The effects of electrical hippocampal kindling of seizures on amino acids and kynurenic acid concentrations in brain structures

Our study demonstrated that the development of seizures during the electrically induced kindling of seizures is associated with significant changes in the concentration of kynurenic acid (KYNA) and its precursor, tryptophan (TRP). The primary finding of our study was an increase in KYNA levels and the KYNA/TRP ratio (a theoretical index of activity of the kynurenine pathway) in the amygdala and hippocampus of kindled animals. We also found decreases in the concentration of tryptophan in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Changes in the concentration of KYNA and TRP in the amygdala were accompanied by a significant decrease in γ-Aminobutryic Acid (GABA) levels and an increase in the glutamate/GABA ratio. Moreover, we found a significant negative correlation between the local concentrations of KYNA and glutamate in the amygdala of kindled rats. However, there were no changes in the local concentrations of the following amino acids: glutamate, aspartate, glutamine, glycine, taurine and alanine. In conclusion, these new results suggest a modulatory influence of KYNA on the process of epileptogenesis, characterized by a negative relationship between the KYNA and glutamate systems in the amygdala

Unilateral Carotid Body Resection in Resistant Hypertension:A Safety and Feasibility Trial

SummaryAnimal and human data indicate pathological afferent signaling emanating from the carotid body that drives sympathetically mediated elevations in blood pressure in conditions of hypertension. This first-in-man, proof-of-principle study tested the safety and feasibility of unilateral carotid body resection in 15 patients with drug-resistant hypertension. The procedure proved to be safe and feasible. Overall, no change in blood pressure was found. However, 8 patients showed significant reductions in ambulatory blood pressure coinciding with decreases in sympathetic activity. The carotid body may be a novel target for treating an identifiable subpopulation of humans with hypertension

NK cell compartment in patients with coronary heart disease

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Viral and bacterial infections have been considered as a risk factor for Coronary Heart Disease (CHD). NK cells, as a first line of defense against those infections, may play a role in CHD development. Thus, the main aim of our study was to determine NK cell compartment in patients with CHD undergoing coronary artery by-pass grafting.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Ninety three patients with CHD were included into the study; the control group consisted of 49 healthy volunteers. As compared to controls, CHD patients had lower NK cytotoxic activity. CHD group had also a decreased absolute number and percentage of total NK cells and CD3-CD56dim cytotoxic NK subset. In addition, we observed tendency toward lower percentage of the CD3-CD56bright regulatory NK subset and CD3-CD56+IFN-γ+ cells in CHD patients.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These data indicate that CHD is associated with an impairment of NK cells compartment.</p

Learning form Nature to improve the heat generation of iron-oxide nanoparticles for magnetic hyperthermia applications.

The performance of magnetic nanoparticles is intimately entwined with their structure, mean size and magnetic anisotropy. Besides, ensembles offer a unique way of engineering the magnetic response by modifying the strength of the dipolar interactions between particles. Here we report on an experimental and theoretical analysis of magnetic hyperthermia, a rapidly developing technique in medical research and oncology. Experimentally, we demonstrate that single-domain cubic iron oxide particles resembling bacterial magnetosomes have superior magnetic heating efficiency compared to spherical particles of similar sizes. Monte Carlo simulations at the atomic level corroborate the larger anisotropy of the cubic particles in comparison with the spherical ones, thus evidencing the beneficial role of surface anisotropy in the improved heating power. Moreover we establish a quantitative link between the particle assembling, the interactions and the heating properties. This knowledge opens new perspectives for improved hyperthermia, an alternative to conventional cancer therapies

Synaptic E3 Ligase SCRAPPER in Contextual Fear Conditioning: Extensive Behavioral Phenotyping of Scrapper Heterozygote and Overexpressing Mutant Mice

SCRAPPER, an F-box protein coded by FBXL20, is a subunit of SCF type E3 ubiquitin ligase. SCRAPPER localizes synapses and directly binds to Rab3-interacting molecule 1 (RIM1), an essential factor for synaptic vesicle release, thus it regulates neural transmission via RIM1 degradation. A defect in SCRAPPER leads to neurotransmission abnormalities, which could subsequently result in neurodegenerative phenotypes. Because it is likely that the alteration of neural transmission in Scrapper mutant mice affect their systemic condition, we have analyzed the behavioral phenotypes of mice with decreased or increased the amount of SCRAPPER. We carried out a series of behavioral test batteries for Scrapper mutant mice. Scrapper transgenic mice overexpressing SCRAPPER in the hippocampus did not show any significant difference in every test argued in this manuscript by comparison with wild-type mice. On the other hand, heterozygotes of Scrapper knockout [SCR (+/−)] mice showed significant difference in the contextual but not cued fear conditioning test. In addition, SCR (+/−) mice altered in some tests reflecting anxiety, which implies the loss of functions of SCRAPPER in the hippocampus. The behavioral phenotypes of Scrapper mutant mice suggest that molecular degradation conferred by SCRAPPER play important roles in hippocampal-dependent fear memory formation

Remarks to the existing rules of assessing damage from game and proposals of their improvement

Forest is an element of natural environment, also inhabited by game. The dwelling of game, mainly of the cervids, in forests often has a significant effect in stands, particularly in their younger stages of development, in thickets in the first place. Bark peeling may, in extreme cases, cause damage to forest plantations and thickets

Rezul'taty predvaritel'nykh ehtologicheskikh issledovanii pri uvelichennom kolichestve netelejj v otnoshenii k kolichestvu boksov dlja lezhanija

Etological studies and live weight control were carried out on heifers kept loose in pens with different number of animals in relation to the number of stalls. The Number of 12-14 month old heifers kept for 87 days in three pens with 20 stalls each, was 20 (group 1), 24 (group 2) and 28 (group 3). The average lying time in a stall taken from three 24 hr observations in group 1, 2 and 3 was 707, 700 and 682 min/24 hr, respectively. The animals in group 3 rested also in the dung and feed pasage and their average lying time was 18 min/24 hr. Average eating time in groups 1, 2 and 3 was 410, 374 and 408 min/24 hr while average daily live weight gains were 710, 705 and 650 g, respectively. At present, further studies on the optimal ratio of number o'f heifers to the number of stalls, are conducted.Проведено этологические наблюдения и контрольные взвешивания нетелей содержанных при различном количестве животных к количеству боксов для лежания. В станках с 20 боксами находились: в группе 1 - 20, во 2 - 24 и в 3 - 28 нетелей в возрасте 12-14 месяцев в начале опыта. Опыт длился 87 дней. Среднее время лежания нетелей в боксе, вычислено на основе трёх 24-часовых наблюдении, составило в последовательных группах: 707, 700 и 682 мин/сутки. На коридоре ложились только нетели из 3 группы - в среднем 18 мин/сутки. Время потребления корма в очередных группах составило: 410, 374 и 408 мин/сутки. Суточные привесы за целый период опыта составили в группе 1 - 710 г, во 2 - 705 г и в 3 - 650 г. Сейчас проводится дальнейшие исследования по определению оптимального, с хозяйственной точки зрения, количества нетелей в отношении к количеству боксов