Severe dilated cardiomyopathy as a consequence of Ecstasy intake

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is one of the most common causes of heart failure with a prevalence of 1:2500. There are several primary and secondary etiologic factors, including gene mutations, infection agents, particularly viruses, toxins, autoimmune, and systemic disorders, and pheochromocytoma, neuromuscular, metabolic, mitochondrial, and nutritional disorders. However, a precise diagnosis can be reached only in no more than 50% of all cases. Herein, we report a rare case of hepatic damage and severe DCM as a consequence of relatively popular socially used narcotic-Ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine [MDMA]).     

Physiological and Psychological Effects of Delivering Medical News Using a Simulated Physician–Patient Scenario

We examined the acute stress response associated with having to deliver either bad or good medical news using a simulated physician–patient scenario. Twenty-five healthy medical students were randomly assigned to a bad medical news (BN), a good medical news (GN), or a control group that read magazines during the session. Self-report measures were obtained before and after the task. Blood pressure and heart rate were measured throughout the task period. Four blood samples were obtained across the task period. The BN and GN tasks produced significant increases in self-reported distress and cardiovascular responses compared with the control group. There was also a significant increase in natural killer cell function 10 min into the task in the BN group compared with the control group. The BN task was also somewhat more stressful than the GN task, as shown by the self-report and cardiovascular data. These findings suggest that a simulated physician–patient scenario produces an acute stress response in the physician, with the delivery of bad medical news more stressful than the delivery of good medical news.     

Melanin pigmentation in mammalian skin and its hormonal regulation

Cutaneous melanin pigment plays a critical role in camouflage, mimicry, social communication, and protection against harmful effects of solar radiation. Melanogenesis is under complex regulatory control by multiple agents interacting via pathways activated by receptor-dependent and -independent mechanisms, in hormonal, auto-, para-, or intracrine fashion. Because of the multidirectional nature and heterogeneous character of the melanogenesis modifying agents, its controlling factors are not organized into simple linear sequences, but they interphase instead in a multidimensional network, with extensive functional overlapping with connections arranged both in series and in parallel. The most important positive regulator of melanogenesis is the MC1 receptor with its ligands melanocortins and ACTH, whereas among the negative regulators agouti protein stands out, determining intensity of melanogenesis and also the type of melanin synthesized. Within the context of the skin as a stress organ, melanogenic activity serves as a unique molecular sensor and transducer of noxious signals and as regulator of local homeostasis. In keeping with these multiple roles, melanogenesis is controlled by a highly structured system, active since early embryogenesis and capable of superselective functional regulation that may reach down to the cellular level represented by single melanocytes. Indeed, the significance of melanogenesis extends beyond the mere assignment of a color trait.     

The measurement of conformational stability of proteins adsorbed on siloxanes

The paper investigates the conformational stability of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and fibrinogen during 24-h incubation in turn with a linear silicone polymer (polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)), with linear silicone oligomers (hexamethyldisiloxane and octamethyltrisiloxane) and with cyclic silicone oligomers (octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4) and decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5)). Ten-fold and 100-fold excesses of siloxanes with respect to the proteins were used. Using fluorescence spectroscopy of tryptophan located in the domain of proteins and fluorescence of 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid (1,8-ANS), which interacts with hydrophobic domains of proteins, changes in the tertiary structure of the protein were recorded. The results demonstrated that BSA does not change its native form during 24-h incubation with siloxanes. In contrast, the tertiary structure of fibrinogen was found to be altered by both short-chain linear siloxanes: (hexamethyldisiloxane and octamethyltrisiloxane) and long-chain PDMS. The changes can be observed only at a 100-fold excess of siloxanes with respect to the protein. No conformational changes in fibrinogen exposed to cyclic siloxanes were observed.     

Visualisation of the extent of damage in a rat spinal cord injury model using MR microsopy of the water diffusion tensor

Magnetic Resonance Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) of the control and traumatic injured spinal cord of a rat in vitro is reported. Experiments were performed on excised spinal cords from 10 Wistar rats, using a home-built 6.4 T MR microscope. MRI and histopathological results were compared. Presented results show that DTI of the spinal cord, perfused with formalin 10 minutes after the injury, can detect changes in water diffusion in white matter (WM) and in gray matter (GM), in areas extending well beyond the region of direct impact. Histology of neurons of the GM shows changes that can be attributed to ischemia. This is in agreement with the observed decrease of diffusion in the injured regions, which may be attributed to the cytotoxic edema due to ischemia. However, the diffusion changes in highly anisotropic WM seem to be caused by a direct action of mechanical force of impact, which significantly distorts the nerve fibers.     

Silver-Staining Nucleolar Organizer Region Quantification in Pituitary Adenomas

Nucleolar organizer regions (NORs) are segments of DNA, encoding for ribosomal RNA. They are associated with argyrophilic proteins and, thus, they can be localized through silver staining. A correlation has been shown between the number, the size, or the intranuclear localization of AgNORs, and the proliferative activity of cells. The aim of this study was to examine numerous features of AgNORs in pituitary adenomas and to relate them to immunohistochemical typing of tumor. Histologic slides from 32 pituitary tumors and one normal pituitary were silver-stained and analyzed with a computerized system for microscopic image analysis, supported by an AgNORmeter95 program. All the tumors were also immunocyto chemically characterized. We have found that gonadotropinomas, when compared with plurihormonal adenomas, revealed a lower proportion of nuclei with a single AgNOR and a higher percentage of marginal dots. Recurrent adenomas, when compared with primary adenomas, showed a higher proportion of nuclei with three AgNOR dots, a larger total area of dots in the nuclei, and a higher standard deviation of the AgNOR dot area in the nucleus. Adenomas immunopositive for prolactin, when compared with immunonegative ones, showed a larger mean area of the AgNOR dot, a larger area of the biggest dot in the nucleus, and a higher proportion of nuclei within a single dot. These results suggest that the estimated parameters of AgNOR dots differ according to tumor aggressiveness and to the hormone immunopositivity of pituitary adenomas.     

Dopamine, serotonin and noradrenaline changes in the striatum of C57BL mice following myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) 35-55 and complete Freund adjuvant (CFA) administration.

Many data suggest involvement of inflammation in neurodegeneration. However, the exact mechanisms of this cooperation are poorly understood. We have previously shown that induction of inflammatory reaction, both before and after injury of the striatum, affects regeneration of dopaminergic neurons. In the present research we studied the role of inflammatory reaction in non-injured striatum. We used myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) 35-55 in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) to elicit experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mice model. As determined by HPLC, striatal dopamine (DA) and serotonin levels in mice treated with either MOG 35-55 in CFA or CFA alone were significantly higher compared to vehicle-treated controls on 13th day after induction. The ratio of homovanilic acid/dopamine (HVA/DA) and 3, 4 dihydroxyphenylacetic acid/dopamine (DOPAC/DA) were significantly lower in the MOG and CFA groups on 13th day, indicating decreased DA metabolism. Noradrenaline (NA) concentration did not differ between groups. Moreover, the striatal mRNA IL-1beta and TNF-alpha levels were elevated during induction phase of EAE in both groups, as determined by RT-PCR. Our data indicate regulatory connection between dopaminergic and immune systems.