Effects of mineralocorticoid receptor stimulation via fludrocortisone on memory in women with borderline personality disorder.

In a previous study, we found that in contrast to healthy controls, hydrocortisone administration had enhancing effects on memory in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Because hydrocortisone acts on glucocorticoid receptors (GR) and mineralocorticoid receptors (MR), it is unclear which receptor mediated these effects. The aim of the current study was to test whether more selective MR stimulation with fludrocortisone improves memory in BPD. In a placebo-controlled, randomized, within-subject, cross-over study, 39 medication-free women with BPD and 39 healthy women received placebo or 0.4mg fludrocortisone prior to cognitive testing. We measured verbal memory, visuospatial memory, and working memory. We found a significant group by fludrocortisone interaction on verbal memory and visuospatial memory. In both tests patients with BPD, but not healthy women, had impaired memory performance after fludrocortisone compared to placebo. In contrast, working memory was improved after fludrocortisone compared to placebo in both groups. Contrary to our hypothesis, we found impairing effects of MR stimulation on hippocampus-mediated verbal memory and visuospatial memory in BPD but not in healthy controls. In contrast, working memory, which depends more on the prefrontal cortex, was improved after MR stimulation across groups. Future studies should systematically disentangle beneficial and adverse effects of MR stimulation in health and disease.

Generation of myogenic progenitor cell-derived smooth muscle cells for sphincter regeneration.

BACKGROUND: Degeneration of smooth muscles in sphincters can cause debilitating diseases such as fecal incontinence. Skeletal muscle-derived cells have been effectively used in clinics for the regeneration of the skeletal muscle sphincters, such as the external anal or urinary sphincter. However, little is known about the in vitro smooth muscle differentiation potential and in vivo regenerative potential of skeletal muscle-derived cells. METHODS: Myogenic progenitor cells (MPC) were isolated from the skeletal muscle and analyzed by flow cytometry and in vitro differentiation assays. The differentiation of MPC to smooth muscle cells (MPC-SMC) was evaluated by immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, patch-clamp, collagen contraction, and microarray gene expression analysis. In vivo engraftment of MPC-SMC was monitored by transplanting reporter protein-expressing cells into the pyloric sphincter of immunodeficient mice. RESULTS: MPC derived from human skeletal muscle expressed mesenchymal surface markers and exhibit skeletal myogenic differentiation potential in vitro. In contrast, they lack hematopoietic surface marker, as well as adipogenic, osteogenic, and chondrogenic differentiation potential in vitro. Cultivation of MPC in smooth muscle differentiation medium significantly increases the fraction of alpha smooth muscle actin (aSMA) and smoothelin-positive cells, while leaving the number of desmin-positive cells unchanged. Smooth muscle-differentiated MPC (MPC-SMC) exhibit increased expression of smooth muscle-related genes, significantly enhanced numbers of CD146- and CD49a-positive cells, and in vitro contractility and express functional Cav and Kv channels. MPC to MPC-SMC differentiation was also accompanied by a reduction in their skeletal muscle differentiation potential. Upon removal of the smooth muscle differentiation medium, a major fraction of MPC-SMC remained positive for aSMA, suggesting the definitive acquisition of their phenotype. Transplantation of murine MPC-SMC into the mouse pyloric sphincter revealed engraftment of MPC-SMC based on aSMA protein expression within the host smooth muscle tissue. CONCLUSIONS: Our work confirms the ability of MPC to give rise to smooth muscle cells (MPC-SMC) with a well-defined and stable phenotype. Moreover, the engraftment of in vitro-differentiated murine MPC-SMC into the pyloric sphincter in vivo underscores the potential of this cell population as a novel cell therapeutic treatment for smooth muscle regeneration of sphincters.

Emotional intelligence in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder, borderline personality disorder and healthy controls.

Emotional intelligence as a part of social cognition has, to our knowledge, never been investigated in patients with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), though the disorder is characterized by aspects of emotional dysfunctioning. PTSD often occurs with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) as a common comorbidity. Studies about social cognition and emotional intelligence in patients with BPD propose aberrant social cognition, but produced inconsistent results regarding emotional intelligence. The present study aims to assess emotional intelligence in patients with PTSD without comorbid BPD, PTSD with comorbid BPD, and BPD patients without comorbid PTSD, as well as in healthy controls. 71 patients with PTSD (41 patients with PTSD without comorbid BPD, 30 patients with PTSD with comorbid BPD), 56 patients with BPD without PTSD, and 63 healthy controls filled in the Test of Emotional Intelligence (TEMINT). Patients with PTSD without comorbid BPD showed impairments in emotional intelligence compared to patients with BPD without PTSD, and compared to healthy controls. These impairments were not restricted to specific emotions. Patients with BPD did not differ significantly from healthy controls. This study provides evidence for an impaired emotional intelligence in PTSD without comorbid BPD compared to BPD and healthy controls, affecting a wide range of emotions.

Development of an in vitro potency assay for human skeletal muscle derived cells.

BACKGROUND: Potency is a quantitative measure of the desired biological function of an advanced therapy medicinal product (ATMP) and is a prerequisite for market approval application (MAA). To assess the potency of human skeletal muscle-derived cells (SMDCs), which are currently investigated in clinical trials for the regeneration of skeletal muscle defects, we evaluated acetylcholinesterase (AChE), which is expressed in skeletal muscle and nervous tissue of all mammals. METHODS: CD56+ SMDCs were separated from CD56- SMDCs by magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS) and both differentiated in skeletal muscle differentiation medium. AChE activity of in vitro differentiated SMDCs was correlated with CD56 expression, fusion index, cell number, cell doubling numbers, differentiation markers and compared to the clinical efficacy in patients treated with SMDCs against fecal incontinence. RESULTS: CD56- SMDCs did not form multinucleated myotubes and remained low in AChE activity during differentiation. CD56+ SMDCs generated myotubes and increased in AChE activity during differentiation. AChE activity was found to accurately reflect the number of CD56+ SMDCs in culture, their fusion competence, and cell doubling number. In patients with fecal incontinence responding to SMDCs treatment, the improvement of clinical symptoms was positively linked with the AChE activity of the SMDCs injected. DISCUSSION: AChE activity was found to truly reflect the in vitro differentiation status of SMDCs and to be superior to the mere use of surface markers as it reflects not only the number of myogenic SMDCs in culture but also their fusion competence and population doubling number, thus combining cell quality and quantification of the expected mode of action (MoA) of SMDCs. Moreover, the successful in vitro validation of the assay proves its suitability for routine use. Most convincingly, our results demonstrate a link between clinical efficacy and the AChE activity of the SMDCs preparations used for the treatment of fecal incontinence. Thus, we recommend using AChE activity of in vitro differentiated SMDCs as a potency measure in end stage (phase III) clinical trials using SMDCs for skeletal muscle regeneration and subsequent market approval application (MAA).

Development and maturation of Langerhans cells, spleen and bone marrow dendritic cells in TNF-alpha/lymphotoxin-alpha double-deficient mice.

Dendritic cells are key regulators of immunity and tolerance. TNF-alpha has manifold effects on dendritic cells. It is an indispensable ingredient in several dendritic cell generation protocols, especially in the human, and it is included in diverse maturation stimuli for dendritic cells. Mice deficient in various components of the TNF/lymphotoxin system (TNF-alpha, lymphotoxin-alpha and -beta, TNF receptors, combinations thereof) have profound defects in mounting immune responses to infections. The dendritic cell system in these mice has been incompletely studied to date. We therefore investigated dendritic cells from the epidermis (Langerhans cells), spleen and the bone marrow of mice double-deficient in TNF-alpha and lymphotoxin-alpha. We report that dendritic cells in these mice are grossly normal. Langerhans cells, spleen and bone marrow dendritic cells can develop and mature. Their expression of MHC II and CD86 is not impaired, and their T cell-stimulatory as well as antigen-processing capacity is comparable to their normal counterparts. Thus, the described defects in these mice appear to be due the lack of lymph nodes, the disturbed architecture of the spleen, and deranged chemokine production patterns, rather than to a profoundly altered dendritic cell system.

Transendothelial migration of myeloma cells is increased by tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha via TNF receptor 2 and autocrine up-regulation of MCP-1.

The proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha has been shown to facilitate leukocyte transendothelial migration. In multiple myeloma, TNF-alpha is an important factor in the promotion of growth and survival of the malignant cells. Studies have shown that enhanced TNF-alpha levels in myeloma patients correlated with aggressive disease. Therefore, we investigated the effect of recombinant human TNF-alpha on the migrational behavior of myeloma cells across the physiological barrier of the major disease compartment, i.e., human bone marrow endothelial cells. In the presence of TNF-alpha, we observed significantly increased migration both in established myeloma cell lines and in plasma cells from myeloma patients. Expression of TNF-receptor 2 (TNF-R2) but not TNF-receptor 1 (TNF-R1) was detected in myeloma cell lines. Myeloma cells of patients also showed expression of TNF-R2 but not TNF-R1. The effect of TNF-alpha could not be explained by altered expression of adhesion molecules or metalloproteases. Instead, we found an up-regulation of monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 and confirmed that myeloma cells express the relevant receptor C-C chemokine receptor 2. Preincubation of myeloma cells with recombinant human MCP-1 also enhanced cell migration, and this effect, as well as the effect of TNF-alpha, was abolished by treatment with anti-MCP-1 antibody. In contrast, migration of myeloma cells in the direction of an MCP-1 gradient, i.e., chemotaxis, could not be observed in the cell lines investigated. Additionally, the mRNA level of TNF-alpha was up-regulated by the cytokine treatment, which points to an autocrine loop augmenting and/or stabilizing the TNF-alpha-MCP-1 pathway. In summary, our data clearly support additional investigations using anti-MCP-1 antibodies in myeloma progression.

A model system using tape stripping for characterization of Langerhans cell-precursors in vivo.

Little is known about the immigration of bone marrow-derived progenitors of Langerhans cells (LC) into the epidermis. We developed an in vivo system based on the tape stripping method that allowed us to study the immigration of LC into the epidermis after intradermal injection of bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (DC). Tape stripping induced a mechanical disruption of the epidermal barrier that led to skin inflammation and subsequent emigration of LC and dermal DC from the skin. Emigrating LC and dermal DC were observed in lymphatic vessels, and the numbers of LC and dermal DC in the draining lymph node increased. Up to 500 times more injected precursors migrated into tape-stripped epidermis as compared with unstripped epidermis. Newly immigrated cells were slender with one or two dendrites and acquired a more dendritic morphology after 2-4 days. They were both MHC II-positive and negative and they did not express Langerin/CD207, nor macrophage-mannose receptor/CD206 and Fc-epsilon receptor I. In contrast, all cells that had entered the epidermis expressed CD11c and CCR6, suggesting that they were LC. We conclude that this experimental system may serve as a valuable tool for the further characterization of LC-precursors and the conditions necessary for LC-immigration into the epidermis.

Enhanced emotional empathy after mineralocorticoid receptor stimulation in women with borderline personality disorder and healthy women.

The mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) is highly expressed in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. MR have an important role in appraisal processes and in modulating stress-associated emotional reactions but it is not known whether the MR affects empathy. Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by disturbed emotion regulation and alterations in empathy. In the current study, we examined whether stimulation of the MR enhances empathy in patients with BPD and healthy individuals. In a placebo-controlled study, we randomized 38 women with BPD and without psychotropic medication, and 35 healthy women to either placebo or 0.4 mg fludrocortisone, an MR agonist. Subsequently, all participants underwent two tests of social cognition, the Multifaceted Empathy Test (MET) and the Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition (MASC), measuring cognitive and emotional facets of empathy. Eighteen BPD patients and 18 healthy women received placebo, whereas 20 BPD patients and 17 healthy women received fludrocortisone. In the MET, fludrocortisone enhanced emotional empathy across groups, whereas cognitive empathy was not affected. In the MASC, no effect of fludrocortisone could be revealed. In both tests, BPD patients and healthy women did not differ significantly in cognitive and emotional empathy and in their response to fludrocortisone. Stimulation of MR enhanced emotional empathy in healthy women and in BPD patients. Whether fludrocortisone might have a therapeutic role in psychotherapeutic processes, remains to be elucidated.