Right-sided aortic arch with Kommerell's diverticulum: a case report of a rare cause of type B dissection.

Background: A right-sided aortic arch (RAArch) is present in approximately 0.1% of the population. A Kommerell's diverticulum (KD), a remnant of the dorsal aortic arch usually refers to an aneurysmal aortic enlargement at the origin of an aberrant left subclavian artery (ALSA) and is associated with an increased risk of aortic dissection.

Effective Connectivity of Beta Oscillations in Endometriosis-Related Chronic Pain During rest and Pain-Related Mental Imagery.

Using the EEG recordings of patients with endometriosis-related chronic pelvic pain, we have examined the effective connectivity within the cortical pain-related network during rest and during pain-related imagery. During rest, an altered connectivity was hypothesized between cortical somatosensory pain areas and regions involved in emotional and cognitive modulation of pain. During pain-related imagery, alterations in prefrontal-temporal connectivity were expected.

Management of abdominal aortic aneurysm and concomitant malignant disease.

Introduction: Concomitant malignant disease and abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) represent a challenging issue in terms of treatment priority, timing and perspectives. This systematic review provides an overview of the available literature about AAA and concomitant malignant disease.

Evidence Acquisition: We conducted a literature search of all the English-language medical literature in Medline (through PubMed), Embase, Clinical Trial databases and the Cochrane Library up to December 31st, 2018.

CRF but not glucocorticoid receptor antagonists reduce separation-induced distress vocalizations in guinea pig pups and CRF overexpressing mouse pups. A combination study with paroxetine.

Rationale: Given the large number of patients that does not respond sufficiently to currently available treatment for anxiety disorders, there is a need for improved treatment.

Objectives: We evaluated the anxiolytic effects of corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) receptor antagonists and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) antagonists in the separation-induced vocalization test in guinea pigs and transgenic mice with central CRF overexpression. Furthermore, we explored effects of these drugs when given in combination with a suboptimal dose of a selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor (SSRI).

Chronic stress induces sex-specific alterations in methylation and expression of corticotropin-releasing factor gene in the rat.

Background: Although the higher prevalence of depression in women than in men is well known, the neuronal basis of this sex difference is largely elusive.

Methods: Male and female rats were exposed to chronic variable mild stress (CVMS) after which immediate early gene products, corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) mRNA and peptide, various epigenetic-associated enzymes and DNA methylation of the Crf gene were determined in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), oval (BSTov) and fusiform (BSTfu) parts of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and central amygdala (CeA).

Results: CVMS induced site-specific changes in Crf gene methylation in all brain centers studied in female rats and in the male BST and CeA, whereas the histone acetyltransferase, CREB-binding protein was increased in the female BST and the histone-deacetylase-5 decreased in the male CeA.

Sex-dependent and differential responses to acute restraint stress of corticotropin-releasing factor-producing neurons in the rat paraventricular nucleus, central amygdala, and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis.

Male and female rodents respond differently to acute stress. We tested our hypothesis that this sex difference is based on differences in stress sensitivity of forebrain areas, by determining possible effects of a single acute psychogenic stressor (1-hr restraint stress) on neuronal gene expression (c-Fos and FosB immunoreactivities), storage of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) immunoreactivity, and CRF production (CRF mRNA in situ hybridization) as well as the expression of genes associated with epigenetic processes (quantitative RT-PCR) in the rat paraventricular nucleus (PVN), the oval and fusiform subdivisions of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BSTov and BSTfu, respectively), and the central amygdala (CeA), in both males and females. Compared with females, male rats responded to the stressor with a stronger rise in corticosterone titer and a stronger increase in neuronal contents of c-Fos, CRF mRNA, and CREB-binding protein mRNA in the PVN.

Acute ether stress differentially affects corticotropin-releasing factor and urocortin 1 in the Brattleboro rat.

Arginine-vasopressin (AVP), corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and urocortin 1 (Ucn1) play a role in the stress response. The CRF-producing paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), oval bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BSTov) and central amygdala (CeA), and the Ucn1-expressing non-preganglionic Edinger-Westphal nucleus (npEW) all possess AVP receptors. We hypothesized that AVP is involved in the response of these four brain centers to acute physiological (ether) stress.

Rapid glucocorticoid receptor-mediated inhibition of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal ultradian activity in healthy males.

A complex dynamic ultradian rhythm underlies the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) circadian rhythm. We have investigated in normal human male subjects the importance, site of action, and receptor-mediated processes involved in rapid basal corticosteroid feedback and its interaction with corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH) drive. Pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), ACTH, and cortisol were measured every 10 min from healthy males during the awakening period or late afternoon using an automated blood sampling system.

Differential effect of glucocorticoid receptor antagonists on glucocorticoid receptor nuclear translocation and DNA binding.

The effects of RU486 and S-P, a more selective glucocorticoid receptor antagonist from Schering-Plough, were investigated on glucocorticoid receptor nuclear translocation and DNA binding. In the in vitro study, AtT20 cells were treated with vehicle or with RU486, S-P or corticosterone (3-300 nM) or co-treated with vehicle or glucocorticoid receptor antagonists (3-300 nM) and 30 nM corticosterone. Both glucocorticoid receptor antagonists induced glucocorticoid receptor nuclear translocation but only RU486 induced DNA binding.

Antiglucocorticoids, neurogenesis and depression.

Recent evidence suggests that antiglucocorticoids, like conventional antidepressants, may recover depressive symptoms by boosting hippocampal neurogenesis. Here, we explore several possible antiglucocorticoid-based antidepressive therapeutic strategies. Firstly, we review specific glucocorticoid receptor/antagonist interactions.

CRF1 not glucocorticoid receptors mediate prepulse inhibition deficits in mice overexpressing CRF.

Background: Both corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and glucocorticoid receptors (GR) are implicated in the psychotic symptoms of psychiatric disorders. Correspondingly, it is of interest to determine their respective involvement in the sensorimotor gating deficits displayed by transgenic mice overexpressing CRF. These mice reveal lifelong elevations of CRF and corticosterone levels.