RESUMEN
The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of the complement fixation test (CFT) with respect to ELISA for the serological diagnosis of Q fever and to assess the role of serology as a tool for the identification of the shedder status. During 2009-2010, sera from 9635 bovines and 3872 small ruminants (3057 goats and 815 sheep) were collected and analyzed with CFT and ELISA. In addition, 2256 bovine, 139 caprine and 72 ovine samples (individual and bulk tank milk samples, fetuses, vaginal swabs and placentae) were analyzed with a real-time PCR kit. The relative sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) of CFT with respect to ELISA were Se 26.56% and Sp 99.71% for cattle and Se 9.96% and Sp 99.94% for small ruminants. To evaluate the correlation between serum-positive status and shedder status, the ELISA, CFT and real-time PCR results were compared. Due to the sampling method and the data storage system, the analysis of individual associations between the serological and molecular tests was possible only for some of the bovine samples. From a statistical point of view, no agreement was observed between the serological and molecular results obtained for fetus and vaginal swab samples. Slightly better agreement was observed between the serological and molecular results obtained for the individual milk samples and between the serological (at least one positive in the examined group) and molecular results for the bulk tank milk (BTM) samples. The CFT results exhibited a better correlation with the shedder status than did the ELISA results.
Asunto(s)
Enfermedades de los Bovinos/diagnóstico , Coxiella burnetii/genética , Enfermedades de las Cabras/diagnóstico , Fiebre Q/veterinaria , Enfermedades de las Ovejas/diagnóstico , Animales , Bovinos , Enfermedades de los Bovinos/microbiología , Pruebas de Fijación del Complemento , Coxiella burnetii/aislamiento & purificación , Ensayo de Inmunoadsorción Enzimática , Femenino , Feto/microbiología , Enfermedades de las Cabras/microbiología , Cabras , Leche/microbiología , Placenta/microbiología , Embarazo , Fiebre Q/diagnóstico , Fiebre Q/microbiología , Reacción en Cadena en Tiempo Real de la Polimerasa , Sensibilidad y Especificidad , Ovinos , Enfermedades de las Ovejas/microbiologíaRESUMEN
The aim of this study was to verify the extent to which the presence of pain affects the quality of life (QoL) of neuropathic patients. The patients were selected in our Department of Peripheral Nervous System Diseases. We enrolled 120 consecutive patients with chronic polyneuropathy who had not received continuous pain therapy during the two months preceding study entry, and administered them the Total Neuropathy Score (TNS), the official Italian version of the SF-36 and the Italian Pain Questionnaire (QUID). Our main finding was that the QoL is affected not only by the presence of neuropathy, but also by the presence and intensity of pain: the physical aspect of the QoL correlated only weakly with the TNS, but pain was closely related to a worsening in this parameter; moreover, the mental domains of the SF-36 were only correlated with pain. Pain per se worsens the QoL of neuropathic patients, regardless of disease severity.
Asunto(s)
Neuralgia/psicología , Calidad de Vida , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Neuralgia/etiología , Dimensión del Dolor , Polineuropatías/complicaciones , Encuestas y CuestionariosAsunto(s)
Electrodiagnóstico/métodos , Inmunoglobulinas/uso terapéutico , Polirradiculoneuropatía Crónica Inflamatoria Desmielinizante , Adulto , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Conducción Nerviosa/efectos de los fármacos , Polirradiculoneuropatía Crónica Inflamatoria Desmielinizante/diagnóstico , Polirradiculoneuropatía Crónica Inflamatoria Desmielinizante/tratamiento farmacológico , Polirradiculoneuropatía Crónica Inflamatoria Desmielinizante/fisiopatología , Valores de Referencia , Estudios Retrospectivos , Sensibilidad y Especificidad , Resultado del TratamientoRESUMEN
The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of electrophysiological (EDX) tests in the clinical management and diagnosis of patients, and the appropriateness of the referral diagnosis. A study was carried out in three electrodiagnostic services in the Torino area, over a 12-month period. In our study 3,900 individuals (2,340 females, 1,560 males) were evaluated. Patients underwent EDX examinations including nerve conduction study, electromyography and repetitive stimulation test. Most patients had been sent for EDX tests by specialists. Specialists suspected mainly polyneuropathy, whilst general practitioners suspected mainly carpal tunnel syndrome. Seventy-two percent of the requests were correctly formulated, 55% by general practitioners and 77% by specialists. There was a concordance between the results of the EDX tests and diagnostic hypothesis 40% of the time. This study confirms the usefulness and diagnostic impact of EDX examinations and evidences the amount of time and resources wasted as a result of incorrect or incomplete requests.
Asunto(s)
Electrodiagnóstico , Enfermedades del Sistema Nervioso Periférico/diagnóstico , Derivación y Consulta/normas , Adolescente , Adulto , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Niño , Estimulación Eléctrica/métodos , Electromiografía/métodos , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Conducción Nerviosa/fisiología , Enfermedades del Sistema Nervioso Periférico/fisiopatologíaAsunto(s)
Síndrome del Túnel Carpiano/etiología , Síndrome de Guillain-Barré/complicaciones , Anciano , Síndrome del Túnel Carpiano/epidemiología , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Nervio Mediano/fisiología , Persona de Mediana Edad , Conducción Nerviosa/fisiología , Estudios Prospectivos , Nervio Cubital/fisiologíaRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence, nature, and associated phenotypes of PINK1 gene mutations in a large series of patients with early-onset (<50 years) parkinsonism. METHODS: The authors studied 134 patients (116 sporadic and 18 familial; 77% Italian) and 90 Italian controls. The whole PINK1 coding region was sequenced from genomic DNA; cDNA was analyzed in selected cases. RESULTS: Homozygous pathogenic mutations were identified in 4 of 90 Italian sporadic cases, including the novel Gln456Stop mutation; single heterozygous truncating or missense mutations were found in another 4 Italian sporadic cases, including two novel mutations, Pro196Leu and Gln456Stop. Pathogenic mutations were not identified in the familial cases. Novel (Gln115Leu) and known polymorphisms were identified with similar frequency in cases and controls. In cases carrying single heterozygous mutation, cDNA analysis detected no additional mutations, and revealed a major pathogenic effect at mRNA level for the mutant C1366T/Gln456Stop allele. All patients with homozygous mutations had very early disease onset, slow progression, and excellent response to l-dopa, including, in some, symmetric onset, dystonia at onset, and sleep benefit, resembling parkin-related disease. Phenotype in patients with single heterozygous mutation was similar, but onset was later. CONCLUSIONS: PINK1 homozygous mutations are a relevant cause of disease among Italian sporadic patients with early-onset parkinsonism. The role of mutations found in single heterozygous state is difficult to interpret. Our study suggests that, at least in some patients, these mutations are disease causing, in combination with additional, still unknown factors.
Asunto(s)
Predisposición Genética a la Enfermedad/genética , Mutación/genética , Enfermedad de Parkinson/genética , Proteínas Quinasas/genética , Adolescente , Adulto , Edad de Inicio , Niño , Análisis Mutacional de ADN , ADN Complementario/análisis , ADN Complementario/genética , Femenino , Frecuencia de los Genes , Pruebas Genéticas , Genoma/genética , Genotipo , Humanos , Italia/epidemiología , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Mutación Missense , Enfermedad de Parkinson/epidemiología , Enfermedad de Parkinson/fisiopatología , Fenotipo , Polimorfismo Genético/genética , Homología de Secuencia de AminoácidoRESUMEN
The distinction between chronic demyelinating polyneuropathies associated with IgM paraproteinemia and anti-myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) antibodies (MAG-PN) and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathies (CIDPs) relies on the anti-MAG antibodies assay. The aim of the study was to identify clinical and electrophysiological features suggesting a diagnosis of MAG-PN. Fourteen patients with MAG-PN and 35 with CIDP were included, and a discriminant analysis was performed to identify the clinical and electrophysiological features suggestive of MAG-PN. Pure sensory clinical phenotype, low median and ulnar terminal latency index, and absence of M responses in the lower limbs were significantly associated with the diagnosis of MAG-PN, and indicate a moderate to large increase in probability of this diagnosis in patients with chronic dysimmune demyelinating polyneuropathies.
Asunto(s)
Autoanticuerpos/sangre , Glicoproteína Asociada a Mielina/inmunología , Polirradiculoneuropatía Crónica Inflamatoria Desmielinizante/diagnóstico , Polirradiculoneuropatía Crónica Inflamatoria Desmielinizante/inmunología , Adulto , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Biomarcadores , Complicaciones de la Diabetes , Diagnóstico Diferencial , Electromiografía , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Polirradiculoneuropatía Crónica Inflamatoria Desmielinizante/complicaciones , Valor Predictivo de las Pruebas , Estudios ProspectivosRESUMEN
In the advanced phase of Parkinson's disease (PD), gait disturbances represent one of the main causes of disability. Several studies demonstrated that high-frequency electrical stimulation (HFS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) significantly improves the motor symptoms of PD. This study was finalised to quantitatively analyze the effect of STN HFS on gait of PD patients, through a three-dimensional gait analysis system. Ten PD patients were studied, with and without STN HFS. The results demonstrated that STN HFS significantly improves all the main gait parameters in PD patients.
Asunto(s)
Terapia por Estimulación Eléctrica , Marcha , Enfermedad de Parkinson/terapia , Núcleo Subtalámico , Fenómenos Biomecánicos , Estudios de Casos y Controles , Femenino , Humanos , Cinética , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Enfermedad de Parkinson/fisiopatología , Núcleo Subtalámico/fisiopatologíaRESUMEN
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) has been shown to be an effective therapy for the treatment of advanced Parkinson's disease (PD). Forty-seven patients were bilaterally implanted for STN DBS and clinically evaluated according to the Core Assessment Program for Intracerebral Transplantations before surgery and 3, 12 and 24 months after surgery. Electrical stimulation led to a significant improvement in motor symptoms and in the quality of life, allowing a significant reduction of dopaminergic drugs with a consequent improvement of drug-induced dyskinesias. Statistical differences were observed between UPDRS parts II, III and IV values and daily levodopa dosage in the pre- and postoperative periods, while no differences were evident between the 3 postoperative conditions.
Asunto(s)
Terapia por Estimulación Eléctrica , Enfermedad de Parkinson/terapia , Núcleo Subtalámico , Anciano , Antiparkinsonianos/efectos adversos , Discinesia Inducida por Medicamentos/terapia , Electrodos Implantados , Femenino , Estudios de Seguimiento , Humanos , Levodopa/efectos adversos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Enfermedad de Parkinson/tratamiento farmacológico , Enfermedad de Parkinson/fisiopatología , Calidad de Vida , Núcleo Subtalámico/fisiopatología , Factores de Tiempo , Resultado del TratamientoRESUMEN
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) is an effective treatment for the motor symptoms of advanced Parkinson's disease (PD). The aim of this study was to assess the effect of the bilateral surgical procedure and STN DBS on the neuropsychological functions. Twenty Parkinson's disease patients underwent a neuropsychological assessment before and 6 months after surgery in four different conditions: medication on (with levodopa) and medication off (without levodopa) during the preoperative period, medication on/stimulation on (levodopa plus stimulators switched on) and medication off/stimulation on (stimulators switched on without levodopa) during the postoperative period. We did not find any significant difference in the four conditions for all the neuropsychological tests, confirming the lack of an overall cognitive decline after surgery. From a neuropsychological point of view, these results seem to indicate that bilateral STN DBS is a safe treatment for advanced PD.
Asunto(s)
Trastornos del Conocimiento/etiología , Terapia por Estimulación Eléctrica/efectos adversos , Terapia por Estimulación Eléctrica/psicología , Enfermedad de Parkinson/psicología , Enfermedad de Parkinson/terapia , Complicaciones Posoperatorias/etiología , Núcleo Subtalámico/cirugía , Factores de Edad , Anciano , Cognición/fisiología , Trastornos del Conocimiento/fisiopatología , Progresión de la Enfermedad , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Pruebas Neuropsicológicas , Enfermedad de Parkinson/fisiopatología , Complicaciones Posoperatorias/fisiopatología , Núcleo Subtalámico/fisiología , Resultado del TratamientoRESUMEN
Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus has been proved to be an effective treatment for advanced Parkinson's disease when therapeutical strategies have failed. A correct selection of candidates for surgery is fundamental to obtain a good clinical effect. In this study we present our protocol of patient selection. In addition we report the data relative to the different causes of exclusion and the clinical efficacy of the electrical stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus at 3 months and 1 year follow-up.
Asunto(s)
Terapia por Estimulación Eléctrica , Enfermedad de Parkinson/fisiopatología , Enfermedad de Parkinson/terapia , Selección de Paciente , Núcleo Subtalámico/fisiopatología , Antiparkinsonianos/administración & dosificación , Antiparkinsonianos/efectos adversos , Relación Dosis-Respuesta a Droga , Electrodos Implantados , Femenino , Estudios de Seguimiento , Humanos , Levodopa/administración & dosificación , Levodopa/efectos adversos , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Resultado del TratamientoRESUMEN
The present study investigated behavioural modifications and familiar relations in a group of 15 parkinsonian patients treated with bilateral deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus. In 70% of the patients, during the first months after surgery we observed a euphoric mood owing to motor signs amelioration, but a series of problems (fear to come back to the pre-operative condition, sense of failure, slowness in changing the old habits) arose when it was necessary to adjust the parameters of stimulation and the pharmacological therapy to obtain a stable clinical picture. The caregivers showed an aggressive behaviour as reaction to the persistent psychological dependence of the patients. This distressed condition could be the cause of the onset of incomprehensions within the couple.
Asunto(s)
Terapia por Estimulación Eléctrica/efectos adversos , Relaciones Familiares , Enfermedad de Parkinson/psicología , Enfermedad de Parkinson/terapia , Núcleo Subtalámico/fisiopatología , Ansiedad/etiología , Ansiedad/psicología , Cuidadores/psicología , Dopaminérgicos/uso terapéutico , Relación Dosis-Respuesta a Droga , Esquema de Medicación , Terapia por Estimulación Eléctrica/psicología , Electrodos Implantados , Femenino , Estudios de Seguimiento , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Pruebas Neuropsicológicas , Enfermedad de Parkinson/fisiopatología , Calidad de Vida/psicología , Resultado del TratamientoAsunto(s)
Terapia por Estimulación Eléctrica , Enfermedad de Parkinson/complicaciones , Trastornos del Sueño-Vigilia/complicaciones , Trastornos del Sueño-Vigilia/terapia , Núcleo Subtalámico/cirugía , Anciano , Antiparkinsonianos/uso terapéutico , Humanos , Levodopa/uso terapéutico , Masculino , Enfermedad de Parkinson/tratamiento farmacológicoRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relation between the variation of the parameters of stimulation and the clinical effectiveness in parkinsonian patients treated with deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN), to provide information on the electrical parameter setting and the mechanism of action of deep brain stimulation. METHODS: Ten patients with Parkinson's disease bilaterally implanted in the STN were studied. For every patient the intensity of the stimulus necessary to obtain the disappearance of contralateral wrist rigidity (required clinical effect, RCE) and the side effect threshold in 20 different conditions of stimulation, coupling four pulse width values (60, 120, 210, 450 micros) with five rate values (10, 50, 90, 130, 170 Hz) were determined. All the patients were tested after a 12 hour withdrawal of antiparkinsonian drugs, and the clinical evaluation was double blind. RESULTS: In all the patients it was impossible to obtain the RCE using 10 and 50 Hz stimulus rates. For all the other stimulus rate values, the intensity-pulse width curves (IPWCs) for the RCE and for the side effect threshold showed a hyperbolic trend. For every pulse width value, increasing the rate from 90 to 130 and to 170 Hz progressively decreased the intensity of the stimulus necessary to reach the RCE, but the differences were not significant. Within the same rate value, the progressive reduction of the stimulus intensity necessary to obtain the RCE, obtained with the lengthening of the pulse width was significant (p<0.05) only comparing 60 with 210 micros and 60 with 450 micros. CONCLUSIONS: The findings give some useful indications for the electrical parameter setting in deep brain stimulation of the STN, and some information about the mechanism of action of deep brain stimulation.
Asunto(s)
Terapia por Estimulación Eléctrica , Enfermedad de Parkinson/terapia , Núcleo Subtalámico/cirugía , Anciano , Terapia por Estimulación Eléctrica/efectos adversos , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Factores de TiempoRESUMEN
The authors report the data relative to the clinical effectiveness of bilateral deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus in 16 patients with PD 3 months after the surgery. The comparison of the Unified PD Rating Scale scores in the different conditions of medication and stimulation, and the lack of significant surgical complications, confirm the effectiveness and the safety of the subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation for the treatment of advanced PD.
Asunto(s)
Estimulación Eléctrica/efectos adversos , Enfermedad de Parkinson/fisiopatología , Enfermedad de Parkinson/terapia , Núcleo Subtalámico/fisiopatología , Anciano , Femenino , Lateralidad Funcional/fisiología , Humanos , Levodopa/uso terapéutico , Masculino , Persona de Mediana EdadRESUMEN
The study was conducted in a cohort of 50 female patients, all in the active phase of various osteoarthritic diseases. All had a documented past history of gastric distress requiring pre- and post-treatment endoscopic monitoring. The 50 subjects were divided randomly into two 25-patient groups. One group received amtolmetin guacyl (1200 mg/day orally in two daily administrations on an empty stomach for the first three days of treatment and 600 mg/day once daily on an empty stomach for the remaining 27 days) and the other received diclofenac (150 mg/day orally in three daily administrations on a full stomach for the duration of the treatment period). The statistical significances of the antiphlogistic activity of the two drugs were very close to one another. The gastric tolerability verified at T0 and T30 through endoscopic monitoring of the mucosal conditions was excellent for Artromed (slight improvement after 30 days) and critical for diclofenac (significant (P < or = 0.01) deterioration after 30 days). All of the patients in the Artromed group terminated the period of therapy whilst 3 patients from the diclofenac group were obliged to abandon the study through accumulation of undesirable side-effects (12%).
Asunto(s)
Antiinflamatorios no Esteroideos/uso terapéutico , Diclofenaco/uso terapéutico , Glicina/análogos & derivados , Osteoartritis/tratamiento farmacológico , Pirroles/uso terapéutico , Administración Oral , Factores de Edad , Anciano , Antiinflamatorios no Esteroideos/administración & dosificación , Antiinflamatorios no Esteroideos/efectos adversos , Interpretación Estadística de Datos , Diclofenaco/administración & dosificación , Diclofenaco/efectos adversos , Tolerancia a Medicamentos , Femenino , Mucosa Gástrica/efectos de los fármacos , Gastroscopía , Glicina/administración & dosificación , Glicina/efectos adversos , Glicina/uso terapéutico , Humanos , Mucosa Intestinal/efectos de los fármacos , Persona de Mediana Edad , Monitoreo Fisiológico , Pirroles/administración & dosificación , Pirroles/efectos adversosRESUMEN
Rat brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) were engineered for expression in a baculovirus-infected Spodoptera frugiperda insect cell system. The BDNF and NT-3 from the culture supernatants were purified by ion-exchange and reverse-phase chromatography to apparent homogeneity. The purification procedure yielded approximately 2 mg of pure rat BDNF or NT-3 per liter of culture supernatant. A single N-terminus only was found for either secreted molecule and was analogous to that predicted from the corresponding cDNA sequence. The recombinant neurotrophins obtained were also homogeneous with regard to molecular weight and amino acid sequence. In their native conformation, the insect cell-produced rat BDNF and NT-3 molecules were homodimers consisting of 119 amino acid polypeptide chains. Thus, although the genes transfected into the S. frugiperda cells coded for proBDNF or proNT-3, the BDNF and NT-3 recovered after purification were > 95% fully processed, mature protein. Mature recombinant rat BDNF and NT-3 were found not to be significantly glycosylated. Pure, recombinant rat BDNF and NT-3 promoted the survival of embryonic dorsal root ganglion neurons in the low picomolar range. Because recombinant rat BDNF and NT-3 can be obtained in large quantities, purified to near homogeneity, and are identical in amino acid sequence to the corresponding human proteins, they are suitable for evaluation in animal models.
Asunto(s)
Mariposas Nocturnas/metabolismo , Factores de Crecimiento Nervioso , Proteínas del Tejido Nervioso/metabolismo , Secuencia de Aminoácidos , Animales , Baculoviridae , Factor Neurotrófico Derivado del Encéfalo , Dicroismo Circular , Glicosilación , Conformación Molecular , Datos de Secuencia Molecular , Mariposas Nocturnas/citología , Mariposas Nocturnas/microbiología , Factores de Crecimiento Nervioso/química , Factores de Crecimiento Nervioso/genética , Factores de Crecimiento Nervioso/metabolismo , Proteínas del Tejido Nervioso/química , Proteínas del Tejido Nervioso/genética , Neurotrofina 3 , Ratas , Proteínas Recombinantes , TransfecciónRESUMEN
Human ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) was inserted into a mammalian expression vector linked to the prepro sequence of human nerve growth factor. A Chinese hamster ovary cell line was established by resistance to neomycin and the plasmid integrated DNA was amplified using the metallothionein gene. This cell line contained several hundred copies of the human CNTF gene and produced an NH2 terminal truncated form of human CNTF (22 kDa) which was secreted into the medium. Although the copy number of the human CNTF gene was high and its mRNA was actively transcribed, the recombinant protein secreted into the medium constituted only 35-40% of the total amount of human CNTF synthesized by these cells. Both wild-type human CNTF produced in bacterial cells and the human CNTF obtained by forced secretion were effective in protecting hippocampal pyramidal neurons from injury induced by glucose deprivation, a form of excitotoxic neurodegeneration.
Asunto(s)
Factores de Crecimiento Nervioso/biosíntesis , Proteínas del Tejido Nervioso/biosíntesis , Neuronas/citología , Transfección , Secuencia de Aminoácidos , Animales , Secuencia de Bases , Northern Blotting , Southern Blotting , Células CHO , Supervivencia Celular/efectos de los fármacos , Células Cultivadas , Factor Neurotrófico Ciliar , Cricetinae , ADN/análisis , ADN/metabolismo , Hipocampo/citología , Humanos , Metalotioneína/genética , Datos de Secuencia Molecular , Peso Molecular , Proteínas del Tejido Nervioso/genética , Proteínas del Tejido Nervioso/farmacología , Neuronas/efectos de los fármacos , Regiones Promotoras Genéticas , ARN Mensajero/biosíntesis , ARN Mensajero/metabolismo , Ratas , Proteínas Recombinantes/biosíntesis , Proteínas Recombinantes/aislamiento & purificación , Proteínas Recombinantes/farmacología , Eliminación de Secuencia , Transcripción GenéticaRESUMEN
Glial cells execute essential functions in central nervous system (CNS) development and are also believed to play important roles during gliosis in response to trauma or disease. These developmental and pathological states have also been associated with elevated expression of opioid genes. Because levels of the cytokine interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) increase following CNS lesions, we examined the possible influence of IL-1 beta on the expression of opioid genes in astrocytes cultured from rat cortex. Proenkephalin mRNA expression was stimulated by IL-1 beta in a time- and concentration-dependent manner, being maximal with 5 U/ml IL-1 beta at 4 h. Although the beta-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol was also active, interferon, glutamate, and carbachol were not. Unlike isoproterenol, the actions of IL-1 beta were not associated with a cyclic adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-dependent pathway. Interleukin-1 beta also regulated a proenkephalin-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase fusion gene transiently transfected into astrocytes, with a dose-response similar to that active in proenkephalin mRNA. These effects of IL-1 beta were region-specific, not being observed with either cerebellar or hippocampal astrocytes; however, isoproterenol was active in the latter cell populations. Proenkephalin mRNA in cortical astrocytes was stimulated following a temperature stress. These results suggest that enhanced proenkephalin gene expression in astrocytes by IL-1 beta may be important in neuroimmune interactions and in trauma-induced CNS injury or stress.
Asunto(s)
Astrocitos/fisiología , Corteza Cerebral/citología , Encefalinas/genética , Expresión Génica/efectos de los fármacos , Interleucina-1/farmacología , Precursores de Proteínas/genética , Animales , Células Cultivadas , Cerebelo/citología , Cerebelo/fisiología , Corteza Cerebral/fisiología , Frío , Embrión de Mamíferos/citología , Hipocampo/embriología , Hipocampo/fisiología , Regiones Promotoras Genéticas , Ratas , Estrés Fisiológico/metabolismoRESUMEN
The hypothesis has been made that inhibition of prostacyclin (PG12) production may play a role in the pathogenesis of thrombosis in patients with the lupus anticoagulant (LA), but so far no evidence of reduced PG12 levels in vivo has been produced. We have tested the plasma levels of PG12 and thromboxane A2 (TXA2) and the platelet sensitivity to PG12 in 14 patients with and without LA and in 14 healthy controls. No significant difference in the prostanoid basal levels was detected among the groups; however, in some patients PG12 increments seemed to parallel the clinical course of the disease. Platelet sensitivity to exogenous PG12 was significantly enhanced in the LA + patients and correlated with PG12 values. We suggest that in these subjects additional factors, other than reduced PG12, may predispose to thrombosis.