Dexamethasone alone and in combination with desipramine, phenytoin, valproic acid or levetiracetam interferes with 5-ALA-mediated PpIX production and cellular retention in glioblastoma cells.

Extent of resection of glioblastoma (GBM) correlates with overall survival. Fluorescence-guided resection (FGR) using 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) can improve the extent of resection. Unfortunately not all patients given 5-ALA accumulate sufficient quantities of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) for successful FGR. In this study, we investigated the effects of dexamethasone, desipramine, phenytoin, valproic acid, and levetiracetam on the production and accumulation of PpIX in U87MG cells. All of these drugs, except levetiracetam, reduce the total amount of PpIX produced by GBM cells (p < 0.05). When dexamethasone is mixed with another drug (desipramine, phenytoin, valproic acid or levetiracetam) the amount of PpIX produced is further decreased (p < 0.01). However, when cells are analyzed for PpIX cellular retention, dexamethasone accumulated significantly more PpIX than the vehicle control (p < 0.05). Cellular retention of PpIX was not different from controls in cells treated with dexamethasone plus desipramine, valproic acid or levetiracetam, but was significantly less for dexamethasone plus phenytoin (p < 0.01). These data suggest that medications given before and during surgery may interfere with PpIX accumulation in malignant cells. At this time, levetiracetam appears to be the best medication in its class (anticonvulsants) for patients undergoing 5-ALA-mediated FGR.

Menstrual cycle alters sympathetic neural responses to orthostatic stress in young, eumenorrheic women.

Sympathetic baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) responses during early follicular (EF) and midluteal (ML) phases of the menstrual cycle are controversial. We hypothesize an augmented sympathetic BRS and MSNA response to orthostatic stress during the ML phase of the menstrual cycle. MSNA, mean arterial pressure (MAP), and heart rate (HR) were recorded during progressive lower body negative pressure (LBNP) (-5, -10, -15, -20, -30, and -40 mmHg; 3 min/stage) in 13 healthy, eumenorrheic women (age 21 +/- 1 yr). Sympathetic BRS was assessed by examining relations between spontaneous fluctuations of diastolic arterial pressure and MSNA at rest and during progressive LBNP. Plasma estradiol (42 +/- 6 vs. 112 +/- 12 pg/ml; P < 0.01) and progesterone (2 +/- 0 vs. 10 +/- 2 ng/ml; P < 0.04) were elevated during the ML phase. Resting MSNA (8 +/- 1 vs. 11 +/- 1 bursts/min), MAP (79 +/- 2 vs. 78 +/- 2 mmHg), and HR (58 +/- 2 vs. 60 +/- 2 beats/min) were not different during EF and ML phases. MSNA and HR increased during progressive LBNP (P < 0.001), and the increases in MSNA burst frequency (bursts/min) and HR were similar during both phases. In contrast, increases in total MSNA (arbitrary units) during progressive LBNP were augmented during the ML phase (P < 0.04), but this response does not appear to be linked to differences in sympathetic BRS. Progressive LBNP did not change MAP during either phase. Our results demonstrate an augmentation of the MSNA response to progressive LBNP during the ML phase of the menstrual cycle. These findings suggest that hormonal fluctuations of eumenorrheic women may influence sympathoexcitation during an orthostatic challenge, but not through sympathetic baroreflex-mediated pathways.

Quantification of Protoporphyrin IX Accumulation in Glioblastoma Cells: A New Technique.

Introduction. 5-Aminolevulinic Acid (5-ALA) is a precursor of heme synthesis. A metabolite, protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), selectively accumulates in neoplastic tissue including glioblastoma. Presurgical administration of 5-ALA forms the basis of fluorescence-guided resection (FGR) of glioblastoma (GBM) tumors. However, not all gliomas accumulate sufficient quantities of PpIX to fluoresce, thus limiting the utility of FGR. We therefore developed an assay to determine cellular and pharmacological factors that impact PpIX fluorescence in GBM. This assay takes advantage of a GBM cell line engineered to express yellow fluorescent protein. Methods. The human GBM cell line U87MG was transfected with a YFP expression vector. After treatment with a series of 5-ALA doses, both PpIX and YFP fluorescence were measured. The ratio of PpIX to YFP fluorescence was calculated. Results. YFP fluorescence permitted the quantification of cell numbers and did not interfere with 5-ALA metabolism. The PpIX/YFP fluorescence ratio provided accurate relative PpIX levels, allowing for the assessment of PpIX accumulation in tissue. Conclusion. Constitutive YFP expression strongly correlates with cell number and permits PpIX quantification. Absolute PpIX fluorescence alone does not provide information regarding PpIX accumulation within the cells. Our research indicates that our PpIX/YFP ratio assay may be a promising model for in vitro 5-ALA testing and its interactions with other compounds during FGR surgery.

Leptin promotes glioblastoma.

The hormone leptin has a variety of functions. Originally known for its role in satiety and weight loss, leptin more recently has been shown to augment tumor growth in a variety of cancers. Within gliomas, there is a correlation between tumor grade and tumor expression of leptin and its receptor. This suggests that autocrine signaling within the tumor microenvironment may promote the growth of high-grade gliomas. Leptin does this through stimulation of cellular pathways that are also advantageous for tumor growth and recurrence: antiapoptosis, proliferation, angiogenesis, and migration. Conversely, a loss of leptin expression attenuates tumor growth. In animal models of colon cancer and melanoma, a decline in the expression and secretion of leptin resulted in a reduction of tumor growth. In these models, positive mental stimulation through environmental enrichment decreased leptin secretion and improved tumor outcome. This review explores the link between leptin and glioblastoma.

Menstrual cycle elicits divergent forearm vascular responses to vestibular activation in humans.

The menstrual cycle has been reported to alter mean arterial pressure (MAP), but not muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA), during vestibular activation. Specifically, MAP responses to head-down rotation (HDR) are augmented during the mid-luteal (ML) phase compared to the early follicular (EF) phase in young, eumenorrheic women. The purpose of the present study was to determine if the menstrual cycle influences vestibular-mediated changes in limb blood flow. MSNA, MAP, heart rate, and limb blood flow responses to HDR were measured in 12 healthy women. Resting MSNA, MAP, heart rate, forearm blood flow and calf blood flow were not altered by the menstrual cycle. HDR elicited similar increases in MSNA during the EF (Delta3+/-1 bursts/min; P<0.05) and ML (Delta2+/-1 bursts/min; P<0.05) phase, but only increased MAP during the ML phase (Delta4+/-2 mmHg; P<0.05). HDR did not change heart rate during either the EF or ML phase. HDR elicited similar increases in calf vascular resistance during the EF (Delta6+/-2 mmHg/mL/100 mL/min; P<0.05) and ML (Delta7+/-2 mmHg/mL/100mL/min; P<0.05) phases of the menstrual cycle. In contrast, HDR increased forearm vascular resistance during the ML phase (Delta4+/-2 mmHg/mL/100mL/min; P<0.05), but not the EF phase (Delta0+/-2 mmHg/mL/100mL/min). These findings suggest an increased transduction of sympathetic nerve activity into forearm vascular resistance during the ML phase, and reveal the first recorded divergent vascular response to vestibular excitation in human limbs.

Vestibulosympathetic reflex during the early follicular and midluteal phases of the menstrual cycle.

Evidence suggests that both the arterial baroreflex and vestibulosympathetic reflex contribute to blood pressure regulation, and both autonomic reflexes integrate centrally in the medulla cardiovascular center. A previous report indicated increased sympathetic baroreflex sensitivity during the midluteal (ML) phase of the menstrual cycle compared with the early follicular (EF) phase. On the basis of this finding, we hypothesize an augmented vestibulosympathetic reflex during the ML phase of the menstrual cycle. Muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and heart rate responses to head-down rotation (HDR) were measured in 10 healthy females during the EF and ML phases of the menstrual cycle. Plasma estradiol (Delta72 +/- 13 pg/ml, P < 0.01) and progesterone (Delta8 +/- 2 ng/ml, P < 0.01) were significantly greater during the ML phase compared with the EF phase. The menstrual cycle did not alter resting MSNA, MAP, and heart rate (EF: 13 +/- 3 bursts/min, 80 +/- 2 mmHg, 65 +/- 2 beats/min vs. ML: 14 +/- 3 bursts/min, 81 +/- 3 mmHg, 64 +/- 3 beats/min). During the EF phase, HDR increased MSNA (Delta3 +/- 1 bursts/min, P < 0.02) but did not change MAP or heart rate (Delta0 +/- 1 mmHg and Delta1 +/- 1 beats/min). During the ML phase, HDR increased both MSNA and MAP (Delta4 +/- 1 bursts/min and Delta3 +/- 1 mmHg, P < 0.04) with no change in heart rate (Delta0 +/- 1 beats/min). MSNA and heart rate responses to HDR were not different between the EF and ML phases, but MAP responses to HDR were augmented during the ML phase (P < 0.03). Our results demonstrate that the menstrual cycle does not influence the vestibulosympathetic reflex but appears to alter MAP responses to HDR during the ML phase.

Effects of the menstrual cycle on sympathetic neural responses to mental stress in humans.

The influence of the menstrual cycle on resting muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) remains controversial, and the effect of the menstrual cycle on MSNA responses to mental stress is unknown. We examined MSNA, mean arterial pressure (MAP), and heart rate (HR) responses to mental stress (via mental arithmetic) in 11 healthy females during the early follicular (EF) and mid-luteal (ML) phases of the menstrual cycle. The menstrual cycle did not alter resting MSNA (EF, 13 +/- 3 bursts min(-1) versus ML, 13 +/- 2 bursts min(-1)), MAP (EF, 79 +/- 3 mmHg versus ML, 81 +/- 2 mmHg) and HR (EF, 66 +/- 3 beats min(-1) versus ML, 64 +/- 2 beats min(-1)). 5 min of mental stress increased MSNA, MAP and HR during both the EF (delta 4 +/- 2 bursts min(-1), delta 12 +/- 2 mmHg, delta 18 +/- 2 beats min(-1); P < 0.05) and ML (delta 4 +/- 2 bursts min(-1), delta 13 +/- 3 mmHg and delta 20 +/- 2 beats min(-1); P < 0.05) phases. These responses were not different between phases. In contrast, MSNA responses were different between phases during the 10 min recovery from mental stress. MSNA remained elevated during the initial 5 min of recovery in both the EF (delta 6 +/- 1 bursts min(-1); P < 0.01) and ML (delta 7 +/- 1 bursts min(-1); P < 0.01) phases, but only remained elevated during the ML phase (delta 6 +/- 1 bursts min(-1); P < 0.01) during the final 5 min of recovery. Our results demonstrate that MSNA, MAP and HR responses at rest or during mental stress are not different during the EF and ML phases of the menstrual cycle in young, healthy females. However, MSNA activation during recovery from mental stress is prolonged during the ML phase compared to the EF phase.