Subclinical albuminuria is linked to gray matter atrophy in type 2 diabetes mellitus

Objective

Microalbuminuria (MA), a marker of renal microvascular disease, is associated with brain atrophy and neurovascular changes in older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). We evaluated the relationship between urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) and regional brain volumes to determine whether subclinical albuminuria may indicate early structural brain changes in type 2 DM.

Materials/Methods

We studied UACR and brain volumes in 85 type 2 DM patients (64.8 ± 8.3 years) and 40 age-matched controls using 3D magnetization prepared rapid acquisition with gradient echo (MP-RAGE) MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) at 3 Tesla. The relationship between UACR and brain volumes was analyzed using the least square models.

Results

In DM patients, UACR ≥ 5 mg/g, UACR ≥ 10 mg/g and clinically significant MA (UACR ≥ 17 mg/g [males] and 25 mg/g [females]) were associated with lower gray matter (GM) volume in the frontal lobe (r²_adj = 0.2–0.4, P = 0.01–0.05) and UACR ≥ 5 mg/g was also related to global GM atrophy (r²_adj = 0.1, P = 0.04), independent of DM duration, glucose levels, HbA_1c and hypertension. For UACR ≥ 5 mg/g, a lower global GM volume was related to worse executive function (P = 0.04) in the DM group. No associations were found for UACR (< 5 mg/g) and controls.

Conclusions

Subclinical albuminuria (UACR ≥ 5 mg/g) is associated with lower GM volume that has clinical impact on cognitive function in older diabetic patients, and these relationships are independent of DM control and hypertension. Therefore, UACR levels may serve as an additional marker of DM-related brain structural changes.     

Exposure of mice to a predator odor increases acoustic startle but does not disrupt the rewarding properties of VTA intracranial self-stimulation

The present investigation assessed the propensity of an acute psychogenic stressor exposure to induce behavioral change in paradigms assessing fear/anxiety (acoustic startle) and motivation/anhedonia (intracranial self-stimulation) in CD-1 mice. In the acoustic startle paradigm, a 10-min exposure of 2-4 month old mice (young adult mice) to fox odor (2,5-dihydro-2,4,5-trimethylthiazoline; TMT) was associated with decreased acoustic startle relative to mice exposed to the control odor, butyric acid (BA), immediately and relative to both saline and BA exposure 24 h following odor exposure in the home cage. In contrast, a 2-min exposure of young adult mice to TMT was associated with an increase in startle relative to saline and BA during the immediate post-odor test session only. In young adult mice a 2-min and a 10-min exposure to BA resulted in a startle profile of mice reminiscent of saline-treated mice. In comparison to young adult mice, a 2-min exposure of mature adult mice (5-7 months old) to TMT enhanced startle for up to 48 h relative to both saline and BA, while a 10-min exposure of mature adult mice to TMT enhanced startle for 168 h post-odor exposure relative to saline-exposed mice only. However, the greatest increase in startle amplitude (i.e. 48 h) was acquired following the 2-min exposure of mature mice to TMT. Among mature adult mice, a 10-min exposure to BA in the home cage eventuated in enhanced startle relative to saline-exposed animals 168 h following odor exposure. In comparison, exposure of mice to 10 min of TMT depressed responding for VTA brain stimulation at the initial 80 Hz frequency, but was ineffective in elevating reward thresholds relative to mice merely exposed to saline. Mice assessed in the ICSS paradigm were approximately 2-4 months old at the time of surgery and 5-7 months old at the completion of testing. These data suggest that acute odor exposure may induce a fear gradient dependent upon the perceived stressor severity and that the resultant anxiety-like effects are dependent on the duration of odor exposure, age of the animals and the temporal interval between odor presentation and behavioral testing. Moreover, the anxiogenic properties of psychogenic stressors can be separated from their anhedonic effects. The implications of these data for clinical psychopathology are discussed.     

The smell of danger: a behavioral and neural analysis of predator odor-induced fear

The odors of predators used in animal models provide, in addition to electric footshock, an important means to investigate the neurobiology of fear. Studies indicate that cat odor and trimethylthiazoline (TMT), a synthetic compound isolated from fox feces, are often presented to rodents to induce fear-related responses including freezing, avoidance, stress hormone and, in some tests, risk assessment behavior. Furthermore, we report that different amounts of cat odor impregnated on small-, medium-, or large-sized cloths impact the display of fear-related behavior when presented to rats. That is, rats exposed to a large cat odor containing cloth exhibit an increase in fear behavior, particularly freezing, which remains at high levels in habituation tests administered over a period of 7 days. The large cloth also induces a long-lasting increase in avoidance behavior during repeated habituation and extinction tests. A review of the brain regions involved in predator odor-induced fear behavior indicates a modulatory role of the medial amygdala, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and dorsal premammillary nucleus. In addition, the basolateral amygdala is involved in fear behavior induced by cat odor but not TMT, and the central amygdala does not appear to play a major behavioral role in predator odor-induced fear. Future research involving the use of predator odor is likely to rapidly expand knowledge on the neurobiology of fear, which has implications for understanding fear-related psychopathology.     

MTM正畸技术在成人前牙美容中的应用

目的:探讨MTM正畸技术在成人前牙美容中的作用.方法:从近年已完成正畸治疗的患者中整理出因前牙美容问题而运用MTM正畸技术治疗的成人患者42名.对其就诊情况和治疗效果进行回顾性分析.结果:42例患者(男性11名,女性31名),活动矫治6人,固定矫治36人,平均疗程10.35个月.有32人仅通过MTM正畸治疗就达到了效果,有10人在完成正畸后进行了修复治疗,所有患者均取得了满意的临床治疗效果.结论:MTM正畸技术是一种能有助于减少牙体组织的损伤,维护牙周组织的健康,帮助提高前牙美容效果的技术,值得在-临床推广应用.运用多学科的知识,制订适合于不同个体的、明确的、详细的治疗目标,是治疗成功的关键.     

Cognitive dysfunctions in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder compared to the patients with schizophrenia patients: relation to overvalued ideas

OBJECTIVE: The clinical overlaps between schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) seem to be related to thought disorders involving obsessions, overvalued ideas, and delusions. Overvalued ideas are beliefs falling in between obsessions and delusions and are stronger than obsessions but weaker than delusions. The goal of the present study was to compare patients with OCD to those with schizophrenia in terms of cognitive functions and to relate cognition and overvalued ideas in OCD. METHODS: Twenty three patients with OCD (free of depression), 24 patients with schizophrenia, and 22 healthy subjects matched to patients in age, gender, education, and hand dominance were included in the study. All subjects were administered neurocognitive tests assessing verbal learning-memory, executive functions, verbal fluency, attention and verbal working memory. RESULTS: Patients with schizophrenia showed worse performance on cognitive tests than the OCD and control groups. The severity of overvalued ideas was significantly correlated to cognitive functions in the OCD group. There were no significant differences in cognitive functions between schizophrenia group and the OCD patients who had higher scores on the Overvalued Ideas Scale (OVIS). CONCLUSION: Overvalued ideas in OCD may be related to cognitive dysfunctions in OCD and this subtype of OCD may have similar characteristics to schizophrenia in terms of cognition.     

Postnatal exposure to predator odor (TMT) enhances spatial learning in mice adulthood

Adult behavioral and physiological responses are partly dependent on neonatal experiences. In several animal species, enriched/aprovished environments and stressful/appeasing events are crucial in the setting of adaptative behaviors. However, little is known about the effects of postnatal exposure to predator odor (as unconditioned fear-related stimulus) on spatial learning at adulthood. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of a postnatal exposure to 2,4,5-trimethylthiazoline (TMT, as a predator odor) on radial arm maze (RAM), Tolman maze (TM) and Morris water maze (MWM) in mice at adulthood. The results showed that a TMT group constituted by mice exposed postnatally during 3 weeks to TMT presented significantly better spatial learning achievements in adulthood compared to a water group, postnatally exposed to water only, as well as compared to a butanol group (butanol used as an odor without ecological significance) exposed postnatally to butanol during 3 weeks.     

Impaired functioning in euthymic patients with bipolar disorder--HSV-1 as a predictor

There is a possible association between infectious agents and psychiatric disorders. Previous studies in the US provided evidence for cognitive impairment correlated with Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection. For a replication study in Europe we chosed individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder to analyse the correlation with HSV-1 infection. Antibody prevalence was analyzed by using solid phase immunoassay techniques. Cognitive functioning was tested with the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) Form A, the Trail Making Test A&B, and two subtests from the WAIS III: the Letter Number Sequencing Task and the subtest on information. History and psychopathology was assessed using structured interviews and validated rating scales (SCID, HRSD-21, YMRS, PANSS). Additionally, we investigated social functioning and quality of life using self-assessment-scales (SAS, LQLP). Prevalence rates of antibodies against diverse infectious agents did not differ significantly between patients and controls. We found a significant correlation between cognitive impairment in patients with bipolar disorder and the prevalence of antibodies directed against HSV-1. Cognitive functions were significantly impaired including language, attention, and immediate memory.The results of this study confirm previous findings suggesting that HSV-1 affects cognitive functions in patients with bipolar disorder. This may also result in more impaired functioning, less quality of life and difficulties in social adjustment.     

Effect of Thermo-Mechanical Treatment on the Microstructure and Tensile Properties of the Fe-22Cr-5Al-0.1Y Alloy

Oxide dispersion strengthened ferritic steel is considered an important structural material in fusion reactors due to its excellent resistance to radiation and oxidation. Fine and dispersed oxides can be introduced into the matrix via the powder metallurgy process. In the present study, large grain sizes and prior particle boundaries (PPBs) formed in the FeCrAlY alloy prepared via powder metallurgy. Thermo-mechanical treatment was conducted on the FeCrAlY alloy. Results showed that microstructure was optimized: the average grain diameter decreased, the PPBs disappeared, and the distribution of oxides dispersed. Both ultimate tensile strength and elongation improved, especially the average elongation increased from 0.5% to 23%.