Family still matters: Human social motivation across 42 countries during a global pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused drastic social changes for many people, including separation from friends and coworkers, enforced close contact with family, and reductions in mobility. Here we assess the extent to which people's evolutionarily-relevant basic motivations and goals-fundamental social motives such as Affiliation and Kin Care-might have been affected. To address this question, we gathered data on fundamental social motives in 42 countries (N = 15,915) across two waves, including 19 countries (N = 10,907) for which data were gathered both before and during the pandemic (pre-pandemic wave: 32 countries, N = 8998; 3302 male, 5585 female; M age  = 24.43, SD = 7.91; mid-pandemic wave: 29 countries, N = 6917; 2249 male, 4218 female; M age  = 28.59, SD = 11.31). Samples include data collected online (e.g., Prolific, MTurk), at universities, and via community sampling. We found that Disease Avoidance motivation was substantially higher during the pandemic, and that most of the other fundamental social motives showed small, yet significant, differences across waves. Most sensibly, concern with caring for one's children was higher during the pandemic, and concerns with Mate Seeking and Status were lower. Earlier findings showing the prioritization of family motives over mating motives (and even over Disease Avoidance motives) were replicated during the pandemic. Finally, well-being remained positively associated with family-related motives and negatively associated with mating motives during the pandemic, as in the pre-pandemic samples. Our results provide further evidence for the robust primacy of family-related motivations even during this unique disruption of social life.

Lay Beliefs About Gender and Sexual Behavior: First Evidence for a Pervasive, Robust (but Seemingly Unfounded) Stereotype.

Although casual sex is increasingly socially acceptable, negative stereotypes toward women who pursue casual sex remain pervasive. For example, a common trope in television, film, and other media is that women who engage in casual sex have low self-esteem. Despite robust work on prejudice against women who engage in casual sex, little empirical work has focused on the lay theories individuals hold about them. Across six experiments with U.S. adults (N = 1,469), we found that both men and women stereotype women (but not men) who engage in casual sex as having low self-esteem. This stereotype is held explicitly and semi-implicitly; is not driven by individual differences in religiosity, conservatism, or sexism; and is mediated by inferences that women who have casual sex are unsatisfied with their mating strategy-yet the stereotype persists when women are explicitly described as choosing to have casual sex. Finally, the stereotype appears to be unfounded; across experiments, the same participants' sexual behavior was not significantly correlated with their self-esteem.

BGN Mutations in X-Linked Spondyloepimetaphyseal Dysplasia.

Spondyloepimetaphyseal dysplasias (SEMDs) comprise a heterogeneous group of autosomal-dominant and autosomal-recessive disorders. An apparent X-linked recessive (XLR) form of SEMD in a single Italian family was previously reported. We have been able to restudy this family together with a second family from Korea by segregating a severe SEMD in an X-linked pattern. Exome sequencing showed missense mutations in BGN c.439A>G (p.Lys147Glu) in the Korean family and c.776G>T (p.Gly259Val) in the Italian family; the c.439A>G (p.Lys147Glu) mutation was also identified in a further simplex SEMD case from India. Biglycan is an extracellular matrix proteoglycan that can bind transforming growth factor beta (TGF-ß) and thus regulate its free concentration. In 3-dimensional simulation, both altered residues localized to the concave arc of leucine-rich repeat domains of biglycan that interact with TGF-ß. The observation of recurrent BGN mutations in XLR SEMD individuals from different ethnic backgrounds allows us to define "XLR SEMD, BGN type" as a nosologic entity.

Stress, Psychological Resources, and HPA and Inflammatory Reactivity During Late Adolescence.

Psychosocial stress during childhood and adolescence is associated with alterations in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and with heightened inflammation, both of which are implicated in poor health; however, factors that may protect against these effects relatively early in life are not well understood. Thus, we examined whether psychosocial resources protect against stress-related alterations in the HPA axis and heightened inflammation in a sample of 91 late adolescents. Participants completed measures of various stressors (major life events, daily interpersonal stress, early adversity), and psychosocial resources (mastery, optimism, self-esteem, and positive reappraisal). They also completed the Trier Social Stress Test and provided saliva and blood samples for the assessment of cortisol and interleukin-6 reactivity. Each of the stressors was associated with lower cortisol reactivity. Additionally, associations with major life events and daily stress were moderated by psychological resources, such that more life events and daily stress were associated with decreased HPA reactivity among adolescents with lower levels of psychological resources, but not among those with higher levels of psychological resources. This pattern of findings was observed only for cortisol reactivity and not for interleukin-6 reactivity. Findings suggest that psychological resources may counteract the effects of certain adversity-related decreases in cortisol reactivity.

Maternal Depressive Symptoms, Adolescent Daughters' Substance Use, and Father Residence in Minority Families.

Background: Maternal depression has been linked to substance use in adolescents, but the mechanisms of the relationship between maternal depression and adolescent substance use are less clear. Specifically, previous literature has overlooked the role of fathers as a potential protective or exacerbating factor in buffering this relationship. Objectives: The goal of this study was to investigate the association between maternal depressive symptoms and adolescent substance use, exploring father's residential status as a moderator for adolescents living with a mother with depressive symptoms. Method: Paper-and-pencil surveys were administered to a sample of 176 mothers and their adolescent daughters aged 14-18, predominantly identifying as African American/Black. Participants included a subset of mothers with HIV. Results: The results revealed that maternal depressive symptoms were not directly associated with adolescent substance use. However, father's residential status was found to be a significant moderator in the relationship between maternal depressive symptoms and adolescent substance use. Specifically, when fathers were involved in the daughter's life (residential or non-resident), substance use was higher in adolescents of mothers with high depressive symptoms than in those of mothers with low depressive symptoms. Conclusion: The results suggest that varied family dynamics are critical to understanding engagement in substance use among adolescent girls, including the influence of both mothers and fathers.

The efficacy of intracerebroventricular idursulfase-beta enzyme replacement therapy in mucopolysaccharidosis II murine model: heparan sulfate in cerebrospinal fluid as a clinical biomarker of neuropathology.

Mucopolysaccharidosis II (MPS II) is caused by a deficiency of iduronate-2-sulfatase that results in accumulation of glycosaminoglycans (GAG), including heparan sulfate (HS), which is considered to contribute to neuropathology. We examined the efficacy of intracerebroventricular (ICV) enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) of idursulfase-beta (IDS-ß) and evaluated the usefulness of HS as a biomarker for neuropathology in MPS II mice. We first examined the efficacy of three different doses (3, 10, and 30 µg) of single ICV injections of IDS-ß in MPS II mice. After the single-injection study, its long-term efficacy was elucidated with 30 µg of IDS-ß ICV injections repeated every 4 weeks for 24 weeks. The efficacy was assessed by the HS content in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and the brain of the animals along with histologic examinations and behavioral tests. In the single-injection study, the 30 µg of IDS-ß ICV injection showed significant reductions of HS content in brain and CSF that were maintained for 28 days. Furthermore, HS content in CSF was significantly correlated with HS content in brain. In the long-term repeated-injection study, the HS content in the brain and CSF was also significantly reduced and correlated. The histologic examinations showed a reduction in lysosomal storage. A significant improvement in memory/learning function was observed in open-field and fear-conditioning tests. ICV ERT with 30 µg of IDS-ß produced significant improvements in biochemical, histological, and functional parameters in MPS II mice. Furthermore, we demonstrate for the first time that the HS in the CSF had significant positive correlation with brain tissue HS and GAG levels, suggesting HS in CSF as a useful clinical biomarker for neuropathology.

AAV8-mediated expression of N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphate transferase attenuates bone loss in a mouse model of mucolipidosis II.

Mucolipidoses II and III (ML II and ML III) are lysosomal disorders in which the mannose 6-phosphate recognition marker is absent from lysosomal hydrolases and other glycoproteins due to mutations in GNPTAB, which encodes two of three subunits of the heterohexameric enzyme, N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphotransferase. Both disorders are caused by the same gene, but ML II represents the more severe phenotype. Bone manifestations of ML II include hip dysplasia, scoliosis, rickets and osteogenesis imperfecta. In this study, we sought to determine whether a recombinant adeno-associated viral vector (AAV2/8-GNPTAB) could confer high and prolonged gene expression of GNPTAB and thereby influence the pathology in the cartilage and bone tissue of a GNPTAB knock out (KO) mouse model. The results demonstrated significant increases in bone mineral density and content in AAV2/8-GNPTAB-treated as compared to non-treated KO mice. We also showed that IL-6 (interleukin-6) expression in articular cartilage was reduced in AAV2/8-GNPTAB treated ML II mice. Together, these data suggest that AAV-mediated expression of GNPTAB in ML II mice can attenuate bone loss via inhibition of IL-6 production. This study emphasizes the value of the MLII KO mouse to recapitulate the clinical manifestations of the disease and highlights its amenability to therapy.

Urinary benzophenone concentrations and their association with demographic factors in a South Korean population.

Benzophenone (BP) and its derivatives are widely used in various cosmetics, personal care products, and food packaging ink. The use of BP has raised concerns about the potential health risks associated with its endocrine-disrupting effects. This study evaluated urinary concentrations of BP derivatives in a national sample of the South Koreans population aged 6-89 years. From July to September in each 2010 and 2011, 1576 urine samples were collected. Urinary concentrations of benzophenone-1 (BP-1), benzophenone-2 (BP-2), benzophenone-3 (BP-3), benzophenone-4 (BP-4), benzophenone-8 (BP-8), and 4-hydroxybenzophenone (4-OH-BP) were analyzed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The detection rate for BP-1 and 4-OH-BP were 56% [limit of detection (LOD) 0.59ng/mL] and 88% (LOD 0.04ng/mL), respectively, whereas those for BP-2, BP-3, BP-4, and BP-8 were all below 25%. The geometric means of urinary BP-1 and 4-OH-BP concentrations were 1.24ng/mL and 0.45ng/mL, respectively. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that concentrations of BP-1 in and of 4-OH-BP in adults were associated with sex and age. The BP-1 and 4-OH-BP concentration of children and adolescents was associated with sex, age, income, and current area of residence. The correlation was observed between urinary concentrations of BP derivatives, which is an important indication of exposure biomarkers and the metabolic pathways from BP-3. This is the first national study to evaluate the presence of BP derivatives in urine samples from the South Korean population, stratified by demographic factors.

Urinary concentrations of parabens and their association with demographic factors: A population-based cross-sectional study.

Parabens are broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents used in a range of consumer products, including personal care products, cosmetics, and food. Recently, the widespread use of parabens has raised concerns about the potential health risks associated with their endocrine-disrupting effect. In the present study, 2541 urine samples were collected and analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry for the determination of the concentrations of methyl paraben (MeP), ethyl paraben (EtP), propyl paraben (PrP) and butyl paraben (BuP). The detection rate and geometric mean concentrations of parabens in the general population followed the order MeP (97.7%; 116ng/mL)>EtP (97.2%; 24.7ng/mL)>PrP (96.7%; 11.0ng/mL)>BuP (83.5%; 1.13ng/mL). The composition profiles showed that MeP and EtP accounted for >90% of the urinary paraben concentration. We performed statistical analysis in order to evaluate differences between demographic variables and urinary concentrations. Our results showed that adjusted proportional change of MeP, PrP, and BuP in adults were 2.67-6.13 times higher in females than in males. The urinary concentrations of PrP in adults increased significantly with age. The adjusted proportional changes of MeP and PrP in adults were associated with increased body mass index (BMI). The adjusted proportional changes of BuP and PrP in children and adolescents were 1.44 and 1.69 times higher in females than in males. However, there was no clear association between paraben concentrations and demographic variables in the children and adolescents groups. The estimated daily intake (EDIurine) of MeP and EtP in adults were 301µg/kg bw/day, which is lower than the acceptable daily intake (ADI; 10mg/kg bw/day). In summary, our results revealed that the general population in Korea was exposed to parabens during 2009-2010, and most Koreans are exposed to parabens. The urinary levels of parabens varied by age group with demographic factors in the Korean population. The results of study may be used to establish a nationally representative baseline of exposure to parabens in risk assessment.

Risk assessment based on urinary bisphenol A levels in the general Korean population.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a high-volume industrial chemical used in the global production of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins, which are used in food and drink containers, such as tableware (plates and mugs). Due to its broad applications, BPA has been detected in human blood, urine and breast milk as well as environmental substances, including water, indoor and outdoor air, and dust. Indeed, exposure to high concentrations of BPA can result in a variety of harmful effects, including reproductive toxicity, through a mechanism of endocrine disruption. Our comparison of reported BPA urinary concentrations among different countries revealed that exposures in Korea may be higher than those in other Asian countries and North America, but lower than or similar to those in European countries. The current study included a total of 2044 eligible subjects of all ages. The subjects were evenly divided between males and females (48.58% and 51.42%, respectively). The geometric mean (GM) of pre-adjusted (adjusted) urinary BPA concentrations was 1.83µg/L (2.01µg/g creatinine) for subjects of all ages, and there was no statistically difference in BPA concentrations between males (1.90µg/L, 1.87µg/g creatinine) and females (1.76µg/L, 2.16µg/g creatinine). Multiple regression analysis revealed only one positive association between creatinine pre-adjusted urinary BPA concentration and age (ß=-0.0868, p<0.001). The 95th percentile levels of 24-hour recall (HR), food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) and estimated daily intake (EDI) through urinary BPA concentrations were 0.14, 0.13, and 0.22µg/kg bw/day, respectively. According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), a tolerable daily intake (tDI) of 20µg/kg bw/day was established for BPA from the available toxicological data. Recently, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) established a temporary TDI of 4µg/kg bw/day based on current toxicological data. By comparing these TDIs with subjects' exposure, we conclude that there are no health concerns for any age group as a result of current levels of dietary exposure to BPA.

The Association Between Urinary Benzophenone Concentrations and Personal Care Product Use in Korean Adults.

Benzophenone (BP) derivatives are widely used in personal care products (PCPs) for protection from ultraviolet radiation. Because of their broad applications, BP derivatives have been found in various human bodily fluids. In the present study, we investigated the relationship between urinary concentrations of BP derivatives and PCP use in Korean adults. A urinary BP biomonitoring survey was conducted in Korea by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in 2014. BP derivatives (BP-1, BP-3, and 4-OH-BP) were measured in urine samples from 168 Korean adults (mean age, 43.2 ± 15.4 years) by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry. Information about the use of PCPs in the past 7 days was obtained by direct interviews. The mean levels of BP-1, BP-3, and 4-OH-BP were 0.87, 5.87, and 0.13 ng/g creatinine, respectively. The geometric mean levels of BP-1, BP-3, and 4-OH-BP were significantly higher in female than those in male. The medians of the urinary concentration of BP derivatives were significantly higher among users of the following PCPs than those in non-users; the PCPs included sunscreen, skin care products, functional cosmetics, makeup base, makeup, lip cosmetics, eye cosmetics, color cosmetics, perfume products, and nail products. A regression analysis revealed a significant linear association between urinary BP-3 concentrations and the number of additional cosmetic products used. These findings provide evidence of a positive association between exposure to PCPs and urinary BP derivative concentrations in Korean adults.

Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, and Efficacy of a Novel Long-Acting Human Growth Hormone: Fc Fusion Protein.

The current recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) therapy requires daily subcutaneous (sc) injections, which results in poor patient compliance, especially in young children. To reduce the dosing frequency, we generated a chimeric protein of rhGH and the Fc-domain of immunoglobulin G (IgG) (rhGH-Fc). The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of sc-injected rhGH-Fc were assessed in male Sprague-Dawley rats and hypophysectomized rats, respectively. A single sc injection of rhGH-Fc at a dose of 0.2 mg/kg slowly reached a Cmax of 16.80 ng/mL and remained for 7 days with a half-life of 51.1 h. Conversely, a single sc injection of rhGH 0.2 mg/kg rapidly reached a Cmax of 46.88 ng/mL and declined with a half-life of 0.55 h to baseline values in 4 h. In the efficacy study, the sc-injected rhGH-Fc induced rapid weight gain and tibial width growth at a dose of 240 µg/animal. The effect of two injections of rhGH-Fc separated by 1 week was comparable to that of the same dose of 14 daily injections of rhGH. The rhGH-Fc is a novel candidate for long-acting rhGH therapy with more convenient weekly administration, as it reduces glomerular filtration and receptor-mediated clearance while allowing for the rapid reversal of potential adverse events.

Calpain-mediated proteolysis of polycystin-1 C-terminus induces JAK2 and ERK signal alterations.

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), a hereditary renal disease caused by mutations in PKD1 (85%) or PKD2 (15%), is characterized by the development of gradually enlarging multiple renal cysts and progressive renal failure. Polycystin-1 (PC1), PKD1 gene product, is an integral membrane glycoprotein which regulates a number of different biological processes including cell proliferation, apoptosis, cell polarity, and tubulogenesis. PC1 is a target of various proteolytic cleavages and proteosomal degradations, but its role in intracellular signaling pathways remains poorly understood. Herein, we demonstrated that PC1 is a novel substrate for µ- and m-calpains, which are calcium-dependent cysteine proteases. Overexpression of PC1 altered both Janus-activated kinase 2 (JAK2) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signals, which were independently regulated by calpain-mediated PC1 degradation. They suggest that the PC1 function on JAK2 and ERK signaling pathways might be regulated by calpains in response to the changes in intracellular calcium concentration.

Ethnicity moderates the outcomes of self-enhancement and self-improvement themes in expressive writing.

The current study examined whether writing content related to self-enhancing (viz., downward social comparison and situational attributions) and self-improving (viz., upward social comparison and persistence) motivations were differentially related to expressive writing outcomes among 17 Asian American and 17 European American participants. Content analysis of the essays revealed no significant cultural group differences in the likelihood of engaging in self-enhancing versus self-improving reflections on negative personal experiences. However, cultural group differences were apparent in the relation between self-motivation processes and changes in anxiety and depressive symptoms at 3-month follow-up. Among European Americans, writing that reflected downward social comparison predicted positive outcomes, whereas persistence writing themes were related to poorer outcomes. For Asian Americans, writing about persistence was related to positive outcomes, whereas downward social comparison and situational attributions predicted poorer outcomes. Findings provide evidence suggesting culturally distinct mechanisms for the effects of expressive disclosure. (PsycINFO Database Record

Improvement of cardiac function by short-term enzyme replacement therapy in a murine model of cardiomyopathy associated with Hunter syndrome evaluated by serial echocardiography with speckle tracking 2-D strain analysis.

Cardiac systolic function is significantly decreased in a proportion of patients with Hunter syndrome. This study was performed to evaluate the change in myocardial function associated with enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) in a mouse model of cardiomyopathy associated with Hunter syndrome. Thirty 9-week-old iduronate-2-sulfatase (IDS) knockout mice received either intravenous injection of human recombinant IDS (ERT group, N=15) or saline (control group, N=15) for 5 weeks. Echocardiography was performed at baseline and after treatment. Echocardiographic parameters of left ventricular (LV) systolic function and 2-dimensional radial and circumferential strain were assessed. At follow-up, there was a significant increase in LV fractional shortening and radial and circumferential strain in the ERT group only. Notable myocardial fibrosis was observed in the control group only. In the murine model of Hunter syndrome, ERT exerts beneficial effects on cardiac function, which can be evaluated by serial echocardiographic evaluation including 2-dimensional strain analysis.

A biochemical and physicochemical comparison of two recombinant enzymes used for enzyme replacement therapies of hunter syndrome.

Mucopolysaccharidosis II (MPS II, Hunter syndrome; OMIM 309900) is an X-linked lysosomal storage disease caused by a deficiency in the enzyme iduronate-2-sulfatase (IDS), leading to accumulation of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). For enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) of Hunter syndrome, two recombinant enzymes, idursulfase (Elaprase(®), Shire Human Genetic Therapies, Lexington, MA) and idursulfase beta (Hunterase(®), Green Cross Corporation, Yongin, Korea), are currently available in Korea. To compare the biochemical and physicochemical differences between idursulfase and idursulfase beta, we examined the formylglycine (FGly) content, specific enzyme activity, mannose-6-phosphate (M6P) content, sialic acid content, and in vitro cell uptake activity of normal human fibroblasts of these two enzymes.The FGly content, which determines the enzyme activity, of idursulfase beta was significantly higher than that of idursulfase (79.4 ± 0.9 vs. 68.1 ± 2.2 %, P < 0.001). In accordance with the FGly content, the specific enzyme activity of idursulfase beta was significantly higher than that of idursulfase (42.6 ± 1.1 vs. 27.8 ± 0.9 nmol/min/µg protein, P < 0.001). The levels of M6P and sialic acid were not significantly different (2.4 ± 0.1 vs 2.4 ± 0.3 mol/mol protein for M6P and 12.3 ± 0.7 vs. 12.4 ± 0.4 mol/mol protein for sialic acid). However, the cellular uptake activity of the normal human fibroblasts in vitro showed a significant difference (Kuptake, 5.09 ± 0.96 vs. 6.50 ± 1.28 nM protein, P = 0.017).In conclusion, idursulfase beta exhibited significantly higher specific enzyme activity than idursulfase, resulting from higher FGly content. These biochemical differences may be partly attributed to clinical efficacy. However, long-term clinical evaluations of Hunter syndrome patients treated with these two enzymes will be needed to demonstrate the clinical implications of significant difference of the enzyme activity and the FGly content.

Total mercury concentrations in the general Korean population, 2008-2011.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the blood mercury levels of the general Korean population. The data from subjects of all ages were pooled from recent national surveys. In the combined surveys, the geometric means (GMs) of the blood mercury concentrations in subjects aged 0-7, 8-18, and 19years and above were 2.05 (2010-2011), 2.12 (2010-2011), and 3.74µg/L (2008-2011), respectively. There was an increasing trend in blood mercury levels with age until 59years and then a slight decline in the group above 60years. The time trend for exposure to mercury in Korea also showed a marked decline. In comparing estimated methylmercury exposure to the Korean health-based guidance value (tolerable weekly intake [TWI]: 2.0µg/kgbw/week), the GMs of methylmercury exposure for subjects aged 0-7, 8-18, and 19years and above were 0.30, 0.31, and 0.43µg/kgbw/week, respectively, while methylmercury exposure did not exceed the TWI (15.0%, 15.5%, and 21.5% compared to the TWI, respectively). The 95th percentiles of estimated methylmercury exposure ranged from 0.71 to 1.61µg/kgbw/week, which was not above the TWI (range, 35.5-80.5%).

Responses to political partisans are shaped by a COVID-19-sensitive disease avoidance psychology: A longitudinal investigation of functional flexibility.

How do natural changes in disease avoidance motivation shape thoughts about and behaviors toward ingroup and outgroup members? During the COVID-19 pandemic, political party affiliation has been a strong predictor in the United States of COVID-19-related opinions, attitudes, and behaviors. Using a six-wave longitudinal panel survey of representative Americans (on Prolific, N = 1,124, from April 2020 to February 2021), we explored how naturally occurring changes across time in both risks of COVID-19 infection and people's disease avoidance motivation shaped thoughts about and behaviors toward Republicans and Democrats (e.g., perceived infection threat, feelings of disgust, desires to avoid). We found a significant effect of dispositional level of motivation, over and above powerful effects of in-party favoritism/out-party derogation: Participants with a dispositionally stronger motivation to avoid disease showed greater infection management responses, especially toward Republicans; this held even for Republican participants. More importantly, we also found a significant interactive effect of within-person variability and ecological infection risk: Participants who sensitively upregulated their motivation during the rapid spread of COVID-19 perceived greater infection threat by Republicans and felt less disgust toward and desire to avoid Democrats. This finding, too, held for Republican participants. These results provide evidence of functionally flexible within-person psychological disease avoidance-a theoretically important process long presumed and now demonstrated-and suggest another mechanism contributing to U.S. political polarization. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

High-dose enzyme replacement therapy attenuates cerebroventriculomegaly in a mouse model of mucopolysaccharidosis type II.

The natural progression of the severe form of mucopolysaccharidosis II in children is a rapid decline of neurodevelopmental function with hydrocephalus. Recombinant human iduronate-2-sulfatase enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) under a standard regimen seems to have limited effect. Therefore, we determined whether early, high-dose ERT attenuated ventriculomegaly and histologic abnormalities in the brains of IdS-knockout mice. IdS-knockout mice received saline or recombinant human IdS (0.5/1.0/2.0 mg kg(-1)) intravenously once weekly, starting at 4 weeks of age and continuing until 20 weeks. ERT with 2.0 mg kg(-1), but not 0.5 or 1.0 mg kg(-1), significantly attenuated enlarged ventricles, as confirmed by in vivo 7-teslar brain magnetic resonance image (MRI) at 20 weeks. However, neuronal cytoplasmic vacuolization and morphological alteration in the purkinje cells on brain histology and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) levels in brain homogenates were reduced in mice receiving ERT at lower dose than 2.0 mg kg(-1). Additionally, GAG levels significantly correlated with the percent volume ratio of ventricle to whole brain. These results suggested that high-dose systemic ERT started early in life could be a promising therapeutic modality for improving neurologic dysfunction including ventriculomegaly in children with severe Hunter syndrome.

Improvement of CNS defects via continuous intrathecal enzyme replacement by osmotic pump in mucopolysaccharidosis type II mice.

Mucopolysaccharidosis type II (MPS II), also known as Hunter syndrome (OMIM 309900), is a rare, X-linked lysosomal storage disorder caused by a deficiency of iduronate-2-sulfatase (IDS; EC 3.1.6.13), which is involved in the lysosomal degradation of glycosaminoglycans (GAG). Although intermittent intrathecal (IT) injection of the enzyme has been introduced as a method to overcome the blood-brain barrier, continuous IT infusion of the enzyme would be more physiologic. This study was performed to investigate responses in the brain of MPS II mice to varying doses of continuous IT infusion of recombinant human IDS (rh-IDS) in MPS II mice by osmotic pump in three different doses (2.4, 4.8, and 12 µg/day) of rh-IDS for 3 weeks. The results showed that the group treated with 12 µg/day doses of rh-IDS demonstrated decreased GAG concentrations compared to the untreated KO mice group (P = 0.003). After 3 weeks of continuous IT ERT, the brain tissues of the high-dose IT-treated KO mice showed a reduction of vacuolation in the cerebral cortex, thalamus and cerebellar cortex, which was not observed in the low- and medium-dose KO mice groups. Moreover, the anti-NeuN signal representing intact neuron was restored in the cortexes of the high-dose group. In conclusion, continuous IT infusion of the deficient enzyme was effective in improving CNS defects in the MPS II mice, and could be a valuable therapeutic method for treating neurological deterioration in patients with MPS II.