Aquaporin-4 (AQP-4) is the principal brain water channel and is predominantly expressed in astrocytes suggesting its dynamic involvement in water homeostasis in brain tissue. Due to the co-localization of AQP-4 and inward rectifier K(+) channels Kir 4.1, a functional coupling between these proteins has been proposed. AQP-4 has a putative role in the physiopathology of brain disorders including ...

Evidence of injury-induced neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus suggests that an endogenous repair mechanism exists for cognitive dysfunction following traumatic brain injury (TBI). One factor that may be associated with this restoration is S100B, a neurotrophic/mitogenic protein produced by astrocytes, which has been shown to improve memory function. Therefore, we examined whether an intraven...

Our previous study revealed that minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) is strongly associated with neuroinflammation. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanism of induction inflammatory response in MHE astrocytes remains unclear. In this study, we further investigated effect and S100B, predominant isoform expressed released from mature astrocytes, on MHE-like neuropathology rat model. We discovered...

Purpose: S100B is member of a multigenic family of Ca2þ-binding proteins, which is overexpressed by gliomas. Recently, we showed that low concentrations of S100B attenuatedmicroglia activation through the induction of Stat3. We hypothesized that overexpression of S100B in gliomas could promote tumor growth by modulating the activity of tumor-associated macrophages (TAM). Experimental Design:We ...

BACKGROUND There is an ongoing search for biomarkers in psychiatry, for example, as diagnostic tools or predictors of treatment response. The neurotrophic factor S100 calcium binding protein B (S100B) has been discussed as a possible predictor of antidepressant response in patients with major depression, but also as a possible biomarker of an acute depressive state. The aim of the present study...

BACKGROUND S100B is a potential marker of neurological and psychiatric illness. In schizophrenia, increased S100B levels, as well as associations with acute positive and persisting negative symptoms, have been reported. It remains unclear whether S100B elevation, which possibly reflects glial dysfunction, is the consequence of disease or compensatory processes, or whether it is an indicator of ...

Elevated levels of the tumor marker S100B are observed in malignant melanoma, and this EF-hand-containing protein was shown to directly bind wild-type (wt) p53 in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner, dissociate the p53 tetramer, and inhibit its tumor suppression functions. Likewise, inhibiting S100B with small interfering RNA (siRNA(S100B)) is sufficient to restore wild-type p53 levels and its downstream...

These associations also appear to be consistent with the hypothesis that, as a cytokine, S100B exerts a neurotrophic role (1 ), although more extensive studies of the relationships of S100B with other brain constituents will be needed to support this possibility. Previous investigations have reported that amniotic fluid is devoid of detectable S100B in physiological conditions, whereas detectab...

Objective(s): Valproic and arundic acids are astrocytes-modulating agents with potential effects in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). S100B is an astrocytic cytokine with a possible role in the pathogenesis of AD. In this study, we aimed to assess the glioprotective effects of valproic and arundic acids against amyloid-β-peptide (Aβ)-induced glial death and co...

OBJECTIVE To determine pre- and postoperative serum S100B concentrations in patients with intracranial tumours that underwent craniotomy and compare the values with healthy controls. STUDY DESIGN An observational, comparative study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY Neurosurgical Ward, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre. Karachi, from May 2007 to April 2008. METHODOLOGY Serum S100B was measured...