A multidimensional examination of affective and cognitive empathy in anorexia nervosa

Socio-emotional features are crucial in the development and maintenance of anorexia nervosa (AN). The present study investigates the patterns of altered and preserved empathic abilities in AN. Empathy is an umbrella term that comprises the ability to recognise another's emotional state, take another's perspective, and fantasise (cognitive empathy), as well as the ability to experience vicarious emotions and signal them (affective empathy). These empathic abilities were measured in 43 AN patients and 33 healthy women through a multi-method approach comprising self-report measures, behavioural tasks and bodily correlates. Further, we assessed self-reported approach-avoidance attitudes towards suffering others. Results showed that, within the domain of cognitive empathy, AN patients reported impairment in recognising emotional expressions of anger and fantasising. Concerning affective empathy, they manifested lower sharing of others' positive emotions, higher self-reported distress, and higher facial expressiveness during a video depicting a suffering person. Finally, AN patients reported lower motivation to approach suffering others. Our results draw a complex picture of preserved and altered empathic abilities in AN and capture which are the deficits mediated by the higher levels of anxiety and depression reported by the AN population and those that seem to persist independently from these co-morbid conditions.

Flow cytometric determination of endocytosis of viable labelled Legionella pneumophila by Acanthamoeba palestinensis

Endocytosis of fluorescently labelled cells of Legionella pneumophila (L. pneumophila) by free-living Acanthamoeba palestinensis (A. palestinensis) has been studied using flow cytometry. L. pneumophila cells were labelled with CM-DiI, a lipophilic fluorescent probe under conditions that did not modify viability. Coculturing the bacteria with amoebae was accompanied by rapid endocytosis; after 5 min, 90% of the amoebae had internalized bacteria. This percentage remained unchanged during further coculture, but the number of bacteria ingested per amoeba increased. Moreover, the number of ingested bacteria was found to be dependent on the size of the amoeba. The validity of the internalization analyzed by flow cytometry was confirmed by observation using epifluorescence and phase contrast microscopy. CM-DiI labelling associated with flow cytometry provides a very valuable technique for the determination of bacteria endocytosis by free-living amoeba.

[Mechanism of action, indications and abuse of benzodiazepine anxiolytic drugs]

Anxiolytic benzodiazepines are used in the treatment of anxiety. Nonmedical use has widely developed, mainly because of their ability to generate addiction. Main indications are anxiety disorders with or without depressive symptoms. Action mechanisms include complex interaction with GABA-receptor. Dependence, tolerance and withdrawal are well-known. Treatment of substance abuse is given. Main non-benzodiazepine alternate treatments of anxiety disorders are proposed.

Plasmatic vasopressin neurophysin in depression: basic levels and relations with HPA axis

A decreased secretion of arginine vasopressin (AVP) has been implicated in depression. In order to further investigate this hypothesis, we studied the plasma level of the specific peptidergic carrier of AVP, vasopressin neurophysin (hNpI), in 26 depressed inpatients and 16 matched normal controls. On the other hand, AVP has also been involved in the pathophysiology of the cortisol postdexamethasone nonsuppression frequently observed in depression. Therefore, we investigated concomitantly hNpI and cortisol during a dexamethasone (DXM) suppression test. hNpI and cortisol were assessed by radioimmunoassay at 8 AM and 8 PM during 4 consecutive days. From days 2 to 3, 4 mg (DXM) was given orally. hNpI values were not affected by DXM administration. Compared with controls, patients showed higher pre- and post-DXM cortisol values and lower hNpI values. No difference in hNpI values was observed between DXM escapers or nonescapers. Our results are consistent with an impaired AVP secretion in depression and fail to support a role of AVP in the early cortisol escape.