Omega-3 fatty acids deprivation affects ontogeny of glutamatergic synapses in rats: relevance for behavior alterations

Essential omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega3) are crucial to brain development and function, being relevant for behavioral performance. In the present study we examined the influence of dietary omega3 in the development of the glutamatergic system and on behavior parameters in rats. Female rats received isocaloric diets, either with omega3 (omega3 group) or a omega3 deficient diet (D group). In ontogeny experiments of their litters, hippocampal immunocontent of ionotropic NMDA and AMPA glutamatergic receptors subunits (NR2 A\B and GluR1, respectively) and the alpha isoform of the calcium-calmodulin protein kinase type II (alphaCaMKII) were evaluated. Additionally, hippocampal [(3)H]glutamate binding and uptake were assessed. Behavioral performance was evaluated when the litters were adult (60 days old), through the open-field, plus-maze, inhibitory avoidance and flinch-jump tasks. The D group showed decreased immunocontent of all proteins analyzed at 02 days of life (P2) in comparison with the omega3 group, although the difference disappeared at 21 days of life (except for alphaCaMKII, which content normalized at 60 days old). The same pattern was found for [(3)H]glutamate binding, whereas [(3)H]glutamate uptake was not affected. The D group also showed memory deficits in the inhibitory avoidance, increased in the exploratory pattern in open-field, and anxiety-like behavior in plus-maze. Taken together, our results suggest that dietary omega3 content is relevant for glutamatergic system development and for behavioral performance in adulthood. The putative correlation among the neurochemical and behavioral alterations caused by dietary omega3 deficiency is discussed.

Long-term cyclosporine treatment: evaluation of serum biochemical parameters and histopathological alterations in Wistar rats

The immunosuppressant agent cyclosporine (CsA) is currently used in transplanted patients and in the therapy of autoimmune disorders. CsA treatment has significant acute and chronic side effects on the liver and kidney. However, in the clinical setting, it is difficult to distinguish a direct effect of CsA treatment from other confounding variables, such as allograft rejection and effects due to other drug therapies. In the present study, we assessed for direct associations between CsA immunosuppressive therapy and cytokines levels, kidney and liver functionality, as well as lung histopathological status in rats submitted to chronic CsA treatment without undergoing any transplantation. Male Wistar rats were divided into three groups. The control group received vehicle (corn oil), and treated groups received CsA 5 or 15 mg/kg, by daily gastric gavage during 8 weeks. The results demonstrated that CsA treatment decreases blood levels of interleukins 1α (IL-1α), 1β (IL-1β) and interleukin 2 (IL-2), but does not alter interleukin 6 (IL-6) and IFN-γ levels. Serum biochemical markers of renal (creatinine) and hepatic (SGPT and SGOT) injury/dysfunction did not vary with CsA treatment, despite the presence of small histological alterations, suggesting that the function of these metabolic organs were preserved. Pulmonary histopathological lesions were observed in the CsA groups, and they were attributed to the activation of the local immunoresponse mechanisms by the normal microbiota in immunosuppressive CsA cases. These results suggest that the CsA concentrations administered in our experimental protocol were able to induce immunosuppression in rats without causing nephro and hepatotoxicity.

The NMDA antagonist MK-801 induces hyperalgesia and increases CSF excitatory amino acids in rats: reversal by guanosine

Excitatory amino acids (EAAs) and their receptors play a central role in the mechanisms underlying pain transmission. NMDA-receptor antagonists such as MK-801 produce antinociceptive effects against experimental models of chronic pain, but results in acute pain models are conflicting, perhaps due to increased glutamate availability induced by the NMDA-receptor antagonists. Since guanosine and riluzole have recently been shown to stimulate glutamate uptake, the aim of this study was to examine the effects of guanosine or riluzole on changes in nociceptive signaling induced by MK-801 in an acute pain model. Rats received an i.p. injection of vehicle, morphine, guanosine, riluzole or MK-801 or a combined treatment (vehicle, morphine, guanosine or riluzole+MK-801) and were evaluated in the tail flick test, or had a CSF sample drawn after 30 min. Riluzole, guanosine, and MK-801 (0.01 or 0.1 mg/kg) did not affect basal nociceptive responses or CSF EAAs levels. However, MK-801 (0.5 mg/kg) induced hyperalgesia and increased the CSF EAAs levels; both effects were prevented by guanosine, riluzole or morphine. Hyperalgesia was correlated with CSF aspartate and glutamate levels. This study provides additional evidence for the mechanism of action of MK-801, showing that MK-801 induces hyperalgesia with parallel increase in CSF EAAs levels.

Prognostic value of cardiac troponin T and I elevations in renal disease patients without acute coronary syndromes: a 9-month outcome analysis

BACKGROUND

Moderate elevations of cardiac troponin (Tn) T, up to levels presumably diagnostic for minor myocardial damage, are suspected to be false positive in nearly 0.3 of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients undergoing haemodialysis (HD). It is not clear whether cardiac TnI is superior to TnT in those patients, if differences between ESRD and pre-ESRD occur, and what the prognostic meaning of these troponin elevations might be.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

We examined 40 chronic renaldisease patients [56.4 SD 13.9 years; 22 male, 18 female) without evidence of an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) for at least 28 days prior to the investigation. Cardiac status was determined by history, physical examination, ECG and echocardiography. Patients were divided into subgroups with HD (n = 20) and without HD (n = 20). Patients without HD had a mean creatinine clearance (CC) of 13.45 ml/min. Tn were measured by immunoassay techniques. TnT was compared to two different TnI tests (TnID, TnIB), CK/CKMB activity and myoglobin (MYO) concentrations. In all patients, a 9-month follow-up for acute myocardial infarction, re-hospitalization, and death was completed.

RESULTS

None of the troponins significantly predicted patient outcome. Tn did not correlate with CC (r<0.6). Applying the lowest reported threshold values for all tests in the HD group, 0.3 patients were positive for TnT, 0.55 patients were positive for TnID, and 0.15 for TnIB. In the group without HD, 0.2 patients were positive for TnT and TnID and 0.1 for TnIB.

CONCLUSIONS

Moderate elevations of cardiac troponins are common in clinically stable patients with renal disease and are neither diagnostic for an acute coronary syndrome nor predictive of outcome. It is concluded that increased troponins in asymptomatic renal patients are of questionable value for risk stratification, most probably due to unspecific elevations.