Depression and partial epilepsy: Relevance of laterality of the epileptic focus

Abstract

In a prospective study of 50 epileptic patients (20 with a left hemisphere epileptic focus, 20 with a right one and 10 with a cryptogenic generalized epilepsy), the authors show that depression as appreciated by the H.A.R.D. score, is more frequent and severe in partial epilepsy in males, and when the epileptic focus is localized on left hemisphere. This association is related to the duration of epilepsythe number of seizures, but not to age or medication status.. Vulnerability of left hemisphere to depression is analysedand neuro-chemical mechanisms are discussed. [Neurol Res 1993; 15: 136-138]     

Neurochemical characterization of pathways expressing plasma membrane monoamine transporter in the rat brain

Neurotransmitter transporters play an important role in the control of synaptic transmission by ensuring the clearance of transmitters liberated in the synaptic cleft. In the case of monoaminergic neurotransmitters, this clearance is carried out by high-affinity reuptake transporters located in the plasma membrane of the presynaptic terminals. Recently plasma membrane monoamine transporter (PMAT), a transporter from the SLC29 (equilibrative nucleoside transporter) family, was shown to transport in vitro monoaminergic neurotransmitters, in particular dopamine and serotonin, nearly as efficiently as the high-affinity transporters. This transporter, well expressed in CNS, represents an interesting candidate for the control and modulation of aminergic pathways. We performed an extensive study of the distribution of PMAT in the rat brain. Our results highlight PMAT expression in brain regions which play a pivotal role in significant CNS functions and human neuropathologies. Using in situ hybridization immunohistochemistry co-labeling, PMAT mRNA was found in various neuron subtypes, including glutamatergic neurons of the hippocampus, mitral cells of the olfactory bulbs and GABAergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars reticulata and hypothalamus. Paradoxically, rat PMAT mRNA was found in some but not all monoaminergic nuclei. It was on the contrary predominantly expressed in major cholinergic groups throughout the brain, including brainstem motor nuclei, components of the basal forebrain cholinergic system and cholinergic interneurons of the striatum. These systems, implicated in locomotion, associative and spatial memory and reward-related learning, are disrupted at early stages of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. Taken together, our observations support a role for PMAT in monoamine uptake in cholinergic neurons.     

Emergency Department Versus Operating Suite Intubation in Operative Trauma Patients: Does Location Matter?

World Journal of Surgery - Decreasing the time from patient arrival to definitive surgical care in injured patients requiring an operation improves outcomes. We sought to study the effect of...     

Imaging in the pre-operative staging of ovarian cancer

Abdominal Radiology - The main prognostic factor in ovarian cancer is the stage of disease at diagnosis. The staging system in use (FIGO classification, updated in 2014) is based on the...     

An Agrobacterium VirE2 channel for transferred-DNA transport into plant cells

Transferred DNA (T-DNA) transfer from Agrobacterium tumefaciens into eukaryotic cells is the only known example of interkingdom DNA transfer. T-DNA is a single-stranded segment of Agrobacterium's tumor-inducing plasmid that enters the plant cell as a complex with the bacterial virulence proteins VirD2 and VirE2. The VirE2 protein is highly induced on contact of A. tumefaciens with a plant host and has been reported to act in late steps of transfer. One of its previously demonstrated functions is binding to the single-stranded (ss) T-DNA and protecting it from degradation. Recent experiments suggest other functions of the protein. A combination of planar lipid bilayer experiments, vesicle swelling assays, and DNA transport experiments demonstrated that VirE2 can insert itself into artificial membranes and form channels. These channels are voltage gated, anion selective, and single-stranded DNA-specific and can facilitate the efficient transport of single-stranded DNA through membranes. These experiments demonstrate a VirE2 function as a transmembrane DNA transporter, which could have applications in gene delivery systems.     

Cloning and mapping of a cDNA for methionine synthase reductase, a flavoprotein defective in patients with homocystinuria

Methionine synthase catalyzes the remethylation of homocysteine to methionine via a reaction in which methylcobalamin serves as an intermediate methyl carrier. Over time, the cob(I)alamin cofactor of methionine synthase becomes oxidized to cob(II)alamin rendering the enzyme inactive. Regeneration of functional enzyme requires reductive methylation via a reaction in which S-adenosylmethionine is utilized as a methyl donor. Patients of the cblE complementation group of disorders of folate/cobalamin metabolism who are defective in reductive activation of methionine synthase exhibit megaloblastic anemia, developmental delay, hyperhomocysteinemia, and hypomethioninemia. Using consensus sequences to predicted binding sites for FMN, FAD, and NADPH, we have cloned a cDNA corresponding to the “methionine synthase reductase” reducing system required for maintenance of the methionine synthase in a functional state. The gene MTRR has been localized to chromosome 5p15.2–15.3. A predominant mRNA of 3.6 kb is detected by Northern blot analysis. The deduced protein is a novel member of the FNR family of electron transferases, containing 698 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 77,700. It shares 38% identity with human cytochrome P450 reductase and 43% with the C. elegans putative methionine synthase reductase. The authenticity of the cDNA sequence was confirmed by identification of mutations in cblE patients, including a 4-bp frameshift in two affected siblings and a 3-bp deletion in a third patient. The cloning of the cDNA will permit the diagnostic characterization of cblE patients and investigation of the potential role of polymorphisms of this enzyme as a risk factor in hyperhomocysteinemia-linked vascular disease.     

Interleukin-3 treatment of rhesus monkeys leads to increased production of histamine-releasing cells that express interleukin-3 receptors at high levels

To understand the hematopoietic and nonhematopoietic responses to interleukin-3 (IL-3), expression of cell-surface IL-3 receptors (IL-3R) was examined on bone marrow (BM) cells and peripheral blood (PB) cells of rhesus monkeys during the course of in vivo IL-3 treatment. Whereas IL-3R expression is low in untreated monkeys, IL-3 administration led to a gradual increase in both low- and high-affinity binding sites for IL-3. This increase reflected the total number of cells expressing IL- 3Rs, as detected by flow cytometry using biotinylated IL-3. Most of these IL-3R+ cells in both BM and PB could be characterized as basophilic granulocytes that contained high levels of histamine. In contrast to the effect on these differentiated cells, IL-3 administration did not significantly alter the low level IL-3R expression on immature, CD34+ cells. Further flow cytometric analysis using biotinylated growth factors showed that the IL-3R+ basophils also expressed receptors for granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), but not for IL-6 or Kit ligand. These findings indicated that the IL-3R+ cells included neither monocytes, which express GM-CSFRs and IL-6Rs abundantly, nor mast cells, which express c- kit. By combining flow cytometric and Scatchard data, it was calculated that the basophils contain as many as 1 to 2 x 10(3) high-affinity IL- 3Rs and 15 to 30 x 10(3) low-affinity sites. The finding that in vivo IL-3 treatment leads to the production of large numbers of cells that express high levels of IL-3R and are capable of producing histamine provides an explanation for the often severe allergic reactions that occur during prolonged IL-3 administration. It also indicates that IL- 3, in addition to its direct effects on hematopoietic cells, may also stimulate hematopoiesis through the release of secondary mediators such as histamine by IL-3-responsive mature cells.     

A randomized comparison of direct stenting with conventional stent implantation in selected patients with acute myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to determine whether direct stenting might prevent the adverse events associated with stent implantation during primary angioplasty and to compare it with conventional stent implantation in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). BACKGROUND: No trial has demonstrated that stents favorably influence mortality rate. Recent studies have even suggested a negative impact of stents on coronary blood flow and clinical outcome. METHODS: Of 409 patients treated by primary angioplasty with stent implantation in our center, 206 (50%) were enrolled in this randomized, single-center trial and allocated to direct stent implantation (n = 102) or stent implantation after balloon pre-dilation (n = 104). The study end points included angiographic results (final corrected Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction [TIMI] frame count and a composite end point of slow and no-reflow or distal embolization), an electrocardiogram marker of myocardial reperfusion assessment (ST-segment resolution) and in-hospital clinical outcome (death and recurrent infarction). RESULTS: Direct stent implantation failed in eight patients but succeeded after pre-dilation in all. A non-significant increase in TIMI flow grade 3 was achieved after direct stenting (95.1% vs. 93.3%, p = 0.74) without significant difference in the corrected TIMI frame count (31.5 +/- 17 and 35.2 +/- 20 frames after direct and conventional stent, respectively, p = 0.42). The composite angiographic end point was significantly reduced by direct stent implantation (11.7% vs. 26.9%, p = 0.01). ST-segment resolution was also significantly improved after direct stent (no ST-segment resolution in 20.2% vs. 38.1% after direct and conventional stent, respectively, p = 0.01). Death and/or recurrent infarction occurred in six patients after conventional stent implantation and in two patients after direct stenting (p = 0.28). CONCLUSIONS: In selected patients with AMI, direct stenting can be applied safely and effectively. This strategy may result in a significant reduction of microvascular injury, as suggested by improved ST-segment resolution after reperfusion with major potential clinical consequences.