Silencing dentate newborn neurons alters excitatory/inhibitory balance and impairs behavioral inhibition and flexibility

Adult neurogenesis confers the hippocampus with unparalleled neural plasticity, essential for intricate cognitive functions. The specific influence of sparse newborn neurons (NBNs) in modulating neural activities and subsequently steering behavior, however, remains obscure. Using an engineered NBN-tetanus toxin mouse model (NBN-TeTX), we noninvasively silenced NBNs, elucidating their crucial role in impulse inhibition and cognitive flexibility as evidenced through Morris water maze reversal learning and Go/Nogo task in operant learning. Task-based functional MRI (tb-fMRI) paired with operant learning revealed dorsal hippocampal hyperactivation during the Nogo task in male NBN-TeTX mice, suggesting that hippocampal hyperexcitability might underlie the observed behavioral deficits. Additionally, resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) exhibited enhanced functional connectivity between the dorsal and ventral dentate gyrus following NBN silencing. Further investigations into the activities of PV+ interneurons and mossy cells highlighted the indispensability of NBNs in maintaining the hippocampal excitation/inhibition balance. Our findings emphasize that the neural plasticity driven by NBNs extensively modulates the hippocampus, sculpting inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility.

Effects of empagliflozin on progression of chronic kidney disease: a prespecified secondary analysis from the empa-kidney trial

BACKGROUND

Sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors reduce progression of chronic kidney disease and the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in a wide range of patients. However, their effects on kidney disease progression in some patients with chronic kidney disease are unclear because few clinical kidney outcomes occurred among such patients in the completed trials. In particular, some guidelines stratify their level of recommendation about who should be treated with SGLT2 inhibitors based on diabetes status and albuminuria. We aimed to assess the effects of empagliflozin on progression of chronic kidney disease both overall and among specific types of participants in the EMPA-KIDNEY trial.

METHODS

EMPA-KIDNEY, a randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial, was conducted at 241 centres in eight countries (Canada, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the UK, and the USA), and included individuals aged 18 years or older with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 20 to less than 45 mL/min per 1·73 m2, or with an eGFR of 45 to less than 90 mL/min per 1·73 m2 with a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) of 200 mg/g or higher. We explored the effects of 10 mg oral empagliflozin once daily versus placebo on the annualised rate of change in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR slope), a tertiary outcome. We studied the acute slope (from randomisation to 2 months) and chronic slope (from 2 months onwards) separately, using shared parameter models to estimate the latter. Analyses were done in all randomly assigned participants by intention to treat. EMPA-KIDNEY is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03594110.

FINDINGS

Between May 15, 2019, and April 16, 2021, 6609 participants were randomly assigned and then followed up for a median of 2·0 years (IQR 1·5-2·4). Prespecified subgroups of eGFR included 2282 (34·5%) participants with an eGFR of less than 30 mL/min per 1·73 m2, 2928 (44·3%) with an eGFR of 30 to less than 45 mL/min per 1·73 m2, and 1399 (21·2%) with an eGFR 45 mL/min per 1·73 m2 or higher. Prespecified subgroups of uACR included 1328 (20·1%) with a uACR of less than 30 mg/g, 1864 (28·2%) with a uACR of 30 to 300 mg/g, and 3417 (51·7%) with a uACR of more than 300 mg/g. Overall, allocation to empagliflozin caused an acute 2·12 mL/min per 1·73 m2 (95% CI 1·83-2·41) reduction in eGFR, equivalent to a 6% (5-6) dip in the first 2 months. After this, it halved the chronic slope from -2·75 to -1·37 mL/min per 1·73 m2 per year (relative difference 50%, 95% CI 42-58). The absolute and relative benefits of empagliflozin on the magnitude of the chronic slope varied significantly depending on diabetes status and baseline levels of eGFR and uACR. In particular, the absolute difference in chronic slopes was lower in patients with lower baseline uACR, but because this group progressed more slowly than those with higher uACR, this translated to a larger relative difference in chronic slopes in this group (86% [36-136] reduction in the chronic slope among those with baseline uACR <30 mg/g compared with a 29% [19-38] reduction for those with baseline uACR ≥2000 mg/g; ptrend<0·0001).

INTERPRETATION

Empagliflozin slowed the rate of progression of chronic kidney disease among all types of participant in the EMPA-KIDNEY trial, including those with little albuminuria. Albuminuria alone should not be used to determine whether to treat with an SGLT2 inhibitor.

FUNDING

Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly.

Impact of primary kidney disease on the effects of empagliflozin in patients with chronic kidney disease: secondary analyses of the EMPA-KIDNEY trial

BACKGROUND

The EMPA-KIDNEY trial showed that empagliflozin reduced the risk of the primary composite outcome of kidney disease progression or cardiovascular death in patients with chronic kidney disease mainly through slowing progression. We aimed to assess how effects of empagliflozin might differ by primary kidney disease across its broad population.

METHODS

EMPA-KIDNEY, a randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial, was conducted at 241 centres in eight countries (Canada, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the UK, and the USA). Patients were eligible if their estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was 20 to less than 45 mL/min per 1·73 m2, or 45 to less than 90 mL/min per 1·73 m2 with a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) of 200 mg/g or higher at screening. They were randomly assigned (1:1) to 10 mg oral empagliflozin once daily or matching placebo. Effects on kidney disease progression (defined as a sustained ≥40% eGFR decline from randomisation, end-stage kidney disease, a sustained eGFR below 10 mL/min per 1·73 m2, or death from kidney failure) were assessed using prespecified Cox models, and eGFR slope analyses used shared parameter models. Subgroup comparisons were performed by including relevant interaction terms in models. EMPA-KIDNEY is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03594110.

FINDINGS

Between May 15, 2019, and April 16, 2021, 6609 participants were randomly assigned and followed up for a median of 2·0 years (IQR 1·5-2·4). Prespecified subgroupings by primary kidney disease included 2057 (31·1%) participants with diabetic kidney disease, 1669 (25·3%) with glomerular disease, 1445 (21·9%) with hypertensive or renovascular disease, and 1438 (21·8%) with other or unknown causes. Kidney disease progression occurred in 384 (11·6%) of 3304 patients in the empagliflozin group and 504 (15·2%) of 3305 patients in the placebo group (hazard ratio 0·71 [95% CI 0·62-0·81]), with no evidence that the relative effect size varied significantly by primary kidney disease (pheterogeneity=0·62). The between-group difference in chronic eGFR slopes (ie, from 2 months to final follow-up) was 1·37 mL/min per 1·73 m2 per year (95% CI 1·16-1·59), representing a 50% (42-58) reduction in the rate of chronic eGFR decline. This relative effect of empagliflozin on chronic eGFR slope was similar in analyses by different primary kidney diseases, including in explorations by type of glomerular disease and diabetes (p values for heterogeneity all >0·1).

INTERPRETATION

In a broad range of patients with chronic kidney disease at risk of progression, including a wide range of non-diabetic causes of chronic kidney disease, empagliflozin reduced risk of kidney disease progression. Relative effect sizes were broadly similar irrespective of the cause of primary kidney disease, suggesting that SGLT2 inhibitors should be part of a standard of care to minimise risk of kidney failure in chronic kidney disease.

FUNDING

Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, and UK Medical Research Council.

Protein-Balanced Dietary Habits Benefit Cognitive Function in Japanese Older Adults

Since daily dietary habits can affect cognitive function, dietary patterns such as the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay diet have been proposed as interventions to slow cognitive decline. However, because dietary habits vary widely among different food cultures, it is necessary to establish dietary pattern intervention methods that are appropriate for each population. Therefore, in this study, the dietary patterns of elderly Japanese individuals were classified using cluster analysis, and their relationship with cognitive function was investigated. We then modeled the dietary patterns and applied them to another cohort of elderly Japanese individuals to determine whether differences in dietary patterns could predict cognitive decline. One hundred and fifty older adults ≥ 65 years of age in the community were recruited. Their daily food intake and cognitive function were measured using the brief-type self-administered diet history questionnaire and Montreal Cognitive Assessment, respectively. K-means cluster analysis identified a high-carbohydrate (HC) dietary pattern with high cereal intake and a protein-balanced (PB) dietary pattern with high intake of legumes, vegetables, seafood, meat, and eggs. Cognitive function was significantly higher in the PB group than in the HC group. Furthermore, to classify the new data into HC and PB patterns, a classification model was created by discriminant analysis using food groups with significantly different intakes among dietary patterns. Next, we recruited 267 new older adults ≥ 65 years of age and measured food intake and cognitive function assessed using the memory performance index score. Individuals with cognitive decline were identified and their detailed cognitive functions were assessed using the neurocognitive index score. Cognitive function was significantly impaired in the HC pattern in both the general elderly and cognitively impaired cohorts. These findings suggest that a dietary pattern of low carbohydrate and high protein intake is associated with good cognitive function in elderly Japanese individuals. Classification by these dietary patterns can predict cognitive reservation in community-dwelling older adults.

Abstract GS5-01: A randomized community-based trial of an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, lisinopril or a beta blocker, carvedilol for the prevention of cardiotoxicity in patients with early stage HER2-positive breast cancer receiving adjuvant trastuzumab

Background:

Exposure to trastuzumab for one year is an integral part of therapy for patients with early stage HER2-positive breast cancer. Yet, cardiac side effects, particularly in patients who also receive anthracyclines require frequent monitoring and result in dose interruptions and discontinuation of trastuzumab. Prophylactic use of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) nhibitors or beta blockers (BB) may prevent cardiotoxicity associated with chemotherapy and trastuzumab.

Methods

A large community-based prospective double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, evaluated the rates of pre-specified cardiotoxicity in patients with early stage breast cancer treated with one year of trastuzumab. Cardiac events were followed for two years. Patients were randomized to simultaneously receive either the ACE inhibitor, lisinopril, or the BB, carvedilol, or placebo and were further stratified by anthracycline use to determine whether ACE inhibitors or BB can prevent trastuzumab-induced decrease in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and trastuzumab interruptions.

Results:

The study included 468 eligible patients (median age:51, BMI:27 kg/m2, baseline systolic BP: 126mmHg and LVEF :63 ± 6.29%) from 127 community-based practices, 189 patients received an anthracycline. For the entire study population and the non-anthracycline group, no difference in number of trastuzumab interruptions were seen. For patients receiving an anthracycline, cardiac event rates were higher in the placebo group (47%), and reduced in both the lisinopril (37%), and the carvedilol (31%) groups. Interruptions of trastuzumab were required in 23% patients on lisinopril and 20% on carvedilol compared to 40% on placebo (p=0.007). Changes in LVEF from baseline (least square means, SE) were significantly reduced with both carvedilol (-4.5 (0.8), p=0.008, and lisinopril (-4.0 (0.8), p=0.002) than placebo, (-7.7 (0.8). Cardiotoxicity-free survival was longer on both carvedilol (hazard ratio 0.49, 95% confidence intervals 0.27, 0.89, p=0.009) or lisinopril (HR 0.53, CI 0.30, 0.94, p=0.015).

Conclusions

In patients with HER2-positive breast cancer receiving trastuzumab and an anthracycline, both lisinopril and carvedilol during treatment reduced cardiotoxicity in patients, but not in those with non-anthracyline containing regimens. The use of lisinopril or carvedilol may allow the use of an anthracycline without compromising trastuzumab treatment in those who might benefit from an anthracycline.

Citation Format: Munster P, Krischer J, Tamura R, Fink A, Bello-Matricaria L, Guilin M. A randomized community-based trial of an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, lisinopril or a beta blocker, carvedilol for the prevention of cardiotoxicity in patients with early stage HER2-positive breast cancer receiving adjuvant trastuzumab [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr GS5-01.

Application of the NZ-1 Fab as a crystallization chaperone for PA tag-inserted target proteins

An antibody fragment that recognizes the tertiary structure of a target protein with high affinity can be utilized as a crystallization chaperone. Difficulties in establishing conformation-specific antibodies, however, limit the applicability of antibody fragment-assisted crystallization. Here, we attempted to establish an alternative method to promote the crystallization of target proteins using an already established anti-tag antibody. The monoclonal antibody NZ-1 recognizes the PA tag with an extremely high affinity. It was also established that the PA tag is accommodated in the antigen-binding pocket in a bent conformation, compatible with an insertion into loop regions on the target. We, therefore, explored the application of NZ-1 Fab as a crystallization chaperone that complexes with a target protein displaying a PA tag. Specifically, we inserted the PA tag into the β-hairpins of the PDZ tandem fragment of a bacterial Site-2 protease. We crystallized the PA-inserted PDZ tandem mutants with the NZ-1 Fab and solved the co-crystal structure to analyze their interaction modes. Although the initial insertion designs produced only moderate-resolution structures, eliminating the solvent-accessible space between the NZ-1 Fab and target PDZ tandem improved the diffraction qualities remarkably. Our results demonstrate that the NZ-1-PA system efficiently promotes crystallization of the target protein. The present work also suggests that β-hairpins are suitable sites for the PA insertion because the PA tag contains a Pro-Gly sequence with a propensity for a β-turn conformation.

Search for CP Violation in Neutrino and Antineutrino Oscillations by the T2K Experiment with 2.2×10^{21} Protons on Target

The T2K experiment measures muon neutrino disappearance and electron neutrino appearance in accelerator-produced neutrino and antineutrino beams. With an exposure of 14.7(7.6)×10^{20} protons on target in the neutrino (antineutrino) mode, 89 ν_{e} candidates and seven anti-ν_{e} candidates are observed, while 67.5 and 9.0 are expected for δ_{CP}=0 and normal mass ordering. The obtained 2σ confidence interval for the CP-violating phase, δ_{CP}, does not include the CP-conserving cases (δ_{CP}=0, π). The best-fit values of other parameters are sin^{2}θ_{23}=0.526_{-0.036}^{+0.032} and Δm_{32}^{2}=2.463_{-0.070}^{+0.071}×10^{-3}  eV^{2}/c^{4}.

Rationally Designed Peptide Probes for Extracellular Vesicles

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are submicroscopic lipid vesicles secreted from cells and play significant roles in cell-to-cell communication by transporting varieties of cell signaling molecules like proteins, DNA, mRNA, and microRNA. Recent studies showed that EVs are highly correlated with cancer progression and metastasis. However, there are some difficulties in probing each vesicle using popular analytical methods because of their small sizes and heterogeneous origins. These obstacles may be overcome by using a novel approach that senses highly curved membrane and negatively charged membrane lipids. In this chapter, we highlight the basic biological concepts of EVs, isolation, and quantification methods, and recent advent of peptide probes for EVs.

Sign of canted ferromagnetism in the quasicrystal approximants Au-SM-R (SM = Si, Ge and Sn / R = Tb, Dy and Ho)

Magnetic susceptibility and magnetization of the quasicrystal approximants Au-SM-R (SM = Si, Ge or Sn / R = Gd, Tb, Dy or Ho) are investigated. Ferromagnetic transitions are observed in all of these compounds, in contrast to the spin-glass behavior reported in similar compounds, Ag-In-R (R = Eu, Gd, Tb or Dy). Au-SM-Gd (SM = Si, Ge or Sn) exhibit a simple ferromagnetic transition at 22.5, 13 and 9 K, respectively, whereas Au-Si-(Tb, Dy or Ho) show indications of a canted ferromagnetic transition at 8.3, 5.9 and 3.8 K, respectively. The latter are attributed to a crystal electric field effect that is absent in the Gd-bearing compounds. The ferromagnetic behavior in Au-SM-R may be understood to be a consequence of the short R-R distances compared to those for Cd-R and Ag-In-R.

Magnetically transportable core–shell emulsion droplets with an antioxidative all-organic paramagnetic liquid shell

Nitroxide radical liquid microcapsules as an all-organic flexible antioxidative magnetic carrier for nanoliter cargoes have been successfully fabricated.

Ferromagnetism and re-entrant spin-glass transition in quasicrystal approximants Au-SM-Gd (SM = Si, Ge)

Magnetic susceptibility and specific heat measurements on quasicrystalline approximants Au-Si-Gd and Au-Ge-Gd reveal that a ferromagnetic (FM) transition occurs at Tc = 22.5(5) K for Au-Si-Gd and at Tc = 13(1) K for Au-Ge-Gd, which are the first examples of ferromagnetism in crystalline approximants. In addition, a re-entrant spin-glass (RSG) transition is observed at TRSG = 3.3 K for Au-Ge-Gd in contrast to Au-Si-Gd. The different behaviors are understood based on the recent structural models reported by Gebresenbut et al (2013 J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 25 135402). The RSG transition in Au-Ge-Gd is attributed to a random occupation of the center of the Gd12 icosahedron by Gd atoms; a central Gd spin hinders the long-range FM order.

Scanning tunneling microscopy of a polygrain Al–Pd–Re quasicrystal: study of the relative surface stability

Scanning tunneling microscopy and x-ray photoemission spectroscopy on a polygrain icosahedral (i-) Al–Pd–Re quasicrystal (QC) show the formation of the twofold surfaces with symmetry and composition expected from the bulk. The predominant occurrence of the twofold surface on the polygrain i-QC having random grain orientation, as well as preferential formation of terrace edges, kinks and voids along the twofold axes, consistently indicates that the twofold surface, which has the highest atomic density, is the most stable among all the crystallographic planes.

Nonmagnetic ground states and phase transitions in the caged compounds PrT2Zn20 (T = Ru, Rh and Ir)

We performed electrical resistivity ρ, magnetic susceptibility χ, specific heat C and electron diffraction measurements on single-crystalline samples of PrT2Zn20 (T = Ru, Rh and Ir). The three compounds show the Van Vleck paramagnetic behavior, indicating the nonmagnetic crystalline electric field (CEF) ground states. A Schottky-type peak appears at around 14 K, irrespective of the T element, which can be moderately reproduced by a doublet–triplet model. For T = Ru, a structural transition occurs at Ts = 138 K, below which no phase transition appears down to 0.04 K. On the other hand, for T = Ir, antiferroquadrupole (AFQ) ordering arising from the nonmagnetic Γ3 doublet takes place at TQ = 0.11 K. For T = Rh, despite a structural transition between 170 and 470 K, the CEF ground state is still the non-Kramers Γ3 doublet. However, no phase transition due to the Γ3 doublet was observed even down to 0.1 K.

A case of granulosa cell tumor of the ovary detected from metastatic foci

The authors report a case of granulosa cell tumor of the ovary that followed a rare clinical course, where the primary focus did not appear as a mass, and disseminated foci grew in the abdominal cavity. In 2008, a 70-year-old patient, gravida 6 and para 3, was diagnosed with a perihepatic mass, peritoneal dissemination, and an abdominal wall mass as confirmed by computed tomography (CT) scanning. There was no mass lesion in the pelvis. The pathological diagnosis based on the resected mass in the abdominal wall was malignant mesothelioma. During follow-up, abdominal bloating developed from April 2009. CT scans indicated growth of the intraperitoneal lesions. Therefore, the patient received two cycles of combination therapy with cisplatin and pemetrexed. The treatment was discontinued due to lack of efficacy. The intraperitoneal lesions grew but the clinical course was slow and inconsistent with that of malignant mesothelioma. Central pathological review was requested in April 2011, and a granulosa cell tumor was diagnosed. The patient was referred to the department for detailed examination and treatment. The patient underwent incision of the intraperitoneal tumors, simple total hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and omentectomy. The final pathological diagnosis was normal-size adult-type granulosa cell tumor originating from the left ovary. It was a case of granulosa cell tumor without ovarian enlargement where growth of the metastatic foci was the major observation. As complete surgical resection was achieved and no additional therapy was given, the subject was followed on an outpatient basis and no recurrence was identified.

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) proteinase 3C inhibits HAV IRES-dependent translation and cleaves the polypyrimidine tract-binding protein

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection is still an important issue worldwide. A distinct set of viruses encode proteins that enhance viral cap-independent translation initiation driven by an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) and suppress cap-dependent host translation. Unlike cytolytic picornaviruses, replication of HAV does not cause host cell shut off, and it has been questioned whether HAV proteins interfere with its own and/or host translation. HAV proteins were coexpressed in Huh-7 cells with reporter genes whose translation was initiated by either cap-dependent or cap-independent mechanisms. Among the proteins tested, HAV proteinase 3C suppressed viral IRES-dependent translation. Furthermore, 3C cleaved the polypyrimidine tract-binding protein (PTB) whose interaction with the HAV IRES had been demonstrated previously. The combined results suggest that 3C-mediated cleavage of PTB might be involved in down-regulation of viral translation to give way to subsequent viral genome replication.

Neuronal responses to a delayed-response delayed-reward go/nogo task in the monkey posterior insular cortex

Anatomical connections of the insular cortex suggest its involvement in cognition, emotion, memory, and behavioral manifestation. However, there have been few neurophysiological studies on the insular cortex in primates, in relation to such higher cognitive functions. In the present study, neural activity was recorded from the monkey insular cortex during performance of a delayed-response delayed-reward go/nogo task. In this task, visual stimuli indicating go or nogo responses associated with reward (reward trials) and with no reward (no-reward trials) were presented after eye fixation. In the reward trials, the monkey was required to release a button during presentation of the 2nd visual stimuli after a delay period (delay 1). Then, a juice reward was delivered after another delay (delay 2). The results indicated that the neurons responding in each epoch of the task were topographically localized within the insular cortex, consistent with the previous anatomical studies indicating topographical distributions of afferent inputs from other subcortical and cortical sensory areas. Furthermore, some insular neurons 1) nonspecifically responded to the visual cues and during fixation; 2) responded to the visual cues predicting reward and during the delay period before reward delivery; 3) responded differentially in go/nogo trials during the delay 2; and 4) responded around button manipulation. The observed patterns of insular-neuron responses and the correspondence of their topographical localization to those in previous anatomical studies suggest that the insular cortex is involved in attention- and reward-related functions and might monitor and integrate activities of other brain regions during cognition and behavioral manifestation.

Enhanced effects of combined bu-zhong-yi-qi-tang (TJ-41) and interleukin-18 on the production of tumour necrosis factor-alpha and interferon-gamma in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells

Co-stimulatory molecules play important roles in immune responses. We investigated the effect of Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi-Tang (TJ-41) on the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), B7.1 and B7.2 by peripheral blood mononuclear cells stimulated by interleukin-18 (IL-18) using fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis. TJ-41 increased IL-18-induced ICAM-1 and B7.2 expression, resulting in enhanced production of tumour necrosis factor-alpha and interferon-gamma. These results suggest that TJ-41 enhances IL-18-induced cell-mediated immunity and may enhance host defence mechanisms against pathogens.

Experimental evidence for the p-d hybridization in the Cd-Ca quasicrystal: origin of the pseudogap

Ca 2p-3d resonant photoemission spectroscopy of a Cd6Ca crystalline approximant unambiguously demonstrates that the low-lying unoccupied 3d levels of calcium are lowered below the Fermi energy by the formation of the approximant, as suggested from electronic structure calculations [Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 206408 (2001)]]. Moreover, the Ca 3d partial density of states (DOS) obtained near the Fermi energy is in reasonable agreement with theoretical Ca 3d DOS. These results verify the unconventional picture that the origin of the pseudogap in the Cd-based quasicrystals is due to hybridization of the Ca 3d band with the Cd 5p band.

Is the negative temperature coefficient of the resistivity of the quasicrystals due to chemical disorder?

We have found that the electronic transport of the binary icosahedral (i) Cd-Yb is extremely sensitive to a minute substitution of Mg for Cd atoms; the positive temperature coefficient of the resistivity (TCR) at low temperatures seen in the binary i Cd-Yb disappears by addition of only 0.1 at. % Mg and, moreover, the TCR stays negative well up to 60 at. % Mg. Such sensitiveness of the resistivity in the very dilute Mg concentration region, which is a consequence of the long coherence length (>28 A) of the conduction electrons in the quasiperiodic lattice, has led us to an unexpected conclusion: The negative TCR in the ternary i phase is due to partial chemical disorder; i.e., it is not a consequence of the quasiperiodicity.

Intracranial renin alters gustatory neural responses in the nucleus of the solitary tract of rats

Activation of the renin-angiotensin system in the brain is considered important in the arousal and expression of sodium appetite. To clarify the effects of directly activating this hormonal cascade, taste neurons in the nucleus of the solitary tract of rats were tested with a battery of sapid stimuli after intracerebroventricular injection of renin or its vehicle. The rats were chronically prepared but lightly anesthetized during the recording procedure. Eighty-five taste neurons were tested: 46 after renin injections and 39 after vehicle. Neural activity was counted for 5.0-s periods without stimulation (spontaneous) and during stimulation with water and sapid chemicals. The averaged responses to each of the standard stimuli (0.1 M NaCl, 0.3 M sucrose, 0.01 M citric acid, and 0.01 M quinine hydrochloride) did not differ significantly between the two conditions. When the rats were tested with a concentration range of NaCl, however, after renin the average responses to the hypertonic 0.3 and 1.0 M stimuli were reduced to 74 and 70%, respectively, compared with those after vehicle injections. A similar tendency was evident for the subsample of neurons that responded best to NaCl, but the effect was smaller. These data are consistent with, but not as dramatic as, those reported after dietary-induced sodium appetite.

Light and electron microscopic study of cholinergic and noradrenergic elements in the basolateral nucleus of the rat amygdala: evidence for interactions between the two systems

Pharmacological studies have suggested that the cholinergic (ACh) and noradrenergic (NA) systems in the amygdala (AM) play an important role in learning and memory storage and that the two systems interact to modulate memory storage. To obtain anatomical evidence for the interaction, the organization of the ACh and NA fibers in rat AM was investigated by immunocytochemistry for choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH) in conjunction with light, confocal laser scanning, and electron microscopy (LM, CLSM, and TEM, respectively). LM showed that the ChAT immunoreactivity was densest in the basolateral nucleus (BL), whereas the DBH immunoreactivity was densest in the posterior BL. CLSM demonstrated that the ChAT-immunoreactive profiles in the BL were frequently located in juxtaposition to the DBH-immunoreactive axons. The TEM observations were as follows: The majority of the synapses formed by ChAT-immunoreactive terminals were symmetric, but DBH-immunoreactive axons formed both asymmetric and symmetric synapses. The ChAT-immunoreactive terminals usually established the symmetric synaptic contacts with the DBH-immunoreactive terminals and varicosities. The DBH-immunoreactive terminals formed the asymmetric synapses with the ChAT-immunoreactive dendrites of the intrinsic neurons within the AM. The results provide anatomical substrates for mnemonic functions of the ACh and NA systems and for the interactions between the two systems in the AM.

Ameliorative effects of a cognitive enhancer, T-588, on place learning deficits induced by transient forebrain ischemia in rats

In the present study, we investigated the effect of (1R)-1-benzo[b]thiophen-5-yl-2-[2-(diethylamino)ethoxy]ethan-1-ol hydrochloride (T-588), a newly synthesized cognitive enhancer, on place learning deficits in rats with damage selective to the hippocampal CA1 subfield induced by transient forebrain ischemia. Three weeks after the ischemic insult, T-588 was daily administered (0.3 or 3.0 mg/kg/day po). Place learning was tested in a task in which the rat was required to alternatively visit two places located diametrically opposite each other in an open field. The ischemic rats without the treatment of T-588 displayed severe learning impairment in this task; their performance level was significantly inferior to that of the sham-operated rats. The treatment of T-588 improved dose-dependently the task performance in ischemic rats, although no apparent protective effects on ischemic damage were found histologically. These results suggested that T-588 has ameliorative effects on learning deficits induced by brain ischemia, which could be produced through enhancement of residual cognitive functions.

Retrospective and prospective coding for predicted reward in the sensory thalamus

Reward is important for shaping goal-directed behaviour. After stimulus-reward associative learning, an organism can assess the motivational value of the incoming stimuli on the basis of past experience (retrospective processing), and predict forthcoming rewarding events (prospective processing). The traditional role of the sensory thalamus is to relay current sensory information to cortex. Here we find that non-primary thalamic neurons respond to reward-related events in two ways. The early, phasic responses occurred shortly after the onset of the stimuli and depended on the sensory modality. Their magnitudes resisted extinction and correlated with the learning experience. The late responses gradually increased during the cue and delay periods, and peaked just before delivery of the reward. These responses were independent of sensory modality and were modulated by the value and timing of the reward. These observations provide new evidence that single thalamic neurons can code for the acquired significance of sensory stimuli in the early responses (retrospective coding) and predict upcoming reward value in the late responses (prospective coding).

Effects of T-588, a cognitive enhancer compound, on synaptic plasticity in the dentate gyrus of freely moving rats

(1R)-1-benzo [b] thiophen-5-yl-2-[2-(diethylamino) ethoxy] ethan-1-ol hydrochloride (T-588) is a compound for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease and cerebrovascular diseases. T-588 reportedly alleviates learning and memory deficits in animal models of dementia. In the present study, we investigated the effects of T-588 on the induction and decay of long-term potentiation (LTP) and on the responses to paired-pulse (pp) stimulation in freely moving rats. Perforant path-evoked field potentials were recorded in the dentate gyrus by chronically implanted electrodes. LTP was induced by high-frequency stimulation 30 min after oral administration of T-588 (0.3 or 3 mg/kg). T-588 significantly augmented the increase in population spike amplitude and field excitatory postsynaptic potential slope after LTP induction. T-588 also prolonged the decay of augmented population spike amplitude, but had no significant effect on the response to pp stimulation. These results suggest that T-588 facilitates long-term synaptic plasticity, but not short-term synaptic plasticity in the dentate gyrus of freely moving rats. The effect of T-588 on long-term synaptic plasticity may contribute to the alleviation of learning and memory dysfunction seen in animal models.

Fluoxetine treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder in children and adolescents: a placebo-controlled clinical trial

OBJECTIVE

This study assesses the efficacy and tolerability of fluoxetine in the acute treatment of child and adolescent obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) during a 13-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

METHOD

Eligible patients aged 7 to 17 (N = 103) were randomized at a ratio of 2:1 to receive either fluoxetine or placebo. Dosing was initiated at 10 mg daily for 2 weeks, then increased to 20 mg daily. After 4 weeks of treatment, and again after 7 weeks of treatment, non-responders could have their dosage increased by 20 mg daily, for a maximum possible dosage of 60 mg daily. Primary measure of efficacy was improvement in OCD symptoms as measured by the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS). All analyses were intent-to-treat.

RESULTS

Fluoxetine was associated with significantly greater improvement in OCD as assessed by the CY-BOCS (p = .026) and other measures than was placebo. Fluoxetine was well tolerated and had a rate of discontinuation for adverse events similar to that of placebo (p = 1.00).

CONCLUSIONS

Fluoxetine 20 to 60 mg daily was effective and well tolerated for treatment of OCD in this pediatric population.