The roles of prostaglandin E2 and D2 in lipopolysaccharide-mediated changes in sleep

When living organisms become sick as a result of a bacterial infection, a suite of brain-mediated responses occur, including fever, anorexia and sleepiness. Systemic administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a common constituent of bacterial cell walls, increases body temperature and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep in animals and induces the production of pro-inflammatory prostaglandins (PGs). PGE₂ is the principal mediator of fever, and both PGE₂ and PGD₂ regulate sleep–wake behavior. The extent to which PGE₂ and PGD₂ are involved in the effect of LPS on NREM sleep remains to be clarified. Therefore, we examined LPS-induced changes in body temperature and NREM sleep in mice with nervous system-specific knockouts (KO) for the PGE₂ receptors type EP₃ or EP₄, in mice with total body KO of microsomal PGE synthase-1 or the PGD₂ receptor type DP, and in mice treated with the cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitor meloxicam. We observed that LPS-induced NREM sleep was slightly attenuated in mice lacking EP₄ receptors in the nervous system, but was not affected in any of the other KO mice or in mice pretreated with the COX inhibitor. These results suggest that the effect of LPS on NREM sleep is partially dependent on PGs and is likely mediated mainly by other pro-inflammatory substances. In addition, our data show that the main effect of LPS on body temperature is hypothermia in the absence of nervous system EP₃ receptors or in the presence of a COX inhibitor.     

Electroencephalographic connectivity predicts clinical response to repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in patients with insomnia disorder

BackgroundAccumulating evidence suggests that low frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), which generally decreases cortical excitability and remodels plastic connectivity, improves sleep quality in patients with insomnia disorder. However, the effects of rTMS vary substantially across individuals and treatment is sometimes unsatisfactory, calling for biomarkers for predicting clinical outcomes.ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate whether functional connectivity of the target network in electroencephalography is associated with the clinical response to low frequency rTMS in patients with insomnia disorder.MethodsTwenty-five patients with insomnia disorder were subjected to 10 sessions of treatment with 1 Hz rTMS over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Resting-state electroencephalography was collected before rTMS. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, and Mini-Mental State Exam were performed before and after rTMS treatment, with a follow-up after one month. Electroencephalographic connectivity was measured by the power envelope connectivity at the source level. Partial least squares regression identified models of connectivity that maximally accounted for the rTMS response.ResultsScores of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale were decreased after rTMS and one-month later. Baseline weaker connectivity of a network in the beta and alpha bands between a brain region approximating the stimulated right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and areas located in the frontal, insular, and limbic cortices was associated with a greater change in Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale following rTMS.ConclusionsLow frequency rTMS could improve sleep quality and depressive moods in patients with insomnia disorder. Moreover, electroencephalographic functional connectivity would potentially be a robust biomarker for predicting the therapeutic effects.     

Phytoplankton community,structure and succession delineated by partial least square regression in Daya Bay,South China Sea

Daya Bay is facing the influence of human activities and nature changes, which result in phytoplankton adjusting to the changing environment. The data about environmental changes and phytoplankton were obtained from four seasonal cruises in 2013 in the bay. It is helpful to explore seasonal succession of phytoplankton driven by the determining environmental factors in this bay. Temperature is a significant indicator of season change. The limiting factor of phytoplankton growth totally changed from P (PO₄-P) limiting during the southwest monsoon to Si (SiO₃-Si) limiting during northeast monsoon. The order of diatoms and dinoflagellates was the dominant phytoplankton groups in Daya Bay. The dominant species included chain-forming diatoms (Skeletonema, Pseudo-nitzschia, Thalassionema, Chaetoceros and Rhizosolenia) were found all the year round and filamentous cyanobacteria (Trichodesmium) in spring and autumn. Partial least square regression (PLS) found that salinity, temperature and nutrients were important driving force for phytoplankton seasonal succession.

     

Phytoplankton diversity and community responses to physicochemical variables in mangrove zones of Guangzhou Province,China

Ecotoxicology - The phytoplankton diversity and community response to physicochemical variables in mangrove zones of Guangdong Province along the South China coast was investigated from October to...