Risk factors for decline in renal function among young adults with type 1 diabetes

Aims

To investigate risk factors for declining renal function among subjects with type-1-diabetes.

Sexual dichotomy of an interaction between early adversity and the serotonin transporter gene promoter variant in rhesus macaques

A polymorphism in the human serotonin transporter gene promoter (5-HTTLPR) is associated with anxiety and increased risk for developing depression in the face of adversity. Here, we report that among infant rhesus macaques, an orthologous polymorphism (rh5-HTTLPR) interacts with adversity in the form of peer rearing to influence adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) response to stress and, further, that this interaction is sexually dichotomous. ACTH responses to separation are higher in l/s than in l/l males. In females, however, it is only among those with a history of adversity that the s allele is associated with increased ACTH responses to stress. Of interest, peer-reared animals, in particular females carrying the s allele, also exhibit lower cortisol responses to stress, a pattern that has been recognized in association with certain stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders. By extension, our findings suggest the intriguing possibility that human females carrying the 5-HTTLPR s allele could be more vulnerable to the effects of early adversity. This interactive effect may underlie the increased incidence of certain stress-related disorders in women.     

Changes in very low and low density lipoproteins with dietary fat modification

Since VLDL and LDL are involved in atherogenesis, their response to dietary modification was studied in 15 normal male prisoners. A 3-month reference diet (P/S ratio 0.3, daily cholesterol intake 370 mg) was compared with a modified fat diet (P/S 1.0, 250 mg) given for further 3 months. The decrement in serum cholesterol by 32 mg/dl reflected a decrease in VLDL and LDL. It was associated with a decrease in serum apolipoprotein B by 16 mg/dl and in serum apolipoprotein E by 1.2 mg/dl. The decrement in VLDL cholesterol was paralleled by a lowered VLDL apolipoprotein E content. Serum and VLDL triglycerides, HDL cholesterol and the serum apolipoproteins A-I and A-II did not change significantly. One beneficial result of a conventional dietary regimen is lowered LDL with unaffected HDL. Another effect is the apparent modification of VLDL with a decrement of cholesterol and apolipoprotein E-enriched particles.     

Resting‐state functional connectivity and presynaptic monoamine signaling in Alcohol Dependence

Alcohol Dependence (AD) is a chronic relapsing disorder with high degrees of morbidity and mortality. While multiple neurotransmitter systems are involved in the complex symptomatology of AD, monoamine dysregulation and subsequent neuroadaptations have been long postulated to play an important role. Presynaptic monoamine transporters, such as the vesicular monoamine transporter 1 (VMAT1), are likely critical as they represent a key common entry point for monoamine regulation and may represent a shared pathway for susceptibility to AD. Excessive monoaminergic signaling as mediated by genetic variation in VMAT1 might affect functional brain connectivity in particular in alcoholics compared to controls. We conducted resting‐state fMRI functional connectivity (FC) analysis using the independent component analysis (ICA) approach in 68 AD subjects and 72 controls. All subjects were genotyped for the Thr136Ile (rs1390938) variant in VMAT1. Functional connectivity analyses showed a significant increase of resting‐state FC in 4 networks in alcoholics compared to controls (P < 0.05, corrected). The FC was significantly positively correlated with Alcohol Dependence Scale (ADS). The hyperfunction allele 136Ile was associated with a significantly decreased FC in the Default Mode Network, Prefrontal Cortex Network, and Executive Control Network in alcohol dependent participants (P < 0.05, corrected), but not in controls. Our data suggest that increased FC might represent a neuroadaptive mechanism relevant to AD that is furthermore mediated by genetic variation in VMAT1. The hyperfunction allele Thr136Ile might have a protective effect that is, in particular, relevant in AD by mechanism of increased monoamine transport into presynaptic storage vesicles. Hum Brain Mapp 36:4808–4818, 2015. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA     

Comparing Couples’ and Individual Voluntary Counseling and Testing for HIV at Antenatal Clinics in Tanzania: A Randomized Trial

Voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) for couples (CVCT) is an important HIV-prevention effort in sub-Saharan Africa where a substantial proportion of HIV transmission occurs within stable partnerships. This study aimed to determine the acceptance and effectiveness of CVCT as compared to individual VCT (IVCT). 1,521 women attending three antenatal clinics in Dar es Salaam were randomized to receive IVCT during that visit or CVCT with their husbands at a subsequent visit. The proportion of women receiving test results in the CVCT arm was significantly lower than in the IVCT arm (39 vs. 71%). HIV prevalence overall was 10%. In a subgroup analysis of HIV-positive women, those who received CVCT were more likely to use preventive measures against transmission (90 vs. 60%) and to receive nevirapine for themselves (55 vs. 24%) and their infants (55 vs. 22%) as compared to women randomized to IVCT. Uptake of CVCT is low in the antenatal clinic setting. Community mobilization and couple-friendly clinics are needed to promote CVCT.