3 research outputs found
Cyp2c44 Gene Disruption Exacerbated Pulmonary Hypertension and Heart Failure in Female but Not Male Mice
Epoxyeicosatrienoicacids (EETs), synthesized from arachidonic acid by epoxygenases of the CYP2C and CYP2J gene subfamilies, contribute to hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV) in mice. Despite their roles in HPV, it is controversial whether EETs mediate or ameliorate pulmonary hypertension (PH). A recent study showed that deficiency of Cyp2j did not protect male and female mice from hypoxia-induced PH. Since CYP2C44 is a functionally important epoxygenase, we hypothesized that knockout of the Cyp2c44 gene would protect both sexes of mice from hypoxia-induced PH. We tested this hypothesis in wild-type (WT) and Cyp2c44 knockout (Cyp2c44 (-/-)) mice exposed to normoxia (room air) and hypoxia (10% O2) for 5 weeks. Exposure of WT and Cyp2c44 (-/-) mice to hypoxia resulted in pulmonary vascular remodeling, increased pulmonary artery resistance, and decreased cardiac function in both sexes. However, in female Cyp2c44 (-/-) mice, compared with WT mice, (1) pulmonary artery resistance and right ventricular hypertrophy were greater, (2) cardiac index was lower, (3) left ventricular and arterial stiffness were higher, and (4) plasma aldosterone levels were higher, but (5) there was no difference in levels of EET in lungs and heart. Paradoxically and unexpectedly, we found that Cyp2c44 disruption exacerbated hypoxia-induced PH in female but not male mice. We attribute exacerbated PH in female Cyp2c44 (-/-) mice to elevated aldosterone and as-yet-unknown systemic factors. Therefore, we suggest a role for the human CYP2C genes in protecting women from severe PH and that this could be one of the underlying causes for a better 5-year survival rate in women than in men
Enhancing effects of chronic lithium on memory in the rat
Background: In spite of recent enrichment of neurochemical and
behavioural data establishing a neuroprotective role lot lithium, its
primary effects on cognitive functioning remain ambiguous. This study
examines chronic lithium effects on spatial working memory and long-term
retention.
Methods: In three discrete experiments, rats subjected to 30 daily
intraperitoneal injections (2 mmol/kg) of lithium (lithium groups: serum
lithium = 0.5 +/- 0.4 mEq/l, 12 h post-injection) or saline (controls)
were trained in 0-s delay T-maze alternation and then tested in 30-, 45-
and 60-s delay alternation (Experiments 1, 2, 3, respectively). Animals
from Experiment 1 were further tested in one-trial step-through passive
avoidance under mild shock parameters (0.5 mA, 1 s). Retention was
assessed 6 h later. Daily lithium or saline injections continued
throughout behavioural testing.
Results: Lithium animals were indistinguishable from controls during
0-delay alternation baseline (Experiments 1-3. accuracy > 88%) but
showed significantly higher accuracy than controls at 30- and 45-s
delays (93% versus 85% and 92% versus 82%, Experiments 1 and 2,
respectively). At 60-s delay (Experiment 3) this beneficial effect of
lithium was no longer apparent (lithium and control accuracy = 78%). In
Experiment 4, the shock used did not Support 6-h passive avoidance
retention in controls, whereas lithium animals showed significant
step-through latency increases.
Conclusions: Chronic lithium enhanced spatial working memory and
promoted long-term retention of a weak aversive contingency. The results
suggest that lithium may have potential as a cognitive enhancer. (c)
2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
The screening role of an introductory course in cognitive therapy training
Objective: This study examines the role of an introductory course in
cognitive therapy and the relative importance of trainees’
characteristics in the selection process for an advanced course in
cognitive therapy.
Method: The authors assessed the files of all trainees who completed one
academic year introductory course in cognitive therapy over the last
seven consecutive years (N = 203). The authors examined variables such
as previous training, overall involvement during the course,
performance, and ability to relate to others, as well as the trainer’s
evaluations of their performance.
Results: Interaction skills in group situations and performance in
written assignments were better predictors for admission into the
advanced course.
Conclusions: Trainees’ abilities to learn and to successfully relate to
others in group situations are critical for entering an advanced
cognitive therapy training course. These findings question the policy of
full-scale training in cognitive therapy based merely on the candidates’
professional background, stressing instead the merits of an introductory
course as an appropriate screening procedure