Differential Mechanisms of Ang (1-7)-Mediated Vasodepressor Effect in Adult and Aged Candesartan-Treated Rats

Angiotensin (1-7) (Ang (1-7)) causes vasodilator effects in Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) via angiotensin type 2 receptors (AT2R). However, the role of vascular AT2R in aging is not known. Therefore, we examined the effect of aging on Ang (1-7)-mediated vasodepressor effects and vascular angiotensin receptor localization in aging. Blood pressure was measured in conscious adult (~17 weeks) and aged (~19 months) normotensive rats that received drug combinations in a randomised fashion over a 4-day protocol: (i) Ang (1-7) alone, (ii) AT1R antagonist, candesartan, alone, (iii) Ang (1-7) and candesartan, or (iv) Ang-(1-7), candesartan, and the AT2R antagonist, PD123319. In a separate group of animals, the specific MasR antagonist, A779, was administered in place of PD123319. Receptor localisation was also assessed in aortic sections from adult and aged WKY rats by immunofluorescence. Ang (1-7) reduced blood pressure (~15 mmHg) in adult normotensive rats although this effect was dependant on the background dose of candesartan. This depressor effect was reversed by AT2R blockade. In aged rats, the depressor effect of Ang (1-7) was evident but was now inhibited by either AT2R blockade or MasR blockade. At the same time, AT2R, MasR, and ACE2 immunoreactivity was markedly elevated in aortic sections from aged animals. These results indicate that the Ang (1-7)-mediated depressor effect was preserved in aged animals. Whereas Ang (1-7) effects were mediated exclusively via stimulation of AT2R in adult WKY, with aging the vasodepressor effect of Ang (1-7) involved both AT2R and MasR

Electronic sculpting of ligand-GPCR subtype selectivity:the case of angiotensin II

GPCR subtypes possess distinct functional and pharmacological profiles, and thus development of subtype-selective ligands has immense therapeutic potential. This is especially the case for the angiotensin receptor subtypes AT1R and AT2R, where a functional negative control has been described and AT2R activation highlighted as an important cancer drug target. We describe a strategy to fine-tune ligand selectivity for the AT2R/AT1R subtypes through electronic control of ligand aromatic-prolyl interactions. Through this strategy an AT2R high affinity (<i>K</i>_i = 3 nM) agonist analogue that exerted 18,000-fold higher selectivity for AT2R versus AT1R was obtained. We show that this compound is a negative regulator of AT1R signaling since it is able to inhibit MCF-7 breast carcinoma cellular proliferation in the low nanomolar range

Similar glycaemic control and less hypoglycaemia during active titration after insulin initiation with glargine 300 units/mL and degludec 100 units/mL: A subanalysis of the BRIGHT study

Aim: To further investigate glycaemic control and hypoglycaemia in BRIGHT, focusing on the titration period. Materials and Methods: BRIGHT was a multicentre, open-label, randomized, active-controlled, two-arm, parallel-group, 24-week study in insulin-naïve patients with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes initiated on glargine 300 U/mL (Gla-300) (N = 466) or degludec (IDeg-100) (N = 463). Predefined efficacy and safety outcomes were investigated during the initial 12-week titration period. In addition, patients’ characteristics and clinical outcomes were assessed descriptively, stratified by confirmed (≤3.9 mmol/L) hypoglycaemia incidence during the initial titration period. Results: At week 12, HbA1c was comparable between Gla-300 (7.32%) and IDeg-100 (7.23%), with similar least squares (LS) mean reductions from baseline (−1.37% and − 1.39%, respectively; LS mean difference of 0.02; 95% confidence interval: −0.08 to 0.12). Patients who experienced hypoglycaemia during the initial titration period had numerically greater HbA1c reductions by week 12 than patients who did not (−1.46% vs. −1.28%), and higher incidence of anytime (24 hours; 73.3% vs. 35.7%) and nocturnal (00:00–06:00 hours; 30.0% vs. 11.9%) hypoglycaemia between weeks 13–24. Conclusions: The use of Gla-300 resulted in similar glycaemic control as IDeg-100 during the initial 12-week titration period of the BRIGHT study, when less anytime (24 hours) hypoglycaemia with Gla-300 versus IDeg-100 has been reported. Experiencing hypoglycaemia shortly after initiating Gla-300 or IDeg-100 may be associated with hypoglycaemia incidence in the longer term, potentially impacting glycaemic management

Nanocomposites from styreneebutadiene rubber (SBR) and multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) part 2: Mechanical properties

a b s t r a c t Due to their high aspect ratio, strength, and modulus, multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) have attracted interest as a reinforcing filler in the automotive tire industry. In part 1 of this study, we demonstrated that styreneebutadiene rubber (SBR) composites containing up to 15 wt. % of welldispersed, discreet MWCNTs can be prepared using MWCNTs with a specific surface modification and controlled aspect ratios. The melt rheology of the composites with discreet MWCNT was best described in terms of an effective aspect ratio and by considering the discrete MWCNT to be flexible rather than rigid rods. In this work, the effect of tensile strains, up to values of 6, for cured SBR composites containing discreet MWCNT concentrations up to 12% by weight were investigated. The deformation behavior indicates good adhesion between these MWCNT and the SBR. MooneyeRivlin plots derived from the composite tensile stressestrain data displayed a dramatic change in mechanical behavior as the MWCNT loading exceeded about 5 wt. % attributed to a combined reinforcing effect of tubes on SBR plus overlap of curved or coiled MWCNT. Beyond tensile strains of about 1.7, strain hardening increases dramatically at MWCNT loading greater than 5 wt. % that is attributed straightening of the initially curved nanotubes such that they behave as rigid rods or fibers. Mechanical hysteresis and swelling in toluene on cured composites samples revealed that MWCNTs are in fact well bonded to the SBR. Studies with SBR and a combination of carbon black and discreet MWCNT demonstrate dramatically improved resistance to fracture by tearing

Cortical Plasticity Induced by Short-Term Multimodal Musical Rhythm Training

Performing music is a multimodal experience involving the visual, auditory, and somatosensory modalities as well as the motor system. Therefore, musical training is an excellent model to study multimodal brain plasticity. Indeed, we have previously shown that short-term piano practice increase the magnetoencephalographic (MEG) response to melodic material in novice players. Here we investigate the impact of piano training using a rhythmic-focused exercise on responses to rhythmic musical material. Musical training with non musicians was conducted over a period of two weeks. One group (sensorimotor-auditory, SA) learned to play a piano sequence with a distinct musical rhythm, another group (auditory, A) listened to, and evaluated the rhythmic accuracy of the performances of the SA-group. Training-induced cortical plasticity was evaluated using MEG, comparing the mismatch negativity (MMN) in response to occasional rhythmic deviants in a repeating rhythm pattern before and after training. The SA-group showed a significantly greater enlargement of MMN and P2 to deviants after training compared to the A- group. The training-induced increase of the rhythm MMN was bilaterally expressed in contrast to our previous finding where the MMN for deviants in the pitch domain showed a larger right than left increase. The results indicate that when auditory experience is strictly controlled during training, involvement of the sensorimotor system and perhaps increased attentional recources that are needed in producing rhythms lead to more robust plastic changes in the auditory cortex compared to when rhythms are simply attended to in the auditory domain in the absence of motor production

Isoform-Specific Biased Agonism of Histamine H 3 Receptor Agonists s

ABSTRACT The human histamine H 3 receptor (hH 3 R) is subject to extensive gene splicing that gives rise to a large number of functional and nonfunctional isoforms. Despite the general acceptance that G protein-coupled receptors can adopt different ligand-induced conformations that give rise to biased signaling, this has not been studied for the H 3 R; further, it is unknown whether splice variants of the same receptor engender the same or differential biased signaling. Herein, we profiled the pharmacology of histamine receptor agonists at the two most abundant hH 3 R splice variants (hH 3 R 445 and hH 3 R 365 ) across seven signaling endpoints. Both isoforms engender biased signaling, notably for 4-[3-(benzyloxy)propyl]-1H-imidazole (proxyfan) [e.g., strong bias toward phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase 3b (GSK3b) via the full-length receptor] and its congener 3-(1H-imidazol-4-yl)propyl-(4-iodophenyl)-methyl ether (iodoproxyfan), which are strongly consistent with the former&apos;s designation as a &quot;protean&quot; agonist. The 80 amino acid IL3 deleted isoform hH 3 R 365 is more permissive in its signaling than hH 3 R 445 : 2-(1H-imidazol-5-yl)ethyl imidothiocarbamate (imetit), proxyfan, and iodoproxyfan were all markedly biased away from calcium signaling, and principal component analysis of the full data set revealed divergent profiles for all five agonists. However, most interesting was the identification of differential biased signaling between the two isoforms. Strikingly, hH 3 R 365 was completely unable to stimulate GSK3b phosphorylation, an endpoint robustly activated by the full-length receptor. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first quantitative example of differential biased signaling via isoforms of the same G proteincoupled receptor that are simultaneously expressed in vivo and gives rise to the possibility of selective pharmacological targeting of individual receptor splice variants

Vocal Accuracy and Neural Plasticity Following Micromelody-Discrimination Training

Recent behavioral studies report correlational evidence to suggest that non-musicians with good pitch discrimination sing more accurately than those with poorer auditory skills. However, other studies have reported a dissociation between perceptual and vocal production skills. In order to elucidate the relationship between auditory discrimination skills and vocal accuracy, we administered an auditory-discrimination training paradigm to a group of non-musicians to determine whether training-enhanced auditory discrimination would specifically result in improved vocal accuracy.We utilized micromelodies (i.e., melodies with seven different interval scales, each smaller than a semitone) as the main stimuli for auditory discrimination training and testing, and we used single-note and melodic singing tasks to assess vocal accuracy in two groups of non-musicians (experimental and control). To determine if any training-induced improvements in vocal accuracy would be accompanied by related modulations in cortical activity during singing, the experimental group of non-musicians also performed the singing tasks while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Following training, the experimental group exhibited significant enhancements in micromelody discrimination compared to controls. However, we did not observe a correlated improvement in vocal accuracy during single-note or melodic singing, nor did we detect any training-induced changes in activity within brain regions associated with singing.Given the observations from our auditory training regimen, we therefore conclude that perceptual discrimination training alone is not sufficient to improve vocal accuracy in non-musicians, supporting the suggested dissociation between auditory perception and vocal production

EQ-5D in Central and Eastern Europe : 2000-2015

Objective: Cost per quality-adjusted life year data are required for reimbursement decisions in many Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. EQ-5D is by far the most commonly used instrument to generate utility values in CEE. This study aims to systematically review the literature on EQ-5D from eight CEE countries. Methods: An electronic database search was performed up to July 1, 2015 to identify original EQ-5D studies from the countries of interest. We analysed the use of EQ-5D with respect to clinical areas, methodological rigor, population norms and value sets. Results: We identified 143 studies providing 152 country-specific results with a total sample size of 81,619: Austria (n=11), Bulgaria (n=6), Czech Republic (n=18), Hungary (n=47), Poland (n=51), Romania (n=2), Slovakia (n=3) and Slovenia (n=14). Cardiovascular (20%), neurologic (16%), musculoskeletal (15%) and endocrine/nutritional/metabolic diseases (14%) were the most frequently studied clinical areas. Overall 112 (78%) of the studies reported EQ VAS results and 86 (60%) EQ-5D index scores, of which 27 (31%) did not specify the applied tariff. Hungary, Poland and Slovenia have population norms. Poland and Slovenia also have a national value set. Conclusions: Increasing use of EQ-5D is observed throughout CEE. The spread of health technology assessment activities in countries seems to be reflected in the number of EQ-5D studies. However, improvement in informed use and methodological quality of reporting is needed. In jurisdictions where no national value set is available, in order to ensure comparability we recommend to apply the most frequently used UK tariff. Regional collaboration between CEE countries should be strengthened

Auditory event-related potentials

Auditory event related potentials are electric potentials (AERP, AEP) and magnetic fields (AEF) generated by the synchronous activity of large neural populations in the brain, which are time-locked to some actual or expected sound event