Activation of dopaminergic VTA inputs to the mPFC ameliorates chronic stress-induced breast tumor progression

AimsChronic stress plays an important role in promoting the progression and migration of cancers. However, little is known of any direct impact on tumor progression related to the regulation of emotion‐related circuitry. The aim of this study was to explore the neural‐circuit mechanisms underlying stress‐induced progression of cancers and the impact of emotion‐related regulation of circuitry on tumor growth.MethodsOptogenetic manipulation was applied to unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS)–treated mice bearing breast tumor cell. The stress‐related hormones, tumor‐related cytokines, the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)–positive neurons and their fibers, dopamine receptor–positive cells, and anxiety level were measured using ELISA, immunohistochemical staining, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and behavioral test, respectively.ResultsBy investigating breast cancer mouse models with a chronic mild stress model, optogenetic stimulation, and behavioral analysis, we show that chronic stress induced anxiety‐like behavior in mice and increased serum concentration of norepinephrine and corticosterone, hormones closely related to stress and anxiety. Optogenetic activation of VTA TH terminals in the mPFC rescued anxiety‐like behavior induced by chronic stress. Chronic stress resulted in marked progression of breast tumors, and repetitive optogenetic activation of VTA TH terminals in the mPFC significantly attenuated stress‐induced progression of breast cancers and reduced serum concentration of norepinephrine and corticosterone. Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between serum norepinephrine or corticosterone concentration and tumor size.ConclusionsThese findings indicate a positive role of an emotion regulation circuit on the progression of breast cancer and reveal a link between stress, emotion regulation, and the progression of breast cancers. Our findings provide new insights pertinent to therapeutic interventions in the treatment of breast cancers.     

b型流感嗜血杆菌D蛋白原核可溶性表达研究

目的 通过原核表达系统可溶性表达重组D蛋白,为多糖结合疫苗的制备提供蛋白载体.方法 将Hib CMCC株基因组DNA中去除信号肽的hpd基因片段插入pET43.1a表达质粒,转化入感受态大肠埃希菌BL21 (DE3),IPTG诱导表达.表达的重组蛋白,经过硫酸铵沉淀和DEAE阴离子交换柱层析纯化后,用Western Blot的方法鉴定其免疫反应原性.结果 表达的重组蛋白以可溶性形式存在,表达量约占菌株总蛋白的44％,经过初步纯化后的重组蛋白可以和Hib抗血清发生特异性反应.结论 成功构建了D蛋白重组表达质粒,并在原核细胞中以可溶性形式表达出具有良好免疫反应原性的D蛋白.     

信访干部工作满意度、幸福感、积极情绪及心理健康

目的探讨信访干部工作满意度、幸福感、积极情绪、心理健康的现状及其之间关系。方法方便选取陕西省部分城市信访干部191名,对其施测工作满意度、总体幸福感、情绪量表与SCL-90量表。结果①信访干部的工作满意度较高,幸福感较低,积极情绪和消极情绪体验较少,心理健康状况较好;②信访干部的心理健康与工作满意度(r=-0.668,P>0.01)、幸福感(r=-0.298,P<0.01)呈显著负相关,与消极情绪呈显著正相关(r=0.769,P<0.01);工作满意度、消极情绪对心理健康的回归效应显著(t=-5.309,10.175,P=0.000);③工作满意度是幸福感的主要影响变量(β=0.50,P=0.000)。结论消极情绪和工作满意度是影响信访干部心理健康与幸福感的重要因素。     

Understanding the link between maternal adult attachment classifications and thoughts and feelings about emotions

The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between maternal representations of attachment, as assessed with the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI; George, Kaplan, & Main, ), and mothers' thoughts and feelings about their own emotions and emotions emerging in their toddlers. Eighty-nine adolescent mothers completed the AAI and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D; Radloff, ) and Katz, Gottman, Shapiro, and Carrere's () meta-emotion interview for parents of toddlers. Autonomous mothers demonstrated the most open and flexible mindset around a variety of emotions in themselves and their toddlers. Dismissing mothers exhibited a tendency to minimize internalizing emotions in themselves and their children, while unresolved mothers described the most emotion regulatory difficulties.     

Maternal attachment influences mother–infant styles of regulation and play with objects at nine months

We examined the association between the quality of maternal representations of attachment evaluated by the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) and mother styles of regulating attention and emotion during free play with objects in 41 mother dyads when infants were nine months old. The secure mother dyads showed a greater duration of engagement matches, with more positive matches, and a greater capacity to move from non-matched to matched states. Secure mother dyads demonstrated greater involvement in play with objects than insecure mother dyads. Insecure mother dyads showed a greater duration of mismatches and spent more time in negative matches. Correlations between maternal AAI scores and the variables studied also showed that the maternal Passivity and Unresolved scales were associated with less adequate dyadic attention and emotion regulation, while the maternal Coherence scale was associated with more adequate dyadic attention and emotion regulation.     

Mothers’ attachment styles and their children’s self-reported security,as related to maternal socialization of children’s positive affect regulation

This study investigated how mothers’ attachment was related to their responses to their own and their children’s positive events and positive affect (PA). Ninety-seven mothers reported on their attachment and their responses to their own and their 7–12-year-old children’s positive events and emotions. Children reported on their mothers’ responses to the children’s positive events and their attachment security with their mothers. The results indicated that more avoidant mothers reported less intense PA in response to their own and their children’s positive events. More avoidant mothers also were less likely to encourage their children to savor positive events (through expressing PA, reflecting on PA or themselves, giving rewards, and affectionate responses). Mothers higher on anxiety reported greater likelihood of dampening (e.g., minimizing the event’s importance) their own positive events and reported being more likely to feel discomfort and to reprimand their children for expressing PA. Children’s security was predicted by mothers’ lower likelihood of encouraging children’s dampening and of reprimanding children for PA displays. This study advances the literature on how mothers’ attachment is related to the ways in which they regulate their own and their children’s PA, which may have implications for children’s attachment and developing PA regulation.     

It takes two to talk: Longitudinal associations among infant–mother attachment,maternal attachment representations,and mother–child emotion dialogues

Research on the attachment-dialogue link has largely focused on infant–mother attachment. This study investigated longitudinal associations between infant–mother attachment and maternal attachment representations and subsequent mother–child emotion dialogues (N = 50). Maternal attachment representations were assessed using the Adult Attachment Interview when children were 3 months, infant–mother attachment was assessed using the Strange Situation Procedure at 13 months, and mother–child emotion dialogues were assessed using the Autobiographical Emotional Events Dialogue at 3.5 years. Consistent with past research, the three organized categories of infant–mother attachment relationships were associated with later mother–child emotion dialogues. Disorganized attachment relationships were associated with a lack of consistent and coherent strategy during emotion dialogues. Autonomous mothers co-constructed coherent narratives with their children; Dismissing and Preoccupied mothers created stories that were less narratively organized. Although the Unresolved category was unrelated to classifications of types of mother–child discourse, mothers’ quality of contribution to the dialogues was marginally lower compared to the quality of their children’s contributions to the emotion discussion. Secure children showed highest levels of child cooperation and exploration. Autonomous mothers displayed highest levels of maternal sensitive guidance during emotion dialogues. We provide preliminary evidence for role reversal in dialogues between Preoccupied and Unresolved mothers and their children.     

Maternal attachment and mind-mindedness: the role of emotional specificity

We explored the relation between maternal mind-mindedness (i.e., a mother’s tendency to verbally refer to her infant’s mental world through use of infant-directed mental state terms) and maternal attachment. Mothers (N = 76), classified prenatally as Autonomous, Dismissing, Preoccupied, and Unresolved using the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI), simulated speaking to their 6-month-old infants in positive and negative emotion contexts. Mothers’ utterances were coded for frequency of use of emotion and cognition-related mind-minded terms. Results indicated a significant negative relation between coherence of mind scores on the AAI and emotion mind-mindedness in the positive emotion context. When differences between insecure attachment categories and mind-mindedness were explored, results indicated that mothers with Preoccupied attachments were significantly more likely to use emotion-related terms than mothers with Dismissing attachments and that these differences were most pronounced in the negative emotion context. A similar pattern was found for mothers with Unresolved attachments compared to those with organized (Autonomous, Dismissing, Preoccupied) attachment classifications, however use of emotion mind-minded terms did not differ by emotional context. Future research directions highlighting the importance of exploring the unique contribution of Preoccupied, Dismissing and Unresolved attachment and emotional context in the exploration of mind-mindedness are discussed.     

认知行为团体对精神分裂症照料者生活的影响

目的：探讨认知行为的团体干预对精神分裂症照料者情绪、生存质量等方面的干预效果。方法：选取精神分裂症患者的主要照料者88人为研究对象,随机分为对照组和研究组各44例,对照组照料者进行常规住院期间的家属健康教育,研究组照料者在对照组的基础上进行8周的患者联合照料者认知行为团体干预,比较干预前、干预四周、干预八周照料者的焦虑抑郁情绪和生存质量情况。结果：干预四周,照料者的抑郁、自身健康状况总的感受和生存质量其余的四个维度得分两组比较差异有统计学意义（p＜0.001）,干预八周后干预组焦虑、抑郁总分明显低于对照组、生存质量明显好于对照组,均具有统计学意义（p＜0.05或p＜0.001）。结论：患者联合照料者认知行为团体干预,可以改善精神分裂症照料者的焦虑、抑郁情绪,有利于提高生存质量。     

心理暗示治疗对慢性牙周炎患者负性情绪及疼痛的效果分析

目的:探析在慢牙周炎患者中选取心理暗示治疗对疼痛和负性情绪的临床影响作用。方法:项目资料为2017年11月~2018年11月期间收治的66例慢性牙周炎患者,参考随机法实施研究。参照组(n=33)行常规超声洁治处理,实验组(n=33)行心理暗示治疗,观察两组治疗情况。结果:参照组慢性牙周炎患者疼痛评分、SAS评分、SDS评分与实验组数值比对,P<0.05,表明数据指标之间的统计学意义。结论:使用心理暗示治疗在慢性牙周炎患者中可显著缓解不良情绪,降低疼痛程度,提升治疗效果。