An Update on CRF Mechanisms Underlying Alcohol Use Disorders and Dependence

Alcohol is the most commonly used and abused substance worldwide. The emergence of alcohol use disorders, and alcohol dependence in particular, is accompanied by functional changes in brain reward and stress systems, which contribute to escalated alcohol drinking and seeking. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) systems have been critically implied in the transition toward problematic alcohol drinking and alcohol dependence. This review will discuss how dysregulation of CRF function contributes to the vulnerability for escalated alcohol drinking and other consequences of alcohol consumption, based on preclinical evidence. CRF signaling, mostly via CRF1 receptors, seems to be particularly important in conditions of excessive alcohol taking and seeking, including during early and protracted withdrawal, relapse, as well as during withdrawal-induced anxiety and escalated aggression promoted by alcohol. Modulation of CRF1 function seems to exert a less prominent role over low to moderate alcohol intake, or to species-typical behaviors. While CRF mechanisms in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis have some contribution to the neurobiology of alcohol abuse and dependence, a pivotal role for extra-hypothalamic CRF pathways, particularly in the extended amygdala, is well characterized. More recent studies further suggest a direct modulation of brain reward function by CRF signaling in the ventral tegmental area, nucleus accumbens, and the prefrontal cortex, among other structures. This review will further discuss a putative role for other components of the CRF system that contribute for the overall balance of CRF function in reward and stress pathways, including CRF2 receptors, CRF-binding protein, and urocortins, a family of CRF-related peptides.Associação Fundo de Incentivo à Psicofarmacologia (AFIP)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Psychobiol, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilDepartment of Psychobiology, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilFAPESP: 2013/01562-2CNPq: 131585/2014-2FAPESP: 2014/14623-2CNPq: 141532/2016-5Web of Scienc

On the use of clustering and the MeSH controlled vocabulary to improve MEDLINE abstract search

Databases of genomic documents contain substantial amounts of structured information in addition to the texts of titles and abstracts. Unstructured information retrieval techniques fail to take advantage of the structured information available. This paper describes a technique to improve upon traditional retrieval methods by clustering the retrieval result set into two distinct clusters using additional structural information. Our hypothesis is that the relevant documents are to be found in the tightest cluster of the two, as suggested by van Rijsbergen's cluster hypothesis. We present an experimental evaluation of these ideas based on the relevance judgments of the 2004 TREC workshop Genomics track, and the CLUTO software clustering package

THE EFFECTS OF ETHANOL EXTRACTS OF Centella asiatica LEAF ON SERIAL SERUM BRAIN DERIVED NEUROTROPHIN FACTOR (BDNF) CONCENTRATION OF RATS (SPRAGUE DAWLEY) FOLLOWING CHRONIC STRESS

Centella asiatica is considered herbal plant for increasing memory performance. Brain-derived neurotrophin factor (BDNF) has a significant role in memory formation process, while stress causes memory impairment. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of ethanol extracts of Centella asiatica leaf on serum BDNF concentration of rats that was taken serially before and after chronic electrical stress. Materials and Methods : Twenty male rats (Sprague Dawley) were divided into four groups: control/aquades group and groups treated with different doses (mg/kg) of Centella asiatica :150 (CA150), 300 (CA300) and 600 (CA600). Each rat underwent memory exercise for nine days before and after electrical stress and oral administration of ethanol extracts of Centella asiatica for twenty-eight days. Blood sampling was taken serially from rats’ tail for four times : (1) before memory exercise, (2) after memory exercise (before stress), (3) after chronic stress, and (4) after memory exercise (following chronic stress). Concentration of serum BDNF was assessed using ELISA. Results: There was no significant difference in serum BDNF concentration between groups in first and second serum sampling, which was prior to chronic stress and administration of different treatments. However, there was significant difference in third and fourth serum sampling between groups. Mean concentration of serum BDNF (ng/ml) in third and fourth sampling for control group, CA150, CA300, and CA600, respectively were 1.88+0.21 &1.93+0.24; 2.29+0.13 & 2.01+0.22; 2.29+0.08 &1.86+0.11; 2.71+0.70 and 2.99+0.27 (p<0.05). Conclusion: Ethanol extracts of Centella asiatica leaf increases serum BDNF concentration in rats after chronic stress. Keywords: stress, memory, Centella asiatica, BDN

The Effectiveness of the Antiinfamation Combination Gel of Okra Fruit (Abelmoschus esculentus) Extracts and Shallots Extract (Allium cepa L.)

Wound is a condition that is the destruction of the unity or network components, which are specifically found the substance of tissue damaged or lost, either damage the continuity of the skin, mucous membranes and bones or other organs. Wound healing is a very complex process involving many cells. The process of wound healing is portrayed as occurs in biological surgical wound occurred. Several phases of wound healing are: the process of inflammation (inflammatory), the process of cell multiplication (proliferation) and cell maturation process (maturase). Okra is a plant that allegedly came from Southeast Asia. Okra has grown in many countries in almost all over the world. In the UK okra known as the Lady's Finger, in India it is called by the name of Bhindi while the United States called Gumbo. In Indonesia, this plant also has a local name that is Rabamea (Bima), Coffee Java (Java), Arabian Coffee (Sulawesi), Hoinu (Southeast Sulawesi), but better known by the name of okra. This study aims to determine the effective concentration and determine the length of time of wound healing using a combination gel okra fruit extract (Abelmoschus esculentus) And shallots (Allium cepa L.) as an anti-inflammatory against cuts in male white rats (Sprague -Dawley) with a length of observation for 9 days. This study uses Betadine® ointment as a positive control. The results showed the combination of fruit extract gel okra 6% and shallots 2% contained in the formula 3 most effective as an anti-inflammatory against cuts in male rats by administration for 6 days

The dual hit hypothesis of schizophrenia:evidence from animal models

Schizophrenia is a heterogeneous psychiatric disorder, which can severely impact social and professional functioning. Epidemiological and clinical studies show that schizophrenia has a multifactorial aetiology comprising genetic and environmental risk factors. Although several risk factors have been identified, it is still not clear how they result in schizophrenia. This knowledge gap, however, can be investigated in animal studies. In this review, we summarise animal studies regarding molecular and cellular mechanisms through which genetic and environmental factors may affect brain development, ultimately causing schizophrenia. Preclinical studies suggest that early environmental risk factors can affect the immune, GABAergic, glutamatergic, or dopaminergic system and thus increase the susceptibility to another risk factor later in life. A second insult, like social isolation, stress, or drug abuse, can further disrupt these systems and the interactions between them, leading to behavioural abnormalities. Surprisingly, first insults like maternal infection and early maternal separation can also have protective effects. Single gene mutations associated with schizophrenia did not have a major impact on the susceptibility to subsequent environmental hits