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- Kaltsouni, Elisavet, et al.
(author)
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Selective progesterone receptor modulation and brain activity at rest in patients with premenstrual dysphoric disorder
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Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Ovarian hormones have been indicated to impact brain connectivity and mood. However, there is no consistent evidence on hormone-dependent functional connectivity and mental health. Alterations in resting state networks have been suggested as markers of affective disorders, but only preliminary evidence is provided on premenstrual dysphoric disorder, in which symptoms occur upon fluctuations of ovarian hormones. Recently, three-month low-dose selective progesterone receptor modulator (SPRM) administration has been associated with symptom relief and altered task-based brain reactivity during a reactive aggression condition. The present study sought to investigate the effect of this treatment on resting state functional connectivity (rs-FC) in patients with PMDD. Seed-based analyses were conducted, including including seeds from the classic resting state networks along with the functional cluster affected by SPRM treatment. Within previously identified networks related with emotional processing, rs-FC was compared between individuals with PMDD during the symptomatic luteal phase before randomization to treatment or placebo and during the end of the last treatment cycle. Seed-based rs-FC analyses yielded significant treatment by time effects on rs-FC between the left posterior superior temporal gyrus and the right insula cortex, between the posterior cerebellum and the left temporal pole, and between the right lateral visual network and left superior frontal gyrus. Visuo-frontal luteal phase connectivity decreased for the SPRM group and was positively correlated with changes in mood symptom severity in the placebo group. Cerebellar and temporal connectivity increased for the SPRM treatment group, while temporo-insular connectivity decreased and was positively correlated with cortisol levels. These findings indicate that SPRM treatment influenced rs-FC, which could be a relevant mechanism behind symptom alleviation.
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- Lindberg, Frida A, et al.
(author)
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SLC38A10 deficiency in male mice affect plasma levels of threonine and histidine
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Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Solute carriers belong to the biggest group of transporters in the human genome, but more knowledge is needed in order to fully understand their function and possible role as therapeutic targets. SLC38 is a family of amino acid transporters, commonly referred to as SNATs, consisting of 11 members. The tenth member, SLC38A10, is one of the least characterized members and is the focus of this study. By using a knockout mouse model, we studied the biological effects of SLC38A10 deficiency in vivo. We performed a transcriptomic analysis of whole brain and found seven differentially expressed genes in SLC38A10 deficient mice (Gm48159, Nr4a1, Tuba1c, Lrrc56, mt-Tp, Hbb-bt and Snord116/9). By measuring amino acids in plasma, we found lower levels of threonine and histidine in males, while no amino acids were altered in females, suggesting that SLC38A10-/- might affect sexes differently. Using RT-qPCR, we investigated the effect of SLC38A10 deficiency on mRNA expression of other SLC38 members, Mtor and Rps6kb1 in brain, liver, lung, muscle and kidney, but no differences were found. A relative telomere length measurement was also made, as a marker for cellular age, but no differences were found between the genotypes. We conclude that SLC38A10 might be important for keeping amino acid homeostasis in plasma, at least in males, but no major effects were seen on transcriptomic expression or telomere length in whole brain.
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- Gezelius, Henrik, 1977-, et al.
(author)
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Conditional genetic labeling of the Renshaw cell population for functional studies of motor control
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Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The Renshaw cells were among the first interneurons to be characterized in the mammalian spinal cord. Although the basic function of recurrent inhibition to motor neurons, as well as the Renshaw cell connectivity to other neurons have been thoroughly studied, the exact functional role of the Renshaw cells in motor control is still unknown. To further characterize the role of Renshaw cells in spinal cord circuitry, we searched for candidate genes useful in the Cre-loxP system. It has been reported that the mRNA expression of nicotinic cholinergic receptor alpha 2 (Chrna2) is found in a restricted number of cells at the ventral rim in adult rat and mouse spinal cord. In our own search for genes with distinct ventral expression, we noted a similar restricted Chrna2 mRNA expression pattern in the mouse spinal cord at postnatal day (P) 11 and during development at embryonic day 14.5. Based on the fact that the gene product is a cholinergic receptor and the pattern of expression, the neurons are predicted to be Renshaw cells. The possibility that these cells were motor neurons was excluded, since Chrna2 and Vesicular acetylcholine were not co-expressed at P11. To further study this cell population, we have generated a transgenic mouse expressing Cre recombinase (Cre) under the control of the Chrna2 promoter region. To visualize the Cre-expressing cells, the Chrna2-Cre transgenic mouse were bred with a reporter mouse expressing β-galactosidase (β-gal) in the nucleus after loxP excision. As expected, spinal cord β-gal immunoreactivity was observed in a limited number of ventrally located cells in the Cre-bearing offspring. Co-labeling of β-gal with calbindin-28K, a known marker for Renshaw cells, indicated that a majority of the calbindin positive cells were also β-gal positive at the ventral rim where calbindin is specific. In addition, β-gal positive cells without observable calbindin were also detected. It is conceivable that Chrna2 is expressed in additional cells apart from Renshaw cells or that a previously unidentified Renshaw cell subpopulation does not express calbindin. Nonetheless, a mouse with Cre-activity restricted to Chrna2-expressing cells opens the possibility to functionally study a limited population of spinal cord interneurons through genetic techniques, with the ambition to explore the specific role of Renshaw cells in spinal cord circuitry and motor control.
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- Stafberg, Linda, et al.
(author)
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The mRNA expression of endocannabinoid-related enzymes in rat prostate AT-1 cells following exposure to lactate and interleukin-6
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Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The endocannabinoid system is dysregulated in prostate cancer but the mechanisms responsible for this dysregulation are not known. We hypothesise that the dysregulation is secondary to factors in the tumour microenvironment. In this study we investigated the effects of lactic acid induced low pH and interleukin-6 (IL-6) treatment upon the expression of endocannabinoid related enzymes and the functional effects upon anandamide degradation and cell viability in Dunning R3327 rat prostate AT-1 cancer cells. Cells were exposed for 3 h at 37 °C to Krebs-Ringer-HEPES/bicarbonate buffer at either pH 7.4 or at pH 6.6 (due to the presence of 40 mM lactic acid), and to 0, 25 or 100 ng/ml of IL-6. Neither low pH (pH 6.6) nor IL-6 induced any changes in the mRNA levels of the anandamide metabolic enzymes. However, the expression of the 2- arachidonoylglycerol-synthesizing enzyme DAGLα was increased by low pH and the expression of CB2 receptor mRNA was decreased at the low pH. The DAGL inhibitor orlistat increased extracellular LDH levels after 24 h of incubation of AT-1 cells, suggesting a higher frequency of cell death. It is concluded that under the conditions used, exposure to lactate and IL-6 do not affect the expression of the anandamide metabolic enzymes in AT-1 cells, but do modify the expression of an enzyme involved in the synthesis of 2-arachidonoylglycerol.
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- Lind, Anne-Li, et al.
(author)
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Affinity Proteomics Applied to Patient CSF Identifies Protein Profiles Associated with Neuropathic Pain and Fibromyalgia
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Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Objective: Today, there are no biological tests on which to base pain diagnoses, treatment choices or to understand the biological processes underlying and accompanying chronic pain for the individual pain patient. Relevant biological markers would greatly aid in diagnosis and treatment of patients with chronic pain. Our study aimed to find proteins in CSF associated with fibromyalgia and neuropathic pain, two common and poorly understood chronic pain conditions.Methods: We have performed CSF protein profiling of 55 proteins using a 100-plex antibody suspension bead array. We collected, analyzed and compared CSF samples from 25 patients with neuropathic pain (two independent sets, n=14 patients for discovery and n=11 for verification), 40 patients with fibromyalgia and 135 controls without neurological disease from two different populations.Results: We found significant differences in CSF protein levels between patients and controls (p<0.05). Among these proteins, Apolipoprotein C1 (APOC1) was found to be increased in CSF of neuropathic pain patients compared to controls and there was a non-significant trend for increased levels also in fibromyalgia patient CSF. Ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase (ENPP2, Autotaxin) was increased in the CSF of fibromyalgia patients compared to all other groups including neuropathic pain patients. Multivariate analysis revealed partially overlapping and partially distinct CSF profiles in neuropathic pain patients compared with fibromyalgia and controls for several other proteins including angiotensinogen (AGT), prostaglandin-H2 D-isomerase (PTGDS), neurexin-1 (NRXN1), superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) and superoxide dismutase 3 (SOD3).Conclusions: Our results, suggest that the CSF protein profiles of neuropathic pain and fibromyalgia patients may be different from each other and from those of controls. CSF levels of APOC1, ENPP2, AGT, PTGDS, NRXN1, SOD1 and SOD3 should be further investigated for their potential to serve as biomarkers of different kinds of pain pathophysiology.
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- Hall, Håkan, 1963-, et al.
(author)
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Pharmacological characterization of 18F-labeled vorozole analogues.
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Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Two 18F-labeled analogues of vorozole ([18F]FVOZ and [18F]FVOO) have been developed as potential tools for the in vivo characterization of aromatase. The purpose of the project was to evaluate the pharmacological properties of these radioligands using a combination of in vitro binding and in vivo distribution studies in the rat and primate. Saturation binding studies with the radioligands in homogenates of rat ovary gave KD and Bmax values of 0.21 ± 0.1 nM and 210 ± 20 fmol/mg, respectively, for [18F]FVOZ, and 7.6 ± 1 nM and 293 ± 12 fmol/mg, respectively, for [18F]FVOO. Organ distribution studies in rats showed the highest accumulation in the adrenal glands, with standardized uptake values (SUVs) of 15 to 20, followed by ovaries and liver with SUVs of approximately 5. The SUVs in the remaining organs were between 0.5 and 1.5. There was probably some defluorination of both radioligands, as the accumulation of radioactivity in bone increased with time. The regional distribution in the brain was studied using ex vivo and in vitro autoradiography. In the brain, specific binding of both [18F]FVOZ and [18F]FVOO were found mainly in the amygdala. PET studies were performed in the Rhesus monkey, and these showed displaceable binding in the amygdala and the preoptic area of the hypothalamus. These studies suggest that [18F]FVOZ might be to be a suitable tracer for the study of aromatase in vitro and in vivo, and could be an alternative to [11C]vorozole in human PET-studies.
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