Prepulse reactivity in prepulse inhibition.

Prepulse inhibition (PPI) is a popular paradigm in sensorimotor gating research. In healthy individuals the weak lead stimulus (i.e., the prepulse) presentation results in a reduction in the startle probe (pulse) elicited response. The motor responses to the prepulses (prepulse reactivity, PPER) were until recently largely ignored in PPI research. There are conflicting reports about prepulse reactivity and startle response modification (SRM) associations; and personality factors relevant to SRM have not been previously examined in prepulse reactivity context. Healthy participants were drawn from university student and staff population. Three paradigms were used: unpredictable stimulus onset, predictable stimulus onset and conscious stimulus processing. The stimuli consisted of 80, 85 & 90dB prepulses and 115dB startle probe separated by 140ms inter-stimulus interval (onset to onset asynchrony). The inter-trial intervals varied between the studies. Startle responses were measured as eye blinks and recorded using surface EMG. All motor responses were quantified according to the same set of rules. Prepulse-elicited motor responses reliably appeared in all the studies and were distinct from spontaneous EMG. Some PPER characteristics exhibited stimulus intensity dependence further proving PPER validity as stimulus-driven response. Prepulse reactivity exhibited significant associations with startle response modification. PPER was a stable tendency; individuals either consistently responded to the weak lead stimuli or did not. Two types of startle response modification appeared under the conditions assumed to elicit maximal inhibition only: classical inhibition (as expected) and paradoxical prepulse facilitation. These appeared in motor responses and in conscious stimulus processing. The propensity towards the paradoxical prepulse facilitation was reduced by efficient prepulse inhibition. PPER and SRM had limited associations with personality factors, sex, or age. The predictable stimulus onset paradigm however highlighted the associations of the defensive startle response and its modification with fear and anxiety. Increased emotionality, regardless of its valence, proved detrimental to sensorimotor gating

Endometriotic Peritoneal Fluid Stimulates Recruitment of CD4+CD25highFOXP3+ Treg Cells

Endometriosis is a common gynecological disorder characterized by the presence of endometrial-like tissue outside the uterus. The disease is associated with disturbed local and systemic immunity. It has been reported that the proportion of CD4+CD25highFOXP3+ Treg cells may be significantly increased in the peritoneal fluid of patients with endometriosis. Therefore, the aim of our study was to investigate whether the proportions of Treg cells in the peritoneal cavity of patients with endometriosis are related to the chemotactic and stimulatory activity of the local peritoneal milieu. The peritoneal fluid was collected from 13 women with ovarian endometriosis and 12 control women without the disease. T cell populations were analyzed by flow cytometry, cytokines and chemokines were evaluated using the cytometric bead kit, and cell chemotaxis was studied by cell migration assay. We confirmed that the proportions of Treg cells are increased in the peritoneal fluid of women with endometriosis as compared to the control women. Endometriosis was also associated with elevated concentrations of IL-6, IL-10, and TGF-β1/2 as well as CCL20, CXCL8, CXCL9, and CXCL10. We did not reveal any changes in the proportion of peritoneal Th17 cells and concentrations of IL-17A. Peritoneal Treg cells positively correlated with concentrations of TGF-β, IL-10, and CCL20. Endometriotic peritoneal fluid stimulated chemotaxis of both CD4+ and Treg cells. This chemotactic activity positively correlated with concentrations of CCL20. CCL20 stimulated the migration of Treg cells, and the chemotactic activity of the endometriotic peritoneal fluid was inhibited by neutralizing anti-CCL20 antibodies. These results imply that increased proportions of the peritoneal Treg cells in women with endometriosis may result from attraction and activation by local chemokines and cytokines, especially CCL20 and TGF-β. Since Treg cells contribute to the immunopathogenesis of endometriosis, their chemotaxis and activation may be considered as a target for therapeutic intervention

ERP Shape+colour repetition effects.

<p>(a) Grand average ERPs to same (red line) versus change (black line) stimuli plotted between −100 and 500 msec, with respective topographies for the P2 at peak amplitude; (b) topography associated with the difference in mean amplitude for the same versus change contrast over the highlighted 40 msec epoch for the P2; (c) mean amplitudes across posterior electrode clusters during the P2 as a function of laterality and transformation.</p

ERP Colour effects.

<p>Grand average ERPs to correctly (black line) and incorrectly (red line) coloured objects plotted between −100 and 800 msec with (a) topography associated with the peak amplitude for correctly versus incorrectly coloured objects for the P2; and (b) topography associated with the peak amplitude for correctly versus incorrectly coloured objects for the P3.</p