03) and lung volume (−558.1 ± 410.0 mL vs. −736.3 ± 382.7 mL) showed a significant difference (p < 0.001 and p = 0.04, respectively). Preservation of IPLs during left upper lobectomy may be beneficial for LLL expansion and induces less movement and positional change in the left main bronchus.

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