Behavioral and molecular effects of the antipsychotic drug blonanserin in the chronic mild stress model

Psychiatric disorders represent a critical challenge to our society, given their high global prevalence, complex symptomatology, elusive etiology and the variable effectiveness of pharmacological therapies. Recently, there has been a shift in investigating and redefining these diseases by integrating behavioral observations and multilevel neurobiological measures. Accordingly, endophenotype-oriented studies are needed to develop new therapeutic strategies, with the idea of targeting shared symptoms instead of one defined disease. With these premises, here we investigated the therapeutic properties of chronic treatment with the second-generation antipsychotic blonanserin in counteracting the alterations caused by 7 weeks of Chronic Mild Stress (CMS) in the rat. CMS is a well-established preclinical model able to induce depressive and anxiety-like alterations, which are shared by different psychiatric disorders. Our results demonstrated that the antipsychotic treatment normalizes the CMS-induced emotionality deficits, an effect that may be due to its ability in modulating, within the prefrontal cortex, redox mechanisms, a molecular dysfunction associated with several psychiatric disorders. These evidences provide new insights into the therapeutic properties and potential use of blonanserin as well as in its mechanisms of action and provide further support for the role of oxidative stress in the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders.

Selection of Histological Parameters for the Development of an Analytical Method for Discriminating Fresh and Frozen/Thawed Common Octopus (Octopus vulgaris) and Preventing Frauds along the Seafood Chain

This study aimed at selecting effective histological indicators of the freezing process, for the discrimination of fresh and frozen common octopus Octopus vulgaris. Histological indices of freezing process were selected in mantle and arm muscle and axial nerve tissues. Seven histological parameters were chosen: overall muscle tissue structural organization (a); gaping among muscle bundles (b); presence of optically empty spaces between and within muscle bundles (c); white spaces percentage between and within muscle bundles (d); overall nerve structural organization (e); presence of linear fissures and/or empty spaces within neuropil and axonal tract (f); presence of empty spaces within connective tissue matrix surrounding the nerve (g); empty space percentage within arm axial nerve region (h). The parameters were assessed on 150 mantle muscle sections (a, b, c, d), 150 arm muscle (b, c) and nervous (e, f, g, h) tissue sections belonging to 20 fresh exemplars further subdued to conventional freezing procedure at − 20 °C, 25 fresh curled exemplars, 25 exemplars industrially frozen at − 80 °C, and 20 thawed, curled, and individually quick frozen exemplars. Overall structural organization (a, e), gaping (b), and presence of optically empty spaces (c, f) confirmed significant morphological freezing indices in mantle and arm sections. In mantle, two d values (d < 25% and 25% < d < 33%) were proposed as complementary thresholds to be applied in association with b and c indices for freezing discrimination. These parameters appear eligible to set a method for discriminating fresh/thawed octopus products to be applied both in official control and self-check activities.

Chronic treatment with the antipsychotic drug blonanserin modulates the responsiveness to acute stress with anatomical selectivity

RATIONALE

Patients diagnosed with schizophrenia typically receive life-long treatments with antipsychotic drugs (APDs). However, the impact of chronic APDs treatment on neuroplastic mechanisms in the brain remains largely elusive.

OBJECTIVE

Here, we focused on blonanserin, a second-generation antipsychotic (SGA) that acts as an antagonist at dopamine D2, D3, and serotonin 5-HT2A receptors, and represents an important tool for the treatment of schizophrenia.

METHODS

We used rats to investigate the ability of chronic treatment blonanserin to modulate the activity of brain structures relevant for schizophrenia, under baseline conditions or in response to an acute forced swim session (FSS). We measured the expression of different immediate early genes (IEGs), including c-Fos, Arc/Arg 3.1, Zif268 and Npas4.

RESULTS

Blonanserin per se produced limited changes in the expression of these genes under basal conditions, while, as expected, FSS produced a significant elevation of IEGs transcription in different brain regions. The response of blonanserin-treated rats to FSS show anatomical and gene-selective differences. Indeed, the upregulation of IEGs was greatly reduced in the striatum, a brain structure enriched in dopamine receptors, whereas the upregulation of some genes (Zif268, Npas4) was largely preserved in other regions, such as the prefrontal cortex and the ventral hippocampus.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, our findings show that chronic exposure to blonanserin modulates selective IEGs with a specific anatomical profile. Moreover, the differential activation of specific brain regions under challenging conditions may contribute to specific clinical features of the drug.

Visceral larvae as a predictive index of the overall level of fish batch infection in European anchovies (Engraulis encrasicolus): A rapid procedure for Food Business Operators to assess marketability

The European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus), one of the most important pelagic fish resources in the Mediterranean Sea, is frequently infected by anisakid larvae. Food Business Operators (FBOs) should use appropriate sampling plans and analytical methods to avoid commercialization of massively infected batches and reduce the risk of transmission of viable zoonotic larvae. In this study, performed at FishLab (Department of Veterinary Sciences of the University of Pisa) during 2016, an official sampling plan was associated with a digestion protocol for the inspection of anchovies. Considering that anisakid larvae are usually located in the fish visceral cavity and in the adjacent muscles (VM), this part was analyzed. In particular, we assessed the reliability of the digestion of a subsample of 150g (±30g) of VM, randomly collected from 29 specimens, in estimating the marketability of the anchovies' batch. Fifty-seven samples of 29 anchovies were collected. Each anchovy was sectioned to separate VM. All the subsamples were digested, and visible larvae counted. A high correlation between the number of larvae in VM regions and in the total batch was observed, indicating a very significant contribution of the VM region on total number of parasites. The Mean Abundance (MA) was used to assess the batch marketability according to a threshold calculated on the basis of the maximum number of nematodes tolerated per sample. Considering that the MA can be calculated only when the number of examined specimens is known, the number of visible Larvae per gram of tissue (LpG) was calculated on 150g (±30g) of VM subsamples. A LpG marketability threshold was calculated dividing the maximum number of tolerated nematodes by the average weight of a sample of 29 anchovies calculated considering data available in literature. To evaluate the diagnostic performance of the LpG threshold, the marketability of 57 batches assessed on the basis of the MA threshold was assumed as the gold standard. The proposed LpG showed very high Specificity and Sensitivity. These findings suggest that the analysis of VM is representative of the overall infestation of the batch, both when considering the absolute number of parasites and the LpG, and may represent a valid alternative to the whole anchovy digestion. In particular, the use of an automated digestive method, coupled with the aforesaid sampling plan, could allow the procedure to be used by FBOs in operational conditions.

[Paraneoplastic dermatomyositis related to breast cancer: rare clinical association in two patients]

Paraneoplastic dermatomyositis is an inflammatory disease of the connective tissue that is caused by inmmunologic events in the presence of malignant tumors. It is more likely to happen in middle aged women and is related to ovarian, pancreatic, stomach and colon cancer and non Hogdkin lymphoma. We present two cases of dermatomyositis, with amyopathic origin associated to breast cancer. The first case occurs as the neoplasia evolves and the second one as an initial manifestation that leads to the search and subsequent diagnosis of cancer.

[Subacute diseminated histoplasmosis in HIV patients]

Histoplasmosis is a cosmopolitan mycosis caused by Histoplasma capsulatum. It is endemic of Río de la Plata's riverbed and in immunocompromised patients may be deadly. We present two patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus diagnosed with subacute disseminated histoplasmosis, which is a marker of Acquired Human Immunodeficiency Syndrome. This situation increases the morbimortality, thus forcing clinicians to diagnose and treat rapidly in order to avoid fatal outcomes.

Labeling of ethnic food in the Prato Chinese community

Ethnic food consumption is a quickly growing reality within Chinese communities, which have a well-organized "internal" food market for both Asian and ethnic foods produced in the European Union. The main problems associated with these markets are related to hygienic conditions, certifications of accomplishment, and personnel management. Moreover, controls and identification of the products are difficult because of cultural and linguistic barriers. In this study, five markets managed by the Chinese were visited, and the conformity of the reported label information found on different kinds of food (prepackaged or loose) was assessed by a collaboration between the Local Authorities of Control of the Prato territory, which hosts the largest Chinese community in Italy, and of native speakers of Chinese. All visited markets presented products (n = 75) with non-conformities: lack of translation (6%) and incomplete/mistaken translation of the commercial name (72%) and place of production (12%). In addition to the legal implications of the observed non-compliances, certain sanitary issues were taken into consideration. In fact, a number of the products that belong to risk categories could be misclassified in a non-risk category. Lastly, missing ingredients or complete alteration of their commercial names may represent health threats in cases of allergen ingestion by allergic or intolerant consumers.

Effects of growth hormone treatment on the expression of somatotropic axis genes in the skeletal muscle of lactating Holstein cows

This study focused on the expression of somatotropic axis genes in the skeletal muscle of dairy cattle. A slow-release recombinant bovine growth hormone (GH) (rbGH) formulation was administered to 5 cows, and saline solution (control) was administered to another 5 cows every 2 wk for a total of 10 wk, starting from the peak of lactation. Tissue and blood samples were collected on days 2 and 14 after each rbGH injection. As target genes insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1, IGF-2, IGFBPs (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6), acute labile subunit (ALS), IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R), GH receptor (GHR), and the known GHR 5'-UTR variants were selected as target genes, and their relative expression was measured using real-time polymerase chain reaction. In GH-treated cows, an increase in expression was observed for GHR 5'-UTR variant 1I on day 14 (P < 0.05), whereas a significant down-regulation of GHR (P < 0.05) was found after comparing values of treated cows between day 2 and day 14. However, only IGF binding proteins (BP)-5 was found to be appreciably up-regulated in GH-treated cows (P < 0.001), which may indicate the importance of this gene in the overall molecular response to GH administration. Our study indicated that GH treatment did not affect the expression of most somatotropic axis genes, despite the marked increase in GH and IGF-1 in blood (P < 0.001). Nor did it have a large impact on the proportion of GHR 5'-UTR variants in the skeletal muscle of lactating cows. Finally, although we observed a significant variation in the expression of some genes, it would appear that the differences between GH-treated cows and controls were not great enough to be considered as reliable indirect indicators of GH treatment in dairy cattle.

Praziquantel efficacy and long-term appraisal of schistosomiasis control in Pemba Island

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether praziquantel (PZQ) has retained its efficacy against Schistosoma haematobium on Pemba Island after 20 years of mass administration--albeit discontinuous--and to analyse retrospectively the performance of schistosomiasis control programmes.

METHODS

A sample of Pemba schoolchildren was examined before and after PZQ treatment by urine filtration, macro- and micro-haematuria and viability of excreted eggs.

RESULTS

Although 5% of treated children continued to pass some eggs in the urine up to the seventh week after PZQ administration, none of these eggs was viable, indicating an effective schistosomicidal activity followed by a slow release of dead eggs from host tissues.

CONCLUSION

No signs of PZQ resistance could be detected in the population under study. An overall retrospective analysis of schistosomiasis control activities in Pemba Island revealed that mass drug administration is clearly effective in reducing infection prevalence, but soon after interruption of drug distribution prevalence returns rapidly to pre-intervention levels.

Tricyclic structures in medicinal chemistry: an overview of their recent uses in non-CNS pathologies

Tricyclic compounds are sometimes considered as synonima of drugs healing central nervous system pathologies, although there are some well known examples of tricyclic derivatives marketed for different indications, such as antihistamines, antivirals and antiulceratives. Following the insertion of tricyclic structures in the "privileged structures" pool, several compounds bearing a central 7-membered ring and two aryl rings at its sides have been reported, and some of them have been progressed to advanced clinical trials. An overview of tricyclic derivatives reported in the literature since 1995, that are investigated for indications not directly related to central nervous system affections, shows the potential of these structures in a broad range of therapeutical indications, going from antiviral and anticancer compounds to the therapy of cardiovascular diseases. Very recent examples confirm the usefulness of tricyclic structures for the modern medicinal chemists.

On the alterations in serum concentration of somatotropin and insuline-like growth factor 1 in lactating cows after the treatment with a little studied recombinant bovine somatotropin

A study was performed to delineate bST and IGF-1 variation, over a whole lactation, in cows treated with a nowadays widely commercialised but little studied sustained release formulation of recombinant bST. Total bST levels were found to be exceptionally high in the first days after administration, but decreased rapidly in the second week after injection. The increase in the IGF-1 serum concentration was significant for almost the entire biweekly cycle. Based on this study, the peaks of ST (often above 100 ng/ml) are considered particularly unlikely to be found in non-treated bovines, even under pathological conditions, especially when detected in a number of animals within a herd. Notwithstanding the great heterogeneity of results on this topic, these data suggest that tests against fraud involving the use of rbST in dairy products may be regarded as a feasible possibility.

Relation between vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) in tumor sample and response rate in patients with cervical cancer treated with chemo-radiotherapy

16040

Background: The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and their receptors play a fundamental role in the regulation of the angiogenesis and linfoangiogenesis. This study examined the relation between levels of expression of the VEGFR with the rate of response in patients (pts) with cervical cancer treated with chemo-radiotherapy-brachytherapy with cisplatinum. Methods: Clinical records of 30 women with their pathology were analyzed. The expression of the VEGFR was evaluated by inmunohistochemestry (IHQ-) by a pathologists committee and It was classified in 4 categories according percentage of tumor cells cytoplasm marked: 0 = 0% / 1=< 25% / 2=<26%-50% and 3 = > 50%. In order to correlate the VEGFR expression with response rate, patients were classified in 2 groups: lower level of expression (VEGFR 0–1), and high level of expression (VEGFR 2–3). In a second analysis we discriminated those with VEGFR expression 3 ant the rest of the group. The evaluation of the tumor response was made by clinical examination and magnetic nuclear resonance (RNM). We used Fisher exact test for statistical analysis Results: Median age: 47 years (r: 27 - 69). Pts with VEGFR 0 =2 (6.66%) pt with 1,2,3 VEGFR =28 (93.33%)(p:<0,001) . Objective respnse rate (OR) in pts with low expression of VEGFR was 90.9%, OR rate for pts with high levels of expression VEGFR was 56.97% (p: 0,52). The OR rate for pts with VEGFR 3 OR was 28.57% and for pats with VEGFR 0,1,2 was 69.56% (p:0,035) Conclusions: We observed that 93.33% of pts expresed VEGFR. OR rate was higher among pts. with lower expression compared with pts. of higher level of expression. These results, although in a small group of patients, stimulate investigation of anti angiogenic therapies in cervical cancer.

[Table: see text]

[Perceptive and semantic selection difficulties and cognitive aging]

This work took place within tipper's negative priming paradigm. In a study with two age groups (young and older adults), Connelly and Hasher have measured the identity negative priming, the location negative priming and the "identity and location" negative priming. They used a simple material (letters). For these authors, the young people showed the negative priming effect in all the conditions, but the older people showed this effect only in location and in "identity and location" conditions, but there was no effect in identity condition. Hence, there is a dissociation between identity and location in the older adults group. Our work replicated the procedure of Connelly and Hasher using material presenting semantic (words) and perceptive selection difficulties. Our results were not consistent with the results of the authors. For the two age groups, the "location" and "identity and location" conditions were computed statistically faster than the "identity" condition, and there was no difference in the reaction times between the "location" and "identity and location" conditions. In the young adults group, even if an identity negative priming was obtained, there was no effect in the "location" and "identity and location" conditions (in comparison with a control condition). This led us to conclude is the existence of a dissociation between identity and location for the young adults. In the older adults group, we obtained positive priming in the "identity and location" condition, and no effect in the other conditions. Moreover, the reaction times in the "location" and "identity and location" conditions were faster than in the identity condition. We think about a dissociation between identity and location in the older group. Our data led us to conclude in the existence of a dissociation between identity and location, not only for the older adults, but also for the young adults. Our conclusion agrees with the explanations given by the authors regarding the neurological system; with the existence of two neuronal pathways, one for the identity and the other for the location. We explain the negative priming effect obtained in the young adults group through controlled inhibition processes, and we explain the positive priming obtained in the older adults group through automatic recuperation processes.

Biochemical Survey on Episodic Localized Darkening in Turkey Deboned Thigh Meat Packaged in Modified Atmosphere

The color of food, especially meat and meat products, is a parameter that strongly influences consumer choice. In Italy, repeated cases of darkening in deboned thigh meat of male turkeys packaged in modified atmosphere (MAP; 80% 02, 20% CO2) have been reported. The pH, lipid oxidation (TBARS), heme proteins, and iron content were investigated in MAP samples of turkey males, females, and in oxygen-permeable film-packaged males. Furthermore, the absorbance spectrum (400 to 700 nm) of the meat extracts was analyzed to better delineate the evolution and characteristics of the darkening process. Results showed that darkening occurred only in males with higher content of total iron, independently of the content of heme proteins, which differs only between males and females. Furthermore, pH was higher in muscles taken as controls, with respect to muscles involved in the darkening, as well as in females. Finally, TBARS values were found to be higher in darkened regions than in not darkened ones, as well as in MAP samples with respect to oxygen-permeable film-packaged samples. These findings suggest that darkening occurrence might depend on kind of muscle, sex, and individual characteristics of the animals raised under the same breeding conditions.