Background: Myosteatosis is a measure of skeletal muscle quality that is readily identifiable on computed tomography (CT). The effect of preoperative myosteatosis on outcomes after radical esophagectomy remains unclear. This study aimed to correlate the presence of myosteatosis on CT scan with perioperative morbidity, mortality, and survival outcomes after esophagectomy in an Australian population across 3 esophageal cancer centers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide. After curative intent treatment, international guidelines recommend surveillance protocols which include annual CT chest, abdomen and pelvis (CAP) and serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) monitoring which aim to improve overall survival by early detection of recurrence. Despite the widespread recommendations, robust evidence of an overall survival benefit is lacking.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStress has been linked to the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Genetic variation in neuregulin 1 (NRG1) increases the risk of developing schizophrenia and may help predict which high-risk individuals will transition to psychosis. NRG1 also modulates sensorimotor gating, a schizophrenia endophenotype.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNeuregulin 1 (NRG1) is linked to an increased risk of developing schizophrenia and cannabis dependence. Mice that are hypomorphic for Nrg1 (Nrg1 HET mice) display schizophrenia-relevant behavioral phenotypes and aberrant expression of serotonin and glutamate receptors. Nrg1 HET mice also display idiosyncratic responses to the main psychoactive constituent of cannabis, Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProg Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry
December 2012
Methamphetamine use triggers psychosis in genetically vulnerable individuals, however the exact nature of this genetic predisposition requires elucidation. In addition, adolescence may be a particular period of neurodevelopmental vulnerability to the actions of methamphetamine; interestingly, this period coincides with a higher likelihood of onset of schizophrenia and drug experimentation. In the current study we investigated whether adolescent mice heterozygous for the schizophrenia susceptibility gene neuregulin 1 (Nrg1 HET mice) exhibit altered behavioural responses to methamphetamine (0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRationale: The interactions between Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) during chronic treatment, and at equivalent doses, are not well characterised in animal models.
Objectives: The aim of this study is to examine whether the behavioural effects of THC, and blood and brain THC levels are affected by pre-treatment with equivalent CBD doses.
Methods: Adolescent rats were treated with ascending daily THC doses over 21 days (1 then 3 then 10 mg/kg).