Human Endogenous Retrovirus K in Astrocytes Is Altered in Parkinson's Disease.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is the most common neurodegenerative movement disease. Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are proviral remnants of ancient retroviral infection of germ cells that now constitute about 8% of the human genome. Under certain disease conditions, HERV genes are activated and partake in the disease process.

The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and salt sensitivity of blood pressure offer new insights in obesity phenotypes.

Objective: Individuals who have metabolically healthy overweight/obesity (MHOO) do not have cardiometabolic complications despite an elevated BMI. Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) activation and salt sensitivity of blood pressure (SSBP) are cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks, which are increased in individuals with higher BMI values. Little is known about the differences in RAAS activation and SSBP between MHOO and metabolically unhealthy overweight/obesity (MUOO) phenotypes.

Effect of Hypoglycemia on QT Interval in Individuals with and without Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Crossover Trial.

Background: Our goal was to determine in healthy individuals and individuals with type 2 diabetes the impact of repeated episodes of hypoglycemia on the corrected QT (QTc) interval and the time course for QTc recovery. Further, since hypoglycemia increases aldosterone and patients with primary aldosteronism have prolonged QTc, we also determined whether mineralocorticoid receptor blockade prevents hypoglycemia-induced QTc alterations.

Methods: Twenty-seven healthy participants completed a double-blinded crossover trial contrasting 3 experimental conditions: 1) euglycemia, 2) hypoglycemia, and 3) hypoglycemia with mineralocorticoid receptor blockade pretreatment.

Increased Salt Sensitive Blood Pressure in Women Versus men: Is Relative Hyperaldosteronism the Mechanism?

Context: Women versus men have more Salt sensitive blood pressure (SSBP) and higher stimulated aldosterone (ALDO) levels, suggesting that their increased SSBP is secondary to a relative hyper-ALDO state. Contrariwise, men versus women have higher sedentary ALDO levels.

Objective: Thus, the present project was designed to address the question are women versus men in a relatively hyper-ALDO state?

Methods: 363 women, and 483 men were selected from HyperPATH cohort to assess the potential underlying mechanism for observed sex differences.

Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein D - an understudied subfamily affected in sporadic TDP-43 proteinopathies.

Despite the recognition that heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs) modulate TDP-43 and can limit aberrant splicing events to compensate for TDP-43 loss, their role in TDP-43 proteinopathies remains poorly understood and studies in patient tissue are lacking. This study assesses seven heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins from the A/B, C, D and H subfamilies in two cortical regions implicated in early TDP-43 dysfunction versus late TDP-43 dysfunction in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and/or frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Our results reveal significant nuclear loss of hnRNPD, hnRNPC and hnRNPA1 in the frontal cortex of frontotemporal lobar degeneration compared to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis but not in the motor cortical neurons or Betz cells of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis cases.