Acute stress enhances the expression of neuroprotection- and neurogenesis-associated genes in the hippocampus of a mouse restraint model.

Stress arises from an external demand placed on an organism that triggers physiological, cognitive and behavioural responses in order to cope with that request. It is thus an adaptive response useful for the survival of an organism. The objective of this study was to identify and characterize global changes in gene expression in the hippocampus in response to acute stress stimuli, by employing a mouse model of short-term restraint stress. In our experimental design mice were subjected to a one time exposure of restraint stress and the regulation of gene expression in the hippocampus was examined 3, 12 and 24 hours thereafter. Microarray analysis revealed that mice which had undergone acute restraint stress differed from non-stressed controls in global hippocampal transcriptional responses. An up-regulation of transcripts contributing directly or indirectly to neurogenesis and neuronal protection including, Ttr, Rab6, Gh, Prl, Ndufb9 and Ndufa6, was observed. Systems level analyses revealed a significant enrichment for neurogenesis, neuron morphogenesis- and cognitive functions-related biological process terms and pathways. This work further supports the hypothesis that acute stress mediates a positive action on the hippocampus favouring the formation and the preservation of neurons, which will be discussed in the context of current data from the literature.

Biomarkers of hippocampal gene expression in a mouse restraint chronic stress model.

OBJECTIVE: Acute stress provides many beneficial effects whereas chronic stress contributes to a variety of human health issues including anxiety, depression, gastrointestinal problems, cardiac disease, sleep disorders and obesity. The goal of this work was to identify, using a rodent model, hippocampal gene signatures associated with prolonged chronic stress representing candidate biomarkers and therapeutic targets for early diagnosis and pharmacological intervention for stress induced disease. MATERIALS & METHODS: Mice underwent 'restraint stress' over 7 consecutive days and hippocampal gene-expression changes were analyzed at 3, 12 and 24 h following the final restraint treatment. RESULTS: Data indicated that mice exposed to chronic restraint stress exhibit a differential gene-expression profile compared with non-stressed controls. The greatest differences were observed 12 and 24 h following the final stress test. CONCLUSION: Our study indicated that Gpr88, Ttr, Gh and Tac1 mRNAs were modulated in mice exposed to chronic restraint stress. These transcripts represent a panel of biomarkers and druggable targets for further analysis in the context of chronic stress associated disease in humans.

Into the wardrobe of Narnia: beyond HIV infection a world of cardiovascular risk.

A 38-years-old HIV-hepatitis C virus (HCV) coinfected woman presented to us for dyslipidemia. Clinical, familial and laboratory data were consistent with the diagnosis of familial heterozygous hypercholesterolaemia. History, clinical examination and laboratory findings also supported suspected acromegaly. A pituitary MRI showed a sellar macroadenoma that was removed by transphenoidal surgery without complications. MRI carried out 6 months after surgery showed almost complete removal of the adenoma. This case report describes an uncommon association of diseases, very different for aetiology--genetic for FH, infectious for HIV and HCV, caused by excessive hormone secretion for acromegaly--clinical features and therapy, but all sharing a significant impact on cardiovascular risk as a common feature.

Atrial fibrillation and right bundle branch block complicating coil embolization of a huge pulmonary arterio-venous malformation.

Coil embolization is a safe therapy for pulmonary arterio-venous malformations (PAVMs). We report the case of a 72-year-old woman affected by hereditary hemorrhagic teleangectasia who experienced right bundle branch block and atrial fibrillation 36 hours after embolization of an extended PAVM. To our knowledge, this is the first case of such a complication of embolization of a pulmonary fistula, presumably due to an acute pressure overload on both the right atrium and ventricle. This case report suggests that, after embolization of extended pulmonary fistulas, patients should be carefully monitored for rhythm disturbance and new onset of intraventricular conduction defects.

PFAPA syndrome in a young adult with a history of tonsillectomy.

Since its clinical definition in 1987, the syndrome called, "periodic fever, aphtous stomatitis, pharyngitis and cervical adenitis" syndrome (PFAPA) has been considered peculiar to pediatric age. In the recent literature there are a few case reports of PFAPA in adults. We describe a case of a 21-year-old female affected by PFAPA who presented a history of tonsillectomy at the age of four. To our knowledge this is the fourth case described with a diagnosis of PFAPA in an adult with a history of tonsillectomy during childhood. Although the role of tonsillectomy in the treatment of PFAPA is still controversial, due to the lack of definitive data in literature, this case suggests that fever episodes may relapse several years after surgery.

Identity and transculture in Vice Versa.

Quebec's struggle between francophones and anglophones has deeply affected other immigrant communities' identitarian practices. Within Montreal's eighties and nineties nationalist environment some Italo-Quebecois worked as a bridge between the two groups through the transcultural magazine Vice Versa. The article presents some findings from a case study that looks at how Vice Versa challenged dominant perceptions of identity and its role in society. It assumes that identity is negotiated between individuals, that language and ethnicity are key factors for social mobility and symbolic power on the marketplace, and that these function through hegemony. Through its use of untranslated French, English and Italian and its articles' contents Vice Versa's discourse on transculture undermines the assumption that identity is necessary for social interaction and negotiates new categories that dissolve ethnic boundaries. Vice Versa is a unique example of the emergence of a counter-hegemonic movement questioning identity at its roots.