Sustained clinical improvement of Parkinson’s disease in two patients with facially-transplanted adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction cells

•Two Parkinson's patients got facial injections of stromal vascular fraction (SVF).•Both showed improved motor scores at lower levels of dopaminergic treatmentPost SVF, scores both off (12h washout)- and iintial on-medication were simlilar.•Facial injection of SVF merits further investigation as a possible treatment for PD. Cell-based therapy has been studied as an alternative for Parkinson's Disease (PD), with different routes of administration. The superficial fascia and facial muscles possess a rich blood supply, while venous and lymphatic access via the orbit and the cribriform plate provide a route to cerebral circulation. We here document positive clinical effects in two patients with PD treated with autologous adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction (SVF) cell preparation, implanted into the face and nasal cavity. Two patients with PD were transplanted with 60 million total nucleated cells in processed SVF into the facial muscles and nose. Serial evaluations were carried out up to 5 years (patient 1) and 1 year (patient 2), using the PDQ-39, the UPDRS, and serial videos. Video scoring was reviewed in a blinded fashion. Both patients reported qualitative improvement in motor and nonmotor symptoms following injection. Quantitatively, PDQ-39 scores decreased in all categories for both. On-medication UPDRS motor scores decreased in both (20 to 4 in patient 1, 18 to 3 in patient 2) despite taking the same or less medication (LEDD 350 to 350 in patient 1, LEDD 1175 to 400 in pt2). Both subjects had off-medication UPDRS scores similar to their pretreatment on-medication scores (20 to 14 in patient 1, 18 to 23 in patient 2). These preliminary findings describe local facial and nasal injections of SVF preparation followed by prolonged clinical benefit in two patients. Despite an unknown mechanism of action, this potential therapy warrants careful verification and investigation

Estrogens influence female itch sensitivity via the spinal gastrin-releasing peptide receptor neurons

There are sex differences in somatosensory sensitivity. Circulating estrogens appear to have a pronociceptive effect that explains why females are reported to be more sensitive to pain than males. Although itch symptoms develop during pregnancy in many women, the underlying mechanism of female-specific pruritus is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that estradiol, but not progesterone, enhances histamine-evoked scratching behavior indicative of itch in female rats. Estradiol increased the expression of the spinal itch mediator, gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP), and increased the histamine-evoked activity of itch-processing neurons that express the GRP receptor (GRPR) in the spinal dorsal horn. The enhancement of itch behavior by estradiol was suppressed by intrathecal administration of a GRPR blocker. In vivo electrophysiological analysis showed that estradiol increased the histamine-evoked firing frequency and prolonged the response of spinal GRP-sensitive neurons in female rats. On the other hand, estradiol did not affect the threshold of noxious thermal pain and decreased touch sensitivity, indicating that estradiol separately affects itch, pain, and touch modalities. Thus, estrogens selectively enhance histamine-evoked itch in females via the spinal GRP/GRPR system. This may explain why itch sensation varies with estrogen levels and provides a basis for treating itch in females by targeting GRPR

Radical defectivity: Implications of Xhosa expletive constructions

In Xhosa VSO clauses, subject agreement exhibits default features, objects cannot be pronominalized, a subject focus reading is obligatory, and experiencer verbs with two DP arguments are precluded. We argue that impoverished versions of T and v* in VSO clauses lack the probe features involved in subject agreement, EPP, object shift, and nominative/accusative valuation within Xhosa SVO sentences. Only an unusual focus-linked strategy can Case-license full DPs in VSO clauses, but this is incompatible with inherent Cases borne by arguments of experiencer verbs. We show that CPs and augmentless NPs appear in positions where DPs cannot surface because uCase is a feature of D. Given the striking evidence for abstract Case in Xhosa, we propose Case-friendly analyses for Bantu Case-theoretic anomalies that Xhosa shares.IS

Multilocus phylogeny and phylogenomics of Eriochrysis P. Beauv. (Poaceae–Andropogoneae): taxonomic implications and evidence of interspecific hybridization

Species delimitation is a vital issue concerning evolutionary biology and conservation of biodiversity. However, it is a challenging task for several reasons, including the low interspecies variability of markers currently used in phylogenetic reconstructions and the occurrence of reticulate evolution and polyploidy in many lineages of flowering plants. The first phylogeny of the grass genus Eriochrysis is presented here, focusing on the New World species, in order to examine its relationships to other genera of the subtribe Saccharinae/tribe Andropogoneae and to define the circumscriptions of its taxonomically complicated species. Molecular cloning and sequencing of five regions of four low-copy nuclear genes (apo1, d8, ep2–ex7 and ep2–ex8, kn1) were performed, as well as complete plastome sequencing. Trees were reconstructed using maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian inference analyses. The present phylogenetic analyses indicate that Eriochrysis is monophyletic and the Old World E. pallida is sister to the New World species. Subtribe Saccharinae is polyphyletic, as is the genus Eulalia. Based on nuclear and plastome sequences plus morphology, we define the circumscriptions of the New World species of Eriochrysis: E. laxa is distinct from E. warmingiana, and E. villosa is distinct from E. cayennensis. Natural hybrids occur between E. laxa and E. villosa. The hybrids are probably tetraploids, based on the number of paralogues in the nuclear gene trees. This is the first record of a polyploid taxon in the genus Eriochrysis. Some incongruities between nuclear genes and plastome analyses were detected and are potentially caused by incomplete lineage sorting and/or ancient hybridization. The set of low-copy nuclear genes used in this study seems to be sufficient to resolve phylogenetic relationships and define the circumscriptions of other species complexes in the grass family and relatives, even in the presence of polyploidy and reticulate evolution. Complete plastome sequencing is also a promising tool for phylogenetic inference.Fil: Welker, Cassiano A. D.. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; BrasilFil: Souza Chies, Tatiana T.. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; BrasilFil: Longhi Wagner, Hilda M.. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; BrasilFil: Peichoto, Myriam Carolina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Botánica del Nordeste. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto de Botánica del Nordeste; ArgentinaFil: McKain, Michael R.. Donald Danforth Plant Science Center; Estados UnidosFil: Kellogg, Elizabeth Anne. Donald Danforth Plant Science Center; Estados Unido