[Assessment of corticosteroid use as a marker of quality-of-care in the management of inflammatory bowel disease].

Introduction: Despite advancements in therapeutic strategies, corticosteroids continue to play a role in inducing remission in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Unfortunately, these drugs are often misused.

Objectives: To assess the dose and duration of corticosteroid therapy,and the subsequent change in treatment among patients with IBD.

Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Modulates Binge-Like Ethanol Drinking in a Sex-Dependent Manner: Impact of Amygdala Deletion and Inhibition of a Central Amygdala to Lateral Hypothalamus Circuit.

Background: Binge alcohol drinking is a dangerous behavior that can contribute to the development of more severe alcohol use disorder. Importantly, the rate and severity of alcohol use disorder has historically differed between men and women, suggesting that there may be sex differences in the central mechanisms that modulate alcohol (ethanol) consumption. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is a centrally expressed neuropeptide that has been implicated in the modulation of binge-like ethanol intake, and emerging data highlight sex differences in CRF systems.

Oxygenation by Intravascular Photosynthesis Reduces Kidney Damage During ex Vivo Preservation.

Several clinical issues are associated with reduced oxygen delivery to tissues due to impaired vascular perfusion; moreover, organs procured for transplantation are subjected to severe hypoxia during preservation. Consequently, alternative tissue oxygenation is an active field in biomedical research where several innovative approaches have been recently proposed. Among these, intravascular photosynthesis represents a promising approach as it relies on the intrinsic capacity of certain microorganisms to produce oxygen upon illumination.

The role of astrocytes in depression, its prevention, and treatment by targeting astroglial gliotransmitter release.

The role of ventral hippocampus (vHipp) astroglial gliotransmission in depression was studied using chronic restraint stress (CRS) and chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) rodent models. CRS increased Cx43 hemichannel activity and extracellular glutamate levels in the vHipp and blocking astroglial Cx43 hemichannel-dependent gliotransmission during CRS prevented the development of depression and glutamate buildup. Moreover, the acute blockade of Cx43 hemichannels induced antidepressant effects in rats previously subjected to CRS or CUMS.