5-Hydroxyindoleacetic acid and 5-hydroxytryptophol levels in rat brain: effects of ethanol, pyrazole, cyanamide and disulfiram treatment

The two serotonin metabolites 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5HIAA) and 5-hydroxytryptophol (5HTOL) were measured in two regions of rat brain (pons medulla and diencephalon) using a gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) method. Acute ethanol intoxication effected an elevation of 5-hydroxytryptophol levels, while 1 week of treatment with ethanol appeared to have no effect on either metabolite when measured 24 h after the last dose. Disulfiram and cyanamide treatment produced an approximately 2-fold increase in 5-hydroxytryptophol and a slight reduction in 5-hydroxyindole-acetic acid. Pyrazole treatment produced an increase in both metabolites. This effect was, however, counteracted by the simultaneous administration of ethanol.     

A computerized brain atlas: construction, anatomical content, and some applications

An adjustable computerized atlas of the human brain has been developed, which can be adapted to fit individual anatomy. It is primarily intended for positron emission tomography (PET) but may also be used for single photon emission CT, transmission CT, magnetic resonance imaging, and neuroimaging-based procedures, such as stereotactic surgery and radiotherapy. The atlas is based on anatomical information obtained from brains fixed in situ soon after death. All structures have been drawn in on digitized photos of slices from one cryosectioned brain. The definition and classification of the anatomical structures and divisions are in agreement with the standard textbooks of anatomy, and the nomenclature is that of the Nomina Anatomica of 1965. The boundaries of the cortical cytoarchitectonic areas (Brodmann areas) have been determined using information from several sources, since three-dimensional literature data on their distribution are incomplete, scarce, and partly contradictory. However, no analysis of the cytoarchitectonics of the atlas brain itself has been undertaken. At present the data base contains three-dimensional representations of the brain surface, the ventricular system, the cortical gyri and sulci, as well as the Brodmann cytoarchitectonic areas. The major basal ganglia, the brain stem nuclei, the lobuli of the vermis, and the cerebellar hemispheres are also included. The computerized atlas can be used to improve the quantification and evaluation of PET data in several ways. For instance, it can serve as a guide in selecting regions of interest. It may also facilitate comparisons of data from different individuals or groups of individuals, by applying the inverse atlas transformation to PET data volume, thus relating the PET information to the anatomy of the reference atlas rather than to the patient's anatomy. Reformatted PET data from individuals can thus be averaged, and averages from different categories or different functional states of patients can be compared.     

Promoter polymorphisms of the TNF-alpha (G-308A) and IL-6 (C-174G) genes predict the conversion from impaired glucose tolerance to type 2 diabetes: the Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study

High levels of cytokines are risk factors for type 2 diabetes. Therefore, we investigated whether the promoter polymorphisms of the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha; G-308A) and interleukin 6 (IL-6; C-174G) genes predict the conversion from impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) to type 2 diabetes in the Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study. Altogether, 490 overweight subjects with IGT whose DNA was available were randomly divided into one of the two treatment assignments: the control group and the intensive, individualized diet and exercise intervention group. The -308A allele of the TNF-alpha gene was associated with an approximate twofold higher risk for type 2 diabetes compared with the G-308G genotype (odds ratio 1.80, 95% CI 1.05-3.09; P = 0.034). Subjects with both the A allele of the TNF-alpha gene and the C-174C genotype of the IL-6 gene had a 2.2-fold (CI 1.02-4.85, P = 0.045) higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than subjects without the risk genotypes. We conclude that the -308A allele of the promoter polymorphism (G-308A) of the TNF-alpha gene is a predictor for the conversion from IGT to type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, this polymorphism seems to have a gene-gene interaction with the C-174C genotype of the IL-6 gene.     

Impact of Direct Mail as a Method to Recruit Smoking Mothers into a Quit and Win Contest

In the early 1980s the concept of a Quit and Win (Q&W) contest was developed in the Minnesota Heart Health Program (MHHP) as a population-based smoking cessation strategy. The Q&W model has since spread and been applied in many countries around the world. Different communication strategies have been applied for recruiting participants for Q&W. In the Q&W contest in 1995 in Stockholm County, Sweden, direct mail was used as the main recruitment strategy among daily smoking mothers with children aged 0-6 years. Two additional strategies were employed to recruit participants, that is, ads in a local newspaper and personal communication. The target group was estimated to be approximately 4,300 women. In total 5.5% of the target group was recruited, and of those, 4.3% were recruited by direct mail. After 12 months, 14.3% of the women were sustained smoke-free, and the corresponding percentage for those women who were recruited by direct mail was 15.5%. In comparison with several other Q&W contests employing other strategies, the direct-mail technique seems not only to have been successful in recruiting participants, but also in aiding remained sustained smoke-free women after 12 months. To optimize recruitment for Q&W contests, a combination of recruiting strategies should be applied.     

Association between Disability,Cognition, Fatigue,EQ-5D-3L Domains,and Utilities Estimated with Different Western European Value Sets in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Objectives

To assess the association between fatigue, cognition, domains of the EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire (EQ-5D-3L), disability, and utilities estimated with several Western European value sets in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Occupational therapists’ perceptions of implementing a client-centered intervention in close collaboration with researchers: A mixed methods study

Abstract

Background: Integration of research-based knowledge in health care is challenging. Occupational therapists (OTs) need to implement new research-based interventions in clinical practice. Therefore it is crucial to recognize and understand the factors of specific barriers and facilitators affecting the implementation process.

Aim: To identify the key factors important for OTs during the implementation process of a complex intervention.

Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study with a combination of qualitative and quantitative data in a mixed method design. Forty-one OTs and 23 managers from three county councils in Sweden, responded to a questionnaire one year after the OTs participation in a workshop to prepare for implementation of a client-centered activity of daily living intervention for persons with stroke.

Results: Over 70% of the OTs benefitted from reading and discussing articles in the workshop; 60% had faith in the intervention; 69% reported usability of the intervention. High level of support from managers was reported, but less from team members. The therapists’ interaction, perceptions of own efforts and contextual influence affected the implementation process.

Conclusion: The workshop context with facilitation and access to evidence, supportive organizations and teams, sufficient interaction with researchers and satisfying self-image were successful key factors when involved in research.     

Evaluation of aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 promoter polymorphisms identified in human populations

BACKGROUND: Cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenase, or ALDH1A1, functions in ethanol detoxification, metabolism of neurotransmitters, and synthesis of retinoic acid. Because the promoter region of a gene can influence gene expression, the ALDH1A1 promoter regions were studied to identify polymorphism, to assess their functional significance, and to determine whether they were associated with a risk for developing alcoholism. METHODS: Sequence analysis was performed in the promoter region by using Asian, Caucasian, and African American subjects. The resulting polymorphisms were assessed for frequency in Asian, Caucasian, Jewish, and African American populations and tested for associations with alcohol dependence in Asian and African American populations of alcoholics and controls. The functional significance of each polymorphism was determined through in vitro expression analysis by using HeLa and HepG2 cells. RESULTS: Two polymorphisms, a 17 base pair (bp) deletion (-416/-432) and a 3 bp insertion (-524), were discovered in the ALDH1A1 promoter region: ALDH1A1*2 and ALDH1A1*3, respectively. ALDH1A1*2 was observed at frequencies of 0.035, 0.023, 0.023, and 0.012 in the Asian, Caucasian, Jewish, and African American populations, respectively. ALDH1A1*3 was observed only in the African American population, at a frequency of 0.029. By using HeLa and HepG2 cells for in vitro expression, the activity of the luciferase reporter gene was significantly decreased after transient transfection of ALDH1A1*3-luciferase compared with the wild-type construct ALDH1A1*1-luciferase. In an African American population, a trend for higher frequencies of the ALDH1A1*2 and ALDH1A1*3 alleles was observed in a population of alcoholics (p = 0.03 and f = 0.12, respectively) compared with the control population. CONCLUSIONS: ALDH1A1*2 and ALDH1A1*3 may influence ALDH1A1 gene expression. Both ALDH1A1*2 and ALDH1A1*3 produce a trend in an African American population that may be indicative of an association with alcoholism; however, more samples are required to validate this observation. The underlying mechanisms contributing to these trends are still unknown.