Brain changes associated with thromboxane receptor antagonist SQ 29,548 treatment in a mouse model

The purpose of this study was to characterize behavioral and physiological effects of a selective thromboxane (TP) receptor antagonist, SQ 29,548, in the C57Bl/6 mouse model. At 6 months of age, male mice were given either sham or drug i.p. injections for 3 days at a dose of 2 mg/kg each day. On the day after the final injection, mice were subjected to behavioral testing before brain collection. Left hemisphere hippocampi were collected from all mice for protein analysis via Western blot. Right brain hemispheres were fixed and embedded in gelatin and then serially sectioned. The sections were immunostained with anti‐c‐Fos antibodies. Prostaglandin analysis was performed from remaining homogenized brain samples, minus the hippocampi. Injection of SQ 29,548 decreased selective brain prostaglandin levels compared with sham controls. This correlated with robust increases in limbic‐region c‐Fos immunoreactivity in the SQ 29,548‐injected mice. However, drug‐treated mice demonstrated no significant changes in relevant hippocampal protein levels compared with sham treatments, as determined from Western blots. Surprisingly, injection of SQ 29,548 caused mixed changes in parameters of depression and anxiety‐like behavior in the mice. In conclusion, the results indicate that administration of peripheral TP receptor antagonists alters brain levels of prostanoids and influences neuronal activity, with only minimal alterations of behavior. Whether the drug affects neurons directly or through a secondary pathway involving endothelium or other tissues remains unclear. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Sweet and salty. An assessment of the snacks and beverages sold in vending machines on US post-secondary institution campuses

This study assessed the nutritional quality of snacks and beverages sold in vending machines. The contents of snack and beverage vending machines in 78 buildings on 11 US post-secondary education campuses were surveyed. Of the 2607 snack machine slots surveyed, the most common snacks vended were salty snacks (e.g., chips, pretzels) and sweets (i.e., candy and candy bars). The 1650 beverage machine slots assessed contained twice as many sugar-sweetened beverages as non-calorie-containing beverages. Only two institutions sold both milk and 100% juice in vending machines. The portion of snacks and beverages sold averaged more than 200 cal. Neither snacks nor beverages were nutrient dense. The majority of snacks were low in fiber and high in calories and fat and almost half were high in sugar. Most beverages were high in calories and sugar. This study's findings suggest that vending machines provide limited healthful choices. Findings from benchmark assessments of components of the food environment, like the vending options reported here, can provide valuable input to campus administrators, health services, food service, and students who want to establish campus policies to promote healthful eating.     

Bone marrow transplantation for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

S ummary . Twenty patients have undergone bone marrow transplantation for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). Eighteen patients were in complete remission and two had <10% leukaemic blasts in the marrow aspirate in the week prior to transplantation. Eighteen patients were grafted from HLA/MLC compatible siblings. One identical twin and one fully compatible parent were also used as donors. Two patients died of graft-versus-host disease and one of radiation-induced pneumonitis. Four have subsequently relapsed. Thirteen patients remain well and in remission from 202 to 1126 d post transplantation. These results show that morbidity and mortality from the bone marrow transplantation procedure is low. However, the major obstacle to permanent success in marrow tranplantation of patients with ALL is recurrence of the disease (35% actuarial disease free survival at 1126 d).     

Induction of Broad Cytotoxic T Cells by Protective DNA Vaccination Against Marburg and Ebola

Marburg and Ebola hemorrhagic fevers have been described as the most virulent viral diseases known to man due to associative lethality rates of up to 90%. Death can occur within days to weeks of exposure and there is currently no licensed vaccine or therapeutic. Recent evidence suggests an important role for antiviral T cells in conferring protection, but little detailed analysis of this response as driven by a protective vaccine has been reported. We developed a synthetic polyvalent-filovirus DNA vaccine against Marburg marburgvirus (MARV), Zaire ebolavirus (ZEBOV), and Sudan ebolavirus (SUDV). Preclinical efficacy studies were performed in guinea pigs and mice using rodent-adapted viruses, whereas murine T-cell responses were extensively analyzed using a novel modified assay described herein. Vaccination was highly potent, elicited robust neutralizing antibodies, and completely protected against MARV and ZEBOV challenge. Comprehensive T-cell analysis revealed cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) of great magnitude, epitopic breadth, and T_h1-type marker expression. This model provides an important preclinical tool for studying protective immune correlates that could be applied to existing platforms. Data herein support further evaluation of this enhanced gene-based approach in nonhuman primate studies for in depth analyses of T-cell epitopes in understanding protective efficacy.     

Diet of Theropithecus from 4 to 1 Ma in Kenya

Theropithecus was a common large-bodied primate that co-occurred with hominins in many Plio-Pleistocene deposits in East and South Africa. Stable isotope analyses of tooth enamel from T. brumpti (4.0–2.5 Ma) and T. oswaldi (2.0–1.0 Ma) in Kenya show that the earliest Theropithecus at 4 Ma had a diet dominated by C₄ resources. Progressively, this genus increased the proportion of C₄-derived resources in its diet and by 1.0 Ma, had a diet that was nearly 100% C₄-derived. It is likely that this diet was comprised of grasses or sedges; stable isotopes cannot, by themselves, give an indication of the relative importance of leaves, seeds, or underground storage organs to the diet of this primate. Theropithecus throughout the 4- to 1-Ma time range has a diet that is more C₄-based than contemporaneous hominins of the genera Australopithecus, Kenyanthropus, and Homo; however, Theropithecus and Paranthropus have similar proportions of C₄-based resources in their respective diets.     

Correction to: Treatment of adults with intracranial hemorrhage on apixaban or rivaroxaban with prothrombin complex concentrate products

Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolysis - In the original publication of the article, unfortunately the given name and family name of the author’s in the author group were inadvertently...