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A simplified double-injection method to quantify cerebral blood flow and vascular reserve using iodine-123 IMP-SPECT.

UNLABELLED: We developed and evaluated a simplified double-injection method for iodine-123 N-isopropyl-p-iodoamphetamine (IMP) to quantify regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) twice in a single SPECT session. The method enabled rapid calculations of rCBF with five 10-minute SPECT scans, a fixed distribution volume (Vd), and one-point arterial blood sampling to calibrate a standard input function (SIF). METHODS: Sixty neurological patients were examined to measure rCBF twice in a single session of IMP-SPECT. Patients underwent frequent arterial blood sampling with two injections of IMP and acetazolamide challenge. We generated the SIF and determined the optimal Vd and calibration time (t(cal)) for the SIF in 30 patients. Validities of the fixed t(cal) and Vd were assessed in the remaining 30 patients. Simulation studies were also performed to evaluate the error sensitivity of the method. RESULTS: The optimal t(cal) and Vd were 34 min and 30 ml/ml, respectively. The method was robust in rCBF calculation with noisy SPECT data and yielded rCBF with negligible bias and acceptable errors compared with those obtained by the double-injection method previously reported. CONCLUSION: The method can be applied to measure rCBF twice in a single SPECT session more easily and less invasively.

Aged↗

Serial dexamethasone suppression test results during antidepressant therapy: relationship to diagnosis and clinical change.

Thirty-two outpatients with major depression of mild to moderate severity were given a 1 mg dexamethasone test (DST) after 1 week of placebo. Those who failed to show a response to placebo began a 6-week course of desipramine treatment. Severity ratings and the DST were repeated during biweekly visits. DST results robustly validated Winokur's familial subtyping and the primary/secondary distinction only when multiple results were considered. The use of multiple DSTs doubled the sensitivity of this test to primary depression and to familal pure depressive disorder without affecting specificity. Based on these data, a single abnormal DST result is considerably more meaningful than a single normal one. This finding may have particular importance to outpatients.

Depressive Disorder↗

Co-localization of AMPA-type glutamate receptor immunoreactivity in neurons of the rat subthalamic nucleus.

In order to determine the precise cellular localization of the alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionate (AMPA)-type glutamate receptor subunit immunoreactivity in the rat subthalamic nucleus, single and double immunofluorescence was performed. Intense level of GluR1, GluR2, GluR2/3 and GluR4 immunoreactivity was found in almost all neurons of the subthalamic nucleus. By double immunofluorescence, the subthalamic neurons in the same sections that displayed a strong immunoreactivity for GluR1 were found to display a robust GluR2 immunoreactivity and the subthalamic neurons that displayed GluR2 immunoreactivity were also found to express GluR4 immunoreactivity. The present results thus demonstrate that individual neurons of the subthalamic nucleus are likely to co-express GluR1 and GluR2, and GluR2 and GluR4 immunoreactivity. The native AMPA channels in the subthalamic neurons may, therefore, be composed of heteromeric subunits. The present results provide information of the neuroanatomical localization of AMPA receptor subunits in neurons of the subthalamic nucleus. The localization of AMPA receptor subunits may be related to functional characteristics of AMPA channels in the subthalamic neurons.

Animals↗

Multi-factor dimensionality reduction applied to a large prospective investigation on gene-gene and gene-environment interactions.

It is becoming increasingly evident that single-locus effects cannot explain complex multifactorial human diseases like cancer. We applied the multi-factor dimensionality reduction (MDR) method to a large cohort study on gene-environment and gene-gene interactions. The study (case-control nested in the EPIC cohort) was established to investigate molecular changes and genetic susceptibility in relation to air pollution and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) in non-smokers. We have analyzed 757 controls and 409 cases with bladder cancer (n=124), lung cancer (n=116) and myeloid leukemia (n=169). Thirty-six gene variants (DNA repair and metabolic genes) and three environmental exposure variables (measures of air pollution and ETS at home and at work) were analyzed. Interactions were assessed by prediction error percentage and cross-validation consistency (CVC) frequency. For lung cancer, the best model was given by a significant gene-environment association between the base excision repair (BER) XRCC1-Arg399Gln polymorphism, the double-strand break repair (DSBR) BRCA2-Asn372His polymorphism and the exposure variable 'distance from heavy traffic road', an indirect and robust indicator of air pollution (mean prediction error of 26%, P<0.001, mean CVC of 6.60, P=0.02). For bladder cancer, we found a significant 4-loci association between the BER APE1-Asp148Glu polymorphism, the DSBR RAD52-3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) polymorphism and the metabolic gene polymorphisms COMT-Val158Met and MTHFR-677C>T (mean prediction error of 22%, P<0.001, mean CVC consistency of 7.40, P<0.037). For leukemia, a 3-loci model including RAD52-2259C>T, MnSOD-Ala9Val and CYP1A1-Ile462Val had a minimum prediction error of 31% (P<0.001) and a maximum CVC of 4.40 (P=0.086). The MDR method seems promising, because it provides a limited number of statistically stable interactions; however, the biological interpretation remains to be understood.

Drug Resistance, Multiple↗

Rapid derivation of cloning-competent cells from peripheral blood advances conservation biobanking.

Establishing viable cell lines from endangered species is essential for conservation, yet traditional fibroblast derivation from skin biopsies faces challenges including contamination risk and extended culture timelines. Here, we demonstrate that endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and pericytes isolated from peripheral blood represent robust alternatives to fibroblasts for biobanking. Compared to canid fibroblasts, canid blood-derived cells exhibit 2- to 3-fold faster doubling rates (15 to 20&#xa0;h vs. ~35&#xa0;h for fibroblasts) and reduced time to banked cell lines (1.5 to 2&#xa0;wks vs. 3 to 4&#xa0;wks for fibroblasts). Proteomic profiling of 32 canonical markers confirmed EPCs and pericytes represent distinct populations with lineage-specific molecular signatures. Optical genome mapping demonstrated equivalent genomic stability across cell types with no detectable structural variants or aneuploidies. Finally, interspecific somatic cell nuclear transfer (iSCNT) experiments confirmed both EPCs and pericytes generate viable canid embryos with efficiency meeting or exceeding fibroblasts. As a proof of concept for conservation cloning, iSCNT embryos made with gray wolf blood-derived cells had a 15% implantation rate following embryo transfer and resulted in six viable fetuses. These findings support integrating blood-derived cell banking into conservation programs, which enables opportunistic genetic preservation during standard management activities and expands options for genetic rescue through assisted reproductive technologies.

Animals↗

The respective roles of controlled clinical trials and cohort monitoring studies in the pre- and postmarketing assessment of drugs.

The respective roles of controlled clinical trials and observational studies (cohort or case-control studies) in evaluating the efficacy, safety and usefulness of a drug were analysed. A randomised, controlled, double-blind study is the best method of estimating the efficacy of a treatment. It provides the least biased and most robust estimate of the causal relationship. In certain situations and on the basis of certain criteria, observational studies can have a proof-of-efficacy value. Randomised, controlled, pre- and postmarketing authorisation (MA) clinical studies identify the rarer adverse effects and compare them with those resulting from the reference treatment. Before the MA, the pooled safety data from different controlled trials can provide an estimation of relatively frequent adverse events and subjects at risk. However, an observational study is the most appropriate method of evaluating the safety of a drug in the currently used conditions. By definition, a drug influences the health of a population if it directly or indirectly improves its health. A drug would have a major role in public health if it reduced mortality or morbidity related to a particular disease or if it improved the quality of life of patients with this disease. Prior to marketing a product, modelling is the approach of choice to quantify the expected effect. Pragmatic, postmarketing trials and observational studies are the reference methods used to define the population affected, the efficacy and safety of the drug in a real situation and its usefulness for public health. In conclusion, randomised clinical trials remain the reference approach for evaluating efficacy, while observational studies have a confirmatory value. Observational studies are the most appropriate way of evaluating safety in the currently used conditions, as the clinical trial has limited indications. In the interests of public health, modelling is the pre-marketing approach of choice, while pragmatic trials and observational studies are the postmarketing reference approaches.

Cohort Studies↗

Polar destabilization of DNA duplexes with single-stranded overhangs by the Deinococcus radiodurans SSB protein.

The Deinococcus radiodurans SSB protein has an occluded site size of 50 +/- 2 nucleotides on ssDNA but can form a stable complex with a 26-30-nucleotide oligodeoxynucleotide using a subset of its four ssDNA binding domains. Quantitative estimates of D. radiodurans SSB protein in the D. radiodurans cell indicate approximately 2500-3000 dimers/cell, independent of the level of irradiation. At biologically relevant concentrations, when bound at single-strand-double-strand DNA junctions in vitro, D. radiodurans SSB protein has a limited capacity to displace the shorter strand of the duplex, permitting it to bind to single-strand extensions shorter than 26-30 nucleotides. The capacity to displace the shorter strand of the duplex shows a pronounced bias for extensions with a free 3' end. The Escherichia coli SSB protein has a similar but somewhat less robust capacity to displace a DNA strand annealed adjacent to a single-strand extension. These activities are likely to be relevant to the action of bacterial SSB proteins in double-strand break repair, acting at the frayed ends created by ionizing radiation.

DNA↗

Reliable method for generating double-stranded DNA vectors containing site-specific base modifications.

Cells of all living organisms are continuously exposed to physical and chemical agents that damage DNA and alter the integrity of their genomes. Despite the relatively high efficiency of the different repair pathways, some lesions remain in DNA when it is replicated or transcribed. Lesion bypass by DNA and RNA polymerases has been the subject of numerous investigations. However, knowledge of the in vivo mechanism of transcription lesion bypass is very limited because no robust methodology is available. Here we describe a protocol based on the synthesis of a complementary strand of a circular, single-stranded DNA molecule, which allows for the production of large amounts of double-stranded DNA containing a lesion at a specific position in a transcribed sequence. Such constructs can subsequently be used for lesion bypass studies in vivo by RNA polymerase and to ascertain how these events can be affected by the genetic background of the cells.

Base Pair Mismatch↗

Activation of serpins and their cognate proteases in muscle after crush injury.

Direct muscle injury was induced in rats in order to evaluate alterations in the balance of serine proteases and inhibitors (serpins) as a response to tissue damage. It was previously found that certain proteases, specifically urokinase-like plasminogen activator (uPA) and others, required activation in order to effect regeneration. We hypothesized that the magnitude and temporal sequence of serpin activation would follow, pari passu, activation of their cognate proteases. In addition to uPA, tissue PA (tPA) and tissue kallikrein were the proteases studied. The serpins we analyzed were protease nexin I (PNI), PA inhibitor 1 (PAI-1, and the kallikrein-binding protein (KBP). uPA nearly doubled 48 h after injury, while there was no change in amidolytic activity after addition of fibrin monomer as an estimation of tPA activity. Tissue kallikrein activity, barely detectable in normal muscle, slowly increased, nearly tripling at 7 days after injury. Greater magnitude and more rapid changes in muscle serpins occurred over the same post-injury time course. By 24 h PNI increased threefold, while PAI-1 increased more slowly, reaching double the control values by 5 days after injury. Surprisingly, KBP, the serpin-class inhibitor of tissue kallikrein, had the most robust response, increasing tenfold over control 48 h after crush injury of muscle. These results further implicate the serpin:protease balance in tissue injury. Participation of complex receptors, such as the alpha 2-macroglobulin receptor/low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP), various growth factors, cytokines, and other molecules, in regulating this balance is implicated by these data.

Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor↗

Testosterone-induced changes in adult canary brain are reversible.

Brain nuclei that control song are larger in male canaries, which sing, than in females, which sing rarely or not at all. Treatment of adult female canaries with testosterone (T) induces song production and causes song-control nuclei to grow, approaching the volumes observed in males. For example, the higher vocal center (HVC) of adult females approximately doubles in size by 1 month following the onset of T treatment. Male HVC projects to a second telencephalic nucleus, RA (the robust nucleus of the archistriatum), which projects in turn to the vocal motor neurons. Whether HVC makes a similar connection in female canaries is not known, although HVC and RA are not functionally connected in female zebra finches, a species in which testosterone does not induce neural or behavioral changes in the adult song system. This experiment investigated whether HVC makes an efferent projection to RA in normal adult female canaries, or if T is necessary to induce the growth of this connection. In addition, we examined whether T-induced changes in adult female canary brain are reversible. Adult female canaries received systemic T implants that were removed after 4 weeks; these birds were killed 4 weeks after T removal (Testosterone-Removal, T-R). Separate groups of control birds received either (a) T implants for 4 weeks which were not removed (Testosterone-Control, T-C) or (b) empty implants (Untreated-Control, O-C). Crystals of the fluorescent tracer DiI were placed in the song-control nucleus HVC in order to anterogradely label both efferent targets of HVC, RA and Area X. Projections from HVC to RA and Area X were present in all treatment groups including untreated controls, and did not appear to differ either qualitatively or quantitatively. Thus, formation of efferent connections from HVC may be prerequisite to hormone-induced expression of song behavior in adult songbirds. The volumes of RA and Area X were measured using the distribution of anterograde label as well as their appearance in Nissl-stained tissue. RA was larger in T-treated control birds than in untreated controls. Experimental birds in which T was given and then removed (T-R) had RA volumes closer in size to untreated controls (O-C). Because the volume of RA in T-treated controls (T-C) was larger than that of birds that did not receive T (O-C), we conclude that the volume of RA increased in both T-C and T-R birds but regressed upon removal of T in T-R birds.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗

Quantitative trait locus analysis of fungal disease resistance factors on a molecular map of grapevine.

A full-sibling F1 population comprising 153 individuals from the cross of 'Regent' x 'Lemberger' was employed to construct a genetic map based on 429 molecular markers. The newly-bred red grapevine variety 'Regent' has multiple field-resistance to fungal diseases inherited as polygenic traits, while 'Lemberger' is a traditional fungus-susceptible cultivar. The progeny segregate quantitatively for resistances to Plasmopara viticola and Uncinula necator, fungal pathogens that threaten viticulture in temperate areas. A double pseudo-testcross strategy was employed to construct the two parental maps under high statistical stringency for linkage to obtain a robust marker frame for subsequent quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis. In total, 185 amplified fragment length polymorphism, 137 random amplified polymorphic DNA, 85 single sequence repeat and 22 sequence characterized amplified region or cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence markers were mapped. The maps were aligned by co-dominant or doubly heterozygous dominant anchor markers. Twelve pairs of homologous linkage groups could be integrated into consensus linkage groups. Resistance phenotypes and segregating characteristics were scored as quantitative traits in three or four growing seasons. Interval mapping reproducibly localized genetic factors that correlated with fungal disease resistances to specific regions on three linkage groups of the maternal 'Regent' map. A QTL for resistance to Uncinula necator was identified on linkage group 16, and QTLs for endurance to Plasmopara viticola on linkage groups 9 and 10 of 'Regent'. Additional QTLs for the onset of berry ripening ("veraison"), berry size and axillary shoot growth were identified. Berry color segregated as a simple trait in this cross of two red varieties and was mapped as a morphological marker. Six markers derived from functional genes could be localized. This dissection of polygenic fungus disease resistance in grapevine allows the development of marker-assisted selection for breeding, the characterization of genetic resources and the isolation of the corresponding genes.

Chromosome Mapping↗

A double-blind, placebo- and positive-internal-controlled (alprazolam) investigation of the cognitive and psychomotor profile of pregabalin in healthy volunteers.

RATIONALE: Pregabalin potently and selectively binds to the alpha(2)-delta subunit of voltage-dependent calcium channels, reducing calcium influx and modulating release of downstream excitatory neurotransmitters, such as glutamate. Pregabalin has demonstrated robust efficacy for several disease states, but its neuropharmacology is still being elucidated. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to evaluate the cognitive and psychomotor effects of oral pregabalin (150 mg t.i.d.) using alprazolam (1 mg t.i.d.) as a positive internal control and placebo. METHODS: Twenty-four healthy volunteers were randomised to a double-blind, three-way crossover study. Each period consisted of 3-day double-blind treatment followed by 1 day of single-blind placebo. Psychometrics included tests of Choice Reaction Time (CRT), CNS arousal (Critical Flicker Fusion, CFF), vigilance (Rapid Visual Information Processing, RVIP), serial memory scanning (Sternberg Short-Term Memory Scanning Test, STM), divided attention (Compensatory Tracking Task, CTT), Brake Reaction Time (BRT) in an on-the-road vehicle, and subjective Line Analogue Rating Scales (LARS) for sedation. RESULTS: Pregabalin showed no significant effects on the objective psychometrics-CRT, BRT, RVIP, STM-compared with placebo. Pregabalin produced a limited, significant decrement on CFF and CTT and a significant effect on the LARS. Pregabalin was associated with improvement relative to placebo in BRT. The positive control, alprazolam, produced significant impairment on all objective measures and significant impairment on the LARS, thus establishing the sensitivity of the test battery used in the study. CONCLUSIONS: Pregabalin did not differ on most assessments from placebo, producing only minor, transient impairment on some objective cognitive and psychomotor measures, suggesting a relatively benign CNS side-effect profile.

Alprazolam↗

Reconstruction of the point-spread function of the human eye from two double-pass retinal images by phase-retrieval algorithms.

In the double-pass technique used to measure the optical performance of the eye, the double-pass image is the cross correlation of the input spread function with the output spread function [J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 12, 195 (1995)]. When entrance and exit pupil sizes are equal, the information on the point-spread function is lost from the double-pass image, although the modulation transfer function of the eye is obtained. A modification of the double-pass technique that uses unequal-sized entrance and exit pupils allows a low-resolution version of the ocular point-spread function to be recorded [J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 12, 2358 (1995)]. We propose the combined use of these two double-pass measurements as input in a phase-retrieval procedure to reconstruct the ocular point-spread function. We use an adapted version of the iterative Fourier-transform algorithm consisting of two steps. In the first step, error-reduction iterations with expanding weighting functions in the Fourier domain yield an estimation of the phase that serves as an initial guess for the second step, which consists of cycles of hybrid input-output iterations. We tested the robustness and limitations of the retrieval algorithm by using simulated data with and without noise. We then applied the procedure to reconstruct the point-spread function from actual measurements of double-pass retinal images in the living eye.

Algorithms↗

An IRAK1-snRNA axis activates ATM to promote accurate repair within transcriptionally active chromatin.

Genomic integrity in transcriptionally active regions is pivotal for suppressing oncogenic mutations, yet the mechanisms that govern precise homologous recombination (HR) repair within these regions remain elusive. Here, we report that the IRAK1-spliceosome axis operates with small nuclear RNA (snRNA) as a central hub, potently promoting accurate repair at DNA double-strand break (DSB) sites within active chromatin in human cancer cells. Mechanistically, IRAK1 phosphorylates spliceosomal serine/arginine (SR)-rich proteins to recruit snRNA to DSBs, inducing robust condensation of the MRE11-RAD50-NBS1 (MRN) complex near transcriptionally active regions to create an ATM activation platform. Collectively, our findings define a prevalent mechanism governing region-specific precise repair in transcriptionally active domains, where snRNA acts as a "transcription repair bridge" to link transcriptional processes to HR repair and ultimately preserves genomic stability. Inhibiting IRAK1 axis impairs HR repair in transcriptionally active regions, causing a marked increase in mutation rates specific to these regions and cancer-cell chemosensitivity.

Humans↗

Cognitive improvement after 6 weeks of soy supplements in postmenopausal women is limited to frontal lobe function.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of 6 weeks of treatment with soy supplements on mood, menopausal symptoms, and cognition in postmenopausal women not taking other forms of hormone therapy. DESIGN: In a double-blind, placebo-matched parallel groups study, 50 postmenopausal women (aged 51-66 y) were randomly allocated to receive daily treatment with a soy supplement (Novasoy, 60 mg total isoflavone equivalents/day) or matching placebo capsules. They were tested at baseline before treatment began and after 6 weeks of treatment in tests of attention, memory, and frontal lobe function, and completed questionnaires to assess sleepiness, mood, and menopausal symptoms. RESULTS: After 6 weeks of treatment, there was a significant (P < 0.02) reduction in somatic menopausal symptoms in the group taking soy supplements, but there were no other significant effects of soy on menopausal symptoms or mood. On the test of nonverbal short-term memory, the soy group showed greater improvement than the placebo group (P < 0.03), but there were no effects of soy on long-term memory, category generation, or sustained attention. However, the soy treatment produced significantly better performance on the two tests of frontal lobe function, those of mental flexibility (simple rule reversal, P < 0.05; complex rule reversal, P < 0.03) and of planning ability (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the main improvement after 6 weeks of soy supplementation was in frontal lobe function. Significant improvements in the same three measures of frontal lobe function were previously found after 12 weeks of soy supplements in postmenopausal women. The effects of soy on memory seem less robust.

Aged↗

Macaque ventral premotor cortex exerts powerful facilitation of motor cortex outputs to upper limb motoneurons.

The ventral premotor area (F5) is part of the cortical circuit controlling visuomotor grasp. F5 could influence hand motor function through at least two pathways: corticospinal projections and corticocortical projections to primary motor cortex (M1). We found that stimulation of macaque F5, which by itself evoked little or no detectable corticospinal output, could produce a robust modulation of motor outputs from M1. Arrays of fine microwires were implanted in F5 and M1. During terminal experiments under chloralose anesthesia, single stimuli delivered to M1 electrodes evoked direct (D) and indirect (I1,I2, and I3) corticospinal volleys. In contrast, single F5 shocks were ineffective; double shocks (3 msec separation) evoked small I waves but no D wave. However, when the test (T) M1 shock was conditioned (C) by single or double F5 shocks, there was strong facilitation of I2 and I3 waves from M1, with C-T intervals of <1 msec. Intracellular recordings from 79 arm and hand motoneurons (MNs) revealed no postsynaptic effects from single F5 shocks. In contrast, these stimuli produced a robust facilitation of I2 and I3 EPSPs evoked from M1 (60% of MNs); this was particularly marked in hand muscle MNs (92%). Muscimol injection in M1 reduced I waves from F5 and abolished the F5-induced facilitation of late I waves from M1, and of EPSPs associated with them. Thus, some motor effects evoked from F5 may be mediated by corticocortical inputs to M1 impinging on interneurons generating late corticospinal I waves. Similar mechanisms may allow F5 to modulate grasp-related outputs from M1.

Animals↗

Warm glow, free-riding and vehicle neutrality in a health-related contingent valuation study.

Criticism of contingent valuation (CV) stresses warm glow and free-riding as possible causes for biased willingness to pay figures. We present an empirical framework to study the existence of warm glow and free-riding in hypothetical WTP answers based on a CV survey for the measurement of health-related Red Cross services. Both in conventional double-bounded and spike models we do not find indication of warm glow phenomena and free-riding behaviour. The results are very robust and insensitive to the applied payment vehicles. Theoretical objections against CV do not find sufficient empirical support.

Austria↗

Development of anterior gustatory epithelia in the palate and tongue requires epidermal growth factor receptor.

We characterized the gustatory phenotypes of neonatal mice having null mutations for epidermal growth factor receptor (egfr(-/-)), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (bdnf(-/-)), or both. We counted the number and diameter of fungiform taste buds, the prevalence of poorly differentiated or missing taste cells, and the incidence of ectopic filiform-like spines, each as a function of postnatal age and anterior/posterior location. Egfr(-/-) mice and bdnf(-/-) mice had similar reductions in the total number of taste buds on the anterior portions of the tongue and palate. Nonetheless, there were significant differences in their gustatory phenotypes. EGFR deficiency selectively impaired the development of anterior gustatory epithelia in the mouth. Only bdnf(-/-) mice had numerous taste buds missing from the foliate, vallate, and posterior fungiform papillae. Only egfr(-/-) fungiform taste papillae had robust gustatory innervation, markedly reduced cytokeratin 8 expression in taste cells, and a high incidence of a filiform-like spine. Egfr/bdnf double-null mutant mice had a higher frequency of failed fungiform taste bud differentiation. In bdnf(-/-) mice taste cell development failed because of sparse gustatory innervation. In contrast, in young egfr(-/-) mice the abundance of axons innervating fungiform papillae and the normal numbers of geniculate ganglion neurons implicate gustatory epithelial defects rather than neural defects.

Animals↗