Impaired glucose tolerance after streptozotocin microinjection into the mediodorsal prefrontal cortex of the rat

The mediodorsal prefrontal cortex (mdPFC) is a key structure of the central glucose-monitoring (GM) neural network. Previous studies indicate that intracerebral streptozotocin (STZ) microinjection-induced destruction of local chemosensory neurons results in feeding and metabolic alterations. The present experiments aimed to examine whether STZ microinjection into the mdPFC causes metabolic deficits. To do so, glucose tolerance test (GTT) and measurements of plasma metabolites were performed in STZ-treated or control rats. Intraperitoneal D-glucose load was delivered 20 min or 4 weeks following the intracerebral microinjection of STZ or saline (acute or subacute GTT, respectively). The STZ-treated rats displayed acute glucose intolerance: at the 120th min of the test, blood glucose level of these rats was significantly higher than that of the ones in the control group. When determining the plasma level of various metabolites, 30 min following the intracerebral STZ or saline microinjection, the triglyceride concentration of the STZ-treated rats was found to be reduced compared with that of the control rats. The GM neurons of the mdPFC are suggested to be involved in the organization of complex metabolic processes by which these chemosensory cells contribute to adaptive control mechanisms of the maintenance of homeostasis.

Phosphorylated Histone 3 at Serine 10 Identifies Activated Spinal Neurons and Contributes to the Development of Tissue Injury-Associated Pain

Transcriptional changes in superficial spinal dorsal horn neurons (SSDHN) are essential in the development and maintenance of prolonged pain. Epigenetic mechanisms including post-translational modifications in histones are pivotal in regulating transcription. Here, we report that phosphorylation of serine 10 (S10) in histone 3 (H3) specifically occurs in a group of rat SSDHN following the activation of nociceptive primary sensory neurons by burn injury, capsaicin application or sustained electrical activation of nociceptive primary sensory nerve fibres. In contrast, brief thermal or mechanical nociceptive stimuli, which fail to induce tissue injury or inflammation, do not produce the same effect. Blocking N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors or activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2, or blocking or deleting the mitogen- and stress-activated kinases 1 and 2 (MSK1/2), which phosphorylate S10 in H3, inhibit up-regulation in phosphorylated S10 in H3 (p-S10H3) as well as fos transcription, a down-stream effect of p-S10H3. Deleting MSK1/2 also inhibits the development of carrageenan-induced inflammatory heat hyperalgesia in mice. We propose that p-S10H3 is a novel marker for nociceptive processing in SSDHN with high relevance to transcriptional changes and the development of prolonged pain.

Genetic Changes in Sporadic Keratocystic Odontogenic Tumors (Odontogenic Keratocysts)

Little is known about the genetic background of keratocystic odontogenic tumors (KCOT, odontogenic keratocysts). Our aim was to characterize genomic aberrations in sporadic KCOT using cDNA-expression arrays and array-comparative genomic hybridization. For cDNA-expression arrays, 10 KCOT specimens and 20 fetal tooth germs were studied. Quantitative real-time reverse-transcription/polymerase chain-reaction and immunohistochemical studies were also undertaken. Several genes were over-expressed in 12q13, including cytokeratin 6B ( KRT6B) (≈ 10-fold), epidermal growth factor receptor ERBB3 (~ 4.7-fold), and glioma-associated oncogene homologue 1 ( GLI1) (~ 5- to 12-fold). One amplicon (~ 0.7 Mega base pairs [Mbp]), covering several genes involved in the regulation of cell growth, was found in 12q13.2. Deletions were found in 3q13.1, 5p14.3, and 7q31.3, including the cell-adhesion-related gene cadherin 18 ( CDH18) and leukocyte cell adhesion molecule ( ALCAM, MEMD). Over-expressed and amplified genes in 12q13, also reported in several other tumors and cell lines, may contribute to the persistent growth characteristics of KCOT.

Cost of severe hypoglycaemia in nine European countries

OBJECTIVE

Complications contribute largely to the economic gravity of diabetes mellitus (DM). How they arise and are treated differs substantially between countries. This paper assesses the total annual, direct, and indirect cost of severe hypoglycemia events (SHEs) in nine European countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Macedonia/the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (MK), Poland, Slovenia, and Spain.

METHODS

Data was collected on epidemiology, treatment structure, SHE-driven resource consumption, and unit costs. Two systematic reviews-on the SHE rates and the resources used for treatment-and data on the days-of-work lost due to SHE along with salaries and employment rates were used. The total SHE cost in each country was calculated and how the differences are driven by individual parameters was analysed.

RESULTS

The annual costs of SHEs varied in absolute terms from €379,951.25 in MK up to €58,429,684.40 in Spain, or-when expressed per one drug-treated DM patient-from €5.47 in Bulgaria up to €17.74 in Spain. Indirect cost constituted between 6.01% (MK) and 26.49% (Hungary) of the total cost. The differences between countries are driven mostly by the cost of treating a single event, and this is related to general differences in prices.

LIMITATIONS

The main limitation is the lack of good quality data in some parts, and the necessity to use mean-value imputations, experts' opinions, etc. Additionally, we only considered DM treatment as the SHE driver, while other elements, e.g. style of living, may contribute substantially.

CONCLUSIONS

A common framework can be applied to estimate the economic burden of SHE in various countries, allowing one to identify the drivers of differences in cost. Treating DM is complex, and so no resolute conclusions ought to be drawn as to whether SHE management is better in one country than another.

Plasma E-selectin levels can play a role in the development of diabetic retinopathy

PURPOSE

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes of blindness. There are several risk factors, such as the duration of diabetes or glycemic control of the patient; however, several biochemical factors also alter the process. Our aim was to investigate the role of soluble E-selectin in the formation of diabetic retinopathy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Fifty-seven patients (37 female and 20 male, aged 61.71 ± 12.31 years) and 14 healthy control subjects (ten female and four male, aged 63.06 ± 10.46 years) were enrolled in the study. We measured the soluble E-selectin level in the plasma of patients by ELISA. All patients underwent careful ophthalmological examination, including ophthalmoscopy and color fundus photography, while diabetic retinopathy grading was performed in line with the 2012 classification of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).

RESULTS

The soluble E-selectin level was significantly higher in patients with diabetes compared to controls (32.95 ng/ml vs. 26.55 ng/ml, p = 0.03). Dividing patients into groups by the presence of retinopathy, the E-selectin level was also significantly higher in the retinopathy group (p < 0.05). When we examined diabetic patients by the severity of retinopathy (groups A, B, and C, by the guidelines of the AAO), however, we did not find any significant difference in soluble E-selectin levels, although it tended to be higher in group B.

CONCLUSIONS

An elevated E-selectin level can play a role in the development of diabetic retinopathy, but it does not seem to alter disease severity. However, glycemic control and the reduction of cardiovascular risk factors may also alter the level of E-selectin that might play a role in the prevention of diabetic retinopathy.

Immune-mediated Skin Inflammation is Similar in Severe Atopic Dermatitis Patients With or Without Filaggrin Mutation

Inflammatory cytokines can impair the skin barrier, but the question as to whether barrier alterations affect keratinocyte immune responses remains unanswered. The aim of this study was to investigate whether immune-mediated skin inflammation differs between severe atopic dermatitis patients with or without filaggrin mutation. The levels of filaggrin, inflammatory T helper 2 polarizing cytokines (thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) and interleukin 33 (IL-33)) and chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 27 (CCL27), histological severity markers, T and dendritic cell counts in biopsies from lesional skin of severe atopic dermatitis patients with and without filaggrin mutation and healthy skin were quantified by immunohistochemistry. The results were confirmed by quantitative PCR analyses. No significant differences were found between the 2 patient groups. Expression of atopic dermatitis-specific cytokines showed significant correlation with histological severity. These findings suggest that the immune-mediated skin inflammation (represented by keratinocyte-derived factors, T cell and dendritic cell counts) is similar in the 2 patient groups with severe atopic dermatitis, and that immune activation is connected to the severity of the disease rather than to the origin of barrier alterations.

Virulence and antimicrobial resistance determinants of verotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) and of multidrug-resistant E. coli from foods of animal origin illegally imported to the EU by flight passengers

The aim of this study was to reveal phenotype/genotype characteristics of verotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) and multidrug resistant E. coli in food products of animal origin confiscated as illegal import at Austrian, German and Slovenian airports. VTEC isolates were obtained by using ISO guidelines 16654:2001 for O157 VTEC or ISO/ TS13136:2012 for non-O157 VTEC, with additional use of the RIDASCREEN® Verotoxin immunoassay. The testing of 1526 samples resulted in 15 VTEC isolates (1.0%) primarily isolated from hard cheese from Turkey and Balkan countries. Genotyping for virulence by using a miniaturized microarray identified a wide range of virulence determinants. One VTEC isolate (O26:H46) possessing intimin (eae) and all other essential genes of Locus of Enterocyte Effacement (LEE) was designated as enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC). None of the other VTEC strains belonged to serogroups O157, O145, O111, O104 or O103. VTEC strains harbored either stx(1) (variants stx1(a) or stx(1c)) or st(x2) (variants stx(2a), stx(2b), stx(2a/d) or stx(2c/d)) genes. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) demonstrated high genetic diversity and identified three new sequence types (STs): 4505, 4506 and 4507. Food samples collected from the Vienna airport were also tested for E. coli quantities using the ISO 16649:2001, and for detection of multidrug resistant phenotypes and genotypes. The resulting 113 commensal E. coli isolates were first tested in a pre-screening against 6 selected antimicrobials to demonstrate multidrug resistance. The resulting 14 multidrug resistant (MDR) E. coli isolates, representing 0.9% of the samples, were subjected to further resistance phenotyping and to microarray analyses targeting genetic markers of antimicrobial resistance and virulence. Genotyping revealed various combinations of resistance determinants as well as the presence of class 1, class 2 integrons. The isolates harbored 6 to 11 antibiotic resistance genes as well as 1 to 14 virulence genes. In this panel of 14 MDR E. coli two strains proved to carry CTX-M type ESBLs, and one single isolate was identified as enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC). In general, isolates carrying a high number of resistance determinants had lower number of virulence genes and vice versa. In conclusion, this first pilot study on the prevalence of VTEC and of MDR/ESBL E. coli in illegally imported food products of animal origin suggests that these strains could represent reservoirs for dissemination of potentially new types of pathogenic and MDR E. coli in Europe.

Insulin and leptin plasma levels after the microinjection of interleukin-1β into the nucleus accumbens of the rat

The nucleus accumbens (NAcc), an important basal forebrain structure, has a central integratory function in the control of feeding and metabolism. The primary cytokine interleukin-1β (IL-1β) exerts its neuromodulatory effects on the endocrine functions both centrally and peripherally. The present study was designed to elucidate the possible consequences of direct administration of IL-1β into the NAcc on the endocrine regulation of metabolism. Plasma concentrations of insulin and leptin, two key hormones in the homeostatic control were determined 15 minutes after a single bilateral microinjection of IL-1β into the NAcc of adult male Wistar rats, and the effects were compared with those found in vehicle treated control animals. Insulin plasma levels of the cytokine treated animals were significantly higher than those parameters of the control rats. No differences were found in leptin plasma concentrations between the two groups. Our findings show that IL-1β mediated processes in the NAcc have important roles in the central neuroendocrine control.

GINA--a polarized neutron reflectometer at the Budapest Neutron Centre

The setup, capabilities, and operation parameters of the neutron reflectometer GINA, the recently installed "Grazing Incidence Neutron Apparatus" at the Budapest Neutron Centre, are introduced. GINA, a dance-floor-type, constant-energy, angle-dispersive reflectometer is equipped with a 2D position-sensitive detector to study specular and off-specular scattering. Wavelength options between 3.2 and 5.7 Å are available for unpolarized and polarized neutrons. Spin polarization and analysis are achieved by magnetized transmission supermirrors and radio-frequency adiabatic spin flippers. As a result of vertical focusing by a five-element pyrolytic graphite monochromator, the reflected intensity from a 20 × 20 mm(2) sample has been doubled. GINA is dedicated to studies of magnetic films and heterostructures, but unpolarized options for non-magnetic films, membranes, and other surfaces are also provided. Shortly after its startup, reflectivity values as low as 3 × 10(-5) have been measured by the instrument. The instrument capabilities are demonstrated by a non-polarized and a polarized reflectivity experiment on a Si wafer and on a magnetic film of [(62)Ni/(nat)Ni](5) isotope-periodic layer composition. The facility is now open for the international user community. Its further development is underway establishing new sample environment options and spin analysis of off-specularly scattered radiation as well as further decreasing the background.

Potential therapeutic targeting of platelet-mediated cellular interactions in atherosclerosis and inflammation

Cellular interactions among platelets, leukocytes and endothelial cells are considered as a major cause of inflammation and atherosclerosis in many diseases. Via exposed surface receptors and released soluble substances, activated platelets play a crucial role in the initiation of inflammatory processes, resulting in endothelial injury and leading to formation of atherosclerotic plaque with possible thrombotic complications. Classic anti-platelet treatments (e.g. cyclooxygenase inhibitor or ADP-receptor antagonist) have favorable effects in patients with vascular diseases, but they also have several limitations such as increased bleeding risk or non-responsiveness. Thus, the need and opportunities for developing novel therapeutic inhibitors for platelet-mediated events are obvious. Animal and (pre)clinical human studies have suggested that some recently produced specific antagonists of P-selectin from α-granules, as well as its main ligand/receptor P-selectin Glycoprotein Ligand-1, the two major platelet chemokines CXCL4 and CCL5, as well as CD40L, may be considered potential new candidates in the treatment of atherogenesis and inflammation. In this review, we summarize the pathophysiological roles of these effectors in platelet activation and acute or chronic inflammation, and discuss the latest findings on promising antagonistic agents in basic and clinical studies in the prevention of platelet-mediated cellular interactions.

PP004. Study of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase and the reduced-folate carrier-1 gene polymorphism in healthy and severe pre-eclamptic patients

INTRODUCTION

One-carbon cycle is involved in two essential physiological processes: The synthesis of purins and pyrimidines required for DNA synthesis and repair. The other is the methylation with the methionine cycle. These one-carbon groups are served by the tetrahydrofolate and the S-adenosylmethionine. Deficiencies of the folate, or other abnormalities within the methionine pathway lead to elevated homocysteine levels. These disorders have been implicated in placental diseases. Earlier studies have shown that homocysteine levels are elevated by patients with severe pre-eclampsia than by healthy pregnant normotensive women. Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene C677T missense mutation has a high frequency by patients with HELLP syndrome and connected with elevated serum homocysteine levels. The reduced-folate carrier (RFC-1) facilitates the internalization of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate from the blood into peripheral cells. The mutation G80A this gene leads to higher plasma folate.

OBJECTIVES

Our aim was to identify the polymorphism of these two genes in samples of severe pre-eclamptic patients and healthy controls.

METHODS

Blood samples were collected from healthy pregnant normotensive women (n=82) and women with pre-eclampsia (n=75). DNA was isolated and quantitative real-time PCR method combined with melting curve analysis was performed for the detection of the two polymorphisms. Statistical analysis was performed with the STATISTICA software package.

RESULTS

The frequency of the A allele in the RFC-1 gene was 46.57% by healthy pregnant and 41% by severe pre-eclamptic patients. The overall distribution of genotypes was not significantly different between the control and pre-eclamptic groups (p=0.58). In the study groups by the MTHFR gene the frequency of the T was 32% in pre-eclamptics, and 35.92% in controls. Similarly the overall distribution of genotypes was not significantly different between the two study groups (p=0.15).

CONCLUSION

In hypertensive disorders of the pregnancy the one-carbon cycle is disturbed. We studied single nucleotide mutations in the genes of two enzymes involved in the cycle. We determined the allele and genotype frequencies in healthy control and pre-eclamptic patients and found no significant differences. Further examinations of other genetical compounds can help to understand the elevated homocysteine levels in pre-eclampsia.