Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Adjuvant Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy through Inhibiting Stemness in Glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and deadliest primary brain tumor in adults. Despite the advances in GBM treatment, outcomes remain poor, with a 2-year survival rate of less than 5%. Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy is an intermittent, high-concentration, short-term oxygen therapy used to increase cellular oxygen content. In this study, we evaluated the effects of HBO therapy, alone or combined with other treatment modalities, on GBM in vitro and in vivo. In the in vitro analysis, we used a 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay to assess the effects of HBO therapy alone, a colony formation assay to analyze the effects of HBO therapy combined with radiotherapy and with temozolomide (TMZ), and a neurosphere assay to assess GBM stemness. In the in vivo analysis, we used immunohistochemical staining and in vivo bioluminescence imaging to assess GBM stemness and the therapeutic effect of HBO therapy alone or combined with TMZ or radiotherapy, respectively. HBO therapy did not affect GBM cell viability, but it did reduce the analyzed tumors' ability to form cancer stem cells. In addition, HBO therapy increased GBM sensitivity to TMZ and radiotherapy both in vitro and in vivo. HBO therapy did not enhance tumor growth and exhibited adjuvant effects to chemotherapy and radiotherapy through inhibiting GBM stemness. In conclusion, HBO therapy shows promise as an adjuvant treatment for GBM by reducing cancer stem cell formation and enhancing sensitivity to chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Comparison of the Subcutaneous and Intramuscular Estradiol Regimens as Part of Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy.

OBJECTIVE: Gender-affirming hormone therapy guidelines describe the estradiol (E2) doses for intramuscular (IM), but not subcutaneous (SC), routes. The objective was to compare the SC and IM E2 doses and hormone levels in transgender and gender diverse individuals. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study at a single-site tertiary care referral center. Patients were transgender and gender diverse individuals who received injectable E2 with at least 2 E2 measurements. The main outcomes were the dose and serum hormone levels between the SC and IM routes. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in age, body mass index, or antiandrogen use between patients on SC (n = 74) and those on IM (n = 56). The weekly doses of SC E2, 3.75 mg (IQR, 3-4 mg), were statistically significantly lower than those of IM E2, 4 mg (IQR, 3-5.15 mg) (P =.005); however, the E2 levels achieved were not significantly different (P =.69), and the testosterone levels were in the cisgender female range and not significantly different between routes (P =.92). Subgroup analysis demonstrated significantly higher doses in the IM group when the E2 and testosterone levels were >100 pg/mL and <50 ng/dL, respectively, with the presence of the gonads or use of antiandrogens. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that the dose was significantly associated with the E2 levels after adjusting for injection route, body mass index, antiandrogen use, and gonadectomy status. CONCLUSION: Both the SC and IM E2 achieve therapeutic E2 levels without a significant difference in the dose (3.75 vs 4 mg). SC may achieve therapeutic levels at lower doses than IM .

Diagnostic Thresholds for Androgen-Producing Tumors or Pathologic Hyperandrogenism in Women by Use of Total Testosterone Concentrations Measured by Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

BACKGROUND: Previously defined thresholds for total testosterone (TT) concentrations to screen for androgen-producing tumors (APTs) have used RIA, which can be less accurate in women. We aimed to define diagnostic thresholds to screen for APTs or postmenopausal pathologic hyperandrogenism using TT concentrations measured by Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study on all women with TT ≥3.5 nmol/L and all postmenopausal women presenting with hyperandrogenism between 2004 and 2014 at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. RESULTS: Of the 369 women with TT ≥3.5 nmol/L, 89 were included and subdivided into 3 groups based on their clinical diagnosis [21 (24%), APT; 16 (18%), postmenopausal pathologic hyperandrogenism; 52 (58%), polycystic ovary syndrome]. The source of the APT was more frequently ovarian (81%, n = 17) than adrenal (19%, n = 4). The diagnostic threshold using ROC analysis for TT to identify APT in women with severe biochemical hyperandrogenemia was ≥5.1 nmol/L (sensitivity, 90%; specificity, 81%). In a second analysis of a cohort of postmenopausal women only presenting with symptoms or signs of hyperandrogenism, median TT was significantly higher in the postmenopausal pathologic hyperandrogenism group (APT and ovarian hyperthecosis) vs the idiopathic hyperandrogenism group (4.9 vs 0.8 nmol/L; P < 0.01). In postmenopausal women, the diagnostic threshold for pathologic hyperandrogenism was TT ≥2.2 nmol/L (sensitivity, 100%; specificity, 86%). CONCLUSIONS: The diagnostic threshold for TT concentration as measured by LC-MS/MS to identify APT in women with biochemical severe hyperandrogenemia was TT ≥5.1 nmol/L. In postmenopausal women, the diagnostic threshold for pathologic hyperandrogenism was lower (TT ≥2.2 nmol/L).

Endogenous nitric oxide derived from NOS I or II in thoracic spinal cord exerts opposing tonic modulation on sympathetic vasomotor tone via disparate mechanisms in anesthetized rats.

The sympathetic preganglionic neurons (SPN) in the thoracic spinal cord regulate vasomotor tone via norepinephrine released from sympathetic terminals and adrenal medulla. We assessed the hypothesis that nitric oxide synthase I (NOS I)- and NOS II-derived nitric oxide (NO) in the thoracic spinal cord differentially modulate sympathetic outflow and that the adrenal medulla may be involved in those modulatory actions. In Sprague-Dawley rats, NOS I immunoreactivity was distributed primarily in the perikaryon, proximal dendrites, or axons of SPN, and small clusters of NOS II immunoreactivity impinged mainly on the circumference of SPN. Intrathecal administration of 7-nitroindazole (7-NI), a specific NOS I antagonist, into the thoracic spinal cord significantly reduced arterial pressure, heart rate, and basal or baroreflex-mediated sympathetic vasomotor tone. On the other hand, intrathecal application of S-methylisothiourea (SMT), a specific NOS II antagonist, elevated arterial pressure with a transient reduction of heart rate, induced a surge of plasma norepinephrine, and reduced baroreflex-mediated but not basal sympathetic vasomotor tone. Bilateral adrenalectomy significantly exacerbated the cardiovascular responses to 7-NI but antagonized those to SMT. We conclude that both NOS I and NOS II are present in the thoracic spinal cord and are tonically active under physiological conditions. Furthermore, the endogenous NO generated by NOS I-containing SPN exerts a tonic excitatory action on vasomotor tone mediated by norepinephrine released from the adrenal medulla and sympathetic nerve terminals. On the other hand, NO derived from NOS II exerts a tonic inhibitory action on sympathetic outflow from the SPN that targets primarily the blood vessels.

Influence of race/ethnicity on cardiovascular risk factors in polycystic ovary syndrome, the Dallas Heart Study.

OBJECTIVE: Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is estimated to affect up to 20% of women. PCOS is associated with insulin resistance and cardiovascular (CV) risk factors. We aimed to evaluate the impact of race/ethnicity on the prevalence of CV risk factors and subclinical predictors of CV events. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of data collected by the Dallas Heart Study, an urban, population-based cohort oversampled for blacks. PATIENTS: A previously described cohort of women with PCOS and control subjects of the same racial/ethnic group, matched for age and body mass index. MEASUREMENTS: Hormonal and clinical measures associated with PCOS and CV risk factors. RESULTS: The study included 117 women with PCOS and 204 controls. Women with PCOS had significant differences across racial/ethnic groups in the prevalence of hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia, hypertriglyceridaemia and impaired fasting glucose (P < 0·05). Controls showed significant racial/ethnic differences in the prevalence of hypertension and impaired fasting glucose (P < 0·05). The odds of hypertension were significantly greater among women with PCOS than controls after adjusting for race/ethnicity (odds ratio, 1·50 [95% CI, 1·03-2·30]; P = 0·04). However, we did not see an interaction of race/ethnicity that significantly changed CV risk factor prevalence between PCOS and controls. In addition, subclinical measures of CV disease were not different between women with PCOS vs controls, even among hypertensive women. CONCLUSIONS: Race/ethnicity affects the prevalence of CV risk factors for women with and without PCOS. However, race/ethnicity does not interact with PCOS to additionally increase CV risk factor prevalence or subclinical CV disease.

Sumoylation of IkB attenuates NF-kB-induced nitrosative stress at rostral ventrolateral medulla and cardiovascular depression in experimental brain death.

BACKGROUND: Small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) is a group of proteins that participates in post-translational modifications. One known SUMO target is the transcription factor nuclear factor-kB (NF-kB) that plays a pivotal role in many disease processes; sumoylation inactivates NF-kB by conjugation with inhibitors of NF-kB (IkB). Our laboratory demonstrated previously that transcriptional upregulation of nitric oxide synthase II (NOS II) by NF-kB, leading to nitrosative stress by the formation of peroxynitrite in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM), underpins the defunct brain stem cardiovascular regulation that precedes brain death. Based on an experimental endotoxemia model, this study evaluated the hypothesis that sumoylation plays a pro-life role in brain death by interacting with the NF-kB/NOS II/peroxynitrite signaling pathway in the RVLM. RESULTS: In Sprague-Dawley rats, intravenous administration of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 10 mg kg-1) elicited an augmentation of SUMO-1 and ubiquitin-conjugase 9 (Ubc9) mRNA or protein levels, alongside SUMO-1-conjugated proteins in the RVLM. Immunoneutralization of SUMO-1 or Ubc9 in the RVLM significantly potentiated the already diminished sumoylation of IkBα and intensified NF-kB activation and NOS II/peroxynitrite expression in this brain stem substrate, together with exacerbated fatality, cardiovascular depression and reduction of an experimental index of a life-and-death signal detected from arterial pressure that disappears in comatose patients signifying failure of brain stem cardiovascular regulation before brain death. CONCLUSION: We conclude that sumoylation of IkB in the RVLM ameliorates the defunct brain stem cardiovascular regulation that underpins brain death in our experimental endotoxemia modal by reducing nitrosative stress via inhibition of IkB degradation that diminishes the induction of the NF-kB/NOS II/peroxynitrite signaling cascade.

SELECTION OF ENDOCRINOLOGY SUBSPECIALTY TRAINEES: WHICH APPLICANT CHARACTERISTICS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH PERFORMANCE DURING FELLOWSHIP TRAINING?

OBJECTIVE: To determine which residency characteristics are associated with performance during endocrinology fellowship training as measured by competency-based faculty evaluation scores and faculty global ratings of trainee performance. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of interview applications from endocrinology fellows who graduated from a single academic institution between 2006 and 2013. Performance measures included competency-based faculty evaluation scores and faculty global ratings. The association between applicant characteristics and measures of performance during fellowship was examined by linear regression. RESULTS: The presence of a laudatory comparative statement in the residency program director's letter of recommendation (LoR) or experience as a chief resident was significantly associated with competency-based faculty evaluation scores (ß = 0.22, P = .001; and ß = 0.24, P = .009, respectively) and faculty global ratings (ß = 0.85, P = .006; and ß = 0.96, P = .015, respectively). CONCLUSION: The presence of a laudatory comparative statement in the residency program director's LoR or experience as a chief resident were significantly associated with overall performance during subspecialty fellowship training. Future studies are needed in other cohorts to determine the broader implications of these findings in the application and selection process.

Suppression of Aurora-A-FLJ10540 signaling axis prohibits the malignant state of head and neck cancer.

BACKGROUND: Head and neck cancer (HNC) is a highly invasive cancer. Aurora-A has been reported for a number of malignancies. However, the identity of downstream effectors responsible for its aggressive phenotype in HNC remains underinvestigated. METHODS: The mRNA and protein expression levels of Aurora-A and FLJ10540 were assessed in HNC specimens and cell lines using RT-qPCR, western blot, Oncomine, and microarray database analysis. The downstream molecular mechanisms of Aurora-A were confirmed by RT-qPCR, western blot, luciferase reporter, confocal microscopy analyses, immunoprecipitation, colony formation, cell viability, and xenograft model. Cellular functions in response to Aurora-A-modulated downstream targets such as FLJ10540 and MMPs were examined in vitro and in vivo, including cell growth, motility and chemosensitivity. Aurora-A/FLJ10540/MMPs expression was determined in cancer and adjacent normal tissues from HNC patients by immunohistochemistry approach. RESULTS: In the current study, Aurora-A exhibited similar gene expression profiles with FLJ10540 by using accessibly public microarray and Oncomine database analysis, raising the possibility that these molecules might coordinately participate in cancer progression and metastasis of HNC. These two molecules connection were also examined in cell lines and tissues of HNC. Aurora-A overexpression could not only bind to the promoter of FLJ10540 to induce FLJ10540 expression, but also increase both mRNA and protein levels of MMP-7 and MMP-10 in HNC cells. Conversely, depletion of Aurora-A expression by using siRNA or Aurora-A kinase inhibitor, MLN8237, suppressed FLJ10540, MMP-7 and MMP-10 mRNA and protein expressions in vitro and in vivo. In addition, the FLJ10540-PI3K complex was destroyed by inhibition the Aurora-A kinase activity. Forced overexpression of FLJ10540 in Aurora-A-depleted or in MLN8237-treated HNC cells attenuated the effect on cytotoxicity to cisplatin. Elevated Aurora-A expression in HNC cells led to the characteristics of more aggressive malignancy, including enhanced chemoresistance and increased the abilities of proliferation, migration and invasion, which was required for FLJ10540/MMP-7 or FLJ10540/MMP-10 expressions. Finally, immunohistochemical analysis of human HNC specimens showed a significant positively correlation among Aurora-A, FLJ10540, MMP-7 and MMP-10 expressions. CONCLUSION: Together, our findings define a novel mechanism by which Aurora-A promotes cell malignancy, with potential implications for understanding the clinical action of Aurora-A.

Peripheral inflammation increases seizure susceptibility via the induction of neuroinflammation and oxidative stress in the hippocampus.

BACKGROUND: Neuroinflammation with activation of microglia and production of proinflammatory cytokines in the brain plays an active role in epileptic disorders. Brain oxidative stress has also been implicated in the pathogenesis of epilepsy. Damage in the hippocampus is associated with temporal lobe epilepsy, a common form of epilepsy in human. Peripheral inflammation may exacerbate neuroinflammation and brain oxidative stress. This study examined the impact of peripheral inflammation on seizure susceptibility and the involvement of neuroinflammation and oxidative stress in the hippocampus. RESULTS: In male, adult Sprague-Dawley rats, peripheral inflammation was induced by the infusion of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 2.5 mg/kg/day) into the peritoneal cavity for 7 days via an osmotic minipump. Pharmacological agents were delivered via intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) infusion with an osmotic minipump. The level of cytokine in plasma or hippocampus was analyzed by ELISA. Redox-related protein expression in hippocampus was evaluated by Western blot. Seizure susceptibility was tested by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of kainic acid (KA, 10 mg/kg). We found that i.p. infusion of LPS for 7 days induced peripheral inflammation characterized by the increases in plasma levels of interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). This is associated with a significant increase in number of the activated microglia (Iba-1(+) cells), enhanced production of proinflammatory cytokines (including IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-α), and tissue oxidative stress (upregulations of the NADPH oxidase subunits) in the hippocampus. These cellular and molecular responses to peripheral inflammation were notably blunted by i.c.v. infusion of a cycloxygenase-2 inhibitor, NS398 (5 µg/µl/h). The i.c.v. infusion of tempol (2.5 µg/µl/h), a reactive oxygen species scavenger, protected the hippocampus from oxidative damage with no apparent effect on microglia activation or cytokine production after peripheral inflammation. In the KA-induced seizure model, i.c.v. infusion of both NS398 and tempol ameliorated the increase in seizure susceptibility in animals succumbed to the LPS-induced peripheral inflammation. CONCLUSIONS: Together these results indicated that LPS-induced peripheral inflammation evoked neuroinflammation and the subsequent oxidative stress in the hippocampus, resulting in the increase in KA-induced seizure susceptibility. Moreover, protection from neuroinflammation and oxidative stress in the hippocampus exerted beneficial effect on seizure susceptibility following peripheral inflammation.

Interplay between brain stem angiotensins and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 as a novel mechanism for pressor response after ischemic stroke.

Pressor response after stroke commonly leads to early death or susceptibility to stroke recurrence, and detailed mechanisms are still lacking. We assessed the hypothesis that the renin-angiotensin system contributes to pressor response after stroke by differential modulation of the pro-inflammatory chemokine monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM), a key brain stem site that maintains blood pressure. We also investigated the beneficial effects of a novel renin inhibitor, aliskiren, against stroke-elicited pressor response. Experiments were performed in male adult Sprague-Dawley rats. Stroke induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion elicited significant pressor response, accompanied by activation of angiotensin II (Ang II)/type I receptor (AT1R) and AT2R signaling, depression of Ang-(1-7)/MasR and Ang IV/AT4R cascade, alongside augmentation of MCP-1/C-C chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2) signaling and neuroinflammation in the RVLM. Stroke-elicited pressor response was significantly blunted by antagonism of AT1R, AT2R or MCP-1/CCR2 signaling, and eliminated by applying Ang-(1-7) or Ang IV into the RVLM. Furthermore, stroke-activated MCP-1/CCR2 signaling was enhanced by AT1R and AT2R activation, and depressed by Ang-(1-7)/MasR and Ang IV/AT4R cascade. Aliskiren inhibited stroke-elicited pressor response via downregulating MCP-1/CCR2 activity and reduced neuroinflammation in the RVLM; these effects were potentiated by Ang-(1-7) or Ang IV. We conclude that whereas Ang II/AT1R or Ang II/AT2R signaling in the brain stem enhances, Ang-(1-7)/MasR or Ang IV/AT4R antagonizes pressor response after stroke by differential modulations of MCP-1 in the RVLM. Furthermore, combined administration of aliskiren and Ang-(1-7) or Ang IV into the brain stem provides more effective amelioration of stroked-induced pressor response.

Heat shock protein 70 protects against seizure-induced neuronal cell death in the hippocampus following experimental status epilepticus via inhibition of nuclear factor-κB activation-induced nitric oxide synthase II expression.

Status epilepticus induces subcellular changes that may eventually lead to neuronal cell death in the hippocampus. Based on an animal model of status epilepticus, our laboratory showed previously that sustained hippocampal seizure activity activates nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and upregulates nitric oxide synthase (NOS) II gene expression, leading to apoptotic neuronal cell death in the hippocampus. The present study examined the potential modulatory role of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) on NF-κB signaling in the hippocampus following experimental status epilepticus. In Sprague-Dawley rats, kainic acid (KA) was microinjected unilaterally into the hippocampal CA3 subfield to induce prolonged bilateral seizure activity. Expression of HSP70 was elevated as early as 1h after the elicitation of sustained seizure activity, followed by a progressive elevation that peaked at 24h. Pretreatment with an antisense oligonucleotide against hsp70 decreased the HSP70 expression, and significantly augmented IκB kinase (IKK) activity and phosphorylation of IκBα, alongside enhanced nuclear translocation and DNA binding activity of NF-κB in the hippocampal CA3 neurons and glial cells. These cellular events were followed by enhanced upregulation of NOS II and peroxynitrite expression 3h after sustained seizure activity that led to an increase of caspase-3 and DNA fragmentation in the hippocampal CA3 neurons 7days after experimental status epilepticus. We concluded that HSP70 protects against apoptotic cell death induced by NF-κB activation and NOS II-peroxynitrite signaling cascade in the hippocampal CA3 and glial cells following experimental status epilepticus via suppression of IKK activity and deactivation of IκBα.

The distinct and potentially conflicting effects of tDCS and tRNS on brain connectivity, cortical inhibition, and visuospatial memory.

Noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques, including transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS), are emerging as promising tools for enhancing cognitive functions by modulating brain activity and enhancing cognitive functions. Despite their potential, the specific and combined effects of tDCS and tRNS on brain functions, especially regarding functional connectivity, cortical inhibition, and memory performance, are not well-understood. This study aims to explore the distinct and combined impacts of tDCS and tRNS on these neural and cognitive parameters. Using a within-subject design, ten participants underwent four stimulation conditions: sham, tDCS, tRNS, and combined tDCS + tRNS. We assessed the impact on resting-state functional connectivity, cortical inhibition via Cortical Silent Period (CSP), and visuospatial memory performance using the Corsi Block-tapping Test (CBT). Our results indicate that while tDCS appears to induce brain lateralization, tRNS has more generalized and dispersive effects. Interestingly, the combined application of tDCS and tRNS did not amplify these effects but rather suggested a non-synergistic interaction, possibly due to divergent mechanistic pathways, as observed across fMRI, CSP, and CBT measures. These findings illuminate the complex interplay between tDCS and tRNS, highlighting their non-additive effects when used concurrently and underscoring the necessity for further research to optimize their application for cognitive enhancement.

Genital Surgery Outcomes Using an Individualized Algorithm for Hormone Management in Transfeminine Individuals.

CONTEXT: Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals have greater access to genital surgery (GS) with improved insurance coverage and access to trained surgeons and interdisciplinary gender affirming providers. OBJECTIVE: To determine perioperative medical and behavioral health outcomes in transfeminine (TF) individuals undergoing GS with use of a specific gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) algorithm based on individualized risk factor assessment. DESIGN: Retrospective observational cohort study from 2017-2022. Pre- and post-operative data collected included clinical and biochemical assessment, GAHT regimens, validated behavioral health measures, and post-operative complications. SETTING: Single-center tertiary referral center. PATIENTS: 183 TF individuals, grouped into estradiol continued (Group 1) vs estradiol temporarily discontinued for 2-6 weeks preoperatively (Group 2). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Venous thromboembolism (VTE) incidence, non-VTE postoperative complication incidence, and change in behavioral health assessments. RESULTS: The majority of individuals continued estradiol perioperatively [Group 1; 138 (75.4%)]. Individuals who temporarily held estradiol preoperatively [Group 2; 45 (24.6%)] were statistically older (p < 0.01), had higher incidence of cardiometabolic comorbidities (p < 0.01), and higher Caprini scores (p < 0.01). Group 1 was statistically more likely to use oral estradiol (p < 0.01). One episode (0.05%) of VTE occurred (Group 1). There was no significant difference in postoperative complications or behavioral health measures between groups. CONCLUSION: An individualized algorithm for preoperative hormone management for TF GS resulted in perioperative continuation of GAHT for the majority of individuals without significantly increasing the risk for post-operative surgical complications while maintaining stable behavioral health measures perioperatively.

The clinical presentation of PIT1 positive pituitary neuroendocrine tumor immunonegative for growth hormone, prolactin, and thyroid stimulating hormone with analysis of clinical and immunostaining dissociation.

BACKGROUND: PIT1 is a pituitary transcription factor that is associated with either growth hormone (GH), prolactin (PRL), or thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) production. However, PIT1-positive pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNETs) are occasionally immunonegative for GH, PRL, and TSH. This paper describes the clinical presentation of PIT1 positive however immunonegative PitNETs. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis, identifying 228 PIT1-positive PitNET patients between 2017 and 2022. Out of these, ten (4%) tested negative for GH, PRL, and TSH. Functioning PitNETs were defined as those causing hormonal excess symptoms or hormonal overproduction. RESULTS: As for 10 patients immunonegative for all three hormones however PIT1-positive, the mean ( ± standard deviation) age was 46 ± 13 years with 70% women. Six patients exhibited signs of excess GH or PRL, and three had visual problems. Additionally, one patient had secondary hypothyroidism and adrenal insufficiency resulting from the mass effect. All tumors were macroadenoma, with a median volume of 2.1 cm3 (range, 0.8-17.5 cm3). Gross total resection was attained in six patients by trans-sphenoidal surgery. Postoperatively, eight patients experienced clinical improvement: three in vision, two in amenorrhea, two in headache, and one in acromegaly symptoms. Biochemical improvement was observed in six patients, with all experiencing remission in hormonal excess and one showing improvement in secondary hypothyroidism. Stereotactic radiosurgery was performed in three patients. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with functioning PitNETs may exhibit PIT1 staining without GH, PRL, or TSH staining. Hormonally active tumors exist in this patient population; therefore, close endocrine follow-up is necessary despite the lack of staining for GH, PRL, and TSH.

Visualizing oxidative stress-induced depression of cardiac vagal baroreflex by MRI/DTI in a mouse neurogenic hypertension model.

A clinical hallmark of hypertension is impairment of the cardiac vagal baroreflex, which maintains stable blood pressure and heart rate under physiological conditions. There is also evidence that oxidative stress in the brain is associated with neurogenic hypertension. We tested the hypothesis that an augmented superoxide level in the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS), the terminal site of baroreceptor afferents, contributes to the depression of cardiac vagal baroreflex by disrupting the connectivity between the NTS and the nucleus ambiguus (NA), the origin of the vagus nerve, during neurogenic hypertension. An experimental model of neurogenic hypertension that employed intracerebroventricular infusion of angiotensin II in male adult C57BL/6 mice was used. Based on tractographic evaluations using magnetic resonance imaging/diffusion tensor imaging of the medulla oblongata in the brain stem, we found that the connectivity between the NTS and NA was disrupted in neurogenic hypertension, concurrent with impairment of the cardiac vagal baroreflex as detected by radiotelemetry. We further found that the disrupted NTS-NA connectivity was reversible, and was related to oxidative stress induced by augmented levels of NADPH oxidase-generated superoxide in the NTS. We conclude that depression of the cardiac vagal baroreflex induced by oxidative stress in the NTS in the context of neurogenic hypertension may be manifested in the form of dynamic alterations in the connectivity between the NTS and NA.

A False Pituitary Tumor.

A false pituitary tumor describes pituitary enlargement due to intracranial hypotension. Reported previously primarily in the neurological literature, we present this case referred to endocrinology for evaluation of a pituitary mass. A 24-year-old male was referred to endocrinology for evaluation of pituitary enlargement without a hypo-enhancing lesion on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The main symptom reported was headache that was worse in the standing position and in the afternoon. He had no symptoms or signs of pituitary mass-effect, or hormone excess or deficiencies. Past medical history was relevant for a history of nerve schwannoma status post resection with subsequent spinal fusion. Biochemical evaluation of pituitary hormones was normal. Upon review of his pituitary MRI, other abnormalities seen were suggestive of intracranial hypotension. Based on his history and imaging findings, he was diagnosed with intracranial hypotension causing a "false pituitary tumor" rather than pituitary enlargement or abnormality. Further evaluation revealed multiple spinal leaks that were patched. His symptoms subsided within a few days of repair. Endocrinologists should be aware of the possible misdiagnosis of a pituitary mass due to intracranial hypotension.

Artificial Intelligence-Augmented Electrocardiogram in Determining Sex: Correlation with Sex Hormone Levels.

OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship between the sex probability derived from the artificial intelligence (AI)-augmented electrocardiogram (ECG) and sex hormone levels. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Adult patients with total testosterone (TT; ng/dL) or estradiol (E2; pg/mL) levels (January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2020) with ECGs obtained within 6 months of the blood sample were identified. The closest ECG to the blood test was used. The AI-ECG model output ranges from 0.0 to 1.0, with higher numbers indicating high probability of being male. Low male probability was defined as ≤0.3, intermediate as 0.31 to 0.69, and high as ≥0.7. Continuous variables are expressed as median (interquartile range). RESULTS: Paired TT-ECGs were available in 58,084 male subjects and 11,190 female subjects. Paired E2-ECGs were available in 2835 male patients and 18,228 female patients. TT levels had moderate positive correlation with AI-ECG male sex probability (r=0.46, P<.001). Male subjects with low AI-ECG male sex probability had lower TT and higher E2 levels compared with men with high probability (TT: 303 [129-474] vs 381 [264-523], P <.001; E2: 35 [21-49] vs 32 [22-38], P=.05). Female subjects with high AI-ECG male sex probability had higher TT and lower E2 levels compared with those who had low male probability (TT: ≤50 years of age: 31 [18-55] vs 26 [16-39], P<.001; >50 years of age: 27 [12-68] vs 20 [12-34], P<.001; E2: ≤50 years of age: 58 [30-124] vs 47 [25-87], P=.001; >50 years of age: 30 [10-55] vs 21 [10-41], P=.006). CONCLUSION: In this study, TT levels were lower and E2 levels higher with decreasing AI-ECG male probability in both sexes. Male and female patients with discordant AI-ECG sex probability had significantly different TT or E2 levels. This suggests that the ECG could be used as a biomarker of hormone status.

Cocaine withdrawal impairs metabotropic glutamate receptor-dependent long-term depression in the nucleus accumbens.

Neuroadaptation in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a central component of the mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system, has been implicated in the development of cocaine-induced psychomotor sensitization and relapse to cocaine seeking. However, little is known about the cellular and synaptic mechanisms underlying such adaptation. Using a mouse model of behavioral sensitization, we show that animals withdrawn from repeated cocaine exposure have a selective deficit in the ability to elicit metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR)-dependent long-term depression (LTD) in the shell of the NAc in response to bath application of the group I mGluR agonist (S)-3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine (DHPG). Experiments conducted in the presence of the selective mGluR1 antagonists 7-(hydroxyimino)cyclopropachromen-carboxylate ethyl ester and (S)-(+)-α-amino-4-carboxy-2-methylbenzeneacetic acid, or the mGluR5 antagonist 2-methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)-pyridine, demonstrated that the impaired DHPG-LTD is likely attributable to a loss of mGluR5 function. Quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase-PCR and Western blot analysis revealed significant downregulation of mGluR5, but not mGluR1, mRNA and protein levels in the NAc shell. The inhibitory effect of repeated cocaine exposure on DHPG-LTD was selectively prevented when cocaine was coadministered with the selective D(1)-like DA receptor antagonist (R)-(+)-7-chloro-8-hydroxy-3-methyl-1-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-3-benzazepine. Furthermore, the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein in the NAc shell increased progressively after cocaine withdrawal, and the impairment of DHPG-LTD in the NAc shell was not found in slices from BDNF-knock-out mice after cocaine withdrawal. These results suggest that withdrawal from repeated cocaine exposure may result in increased BDNF levels in the NAc shell, which leads to a selective downregulation of mGluR5 and thereby impairs the induction of mGluR-dependent LTD.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors γ/mitochondrial uncoupling protein 2 signaling protects against seizure-induced neuronal cell death in the hippocampus following experimental status epilepticus.

BACKGROUND: Status epilepticus induces subcellular changes that may lead to neuronal cell death in the hippocampus. However, the mechanism of seizure-induced neuronal cell death remains unclear. The mitochondrial uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) is expressed in selected regions of the brain and is emerged as an endogenous neuroprotective molecule in many neurological disorders. We evaluated the neuroprotective role of UCP2 against seizure-induced hippocampal neuronal cell death under experimental status epilepticus. METHODS: In Sprague-Dawley rats, kainic acid (KA) was microinjected unilaterally into the hippocampal CA3 subfield to induce prolonged bilateral seizure activity. Oxidized protein level, translocation of Bcl-2, Bax and cytochrome c between cytosol and mitochondria, and expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors γ (PPARγ) and UCP2 were examined in the hippocampal CA3 subfield following KA-induced status epilepticus. The effects of microinjection bilaterally into CA3 area of a PPARγ agonist, rosiglitazone or a PPARγ antagonist, GW9662 on UCP2 expression, induced superoxide anion (O(·2)(-)) production, oxidized protein level, mitochondrial respiratory chain enzyme activities, translocation of Bcl-2, Bax and cytochrome c, and DNA fragmentation in bilateral CA3 subfields were examined. RESULTS: Increased oxidized proteins and mitochondrial or cytosol translocation of Bax or cytochrome c in the hippocampal CA3 subfield was observed 3-48 h after experimental status epilepticus. Expression of PPARγ and UCP2 increased 12-48 h after KA-induced status epilepticus. Pretreatment with rosiglitazone increased UCP2 expression, reduced protein oxidation, O(·2)(-) overproduction and dysfunction of mitochondrial Complex I, hindered the translocation of Bax and cytochrome c, and reduced DNA fragmentation in the CA3 subfield. Pretreatment with GW9662 produced opposite effects. CONCLUSIONS: Activation of PPARγ upregulated mitochondrial UCP2 expression, which decreased overproduction of reactive oxygen species, improved mitochondrial Complex I dysfunction, inhibited mitochondrial translocation of Bax and prevented cytosolic release of cytochrome c by stabilizing the mitochondrial transmembrane potential, leading to amelioration of apoptotic neuronal cell death in the hippocampus following status epilepticus.