Impaired synaptic transmission in dorsal dentate gyrus increases impulsive alcohol seeking

Both human and animal studies indicate that the dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus is highly exploited by drug and alcohol abuse. Yet, it is poorly understood how DG dysfunction affects addiction-related behaviors. Here, we used an animal model of alcohol use disorder (AUD) in automated IntelliCages and performed local genetic manipulation to investigate how synaptic transmission in the dorsal DG (dDG) affects alcohol-related behaviors. We show that a cue light induces potentiation-like plasticity of dDG synapses in alcohol-naive mice. This process is impaired in mice trained to drink alcohol. Acamprosate (ACA), a drug that reduces alcohol relapse, rescues the impairment of dDG synaptic transmission in alcohol mice. A molecular manipulation that reduces dDG synaptic AMPAR and NMDAR levels increases impulsive alcohol seeking during cue relapse (CR) in alcohol mice but does not affect alcohol reward, motivation or craving. These findings suggest that hindered dDG synaptic transmission specifically underlies impulsive alcohol seeking induced by alcohol cues, a core symptom of AUD.Subject terms: Addiction, Cellular neuroscience     

Do Statins Counteract the Effect of Antidiabetic Drugs? Results of the SCEAD Study

PurposeDiabetes and dyslipidemia are leading causes of mortality and morbidity. According to international guidelines, statins are the cornerstone of treatment in patients with diabetes and/or dyslipidemia. However, statins and antidiabetic agents have opposite pharmacological effects, because statins, particularly atorvastatin and rosuvastatin, impair glucose homeostasis, increasing the risk of new-onset diabetes, whereas antidiabetic drugs improve glycemic homeostasis. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of atorvastatin, rosuvastatin, and pitavastatin on glucose homeostasis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and dyslipidemia during stable treatment with hypoglycemic drugs.Materials and MethodsThe study was conducted as a pilot, prospective, randomized, open label, parallel group with blinded-endpoints (PROBE) study. Of 180 recruited patients with T2DM and dyslipidemia, 131 were randomized to atorvastatin (n=44), rosuvastatin (n=45), and pitavastatin (n=42) and treated for 6 months.ResultsFasting plasma glucose (FPG) marginally decreased in patients assigned to atorvastatin (-3.5 mg/dL, p=0.42) and rosuvastatin (-6.5 mg/dL, p=0.17), while it decreased much more in patients treated with pitavastatin (-19.0 mg/dL, p<0.001). Mean glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c ) values remained unchanged during treatment with atorvastatin (-0.10%, p=0.53) and rosuvastatin (0.20%, p=0.40), but were significantly reduced with pitavastatin (-0.75%, p=0.01). Atorvastatin, rosuvastatin, and pitavastatin significantly lowered (p<0.001) plasma levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and triglycerides, while high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels increased significantly (p=0.04) only in the pitavastatin group.ConclusionThe results of the present study suggest that pitavastatin affects FPG and HbA1c less than atorvastatin and rosuvastatin in patients with T2DM and concomitant dyslipidemia. Lipid-lowering efficacies were not significantly different among the three statins, with the exception of HDL-C, which increased significantly with pitavastatin. Although the pharmacological mechanism of pitavastatin on glucose homeostasis in patients with T2DM during stable antidiabetic therapy is not known, it can be assumed that pitavastatin has less drug interaction with hypoglycemic agents or that it increases plasma levels of adiponectin.     

鸡血藤精准煮散饮片与原饮片质量的对比性研究

目的：本研究采用化学指纹图谱法及DNA条形码分子鉴定技术对鸡血藤饮片煮散质量体系进行探索研究。方法：应用ITS2序列作为DNA条形码对鸡血藤进行鉴定,对比鸡血藤原饮片及精准煮散饮片的出膏率;收集3 个批次鸡血藤饮片,采用HPLC法进行3批次饮片混合粉碎前后质量均一性、指纹图谱与相似度评价。结果：ITS2序列对鸡血藤药材可实现准确鉴定。鸡血藤煮散饮片出膏率及指标成分表儿茶素含量均略高于原饮片;原饮片批间表儿茶素溶出量有明显差异性RSD 为11.0%,混合后制成煮散饮片后差异性明显降低RSD为1.0%。指纹图谱中14个共有峰相对峰面积均有所提高,RSD值明显减少。结论：鸡血藤精准煮散饮片提高原饮片的浸出率,成分溶出率及质量均一性,表明鸡血藤煮散饮片有较好的的临床应用优势。     

Characterization of Carbon Nanostructures by Photoelectron Spectroscopies

Recently, the scientific community experienced two revolutionary events. The first was the synthesis of single-layer graphene, which boosted research in many different areas. The second was the advent of quantum technologies with the promise to become pervasive in several aspects of everyday life. In this respect, diamonds and nanodiamonds are among the most promising materials to develop quantum devices. Graphene and nanodiamonds can be coupled with other carbon nanostructures to enhance specific properties or be properly functionalized to tune their quantum response. This contribution briefly explores photoelectron spectroscopies and, in particular, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and then turns to the present applications of this technique for characterizing carbon nanomaterials. XPS is a qualitative and quantitative chemical analysis technique. It is surface-sensitive due to its limited sampling depth, which confines the analysis only to the outer few top-layers of the material surface. This enables researchers to understand the surface composition of the sample and how the chemistry influences its interaction with the environment. Although the chemical analysis remains the main information provided by XPS, modern instruments couple this information with spatial resolution and mapping or with the possibility to analyze the material in operando conditions at nearly atmospheric pressures. Examples of the application of photoelectron spectroscopies to the characterization of carbon nanostructures will be reviewed to present the potentialities of these techniques.     

Visual stimulation and frequency of focal neurological symptoms engage distinctive neurocognitive resources in migraine with aura patients: a study of resting-state functional networks

IntroductionSeveral functional neuroimaging studies on healthy controls and patients with migraine with aura have shown that the activation of functional networks during visual stimulation is not restricted to the striate system, but also includes several extrastriate networks.MethodsBefore and after 4 min of visual stimulation with a checkerboard pattern, we collected functional MRI in 21 migraine with aura (MwA) patients and 18 healthy subjects (HS). For each recording session, we identified independent resting-state networks in each group and correlated network connection strength changes with clinical disease features.ResultsBefore visual stimulation, we found reduced connectivity between the default mode network and the left dorsal attention system (DAS) in MwA patients compared to HS. In HS, visual stimulation increases functional connectivity between the independent components of the bilateral DAS and the executive control network (ECN). In MwA, visual stimulation significantly improved functional connectivity between the independent component pairs salience network and DAS, and between DAS and ECN. The ECN Z-scores after visual stimulation were negatively related to the monthly frequency of aura.ConclusionsIn individuals with MwA, 4 min of visual stimulation had stronger cognitive impact than in healthy people. A higher frequency of aura may lead to a diminished ability to obtain cognitive resources to cope with transitory but important events like aura-related focal neurological symptoms.     

罗替高汀与普拉克索治疗帕金森病的成本效果分析

目的:分析罗替高汀与普拉克索(常释剂/缓释剂)治疗帕金森病的成本效果.方法:基于卫生服务体系的角度,根据临床指南中的标准临床路径及H&Y分级,采用动态Markov模型,模拟患者终生的直接医疗成本和质量调整生命年.结果:在治疗帕金森病中,与普拉克索常释剂相比,罗替高汀提高0.062 9个质量调整生命年,费用提高70 36...     

小学生双眼屈光不均衡发育的影响因素分析

目的:研究6～12岁儿童双眼屈光不均衡发育的影响因素。方法:于2019-12在天津市滨海新区两所小学采用整群抽样的方法选取儿童607人,平均年龄8.2±1.8岁,均进行光学生物测量(眼轴长度、角膜前表面平均屈光力)、睫状肌麻痹后屈光检查及问卷调查。结果:纳入儿童等效球镜度为-0.11±1.63D,双眼等效球镜度差异为-0.08±0.64D,等效球镜度差异绝对值为0.41±0.49D。检出屈光参差儿童56人,非屈光参差儿童551人,屈光参差儿童和非屈光参差儿童双眼角膜屈光力差异绝对值无差异(0.30±0.34D vs 0.27±0.24D,P=0.430),眼轴差异绝对值有差异(0.67±0.39mm vs 0.13±0.13mm,P=0.005)。多因素线性回归分析显示,每周手机/电脑使用时间、每周近距离工作时间、每周视疲劳次数、习惯阅读距离是屈光不均衡发育程度(双眼等效球镜度差异绝对值)的影响因素;习惯阅读距离、写字时利手是屈光不均衡发育偏向(双眼等效球镜度差异)的影响因素。结论:6～12岁儿童看手机/电脑时间长、近距离工作时间长、视疲劳次数增多、习惯阅读距离近可能引起屈光发育不均衡...     

Prognostic factors for acute posterior circulation cerebral infarction patients after endovascular mechanical thrombectomy: A retrospective study

This article was to analyze the factors influencing the prognosis of posterior circulation cerebral infarction (PCCI) patients, retrospectively.One hundred forty five patients diagnosed with PCCI in Nanyang Central Hospital between June 25, 2016 and October 14, 2019 were included and underwent cerebral vascular mechanical thrombectomy. The clinical data of those patients were collected. The patients were followed up for 3 months to observe the prognostic efficacy and explore the influencing factors for poor prognosis. The potential prognostic factors for PCCI patients after emergency endovascular mechanical thrombectomy were analyzed by univariate and multivariable logistic regression. The thermodynamic diagram was drawn to explore the associations between the prognostic factors.The risk of poor prognosis in PCCI patients receiving emergency endovascular mechanical thrombectomy was reduced by 0.552 time with every 1-point increase of the Alberta Stroke Program Early CT in posterior circulation score (odds ratio [OR] = 0.448, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.276–0.727). The risk of poor prognosis was increased by 0.827 time for each additional grade in the digital subtraction angiography-American Society of Intervention and Therapeutic Neuroradiology grading (OR = 1.827, 95% CI: 1.221–2.733, P = .003) and increased by 0.288 time for every 1-point increase in National Institutes of Health Stroke scale at 24 hours (OR = 1.288, 95% CI: 1.161–1.429). All P < .05.Alberta Stroke Program Early CT in posterior circulation score, digital subtraction angiography-American Society of Intervention and Therapeutic Neuroradiology grading, National Institutes of Health Stroke scale score at 24 hours were factors affecting the prognosis of PCCI patients undergoing emergency endovascular mechanical thrombectomy, which might provide evidence for endovascular treatment of PCCI.     

Predicting the depressive status using empirical dietary inflammatory index in patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody‐associated vasculitis

BackgroundThis study investigated whether the empirical dietary inflammatory index (eDII) score is associated with the inflammatory burden as well as the depressive status in patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody‐associated vasculitis (AAV).MethodsEighty‐four patients with AAV participated in this study. Birmingham vasculitis activity score (BVAS) and short‐form 36‐item Health Survey mental component summary (SF‐36 MCS) were considered as indices assessing the inflammatory burden and depressive status, respectively. The eDII includes 16 food components and consists of three groups: −9 to −2, the low eDII group; −1 to +1, the moderate eDII group; and +2 to +10, the high eDII group. Furthermore, the lower eDII group includes both the low and moderate eDII groups.ResultsThe median age was 64.5 years (36 men). The eDII scores inversely correlated with SF‐36 MCS (r = −0.298, p = 0.006) but not with BVAS. SF‐36 MCS significantly differ between the lower and higher eDII groups (69.7 vs. 56.7, p = 0.016), but not among the low, moderate and high eDII groups. Additionally, when patients with AAV were divided into two groups according to the upper limit of the lowest tertile of SF‐36 MCS of 55.31, patients in the higher eDII group exhibited a significantly higher risk for the lowest tertile of SF‐36 MCS than those in the lower eDII group (RR 3.000).ConclusionWe demonstrated for the first time that the eDII could predict the depressive status by estimating SF‐36 MCS without utilising K‐CESD‐R ≥ 16 in patients with AAV.