Corticosterone is not correlated with nest departure in snowy owl chicks (Nyctea scandiaca)

Snowy owl chicks typically depart from nests at approximately 18 days of age, but 3 weeks before taking their first flight. High concentrations of corticosterone have been implicated in behavioral changes in many species, leading us to assess corticosterone's role in chick nest departure. Corticosterone titers in free-living chicks, however, do not predict this departure event. Baseline corticosterone concentrations decrease as chicks age. By 13 days, corticosterone concentrations are 50% of concentrations in 1-day-old chicks. Baseline concentrations, however, do not differ between departed and nest-bound chicks. Furthermore, corticosterone concentrations become significantly elevated 30min after collecting the baseline sample, indicating that chicks are able to mount a corticosterone response to handling. This stress-induced rise in corticosterone also did not differ between departed and nest-bound chicks. Brood sizes varied, possibly resulting in increased stress in chicks from larger broods. Although many chicks died before reaching departure age, brood sizes at time of nest departure ranged from 1 to 10 chicks. Brood size was not correlated with age of nest departure or individual corticosterone concentrations. These data indicate that it is unlikely that corticosterone plays a role in triggering nest departure in snowy owl chicks.     

Challenges and strategies: weight management in type 2 diabetes

This article examines the link between obesity and type 2 diabetes and discusses some of the challenges health-care professionals face in helping people with diabetes achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Increasing numbers of people in both developed and developing countries are being classified as overweight or obese, which is resulting in growing numbers of people being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Worryingly this includes large numbers of children developing type 2 diabetes as the younger age groups are becoming overweight or obese. The health-care practitioner's role is explored and strategies to promote and achieve a healthy lifestyle for people with type 2 diabetes are offered. Such strategies are linked to obesity management through, diet, exercise and behavioural therapy.     

Gender differences in the insulin-like growth factor axis response to a glucose load

Aims: The insulin‐like growth factors (IGFs) are thought to contribute to glucose homeostasis. The aim of our study was to examine the response of the IGFs and their binding proteins to an intravenous load of glucose in a cohort of young men and women with normal glucose tolerance. Methods: The intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) was used to quantify insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion in 160 adults aged 20–21 years in Adelaide, Australia. Serum IGF‐I, IGF‐II, IGF‐binding protein (IGFBP)‐1 and IGFBP‐3 were measured during the IVGTT. Results: Women were less insulin sensitive than men with higher fasting insulin (women 55.6 ± 4.4, men 44.1 ± 3.6 pmol L^?1, P = 0.001) and first phase insulin secretion (women 3490 ± 286, men 3038 ± 271 pmol L^?1 min, P = 0.042). Women showed lower fasting free IGF‐I (women 0.29 ± 0.02, men 0.36 ± 0.02 μg L^?1, P = 0.004) but higher IGFBP‐3 (women 46.3 ± 0.53, men 43.3 ± 0.58 mg dL^?1, P = 0.001) and higher IGFBP‐1 concentrations (women 37.0 ± 2.9, men 24.8 ± 2.3 μg L^?1, P = 0.012). IGFBP‐1 fell by 5 min and remained suppressed. IGFBP‐3 and total IGF‐I fell until 60 min rising again by 2 h. IGF and IGFBP values were all higher in women. IGFBP‐1 showed a negative association with fasting and stimulated insulin concentrations in both genders. First phase insulin secretion however showed positive correlations with IGFBP‐3 (r = 0.321, P = 0.004) and IGF‐I (r = 0.339 P = 0.002) in men but not women. Conclusion: Our data show that IGFBP‐1, IGFBP‐3 and IGF‐I show acute changes following a glucose load and there are marked gender differences in these responses.     

Understanding comorbidity? Australian service-user and provider perspectives on drug treatment and mental-health literacy

Aims: Although mental-health problems are common among drug-treatment consumers, little is known about how mental health is discussed by service providers or understood by clients within treatment settings. We analysed how co-occurring drug and mental-health problems are discussed in Australian drug-treatment settings, particularly clinical terminology such as ‘comorbidity’ or ‘dual diagnosis’.

Method: 77 drug-treatment clients with common psychological problems (anxiety or depression) and 18 service providers were interviewed about barriers and incentives to treatment for co-occurring drug and mental-health problems.

Findings: Consumers had low levels of understanding of clinical terminology for co-occurring drug and mental-health problems, except for those who had accessed literature or participated in programs developed by drug-user organizations. Service providers recognized low levels of consumer mental-health literacy, and advocated a client-centred approach that avoided the use of clinical terminology.

Conclusions: Providers should encourage consumers to discuss mental-health problems, and should not avoid using clinical terminology as this may undermine the development of mental-health literacy among consumers. Treatment services may benefit from working with drug-user organizations to develop resources aimed at improving awareness and understanding of mental-health problems among drug-treatment consumers.     

Restoration of CAPAN-1 cells with functional BRCA2 provides insight into the DNA repair activity of individuals who are heterozygous for BRCA2 mutations

Mutations in the BRCA2 gene are associated with inherited, early-onset breast cancer. CAPAN-1 cells have been useful for studying how BRCA2 mutations contribute to malignant transformation. They exhibit loss of heterozygosity (LOH), and the remaining copy of BRCA2 has a 6174delT mutation, which causes a premature C-terminal truncation that removes the domains for DNA repair and the nuclear localization signals. The DNA repair protein RAD51, which interacts with BRCA2, exhibits impaired nuclear translocation in CAPAN-1. It has been speculated that RAD51 may require BRCA2 for nuclear entry and that C-terminally truncated BRCA2 may retain RAD51 in the cytoplasm. This may cause heterozygous individuals to exhibit deficient DNA repair and cell viability comparable to individuals with LOH or biallelic BRCA2 mutations. We simulated a heterozygous condition by using stably transfected CAPAN-1 cells with wild-type BRCA2. Fusion of a nuclear localization signal to RAD51 did not increase its ability to independently enter the nuclei of CAPAN-1 cells. Furthermore, restoration of functional BRCA2 did not significantly improve DNA repair, nor did it reestablish cell viability in CAPAN-1 cells. The results imply that C-terminally truncated BRCA2 hinders RAD51 nuclear translocation, possibly contributing to genetic instabilities in homozygous as well as heterozygous individuals.     

Interferon-alpha in oncology patients: fewer psychiatric side effects than anticipated

Interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) treatment in both oncological and hepatological settings is associated with depression. If IFN-alpha treatment induces depression in high numbers, it could serve as a model for studying the pathophysiology of depression, in general. The authors therefore studied 43 oncology patients treated with standard or pegylated IFN-alpha with baseline psychiatric assessment and at regular time-points in the first 6 months of treatment. Apart from a severe depression because of brain metastases, authors observed only two clinically relevant depressive states. Contrary to findings in most of the literature, most depressive episodes in this study were self-limiting and short-lasting and were associated with either episodes of flu-like symptoms common at the start of the treatment or with concurrent psychosocial events. In the group as a whole, scores on both observer-based and self-report rating scales did not show clinically relevant changes. The results of this study indicate that IFN-alpha treatment is not suitable as a study model for depression in general.