Megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts is a developmental disorder of the gliovascular unit.

Absence of the astrocyte-specific membrane protein MLC1 is responsible for megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts (MLC), a rare type of leukodystrophy characterized by early-onset macrocephaly and progressive white matter vacuolation that lead to ataxia, spasticity, and cognitive decline. During postnatal development (from P5 to P15 in the mouse), MLC1 forms a membrane complex with GlialCAM (another astrocytic transmembrane protein) at the junctions between perivascular astrocytic processes. Perivascular astrocytic processes along with blood vessels form the gliovascular unit.

Identification of the GlialCAM interactome: the G protein-coupled receptors GPRC5B and GPR37L1 modulate megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy proteins.

Megalencephalic Leukoencephalopathy with subcortical Cysts (MLC) is a type of vacuolating leukodystrophy, which is mainly caused by mutations in MLC1 or GLIALCAM. The two MLC-causing genes encode for membrane proteins of yet unknown function that have been linked to the regulation of different chloride channels such as the ClC-2 and VRAC. To gain insight into the role of MLC proteins, we have determined the brain GlialCAM interacting proteome.

Developing and user testing new pharmacy label formats-A study to inform labelling standards.

Background: Dispensed prescription medicine labels (prescription labels) are important information sources supporting safe and appropriate medicines use.

Objective: To develop and user test patient-centred prescription label formats.

Methods: Five stages: developing 12 labels for four fictitious medicines of varying dosage forms; diagnostic user testing of labels (Round 1) with 40 consumers (each testing three labels); iterative label revision, and development of Round 2 labels (n = 7); user testing of labels (Round 2) with 20 consumers (each testing four labels); labelling recommendations.

Role of astroglial Connexin 43 in pneumolysin cytotoxicity and during pneumococcal meningitis.

Streptococcus pneumoniae or pneumococcus (PN) is a major causative agent of bacterial meningitis with high mortality in young infants and elderly people worldwide. The mechanism underlying PN crossing of the blood brain barrier (BBB) and specifically, the role of non-endothelial cells of the neurovascular unit that control the BBB function, remains poorly understood. Here, we show that the astroglial connexin 43 (aCx43), a major gap junctional component expressed in astrocytes, plays a predominant role during PN meningitis.

Astrocytes in the regulation of cerebrovascular functions.

Astrocytes are the most numerous type of neuroglia in the brain and have a predominant influence on the cerebrovascular system; they control perivascular homeostasis, the integrity of the blood-brain barrier, the dialogue with the peripheral immune system, the transfer of metabolites from the blood, and blood vessel contractility in response to neuronal activity. These regulatory processes occur in a specialized interface composed of perivascular astrocyte extensions that almost completely cover the cerebral blood vessels. Scientists have only recently started to study how this interface is formed and how it influences cerebrovascular functions.

Integrating pharmacists into care teams: a qualitative systematic review protocol.

Objective: This review will systematically examine the qualitative literature reporting on strategies that have been used (or could be developed) by health care services to integrate pharmacists into a multidisciplinary health care team.

Introduction: Delivery models of pharmaceutical care have been developed, trialed and refined since this concept was first defined more than 30 years ago. Delivery models that integrate pharmacists within a multidisciplinary team allow pharmacists to play a pivotal role in improving health outcomes for patients and contributing to patient self-management.

Postnatal development of the astrocyte perivascular MLC1/GlialCAM complex defines a temporal window for the gliovascular unit maturation.

Astrocytes, the most abundant glial cells of the central nervous system are morphologically complex. They display numerous processes interacting with synapses and blood vessels. At the vascular interface, astrocyte endfeet-terminated processes almost entirely cover the blood vessel surface and participate to the gliovascular unit where important vascular properties of the brain are set such as the blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity.

Isolation and differential transcriptome of vascular smooth muscle cells and mid-capillary pericytes from the rat brain.

Brain mural cells form a heterogeneous family which significantly contributes to the maintenance of the blood-brain barrier and regulation of the cerebral blood flow. Current procedures to isolate them cannot specifically separate their distinct subtypes, in particular vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and mid-capillary pericytes (mcPCs), which differ among others by their expression of smooth muscle actin (SMA). We herein describe an innovative method allowing SMA VSMCs and SMA mcPCs to be freshly isolated from the rat cerebral cortex.

Connexin 43 Controls the Astrocyte Immunoregulatory Phenotype.

Astrocytes are the most abundant glial cells of the central nervous system and have recently been recognized as crucial in the regulation of brain immunity. In most neuropathological conditions, astrocytes are prone to a radical phenotypical change called reactivity, which plays a key role in astrocyte contribution to neuroinflammation. However, how astrocytes regulate brain immunity in healthy conditions is an understudied question.

Connexin 30 is expressed in a subtype of mouse brain pericytes.

Pericytes are mural cells of blood microvessels which play a crucial role at the neurovascular interface of the central nervous system. They are involved in the regulation of blood-brain barrier integrity, angiogenesis, clearance of toxic metabolites, capillary hemodynamic responses, and neuroinflammation, and they demonstrate stem cell activity. Morphological and molecular studies to characterize brain pericytes recently pointed out some heterogeneity in pericyte population.

Impact of pain on cognitive functions in primary Sjögren syndrome with small fiber neuropathy: 10 cases and a literature review.

Primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease characterized by xerophthalmia, xerostomia, and potential peripheral or central neurological involvement. In pSS, the prevalence of cognitive disorders is generally sparse across literature and the impact of pain on cognitive profile is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the relation between pain, cognitive complaint, and impairment in a very homogenous population of 10 pSS patients with painful small fiber neuropathy (PSFN) and spontaneous cognitive complaint.

Translation in astrocyte distal processes sets molecular heterogeneity at the gliovascular interface.

Astrocytes send out long processes that are terminated by endfeet at the vascular surface and regulate vascular functions as well as homeostasis at the vascular interface. To date, the astroglial mechanisms underlying these functions have been poorly addressed. Here we demonstrate that a subset of messenger RNAs is distributed in astrocyte endfeet.

Circumventing 'free care' and 'shouting louder': using a health systems approach to study eye health system sustainability in government and mission facilities of north-west Tanzania.

Background: Little is known about the contributions of faith-based organisations (FBOs) to health systems in Africa. In the specialist area of eye health, international and domestic Christian FBOs have been important contributors as service providers and donors, but they are also commonly critiqued as having developed eye health systems parallel to government structures which are unsustainable.

Methods: In this study, we use a health systems approach (quarterly interviews, a participatory sustainability analysis exercise and a social network analysis) to describe the strategies used by eye care practitioners in four hospitals of north-west Tanzania to navigate the government, church mission and donor rules that govern eye services delivery there.

Trends and implications for achieving VISION 2020 human resources for eye health targets in 16 countries of sub-Saharan Africa by the year 2020.

Background: Development of human resources for eye health (HReH) is a major global eye health strategy to reduce the prevalence of avoidable visual impairment by the year 2020. Building on our previous analysis of current progress towards key HReH indicators and cataract surgery rates (CSRs), we predicted future indicator achievement among 16 countries of sub-Saharan Africa by 2020.

Methods: Surgical and HReH data were collected from national eye care programme coordinators on six practitioner cadres: ophthalmologists, cataract surgeons, ophthalmic clinical officers, ophthalmic nurses, optometrists and 'mid-level refractionists' and combined them with publicly available population data to calculate practitioner-to-population ratios and CSRs.

Mapping human resources for eye health in 21 countries of sub-Saharan Africa: current progress towards VISION 2020.

Background: Development of human resources for eye health (HReH) is a major focus of the Global Action Plan 2014 to 2019 to reduce the prevalence of avoidable visual impairment by 25% by the year 2019. The eye health workforce is thought to be much smaller in sub-Saharan Africa than in other regions of the world but data to support this for policy-making is scarce. We collected HReH and cataract surgeries data from 21 countries in sub-Sahara to estimate progress towards key suggested population-based VISION 2020 HReH indicators and cataract surgery rates (CSR) in 2011.

Providing community-based health practitioners with timely and accurate discharge medicines information.

Background: Accurate and timely medication information at the point of discharge is essential for continuity of care. There are scarce data on the clinical significance if poor quality medicines information is passed to the next episode of care. This study aimed to compare the number and clinical significance of medication errors and omission in discharge medicines information, and the timeliness of delivery of this information to community-based health practitioners, between the existing Hospital Discharge Summary (HDS) and a pharmacist prepared Medicines Information Transfer Fax (MITF).