To discard or not to discard: the neural basis of hoarding symptoms in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Preliminary neuroimaging studies suggest that patients with the 'compulsive hoarding syndrome' may be a neurobiologically distinct variant of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) but further research is needed. A total of 29 OCD patients (13 with and 16 without prominent hoarding symptoms) and 21 healthy controls of both sexes participated in two functional magnetic resonance imaging experiments consisting of the provocation of hoarding-related and symptom-unrelated (aversive control) anxiety. In response to the hoarding-related (but not symptom-unrelated) anxiety provocation, OCD patients with prominent hoarding symptoms showed greater activation in bilateral anterior ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) than patients without hoarding symptoms and healthy controls. In the entire patient group (n=29), provoked anxiety was positively correlated with activation in a frontolimbic network that included the anterior VMPFC, medial temporal structures, thalamus and sensorimotor cortex. Negative correlations were observed in the left dorsal anterior cingulate gyrus, bilateral temporal cortex, bilateral dorsolateral/medial prefrontal regions, basal ganglia and parieto-occipital regions. These results were independent from the effects of age, sex, level of education, state anxiety, depression, comorbidity and use of medication. The findings are consistent with the animal and lesion literature and several landmark clinical features of compulsive hoarding, particularly decision-making difficulties. Whether the results are generalizable to hoarders who do not meet criteria for OCD remains to be investigated.

Atorvastatin improves cardiac function of rats with chronic cardiac failure via inhibiting Rac1/P47phox/P67phox-mediated ROS release.

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the protective mechanisms of atorvastatin treatment for isoproterenol (ISO)-induced chronic heart failure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The rats were randomly divided into three groups: normal group (n = 15, age-matched normal adult rats), ISO group (n = 11, ISO induced heart failure) and atorvastatin group (n = 14, ISO induced lesion but received atorvastatin treatment). The cardiac function was evaluated by echocardiography and hemodynamics analysis. In addition, the Rac1 activity in the myocardium and the expression levels of Rac1, p47phox and p67phox were measured by RT-PCR and western blot. RESULTS: Rats in ISO group developed into heart failure with decreased cardiac function. The Rac1, p47phox and p67phox mRNA expressions and ROS release were increased in ISO group. Atorvastatin treatment improved cardiac function of rats with isoproterenol-induced chronic heart failure and decreased the Rac1, p47phox and p67phox mRNA expressions. Also, membrane protein expression of Rac1 and ROS release decreased significantly. CONCLUSIONS: Atorvastatin may improve cardiac function of rats with heart failure via inhibiting Rac1/P47phox/P67phox-mediated ROS release.

Positive and negative symptoms and regional cerebral perfusion in antipsychotic-naive schizophrenic patients: a high-resolution SPECT study.

In 17 antipsychotic-naive schizophrenic patients, the scores of positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia were correlated with relative regional cerebral perfusion measured by 99m-Tc-ECD (ethyl cysteinate dimer) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Scans were performed in subjects at rest. The negative symptom dimension was significantly correlated with a decreased level of perfusion in the left thalamic region. Other non-significant trends were also observed; the positive symptom dimension was related to decreased perfusion in the left temporal region and to increased perfusion in the right frontal region, while the negative symptom dimension was related to increased perfusion in the left frontal region. These findings suggest that the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia are related to dysfunctions in different regions of the brain and different lateralized patterns of dysfunction.

Gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma: spectrum of findings at double-contrast gastrointestinal examination with pathologic correlation.

Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) is found in the surface epithelium of the stomach. MALT lymphoma is extranodal lymphoma originating from MALT. In the stomach, a strong association with Helicobacter pylori infection has been demonstrated. Low-grade gastric MALT lymphoma has been reported to have variable features at upper gastrointestinal (UGI) examination. Twenty-two patients with low-grade MALT lymphoma had ulcers (n = 11), fold thickening (n = 7), mucosal nodularity (n = 7), masses (n = 6), or prominent areae gastricae (n = 4) at UGI examination. Six patients with high-grade MALT lymphoma had masses (n = 4), fold thickening (n = 3), ulcers (n = 1), or mucosal nodularity (n = 1) at UGI examination. These findings were similar to those in gastric carcinoma or gastritis. Differentiation of low-grade MALT lymphoma from gastritis or gastric carcinoma was more difficult than differentiation of high-grade MALT lymphoma. Lesions of MALT lymphoma associated with H pylori gastritis were diffuse or multiple in 65% of cases; however, lesions of MALT lymphoma without proved H pylori gastritis were focal or solitary in 80% of cases. Therefore, multiplicity of lesions in MALT lymphoma was closely associated with H pylori infection.