Liposomes coated with N-trimethyl chitosan to improve the absorption of harmine in vivo and in vitro

In this study, harmine liposomes (HM-lip) were prepared through the thin-film hydration-pH-gradient method and then coated with N-trimethyl chitosan (TMC). Particle size, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency, and in vitro release of HM-lip and TMC-coated harmine liposomes (TMC-HM-lip) were also determined. Sprague Dawley rats were further used to investigate the pharmacokinetics in vivo. Retention behavior in mouse gastrointestinal tract (GIT) was studied through high-performance liquid chromatography and near-infrared imaging. Degradation was further evaluated through incubation with Caco-2 cell homogenates, and a Caco-2 monolayer cell model was used to investigate the uptake and transport of drugs. HM-lip and TMC-HM-lip with particle size of 150-170 nm, an entrapment efficiency of about 81%, and a zeta potential of negative and positive, respectively, were prepared. The release of HM from HM-lip and TMC-HM-lip was slower than that from HM solution and was sensitive to pH. TMC-HM-lip exhibited higher oral bioavailability and had prolonged retention time in GIT. HM-lip and TMC-HM-lip could also protect HM against degradation in Caco-2 cell homogenates. The uptake amount of TMC-HM-lip was higher than that of HM and HM-lip. TMC-HM-lip further demonstrated higher apparent permeability coefficient (P(app)) from the apical to the basolateral side than HM and HM-lip because of its higher uptake and capability to open tight junctions in the cell monolayers. TMC-HM-lip can prolong the retention time in the GIT, protect HM against enzyme degradation, and improve transport across Caco-2 cell monolayers, thus enhancing the oral bioavailability of HM.

Sintering Behavior and Effect of Silver Nanowires on the Electrical Conductivity of Electrically Conductive Adhesives

In this paper, two kinds of silver nanowires with a 160 nm average diameter ranging from 30 to 90 µm length and a 450 nm average diameter up to 100 µm length were successfully synthesized by a polyol process with FeCl3 and Na₂S as reaction inhibitor, respectively. The experimental results indicate that the morphologies and sintering behaviors of both of silver nanowires are impacted by glutaric acid and sintering temperature. The isotropically conductive adhesives (ICAs) filled with micro-sized silver flakes and silver nanowires as hybrid fillers were fabricated and the electrical properties were investigated based on the fraction of the silver nanowires of the total of silver fillers and the curing temperature, etc. The in situ monitoring the variation in electrical resistance of the ICAs explores that silver nanowires have influence on the curing behavior of the ICAs. Silver nanowires synthesized with Na2S as reaction inhibitor and treated with glutaric acid can significantly improve the electrical conductivity of the ICAs in the case of the low loading of silver fillers in the appropriate proportion range of the weight ratio of micro-sized silver flakes and silver nanowires, primarily as a result of connecting effect. When the loading of silver fillers in the ICAs is high, the electrical conductivity is also enhanced slightly in the case of the proper fraction of silver nanowires of the total of silver fillers. The effect of the curing temperature on the electrical conductivity relates to the fraction of silver nanowires and the total loading of silver fillers. The electrical conductivity of the ICAs filled with micro-sized silver flakes and silver nanowires synthesized with FeCl₃ as reaction inhibitor is greatly damaged, indicating that the size of silver nanowires also is one of main factor to impact the electrical conductivity of the ICAs doped with silver nanowires. The electrical property of the ICAs filled with micro-sized silver flakes and silver nanowires results mainly from the synergy of silver flakes and nanowires, forming the conductive pathways.

Glucosamine: fructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase in the white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei: characterization and regulation under alkaline and cadmium stress

Heavy metal residues and chemical contaminators considered as relevant sources of aquatic environmental pollutants have a generally immunosuppressive effect on aquatic organisms, depressing metabolic activities and immune response. Glutamine: fructose-6-phosphate aminotransferase (GFAT, EC2.6.1.16) is the first, and rate-limiting, enzyme in the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway, and is involved in the regulation of chitin biosynthesis and glycosylation of proteins. We have isolated and characterized GFAT from the white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei. Amino acid sequence similarity of the Lv-GFAT (L.vannamei-GFAT) was highest to GFATs isolated from insects and mammals (83 % similarity to that of Haemaphysalis longicornis). The open-reading frame of the Lv-GFAT codes for a protein of 41.6 kDa with a calculated isoelectric point of 5.03. RT-PCR assays showed that endogenous Lv-GFAT mRNA is most strongly expressed in the intestine. Further analysis of Lv-GFAT gene expression in hepatopancreas by quantitative real-time PCR demonstrated that Lv-GFAT transcript levels increased when the shrimp were exposed to alkaline pH (9.3) and cadmium stress, but the time when its mRNA expression level peaked differed under these stresses. We also first expressed the recombinant protein of GFAT from shrimps in Escherichia coli. Western blot analyses confirmed that the Lv-GFAT protein was strongly expressed in the hepatopancreas after exposure to the LC-Cd stress. These results suggest that Lv-GFAT expression is stimulated by alkaline pH and cadmium stress and that it may play important roles in resistance of shrimp to environmental stresses.

Capability of GaN based micro-light emitting diodes operated at an injection level of kA/cm²

Different size InGaN/GaN based micro-LEDs (μLEDs) are fabricated. An extremely high injection level above 16 kA/cm2 is achieved for 10 μm-diameter LED. The lateral current density and carrier distributions of the μLEDs are simulated by APSYS software. Streak camera time resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) results show clear evidence that the band-gap renormalization (BGR) effect is weakened by strain relaxation in smaller size μLEDs. BGR affects the relaxation of free carriers on the conduction band bottom in multiple quantum wells (MQWs), and then indirectly affects the recombination rate of carriers. An energy band model based on BGR effect is made to explain the high-injection-level phenomenon for μLEDs.

Medically inoperable peripheral lung cancer treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy

Background

Lung cancer is the most frequent cause of cancer-related death in North America. There is wide variation between patients who are medically inoperable and those managed surgically. The use of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) has narrowed the gap in survival rates between operative and non-operative management for those with early stage disease. This retrospective study reports outcomes for the treatment of peripheral non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) with SBRT from a single community practice.

Methods

Sixty-seven consecutive patients (pts) with inoperable, untreated peripheral lung tumors were treated from 2010 through 2012 and included in this study. Stereotactic targeting was facilitated by either spine or lung-based image guidance, either with or without fiducial marker tracking with a frameless robotic radiosurgery system. Peripheral tumors received a median biological effective dose (BED) of 105.6 Gy₁₀ or in terms of a median physical dose, 48 Gy delivered over 4 daily fractions. Survival was measured using the Kaplan-Meier method to determine rates of local control, progression of disease and overall survival. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to study the effects of tumor size, stage, histology, patient age, tumor location (lobe), tracking method, and BED on the survival distributions.

Results

The median follow-up for this cohort was 24.5 months (range: 2.4–50.3) with an overall (OS) 3-year survival of 62.4 % (95 % CI: 74.3-47.3). The median progression-free survival was 28.5 months (95 % CI: 15.8 months to not reached). Local control (LC), defined as a lack of FDG uptake on PET/CT or the absence of tumor growth was achieved in 60 patients (90.9 %) at the time of first follow-up (median 3 months, range: 1–6). Local control at one year for the entire cohort was 81.8 % (95 % CI, 67.3-90.3). The one-year OS probability among those who achieved local control at first follow-up was 86.2 % (95 % CI, 74.3-92.9) but no patients who did not achieve LC at first follow-up survived one year. Of the 60 pts that achieved initial LC, 16 have died. The rates of local control, progression-free survival and overall survival were not statistically different for patients treated using a fiducial target tracking system versus non-invasive guidance. (p = 0.44, p = 0.97 and p = 0.66, respectively). No National Cancer Institute (NCI) Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE-4) grade 3 or greater toxicity was observed.

Conclusion

SBRT is an effective treatment for medically inoperable NSCLC patients with peripherally located tumors. This therapy appears to be well tolerated with low toxicity, and patient outcomes when using non-invasive tumor tracking systems are not inferior to traditional fiducial-based techniques.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13014-015-0423-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Circadian dysregulation of clock genes: clues to rapid treatments in major depressive disorder

Conventional antidepressants require 2-8 weeks for a full clinical response. In contrast, two rapidly acting antidepressant interventions, low-dose ketamine and sleep deprivation (SD) therapy, act within hours to robustly decrease depressive symptoms in a subgroup of major depressive disorder (MDD) patients. Evidence that MDD may be a circadian-related illness is based, in part, on a large set of clinical data showing that diurnal rhythmicity (sleep, temperature, mood and hormone secretion) is altered during depressive episodes. In a microarray study, we observed widespread changes in cyclic gene expression in six regions of postmortem brain tissue of depressed patients matched with controls for time-of-death (TOD). We screened 12 000 transcripts and observed that the core clock genes, essential for controlling virtually all rhythms in the body, showed robust 24-h sinusoidal expression patterns in six brain regions in control subjects. In MDD patients matched for TOD with controls, the expression patterns of the clock genes in brain were significantly dysregulated. Some of the most robust changes were seen in anterior cingulate (ACC). These findings suggest that in addition to structural abnormalities, lesion studies, and the large body of functional brain imaging studies reporting increased activation in the ACC of depressed patients who respond to a wide range of therapies, there may be a circadian dysregulation in clock gene expression in a subgroup of MDDs. Here, we review human, animal and neuronal cell culture data suggesting that both low-dose ketamine and SD can modulate circadian rhythms. We hypothesize that the rapid antidepressant actions of ketamine and SD may act, in part, to reset abnormal clock genes in MDD to restore and stabilize circadian rhythmicity. Conversely, clinical relapse may reflect a desynchronization of the clock, indicative of a reactivation of abnormal clock gene function. Future work could involve identifying specific small molecules capable of resetting and stabilizing clock genes to evaluate if they can rapidly relieve symptoms and sustain improvement.

[Correlation between urinary sediment spectra and pathological patterns of renal biopsies]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the clinical value of urinary sediment analysis, a non-invasive diagnostic means, in the evaluation of pathological patterns of renal diseases.

METHODS

A total of 1 140 pairs of matched renal biopsies and fresh fasting morning urine specimens were collected from hospitalized patients in Peking University First Hospital. Their urinary sediments were examined with phase-contrast microscopy; the 24 h urine proteins were measured. Based on urinary sediment features combined with urine protein amount, the spectra of the urine sediments were classified into four types, Type I: hematuria-dominant, with multiple cells and casts; Type II: proteinuria-dominant, with hyaline or fine-granular casts but scanty cells; Type III: renal tubular epithelial cell(RTEC)-dominant, minor proteinuria; Type IV: non-specificurine sediments,minor proteinuria. According to the pathological lesions detected in renal biopsies, the renal diseases were classified into three patterns: proliferative glomerulopathy(P-GP), non-proliferative glomerulopathy (NP-GP) and tubulointerstitial nephropathy(TIN). The urinary sediment spectra of different pathological patterns and the correlation between urinary sediment types and pathological patterns were analyzed. Statistical analyses were performed using kappa test, and χ(2) test, and significance was accepted at P<0.05.

RESULTS

(1) Of the 840 cases of matched urine samples and renal biopsies, 419 cases were diagnosed with P-GP; 375 cases with NP-GP; 46 cases with TIN respectively. (2) The spectra of urine sediments were associated with pathological patterns of the renal biopsies, and 84.0% of the patients with P-GP manifested type I urine sediments; 93.1% of the patients with NP-GP had type II urine sediments; 67.4% of the patients with TIN had type III urine sediments. (3) The correlation between the urinary sediment types and renal pathological patterns was validated in an additional 300 matched samples. The positive predictive values of urinary sediment spectra in predicting renal pathological lesions were 84.8% for typeI to P-GP, 86.0% for type II to NP-GP and 73.7% for type III to TIN, respectively.

CONCLUSION

As a non-invasive diagnostic means, the urinary sediment analysis is valuable in the evaluation of pathological patterns of renal diseases.

Pan-European early switch/early discharge opportunities exist for hospitalized patients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus complicated skin and soft tissue infections

The objective of this study was to document pan-European real-world treatment patterns and healthcare resource use and estimate opportunities for early switch (ES) from intravenous (IV) to oral antibiotics and early discharge (ED) in hospitalized patients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) complicated skin and soft tissue infections (cSSTIs). This retrospective observational medical chart review study enrolled 342 physicians across 12 European countries who collected data from 1542 patients with documented MRSA cSSTI who were hospitalized (July 2010 to June 2011) and discharged alive (by July 2011). Data included clinical characteristics and outcomes, hospital length of stay (LOS), MRSA-targeted IV and oral antibiotic use, and ES and ED eligibility according to literature-based and expert-validated criteria. The most frequent initial MRSA-active antibiotics were vancomycin (50.2%), linezolid (15.1%), clindamycin (10.8%), and teicoplanin (10.4%). Patients discharged with MRSA-active antibiotics (n = 480) were most frequently prescribed linezolid (42.1%) and clindamycin (19.8%). IV treatment duration (9.3 ± 6.5 vs. 14.6 ± 9.9 days; p <0.001) and hospital LOS (19.1 ± 12.9 vs. 21.0 ± 18.2 days; p 0.162) tended to be shorter for patients switched from IV to oral treatment than for patients who received IV treatment only. Of the patients, 33.6% met ES criteria and could have discontinued IV treatment 6.0 ± 5.5 days earlier, and 37.9% met ED criteria and could have been discharged 6.2 ± 8.2 days earlier. More than one-third of European patients hospitalized for MRSA cSSTI could be eligible for ES and ED, resulting in substantial reductions in IV days and bed-days, with potential savings of €2000 per ED-eligible patient.

Platelet-derived microparticles are implicated in remote ischemia conditioning in a rat model of cerebral infarction

AIM

Remote ischemic preconditioning protects against ischemic organ damage by giving short periods of subcritical ischemia to a remote organ. We tested the hypothesis that remote ischemic conditioning can attenuate cerebral stroke in a rat middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model by microparticles (MPs).

METHODS AND RESULTS

MPs were extracted from healthy rats that underwent hindlimb ischemia-reperfusion preconditioning (RIPC), and were transfused into rats that had undergone MCAO without RIPC. The transfusion resulted in an increase in platelet-derived MPs in blood and reduction in infarction area, confirmed by both 2-3-5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining and magnetic resonance imaging, albeit to a lesser degree than RIPC itself. Behavioral tests (modified Neurological Severity Score [mNSS]) were calculated to judge the behavioral change. However, no significant difference was observed after MP transfusion in 24 h or the following consecutive 9 days.

CONCLUSIONS

RIPC induces an increase in MPs, and platelet-derived MPs may confer at least part of the remote protective effect against cerebral ischemic-reperfusion injury.

Dual-targeting non-viral vector based on polyethylenimine improves gene transfer efficiency

Polyethylenimine (PEI) is the polymer most commonly used for transferring plasmids into eukaryotes, but its gene-transfer efficiency is lower compared to viral vectors. Receptors targeting PEI combined with ligands can enhance efficiency of gene transfer into the corresponding receptor-positive cells. Using the double-receptor-mediated pathway of viral infection, in this study we synthesized a novel non-viral vector based on PEI combined with two peptides recognizing FGF receptors (peptide YC25) and integrins (peptide CP9) on the cell surface. The dual targeting vector showed a physicochemical character similar to that of PEI, such as pDNA formation, particle size, zeta potential and lower toxicity. In vitro gene transfer showed that the dual-receptor targeted vector (YC25-PEI-CP9) exhibited a markedly higher transgene efficiency in cell lines with positive expression of FGF receptors and integrins, compared with single-peptide-modified PEI or unmodified PEI. In the cells with only integrin-positive expression, YC25-PEI-CP9 mediated a higher transgene expression than PEI but lower than CP9-PEI. The corresponding free peptides could inhibit the transgene efficiency of the peptide-coupled PEI. In vivo gene transfer in tumor-bearing nude mice also demonstrated that the dual-targeting vectors showed a significantly enhanced transfection efficiency in tumors with positive expression of FGF receptors and integrins. The synthesized polymer YC25-PEI-CP9 has the prospect to act as a novel kind of non-viral vector in gene therapy.

QTL consistency and meta-analysis for grain yield components in three generations in maize

Grain yield is the most important and complex trait in maize. In this study, a total of 258 F(9) recombinant inbred lines (RIL), derived from a cross between dent corn inbred Dan232 and popcorn inbred N04, were evaluated for eight grain yield components under four environments. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) and their epistatic interactions were detected for all traits under each environment and in combined analysis. Meta-analysis was used to integrate genetic maps and detected QTL across three generations (RIL, F(2:3) and BC(2)F(2)) derived from the same cross. In total, 103 QTL, 42 pairs of epistatic interactions and 16 meta-QTL (mQTL) were detected. Twelve out of 13 QTL with contributions (R(2)) over 15% were consistently detected in 3-4 environments (or in combined analysis) and integrated in mQTL. Only q100GW-7-1 was detected in all four environments and in combined analysis. 100qGW-1-1 had the largest R(2) (19.3-24.6%) in three environments and in combined analysis. In contrast, 35 QTL for 6 grain yield components were detected in the BC(2)F(2) and F(2:3) generations, no common QTL across three generations were located in the same marker intervals. Only 100 grain weight (100GW) QTL on chromosome 5 were located in adjacent marker intervals. Four common QTL were detected across the RIL and F(2:3) generations, and two between the RIL and BC(2)F(2) generations. Each of five important mQTL (mQTL7-1, mQTL10-2, mQTL4-1, mQTL5-1 and mQTL1-3) included 7-12 QTL associated with 2-6 traits. In conclusion, we found evidence of strong influence of genetic structure and environment on QTL detection, high consistency of major QTL across environments and generations, and remarkable QTL co-location for grain yield components. Fine mapping for five major QTL (q100GW-1-1, q100GW-7-1, qGWP-4-1, qERN-4-1 and qKR-4-1) and construction of single chromosome segment lines for genetic regions of five mQTL merit further studies and could be put into use in marker-assisted breeding.

Identification of differentially expressed genes at two key endosperm development stages using two maize inbreds with large and small grain and integration with detected QTL for grain weight

Maize endosperm accounts for more than 80% of the grain weight. Cell division and grain filling are the two key stages for endosperm development. Previous studies showed that gene expression during differential stages in endosperm development is greatly different. However, information on systematic identification and characterization of the differentially expressed genes between the two stages are limited. In this study, suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) was used to generate four subtracted cDNA libraries for the two stages using two maize inbreds with large and small grain. Totally, 4,784 differentially expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were sequenced and 902 were non-redundant, which consisted of 344 unique ESTs. Among them 192 had high sequence similarity to the GenBank entries and represent diverse of functional categories, such as metabolism, cell growth/division, transcription, signal transduction, protein destination/storage, protein synthesis and others. The expression patterns of 75.7% SSH-derived cDNAs were confirmed by reverse Northern blot and semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, and exhibited the similar results (75.0%). Genes differentially expressed between two key stages for the two inbreds were involved in diverse physiological process pathway, which might be responsible for the formation of grain weight. 43.8% (70 of the 160 unique ESTs) of the identified ESTs were assigned to 39 chromosome bins distributed over all ten maize chromosomes. Eleven ESTs were found to co-localize with previous detected QTLs for grain weight, which might be considered as the candidate genes of grain weight for further study.

First Report of Neofusicoccum parvum Causing Dieback Disease of Chinese Weeping Cypress in China

Cupressus funebris Endl. (Chinese weeping cypress) is native to southwestern and central China. In June 2008, blighted shoots of Chinese weeping cypress trees were observed in Yunnan Province (southwestern China). Symptomatic trees were located in an ornamental planting established approximately 8 to 12 years ago. Additional samples were collected from 11 locations in the provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, and Chongqing. Disease symptoms included yellowing and wilting of leaves on several branches, followed by sudden death within 6 to 8 weeks. Cross sections on trunks and branches revealed darkened zones. Tissue from diseased samples was plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and incubated at 25°C. Fungal isolates developed copious, white, aerial mycelium that became dark gray after 4 to 6 days and formed black pycnidia after 25 days. Conidia were hyaline, ellipsoidal to fusiform, externally smooth, thin walled, nonseptate, and measured 12.5 to 18.5 × 4.0 to 6.5 μm. Identity was confirmed by analysis of the rDNA internal transcribed spacer region (ITSI-5.8S-ITS2) and the translation elongation factor 1-alpha (EF1-α). BLAST searches at GenBank showed a high identity with reference sequences (ITS: >99%; EF1-α: 100%). Representative sequences of both regions were deposited in GenBank (ITS: Accession No. FJ842960 and FJ842961; EF1-α: Accession No. GU811148). Morphological and molecular results confirmed this species as Neofusicoccum parvum, reported as the anamorph of Botryosphaeria parva. Pathogenicity tests were conducted by stem inoculation of 2-year-old C. funebris seedlings. Mycelial plugs (4 mm in diameter) of N. parvum from actively growing colonies were applied to same-size bark wounds on the middle point of the stems. Control seedlings were inoculated with sterile PDA plugs. Inoculated and control seedlings (five each) were kept in a greenhouse and watered as needed. After 5 weeks, all C. funebris seedlings showed leaf wilting and dark vascular stem tissue. N. parvum was reisolated from all inoculated, symptomatic tissues, fulfilling Koch's postulates; no symptoms were visible in the control seedlings. N. parvum has previously been reported to cause canker and dieback disease of avocado (3), mango (2), and magenta cherry (Syzygium paniculatum) (1). To our knowledge, this is the first report of N. parvum causing dieback of C. funebris in China. References: (1) R. C. Ploetz et al. Plant Pathol. 58:801, 2009. (2) B. Slippers et al. Mycologia 97:99, 2005. (3) T. Zea-Bonilla et al. Plant Dis. 91:1052, 2007.

Health-related quality of life in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with sunitinib vs interferon-alpha in a phase III trial: final results and geographical analysis

BACKGROUND

In a randomised phase III trial, sunitinib significantly improved efficacy over interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) as first-line therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). We report the final health-related quality of life (HRQoL) results.

METHODS

Patients (n=750) received oral sunitinib 50 mg per day in 6-week cycles (4 weeks on, 2 weeks off treatment) or subcutaneous IFN-alpha 9 million units three times weekly. Health-related quality of life was assessed with nine end points: the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General and its four subscales, FACT-Kidney Symptom Index (FKSI-15) and its Disease-Related Symptoms subscale (FKSI-DRS), and EQ-5D questionnaire's EQ-5D Index and visual analogue scale. Data were analysed using mixed-effects model (MM), supplemented with pattern-mixture models (PMM), for the total sample and the US and European Union (EU) subgroups.

RESULTS

Patients receiving sunitinib reported better scores in the primary end point, FKSI-DRS, across all patient populations (P<0.05), and in nine, five, and six end points in the total sample, in the US and EU groups respectively (P<0.05). There were no significant differences between the US and EU groups for all end points with the exception of the FKSI item 'I am bothered by side effects of treatment' (P=0.02). In general, MM and PMM results were similar.

CONCLUSION

Patients treated with sunitinib in this study had improved HRQoL, compared with patients treated with IFN-alpha. Treatment differences within the US cohort did not differ from those within the EU cohort.

Stress-induced changes in primate prefrontal profiles of gene expression

Stressful experiences that consistently increase cortisol levels appear to alter the expression of hundreds of genes in prefrontal limbic brain regions. Here, we investigate this hypothesis in monkeys exposed to intermittent social stress-induced episodes of hypercortisolism or a no-stress control condition. Prefrontal profiles of gene expression compiled from Affymetrix microarray data for monkeys randomized to the no-stress condition were consistent with microarray results published for healthy humans. In monkeys exposed to intermittent social stress, more genes than expected by chance appeared to be differentially expressed in ventromedial prefrontal cortex compared to monkeys not exposed to adult social stress. Most of these stress responsive candidate genes were modestly downregulated, including ubiquitin conjugation enzymes and ligases involved in synaptic plasticity, cell cycle progression and nuclear receptor signaling. Social stress did not affect gene expression beyond that expected by chance in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex or prefrontal white matter. Thirty four of 48 comparisons chosen for verification by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) were consistent with the microarray-predicted result. Furthermore, qPCR and microarray data were highly correlated. These results provide new insights on the regulation of gene expression in a prefrontal corticolimbic region involved in the pathophysiology of stress and major depression. Comparisons between these data from monkeys and those for ventromedial prefrontal cortex in humans with a history of major depression may help to distinguish the molecular signature of stress from other confounding factors in human postmortem brain research.

Evaluation of transdermal permeability of pentoxifylline gel: in vitro skin permeation and in vivo microdialysis using Wistar rats

The aim of the present work was to evaluate the transdermal permeability of pentoxifylline gel in vitro and in vivo. Gel was prepared with carbomer 934 as the base, and the Wistar rat was chosen as an animal model. The effects of percutaneous enhancers on the transdermal permeability of pentoxifylline gel were investigated by in vitro permeation experiments. Cumulative permeation at different times was determined by HPLC. 3% Azone and 5% propylene glycol were used as collaborative enhancers in an optimal formulation. Topical concentrations at different times were measured by microdialysis in vivo. The transdermal process of pentoxifylline fits to a zero-order kinetic equation, and its release profile remains of the zero-order despite the addition of enhancers. In addition, a good in-vitro-in-vivo correlation was achieved.

Modified Bilston nonlinear viscoelastic model for finite element head injury studies

This paper proposes a modified nonlinear viscoelastic Bilston model (Bilston et al., 2001, Biorheol., 38, pp. 335-345). for the modeling of brain tissue constitutive properties. The modified model can be readily implemented in a commercial explicit finite element (FE) code, PamCrash. Critical parameters of the model have been determined through a series of rheological tests on porcine brain tissue samples and the time-temperature superposition (TTS) principle has been used to extend the frequency to a high region. Simulations by using PamCrash are compared with the test results. Through the use of the TTS principle, the mechanical and rheological behavior at high frequencies up to 10(4) rads may be obtained. This is important because the properties of the brain tissue at high frequencies and impact rates are especially relevant to studies of traumatic head injury. The averaged dynamic modulus ranges from 130 Pa to 1500 Pa and loss modulus ranges from 35 Pa to 800 Pa in the frequency regime studied (0.01 rads to 3700 rads). The errors between theoretical predictions and averaged relaxation test results are within 20% for strains up to 20%. The FEM simulation results are in good agreement with experimental results. The proposed model will be especially useful for application to FE analysis of the head under impact loads. More realistic analysis of head injury can be carried out by incorporating the nonlinear viscoelastic constitutive law for brain tissue into a commercial FE code.

Analysis of QTLs for yield components, agronomic traits, and disease resistance in an advanced backcross population of spring barley

Hordeum vulgare subsp. spontaneum, the wild progenitor of barley, is a potential source of useful genetic variation for barley breeding programs. The objective of this study was to map quantitative trait loci (QTLs) in an advanced backcross population of barley. A total of 207 BC3 lines were developed using the 2-rowed German spring cultivar Hordeum vulgare subsp. vulgare 'Brenda' as a recurrent parent and the H. vulgare subsp. spontaneum accession HS584 as a donor parent. The lines were genotyped by 108 simple-sequence repeat (SSR) markers and evaluated in field tests for the measurement of grain yield and its components, such as ear length, spikelet number per spike, grain number per spike, spike number, and 1000-grain mass, as well as heading date and plant height. A total of 100 QTLs were detected. Ten QTLs with increasing effects were found for ear length, spikelet number, and grain number per spike. Three QTLs contributed by HS584 were found to significantly decrease days to heading across all years at 2 locations. In addition, 2 QTLs from HS584 on chromosomes 2H and 3H were associated with resistance to leaf rust. Based on genotypic data obtained from this population, 55 introgression lines carrying 1 or 2 donor segments were selected to develop a set of doubled-haploid lines, which will be used to reconfirm and investigate the effects of 100 QTLs for future genetic studies.

Local immunomodulation with CD4 and CD8 antibodies, but not cyclosporine A, improves osteogenesis induced by ADhBMP9 gene therapy

This study was designed to see if immunosuppression achieved using local application of cyclosporine A (Cs. A) or CD4 and CD8 antibodies would improve bone formation following intramuscular injections of human BMP-4 and BMP-9 adenoviral vectors (ADhBMP4 and ADhBMP9) in Sprague-Dawley rats. Cs. A was injected into the thigh muscle. After 2 days, ADhBMP4, ADhBMP9, and the antibodies were separately injected into the left and right rear legs. At this time, the number of CD4+/CD3+ cells was significantly lower and the number of CD8+/CD3+ cells higher in the Cs. A group than in the control group (P < 0.01). The total number of white blood cells 3 days following injection of CD4 and CD8 antibodies was significantly lower than that before the injection (P < 0.01). At 4 weeks after the viral and antibody injections, mean bone volumes at the ADhBMP9 treatment sites were 0.29 +/- 0.01 cm3 in the viral control group, 0.17 +/- 0.03 cm3 in the Cs. A-ADhBMPs group, and 0.59 +/- 0.07 cm3 in the antibodies-ADhBMPs group. ADhBMP4 did not induce new bone formation in any group. This study demonstrates that local immunomodulation may improve the osteogenic potential of bone morphogenetic protein gene therapy in the clinical setting.

Altered cortical glutamatergic and GABAergic signal transmission with glial involvement in depression

Abnormalities in L-glutamic acid (glutamate) and GABA signal transmission have been postulated to play a role in depression, but little is known about the underlying molecular determinants and neural mechanisms. Microarray analysis of specific areas of cerebral cortex from individuals who had suffered from major depressive disorder demonstrated significant down-regulation of SLC1A2 and SLC1A3, two key members of the glutamate/neutral amino acid transporter protein family, SLC1. Similarly, expression of L-glutamate-ammonia ligase, the enzyme that converts glutamate to nontoxic glutamine was significantly decreased. Together, these changes could elevate levels of extracellular glutamate considerably, which is potentially neurotoxic and can affect the efficiency of glutamate signaling. The astroglial distribution of the two glutamate transporters and L-glutamate-ammonia ligase strongly links glia to the pathophysiology of depression and challenges the conventional notion that depression is solely a neuronal disorder. The same cortical areas displayed concomitant up-regulation of several glutamate and GABA(A) receptor subunits, of which GABA(A)alpha1 and GABA(A)beta3 showed selectivity for individuals who had died by suicide, indicating their potential utility as biomarkers of suicidality. These findings point to previously undiscovered molecular underpinnings of the pathophysiology of major depression and offer potentially new pharmacological targets for treating depression.

Analysis of QTLs for yield, yield components, and malting quality in a BC3-DH population of spring barley

Advanced backcross (AB)-quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis has been successfully applied for detecting and transferring QTLs from unadapted germplasm into elite breeding lines in various plant species. Here, we describe the application of a modified AB breeding scheme to spring barley. A BC3-doubled haploid (DH) population consisting of 181 lines derived from the German spring barley cultivar 'Brenda' (Hordeum vulgare subsp. vulgare) as the recurrent parent and the wild species line 'HS213' (H. vulgare subsp. spontaneum) as the donor line was evaluated for yield and its components as well as malting quality traits. A set of 60 microsatellite markers was used to genotype the population, and phenotypic data were collected at two locations in Germany in continuous years. Altogether, 25 significant QTLs were detected by single-marker regression analysis and interval mapping. Most positive QTLs originated from the recurrent parent 'Brenda'. A QTL, Qhd2.1, on chromosome 2HS from 'Brenda' explained 18.3% and 20.7% of the phenotypic variation for yield and heading date, respectively. Due to the small percentage of donor-parent genome of 6.25%, the BC3-DH lines could be directly used for the extraction of near-isogenic lines (NILs) for Qhd2.1. Consequently, it was possible to determine the precise location of the locus hd2.1 within a region of 6.5 cM, using an F2 population consisting of 234 individuals developed from a cross between an NIL containing a defined donor segment at this locus and 'Brenda'. The location of this QTL was consistent with the presence of a major photoperiod response gene, Ppd-H1, previously reported in this region, which is associated with pleiotropic effects on yield components. In summary, the analysis of a BC3-DH population in barley provides a compromise between the analysis of QTLs by means of an AB scheme and the generation of defined substitution lines. Several lines carrying defined different donor segments for only one single chromosome or trait in the genetic background of 'Brenda' could be selected for further genetic studies.

Dysregulation of the fibroblast growth factor system in major depression

In this report we describe findings that imply dysregulation of several fibroblast growth factor (FGF) system transcripts in frontal cortical regions of brains from human subjects with major depressive disorder (MDD). This altered gene expression was discovered by microarray analysis of frontal cortical tissue from MDD, bipolar, and nonpsychiatric control subjects and was verified by quantitative real-time PCR analysis and, importantly, in a separate cohort of MDD subjects. Furthermore, we show, through a separate analysis of specific serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)-treated and non-SSRI-treated MDD subjects that the observed changes in expression of FGF transcripts are not secondary to drug treatment. Rather, changes in specific FGF transcripts are attenuated by SSRIs and may thus be partially responsible for the mechanism of action of these drugs. We also make available the gene-expression profile of all of the other growth factors and growth factor receptors detected in these postmortem samples.

Patterns of complementary and alternative medicine use in ED patients and its association with health care utilization

This study characterizes the use of complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) among ED patients and demonstrates patterns of healthcare utilization among users and nonusers of CAM therapies. A cross-sectional observational study was performed by administering questionnaires to ED patients at a university teaching hospital. Of the 356 patients surveyed, more than half (55%) had tried at least one complementary and alternative therapy within the past 12 months and 17% had tried CAM for their presenting medical problem. The use of CAM interventions varied significantly among different demographic groups. The number of ED visits over the past year did not differ between the users and nonusers of CAM, but those using alternative therapies did have more visits to outpatient physicians over the past 12 months (7.8 vs. 5.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 7-4.6; P <.01). After controlling for age, ethnicity, education level, religion, income, and self-report of overall health status, users of CAM had more frequent visits to outpatient physicians (odds ratio [OR], 1.06; 95% CI, 1.02-1.1; P <.01), had no difference in their rates of hospitalization, but trended toward spending fewer days in the hospital when they were admitted (OR,.96; 95% CI,.92-1.0; P =.06). Complementary and alternative medicines are being used by a majority of ED patients with a significant number having used CAM for their presenting complaint before visiting the ED. CAM users do not differ in their utilization of the ED when compared with nonusers, but do have a significantly increased frequency of outpatient physician visits.