Glutamatergic receptor and neuroplasticity in depression: Implications for ketamine and rapastinel as the rapid-acting antidepressants.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To explore the convergent downstream pathways of ketamine and rapastinel and drive further development of identification for following generational rapid-acting antidepressants in the synaptic process. RECENT FINDINGS: Ketamine is an NMDAR antagonist and is proven effective in depression for the rapid and sustained antidepressant response, while rapastinel is an NMDAR positive allosteric modulator, producing antidepressant effects like ketamine with no severe side effects. The common antidepressant effects of ketamine and rapastinel are BDNF and mTORC1 pathway in synaptic plasticity.

Objective and Subjective Cancer Knowledge Among Faith-Based Chinese Adults.

This study examined cancer knowledge between church-going younger versus older Chinese adults. Hou's 8-item validated cancer screening knowledge test (CSKT) and a new 14-item cancer warning signs test (CWST) were used to assess objective knowledge. Subjective knowledge was measured by one overall 5-point Likert scale item. A total of 372 Taiwanese and Chinese Americans from nine churches participated. Although there were no significant differences by age on either the CSKT scores (younger = 5.89 vs. older = 5.71; p = .297) or the CWST (younger = 6.27 vs. older = 5.86; p = .245), subjective knowledge was higher among older Chinese adults (younger = 2.44 vs. older = 3.05, p < .001). Older Chinese adults were also more likely to identify cancer warning signs correctly, while younger adults were more likely to identify false warning signs correctly. Results have implication on tailoring cancer knowledge type (subjective vs. objective) and content domain (screening vs. warning signs). Findings can help health educators better understand cancer education needs among Chinese adults.

[Effect of Dissolved Oxygen on Partial Nitrification of Suspended and Attached Growth Systems].

Dissolved oxygen (DO) is an important factor in controlling the partial nitrification process, and it has different effects on different biological treatment systems. The effect of different DO on performances of the partial nitrification process in suspended and attached growth systems, and the changes of microbial community structure by high-throughput sequencing technology were all investigated. The results showed that for a suspended sludge system, the ammonia oxidation rate (AOR) increased from 18.08 mg·(L·h)-1 to 30.27 mg·(L·h)-1 when the DO increased from 0.25 mg·L-1 to 0.50 mg·L-1. The ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N) in influent was completely changed into nitrate-nitrogen (NO3--N) after a 14-day operation; when the DO was kept at 3.00 mg·L-1, it needed 77 days to restore the short-cut nitrification effect by reducing DO. In the attached growth system, the AOR was maintained within a narrow range of 11.50-13.50 mg·(L·h)-1 when DO increased from 2.50 mg·L-1 to 3.00 mg·L-1. When DO was at 3.00 mg·L-1, the ratio of NH4+-N to nitrite nitrogen (NO2--N) in the effluent was maintained within 1:1.2 to 1:1.7 through investigating the results from an 80 day operation, and the ratio could meet the influent requirement of the anaerobic ammonium oxidation (ANAMMOX) process. Microbial community structure analysis indicated that the abundance of the Nitrosomonas genus belonging to ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) increased from 10.07% to 18.64% when the DO increased from 0.25 mg·L-1 to 3.00 mg·L-1 in a suspended sludge system; the abundance of the Nitrosomonas genus in the biofilm system was 20.43% and that of the Candidatus_Kuenenia genus was 0.78% when DO was 3.00 mg·L-1. Conclusively, the biofilm system could be used as a pretreatment unit for the ANAMMOX process, because the partial nitrification process was less affected by DO and the partial nitrification rate was more stable.

[Mechanism for Effects of High Free Ammonia Loadings on Biological Nitrification].

Wastewater treatment plants treating industrial wastewater and municipal wastewater may suffer from unexpected shock loads of high ammonia concentrations,which can lead to inhibition of biological nitrification and failure to meet the wastewater discharge standards.In order to solve the problem of failure to meet the standards,the effects of high loadings of free ammonia (FA) on the nitrification process were investigated in this work using a sequencing batch reactor (SBR).For such purpose,maximum specific degradation rates of ammonia,maximum specific formation rates of nitrate,specific oxygen uptake rates and abundances of nitrifying bacteria were monitored.The results showed that FA promoted nitrification activities at low concentrations and inhibited the activities when the FA concentration exceeded a certain value.In addition,high loading concentrations of FA resulted in long recovery times.When the FA concentration increased from 3.6 mg·L-1 to 8.1 mg·L-1,the abundances of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) increased slightly,as shown by the fluorescence in situ hybridization tests.However,there were apparent decreases in the abundances of AOB and NOB when the concentration of FA was higher than 8.1 mg·L-1.The critical FA inhibitory concentrations for AOB and NOB were 8.1 mg·L-1 and 6.6 mg·L-1.It was found that the NOB flora were more sensitive than AOB to FA inhibition.

[Effect of celecoxib on pulmonary hypertension of chronic hypoxia and hypercapnic rats].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of celecoxib on chronic hypoxia and hypercapnic pulmonary hypertension. METHODS: SD rats were randomly divided into normal control group (A), hypoxic hypercapnic group (B), hypoxic hypercapnia+ celecoxib group (C). The content of TXB2 and 6-keto-PGF1alpha in plasma and lung were detected by the technique of radioimmunology. RESULTS: (1) Mean pulmonary arteria pressure(mPAP) was significantly higher in rats of B group than those of A group. mPAP was significantly higher in rats of C group than those of B group. Differences of mPAP were not significant in three groups. (2) The content of TXB2 in plasma and lung and the ratio of TXB2/6-keto-PGF1alpha were significantly higher in rats of B group than those of A group. The ratio of TXB2/6-keto-PGF1alpha was significantly higher and the content of 6-keto-PGF1alpha in plasma and lung was significantly lower in rats of C group than those of B group. (3) Light microscopy showed that WA/TA (vessel wall area/total area) and PAMT (the thickness of medial smooth cell layer) were significantly higher in rats of B group than those of A group. WA/TA and PAMT were significantly higher in rats of C group than those of B group. (4) Electron microscopy showed the thickening of vessel wall and the proliferation of collagen fiber in B group and augmentation of smooth muscle cell and abundance of myofilament in pulmonary arterioles in C group. CONCLUSION: Celecoxib can aggravate hypoxic hypercapnia pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary vessel remodeling by increasing the ratio of TXA2/PGI2.

[Cyclooxygenase-2 overexpression and vascular endothelial growth factor expression in pharyngeal tissue of patients with OSAHS correlates with angiogenesis].

OBJECTIVE: To reseach the correlations between cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expressions and angiogenesis in pharyngeal tissue of patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS). METHODS: Biopsies were obtained by uvulopalatopharyngoplasty from 40 patients with mild to severe OSAHS. Control specimens of palatopharyngeal and palatoglossal arch mucosa were retreved from 6 patients with chronic tonsillitis and proved have no related disorders. HE was used to observe the changes of pharyngeal tissue, immunohistochemical staining with antibodies against COX-2, VEGF, microvessel density (MVD) (marked with CD34). RESULTS: COX-2 and VEGF mainly expressed at pavement-epithelium and glandular epithelium of pharyngeal tissue, and stronger COX-2 and VEGF expression was found in midrange and severe OSAHS than mild and control group (P < 0.01), so as MVD. COX-2 expression was correlated positively with VEGF expression, and had significant correlation with MVD. VEGF expression had the same correlation with MVD. These three targets had considerable relation with apnea hypopnea index (AHI) and lowest O2 saturation at night. CONCLUSION: There was angiogenesis which had important relationship with hypoxia degree in patients of OSAHS, and COX-2 and VEGF play a crucial role in its development.

[Effect of safflower injection on pulmonary hypertension in rat during chronic hypoxia and hypercapnia].

AIM: To study the effect of Safflower injection (a compound of Chinese Traditional medicine) on pulmonary hypertension in rat during chronic hypoxia and hypercapnia. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal control group (A), hypoxic hypercapnic group (B), hypoxic hypercapnia + Safflower injection group (C). The concentration of TXB2 and 6-keto-PGF18 in plasma and in lung homogenate were detected by the radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: (1) mPAP, weight ratio of right ventricle (RV) to left ventricle plus septum (LV + S) were much higher in rats of hypoxic hypercapnic group than those of control group. Differences of mCAP among the three groups were not significant. (2) The concentration of TXB2 and the ratio of TXB2/6-keto-PGF1a were significantly higher in rats of B group than those of A and C group. (3) The results examined by light microscopy showed that WA/TA (vessel wall area/total area), SMC (the density of medial smooth muscle cell) and PAMT (the thickness of medial smooth cell layer) were significantly higher in rats of B group than those of A and C group. (4) The results examined by electron microscopy showed proliferation of medial smooth muscle cells and collagen fibers of pulmonary arterioles in rats of B group, and Safflower injection could reverse the changes mentioned above. CONCLUSION: Safflower injection may inhibit hypoxic hypercapnia pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary vessel remodeling by decreasing the ratio of TXB2/6-keto-PGF1a.