Acute systemic loss of Mad2 leads to intestinal atrophy in adult mice

Chromosomal instability (CIN) is a hallmark of cancer, leading to aneuploid cells. To study the role that CIN plays in tumor evolution, several mouse models have been engineered over the last 2 decades. These models have unequivocally shown that systemic high-grade CIN is embryonic lethal. We and others have previously shown that embryonic lethality can be circumvented by provoking CIN in a tissue-specific fashion. In this study, we provoke systemic high-grade CIN in adult mice as an alternative to circumvent embryonic lethality. For this, we disrupt the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) by alleviating Mad2 or truncating Mps1, both essential genes for SAC functioning, with or without p53 inactivation. We find that disruption of the SAC leads to rapid villous atrophy, atypia and apoptosis of the epithelia of the jejunum and ileum, substantial weight loss, and death within 2-3 weeks after the start of the CIN insult. Despite this severe intestinal phenotype, most other tissues are unaffected, except for minor abnormalities in spleen, presumably due to the lower proliferation rate in these tissues. We conclude that high-grade CIN in vivo in adult mice is most toxic to the high cell turnover intestinal epithelia

Deletion of SERF2 in mice delays embryonic development and alters amyloid deposit structure in the brain

In age-related neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, disease-specific proteins become aggregation-prone and form amyloid-like deposits. Depletion of SERF proteins ameliorates this toxic process in worm and human cell models for diseases. Whether SERF modifies amyloid pathology in mammalian brain, however, has remained unknown. Here, we generated conditional Serf2 knockout mice and found that full-body deletion of Serf2 delayed embryonic development, causing premature birth and perinatal lethality. Brain-specific Serf2 knockout mice, on the other hand, were viable, and showed no major behavioral or cognitive abnormalities. In a mouse model for amyloid-β aggregation, brain depletion of Serf2 altered the binding of structure-specific amyloid dyes, previously used to distinguish amyloid polymorphisms in the human brain. These results suggest that Serf2 depletion changed the structure of amyloid deposits, which was further supported by scanning transmission electron microscopy, but further study will be required to confirm this observation. Altogether, our data reveal the pleiotropic functions of SERF2 in embryonic development and in the brain and support the existence of modifying factors of amyloid deposition in mammalian brain, which offer possibilities for polymorphism-based interventions. </p

Deletion of SERF2 in mice delays embryonic development and alters amyloid deposit structure in the brain

In age-related neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, disease-specific proteins become aggregation -prone and form amyloid-like deposits. Depletion of SERF pro-teins ameliorates this toxic process in worm and human cell models for diseases. Whether SERF modifies amyloid pathology in mammalian brain, however, has remained unknown. Here, we generated conditional Serf2 knockout mice and found that full -body deletion of Serf2 delayed embryonic development, causing premature birth and perinatal lethality. Brain-specific Serf2 knockout mice, on the other hand, were viable, and showed no major behavioral or cognitive abnormalities. In a mouse model for amyloid-beta aggregation, brain depletion of Serf2 altered the binding of structure-specific amyloid dyes, previously used to distinguish amyloid polymorphisms in the human brain. These results suggest that Serf2 depletion changed the structure of amyloid deposits, which was further supported by scanning transmission electron microscopy, but further study will be required to confirm this observation. Altogether, our data reveal the pleiotropic functions of SERF2 in embryonic development and in the brain and support the existence of modifying factors of amyloid deposition in mammalian brain, which offer possi-bilities for polymorphism-based interventions

Neonatal screening for congenital hypothyroidism in the Netherlands: Cognitive and motor outcome at 10 years of age

Contains fulltext : 35300.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)CONTEXT: Patients with thyroidal congenital hypothyroidism (CH-T) born in The Netherlands in 1981-1982 showed persistent intellectual and motor deficits during childhood and adulthood, despite initiation of T(4) supplementation at a median age of 28 d after birth. OBJECTIVE: The present study examined whether advancement of treatment initiation to 20 d had resulted in improved cognitive and motor outcome. DESIGN/SETTING/PATIENTS: In 82 Dutch CH-T patients, born in 1992 to 1993 and treated at a median age of 20 d (mean, 22 d; range, 2-73 d), cognitive and motor outcome was assessed (mean age, 10.5 yr; range, 9.6-11.4 yr). Severity of CH-T was classified according to pretreatment free T(4) concentration. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Cognitive and motor outcome of the 1992-1993 cohort in comparison to the 1981 to 1982 cohort was the main outcome measure. RESULTS: Patients with severe CH-T had lower full-scale (93.7), verbal (94.9), and performance (93.9) IQ scores than the normative population (P < 0.05), whereas IQ scores of patients with moderate and mild CH-T were comparable to those of the normative population. In all three severity subgroups, significant motor problems were observed, most pronounced in the severe CH-T group. No correlations were found between starting day of treatment and IQ or motor outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Essentially, findings from the 1992-1993 cohort were similar to those of the 1981-1982 cohort. Apparently, advancing initiation of T(4) supplementation from 28 to 20 d after birth did not result in improved cognitive or motor outcome in CH-T patients

A high-resolution map of the Grp1 locus on chromosome V of potato harbouring broad-spectrum resistance to the cyst nematode species Globodera pallida and Globodera rostochiensis

The Grp1 locus confers broad-spectrum resistance to the potato cyst nematode species Globodera pallida and Globodera rostochiensis and is located in the GP21-GP179 interval on the short arm of chromosome V of potato. A high-resolution map has been developed using the diploid mapping population RHAM026, comprising 1,536 genotypes. The flanking markers GP21 and GP179 have been used to screen the 1,536 genotypes for recombination events. Interval mapping of the resistances to G. pallida Pa2 and G. rostochiensis Ro5 resulted in two nearly identical LOD graphs with the highest LOD score just north of marker TG432. Detailed analysis of the 44 recombinant genotypes showed that G. pallida and G. rostochiensis resistance could not be separated and map to the same location between marker SPUD838 and TG432. It is suggested that the quantitative resistance to both nematode species at the Grp1 locus is mediated by one or more tightly linked R genes that might belong to the NBS-LRR class

Adverse drug events caused by three high-risk drug–drug interactions in patients admitted to intensive care units:A multicentre retrospective observational study

Aims: Knowledge about adverse drug events caused by drug–drug interactions (DDI-ADEs) is limited. We aimed to provide detailed insights about DDI-ADEs related to three frequent, high-risk potential DDIs (pDDIs) in the critical care setting: pDDIs with international normalized ratio increase (INR+) potential, pDDIs with acute kidney injury (AKI) potential, and pDDIs with QTc prolongation potential. Methods: We extracted routinely collected retrospective data from electronic health records of intensive care units (ICUs) patients (≥18 years), admitted to ten hospitals in the Netherlands between January 2010 and September 2019. We used computerized triggers (e-triggers) to preselect patients with potential DDI-ADEs. Between September 2020 and October 2021, clinical experts conducted a retrospective manual patient chart review on a subset of preselected patients, and assessed causality, severity, preventability, and contribution to ICU length of stay of DDI-ADEs using internationally prevailing standards. Results: In total 85 422 patients with ≥1 pDDI were included. Of these patients, 32 820 (38.4%) have been exposed to one of the three pDDIs. In the exposed group, 1141 (3.5%) patients were preselected using e-triggers. Of 237 patients (21%) assessed, 155 (65.4%) experienced an actual DDI-ADE; 52.9% had severity level of serious or higher, 75.5% were preventable, and 19.3% contributed to a longer ICU length of stay. The positive predictive value was the highest for DDI-INR+ e-trigger (0.76), followed by DDI-AKI e-trigger (0.57). Conclusion: The highly preventable nature and severity of DDI-ADEs, calls for action to optimize ICU patient safety. Use of e-triggers proved to be a promising preselection strategy.</p