Clinical presentation of strokes confined to the insula: a systematic review of literature

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The insular cortex serves a wide variety of functions in humans, ranging from sensory and affective processing to high-level cognition. Hence, insular dysfunction may result in several different presentations. Ischemic strokes limited to the insular territory are rare and deserve a better characterization, to be quickly recognized and to receive the appropriate treatment (e.g. thrombolysis). METHODS: We reviewed studies on patients with a first-ever acute stroke restricted to the insula. We searched in the Medline database the keywords "insular stroke" and "insular infarction", to identify previously published cases. Afterwards, the results were divided depending on the specific insular region affected by the stroke: anterior insular cortex (AIC), posterior insular cortex (PIC) or total insula cortex (TIC). Finally, a review of the clinical correlates associated with each region was performed. RESULTS: We identified 25 reports including a total of 49 patients (59.7 ± 15.5 years, 48% male) from systematic review of the literature. The most common clinical phenotypes were motor and somatosensory deficits, dysarthria, aphasia and a vestibular-like syndrome. Atypical presentations were also common and included dysphagia, awareness deficits, gustatory disturbances, dysautonomia, neuropsychiatric or auditory disturbances and headache. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical presentation of insular strokes is heterogeneous; however, an insular stroke should be suspected when vestibular-like, somatosensory, speech or language disturbances are combined in the same patient. Further studies are needed to improve our understanding of more atypical presentations

Effects of the satiety signal oleoylethanolamide on binge-like food consumption in female rats

Several lines of evidence document the association between eating disorders and modern lifestyle, encompassing calorie-rich diets and psychological stress. Binge-eating disorder (BED) is a eating disorder characterized by excessive consumption of food in a short period of time, along with loss of control and psychological distress. Among the networks that partake in the neurobiological bases of BED a large body of evidence supports the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal stress (HPA) axis. Pharmacological treatments for BED are limited thus highlighting the need to identify novel targets that could lead to the development of more effective therapies. A large body of evidence has accumulated on the role played by the lipid signal oleoylethanolamide (OEA) as a pharmacological target for controlling aberrant eating disorders. As a drug, OEA reduces food intake and body weight gain in laboratory rodents by inducing a state of satiety. Additionaly, OEA dampens the hyperactivity of the HPA axis and ameliorates the effects of stress. On the bases of these premises, in the present study we investigated the effects of OEA on high palatable food (HPF) intake in a rat model of BED. Moreover, we assessed the impact of OEA on the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) system which plays a critical role in stress and on the oxytocinergic system which is crucial in mediating the pro-satiety effect of OEA. We used female rats with a history of intermittent food restriction which show binge-like palatable food consumption after the exposure to a “frustration stress”. On the test day, we either exposed or did not expose the rats to the sight of the palatable food (frustration stress) before assessing food consumption. OEA was administered at three different doses (2.5, 5, 10 mg/kg i.p.) and HPF intake was monitored over 2h. After the behavioural experiment brains were collected and in-situ hybridization experiment was performed to analyse CRF and oxytocin mRNA expression in selected brain areas. Our results demonstrate that OEA (10 mg/kg) was able to selectively prevent binge eating; the antibinge effect was accompained by a reduction of CRF mRNA within the central-amygdala. Finally, in keeping with our previous observations we found that the antibinge effect of OEA was accompanied by a significant increase of oxytocin mRNA at hypothalamic level. In the current study, we provide for the first time evidence to support that the endogenous fatty-gut lipid OEA exerts a selective inhibitory effects on binge-like eating behavior in female rats, supporting the hypothesis that OEA might represent a novel potential pharmacological target for the treatment of aberrant eating patterns

CDC in brief 2013

With the start of the 113th Congress, we\u2019d like to take an opportunity to (re)introduce the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and provide some helpful information about our agency and its work. This E-Brief contains links to useful information about CDC\u2019s science, budget, and presence on the ground. For quick access to additional information about CDC\u2019s work, please contact the CDC Washington Office at (202) 245-0600, and see below for information about how CDC Washington can help you.CS238048-6What CDC does -- Fast facts -- CDC on the ground -- How can CDC Washington help you?201

Follistatin as potential therapeutic target in prostate cancer

Follistatin is a single-chain glycosylated protein whose primary function consists in binding and neutralizing some members of the transforming growth factor-β superfamily such as activin and bone morphogenic proteins. Emerging evidence indicates that this molecule may also play a role in the malignant progression of several human tumors including prostate cancer. In particular, recent findings suggest that, in this tumor, follistatin may also contribute to the formation of bone metastasis through multiple mechanisms, some of which are not related to its specific activin or bone morphogenic proteins’ inhibitory activity. This review provides insight into the most recent advances in understanding the role of follistatin in the prostate cancer progression and discusses the clinical and therapeutic implications related to these findings

Co-firing of biomass with coals Part 1. Thermogravimetric kinetic analysis of combustion of fir (abies bornmulleriana) wood

The chemical composition and reactivity of fir (Abies bornmulleriana) wood under non-isothermal thermogravimetric (TG) conditions were studied. Oxidation of the wood sample at temperatures near 600 A degrees C caused the loss of aliphatics from the structure of the wood and created a char heavily containing C-O functionalities and of highly aromatic character. On-line FTIR recordings of the combustion of wood indicated the oxidation of carbonaceous and hydrogen content of the wood and release of some hydrocarbons due to pyrolysis reactions that occurred during combustion of the wood. TG analysis was used to study combustion of fir wood. Non-isothermal TG data were used to evaluate the kinetics of the combustion of this carbonaceous material. The article reports application of Ozawa-Flynn-Wall model to deal with non-isothermal TG data for the evaluation of the activation energy corresponding to the combustion of the fir wood. The average activation energy related to fir wood combustion was 128.9 kJ/mol, and the average reaction order for the combustion of wood was calculated as 0.30

Proteomics signature of autoimmune atrophic gastritis: towards a link with gastric cancer

Background: Autoimmune atrophic gastritis (AAG) is a chronic disease that can progress to gastric cancer (GC). To better understand AAG pathology, this proteomics study investigated gastric proteins whose expression levels are altered in this disease and also in GC. Methods: Using two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE), we compared protein maps of gastric corpus biopsies from AAG patients and controls. Differentially abundant spots (|fold change|≥ 1.5, P < 0.01) were selected and identified by LC-MS/MS. The spots were further assessed in gastric antrum biopsies from AAG patients (without and with Helicobacter pylori infection) and from GC patients and unaffected first-degree relatives of GC patients. Results: 2D-DIGE identified 67 differentially abundant spots, with 28 more and 39 less abundant in AAG-corpus than controls. LC-MS/MS identified these as 53 distinct proteins. The most significant (adjusted P < 0.01) biological process associated with the less abundant proteins was "tricarboxylic acid cycle". Of the 67 spots, 57 were similarly differentially abundant in AAG-antrum biopsies irrespective of H. pylori infection status. The differential abundance was also observed in GC biopsies for 14 of 28 more abundant and 35 of 39 less abundant spots, and in normal gastric biopsies of relatives of GC patients for 6 and 25 spots, respectively. Immunoblotting confirmed the different expression levels of two more abundant proteins (PDIA3, GSTP gene products) and four less abundant proteins (ATP5F1A, PGA3, SDHB, PGC). Conclusion: This study identified a proteomics signature of AAG. Many differential proteins were shared by GC and may be involved in the progression of AAG to GC

Thromboembolic and bleeding risk in atrial fibrillation patients with chronic kidney disease: role of anticoagulation therapy

Atrial fibrillation (AF) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are strictly related; several independent risk factors of AF are often frequent in CKD patients. AF prevalence is very common among these patients, ranging between 15% and 20% in advanced stages of CKD. Moreover, the results of several studies showed that AF patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) have a higher mortality rate than patients with preserved renal function due to an increased incidence of stroke and an unpredicted elevated hemorrhagic risk. Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are currently contraindicated in patients with ESRD and vitamin K antagonists (VKAs), remaining the only drugs allowed, although they show numerous critical issues such as a narrow therapeutic window, increased tissue calcification and an unfavorable risk/benefit ratio with low stroke prevention effect and augmented risk of major bleeding. The purpose of this review is to shed light on the applications of DOAC therapy in CKD patients, especially in ESRD patients

Olfactory receptor 984: a new target for obesity in rats and humans?

Aims: Obesity is a complex multifactorial and heterogeneous condition with an important genetic component matched with behavioral and environmental factors. Feeding behavior and body weight are controlled through complex interactions between the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral organs. The aim of the present study was to identify and functionally characterize candidate gene/s involved in the development of resistance to diet-induced obesity (DIO) in rats. Methods: RNA Chip-Technology and genotype analysis was done in 10 visceral adipose tissue samples of DR (n=5) and DIO (n=5) rats. The most promising candidate gene, OR6C3 (orthologous with the rat Olr984 and mouse Olfr788) was measured by quantitative real-time PCR in adipocytes and stromal vascular fraction (SVF) from paired samples of human visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue (AT) (n=225). Moreover, Olfr788 expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes was measured after treatment with various hormones and cytokines. Results: Gene expression analyses showed Olr984 differently regulated in DIO-resistant rats. In the subcutaneous AT of human samples we found a down-regulation of OR6C3 compared to the visceral AT of the same population, independent of gender, glucose tolerance or type 2 diabetes. OR6C3 is more expressed in SVF than in adipocytes. Interestingly, treatment of 3T3-L1 cells with insulin decreased Olfr788 expression mRNA compared to untreated controls. Conclusions: Olr984 is a novel candidate gene related to diet-induced obesity in rats. Moreover, variation in human mRNA expression in AT is related to obesity parameters and glucose homeostasis, which might be attributed to the regulatory role of insulin on the Olr984

Novel highly potent and selective sigma1 receptor antagonists effectively block the binge eating episode in female rats

In this paper, the benzo-cracking approach was applied to the potent sigma1 (σ1) receptor antagonist 1 to afford the less conformationally constrained 1,3-dioxane derivatives 2 and 3. To evaluate the effect of the increase in the distance between the two hydrophobic structural elements that flank the basic function, the cis and trans diastereomers of 4 and 5 were also prepared and studied. Compounds 2 and 3 showed affinity values at the σ1 receptor significantly higher than that of the lead compound 1. In particular, 3 displayed unprecedented selectivity over the σ2 receptor, the phencyclidine site of the NMDA receptor, and opioid receptor subtypes, as well as over the dopamine transporter. Docking results supported the structure-activity relationship studies. Due to its interesting biological profile, derivative 3, selected for an in vivo study in a validated preclinical model of binge eating, was able to counteract the overeating of palatable food only in binging rats, without affecting palatable food intake in the control group and anxiety-like and depression-related behaviors in female rats. This result strengthened the involvement of the σ1 receptor in the compulsive-like eating behavior and supported the σ1 receptor as a promising target for the management of eating disorders