Effect of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol supplementation with different dietary available phosphorus levels for broilers.

1. Based on the hypothesis that 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OH-D3) inclusion would optimise dietary mineral digestibility and ameliorate growth performance and bone mineralisation in available phosphorus (AvP) deficient-fed broilers, a trial was conducted to evaluate its effect on diets with different levels of AvP.2. Broilers aged 1-21 d were randomly assigned one of the eight treatments, consisting of four dietary levels of AvP (0.45%, 0.42%, 0.39%, and 0.36%) and with or without supplementation with 25-OH-D3 at 69 µg/kg of feed. All diets contained 100 µg/kg of vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol).3. The addition of 25-OH-D3 resulted in higher feed intake and body weight gain, and lower FCR (P < 0.05) compared to non-supplemented diets, whereas AvP levels had a quadratic effect only on feed intake. There were no interactions between treatment factors.4. Increasing AvP levels linearly reduced the ileal digestibility of Ca and P (P < 0.01) and supplementing 25-OH-D3 increased both Ca and P ileal digestibility (P < 0.05), without any interactions observed for ileal digestibility.5. There was an interaction, whereby 25-OH-D3 inclusion increased serum metabolites in broilers fed 0.36% to 0.42% AvP compared to the non-supplemented diets (P < 0.001), whereas, at 0.45% AvP, diets with or without 25-OH-D3 had similar results.6. The P content in bone linearly increased in line with AvP levels (P < 0.05) and supplementation of 25-OH-D3 increased ash bone content (P < 0.001).7. Broilers can benefit from 25-OH-D3 supplementation combined with cholecalciferol with regard to Ca and P utilisation and vitamin D status, allowing for a reduction of dietary AvP levels down to 0.36% without impairing growth performance or bone status.

Aggressive systemic mastocytosis with the co-occurrence of PRKG2::PDGFRB, KAT6A::NCOA2, and RXRA::NOTCH1 fusion transcripts and a heterozygous RUNX1 frameshift mutation.

Systemic mastocytosis (SM) is a myeloproliferative neoplasm displaying abnormal mast cell proliferation. It is subdivided into different forms, including aggressive systemic mastocytosis (ASM) and systemic mastocytosis with an associated hematologic neoplasm (SM-AHN). Oncogenic genetic alterations include point mutations, mainly the KIT D816V, conferring poor prognosis and therapy resistance, and fusion genes, with those involving PDGFRA/PDGFRB as the most recurrent events. We here describe an ASM case negative to the KIT D816V and JAK2 V617F alterations but showing a RUNX1 frameshift heterozygous mutation and the co-occurrence of three fusion transcripts. The first one, PRKG2::PDGFRB, was generated by a balanced t(4;5)(q24;q32) translocation as the sole abnormality. Other two novel chimeras, KAT6A::NCOA2 and RXRA::NOTCH1, originated from cryptic intra-chromosomal abnormalities. The patient rapidly evolved towards SM-AHN, characterized by the persistence of the PRKG2::PDGFRB chimera, due to the presence of an extra copy of the der(5)t(4;5)(q24;q34) chromosome and an increase in the RUNX1 mutation allelic frequency. The results indicated that the transcriptional landscape and the mutational profile of SM deserve attention to predict the evolution and prognosis of this complex disease, whose classification criteria are still a matter of debate.

Varenicline and evaluated outcomes in smoking cessation programmes.

The morbidity and mortality rates attributed to smoking are substantial and cigarette smoke remains the first preventable cause of premature death worldwide. Despite the knowledge of the adverse consequences of smoking, many smokers struggle to quit. Cigarette smoking is the primary cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and smoking cessation represents the most effective way of stopping its progression. Varenicline is one of the first-line smoking cessation aids recommended in many Clinical Practice Guidelines and its efficacy and safety have been demonstrated in several clinical trials. Varenicline has a unique mechanism of action and clinical trials support its use as an effective and generally well-tolerated therapy. This article reviews the clinical pharmacological trials on smoking cessation published in recent years on varenicline, with particular attention to the outcomes used in the studies. MedLine, the Cochrane database and Embase were evaluated. Almost all the trials have, as a primary endpoint, the abstinence from cigarettes at 9-12 weeks of treatment. Only one study considers lung function spirometric changes as a secondary endpoint. No study has evaluated lung function. This marker could be very important as a way of evaluating, objectively, an improvement in lung function, which correlates also with subjective parameters, as dyspnea and fatigue.

[Hydatid cyst of the scalp]. / Kyste hydatique du cuir chevelu.

INTRODUCTION: Hydatid disease is a broad-based anthropozoonosis common to humans and several mammal species. The disease results from the development of Echinococcus granulosis in the body. CASE REPORT: We report a new case involving a 58-year old woman hospitalized for a subcutaneous mass in the scalp with no local inflammatory signs. Radiological examination was consistent with a subcutaneous cyst. Complete surgical resection of the mass was performed. Histopathological examination demonstrated hydatid cyst. DISCUSSION: Subcutaneous localization of hydatid cyst is uncommon even in endemic zone. Diagnosis is suggested by ultrasonography and confirmed by histology.

[Myofibroma of the mandibule: a case report]. / Myofibrome de la mandibule: à propos d'un cas.

INTRODUCTION: Myofibromatosis is a rare tumor. Two forms are described, solitary and multicentric, the solitary type is more common and is localized mainly on the head and the neck, mandible involvement is rare. The recent observation of a patient with a myofibrome of the mandible has given the opportunity to conduct an analysis and review of the literature of this disease rarely encountered. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We report a case illustrating solitary myofibroma of the mandible in a 16 year old man. RESULTS: The histological diagnosis was done on the identification of the spindle-shaped tumoral proliferation and the positive expression of the anti-vimentine, anti-smooth, muscle actin anti desmin. The treatment was surgical. DISCUSSION: myofibromatosis often presents as a painless, well-circumscribed, solid nodule. Imagery is very useful to assess lesion extension and for the therapeutic followup. The diagnosis is made on anatomopathological findings and immunohistochemical assessment. The treatment of the solitary myofibromatosis is primarily surgical and its prognosis is excellent contrary to the multicentric form.

Exogenous α-amylase improves the digestibility of corn and corn-soybean meal diets for broilers.

Starch is the main energy source in broiler diets. However, endogenous amylase secretion in young broilers is suboptimal to completely digest dietary starch, so exogenous α-amylase supplementation may help increase starch digestibility. The objective of this study was to assess the supplementation of increasing doses of an exogenous α-amylase (0, 40, 80, 120, and 160 kilo-novo α-amylase units (KNU)/kg) on corn and on a complete corn-soybean meal diet for 25-day-old broilers. Jejunal and ileal apparent digestibility coefficients of available starch, resistant starch, total starch, and DM, DM total tract retention, as well as dietary AME levels were evaluated. Interactions (P < 0.05) between diets and α-amylase showed that the enzyme had a more evident effect on increasing DM jejunal digestibility and AME on corn compared with the complete diet. Corn DM digestibility increased to a maximum of 67.84% with up to 47 KNU/kg, whereas 89 KNU/kg led to a maximum of 53.92% in the complete diet A maximum increase of 64 kcal AME/kg was obtained with 80 KNU/kg on the complete diet, whereas 109 KNU/kg generated 327 kcal AME/kg on corn (P < 0.05). Increasing the α-amylase dose linearly increased ileal digestibility of resistant starch (P < 0.05), and the effect on DM total tract retention was quadratic (P < 0.05). Corn showed a higher digestibility for DM, resistant and total starch, as well as DM total tract retention and AME, compared with the complete diet (P < 0.05). Treatments had no influence on available starch. The inclusion of exogenous α-amylase improves starch, DM, and energy utilization of corn-based and corn-soybean meal-based diets for broilers.

Assessment of the Membranous Labyrinth in Infants Using a Heavily T2-weighted 3D FLAIR Sequence without Contrast Agent Administration.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Imaging is fundamental to assessing the acoustic pathway in infants with congenital deafness. We describe our depiction of the membranous labyrinth in infants using the heavily T2-weighted 3D FLAIR sequence without a contrast agent. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 10 infants (20 ears) (median term equivalent age: 2 weeks; IQR: 1-5 weeks) who had undergone brain MR imaging including a noncontrast heavily T2-weighted 3D FLAIR scan of the temporal bone. For each ear, 3 observers analyzed, in consensus, the saccule, the utricle, and the 3 ampullae, assessing the visibility (score 0, not appreciable; score 1, visible without well-defined boundaries; score 2, visible with well-defined boundaries) and morphology ("expected" or "unexpected" compared with adults). The heavily T2-weighted 3D FLAIR sequence was scored for overall quality (score 0, inadequate; score 1, adequate but with the presence of image degradation; score 2, adequate). RESULTS: Six (60%) MR examinations were considered adequate (score 1 or 2). The saccule was visible in 10 ears (83.3%) with an expected morphology in 9 ears (90%). In 1 ear of an infant with congenital deafness, the saccule showed an unexpected morphology. The utricle was visible as expected in 12 ears (100%). The lateral ampulla was visible in 5 ears (41.6%), the superior ampulla was visible in 6 ears (50.0%), and the posterior ampulla was visible in 6 ears (50.0%), always with expected morphology (100%). CONCLUSIONS: MR imaging can depict the membranous labyrinth in infants using heavily T2-weighted 3D FLAIR without an injected contrast agent, but the sequence acquisition time reduces its feasibility in infants undergoing MR studies during natural sleep.

Detection, semiquantitative enumeration, and antimicrobial susceptibility of Yersinia enterocolitica in pork and chicken meats in Italy.

Yersinia enterocolitica is recognized as an etiological agent of gastroenteritis, lymphadenitis, and chronic sequelae. During 2006 and 2007, 205 samples (125 pork and 80 chicken meats) were collected in Italy and tested for detection and most-probable-number (MPN) enumeration of Y. enterocolitica organisms. The microorganism was isolated from 45 samples (21.9%): 19 (15.2%) pork samples and 26 (32.5%) chicken samples. Y. enterocolitica MPN contamination levels were low, ranging from 0.30 to 1.50/g. Most (94.4%) Y. enterocolitica strains were biotype 1A (serotypes O:3; O:5; O:6,30; O:6,30-6,31; O:7,8-8-8,19; O:8; O:9; O:25,35; O:36; and O nontypeable), and 5.6% of the isolates were bioserotype 2/O:9. All isolates were tested for yadA, ail, inv, ystA, and ystB virulence sequences. The yadA gene was detected in two strains (3.7%) isolated from chicken samples: one Y. enterocolitica 2/O:9 yadA+ ail+ ystA+, and one Y. enterocolitica 1A/O:7,8-8-8,19 yadA+ inv+ ystB+. Two (3.7%) 2/O:9 strains, isolated from pork products, were ail+ ystA+. Most biotype 1A strains were ystB+ (84.3%) and inv+ (39.2%). All strains were sensitive to cefotaxime, ciprofloxacin, chloramphenicol, nalidixic acid, streptomycin, sulfonamide, tetracycline, trimethoprim, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Resistance to gentamicin and aztreonam was observed in 1.9% of the isolates. High levels of resistance were detected toward amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (27.8%), ampicillin (75.9%), and erythromycin (100%). The authors hypothesize that Y. enterocolitica pathogenic biotypes are rather uncommon in foods when compared with their isolation rates from animal sources and that chicken meat could be contaminated as well as pig meat and its derived products.

Microbiologically influenced corrosion mechanism of 304L stainless steel in treated urban wastewater and protective effect of silane-TiO2 coating.

Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) of bare and silane-TiO2 sol-gel coated stainless steel (SS) was studied in treated urban wastewater (TUWW). Combining the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and the scanning vibrating electrode technique (SVET) showed that SS surface colonization occurs, at earlier stages, by iron-oxidizing bacteria (IOB), and later by sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB). The SVET results showed that chemical corrosion process and bacterial respiration led to the depletion of dissolved oxygen, creating a differential aeration cell and thus a localized corrosion phenomenon. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) showed that the growth of a bacterial biofilm on 304L SS was a dynamic process, stimulating the localized oxidation of SS. To improve corrosion protection, a silane-TiO2 sol-gel coating for SS is proposed. SEM showed that the coating reduced bacterial adhesion and EIS study demonstrated that the coating improved the barrier properties and corrosion resistance of 304L SS in TUWW over a short period of immersion.

Pharmacoeconomic studies in Italy: a critical review of the literature.

To assess the state of pharmacoeconomics in Italy we reviewed all the original studies published by Italian authors in national and international journals from January 1994 to December 2003. We selected 70 articles and broadly assessed 92 economic evaluations (EEs) since some articles contained multiple analyses. We adopted common analysis criteria to allow methodological comparison of the studies. The variables investigated can be grouped into three categories: general methods, costs, and consequences. To further assess the quality of the EEs, we decided to rank them according to criteria of both clinical and economic good practice. Then, to complete our critical evaluation, we analysed whether sponsorship might have somehow affected the results. Our analysis seems to support the widespread scepticism of the Italian NHS decision-makers towards pharmacoeconomic studies, whose results seem to be biased by flawed methods and sponsors' interference with results.

Poor comparability of coagulation screening test with specific measurement in patients receiving direct oral anticoagulants: results from a multicenter/multiplatform study.

Essentials Prothrombin and partial thromboplastin time (PT/PTT) measure direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). PT, PTT and specific tests for DOACs were performed on patients treated for atrial fibrillation. Normal PT/PTT don't exclude DOAC activity and their prolongation doesn't confirm DOAC action. The use of PT or PTT to evaluate DOAC activity could cause dangerous misinterpretations. SUMMARY: Background Prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) have been proposed to measure the effect of oral anti-activated factor X (FXa) or anti-activated FII drugs, respectively. Aims To evaluate the relationships and responsiveness of PT and APTT versus direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) concentrations measured with specific coagulation tests performed with different platforms in four Italian anticoagulation clinics. Methods Six hundred and thirty-five patients with atrial fibrillation participated in the study: 240 were receiving dabigatran, 264 were receiving rivaroxaban, and 131 were receiving apixaban. Blood was taken at trough and peak within the first month (15-25 days) of treatment. PT, APTT, diluted thrombin time (dTT) calibrated for dabigatran and anti-FXa calibrated for rivaroxaban or apixaban were determined. Results For dabigatran, the correlation between APTT and dTT ranged from r = 0.80 to r = 0.62. For rivaroxaban, the correlation between the anti-FXa assay and PT ranged from r = 0.91 to r = 0.73. For apixaban, the correlation between the anti-FXa assay and PT was lower than for the two other drugs (r = 0.81 to r = 0.54). Despite the above significant correlations, the responsiveness of PT or APTT was relatively poor. A discrepancy between global testing and DOAC plasma concentrations was shown in a considerable proportion of patients, depending on the platform and drug, with values ranging from 6% to 62%. Conclusions Overall, poor responsiveness of the screening tests to DOAC concentrations was observed. PT and APTT normal values cannot exclude DOAC anticoagulant activity, and PT or APTT prolongation is not always associated with DOAC anticoagulant effect as determined with specific tests.

Does cranial ultrasound imaging identify arterial cerebral infarction in term neonates?

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of cranial ultrasound (CUS) for detection of neonatal arterial territory cerebral infarction in term infants. METHODS: CUS scans from term infants with neonatal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evidence of neonatal infarction were reviewed. The scans were grouped by acquisition time after birth: 1-3 days (early) or 4-14 days (late). RESULTS: Brain MRI showed infarction in the territory of the middle cerebral artery in 43 of 47 infants, anterior cerebral artery in one, and posterior cerebral artery in three. Twelve of the 47 had minor changes on MRI in the white matter in the contralateral hemisphere, and four infants had bilateral infarctions. The early CUS scans were abnormal in 68% of the infants; the late CUS scans were abnormal in 87%. The late CUS scans were correct for laterality and site of lesion in 25/47 (53%) infants. In six infants with smaller lesions of the cortical middle cerebral artery branch or lesions in the posterior cerebral artery territory, the CUS scans were persistently normal. CONCLUSION: Normal early CUS scans do not exclude a diagnosis of neonatal stroke, although most scans are abnormal. CUS scans performed after day 3 were abnormal in 87% of infants. CUS scan findings were accurate for lesion laterality and site in 53%, and, in 34%, the scans showed abnormality strongly suggestive of infarction but not always site specific. For optimal prognostic information, infants with clinical histories or CUS scan findings suggestive of infarction should have a neonatal brain MRI scan.

A global quality control system to check PT-INR portable monitor for Antivitamin K antagonists.

INTRODUCTION: Although most guidelines for quality assessment of INR PMs recommend specific procedures, no clear regulation or methodology is required for outpatients in our country. We have developed a specific INR portable monitor (PM) quality control system within our telemedicine organization to check over time quality performances and plan corrective actions. METHODS: Based on current guidelines for laboratory QC, the following aspects were assessed: suitability of PM, defined in terms of imprecision and accuracy; intra-assay imprecision, defined according to monthly revision of Levey-Jennings cards with data from each peripheral healthcare unit (PHU), using an internal QC provided by the manufacturer (CV ± 20% considered as acceptable); quarterly accuracy study, for assessing agreement between analytical instruments, based on duplicate analysis of three samples with INR values reflecting different therapeutic ranges (differences ± 0.5 considered as acceptable); external quality assessment (NEQAS). RESULTS: In the nine PHU, 18 portable monitors were used to perform 22 929 test during year 2010. Analytical imprecision was low, showing CVs always <5%. Accuracy check showed two of 216 results out of range (0.92%), thus providing timely indication for instrument replacement. The external QC NEQAS showed optimal performance. CONCLUSION: The current protocol for INR PMs quality assessment was effective to establish and maintain a reliable control of devices, ensuring the quality of analytical data over time. National authorities should be prompted to guarantee and apply correct protocols for INR-PM use.

Similar increases in extracellular lactic acid in the limbic system during epileptic and/or olfactory stimulation.

Previous studies have shown that physiological stimulation of brain activity increases anaerobic glucose consumption, both in humans and in experimental animals. To investigate this phenomenon further, we measured extracellular lactate levels within different rat brain regions, using microdialysis. Experiments were performed comparing the effects of natural, physiological olfactory stimulation of the limbic system with experimental limbic seizures. Olfactory stimulation was carried out by using different odors (i.e. both conventional odors: 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine, green pepper essence; thymol; and 2-sec-butylthiazoline, a sexual pheromone). Limbic seizures were either induced by systemic injection of pilocarpine (200-400 mg/kg) or focally elicited by microinfusions of chemoconvulsants (bicuculline 118 pmol and cychlothiazide 1.2 nmol) within the anterior piriform cortex. Seizures induced by systemic pilocarpine tripled lactic acid within the hippocampus, whereas limbic seizures elicited by focal microinfusion of chemoconvulsants within the piriform cortex produced a less pronounced increase in extracellular lactic acid. Increases in extracellular lactate occurring during olfactory stimulation with the sexual pheromone (three times the baseline levels) were non-significantly different from those occurring after systemic pilocarpine. Increases in lactic acid following natural olfactory stimulation were abolished both by olfactory bulbectomy and by the focal microinfusion of tetrodotoxin, while they were significantly attenuated by the local application of the N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist AP-5. Increases in hippocampal lactate induced by short-lasting stimuli (olfactory stimulation or microinfusion of subthreshold doses of chemoconvulsants, bicuculline 30 pmol) were reproducible after a short delay (1 h) and cumulated when applied sequentially. In contrast, limbic status epilepticus led to a long-lasting refractoriness to additional lactate-raising stimuli and there was no further increase in lactate levels when the olfactory stimulation was produced during status epilepticus. Increases in lactic acid following olfactory stimulation occurred with site specificity in the rhinencephalon (hippocampus, piriform and entorhinal cortex) but not in the dorsal striatum. Site specificity crucially relied on the quality of the stimulus. For instance, other natural stimuli (i.e. tail pinch) produced a similar increase in extracellular lactate in all brain areas under investigation. The major conclusion of this work is that the presentation of an odor known to be a rat pheromone results in lactate production as great as that induced by the systemic convulsant pylocarpine (maximum: 2.286+/-0.195 mM and 1.803+/-0.108 mM, respectively). This supports the notion that the great magnitude of lactate production known to accompany seizures can result from the intensified neural activity per se ("aerobic gycolysis"), not merely from local anoxia or other pathological changes.

Noradrenergic modulation of methamphetamine-induced striatal dopamine depletion.

Noradrenergic (NE) neurons belonging to the locus coeruleus (LC), much more than the A1 and A2 areas, are lost in Parkinson's disease (PD). In this study, we reproduced the selective pattern of NE loss involving axons arising from the LC using the selective neurotoxin N-(-2-chloroethyl)-N-ethyl-2-bromobenzylamine (DSP-4) (50 mg/kg). In these experimental conditions, we investigated whether NE loss potentiates methamphetamine-induced striatal dopamine (DA) depletion in mice and rats. Administration of a moderate dose of methamphetamine to C57B1/6N mice or Sprague-Dawley rats produced only a partial striatal DA depletion 7 days after drug administration. Pre-treatment with DSP-4, in both animal species, significantly enhanced methamphetamine-induced striatal DA depletion. Administration of a lower dose of methamphetamine did not decrease striatal DA levels when injected alone, but produced a significant decrease in striatal DA when given to DSP-4-pretreated rodents. Moreover, we found that agents reducing the noradrenergic activity (i.e., the alpha-2 agonist clonidine) enhanced, whereas alpha-2 antagonists decreased, methamphetamine toxicity. Enhancement of methamphetamine toxicity did not occur if the noradrenergic lesion was produced 12 hr after methamphetamine administration. By contrast, exacerbation of methamphetamine toxicity in NE-depleted animals was accompanied by increased extracellular DA levels measured with brain dialysis and by a more severe acute DA depletion measured in striatal homogenates.

Norepinephrine loss selectively enhances chronic nigrostriatal dopamine depletion in mice and rats.

In this study we investigated whether a selective pattern of norepinephrine loss potentiates methamphetamine-induced striatal dopamine depletion in rats. We also evaluated whether chronic norepinephrine depletion reduces the threshold dose of methamphetamine necessary to induce long-lasting striatal dopamine loss in mice and in rats. Pre-treatment with the selective noradrenergic neurotoxin DSP-4 (50 mg/kg, i.p.) in mice and in rats significantly enhanced methamphetamine-induced striatal dopamine depletion. Administration of a low dose of methamphetamine (1 x 5 mg/kg and 3 x 5 mg/kg, respectively, i.p., at 2-h interval) to C57B1/6N mice and Sprague-Dawley rats did not decrease striatal dopamine levels when injected alone but produced a significant decrease in striatal dopamine when given to rodents carrying a long-lasting norepinephrine depletion previously induced by DSP-4. Our results suggest that norepinephrine loss might both enhance neurotoxic damage and decrease the threshold for neurotoxicity to nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons in different animal species.

Modulation of dihydroxyphenylacetaldehyde extracellular levels in vivo in the rat striatum after different kinds of pharmacological treatment.

We recently identified the direct product of dopamine (DA) by monoamine-oxidase (MAO) activity, dihydroxyphenylacetaldehyde (DOPALD) in the trans-striatal dialysate. Based on these findings, in this work, we directly measured the variations in DOPALD levels after various kinds of pharmacological treatment in rat striatal extracellular fluid. Using both reversible and irreversible MAO inhibitors, we found that MAO-A inhibition suppressed, whereas MAO-B inhibition did not modify DOPALD levels in the dialysate. The vesicular DA uptake blocker Ro 4-1284 led to an increase in extracellular DA and DOPALD, whereas the increase in extracellular DA obtained after administration of the plasma membrane DA uptake blocker GBR-12909 occurred without concomitant changes in DOPALD extracellular levels. Microinfusions of DA through the dialysis probe or systemic administration of L-DOPA increased striatal DOPALD to a greater extent compared with other DA metabolites, both in intact and in 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-lesioned striatum. This study indicates that the direct product of MAO activity within the rat striatum derives from the activity of the isoenzyme MAO-A. The assay of DOPALD, together with DOPAC, represents a reliable tool to measure directly, in freely moving animals, DA oxidative metabolism. As recent studies have shown that microinfusions of exogenous DOPALD might induce cell death, pharmacological modulation of DOPALD levels might also be relevant for an understanding of the mechanisms involved in DA neurotoxicity.

Inhibition of cytokine production and endothelial expression of adhesion antigens by 5'-methylthioadenosine.

We investigated the activity of endogenous nucleoside 5'-deoxy-5'-methylthioadenosine (MTA) on both the production of inflammatory cytokines and the cytokine-dependent endothelial expression of adhesion molecules. The compound inhibited the production of tumor necrosis factor (but not interleukin-1) in lipopolysaccharide-activated macrophages. In addition, MTA selectively inhibited the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in endothelial cells activated with interleukin-1. This effect was paralleled by a reduction in endothelial adhesiveness for polymorphonuclear leukocytes. These data suggest that MTA might have anti-inflammatory activity.

Norepinephrine loss exacerbates methamphetamine-induced striatal dopamine depletion in mice.

Evidence is accumulating that norepinephrine depletion enhances the neurotoxic effect of the parkinsonism inducing neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). In this study we investigated whether norepinephrine loss potentiates methamphetamine-induced striatal dopamine depletion. Injection of C57BL/6N mice with methamphetamine (2 x 5 mg/kg i.p., at 2-h intervals) produced only a partial (50%) striatal dopamine depletion 7 days after drug administration. Pretreatment with the selective noradrenergic neurotoxin N-(-2-chloroethyl)-N-ethyl-2-bromobenzylamine (DSP-4; 50 mg/kg i.p.) enhanced methamphetamine-induced striatal dopamine depletion by 86%, without decreasing striatal dopamine levels when injected alone. Our results extend previous findings obtained with the dopaminergic neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetra-hydropyridine in DSP-4-pretreated mice.

X-irradiated human lymphocytes with unstable aberrations and their preferential elimination by p53/survivin-dependent apoptosis.

PURPOSE: To investigate whether unstable types of chromosomal aberrations are more effective in priming apoptotic cell death in comparison with stable ones. Also, to highlight the phase of the cell cycle at which apoptosis occurs and the mechanism of its execution. MATERIALS AND METHODS: G0 human peripheral blood lymphocytes were X-irradiated in the presence or absence of the repair inhibitor cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C). After irradiation, the lymphocytes were analysed for induction of dicentrics, translocations, apoptosis, p53 and survivin expression at various recovery times. RESULTS: A preferential elimination of cells bearing dicentrics with respect to those with balanced translocations was observed. There was a time-dependent correlation between the decrease in the frequency of dicentrics and the increase in the per cent of apoptotic cells. Most of the apoptotic cells were labelled with bromodeoxyuridine and were mononucleated in cytochalasin B-treated cells cultures (blocked cytokinesis). However, after continuous colcemid treatment, the apoptotic pathway was not induced. Moreover, in the G2/M-phase, an increase in p53 and a decrease in survivin occurred that were X-ray and Ara-C dose dependent. CONCLUSIONS: The apoptotic process is primed when the dicentric-bearing human peripheral blood lymphocytes attempt to exit from metaphase. It is possible that unstable aberrations generate changes in the mitotic spindle causing mechanical tension at the kinetochore, activating the mitotic checkpoint and the execution of p53/survivin-dependent apoptosis.