PKC- and PKA-dependent phosphorylation modulates TREK-1 function in naïve and neuropathic rats.

PKC and PKA phosphorylation inhibit TREK-1 channels downstream of Gs protein-coupled receptor activation in vitro. However, the role of phosphorylation of TREK-1 in neuropathic pain is unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether altered TREK-1 channel function by PKA and PKC modulators contributes to antiallodynia in neuropathic rats. Furthermore, we investigated if the in vitro described sites for PKC and PKA phosphorylation (S300 and S333, respectively) participate in the modulation of TREK-1 in naïve and neuropathic rats. L5/L6 spinal nerve ligation (SNL) induced tactile allodynia. Intrathecal injection of BL-1249 (TREK-1 activator) reversed nerve injury-induced tactile allodynia, whereas spadin (TREK-1 blocker) produced tactile allodynia in naïve rats and reversed the antiallodynic effect induced by BL-1249 in neuropathic rats. Intrathecal administration of rottlerin or Rp-cAMPs (PKC and PKA inhibitors, respectively) enhanced the antiallodynia observed with BL-1249 in neuropathic rats. In contrast, pretreatment with PdBu or forskolin (PKC and PKA activators, respectively) reduced the BL-1249-induced antiallodynia. Intrathecal injection of two high-activity TREK-1 recombinant channels, using a in vivo transfection method with lipofectamine, with mutations at PKC/PKA phosphosites (S300A and S333A) reversed tactile allodynia in neuropathic rats, with no effect in naïve rats. In contrast, transfection of two low-activity TREK-1 recombinant channels with phosphomimetic mutations at those sites (S300D and S333D) produced tactile allodynia in naïve rats and interfered with antiallodynic effects of rottlerin/BL-1249 or Rp-cAMPs/BL-1249. Data suggest that TREK-1 channel activity can be dynamically tuned in vivo by PKC/PKA to provoke allodynia and modulate its antiallodynic role in neuropathic pain.

Fatal Case of Primary Cutaneous Aggressive T-Cell Lymphoma Switching From a CD4+ to a CD8+ Phenotype: Progressive Disease With Bexarotene and Romidepsin Treatment.

A 77-year-old white male presented to the clinic with two isolated cutaneous tumors on his forehead. A cutaneous biopsy showed a focally folliculotropic CD4 cutaneous lymphoma. The tumors were irradiated with a complete response, and he was started on oral bexarotene. He experienced localized cutaneous relapse 3 months into treatment. These new tumors now revealed a surprisingly CD8 cytotoxic phenotype, but with the same clone. A systemic workup was negative. His regimen was switched to romidepsin, and he was treated with local radiation again. Another 3.5 months passed in remission until he developed widespread cutaneous tumors. Positron emission tomography/computed tomography revealed multifocal systemic disease involving his diaphragm, liver, distal duodenum, proximal jejunum, anterior chest wall including pectoral muscles, and lungs without significant adenopathy. He died a few days later. Given his full clinical and pathological course, he was given the diagnosis of an aggressive primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, unspecified.

Effects of intravenous analgesia with combined dezocine and butorphanol on postoperative cognitive function in elderly patients.

The aim of this study was to observe the analgesic effects of the combination of dezocine and butorphanol on postoperative cognitive function in elderly patients. Forty elderly patients undergoing upper abdominal surgeries or thoracotomies with general anesthesia were randomly divided into the dezocine and butorphanol group or the butorphanol group (20 patients per group). A visual analog scale was used to evaluate analgesia and the degree of malignant vomiting. The Ramsay scoring method was used to evaluate sedation. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was used to evaluate cognitive function. Forty-eight hours after the operation, the pain score of the dezocine and butorphanol group (means ± SD, 1.75 ± 0.44) was lower than that of the butorphanol group (2.25 ± 0.79; P < 0.05), and the nausea and vomiting score of the dezocine and butorphanol group (0) was lower than that of the butorphanol group (0.70 ± 1.30; P < 0.05). Six hours after the operation, the sedative score of the butorphanol group (3.75 ± 0.79) was higher than that of the dezocine and butorphanol group (2.15 ± 0.75; P < 0.05). Compared to 1 day before the operation, the MMSE scores of both groups decreased 6 h after the operation, and the MMSE score of the butorphanol group (15.00 ± 2.00) was lower than that of the dezocine and butorphanol group (20.95 ± 1.54; P < 0.05). Dezocine and butorphanol analgesia had transient effects on postoperative cognitive function in elderly patients, and the effect of the combination was superior than butorphanol only.

Memory time-course: mRNA 5-HT1A and 5-HT7 receptors.

In an attempt to clarify conflicting results about serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) 5-HT(1A) and 5-HT(7) receptors in memory formation, their mRNA expression was determined by RT-PCR in key brain areas for explicit and implicit memory. The time-course (0-120 h) of autoshaped responses was progressive and mRNA 5-HT(1A) or 5-HT(7) receptors expression monotonically augmented or declined in prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and raphe nuclei, respectively. At 24-48 h acutely 8-OH-DPAT (0.062 mg/kg) administration enhanced memory and attenuated mRNA 5-HT(1A)<5-HT(7) receptors expression respect to saline group. WAY100635 (0.3 mg/kg) or SB-269970 (10.0 mg/kg) did not affect the former, partially blocked or reversed the latter, respectively. Furthermore, lower WAY100635 (0.001-0.1 mg/kg) or SB-269970 (1.0-5.0 mg/kg) doses plus 8-OHDPAT not affected memory; however both combinations suppressed or up-regulated mRNA expression 5-HT(1A) or 5-HT(7) receptors. In contrast, AS19 (5.0 mg/kg) facilitated memory consolidation, decreased or increased hippocampal 5-HT(7) and 5-HT(1A) receptors expression. Together these data revealed that, when both 5-HT(1A) and 5-HT(7) receptors were stimulated by 8-OHDPAT under memory consolidation, subtle changes emerged, not evident at behavioral level though detectable at genes expression. Notably, high levels of efficient memory were maintained even when serotonergic tone, via either 5-HT(1A) or 5-HT(7) receptor, was down- or up-regulated. Nevertheless, WAY100635 plus SB-269970 impaired memory consolidation and suppressed their expression. Considering that serotonergic changes are prominent in AD patients with an earlier onset of disease the present approach might be useful in the identification of functional changes associated to memory formation, memory deficits and reversing or even preventing these deficits.

Ex vivo study of 5-HT(1A) and 5-HT(7) receptor agonists and antagonists on cAMP accumulation during memory formation and amnesia.

The cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is a second messenger and a central component of intracellular signaling pathways that regulate a wide range of biological functions, including memory. Hence, in this work, firstly the time-course of memory formation was determined in an autoshaping learning task, which had allowed the identification of testing times for increases or decreases in performance. Next, untrained, trained and overtrained groups were compared in cAMP production. Moreover, selective stimulation and antagonism of 5-HT(1A) and 5-HT(7) receptors during memory formation and cAMP production were determined. Finally, since there is scarce information about how pharmacological models of amnesia affect cAMP production, the cholinergic or glutamatergic antagonists, scopolamine and dizocilpine, were tested. The major findings of this work showed that when the time-course was determined inasmuch as training and testing sessions occurred, memory performance was graduate and progressive. Notably, for the fourth to seventh (i.e., 48-120 h following autoshaping training session) testing session performance was significantly higher from the previous ones. When animals received 5-HT(1A) and 5-HT(7) receptor agonists and antagonists or amnesic drugs significant increases or decrements in memory performance were observed at 24 and 48 h. Moreover, when ex vivo cAMP production from trained and overtrained groups were compared to untrained ones, significant differences were observed among groups and brain areas. Trained animals treated with 8-OHDPAT, AS19, 8-OHDPAT plus AS19, WAY100635, SB-269970, scopolamine or dizocilpine were compared to similar untrained groups, and eightfold-reduced cAMP production was evident, showing the importance of cAMP production in the signaling case in mammalian memory formation.

The effects of the 5-HT(6) receptor agonist EMD and the 5-HT(7) receptor agonist AS19 on memory formation.

Growing evidence indicates that 5-hydrohytryptamine (5-HT) receptors mediate learning and memory. Particularly interesting are 5-HT(6) and 5-HT(7) receptors, which are localized in brain areas involved in memory formation. Interestingly, recently selective 5-HT(6) and 5-HT(7) receptor agonists and antagonists have become available. Previous evidence indicates that 5-HT(6) or 5-HT(7) receptors antagonists had no effects, improved memory formation and/or reversed amnesia. Herein, the effects of EMD (a 5-HT(6) receptor agonist) and AS19 (a 5-HT(7) receptor agonist) in the associative learning task of autoshaping were studied. Post-training systemic administration of EMD (1-10 mg/kg) or AS19 (1-10 mg/kg) were tested in short-term memory (STM) and long-term memory (LTM). Results showed that only EMD 5.0mg/kg impaired both STM and LTM. AS19 at 1-10 mg/kg significantly impaired STM but not LTM. In those groups used to test only LTM, EMD impaired it; while AS19 improved LTM. Moreover, in the interaction experiments, the STM EMD-impairment effect was partially reversed by the selective 5-HT(6) receptor antagonist SB-399885 (10 mg/kg). The STM AS19-impairment effect (5.0 mg/kg) was not altered by the selective 5-HT(1A) antagonist WAY 100635 (0.3 mg/kg) but reversed by the selective 5-HT(7) receptor antagonist SB-269970 (10.0 mg/kg). The AS19-SB-269970 combination impaired LTM. Taken together these data suggest that the stimulation of 5-HT(6) impaired both STM and LTM. 5-HT(7) receptors stimulation impaired STM but improved LTM. And these results are discussed in the context of their possible neural bases.

7-OH-DPAT effects on latent inhibition: low dose facilitation but high dose blockade: implications for dopamine receptor involvement in attentional processes.

7-OH-DPAT is a dopamine D2/D3 agonist, which at low doses acts preferentially on D3 receptors but at high doses it acts on D2 and D3 receptors. The present study investigated the contribution of D3 and D2 receptors on latent inhibition (LI) by using two dose levels of 7-OH-DPAT: a low dose, 0.1 mg/kg (D3 receptor activation) and a high dose, 1.0 mg/kg, (D2/D3 receptor activation) in a conditioned emotional response (CER) paradigm. The LI Protocols included CS pre-exposure (10 or 40 CS alone trials), CER induction and a non-drug CER test phase. Additionally, the drug effects upon CER acquisition without LI were assessed using the same treatments and test environment pre-exposure protocols but without the tone CS. The effects of 7-OH-DPAT on crossing, rearing and grooming were also measured in an open field 1 day after the CER test phase. The results showed that the low dose 7-OH-DPAT treatment potentiated LI at 10 but not at 40 CS pre-exposures. The high dose 7-OH-DPAT treatment blocked LI at both the 10 and 40 stimulus pre-exposures; and it also induced hyperactivity. Thus, D3 stimulation induced by a low dose of 7-OH-DPAT can facilitate LI but these effects are contingent upon and are specific to the number of stimulus presentations. Altogether, these findings indicate that D3 stimulation can enhance attentional processes, but D2 stimulation can impair attentional processes.