NT-proB natriuretic peptide, risk factors and asymptomatic left ventricular dysfunction: Results of the SCReening Evaluation of the Evolution of New Heart Failure Study (SCREEN-HF)

BackgroundWe assessed left ventricular dysfunction in a population at high risk for heart failure (HF), and explored associations between ventricular function, HF risk factors and NT-proB natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP).Methods and results3550 subjects at high risk for incident HF (≥60 years plus ≥1 HF risk factor), but without pre-existing HF or left ventricular dysfunction, were recruited. Anthropomorphic data, medical history and blood for NT-proBNP were collected. Participants at highest risk (n = 664) (NT-proBNP highest quintile; >30.0 pmol/L) and a sample (n = 51) from the lowest NT-proBNP quintile underwent echocardiography. Participants in the highest NT-proBNP quintile, compared to the lowest, were older (74 years vs. 67 years; p ConclusionA high burden of ventricular dysfunction was observed in this high risk group. Combining NT-proBNP and HF risk factors may identify those with ventricular dysfunction. This would allow resources to be focused on those at greatest risk of progression to overt HF.Michele McGrady, Christopher M. Reid, Louise Shiel, Rory Wolfe, Umberto Boffa, Danny Liew, Duncan J Campbell, David Prior, Simon Stewart, Henry Kru

Dysregulation of kynurenine metabolism is related to proinflammatory cytokines, attention, and prefrontal cortex volume in schizophrenia

Etiological models of eating disorders (EDs) describe body dissatisfaction (BD) as one of the major influences fostering dysfunctional body-related behavior and disordered eating behavior. BD is influenced by repeated exposure to thin ideals that evoke high self-ideal discrepancy and result in body-related cognitive distortions such as thought-shape fusion body (TSF-B). The aim of the study was to investigate the covariation of daily media exposure and the experience of TSF-B in a naturalistic setting. It was further analyzed whether TSF-B is associated with self-ideal discrepancy, dysfunctional body-related behavior and disordered eating behavior. Moreover, person-related predictors of TSF-B were explored. Altogether 51 healthy female students (mean age 21.06 years, SD=1.76) participated in an ecological momentary assessment study with 4 daily surveys during 10 consecutive days. Exposure with thin ideals in contrast to exposure to unspecific media contents went along with the experience of TSF-B. TSF-B was associated with higher self-ideal discrepancy, dysfunctional body-related behavior as well as more pronounced disordered eating behavior, suggesting that TSF-B is a common phenomenon in young healthy females' everyday life. A main effect of trait measures (e.g. preexisting BD) on TSF-B was observable, but no moderating effect. Thus, a specific vulnerability has not been detected

Testosterone attenuates and the selective estrogen receptor modulator, raloxifene, potentiates amphetamine-induced locomotion in male rats

Although sex steroids are known to modulate brain dopamine, it is still unclear how testosterone modifies locomotor behaviour controlled, at least in part, by striatal dopamine in adolescent males. Our previous work suggests that increasing testosterone during adolescence may bias midbrain neurons to synthesise more dopamine. We hypothesised that baseline and amphetamine-induced locomotion would differ in adult males depending on testosterone exposure during adolescence. We hypothesised that concomitant stimulation of estrogen receptor signaling, through a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), raloxifene, can counter testosterone effects on locomotion. Male Sprague-Dawley rats at postnatal day 45 were gonadectomised (G) or sham-operated (S) prior to the typical adolescent testosterone increase. Gonadectomised rats were either given testosterone replacement (T) or blank implants (B) for six weeks and sham-operated (i.e. intact or endogenous testosterone group) were given blank implants. Subgroups of sham-operated, gonadectomised and gonadectomised/testosterone-replaced rats were treated with raloxifene (R, 5. mg/kg) or vehicle (V), daily for the final four weeks. There were six groups (SBV, GBV, GTV, SBR, GBR, GTR). Saline and amphetamine-induced (1.25. mg/kg) locomotion in the open field was measured at PND85. Gonadectomy increased amphetamine-induced locomotion compared to rats with endogenous or with exogenous testosterone. Raloxifene increased amphetamine-induced locomotion in rats with either endogenous or exogenous testosterone. Amphetamine-induced locomotion was negatively correlated with testosterone and this relationship was abolished by raloxifene. Lack of testosterone during adolescence potentiates and testosterone exposure during adolescence attenuates amphetamine-induced locomotion. Treatment with raloxifene appears to potentiate amphetamine-induced locomotion and to have an opposite effect to that of testosterone in male rats

Additional file 2: Table S2. of Using blood cytokine measures to define high inflammatory biotype of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder

Significant correlations between serum and plasma cytokines. (DOCX 14 kb