Angiopoietin-1 is an antipermeability and anti-inflammatory agent in vitro and targets cell junctions.

Inflammation is a basic pathological mechanism that underlies many diseases. An important component of the inflammatory response is the passage of plasma components and leukocytes from the blood vessel into the tissues. The endothelial monolayer lining blood vessels reacts to stimuli such as thrombin or vascular endothelial growth factor by changes in cell-cell junctions, an increase in permeability, and the leakage of plasma components into tissues. Other stimuli, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), are responsible for stimulating the transmigration of leukocytes. Here we show that angiopoietin-1, a cytokine essential in fetal angiogenesis, not only supports the localization of proteins such as platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1) into junctions between endothelial cells and decreases the phosphorylation of PECAM-1 and vascular endothelial cadherin, but it also strengthens these junctions, as evidenced by a decrease in basal permeability and inhibition of permeability responses to thrombin and vascular endothelial growth factor. Furthermore, angiopoietin-1 inhibits TNF-alpha-stimulated leukocyte transmigration. Angiopoietin-1 may thus have a major role in maintaining the integrity of endothelial monolayers.

Processing of phobic stimuli.

The hypothesis tested in the present experiments is that phobics show poor focused attention for phobic stimuli. A test of the hypothesis was undertaken using spider phobics' performance in a recognition memory task involving dead spiders as an index of processing. The first experiment confirmed the hypothesis of poorer processing of spider stimuli in phobics, but only for big spiders on a post hoc division of spider stimuli. These were interpreted as being the more arousing. There was also a tendency for desensitization to improve spider recognition. The second experiment investigated recognition memory under 'ordinary' and 'elaborated' processing conditions, but the hypothesis of poorer spider recognition in phobics was confirmed only in a post hoc correlational analysis for the elaborated processing condition. The hypothesis is related to findings that long-term benefit from exposure treatments is facilitated by focused attention.

Colour naming of phobia-related words.

A version of the Stroop test was developed which requires colour naming of spider words. Spider phobics were severely retarded on this task, but not on the conflicting colour-word Stroop or a Stroop with more general threat words. Desensitization of phobics significantly reduced interference on the Spider Stroop. A third experiment examined the retest properties of the Stroop and the value of equivalent forms. The explanation of the Spider Stroop effect and its usefulness as an outcome measure are discussed.

The mental health of foreign students.

Because of the psychological stress associated with university life and the physical and mental stress associated with migration, researchers have become interested in psychological problems of foreign students. In this study four groups of foreign students from different parts of the world were compared with two British groups on a self-report measure of mental health. No sex differences were found yet the overseas students, as a whole, showed significantly more disturbance than either British control or first-year subjects. However, despite many differences between their countries of origin there were no significant differences between any of the overseas groups on the total scale score or any sub-scores. Further, with the exception of Malaysian students, the British subjects were significantly more satisfied with their social lives than the other groups. These findings are discussed in terms of the literature on life events and illness, culture shock and migration and mental health.