Immunoblot analysis of membrane antigens of Schistosoma mansoni, Schistosoma intercalatum, and Schistosoma haematobium against Schistosoma-infected patient sera

Antigens present in aqueous n-butanolic extracts (BE) of Schistosoma mansoni (Venezuelan JL strain), Schistosoma intercalatum (Cameroon EDEA strain), and Schistosoma haematobium (Yemen strain) adult worm membranes were compared in immunoblot against sera of patients infected with S. mansoni, S. intercalatum, S. haematobium, Schistosoma japonicum, or Schistosoma mekongi looking for similarities (common antigens) and differences (species-specific antigens). About 17 S. mansoni BE polypeptides (M _r ∼8 to >80 kDa) were commonly recognized by S. mansoni-infected patient sera from Venezuela, Senegal, and Ethiopia. S. intercalatum-, S. haematobium-, or S. japonicum-infected sera were almost unreactive with S. mansoni BE. Nonetheless, S. mekongi-infected sera weakly cross-reacted with a ∼10–15-kDa subset of S. mansoni BE. About 72.7% of S. intercalatum-infected patient sera reacted with a ∼19–21-kDa complex in S. intercalatum BE and cross-reacted with a similar complex in S. haematobium BE. Conversely, all S. haematobium-infected patient sera reacted with a ∼19–21-kDa complex in S. haematobium BE and cross-reacted with the ∼19–21-kDa complex in S. intercalatum BE; S. mansoni- and S. japonicum-infected patient sera did not react with S. intercalatum or S. haematobium BE. Results showed the presence of a common membrane antigen between African schistosome species and species-specific antigens in S. mansoni BE that could be useful to discriminate between species and/or to detect Schistosoma infections.     

Dietary Supplement Enriched in Antioxidants and Omega-3 Promotes Glutamine Synthesis in Müller Cells: A Key Process against Oxidative Stress in Retina

To prevent ocular pathologies, new generation of dietary supplements have been commercially available. They consist of nutritional supplement mixing components known to provide antioxidative properties, such as unsaturated fatty acid, resveratrol or flavonoids. However, to date, only one preclinical study has evaluated the impact of a mixture mainly composed of those components (Nutrof Total^®) on the retina and demonstrated that in vivo supplementation prevents the retina from structural and functional injuries induced by light. Considering the crucial role played by the glial Müller cells in the retina, particularly to regulate the glutamate cycle to prevent damage in oxidative stress conditions, we questioned the impact of this ocular supplement on the glutamate metabolic cycle. To this end, various molecular aspects associated with the glutamate/glutamine metabolism cycle in Müller cells were investigated on primary Müller cells cultures incubated, or not, with the commercially mix supplement before being subjected, or not, to oxidative conditions. Our results demonstrated that in vitro supplementation provides guidance of the glutamate/glutamine cycle in favor of glutamine synthesis. These results suggest that glutamine synthesis is a crucial cellular process of retinal protection against oxidative damages and could be a key step in the previous in vivo beneficial results provided by the dietary supplementation.     

Onset and relapse of psychiatric disorders following early breast cancer: a case–control study

Objective: Our objective is to evaluate the mental status of primary early breast cancer survivors according to DSM‐IV criteria, distinguishing new psychiatric diagnosis, which started after the cancer diagnosis from relapse. Methods: A comparative study of 144 breast cancer survivors and 125 women without previous history of cancer was carried out. Neuropsychiatric symptomatology was assessed retrospectively using standardized psychiatric examinations (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, Watson's Post‐Traumatic Stress Disorder Inventory) over three successive periods, ‘before cancer’ (from childhood to 3 years before the interview), ‘around the cancer event’ (the last 3 years including the time of diagnosis and treatment), and ‘currently’ (the last 2 weeks). Results: Increased rates of anxiety and mood disorders were observed following a diagnosis of breast cancer compared with controls (generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and major depressive disorder (MDD); 10.4 vs 1.6% and 19.4 vs 8.8%, respectively). The cancer disease promoted the development of dysthymia (n=4 new cases/6 two‐year prevalent cases) and PTSD (7/7) and the re‐emergence of MDD (n=21 relapses/28 three‐year prevalent cases) and GAD (10/15). No improvement in serious mood disorders such as MDD (16.0 vs 7.2%) and dysthymia (4.2 vs 0%) was reported at the time of interview, more than 1.75 years (median time) after the cancer surgery, the prevalence being 2–4 times greater in breast cancer survivors than in controls. Conclusion: Despite significant advances in treatment, a diagnosis of breast cancer is highly associated with various forms of psychopathology, regardless of psychiatric history, with symptoms persisting after treatment. These results may assist clinicians in planning mental healthcare for women with breast cancer. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Immunocytochemical Localization of Progesterone Receptors in Galanin Neurons in the Guinea Pig Hypothalamus

A double-label immunocytochemical technique was used to determine whether progesterone receptor-containing neurons in the female guinea-pig hypothalamus also contained galanin. Adult ovariectomized guinea-pigs were primed by estradiol to induce progesterone receptors and injected intracerebroventricularly with colchicine to visualize galanin-immunopositive neurons. A small proportion of progesterone receptor-containing perikarya in the medial preoptic area and the mediobasal hypothalamus were found to be immunoreactive for galanin. The medial preoptic, periventricular and arcuate nuclei showed the greatest concentration of double-labelled cells. Galanin varicosities appeared in close proximity to neurons with progesterone receptor-containing nuclei. These results provide neuroanatomical evidence that a subset of hypothalamic galanin-immunoreactive neurons is directly regulated by progesterone.     

Synthesis and curing of poly(styrylpyridine)s. Structural study on models and on the resins, 2. 1H and 13C NMR study of the models

The structures of the compounds, resulting from the condensation of 2-methylpyridine, 2,6-dimethylpyridine and 2,4,6-trimethylpyridine with benzaldehyde and terephtalaldehyde, were confirmed by high field ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. Structural assignments were made based on the NMR spectra of the intermediate compounds, 4-[1-hydroxy-2-4,6-dimethyl-2-pyridyl-ethyl]benzaldehyde ( 5 ) and 4-[1-hydroxy-2-(6-methyl-2-pyridyl)ethyl]benzaldehyde ( 6 ), of the main reaction products 2-styrylpyridine ( 3 ) and 1,4-bis[2-(4,6-dimethyl-2-pyridyl)vinyl]-benzene ( 1 ), and of the side reaction product 2-phenyl-1,3-bis(2-pyridyl)propane ( 4 ) resulting from the addition of the methyl groups of 2-methylpyridine to the double bond of 3 .     

Biosynthesis of platelet lipids in relation to aggregation in women using oral contraceptives

The platelet lipid biosynthesis in relation to platelet aggregation and lipemia was studied by ¹⁴C-acetate and-mevalonate incorporation into platelets of seventeen women without medication and of eighteen women using a low estrogen oral contraceptive. The lipid biosynthesis was significantly increased by 59 % (mevalonate) and 38 % (acetate) in women on oral contraceptives. From mevalonate, lipid synthesis was increased mostly in the lanosterol-dihydrolanosterol fraction (p < .01). From acetate, lipid synthesis was significantly enhanced in all the lipid classes. In the oral contraceptive group, the response of platelets to thrombin aggregation was only slightly higher, but HDL-cholesterol was significantly lower. However, in the women using oral contraceptives, the percentage of abnormal values in HDL-cholesterol, thrombin-aggregation and acetate incorporation into lanosterol was similar. p ]Thus, more than 40 % of the women studied here, using low estrogen oral contraceptives, presented an increase in platelet lipid biosynthesis, especially in the lanosterol-dihydrolanosterol fraction, which was significantly correlated (p < .05) with the response of their platelets to thrombin-induced aggregation.