The CB1 cannabinoid receptor mediates glucocorticoid-induced effects on behavioural and neuronal responses during lactation

It has been shown that glucocorticoids can modulate oxytocin (OT) secretion and disrupt maternal behaviour. Because the CB1 receptor (CB1R) has been implicated in some rapid glucocorticoid-induced actions, the present study aimed to evaluate the possible involvement of CB1Rs in maternal behaviour and neuronal activation during lactation. For this purpose, lactating female rats were pre-treated with dexamethasone (DEX) or saline, followed by treatment with AM251, a CB1R antagonist, or vehicle 90 min later. All of the experiments were performed 30 min after the administration of AM251 or vehicle. To evaluate maternal behaviour, the pups were returned to their home cages to the side of the cage opposite the previous nest after 12 h of separation and were filmed for the next 30 min. Aggressive behaviour was evaluated for 10 min following the placement of a male rat in the home cage. For the evaluation of behavioural performance, lactating rats were subjected to a T-maze and open-field tests. The amount of weight gained by the pups was evaluated 15 min after the onset of suckling to determine the amount of milk that they had obtained from the dam. In the central nervous system of lactating rats, c-Fos-positive nuclei were counted in the medial preoptic area, in both the ventral (v) and dorsal (d) parts of the median preoptic nucleus and in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). The number of neurons that were double-labelled for c-Fos/OT was counted in the medial magnocellular subdivision of the paraventricular nucleus, in the periventricular hypothalamic nucleus and in the supraoptic nucleus of the lactating rats. The results show that DEX had the following effects: (1) decreased the amount time the dam spent licking the pups, the amount of time the dam spent in an arched-nursing position and full maternal behaviour; (2) increased the latency to the first attack and decreased front attacks; (3) increased anxiety-like behaviour; and (4) decreased weight gain in the pups. In addition, DEX decreased neuronal activation in all of the investigated hypothalamic and forebrain areas. AM251 administration reversed these parameters, indicating that the behavioural effects and neuronal responses produced by DEX in lactating rats are likely to be mediated by CB1Rs.     

Abstracts

Dental enamel is the most mineralized tissue of vertebrate organisms. Enamel biosynthesis is initiated by the secretion, processing, and self-assembly of a complex mixture of proteins. The formation of an ordered enamel organic extracellular matrix (ECM) seems be a crucial step for the proper formation of mineral phase. Polarizing microscopy demonstrates that the ordered supramolecular structure of the secretory-stage enamel organic ECM is strongly birefringent. In the present work we analyzed the birefringence of secretory-stage enamel organic ECM in amelogenin (Amelx)- and enamelysin (Mmp20)-deficient mice. Female Amelx^+/? animals showed significant reduction in optical retardation values when compared with the Amelx^+/+ subgroup (p = 0.0029). The secretory-stage enamel organic ECM of the Amelx^?/? subgroup did not exhibit birefringence. The secretory-stage enamel organic ECM of Mmp20^?/? mice showed a significant decrease in optical retardation as compared with Mmp20^+/+ and Mmp20^+/? mice (p = 0.0000). Mmp20^+/? and Mmp20^+/+ mice exhibited similar birefringence (p = 1.0000). The results presented here support growing evidence for the idea that the birefringence of secretory-stage enamel organic ECM is influenced by the ordered supramolecular organization of its components.     

Accuracy of non-guided versus ultrasound-guided injections in cervical muscles: a cadaver study

Journal of Neurology - The col-cap concept encouraged neurologists to inject a large group of muscles in the treatment of cervical dystonia. This includes deep muscles such as the obliquus capitis...     

Numerical Activities of Daily Living – Financial: a short version

Neurological Sciences - Financial capacity is the ability to manage money and finances according to a person’s values and self-interests. In Italy, the first instrument specifically designed...     

Clinical, tomographic aspects and relevance of torus palatinus: case report of two sisters

Despite the nomenclature suggested to be a tumor, torus palatinus (TP) is an overgrowth of the bone in the palatal region and represents an anatomic variation. Its prevalence varies among the population studied and its etiology is still unclear; however, it seems to be a multifactorial disorder with genetics and environmental involvement. Surgical removal of the TP is indicated in the following circumstances: (1) deglutition and speech impairment, (2) cancer phobia, (3) traumatized mucosa over the torus, and (4) prosthetic reasons. The aim of this case report is describe cases that occurred in two sisters, emphasizing the genetic etiology of this anatomic variation. In addition, intra-oral exam and computed tomography scan (axial, coronal and sagittal view) provided a detailed assessment of the TP and elimination of other possible diagnoses, furthermore allowed a better analyzes of the anatomic relation with adjacentes structures. No surgical removal was indicated for both cases.     

Sensitive Detection of KRAS Mutations Using Enhanced‐ice‐COLD‐PCR Mutation Enrichment and Direct Sequence Identification

A number of methods allowing the detection of low levels of KRAS mutations have been developed in the last years. However, although these methods have become increasingly sensitive, they can rarely identify the mutated base directly without prior knowledge on the mutated base and are often incompatible with a sequencing‐based read‐out desirable in clinical practice. Here, we present a modified version of the ice‐COLD‐PCR assay called Enhanced‐ice‐COLD‐PCR (E‐ice‐COLD‐PCR) for KRAS mutation detection and identification, which allows the enrichment of the six most frequent KRAS mutations. The method is based on a nonextendable chemically modified blocker sequence, complementary to the wild‐type (WT) sequence leading to the enrichment of mutated sequences. This assay permits the reliable detection of down to 0.1% mutated sequences in a WT background. A single genotyping assay of the amplification product by pyrosequencing directly following the E‐ice‐COLD‐PCR is performed to identify the mutated base. This developed two‐step method is rapid and cost‐effective, and requires only a small amount of starting material permitting the sensitive detection and sequence identification of KRAS mutations within 3 hr. This method is applied in the current study to clinical colorectal cancer samples and enables detection of mutations in samples, which appear as WT using standard detection technologies.     

Drugs used for the treatment of cerebral and disseminated infections caused by free‐living amoebae

Free‐living amoebae (FLAs) are protozoa developing autonomously in diverse natural or artificial environments. The FLAs Acanthamoeba spp., Balamuthia mandrillaris, and Naegleria fowleri represent a risk for human health as they can become pathogenic and cause severe cerebral infections, named granulomatous amoebic encephalitis (GAE), Balamuthia amoebic encephalitis (BAE), and primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), respectively. Additionally, Acanthamoeba sp. can also rarely disseminate to diverse organs, such as the skin, sinuses, or bones, and cause extracerebral disseminated acanthamebiasis (EDA). No consensus treatment has been established for cerebral FLA infections or EDA. The therapy of cerebral and disseminated FLA infections often empirically associates a large diversity of drugs, all exhibiting a high toxicity. Nevertheless, these pathologies lead to a high mortality, above 90% of the cases, even in the presence of a treatment. In the present work, a total of 474 clinical cases of FLA infections gathered from the literature allowed to determine the frequency of usage, as well as the efficacy of the main drugs and drug combinations used in the treatment of these pathologies. The efficacy of drug usage was determined based on the survival rate after drug administration. The most efficient drugs, drug combinations, and their mechanism of action were discussed in regard to the present recommendations for the treatment of GAE, EDA, BAE, and PAM. At the end, this review aims to provide a useful tool for physicians in their choice to optimize the treatment of FLA infections.     

Esthetic perception of facial profile changes in Class II patients treated with Herbst or Forsus appliances

ObjectiveTo evaluate the esthetic perceptions of orthodontists and laypersons for facial profile changes after orthodontic treatment using Herbst or Forsus appliances.Materials and MethodsPre- and posttreatment facial profile contour images of 20 Class II patients treated with Herbst (group H; n = 10) and Forsus (group F; n = 10) appliances were analyzed by 30 orthodontists and 30 laypersons, who graded them from 1 (unattractive) to 10 (very attractive) using a visual analog scale. Two assessments were carried out with a 15 day-interval. In the first evaluation, 40 images were presented in a random sequence. In the second evaluation, initial and final facial profile images of each patient were randomly presented side by side. To compare groups in relation to treatment method, Mann-Whitney tests were used. To evaluate differences between time points, Wilcoxon tests were used.ResultsIn the first evaluation, there was a significant difference between initial and final images only for group H, for both laypersons (P = .017) and orthodontists (P = .037). There was also a significant difference between laypersons and orthodontists in their ratings of posttreatment Herbst appliance profiles (P = .028). There was no significant difference between initial and final facial profile images for group F and no significant differences between or within evaluator groups in their ratings of initial or final Forsus appliance profiles. In the second evaluation, there was a significant difference between appliance groups only for laypersons, who considered cases treated with the Herbst appliance more attractive than those treated with the Forsus (P = .031). Laypersons also considered Herbst profiles more attractive than did orthodontists (P = .047).ConclusionsClass II malocclusion treatment using the Herbst appliance may produce a more esthetically improved facial profile silhouette compared with Forsus appliances. The magnitude of perceived changes may not be considered clinically relevant.