5-HTT genotype and inertia of negative affect in adolescents and young adults from the general population.

The study aims to replicate the previous found association of 5-HTTLPR and inertia of negative affect in daily life of adolescents and young adults. Data of 877 adolescents (aged 14-21 years) of the Behavior and Mind Health (BeMIND) study (epidemiological cohort study, Dresden, Germany) were genotyped for 5-HTTLPR/rs25531, grouped into SS/SLG/SLA/LGLA/LGLG vs. LALA, and provided ratings on negative affect items, depression and anxiety (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System) eight times a day over 4 days. Multilevel regression models did not reveal an association of 5-HTTLPR genotype and inertia of negative affect, nor associations with inertia of anxiety or depression. Inertia of negative affect seems not to be a psychological mechanism through which 5-HTTLPR acts on psychopathology.

Pulmonary interstitial glycogenosis - A systematic analysis of new cases.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary interstitial glycogenosis (PIG) is a rare paediatric interstitial lung disease of unknown cause. The diagnosis can only be made by lung biopsy. Less than 100 cases have been reported. Clinical features, treatment and outcomes have rarely been assessed systematically in decent cohorts of patients. METHODS: In this retrospective multicentre study, the clinical presentation, radiologic findings, pattern of lung biopsy, extrapulmonary comorbidities, treatment and outcome of eleven children with PIG were collected systematically. RESULTS: 10/11 children presented with respiratory distress immediatly after birth and 8/11 needed invasive ventilation. In 8/11 children extrapulmonary comorbidities were present, congenital heart defects being the most common. 7/11 children received systemic glucocorticoids and of these four showed a clear favorable response. During a median follow-up of 3.0 years (range 0.42-12.0) one child died, while 10 patients improved. Chest CT-scans showed ground-glass opacities (7/10), consolidations (6/10), linear opacities (5/10) and mosaic attenuation (4/10) without uniform pattern. Besides interstitial thickening related to undifferentiated glycogen positive mesenchymal cells all tissue samples showed growth abnormalities with reduced alveolarization. CONCLUSIONS: PIG is associated with alveolar growth abnormalities and has to be considered in all newborns with unexplained respiratory distress. Apparent treatment benefit of glucocorticosteroids needs to be evaluated systematically.

Attachment representations, patterns of emotion regulation, and social exclusion in patients with chronic and episodic depression and healthy controls.

BACKGROUND: The experience of social exclusion (ostracism) is linked to the etiology and maintenance of depression. Most individuals experience emotional stress in states of social exclusion. Insecurely attached individuals, especially with an unresolved trauma, show maladaptive coping in response to social stress. The present study examines (a) the differences with regards to attachment representations in episodic (ED) and chronic depressive (CD) inpatients and (b) how ostracism affects their emotional reactions. METHODS: Patients with CD (n=29) and ED (n=23) and healthy control subjects (n=29) were interviewed using the Adult Attachment Projective Picture System (AAP), a valid measure to assess attachment representation; and played a virtual ball tossing game simulating social exclusion (Cyberball). Multiple depression-related risk and protective factors were considered. We hypothesized that CD patients show the most severe attachment disorganization and are emotionally most affected by the social exclusion situation. Moreover, we explored the interaction between ostracism and attachment. RESULTS: Contradicting our hypotheses, ED and CD individuals were almost akin with regards to their attachment insecurity/disorganization and reactions to Cyberball. An emotionally altered reaction to social exclusion was identified in the insecure-disorganized depressive subgroup. LIMITATIONS: Small sample size hampering further subgroup analyses. The ED sample may include single CD subjects with recent manifestation. CONCLUSIONS: The pattern of emotion regulation in the depressive groups matches with findings from clinical studies, including attachment research. The relationship between attachment representations and ostracism should be further investigated in larger samples of depressive individuals.

Opioid dependence in the guinea-pig myenteric plexus is controlled by non-tolerant and tolerant opioid receptors.

The experiments concerned the association of opioid dependence with specific opioid receptors. Previous investigations have demonstrated that tolerance may be confined to only one type of opioid receptor. These findings could suggest that dependence develops invariably only with receptors which have been rendered tolerant. We report here that in the guinea-pig isolated ileum, which has been made selectively tolerant to a mu-receptor agonist, naloxone may precipitate a sign of dependence at mu-receptors chronically activated and at naive kappa-receptors. Furthermore, suppression of the withdrawal contracture in preparations rendered dependent on a mu-receptor agonist can be achieved by very low concentrations of a kappa-agonist, e.g. dynorphin A. These findings challenge the current concept that confines drug dependence only to that opioid receptor type which has been activated chronically.

Opioid dependence and cross-dependence in the isolated guinea-pig ileum.

The development of opioid dependence and tolerance attributed to selective types of opiate receptors was studied in the isolated ileum of guinea pigs chronically exposed to specific opioids. These investigations were based on reports that in this preparation highly tolerant opiate receptors may coexist with opiate receptors of almost unchanged sensitivity. Thus, the ilea were set up in vitro and tested for tolerance and dependence. Apparently precipitation of the withdrawal contracture, indicating dependence, proved a more sensitive parameter than the phenomenon of tolerance. Maximal dependence was determined at rather low degrees of tolerance (5 to 10 fold). The intensity of the withdrawal contracture failed to increase as opiate tolerance did. Furthermore, the experiments failed to present evidence for the existence of selective dependence at specific opiate receptor types. These findings may suggest multiple adaptational mechanisms upon chronic activation of opiate receptors. One mechanism may be responsible for the development of dependence and a low degree of tolerance, whilst a further increase of tolerance may be associated with changes at the opiate binding site level.

Structural and quantum chemical factors affecting mutagenic potency of aminoimidazo-azaarenes.

A set of 16 mutagenic aminoimidazo-azaarenes, including four that have been isolated from cooked foods and identified as bacterial mutagens and rodent carcinogens, was selected from a larger series previously published [Hatch et al. (1991): Environ Mol Mutagen 17:4-19] for an in-depth structure-activity study using computational methods. Structural features believed to affect mutagenic potency were tabulated. Molecular orbital energies and other electronic properties of these compounds were calculated using Huckel, semiempirical AM1, and ab initio quantum mechanical methods. Factor interrelationships were studied by multiple linear regression and canonical correlation analyses. Our goal was an improved understanding of the chemical basis of mutagenicity for this class of heterocyclic amines. The major findings were as follows: 1) mutagenic potency is related to the size of the aromatic ring system; 2) potency is enhanced by the presence and location of an N-methyl group; 3) potency is enhanced by addition of ring nitrogen atoms in pyridine, quinoline, and quinoxaline configurations; 4) potency is inversely related to the energy of the LUMO (lowest unoccupied molecular orbital) of the parent amines; 5) potency is directly, though weakly, related to the LUMO energy of the derived nitrenium ions; and 6) the calculated thermodynamic stability of the nitrenium ions (relative to the parent amine) is directly correlated with nitrenium LUMO energy and with the negative charge on the exocyclic nitrogen atom. Although this study raises several intriguing issues relating mutagenicity to chemical properties, further study will be required to determine the plausibility of the nitrenium ion as the ultimate mutagen for binding to DNA.

Selective opiate tolerance in the guinea-pig ileum is not associated with selective dependence.

Opiate dependence attributable to specific types of opiate receptors was studied in the isolated guinea-pig ileum made tolerant/dependent in vivo to a specific narcotic agonist. Apparently, induction of dependence of mu-receptors was associated with dependence of kappa-receptors and vice versa. These investigations involved the use of the irreversible mu-receptor antagonist beta-funaltrexamine to provide preparations with functional kappa-receptors only. The documented cross-dependence between different opiate receptor types suggests a common system with which these opiate receptors interact.

Deprotonation and hydride shifts in nitrenium and iminium forms of aminoimidazole-azaarene mutagens.

The mutagenicity of many 2-aminoimidazole-azaarenes (AIA) is thought to be mediated by the nitrenium form of the exocyclic amine. This hypothesis is supported by the numerous correlations found between calculated and experimentally-measured chemical properties for the nitreniums and the mutagenic potencies of the nitreniums and their parent amines. One factor favoring high mutagenic potency is the presence of a methyl substituent in the 1- or 3-imidazole position. In this paper, we investigate both the deprotonation of the imidazole ring nitrogens in non-N-methylated AIA mutagens and the plausibility of a chemical pathway involving a 1-4 hydride shift to form an iminium ion, thereby stabilizing the cationic N-methyl substituted AIA mutagens. It has been widely noted that factors that stabilize the nitrenium moiety lead to significantly higher mutagenic potency; hence, the transformation of the nitrenium to a more stable species might be expected to increase the potency, provided that it does not eliminate the electrophilic reactivity of the compound. Using ab initio quantum chemistry and polarizable continuum solvation models, we find that the imidazole ring nitrogens of the nitrenium ions are extremely acidic. This suggests that upon formation of the exocyclic nitrenium these sites will deprotonate to form a neutral imine. We have also studied the 1-4 hydride shift from an imidazole ring methyl to the exocyclic nitrenium to form an iminium. We predict that for AIA mutagens with just two fused rings the resulting iminium species are more stable in the gas phase than the corresponding nitreniums. For mutagens with larger conjugated systems, the nitrenium is stabilized by resonance and is more stable than the corresponding iminium. In the aqueous phase, however, the iminium form is predicted to be more stable than the nitreniums for all polycyclic compounds studied. Although equilibrium calculations favor the iminium form, these have been experimentally shown to be short-lived and their actual concentration will depend on the complex kinetics of AIA mutagen metabolism. The quantum chemical results also show a strong correlation between the relative iminium-nitrenium energy difference and the charge on the exocyclic nitrogen.

On the variability of form and vascularization of the cat carotid body.

The compact carotid body shows, according to the source of the animals, a variability with respect to location, shape and vascularization which is similar to that found in the human carotid body and that of the dog. Aside from the ovoid forms which had been assumed to be characteristic, carotid bodies were found which either lie flat on the stem vessel or embrace it. Vascular supply is achieved not only by the occipito-pharyngeal trunk but also by the external carotid, ascendent pharyngeal and occipital arteries via one to more than three side branches. The findings are also relevant for the physiological investigation since they reveal that the function of the carotid body does not closely depend on its marcro architecture.

New endoureteral double-J stent resists extrinsic ureteral compression.

The disadvantages of highly flexible endoureteral (double J) stents in the face of tumor-induced extrinsic ureteral compression are a consequence of insufficient cross-sectional stability, leading to stent compression and thus to hydronephrosis or pyonephrosis. The newly developed tumor stent, which is used in cases of tumor-induced ureteral compression, is available in sizes from 6F to 8F in diameter and 24 to 32 cm in length. The shaft consists of a combination of high-stability plastics that presents sufficient elasticity in length. Both ends are made of extremely elastic J parts, guaranteeing stable fixation. Compared with common double-J stents with the same outside diameter, the tumor stent possesses a comparable interior diameter and compared with available stents promises sufficient interior flow in the face of extrinsic diseases. The application can be undertaken using well-known endoscopic techniques, needs no special instrumentation, and entails no learning curve. To date, 49 stents were placed at our urologic departments without any problems, the latest stent remaining for 15 months. Tumor-induced compression or a higher rate of encrustation were not seen. All patients tolerated these stents well. In our opinion, the new stabilized endoureteral stent can be seen as a better solution than percutaneous nephrostomy or frequent stent changing to tumor-induced extrinsic ureteral compression.

Hematologic and clinical chemistry reference values in red lories (Eos spp.).

We established reference ranges for three hematologic and 15 clinical chemistry parameters of 40 clinically healthy birds of the genus Eos. The following species were included to the study: Eos histrio (n = 19), Eos squamata (n = 8), Eos bomea (n = 5), Eos reticulata (n = 4), Eos cyanogenia (n = 4). Detailed information concerning methodology, which is often missing in papers dealing with reference values, is included. As far as possible, data are compared with literature, and some thoughts on obvious deviations are given. The problem of establishing reference values in rare species is reviewed.

[Improved tumor stent for internal palliative urinary diversion]. / Neu entwickelter Tumorstent zur internisierten palliativen Harnableitung.

The disadvantages of high flexible endoureteral stents (DJ) in case of tumorinduced extrinsic ureteral compression are due to an insufficient vertical stability of the used stents leading to stent-compression and consecutive hydro- or pyonephrosis. The new developed tumor-stent used in case of tumor-induced ureteral compression is available from 6 to 8 French in diameter and 24 to 32 cm in length. The corpus consists of a combination of high-stability plastics but is of sufficient elasticity in length. Both ends consist of extremely elastic J-parts guaranteeing an exact fixation. As against common DJ's with the same outside-diameter the new stent has a comparable interior diameter and compared to used "old" tumor stents promises a higher interior flow in case of extrinsic diseases. The application can be undertaken in well-known technique, needs no special instrumentation and no learning-curve. To date 52 stents at our urologic departments were placed without any problems, the latest remaining for 15 months. Tumor-induced compression or a higher rate of encrustation could not be seen. All patients tolerated these stents well. In our opinion the new stabilized endoureteral stent can be seen as a better solution instead of percutaneous nephrostomy or frequent stent changing in patients with tumor induced extrinsic ureteral compression.