Social affective outcomes and brain injury in children and adolescents treated for brain tumours

Ecotoxicological risk assessment of the novel psychoactive substance Esketamine: Emphasis on fish skeletal, behavioral, and vascular development

Novel psychoactive substances (NPS), such as Esketamine (Esket), often contaminate the aquatic ecosystems following human consumption, raising concerns about the residues and potential ecological hazards to non-target organisms. The study used zebrafish as a model organism to investigate the developmental toxicity and ecotoxicological effects of acute Esket exposure. Our findings demonstrate that exposure to Esket significantly affected the early development and angiogenesis of zebrafish embryos/larvae. The mandible length was significantly decreased, and the angles between the pharyngeal arch cartilages were narrowed compared to the control group (all P < 0.05). Additionally, Esket resulted in a decrease of 47.6-89.8 % in the number of neural crest cells (NCC). Transcriptome analysis indicated altered expression of genes associated with cartilage and osteoblast growth. Moreover, Esket significantly inhibited swimming ability in zebrafish larvae and was accompanied by behavioral abnormalities and molecular alterations in the brain. Potential mechanisms underlying Esket-induced behavioral disorders involve neurotransmitter system impairment, abnormal cartilage development and function, aberrant vascular development, as well as perturbations in oxidative stress and apoptosis signaling pathways. Notably, the dysregulation of skeleton development through the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling pathway is identified as the primary mechanistic behind Esket-induced behavioral disorder. This study enhances our understanding of Esket's ecotoxicology profile and provides a comprehensive assessment of the environmental risks associated with NPS.

White matter connectivity and social functioning in survivors of pediatric brain tumor

OBJECTIVE

Survivors of pediatric brain tumors (SPBT) are at risk for social deficits, fewer friendships, and poor peer relations. SPBT also experience reduced brain connectivity via microstructural disruptions to white matter from neurological insults. Research with other populations implicates white matter connectivity as a key contributor to poor social functioning. This case-controlled diffusion-weighted imaging study evaluated structural connectivity in SPBT and typically developing controls (TDC) and associations between metrics of connectivity and social functioning.

METHODS

Diffusion weighted-imaging results from 19 SPBT and 19 TDC were analyzed using probabilistic white matter tractography. Survivors were at least 5 years post-diagnosis and 2 years off treatment. Graph theory statistics measured group differences across several connectivity metrics, including average strength, global efficiency, assortativity, clustering coefficient, modularity, and betweenness centrality. Analyses also evaluated the effects of neurological risk on connectivity among SPBT. Correlational analyses evaluated associations between connectivity and indices of social behavior.

RESULTS

SPBT demonstrated reduced global connectivity compared to TDC. Several medical factors (e.g., chemotherapy, recurrence, multimodal therapy) were related to decreased connectivity across metrics of integration (e.g., average strength, global efficiency) in SPBT. Connectivity metrics were related to peer relationship quality and social challenges in the SPBT group and to social challenges in the total sample.

CONCLUSIONS

Microstructural white matter connectivity is diminished in SPBT and related to neurological risk and peer relationship quality. Additional neuroimaging research is needed to evaluate associations between brain connectivity metrics and social functioning in SPBT.

Apoptotic mechanism of development inhibition in zebrafish induced by esketamine

Esketamine, a widely used intravenous general anesthetic, is also employed for obstetric and pediatric anesthesia, and depression treatment. However, concerns regarding esketamine abuse have emerged. Moreover, the potential in vivo toxicity of esketamine on growth and development remains unclear. To address these concerns, we investigated the effects of esketamine exposure on developmental parameters, cell apoptosis, and gene expression in zebrafish. Esketamine exposure concentration-dependently decreased the heart rate and body length of zebrafish embryos/larvae while increasing the hatching rate and spontaneous movement frequency. Developmental retardation of zebrafish larvae, including shallow pigmentation, small eyes, and delayed yolk sac absorption, was also observed following esketamine treatment. Esketamine exposure altered the expression of apoptosis-related genes in zebrafish heads, primarily downregulating bax, caspase9, caspase3, caspase6, and caspase7. Intriguingly, BTSA1, a Bax agonist, reversed the anti-apoptotic and decelerated body growth effects of esketamine in zebrafish. Collectively, our findings suggest that esketamine may hinder embryonic development by inhibiting embryonic apoptosis via the Bax/Caspase9/Caspase3 pathway. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report the lethal toxicity of esketamine in zebrafish. We have elucidated the developmental toxic effects of esketamine on zebrafish larvae and its potential apoptotic mechanisms. Further studies are warranted to evaluate the safety of esketamine in animals and humans.