Effects of manipulating hypothalamic triiodothyronine concentrations on seasonal body weight and torpor cycles in siberian hamsters

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A case report and genetic characterization of a massive acinic cell carcinoma of the parotid with delayed distant metastases.

We describe the presentation, management, and clinical outcome of a massive acinic cell carcinoma of the parotid gland. The primary tumor and blood underwent exome sequencing which revealed deletions in CDKN2A as well as PPP1R13B, which induces p53. A damaging nonsynonymous mutation was noted in EP300, a histone acetylase which plays a role in cellular proliferation. This study provides the first insights into the genetic underpinnings of this cancer. Future large-scale efforts will be necessary to define the mutational landscape of salivary gland malignancies to identify therapeutic targets and biomarkers of treatment failure

A regulatory pathway model of neuropsychological disruption in Havana syndrome

IntroductionIn 2016 diplomatic personnel serving in Havana, Cuba, began reporting audible sensory phenomena paired with onset of complex and persistent neurological symptoms consistent with brain injury. The etiology of these Anomalous Health Incidents (AHI) and subsequent symptoms remains unknown. This report investigates putative exposure-symptom pathology by assembling a network model of published bio-behavioral pathways and assessing how dysregulation of such pathways might explain loss of function in these subjects using data available in the published literature. Given similarities in presentation with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), we used the latter as a clinically relevant means of evaluating if the neuropsychological profiles observed in Havana Syndrome Havana Syndrome might be explained at least in part by a dysregulation of neurotransmission, neuro-inflammation, or both.MethodAutomated text-mining of >9,000 publications produced a network consisting of 273 documented regulatory interactions linking 29 neuro-chemical markers with 9 neuropsychological constructs from the Brief Mood Survey, PTSD Checklist, and the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale. Analysis of information flow through this network produced a set of regulatory rules reconciling to within a 6% departure known mechanistic pathways with neuropsychological profiles in N = 6 subjects.ResultsPredicted expression of neuro-chemical markers that jointly satisfy documented pathways and observed symptom profiles display characteristically elevated IL-1B, IL-10, NGF, and norepinephrine levels in the context of depressed BDNF, GDNF, IGF1, and glutamate expression (FDR < 5%). Elevations in CRH and IL-6 were also predicted unanimously across all subjects. Furthermore, simulations of neurological regulatory dynamics reveal subjects do not appear to be “locked in” persistent illness but rather appear to be engaged in a slow recovery trajectory.DiscussionThis computational analysis of measured neuropsychological symptoms in Havana-based diplomats proposes that these AHI symptoms may be supported in part by disruption of known neuroimmune and neurotransmission regulatory mechanisms also associated with mTBI

Platelet PECAM-1 Inhibits Thrombus Formation In Vivo

Platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1) is a cell surface glycoprotein receptor expressed on a range of blood cells including platelets, and is also on vascular endothelial cells. PECAM-1 possesses adhesive and signalling properties, the latter being mediated by an Immunoreceptor Tyrosine-based Inhibitory Motif present on the cytoplasmic tail of the protein. Recent studies in vitro have demonstrated that PECAM-1 signalling inhibits the aggregation of platelets. In the present study we have utilised PECAM-1 deficient mice and radiation chimeras to investigate the function of this receptor in the regulation of thrombus formation. Using intravital microscopy and laser induced injury to cremaster muscle arterioles, we show that thrombi formed in PECAM-1 deficient mice were larger, formed more rapidly than in control mice and were more stable. Larger thrombi were also formed in control mice transplanted with PECAM-1 deficient bone marrow, in comparison to control-transplanted mice. A ferric chloride model of thrombosis was used to investigate thrombus formation in carotid arteries. In PECAM-1 deficient mice the time to 75% vessel occlusion was significantly shorter than in control mice. These data provide evidence for the involvement of platelet PECAM-1 in the negative regulation of thrombus formation

Associations with photoreceptor thickness measures in the UK Biobank.

Spectral-domain OCT (SD-OCT) provides high resolution images enabling identification of individual retinal layers. We included 32,923 participants aged 40-69 years old from UK Biobank. Questionnaires, physical examination, and eye examination including SD-OCT imaging were performed. SD OCT measured photoreceptor layer thickness includes photoreceptor layer thickness: inner nuclear layer-retinal pigment epithelium (INL-RPE) and the specific sublayers of the photoreceptor: inner nuclear layer-external limiting membrane (INL-ELM); external limiting membrane-inner segment outer segment (ELM-ISOS); and inner segment outer segment-retinal pigment epithelium (ISOS-RPE). In multivariate regression models, the total average INL-RPE was observed to be thinner in older aged, females, Black ethnicity, smokers, participants with higher systolic blood pressure, more negative refractive error, lower IOPcc and lower corneal hysteresis. The overall INL-ELM, ELM-ISOS and ISOS-RPE thickness was significantly associated with sex and race. Total average of INL-ELM thickness was additionally associated with age and refractive error, while ELM-ISOS was additionally associated with age, smoking status, SBP and refractive error; and ISOS-RPE was additionally associated with smoking status, IOPcc and corneal hysteresis. Hence, we found novel associations of ethnicity, smoking, systolic blood pressure, refraction, IOPcc and corneal hysteresis with photoreceptor thickness

Vacuolating cytotoxin and variants in Atg16L1 that disrupt autophagy promote Helicobacter pylori infection in humans

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