The graph theoretical analysis shows that the effective network based dynamic partial directed coherence has a small-world property for synchronizing neural activity between brain regions. Moreover, the alpha band is well correlated with the cognitive state compared to other frequency bands. © 2020 Xie and Li Published by IMR press.Medicinal plant breviscapine is shown to exhibit a protective role in tissue damage after cerebral hemorrhage. The effects of breviscapine on neurological deficit score, brain tissue water content, brain pathological tissue changes, blood-brain barrier bidirectional regulation, and inflammatory factors after cerebral hemorrhage in rats were observed. Western blot and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction were performed to explore how Periostin and nuclear factor kappa-B pathway-related factors protein expression contribute to the protective effects of breviscapine on brain injury. Breviscapine inhalation could reduce neurological deficit scores and brain tissue water content. Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed that breviscapine could improve the pathological changes of brain tissue and alleviate brain damage. Breviscapine reduced the abnormal increase of Evans blue content caused by a cerebral hemorrhage, and could significantly inhibit the levels of inflammatory factors interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α. Also, breviscapine significantly inhibited the expressions of Periostin and nuclear factor kappa-B pathway-related factors after cerebral hemorrhage, and alleviate brain damage by down-regulating Periostin expression and inhibiting nuclear factor kappa-β signaling pathway. © 2020 Chen et al. Published by IMR press.Denervated-dependent skeletal muscle atrophy is a disease induced by skeletal muscle associated peripheral neuro-disconnection. Its specific molecular mechanisms remain unknown. Phospho(enol)pyruvic acid monopotassium The treating for denervated-dependent skeletal muscle atrophy is applied with an herbal complex Buyang Huanwu Tang used in traditional Chinese medicine and subjected to the established denervated-dependent skeletal muscle atrophy in rat models, and the therapeutic effects and associated mechanisms were evaluated in the pathogenesis of denervated-dependent skeletal muscle atrophy. Denervated-dependent skeletal muscle atrophy in rats was established and randomly divided into eight groups, including Normal control, Model, Positive control, Model + Buyang Huanwu Tang, Model + astragalus extracts, Model + Buyang Huanwu Tang-astragalus, Buyang Huanwu Tang + LY294002, and astragalus extract + LY294002 group. Hematoxylin-eosin staining and quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) assay were used to examine the inflammatory response of muscle tissues. Qu (P less then 0.05). Buyang Huanwu Tang suppressed caspase 9 and caspase 3 activity and associated apoptosis. Moreover, PI3K specific blocker, LY294002, significantly inhibited the effects of Buyang Huanwu Tang on the above molecule expression (P less then 0.05). In conclusion, Buyang Huanwu Tang improved motor endplate functions of denervated-dependent skeletal muscle atrophy rat model through suppressing mitochondria-mediated apoptosis and activating PI3K/PKB/FOXO1 signaling pathway. © 2020 Zhou et al. Published by IMR press.There is a need to investigate the role of nuclear factor kappa B in the regulation of cyclooxygenase-2 expression in the epileptic rat brain and cultured hippocampal neurons. Immunofluorescence and polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the expression of nuclear factor kappa B and cyclooxygenase-2. In cultured hippocampal neurons and rat brain the control group compared with the normal group, nuclear factor kappa B expression in the hippocampal dentate gyrus, cerebral cortex, the piriform cortex brain regions were significantly increased (P less then 0.01). This is accompanied by a significant increase in cyclooxygenase-2 protein and mRNA expressions in the hippocampus (P less then 0.01). In the experimental group compared to the control group, the nuclear factor-kappa B expression in the hippocampal dentate gyrus, cerebral cortex, piriform cortex, and other brain regions was significantly lower (P less then 0.01), with the accompanying decrease in cyclooxygenase-2 protein and mRNA expression (P less then 0.01) in the hippocampus. In conclusion, κB-decoy can inhibit nuclear factor kappa B activation in epileptic rat brain and cyclooxygenase-2 overexpression. © 2020 Xu et al. Published by IMR press.Electroacupuncture has been considered an effective neurorehabilitative approach to relieve neuropathic pain originating in the central nervous system. However, the neural mechanism underlying the effect of electroacupuncture on pain-relief remains largely unknown. The objective of this study was to investigate the alteration of hub configurations of brain networks caused by the sustained impact of electroacupuncture on a clinically relevant animal model of neuropathic pain. Rats were divided into four groups normal, model, electroacupuncture, and sham-electroacupuncture. Rats of the last three groups received complete brachial plexus avulsion to evoke neuropathic pain. Electroacupuncture was conducted continuously for three months on the electroacupuncture group, while the sham intervention was performed on the sham-electroacupuncture group. Mechanical withdrawal thresholds were evaluated at the end of the first and third month of intervention. Graph theoretical network analysis compared the regional topological parameters and explored hub configurations of brain networks by longitudinal resting-state fMRI. Three-months electroacupuncture showed a significant pain-relief effect. Not the spatial distribution of hubs, but the hubness distribution showed a significant difference among groups after a three-month intervention. The proportion of more highly connected hub regions was significantly higher in the model rats than the normal rats, while that of the electroacupuncture group was considerably lower than the model group. Additionally, regional parameter changes showed a very similar distribution of hub proportions. It was concluded that long-term electroacupuncture might restore an adaptive equilibrium to a disrupted network and suppress maladaptive plastic changes that follow neuropathic pain. This may provide an important avenue for future strategies appropriate for therapeutic interventions. © 2020 Wu et al. Published by IMR press.