Multi-Approach Assessment for Stress Evaluation in Rainbow Trout Females, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum, 1792) from Three Different Farms during the Summer Season.

Blood biochemistry parameters are valuable tools for monitoring fish health. Their baseline values are still undefined for a multitude of farmed fish species. In this study, changes in the blood profile of rainbow trout females (Oncorhynchus mykiss) from three farms were investigated using different biomarkers during the summer season. In the given context, the main water physicochemical parameters were investigated and twelve biochemical parameters were measured from blood samples of rainbow trout reared in the Fiad, Șoimul de Jos, and Strâmba farms. We selected these farms because the genetic background of the rainbow trout is the same, with all studied specimens coming from the Fiad farm, which has an incubation station. Forty-five samples were collected monthly (May to August) throughout summer to observe the changes in the blood profile of rainbow trout. Principal component analysis showed a clear separation both among the studied farms and months. Furthermore, significant correlations (p < 0.05) between the majority of the biochemical parameters were found, indicating that the environmental parameters can influence several blood parameters at the same time. The present study provides several useful norms for assessing the welfare of rainbow trout, indicating that the relationships among different parameters are important factors in interpreting the blood biochemical profiles.

Levodopa/carbidopa microtablets in Parkinson's disease: a study of pharmacokinetics and blinded motor assessment.

BACKGROUND: Motor function assessments with rating scales in relation to the pharmacokinetics of levodopa may increase the understanding of how to individualize and fine-tune treatments. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the pharmacokinetic profiles of levodopa-carbidopa and the motor function following a single-dose microtablet administration in Parkinson's disease. METHODS: This was a single-center, open-label, single-dose study in 19 patients experiencing motor fluctuations. Patients received 150% of their individual levodopa equivalent morning dose in levodopa-carbidopa microtablets. Blood samples were collected at pre-specified time points. Patients were video recorded and motor function was assessed with six UPDRS part III motor items, dyskinesia score, and the treatment response scale (TRS), rated by three blinded movement disorder specialists. RESULTS: AUC0-4/dose and C max/dose for levodopa was found to be higher in Parkinson's disease patients compared with healthy subjects from a previous study, (p = 0.0008 and p = 0.026, respectively). The mean time to maximum improvement in sum of six UPDRS items score was 78 min (±59) (n = 16), and the mean time to TRS score maximum effect was 54 min (±51) (n = 15). Mean time to onset of dyskinesia was 41 min (±38) (n = 13). CONCLUSIONS: In the PD population, following levodopa/carbidopa microtablet administration in fasting state, the Cmax and AUC0-4/dose were found to be higher compared with results from a previous study in young, healthy subjects. A large between subject variability in response and duration of effect was observed, highlighting the importance of a continuous and individual assessment of motor function in order to optimize treatment effect.

Development and assessment of sensitive immuno-PCR assays for the quantification of cerebrospinal fluid three- and four-repeat tau isoforms in tauopathies.

Characteristic tau isoform composition of the insoluble fibrillar tau inclusions define tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and frontotemporal dementia with parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17/frontotemporal lobar degeneration-tau (FTDP-17/FTLD-tau). Exon 10 splicing mutations in the tau gene, MAPT, in familial FTDP-17 cause elevation of tau isoforms with four microtubule-binding repeat domains (4R-tau) compared to those with three repeats (3R-tau). On the basis of two well-characterised monoclonal antibodies against 3R- and 4R-tau, we developed novel, sensitive immuno-PCR assays for measuring the trace amounts of these isoforms in CSF. This was with the aim of assessing if CSF tau isoform changes reflect the pathological changes in tau isoform homeostasis in the degenerative brain and if these would be relevant for differential clinical diagnosis. Initial analysis of clinical CSF samples of PSP (n = 46), corticobasal syndrome (CBS; n = 22), AD (n = 11), Parkinson's disease with dementia (PDD; n = 16) and 35 controls revealed selective decreases of immunoreactive 4R-tau in CSF of PSP and AD patients compared with controls, and lower 4R-tau levels in AD compared with PDD. These decreases could be related to the disease-specific conformational masking of the RD4-binding epitope because of abnormal folding and/or aggregation of the 4R-tau isoforms in tauopathies or increased sequestration of the 4R-tau isoforms in brain tau pathology.