Comprehensive Multi-omics Analysis Reveals Mitochondrial Stress as a Central Biological Hub for Spaceflight Impact

Spaceflight is known to impose changes on human physiology with unknown molecular etiologies. To reveal these causes, we used a multi-omics, systems biology analytical approach using biomedical profiles from fifty-nine astronauts and data from NASA's GeneLab derived from hundreds of samples flown in space to determine transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic, and epigenetic responses to spaceflight. Overall pathway analyses on the multi-omics datasets showed significant enrichment for mitochondrial processes, as well as innate immunity, chronic inflammation, cell cycle, circadian rhythm, and olfactory functions. Importantly, NASA's Twin Study provided a platform to confirm several of our principal findings. Evidence of altered mitochondrial function and DNA damage was also found in the urine and blood metabolic data compiled from the astronaut cohort and NASA Twin Study data, indicating mitochondrial stress as a consistent phenotype of spaceflight.

Episode length and mixed features as predictors of ECT nonresponse in patients with medication-resistant major depression

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to ascertain predictors of nonresponse to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in a large sample of major depressive patients resistant to pharmacologic treatment.

METHODS

A total of 208 depressive patients (31 with major depression [UP], 101 with bipolar disorder II [BP II], and 76 with bipolar disorder I [BP I] according to DSM-IV criteria) were included in the study and treated with bilateral ECT on a twice-a-week schedule. The patients were assessed before (baseline) and a week after the ECT course (final score) using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression-17 items (HAM-D-17), the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), and the Clinical Global Improvement (CGI). Responders were defined as those patients with a reduction of at least 50% in HAM-D-17 score and a rating of 2 ("much improved") or 1 ("very much improved") in the CGI-Improvement subscale.

RESULTS

At the end of the ECT course, 152 patients (64%) were classified as responders and 56 patients (36%) were classified as nonresponders. On backward stepwise logistic regression, bipolar subtype (odds ratio [OR]=17.85; 95% confidence level [CL]=1.786-178.407), higher mean baseline YMRS scores (OR=1.094; 95% CL=1.025-1.166), lower mean baseline HAM-D-17 scores (OR=0.928; 95% CL=0.860-1.002), and length of current episode (OR=1.047; 95% CL=1.009-1.086) were identified as statistically significant predictors of nonresponse.

CONCLUSIONS

ECT was an effective treatment for approximately two-thirds of the patients with medication-resistant depression who were included in this study. ECT nonresponse was associated with bipolar subtype, presence of manic symptoms during depression, slightly less severe depressive symptomatology, and protracted duration of the episode.

Response to ECT in bipolar I, bipolar II and unipolar depression

OBJECTIVES

A significant body of evidence indicates the efficacy of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in unipolar depression but mixed results have been reported in bipolar depression. We explored difference of response to ECT in unipolar (UP), bipolar I (BP I) and bipolar II (BP II) depression, in a sample of patients resistant to pharmacological treatment.

METHODS

One hundred and thirty depressive patients (17 with Major Depression (UP), 67 with bipolar disorder II (BP II) and 46 with bipolar disorder I (BP I) according to DSM-IV criteria) were included in the study and treated with bilateral ECT, on a twice-a-week schedule. The patients were assessed before (baseline) and a week after the ECT course (final score), using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D), Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and the Clinical Global Improvement (CGI).

RESULTS

The three groups (UP, BP II, BP I) showed a significant improvement after the ECT course. Global response rate (CGI<2) was 94.1% for UP, 79.1% for BP II and 67.4% for BP I. Concerning depressive symptomatology, the remission rate (HAM-D <8) was respectively 70.5 for UP, 56.7% for BP II and 65.3% for BP I. The best results were achieved by UP patients, while BP I group showed the worst results with a lower remission rate and higher scores in YMRS and BPRS psychotic cluster at the final evaluation.

CONCLUSION

ECT turns out to be a viable option for the treatment of both unipolar and bipolar depressive patients resistant to pharmacological treatment. Nevertheless, while the UP group showed the best response and clinical outcomes, the BP I patients tended to exhibit residual manic and psychotic symptomatology.

Differential cellular localization of estrogen receptor alpha in uterine and mammary cells

The classical alpha isoform of the estrogen receptor (ER) has been reported to localize almost exclusively in the nucleus. However, studies on non-genomic steroid effects have also suggested the existence of ERs residing at the cell surface. In this work, we present immunological data supporting extra-nuclear ERalpha localization in uterine (SHM) and mammary (MCF-7) cell lines. Immunocytological studies performed on SHM cells revealed that native ERs mainly localize as a perinuclear cytoplasmic ring. The receptors were rapidly translocated to the nucleus by 17beta-estradiol. In addition to nuclear ERs, a peripheral reservoir of ERalpha immunoreactivity, most probably associated with the plasma membrane, was detected in MCF-7 cells. These results were confirmed by the detection of membrane estrogen binding sites using fluorescent estrogen-BSA derivatives and ligand binding assays to intact cells, where [3H]-estradiol could be partly displaced by impeded estrogen conjugates. Partial inhibition of radioligand binding by an antibody against the steroid binding domain of the ERalpha suggests that the isoform faces the extracellular media in MCF-7 cells. Moreover, ERalpha-like proteins ( approximately 67 kDa) were found to be associated in isolated membrane subfractions from the cells. However, immunocytology of COS-1 (ER-negative) and SHM cells transfected with the complete cDNA coding for the cloned ERalpha and beta isoforms showed exclusive nuclear localization of the overexpressed ERs. The non-classical distribution of native ERalpha-like proteins in each cell line, suggests an alternative mode of ERalpha cellular localization/function. Cell type-dependent processing may account for the differential localization shown by native and expressed receptors in the systems considered.