Neurotoxicity and persistent cognitive deficits induced by combined MDMA and alcohol exposure in adolescent rats.

Recent trend assessments of drug consumption reveal an increase in the simultaneous use of several drugs at raves, clubs and college settings among youngsters and young adults. We studied in adolescent rats the effects of repeated exposure to cocaine and 3,4-methylenedioxymethanphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy), given alone or in combination with alcohol, on memory performance, adult hippocampal neurogenesis and neurotoxicity. Rats were trained two weeks after the drug treatments in the radial arm maze. The results showed that only rats exposed to combinations of alcohol and MDMA exhibited significant memory deficits. Alcohol, MDMA and combinations thereof significantly decreased 5-bromodeoxyuridine labeling in the dentate gyrus (DG), indicating reduced survival of neuronal precursors. None of the treatments altered the length of the dendritic arbors of doublecortin (DCX)-positive neurons or the number and length of DCX-negative gaps in the DG. Thus, changes in adult neurogenesis were not causally related to the cognitive alterations induced by the treatments. Only the combination of alcohol and MDMA significantly decreased the population of mature granule neurons in the DG and increased the presence of cluster of differentiation 11b+ reactive microglia in the bordering areas of the subgranular zone. Critically, memory impairment was correlated with granule cell depletion. These observations demonstrate that exposure to alcohol and MDMA during adolescence, at doses that do not provoke apparent cognitive impairment when given separately, causes neurotoxic alterations affecting the DG region as well as persistent memory deficits. The findings highlight the elevated risk associated with the concurrent recreational use of alcohol and MDMA.

Comparison between linseed expeller and canola expeller on concentrate intake, and circulating inflammatory mediators in Holstein calves.

The objective of this study was to compare the effect of linseed and canola expeller on average daily weight gain (ADG), concentrate intakes, incidence of diarrhea, serum haptoglobin, interleukin (IL)-1, and resolvin-E1 in female Holstein calves from birth to weaning. A sample size of 20 calves per group was calculated and were randomly allocated at the time of birth. Linseed group (LIN) was fed a starter with linseed expeller, while canola group (CAN) received a similar concentrate, but with canola expeller. Both expellers were included at a rate of 25% dry matter (DM) basis of the starter. Pasteurized waste milk was fed twice a day until weaning. Calves were weighed at birth, 30, and 60 d of age. Starter intake was evaluated daily from 5 to 60 d. A blood sample was obtained at birth, 14, 28, 35, and 49 d of age, and bovine serum resolvin-E1, haptoglobin, and IL-1 were assayed by commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Incidence of diarrhea and the duration of the events were also recorded. The effect of the interaction group by time on body weight (BW) and starter intake was not significant (P > 0.05). Average daily gains (ADG) from 0 to 60 d for CAN and LIN groups were 0.680 and 0.675 kg/d (P > 0.05), respectively. Incidences of diarrhea were 25% and 45% for CAN and LIN groups, respectively (P = 0.18). LIN group had greater concentrations of IL-1 at d 21, haptoglobin at d 7, and resolving-E1 at d 14 and 49 than CAN group, respectively. It is concluded that BW at weaning, ADG, and concentrate intakes were not different between groups fed starters containing linseed or canola expeller (25% inclusion). The concentrations of cytokines and haptoglobin were the greatest in LIN group.

Diagnóstico prenatal de anomalías nefrourológicas en el Centro de Referencia Perinatal Oriente, Santiago, Chile / Prenatal diagnosis of nefrourological anomalies at the Eastern Perinatal Referral Center, Santiago, Chile

INTRODUCCIÓN: Las anomalías congénitas de los riñones y las vías urinarias (CAKUT, Congenital Anomalies of the Kidney and Urinary Tract) representan un 20-30% de las anomalías detectadas en el periodo prenatal. Si bien la mayoría son de buen pronóstico, un 25% se asocian a enfermedad renal crónica en la infancia y en los casos graves a mortalidad perinatal. OBJETIVO: Describir los casos ingresados al Centro de Referencia Perinatal Oriente (CERPO) y determinar los resultados perinatales y la sobrevida al año. MÉTODO: Estudio descriptivo y retrospectivo. Se incluyeron pacientes ingresadas en la base de datos CERPO, entre los años 2003 y 2019, con diagnóstico de anomalía nefrourológica. Se incluyeron antecedentes prenatales, perinatales y de seguimiento posnatal al año. RESULTADOS: Se evaluaron 273 pacientes. La edad gestacional promedio de derivación fue de 29 semanas + 2 días. El diagnóstico más frecuente fueron las anomalías del tracto de salida (69%). Un 40% de los casos se asociaron a otras anomalías congénitas, siendo las cardiopatías las más frecuentes (19%). Aceptaron la realización de estudio genético invasivo 38 pacientes, de las cuales un 34% presentaron aneuploidías, siendo las trisomías 18 y 13 las más frecuentes (17% y 6%, respectivamente). Se instalaron cinco shunts derivativos vesicoamnióticos en fetos diagnosticados con megavejiga. La sobrevida global para la patología nefrourológica fue del 63% al año, y la mortalidad fetal y neonatal fue del 7% y el 16%, respectivamente. La sobrevida al año según el grupo de clasificación CAKUT fue del 22% para las anomalías de número de riñones, del 46% para las anomalías de tamaño y de morfología renal, del 60% para las anomalías de la posición renal y del 72% para las anomalías del tracto de salida. En este último grupo, la sobrevida alcanza el 81% al excluir los pacientes con diagnóstico prenatal de megavejiga, que presentaron una sobrevida al año del 28%. Los casos de patología nefrourológica asociada a oligohidramnios (índice de líquido amniótico < 5 cm) sin evidencias de uropatía obstructiva asociada presentaron una sobrevida al año del 3%. CONCLUSIONES: Las anomalías del sistema nefrourológico son un diagnóstico prenatal frecuente. La sobrevida al año fue del 63%, pero es necesario prolongar el seguimiento a largo plazo para determinar la evolución de la función renal en cada diagnóstico. La asociación de patología nefrourológica y oligohidramnios conlleva una sobrevida menor.

INTRODUCTION: Congenital anomalies of the kidneys and urinary tract (CAKUT) represent 20 to 30% of the anomalies detected prenatally. Although most are of good prognosis, 25% are associated with chronic kidney disease in childhood and severe cases with perinatal mortality. OBJECTIVE: To describe the cases studied in the Eastern Perinatal Referral Center (CERPO) and to determine the perinatal outcome and survival at one year. METHOD: Descriptive and retrospective study. Patients registered on the CERPO database, between 2003 to 2019, with diagnosis of nephrourological anomaly were included. Antenatal, perinatal and postnatal follow-up information was collected. RESULTS: 273 patients were evaluated. The average gestational age at referral was 29 + 2 weeks. The main diagnosis was urinary tract outlet disorders (69%). Thirty nine percent of the cases were associated with other congenital anomalies, with heart disease being the most frequent (19%). Thirty-eight patients accepted an invasive procedure for genetic study, 34% presented aneuploidy, trisomy 18 and 13 were the most frequent (17% and 6% respectively). Five vesico-amniotic derivative shunts were installed in fetuses diagnosed with megabladder. Overall survival at one year was 63% and fetal and neonatal mortality were 7% and 16% respectively. One-year survival per group according to CAKUT classification was 22% in kidney number abnormalities, 46% in kidney size and morphology abnormalities, 60% in renal position abnormalities and 72% in outflow tract abnormalities. In the latter, survival reaches 81% excluding the patients with prenatal diagnosis of megabladder who had a one-year survival of 28%. The cases of nephrourological pathology associated with oligohydramnios (amniotic fluid index < 5 cm) without evidence of associated obstructive uropathy presented a survival of 3% at one year. CONCLUSIONS: The anomalies of the nephrourological system correspond to a frequent prenatal diagnosis. Overall, the one-year survival was 63%; however, follow-up must continue to determine the evolution of renal function in relation to each diagnosis.

Chronic Alcohol Exposure Decreases 53BP1 Protein Levels Leading to a Defective DNA Repair in Cultured Primary Cortical Neurons.

Chronic alcohol consumption may cause neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. Alcohol neurotoxicity is associated with the production of acetaldehyde and reactive oxygen species that induce oxidative DNA damage. However, the molecular mechanisms by which ethanol disturbs the DNA damage response (DDR), resulting in a defective DNA repair, remain unknown. Here, we have used cultured primary cortical neurons exposed to 50 or 100 mM ethanol for 7 days to analyze the ethanol-induced DDR. Ethanol exposure produced a dose-dependent generation of double strand breaks and the formation of DNA damage foci immunoreactive for the histone γH2AX, a DNA damage marker, and for the ubiquitylated H2A, which is involved in chromatin remodeling at DNA damage sites. Importantly, these DNA damage foci failed to recruit the protein 53BP1, a crucial DNA repair factor. This effect was associated with a drop in 53BP1 mRNA and protein levels and with an inhibition of global transcription. Moreover, ethanol-exposed neurons treated with ionizing radiation (2 Gy) also failed to recruit 53BP1 at DNA damage foci and exhibited a greater vulnerability to DNA lesions than irradiated control neurons. Our results support that defective DNA repair, mediated by the deficient expression and recruitment of 53BP1 to DNA damage sites, represents a novel mechanism involved in ethanol neurotoxicity. The design of therapeutic strategies that increase or stabilize 53BP1 levels might potentially promote DNA repair and partially compensate alcohol neurotoxicity.

Chronic ethanol exposure alters the levels, assembly, and cellular organization of the actin cytoskeleton and microtubules in hippocampal neurons in primary culture.

The organization and dynamics of microtubules (MTs) and the actin cytoskeleton are critical for the correct development and functions of neurons, including intracellular traffic and signaling. In vitro ethanol exposure impairs endocytosis, exocytosis, and nucleocytoplasmic traffic in astrocytes and alters endocytosis in cultured neurons. In astrocytes, these effects relate to changes in the organization and/or function of MTs and the actin cytoskeleton. To evaluate this possibility in hippocampal cultured neurons, we analyzed if chronic ethanol exposure affects the levels, assembly, and cellular organization of both cytoskeleton elements and the possible underlying mechanisms of these effects by morphological and biochemical methods. In the experiments described below, we provide the first evidence that chronic alcohol exposure decreases the amount of both filamentous actin and polymerized tubulin in neurons and that the number of MTs in dendrites lowers in treated cells. Alcohol also diminishes the MT-associated protein-2 levels, which mainly localizes in the somatodendritic compartment in neurons. Ethanol decreases the levels of total Rac, Cdc42, and RhoA, three small guanosine triphosphatases (GTPases) involved in the organization and dynamics of the actin cytoskeleton and MTs. Yet when alcohol decreases the levels of the active forms (GTP bound) of Rac1 and Cdc42, it does not affect the active form of RhoA. We also investigated the levels of several effector and regulator molecules of these GTPases to find that alcohol induces heterogeneous results. In conclusion, our results show that MT, actin cytoskeleton organization, and Rho GTPase signaling pathways are targets for the toxic effects of ethanol in neurons.

Endocytosis in cultured neurons is altered by chronic alcohol exposure.

Endocytosis is required for many cellular pivotal processes, including membrane recycling, nutrient uptake, and signal transduction. This complex process is particularly relevant in polarized cells, such as neurons. Previous studies have demonstrated that alcohol alters intracellular traffic, including endocytosis, in several cell types. However, information on the effect of chronic alcohol exposure on this process in neurons is scarce. As an approach, we investigated the effect of alcohol exposure on the internalization of two widely used endocytic markers, albumin and transferrin, in developing hippocampal neurons in primary culture. The effect of this treatment on the levels of several representative proteins involved in the endocytic process was also analyzed. Some of these proteins are also involved in the organization of the actin cytoskeleton. Pretreatment of cells with inhibitors chlorpromazine or nystatin indicates that albumin is internalized mainly by caveolin-dependent endocytosis. On the other hand, alcohol decreases the endocytosis of both markers, although no qualitative changes in the distribution of either of these molecules were observed. Finally, the effect of ethanol on the proteins analyzed was heterogeneous. Alcohol decreases the levels of clathrin, AP-2, SNX9, Rab5, Rab11, EEA1, Cdc42, or RhoA but increases the amount of Arf6. Moreover, alcohol does not affect the levels of caveolin1, dynamin1, Rab7, and LAMP2. This toxic effect of alcohol on endocytosis could affect some of the important neuronal activities, which depend on this process, including cell signaling. Our results in neurons also stress the notion that one of the main targets of ethanol is intracellular transport.