Dose-dependent effect of intracerebroventricular injection of ouabain on the phosphorylation of the MEK1/2-ERK1/2-p90RSK pathway in the rat brain related to locomotor activity.

Intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of ouabain, a specific Na-K ATPase inhibitor, induced behavioral changes in rats, a putative animal model for bipolar disorder. The binding of ouabain to Na-K ATPase is known to affect signaling molecules in vitro such as extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 (ERK1/2). Although ERK has been suggested to be related to the behavioral alterations induced by various psychotomimetics, the effect of ouabain on ERK in the brain related to behavioral changes has not been examined.

Interaction between Neuronal Depolarization and MK-801 in SH-SY5Y Cells and the Rat Cortex.

Objective: The interaction between MK-801, a model of psychosis and KCl-induced depolarization or electroconvulsive shock (ECS), a therapeutic model of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), was investigated in SH-SY5Y cells and the rat frontal cortex.

Methods: SH-SY5Y cells were pretreated with 1 microM MK-801 for 15 min, followed by cotreatment with 100 mM KCl for 5 min. MK-801 was reintroduced after the KCl was washed out, and the samples were incubated before harvesting.

Regulation of the noradrenaline neurotransmitter phenotype by the transcription factor AP-2beta.

AP-2 family transcription factors are essential for development and morphogenesis of diverse tissues and organs, but their precise roles in specification of neural crest stem cell (NCSC)-derived cell types have not been determined. Among three members known to be expressed in the NCSC (i.e.

Characterization of PINK1 processing, stability, and subcellular localization.

Mutations found in PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1), a putative mitochondrial serine/threonine kinase of unknown function, have been linked to autosomal recessive Parkinson's disease. It is suggested that mutations can cause a loss of PINK1 kinase activity and eventually lead to mitochondrial dysfunction. In this report, we examined the subcellular localization of PINK1 and the dynamic kinetics of PINK1 processing and degradation.

Overdose rate of drugs requiring renal dose adjustment: data analysis of 4 years prescriptions at a tertiary teaching hospital.

Objective: To determine the overdose rate of drugs that require renal dose adjustment and factors related with overdose.

Subjects: Total of 23,635,210 records of prescriptions and laboratory data of inpatients at a tertiary teaching hospital for the period from January 2002 to December 2005.

Methods: A clinical data mart was constructed.

Aripiprazole augmentation in clozapine-treated patients with refractory schizophrenia: an 8-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Objective: Inadequate response to clozapine poses a substantial problem in the pharmaco-therapy of refractory schizophrenia. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated the efficacy and safety of aripiprazole augmentation in clozapine-treated patients with refractory schizophrenia.

Method: Patients with DSM-IV schizophrenia who had a history of treatment failure or partial response to long-term clozapine treatment were recruited.

Cobalt-doped transparent glass ceramic as a saturable absorber q switch for erbium:glass lasers.

A new saturable absorber Q switch for 1.54-mum Er:glass lasers is presented. The saturable absorber is a transparent glass ceramic that contains magnesium-aluminum spinel nanocrystallites doped with tetrahedrally coordinated Co(2+) ions.

Haloperidol regulates the phosphorylation level of the MEK-ERK-p90RSK signal pathway via protein phosphatase 2A in the rat frontal cortex.

Haloperidol, a classical antipsychotic drug, affects the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway in the brain. However, findings are inconsistent and the mechanism by which haloperidol regulates ERK is poorly understood. Therefore, we examined the ERK pathway and the related protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) in detail after haloperidol administration.

The effect of MK-801 on mTOR/p70S6K and translation-related proteins in rat frontal cortex.

In experimental animals, including rats, MK-801 produces characteristic behavioural changes that model schizophrenia. It has been hypothesized that these changes accompany long-term synaptic changes, which require protein neosynthesis. We observed the effect of MK-801 on the "mammalian target of rapamycin" (mTOR)/70-kDa ribosomal protein S6 kinase (p70S6K) pathway that regulates protein synthesis in the rat frontal cortex.

Effects of low to moderate acute doses of pramipexole on impulsivity and cognition in healthy volunteers.

The neurotransmitter dopamine is integrally involved in the rewarding effects of drugs, and it has also been thought to mediate impulsive behaviors in animal models. Most of the studies of drug effects on impulsive behaviors in humans have involved drugs with complex actions on different transmitter systems and different receptor subtypes. The present study was designed to characterize the effect of single doses of pramipexole, a D2/D3 agonist, on measures of cognitive and impulsive behavior, as well as on mood in healthy volunteers.

Unregulated cytosolic dopamine causes neurodegeneration associated with oxidative stress in mice.

The role of dopamine as a vulnerability factor and a toxic agent in Parkinson's disease (PD) is still controversial, yet the presumed dopamine toxicity is partly responsible for the "DOPA-sparing" clinical practice that avoids using L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA), a dopamine precursor, in early PD. There is a lack of studies on animal models that directly isolate dopamine as one determining factor in causing neurodegeneration. To address this, we have generated a novel transgenic mouse model in which striatal neurons are engineered to take up extracellular dopamine without acquiring regulatory mechanisms found in dopamine neurons.

Identification of circulating endorepellin LG3 fragment: Potential use as a serological biomarker for breast cancer.

Comparative proteome analysis was performed on the cultured media of human nontumor and malignant breast cell lines, Hs578Bst and Hs578T, respectively, in search of a serological biomarker(s) for breast cancer. Proteins in the conditioned media were separated by 2-D PAGE and then visualized by silver-staining. Eight proteins changed differentially by more than two-fold were identified by MALDI-TOF/TOF MS.

Profiling of vitreous proteomes from proliferative diabetic retinopathy and nondiabetic patients.

Diabetes can lead to serious microvascular complications like proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), which is the leading cause of blindness in adults. The proteomic changes that occur during PDR cannot be measured in the human retina for ethical reasons, but could be reflected by proteomic changes in vitreous humor. Thus, we considered that comparisons between the proteome profiles of the vitreous humors of PDR and nondiabetic controls could lead to the discovery of novel pathogenic proteins and clinical biomarkers.

Neural precursors derived from human embryonic stem cells maintain long-term proliferation without losing the potential to differentiate into all three neural lineages, including dopaminergic neurons.

Human embryonic stem (hES) cells have the ability to renew themselves and differentiate into multiple cell types upon exposure to appropriate signals. In particular, the ability of hES cells to differentiate into defined neural lineages, such as neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes, is fundamental to developing cell-based therapies for neurodegenerative disorders and studying developmental mechanisms. However, the utilization of hES cells for basic and applied research is hampered by the lack of well-defined methods to maintain their self-renewal and direct their differentiation.

MPTP administration in mice changes the ratio of splice isoforms of fosB and rgs9.

Most cases of Parkinson's disease (PD) are sporadic, suggesting an environmental influence on individuals affected by this neurodegenerative disorder. Environmental stresses often lead to changes in the regulation of splicing of pre-mRNA transcripts and this may lead to the pathogenesis of the disease. A 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)/probenecid mouse model was used to examine the changes in the splicing of the fosB and rgs9 transcripts.

Paraquat induces dopaminergic dysfunction and proteasome impairment in DJ-1-deficient mice.

Parkinson's disease (PD) may be caused by a complex interaction of environmental insults and genetic susceptibilities. Previous studies of DJ-1-deficient mice have noted dopaminergic dysfunction mainly in older mice. To simulate the interaction of genetic factors and environmental factors, we treated DJ-1-deficient mice with paraquat.

Expansion of the first PolyA tract of ARX causes infantile spasms and status dystonicus.

Background: ARX is a paired-type homeobox gene located on the X chromosome that contains five exons with four polyalanine (PolyA) tracts, a homeodomain, and a conserved C-terminal aristaless domain. Studies in humans have demonstrated remarkable pleiotropy: malformation phenotypes are associated with protein truncation mutations and missense mutations in the homeobox; nonmalformation phenotypes, including X-linked infantile spasms (ISS), are associated with missense mutations outside of the homeobox and expansion of the PolyA tracts.

Objective: To investigate the role of ARX, we performed mutation analysis in 115 boys with cryptogenic ISS.

Probing the local conformational change of alpha1-antitrypsin.

The native form of serpins (serine protease inhibitors) is a metastable conformation, which converts into a more stable form upon complex formation with a target protease. It has been suggested that movement of helix-F (hF) and the following loop connecting to strand 3 of beta-sheet A (thFs3A) is critical for such conformational change. Despite many speculations inferred from analysis of the serpin structure itself, direct experimental evidence for the mobilization of hF/thFs3A during the inhibition process is lacking.

Haloperidol and clozapine differentially regulate signals upstream of glycogen synthase kinase 3 in the rat frontal cortex.

Glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) was recently suggested to be a potential target of psychotropics used in psychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Relevant studies have found that antipsychotic drugs regulate GSK3 activity via an increase in either inhibitory serine phosphorylation or amount of GSK3 after acute or subchronic treatment. Recent evidence shows that GSK3 is regulated by dopaminergic or serotonergic systems implicated in the pathophysiology and treatment mechanisms of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Leeia oryzae gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from a rice field in Korea.

A strictly aerobic, non-spore-forming, Gram-negative bacterium, designated strain HW7(T), was isolated from a rice field in Korea. Cells of strain HW7(T) were short rod-shaped and motile with single polar flagella. The major cellular fatty acids of strain HW7(T) were C(16 : 0) and summed feature 3 (C(16 : 1)omega7c and/or iso-C(15 : 0) 2-OH).

Chronic 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine treatment induces dyskinesia in aphakia mice, a novel genetic model of Parkinson's disease.

L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia (LID) is one of the main limitations of long term L-DOPA use in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. We show that chronic L-DOPA treatment induces novel dyskinetic behaviors in aphakia mouse with selective nigrostriatal deficit mimicking PD. The stereotypical abnormal involuntary movements were induced by dopamine receptor agonists and attenuated by antidyskinetic agents.

Proteomic analysis of gamma-butyrolactone-treated mouse thalamus reveals dysregulated proteins upon absence seizure.

Absence seizure has been of interest because the symptom is related to sensory processing. However, the mechanism that causes the disease is not understood yet. To better understand the molecular mechanism related to the disease progress at protein level, we performed proteomic studies using the thalamus of mice for which absence seizure was induced by gamma-butyrolactone (GBL).

Enumeration, isolation and identification of diazotrophs from Korean wetland rice varieties grown with long-term application of N and compost and their short-term inoculation effect on rice plants.

Aim: This study has been aimed (i) to isolate and identify diazotrophs from Korean rice varieties; (ii) to examine the long-term effect of N and compost on the population dynamics of diazotrophs and (iii) to realize the shot-term inoculation effect of these diazotrophs on rice seedlings.

Methods And Results: Diazotrophic and heterotrophic bacterial numbers were enumerated by most probable number method and the isolates were identified based on morphological, physiological, biochemical and 16s rDNA sequence analysis. Long-term application of fertilizer N with compost enhanced both these numbers in rice plants and its environment.

Retrospective evaluation of the prescribing behavior of residents with respect to nephrotoxic drugs.

This study is a preliminary analysis of the prescription behavior of residents in a teaching hospital, with respect to nephrotoxic drugs during a 2-month period. The overdose rate was 3%. Only 5.

Neuroprotective effect of the surfactant poloxamer 188 in a model of intracranial hemorrhage in rats.

Object: Neuronal injury remains a leading cause of morbidity in both neonates and adults with injuries induced by intracranial hemorrhage, ischemia-reperfusion, and excitotoxicity. To date, a number of neuroprotective strategies have been evaluated, but they have shown little benefit. Poloxamer 188 (P-188), a membrane-active triblock copolymer, has been studied extensively as a cell-membrane sealant.