Logarithmic confidence estimation of a ratio of binomial proportions for dependent populations.

This article investigates the logarithmic interval estimation of a ratio of two binomial proportions in dependent samples. Previous studies suggest that the confidence intervals of the difference between two correlated proportions and their ratio typically do not possess closed-form solutions. Moreover, the computation process is complex and often based on a maximum likelihood estimator, which is a biased estimator of the ratio. We look at the data from two dependent samples and explore the general problem of estimating the ratio of two proportions. Each sample is obtained in the framework of direct binomial sampling. Our goal is to demonstrate that the normal approximation for the estimation of the ratio is reliable for the construction of a confidence interval. The main characteristics of confidence estimators will be investigated by a Monte Carlo simulation. We also provide recommendations for applying the asymptotic logarithmic interval. The estimations of the coverage probability, average width, standard deviation of interval width, and index H are presented as the criteria of our judgment. The simulation studies indicate that the proposed interval performs well based on the aforementioned criteria. Finally, the confidence intervals are illustrated with three real data examples.

Survival benefit of surgical treatment for patients with stage IVB endometrial cancer: a propensity score-matched SEER database analysis.

The study aimed to evaluate the value of cancer-directed surgery (CDS) in improving the prognosis of patients with stage IVB endometrial cancer (EC) and under which kind of conditions could maximise its value. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database was used to analyse patients diagnosed with stage IVB EC who received chemotherapy between 2004 and 2016. Among 1978 patients were enrolled following propensity score matching (PSM). We found that CDS was closely associated with prolonged overall survival. Moreover, CDS can effectively improve the survival rate of patients with protective or unfavourable factors and should be considered in a range of circumstances. Almost all patients (96.15%) who received surgery were operated on primary tumours of the reproductive organs and obtained favourable surgical outcomes. In conclusion, surgery can improve the survival of patients with stage IVB EC, palliative hysterectomy is worth considering in such patients.IMPACT STATEMENTWhat is already known on this subject? Patients with stage IVB EC account for a small proportion, so previous researches usually had an insufficient sample size. And it is still controversial whether to perform surgery on patients with stage IVB EC.What do the results of this study add? We verified the value of CDS in improving prognosis of patients with stage IVB EC. We also found that surgery outcomes were better in patients aged ˂ 60 years, and with T1 and T2 invasion. Moreover, resection of the primary site played an important role in prolonging survival time.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Surgical treatment can prolong the overall survival of patients with stage IVB EC, even if only primary site resection is performed. Surgery should be more aggressive in patients aged ˂ 60 years, and with lesions confined in the pelvis (with T1 and T2 invasion). The survival rate of patients with brain metastasis may also be improved by surgery. However, because of the small sample size, the surgical benefit needs further confirmation.

The role of postoperative radiotherapy in patients with uterine sarcomas: A PSM-IPTW analysis based on SEER database.

Objective: The optimal adjuvant therapy for uterine sarcomas remains poorly determined due to its rarity and histological diversity. The purpose of the study is to explore and characterize the association between utilization of radiotherapy and survival outcome in patients with surgically resected uterine sarcomas. Methods: We collected data regarding uterine sarcomas which were confirmed after total hysterectomy between 2010 and 2018 period from the latest version of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Initially, 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rate were calculated to predict potential risk factors and possible role of adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Propensity score matching (PSM) and inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW) technique were employed to balance confounding factors in the utilization of additional therapy. Multivariate and exploratory subgroup analyses were respectively conducted to evaluate the impact of adjuvant therapy on overall survival (OS) and cause-specific survival (CSS). Results: A total of 2897 patients were enrolled in the analysis. Survival benefit at 1-, 3-and 5-year after initial treatment was observed in the group of radiotherapy given, however, poorer prognosis in the group of chemotherapy administration. Accordingly, chemotherapy was enrolled as a confounding factor when stratifying and matching patients by receipt of radiotherapy. Prior to and after PSM-IPTW adjustment, radiotherapy both demonstrated beneficial effect on OS and CSS based on multivariate analysis. Further subgroup analysis indicated radiotherapy improved OS and CSS among a subset of patients in stage II-IV, particularly with uterine leiomyosarcoma, tumor grade IV, bigger tumor size than 100 mm and even with chemotherapy administration. Conclusions: Adjuvant radiotherapy in uterine sarcomas after hysterectomy might be underutilized, and proper use of adjuvant radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy after surgery in advanced-stage and high-risk patients might improve survival.

Perioperative assessment of muscle inflammation susceptibility in patients with end-stage osteoarthritis.

Many individuals with end-stage osteoarthritis (OA) undergo elective total hip/knee arthroplasty (THA/TKA) to relieve pain, improve mobility and quality of life. However, ∼30% suffer long-term mobility impairment following surgery. This may be in part due to muscle inflammation susceptibility (MuIS+), an overt proinflammatory pathology localized to skeletal muscle surrounding the diseased joint, present in some patients with TKA/THA. We interrogated the hypothesis that MuIS+ status results in a perturbed perioperative gene expression profile and decreases skeletal muscle integrity in patients with end-stage OA. Samples were leveraged from the two-site, randomized, controlled trial R01HD084124, NCT02628795. Participants were dichotomized based on surgical (SX) muscle gene expression of TNFRSF1A (TNF-αR). MuIS+/- samples were probed for gene expression and fibrosis. Paired and independent two-tailed t tests were used to determine differences between contralateral (CTRL) and surgical (SX) limbs and between-subject comparisons, respectively. Significance was declared at P < 0.05. Seventy participants (26M/44F; mean age 62.41 ± 8.86 yr; mean body mass index 31.10 ± 4.91 kg/m2) undergoing THA/TKA were clustered as MuIS+ (n = 24) or MuIS- (n = 46). Lower skeletal muscle integrity (greater fibrosis) exists on the SX versus CTRL limb (P < 0.001). Furthermore, MuIS+ versus MuIS- muscle exhibited higher proinflammatory (IL-6R and TNF-α) and catabolic (TRIM63) gene expression (P < 0.001, P = 0.004, and 0.024 respectively), with a trend for greater fibrosis (P = 0.087). Patients with MuIS+ exhibit more inflammation and catabolic gene expression in skeletal muscle of the SX limb, accompanied by decreased skeletal muscle integrity (Trend). This highlights the impact of MuIS+ status emphasizing the potential value of perioperative MuIS assessment to inform optimal postsurgical care.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study assessed the skeletal muscle molecular characteristics associated with end-stage osteoarthritis and refined an important phenotype, in some patients, termed muscle inflammation susceptibility (MuIS+) that may be an important consideration following surgery. Furthermore, we provide evidence of differential inflammatory and catabolic gene expression between the contralateral and surgical limbs along with differences between the skeletal muscle surrounding the diseased hip versus knee joints.

The impact of omentectomy on cause-specific survival of Stage I-IIIA epithelial ovarian cancer: A PSM-IPTW analysis based on the SEER database.

Objective: Routine omentectomy is generally performed during surgery for patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). The current study aims to evaluate the impact of omentectomy on cause-specific survival of Stage I-IIIA EOC patients. Methods: Patients who presented with clinical Stage I-IIIA serous, clear cell, endometrioid, and mucinous ovarian cancers were selected from the SEER Database for the period between 2004 and 2018. We extracted clinicopathological data and surgical information with the focus on the performance of omentectomy and lymphadenectomy. Binary logistic regression and recursive partitioning analyses were conducted to identify the significant factors for the performance of omentectomy during surgery. Propensity score matching (PSM) and inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW) techniques were utilized to balance confounding factors. Multivariate, exploratory subgroup analyses and sensitivity analyses were conducted to evaluate the impact of omentectomy on cause-specific survival (CSS). Results: A total of 13,302 patients with EOC were enrolled in the study. The cohort comprised 3,569 endometrioid, 4,915 serous, 2,407 clear cell, and 2,411 mucinous subtypes. A total of 48.62% (6,467/13,302) of patients underwent the procedure of omentectomy during primary surgery, and only 3% absolute improvement in CSS at the individual level was observed, without statistical significance based on multivariate analysis. According to the regression-tree model with recursive partitioning analysis, the procedure of lymphadenectomy was found to be the strongest factor to distinguish the performance of omentectomy, followed by the tumor stage. Patients who underwent omentectomy were more likely to be managed in Stage I than those who underwent lymphadenectomy. After PSM-IPTW adjustment, the inclusion of omentectomy in the initial surgical procedure did not demonstrate a beneficial impact on CSS compared with those who did not undergo the procedure. Exploratory subgroup analysis indicated that the performance of omentectomy improved 5-year CSS in Stage II-IIIA patients. In the sensitive analyses for various tumor stages, omentectomy appeared to benefit only Stage II patients. However, patients across various stages seemed to benefit from the performance of lymphadenectomy, irrespective of the performance of omentectomy on them. Conclusion: Routine omentectomy may not be associated with survival benefit for patients with a grossly normal-appearing omentum, especially for those with clinical Stage I epithelial ovarian cancers.

Oxidative cross-linking of fibronectin confers protease resistance and inhibits cellular migration.

The oxidation of tyrosine residues to generate o,o'-dityrosine cross-links in extracellular proteins is necessary for the proper function of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in various contexts in invertebrates. Tyrosine oxidation is also required for the biosynthesis of thyroid hormone in vertebrates, and there is evidence for oxidative cross-linking reactions occurring in extracellular proteins secreted by myofibroblasts. The ECM protein fibronectin circulates in the blood as a globular protein that dimerizes through disulfide bridges generated by cysteine oxidation. We found that cellular (fibrillar) fibronectin on the surface of transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1)-activated human myofibroblasts underwent multimerization by o,o'-dityrosine cross-linking under reducing conditions that disrupt disulfide bridges, but soluble fibronectin did not. This reaction on tyrosine residues required both the TGF-ß1-dependent production of hydrogen peroxide and the presence of myeloperoxidase (MPO) derived from inflammatory cells, which are active participants in wound healing and fibrogenic processes. Oxidative cross-linking of matrix fibronectin attenuated both epithelial and fibroblast migration and conferred resistance to proteolysis by multiple proteases. The abundance of circulating o,o'-dityrosine-modified fibronectin was increased in a murine model of lung fibrosis and in human subjects with interstitial lung disease compared to that in control healthy subjects. These studies indicate that tyrosine can undergo stable, covalent linkages in fibrillar fibronectin under inflammatory conditions and that this modification affects the migratory behavior of cells on such modified matrices, suggesting that this modification may play a role in both physiologic and pathophysiologic tissue repair.

Resveratrol induces immunogenic cell death of human and murine ovarian carcinoma cells.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to clarify whether immunogenic cell death (ICD) contributed to the anti-tumor action of resveratrol against ovarian carcinoma. METHODS: Resveratrol suppressed cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in ovarian carcinoma cells. In addition, resveratrol treatment stimulated cell surface exposure of calreticulin, HMGB1 secretion and ATP release. RESULTS: Vaccination with resveratrol-pretreated ID8 cells significantly inhibited growth of subsequent inoculated xenograft tumor. Direct administration with resveratrol suppressed tumor progression accompanied with compromised cell proliferation and enhanced cell apoptosis. We further characterized increases of both mature dendritic cells and cytotoxic T cells in xenograft tumor in response to resveratrol treatment, which also inhibited TGF-ß production and stimulated both IL12p7 and IFN-γ secretion. Most importantly, we demonstrated that combination with PD-1 antibody greatly inhibited tumor growth, while depletion of CD8+ T cells by neutralizing antibody restored xenograft progression. CONCLUSION: Our data suggested resveratrol exerted anti-tumor action against ovarian cancer via both apoptosis and ICD pathways.

Inhibitory Mechanisms of Myricetin on Human and Rat Liver Cytochrome P450 Enzymes.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Myricetin is a flavonoid compound that is abundant in teas, red wine, berries, herbs and vegetables with a variety of pharmacological properties such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects. Although there are in vitro studies showing that myricetin inhibits human cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2D6 and CYP3A, the inhibitory mechanisms of myricetin on CYP enzymes are still unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the inhibitory effects of myricetin on human and rat CYPs, including CYP3A2/3A4, CYP2B1/2B6, CYP2C9/2C11 and CYP2D1/2D6. METHODS: This study was performed to investigate the inhibitory effects of myricetin on human CYP3A4, CYP2B6, CYP2C9, CYP2D6 and rat CYP3A2, CYP2B1, CYP2C11, CYP2D1 through the cocktail approach using ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Typical probe substrates were used as follows-midazolam for CYP3A2/3A4, dextromethorphan for CYP2D1/2D6, tolbutamide for CYP2C9/2C11, and bupropion for CYP2B1/2B6. RESULTS: The results of this study showed that myricetin might not be a time-dependent inhibitor. Moreover, myricetin inhibited CYP3A4 in an uncompetitive way with an inhibition constant (Ki) value of 143.1 µM. It was also a noncompetitive inhibitor of CYP2C9 and CYP2D6 with Ki values of 31.12 and 53.44 µM and a competitive inhibitor of CYP2B1 with a Ki value of 69.70 µM, as well as a mixed inhibitor of CYP3A2, CYP2C11 and CYP2D1with Ki values of 37.57, 14.88 and 17.39 µM, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, this study indicates that myricetin inhibited CYP3A4/3A2, CYP2C9/2C11, CYP2D6/2D1 and CYP2B1 by various mechanisms with different Ki values. Given that our experiments are established in vitro, further in vivo work is needed to confirm the interaction between myricetin and CYP enzymes, thus providing better guidance for the safe clinical use of myricetin.

Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma within abdomen and pelvis in an adult.

Rhabdomyosarcoma arising in abdomen and pelvis is an uncommon but important type of soft tissue sarcoma, posing a great challenge for clinicians. Sporadic cases of intra-abdominal rhabdomyosarcoma were reported, but mostly in pediatrics. We demonstrated a rare case of primary abdominopelvic rhabdomyosarcoma in an elderly woman who presented with a notable increase in abdominal circumference and constipation. Abdominal magnetic resonance imaging showed a huge mass throughout the abdomen and pelvis. Cytoreductive surgery was performed by gynecologists due to the suspicious diagnosis of disseminated leiomyosarcoma. However, the final pathological analysis revealed embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. Although adjuvant chemotherapy was administered, localized recurrence was identified 6 months after the initial operation. Gynecologists and radiologists should be aware of it so it can be listed in the differential diagnosis of masses that primarily arise in the abdomen and pelvis.

Determination and pharmacokinetic study of Enasidenib in rat plasma by UPLC-MS/MS.

Enasidenib, an oral product for treating Acute Myeloid Leukemia, has been approved by FDA in Aug, 2017. In this study, we set up an ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method for measuring Enasidenib and imatinib (internal standard, IS), simultaneously. Enasidenib and imatinib were separated on an ACQUITY UPLC BEH C18 Column (2.1 mm × 50 mm, 1.7 µm, 132 Å). Mass detection was carried out by electrospray ionization in the position mode, and the multiple reaction monitoring transitions were m/z 474.23 → 456.17 and m/z 494.30 → 394.20 for Enasidenib and imatinib, respectively. Linearity (2 - 500 ng·mL-1, R2 > 0.999), precision and accuracy (RE < ±â€¯15%), extraction recovery (≥ 96.69%), matrix effect (≥ 96.47%) and stability (RE < ±â€¯10%) were validated which demonstrated the robustness of our method. This rapid, efficient and reliable UPLC-MS/MS method shows specificity and repeatability of Enasidenib in rat plasma and can be used in further pharmacokinetic studies.

Neovaginal Prolapse Treated with Sacrospinous Ligament Suspension: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Neovaginal prolapse (NP) is a rare event and limited cases have been reported in the literature. After surgical management, NP recurs in some cases, posing a great challenge to gynecologists. Fixing neovagina to sacrospinous ligament would appear to be a good option for preventing the recurrence of NP, but too few cases have been reported to establish this technique as the standard management of NP. Herein, we present a case of severe mucosal prolapse of sigmoid neovagina and conduct a review of the literature regarding the etiology, prevention, and management of NP.

A simple approach for monitoring business service time variation.

Control charts are effective tools for signal detection in both manufacturing processes and service processes. Much of the data in service industries comes from processes having nonnormal or unknown distributions. The commonly used Shewhart variable control charts, which depend heavily on the normality assumption, are not appropriately used here. In this paper, we propose a new asymmetric EWMA variance chart (EWMA-AV chart) and an asymmetric EWMA mean chart (EWMA-AM chart) based on two simple statistics to monitor process variance and mean shifts simultaneously. Further, we explore the sampling properties of the new monitoring statistics and calculate the average run lengths when using both the EWMA-AV chart and the EWMA-AM chart. The performance of the EWMA-AV and EWMA-AM charts and that of some existing variance and mean charts are compared. A numerical example involving nonnormal service times from the service system of a bank branch in Taiwan is used to illustrate the applications of the EWMA-AV and EWMA-AM charts and to compare them with the existing variance (or standard deviation) and mean charts. The proposed EWMA-AV chart and EWMA-AM charts show superior detection performance compared to the existing variance and mean charts. The EWMA-AV chart and EWMA-AM chart are thus recommended.

The effects of glycogen synthase kinase-3beta in serotonin neurons.

Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3) is a constitutively active protein kinase in brain. Increasing evidence has shown that GSK3 acts as a modulator in the serotonin neurotransmission system, including direct interaction with serotonin 1B (5-HT1B) receptors in a highly selective manner and prominent modulating effect on 5-HT1B receptor activity. In this study, we utilized the serotonin neuron-selective GSK3ß knockout (snGSK3ß-KO) mice to test if GSK3ß in serotonin neurons selectively modulates 5-HT1B autoreceptor activity and function. The snGSK3ß-KO mice were generated by crossbreeding GSK3ß-floxed mice and ePet1-Cre mice. These mice had normal growth and physiological characteristics, similar numbers of tryptophan hydroxylase-2 (TpH2)-expressing serotonin neurons, and the same brain serotonin content as in littermate wild type mice. However, the expression of GSK3ß in snGSK3ß-KO mice was diminished in TpH2-expressing serotonin neurons. Compared to littermate wild type mice, snGSK3ß-KO mice had a reduced response to the 5-HT1B receptor agonist anpirtoline in the regulation of serotonergic neuron firing, cAMP production, and serotonin release, whereas these animals displayed a normal response to the 5-HT1A receptor agonist 8-OH-DPAT. The effect of anpirtoline on the horizontal, center, and vertical activities in the open field test was differentially affected by GSK3ß depletion in serotonin neurons, wherein vertical activity, but not horizontal activity, was significantly altered in snGSK3ß-KO mice. In addition, there was an enhanced anti-immobility response to anpirtoline in the tail suspension test in snGSK3ß-KO mice. Therefore, results of this study demonstrated a serotonin neuron-targeting function of GSK3ß by regulating 5-HT1B autoreceptors, which impacts serotonergic neuron firing, serotonin release, and serotonin-regulated behaviors.

Clozapine protects dopaminergic neurons from inflammation-induced damage by inhibiting microglial overactivation.

Increasing evidence suggests a possible involvement of neuroinflammation in some psychiatric disorders, and also pharmacological reports indicate that anti-inflammatory effects are associated with therapeutic actions of psychoactive drugs, such as anti-depressants and antipsychotics. The purpose of this study was to explore whether clozapine, a widely used antipsychotic drugs, displays anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. Using primary cortical and mesencephalic neuron-glia cultures, we found that clozapine was protective against inflammation-related neurodegeneration induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Pretreatment of cortical or mesencephalic neuron-glia cultures with clozapine (0.1 or 1 µM) for 24 h attenuated LPS-induced neurotoxicity. Clozapine also protected neurons against 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium(+) (MPP(+))-induced neurotoxicity, but only in cultures containing microglia, indicating an indispensable role of microglia in clozapine-afforded neuroprotection. Further observation revealed attenuated LPS-induced microglial activation in primary neuron-glia cultures and in HAPI microglial cell line with clozapine pretreatment. Clozapine ameliorated the production of microglia-derived superoxide and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), as well as the production of nitric oxide and TNF-α following LPS. In addition, the protective effect of clozapine was not observed in neuron-glia cultures from mice lacking functional NADPH oxidase (PHOX), a key enzyme for superoxide production in immune cells. Further mechanistic studies demonstrated that clozapine pretreatment inhibited LPS-induced translocation of cytosolic subunit p47(phox) to the membrane in microglia, which was most likely through inhibiting the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway. Taken together, this study demonstrates that clozapine exerts neuroprotective effect via the attenuation of microglia activation through inhibition of PHOX-generated ROS production and suggests potential use of antipsychotic drugs for neuroprotection.

Behavioral stress-induced activation of FoxO3a in the cerebral cortex of mice.

BACKGROUND: The transcription factor FoxO3a is highly expressed in brain, but little is known about the response of FoxO3a to behavioral stress and its impact in the associated behavioral changes. METHODS: We tested the response of brain FoxO3a in the learned helplessness (LH) paradigm and tested signaling pathways that mediate the response of FoxO3a. RESULTS: A single session of inescapable shocks (IES) in mice reduced FoxO3a phosphorylation at the Akt-regulating serine/threonine residues and induced prolonged nuclear accumulation of FoxO3a in the cerebral cortex, both indicating activation of FoxO3a in brain. The response of FoxO3a is accompanied by a transient inactivation of Akt and a prolonged activation of glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK3ß). Noticeably, FoxO3a formed a protein complex with GSK3ß in the cerebral cortex, and the interaction between the two proteins was stronger in IES-treated mice. Inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3 was able to abolish IES-induced LH behavior, disrupt IES-induced GSK3ß-FoxO3a interaction, and reduce nuclear FoxO3a accumulation. In vitro approaches further revealed that the interaction between GSK3ß and FoxO3a was strongest when both were active; FoxO3a was phosphorylated by recombinant GSK3ß; and glycogen synthase kinase-3 inhibitors effectively reduced FoxO3a transcriptional activity. Importantly, IES-induced LH behavior was markedly diminished in FoxO3a-deficient mice that had minimal FoxO3a expression and reduced levels of FoxO3a-inducible genes. CONCLUSIONS: FoxO3a is activated in response to IES by interacting with GSK3ß, and inhibition of GSK3ß or reducing FoxO3a expression promotes resistance to stress-induced behavioral disturbance by disrupting this signaling mechanism.

Functional significance of glycogen synthase kinase-3 regulation by serotonin.

Serotonin modulates brain physiology and behavior and has major roles in brain diseases involving abnormal mood and cognition. Enhancing brain serotonin has been found to regulate glycogen synthase Kinase-3 (GSK3), but the signaling mechanism and functional significance of this regulation remain to be determined. In this study, we tested the signaling mechanism mediating 5-HT1A receptor-regulated GSK3 in the hippocampus. Using mutant GSK3 knock-in mice, we also tested the role of GSK3 in the behavioral effects of 5-HT1A receptors and the serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine. The results showed that activation of 5-HT1A receptors by 8-hydroxy-N,N-dipropyl-2-aminotetralin (8-OH-DPAT) increased phosphorylation of the N-terminal serine of both GSK3α and GSK3ß in several areas of the hippocampus. The effect of 8-OH-DPAT was accompanied by an increase in the active phosphorylation of Akt, and was blocked by LY294002, an inhibitor of phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3K). Phosphorylation of GSK3ß, but not GSK3α, was necessary for 5-HT1A receptors to suppress the hippocampus-associated contextual fear learning. Furthermore, acute fluoxetine treatment up-regulated both phospho-Ser21-GSK3α and phospho-Ser9-GSK3ß in the hippocampus. Blocking phosphorylation of GSK3α and GSK3ß diminished the anti-immobility effect of fluoxetine treatment in the forced swim test, wherein the effect of GSK3ß was more prominent. These results together suggest that PI3K/Akt is a signaling mechanism mediating the GSK3-regulating effect of 5-HT1A receptors in the hippocampus, and regulation of GSK3 is an important intermediate signaling process in the behavioral functions of 5-HT1A receptors and fluoxetine.

Deficiency in the inhibitory serine-phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase-3 increases sensitivity to mood disturbances.

Bipolar disorder, characterized by extreme manic and depressive moods, is a prevalent debilitating disease of unknown etiology. Because mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, antidepressants, and mood-regulating neuromodulators increase the inhibitory serine-phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3), we hypothesized that deficient GSK3 serine-phosphorylation may increase vulnerability to mood-related behavioral disturbances. This was tested by measuring behavioral characteristics of GSK3 alpha/beta(21A/21A/9A/9A) knockin mice with serine-to-alanine mutations to block inhibitory serine-phosphorylation of GSK3. GSK3 knockin mice displayed increased susceptibility to amphetamine-induced hyperactivity and to stress-induced depressive-like behaviors. Furthermore, serine-phosphorylation of GSK3 was reduced during both mood-related behavioral responses in wild-type mouse brain and in blood cells from patients with bipolar disorder. Therefore, proper control of GSK3 by serine-phosphorylation, which is targeted by agents therapeutic for bipolar disorder, is an important mechanism that regulates mood stabilization, and mice with disabled GSK3 serine-phosphorylation may provide a valuable model to study bipolar disorder.

Forkhead box, class O transcription factors in brain: regulation and behavioral manifestation.

BACKGROUND: The mammalian forkhead box, class O (FoxO) transcription factors function to regulate diverse physiological processes. Emerging evidence that both brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and lithium suppress FoxO activity suggests a potential role of FoxOs in regulating mood-relevant behavior. Here, we investigated whether brain FoxO1 and FoxO3a can be regulated by serotonin and antidepressant treatment and whether their genetic deletion affects behaviors. METHODS: C57BL/6 mice were treated with D-fenfluramine to increase brain serotonergic activity or with the antidepressant imipramine. The functional status of brain FoxO1 and FoxO3a was audited by immunoblot analysis for phosphorylation and subcellular localization. The behavioral manifestations in FoxO1- and FoxO3a-deficient mice were assessed via the Elevated Plus Maze Test, Forced Swim Test, Tail Suspension Test, and Open Field Test. RESULTS: Increasing serotonergic activity by d-fenfluramine strongly increased phosphorylation of FoxO1 and FoxO3a in several brain regions and reduced nuclear FoxO1 and FoxO3a. The effect of D-fenfluramine was mediated by the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathway. Chronic, but not acute, treatment with the antidepressant imipramine also increased the phosphorylation of brain FoxO1 and FoxO3a. When FoxO1 was selectively deleted from brain, mice displayed reduced anxiety. In contrast, FoxO3a-deficient mice presented with a significant antidepressant-like behavior. CONCLUSIONS: FoxOs may be a transcriptional target for anxiety and mood disorder treatment. Despite their physical and functional relatedness, FoxO1 and FoxO3a influence distinct behavioral processes linked to anxiety and depression. Findings in this study reveal important new roles of FoxOs in brain and provide a molecular framework for further investigation of how FoxOs may govern mood and anxiety disorders.

Formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine-induced dopaminergic neurotoxicity via microglial activation: a mediator between peripheral infection and neurodegeneration?

BACKGROUND: Parkinson disease (PD), a chronic neurodegenerative disease, has been proposed to be a multifactorial disorder resulting from a combination of environmental mechanisms (chemical, infectious, and traumatic), aging, and genetic deficits. Microglial activation is important in the pathogenesis of PD. OBJECTIVES: We investigated dopaminergic (DA) neurotoxicity and the underlying mechanisms of formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP), a bacteria-derived peptide, in relation to PD. METHODS: We measured DA neurotoxicity using a DA uptake assay and immunocytochemical staining (ICC) in primary mesencephalic cultures from rodents. Microglial activation was observed via ICC, flow cytometry, and superoxide measurement. RESULTS: fMLP can cause selective DA neuronal loss at concentrations as low as 10(-13) M. Further, fMLP (10(-13) M) led to a significant reduction in DA uptake capacity in neuron/glia (N/G) cultures, but not in microglia-depleted cultures, indicating an indispensable role of microglia in fMLP-induced neurotoxicity. Using ICC of a specific microglial marker, OX42, we observed morphologic changes in activated microglia after fMLP treatment. Microglial activation after fMLP treatment was confirmed by flow cytometry analysis of major histocompatibility antigen class II expression on a microglia HAPI cell line. Mechanistic studies revealed that fMLP (10(-13) M)-induced increase in the production of extracellular superoxide from microglia is critical in mediating fMLP-elicited neurotoxicity. Pharmacologic inhibition of NADPH oxidase (PHOX) with diphenylene-iodonium or apocynin abolished the DA neurotoxicity of fMLP. N/G cultures from PHOX-deficient (gp91PHOX-/ -) mice were also insensitive to fMLP-induced DA neurotoxicity. CONCLUSION: fMLP (10(-13) M) induces DA neurotoxicity through activation of microglial PHOX and subsequent production of superoxide, suggesting a role of fMLP in the central nervous system inflammatory process.

Curcumin protects dopaminergic neuron against LPS induced neurotoxicity in primary rat neuron/glia culture.

Using primary rat mesencephalic neuron-glia cultures as an in vitro model of Parkinson's disease (PD), we tested the effect of curcumin, a natural dietary pigment with well-known anti-inflammation effects, on dopaminergic (DA) degeneration. Curcumin pretreatment mitigated LPS-induced DA neurotoxicity in a concentration-dependent manner and curcumin post-treatment also showed protective effect. Microglia depletion abolished this protective effect of curcumin, indicating that microglia play an important role in this effect. Supportively, observation by immunocytochemistry staining using OX-42 antibody showed that curcumin treatment inhibited LPS-induced morphological change of microglia. Besides, LPS-induced production of many proinflammatory factors and their gene expressions decreased dramatically after curcumin treatment. Results also revealed that curcumin treatment decreased LPS-induced activation of two transcription factors--nuclear factors kappaB (NF-kappaB) and activator protein-1 (AP-1). Taken together, our study implicated that curcumin might be a potential preventive and therapeutic strategy for inflammation-related neurodegenerative diseases.