Effects of Enteral Nutrition on the Barrier Function of the Intestinal Mucosa and Dopamine Receptor Expression in Rats With Traumatic Brain Injury

Background: Impaired intestinal mucosal barrier (IMB) function is common in traumatic brain injury (TBI), but dopamine receptors (DRs) change in intestinal mucosa after TBI, and effects of enteral nutrition (EN) and supplements on IMB function remain unclear. Our purpose was to study the effects of EN and supplements on intestinal mucosal permeability (IMPB) and the expression of DRs DRD1 and DRD2 in the intestinal mucosa of rats with TBI. Methods: Forty‐eight rats were divided into 8 groups; control, animals with TBI, dopamine group, animals with TBI treated with dopamine antagonist, EN alone, or EN combined with glutamine, probiotics, or a combination of probiotics and glutamine daily after TBI. Results: The IMPB was improved in the glutamine, probiotics, and combination groups. Including probiotics improved IMPB more than adding glutamine, and bacterial translocation in the intestines after TBI was reduced in the probiotics and combination groups (all Ps < .01). TBI led to elevated DRD1 and DRD2 mRNA and protein levels, which were reduced in the DA antagonist, glutamine, probiotics, and combination groups. DRD2 mRNA and protein levels in the probiotics and combination groups were decreased more than in the DA antagonist group (all Ps < .01). The increased IMPB after TBI correlated with increased DRD1 and DRD2 levels in the rat intestinal mucosa. Conclusion: EN supplemented with probiotics or combining glutamine and probiotics lowers the increased IMPB, bacterial translocation, and DRD1 and DRD2 mRNA and protein expression in rat intestinal mucosa caused by TBI.     

Oral contraceptive pills induced hemichorea in an adolescent female with polycystic ovarian disease

Chorea is a neurological adverse effect of oral contraceptive pills (OCPs). The onset of chorea following OCPs usage varies widely from few weeks to several years. We report a rare case of chorea which developed within a week of starting OCPs in an adolescent girl with polycystic ovarian disease.KEY WORDS: Chorea, oral contraceptive pills, polycystic ovarian disease     

Glucocorticoid receptor signaling is essential for mesoderm formation and muscle development in zebrafish

Glucocorticoid receptor (GR) signaling is thought to play a key role in embryogenesis, but its specific developmental effects remain unclear. Cortisol is the primary ligand for GR activation in teleosts, and in zebrafish (Danio rerio), the prehatch embryo content of this steroid is of maternal origin. Using early zebrafish developmental stages, we tested the hypothesis that GR signaling is critical for embryo growth and hatching. In zebrafish, maternal GR mRNA is degraded quickly, followed by zygotic synthesis of the receptor. GR protein is widely expressed throughout early development, and we were able to knockdown this protein using morpholino oligonucleotides. This led to a more than 70% reduction in mRNA abundance of matrix metalloproteinase-13 (mmp13), a glucocorticoid-responsive gene. The GR morphants displayed delayed somitogenesis, defects in somite and tail morphogenesis, reduced embryo size, and rarely survived after hatch. This correlated with altered expression of myogenic markers, including myogenin, myostatin, and muscle-specific myosin heavy chain and troponin genes. A key finding was a 70-90% reduction in the mRNA abundance of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP), including bmp2a, bmp2b, and bmp4 in GR morphants. Bioinformatics analysis confirmed multiple putative glucocorticoid response elements upstream of these BMP genes. GR morphants displayed reduced expression of BMP-modulated genes, including eve1 and pax3. Zebrafish GR mRNA injection rescued the GR morphant phenotype and reversed the disrupted expression of BMP and myogenic genes. Our results for the first time indicate that GR signaling is essential for zebrafish muscle development, and we hypothesize a role for BMP morphogens in this process.