Minocycline produced antidepressant-like effects on the learned helplessness rats with alterations in levels of monoamine in the amygdala and no changes in BDNF levels in the hippocampus at baseline

Previous studies have indicated that minocycline might function as an antidepressant drug. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antidepressant-like effects of minocycline, which is known to suppress activated microglia, using learned helplessness (LH) rats (an animal model of depression). Infusion of minocycline into the cerebral ventricle of LH rats induced antidepressant-like effects. However, infusion of minocycline into the cerebral ventricle of naïve rats did not produce locomotor activation in the open field tests, suggesting that the antidepressant-like effects of minocycline were not attributed to the enhanced locomotion. LH rats showed significantly higher serotonin turnover in the orbitofrontal cortex and lower levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus than control rats. However, these alterations in serotonin turnover and BDNF expression remained unchanged after treatment with minocycline. On the contrary, minocycline treatment of LH rats induced significant increases in the levels of dopamine and its metabolites in the amygdala when compared with untreated LH rats. Taken together, minocycline may be a therapeutic drug for the treatment of depression.     

Metastasis of malignant struma ovarii to the lumbar spine

A 32-year-old woman with a solitary metastasis to the lumbar spine from a struma ovarii was treated surgically with tumour extirpation and anterior spinal reconstruction. Metastasis may occur when a patient has had prior surgery to remove this rare tumour.     

Case of ischemic optic neuropathy developed eleven days after an aortic arch replacement

We present a case of ischemic optic neuropathy (ION) developed 11 days after an aortic arch replacement in a 59 year-old male who had a history of untreated hypertension. Thoracic CT revealed severe stenosis of the right common carotid artery with poor blood flow. Aortic clamping time was 96 minutes, and selective cerebral perfusion time was 48 minutes. The lowest hemoglobin concentration of venous blood during cardiopulmonary bypass was 8.1 g/dl and the lowest arterial pressure was 60 mmHg. Due to pulmonary congestion, artificial ventilation was required until 11 post-surgical days. After removal of ventilator, the patient's consciousness was clear with no motor paralyses evident. However, the patient complained of blurred vision on that day. Bilateral papillae of the optic fund were pale. Atrophy of the papillae was also noted. Visual evoked potential was bilaterally flat suggesting bilateral optic nerve disturbance. The diagnosis of ION was made by ophthalmologist and neurologists. We speculated that low hemoglobin level during cardiopulmonary bypass was not the sole etiology of ION. Untreated hypertension, low blood flow through internal carotid artery and prolonged mechanical ventilation were also deteriorating factors of ION in this patient. We should be alert to prevent ION in such a complicated case.