Omega-3 Fatty Acids from Fish Oil Lower Anxiety, Improve Cognitive Functions and Reduce Spontaneous Locomotor Activity in a Non-Human Primate

Omega-3 (ω3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are major components of brain cells membranes. ω3 PUFA-deficient rodents exhibit severe cognitive impairments (learning, memory) that have been linked to alteration of brain glucose utilization or to changes in neurotransmission processes. ω3 PUFA supplementation has been shown to lower anxiety and to improve several cognitive parameters in rodents, while very few data are available in primates. In humans, little is known about the association between anxiety and ω3 fatty acids supplementation and data are divergent about their impact on cognitive functions. Therefore, the development of nutritional studies in non-human primates is needed to disclose whether a long-term supplementation with long-chain ω3 PUFA has an impact on behavioural and cognitive parameters, differently or not from rodents. We address the hypothesis that ω3 PUFA supplementation could lower anxiety and improve cognitive performances of the Grey Mouse Lemur (Microcebus murinus), a nocturnal Malagasy prosimian primate. Adult male mouse lemurs were fed for 5 months on a control diet or on a diet supplemented with long-chain ω3 PUFA (n = 6 per group). Behavioural, cognitive and motor performances were measured using an open field test to evaluate anxiety, a circular platform test to evaluate reference spatial memory, a spontaneous locomotor activity monitoring and a sensory-motor test. ω3-supplemented animals exhibited lower anxiety level compared to control animals, what was accompanied by better performances in a reference spatial memory task (80% of successful trials vs 35% in controls, p<0.05), while the spontaneous locomotor activity was reduced by 31% in ω3-supplemented animals (p<0.001), a parameter that can be linked with lowered anxiety. The long-term dietary ω3 PUFA supplementation positively impacts on anxiety and cognitive performances in the adult mouse lemur. The supplementation of human food with ω3 fatty acids may represent a valuable dietary strategy to improve behavioural and cognitive functions

Cloning and expression of a complementary DNA encoding a high affinity human neurotensin receptor

AbstractA human neurotensin receptor (hNTR) cDNA was cloned from the colonic adenocarcinoma cell line HT29. The cloned cDNA encodes a putative peptide of 418 amino acids with 7 transmembrane domains. The amino acid sequence of the hNTR is 84% identical to the rat NTR [Neuron, 4 (1990) 847-854]. Transfection of this cDNA into COS cells results in the expression of receptors with pharmacological properties similar to those found with HT29 cells. Northern blot analysis using the hNTR cDNA probe indicated a single transcript of 4 kb in the brain, the small intestine and blood mononuclear cells

Trazodone for the treatment of fibromyalgia: an open-label, 12-week study

Background: Despite its frequent use as a hypnotic, trazodone has not been systematically assessed in fibromyalgia patients. In the present study have we evaluated the potential effectiveness and tolerability of trazodone in the treatment of fibromyalgia. Methods: A flexible dose of trazodone (50-300 mg/day), was administered to 66 fibromyalgia patients for 12 weeks. The primary outcome measure was the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Secondary outcome measures included the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), and the Patients' Global Improvement Scale (PGI). Trazodone's emergent adverse reactions were recorded. Data were analyzed with repeated measures one-way ANOVA and paired Student's t test. Results: Trazodone markedly improved sleep quality, with large effect sizes in total PSQI score as well on sleep quality, sleep duration and sleep efficiency. Significant improvement, although with moderate effect sizes, were also observed in total FIQ scores, anxiety and depression scores (both HADS and BDI), and pain interference with daily activities. Unexpectedly, the most frequent and severe side effect associated with trazodone in our sample was tachycardia, which was reported by 14 (21.2%) patients. Conclusions: In doses higher than those usually prescribed as hypnotic, the utility of trazodone in fibromyalgia management surpasses its hypnotic activity. However, the emergence of tachycardia should be closely monitored. Trial registration: This trial has been registered with ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT-00791739

Pesquisas atuais sobre a construção do conceito de número: para além de Piaget?

As atuais pesquisas acerca da construção do número vêm resgatando o papel desempenhado pelas atividades numéricas (em particular, a contagem) na construção do número. Para a maioria dos autores dessas pesquisas e outros estudiosos do tema, os resultados mais recentes, quando não contrariam, ultrapassam, do ponto de vista teórico, o estágio alcançado pelas pesquisas do Centro Internacional de Epistemologia Genética. Neste trabalho discutimos o papel da contagem no desenvolvimento do número segundo a Epistemologia Genética. Buscando destacar a atualidade da teoria piagetiana, comentamos algumas das recentes pesquisas e propostas metodológicas sobre a construção do conceito de número que se fundamentam quase que exclusivamente na contagem, procurando verificar se os resultados encontrados ou as sugestões apresentadas pelos pesquisadores estariam, do ponto de vista teórico, "além de Piaget"

Inhibition of IGF-1 Signalling Enhances the Apoptotic Effect of AS602868, an IKK2 Inhibitor, in Multiple Myeloma Cell Lines

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a B cell neoplasm characterized by bone marrow infiltration with malignant plasma cells. IGF-1 signalling has been explored as a therapeutic target in this disease. We analyzed the effect of the IKK2 inhibitor AS602868, in combination with a monoclonal antibody targeting IGF-1 receptor (anti-IGF-1R) in human MM cell lines. We found that anti-IGF-1R potentiated the apoptotic effect of AS602868 in LP1 and RPMI8226 MM cell lines which express high levels of IGF-1R. Anti-IGF-1R enhanced the inhibitory effect of AS602868 on NF-κB pathway signalling and potentiated the disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential caused by AS602868. These results support the role of IGF-1 signalling in MM and suggest that inhibition of this pathway could sensitize MM cells to NF-κB inhibitors

Peripheral blood B and T-lymphocyte populations in patients with multiple sclerosis. Relationship with clinical activity of the disease and chronic immunosuppressive treatment.

During a period of 30 months, we studied the proportions of B and T cells, and of T cell subpopulations, in 924 blood samples from 213 MS patients. The disease was clinically stable in 88 patients (271 samples), relapsing progressive in 50 (349 samples), slowly progressive in 71 (262 samples) and in acute, selfremitting relapses for 31 patients (42 samples). By comparison with controls, untreated MS patients displayed a slightly higher percentage of B-cells (p less than 0.05) and a striking decrease of the mean percentage of CD8 + cells (p less than 0.001). Within the MS group, patients with an active disease presented a more marked decrease of the number of CD8 + cells and an increase of the CD4/CD8 ratio (p less than 0.01). However, 13 out of the 88 clinically stable patients had persistently high CD4/CD8 ratios, whereas such a high ratio was observed only in 60% of samples collected during an acute relapse. Eighty patients with a progressive form of the disease were chronically treated by immunosuppressive drugs, usually cyclophosphamide (N = 69). This treatment induced within one year a marked decrease of the absolute number of B and CD4 + cells, and a return to normal values of the CD4/CD8 ratio