Isoflurane stress induces region-specific glucocorticoid levels in neonatal mouse brain.

The profound programming effects of early life stress (ELS) on brain and behavior are thought to be primarily mediated by adrenal glucocorticoids (GCs). However, in mice, stressors are often administered between postnatal days 2 and 12 (PND2-12), during the stress hyporesponsive period (SHRP), when adrenal GC production is greatly reduced at baseline and in response to stressors. During the SHRP, specific brain regions produce GCs at baseline, but it is unknown if brain GC production increases in response to stressors.

Isoflurane stress induces glucocorticoid production in mouse lymphoid organs.

Glucocorticoids (GCs) are secreted by the adrenal glands and locally produced by lymphoid organs. Adrenal GC secretion at baseline and in response to stressors is greatly reduced during the stress hyporesponsive period (SHRP) in neonatal mice (postnatal day (PND) 2-12). It is unknown whether lymphoid GC production increases in response to stressors during the SHRP.

Steroid profiling of glucocorticoids in microdissected mouse brain across development.

Corticosterone is produced by the adrenal glands and also produced locally by other organs, such as the brain. Local levels of corticosterone in specific brain regions during development are not known. Here, we microdissected brain tissue and developed a novel liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method (LC-MS/MS) to measure a panel of seven steroids (including 11-deoxycorticosterone (DOC), corticosterone, and 11-dehydrocorticosterone (DHC) in the blood, hippocampus (HPC), cerebral cortex (CC), and hypothalamus (HYP) of mice at postnatal day (PND) 5, 21, and 90.

Crepuscular flight activity of Culex erraticus (Diptera: Culicidae).

Circadian patterns of flight activity in mosquitoes can influence pathogen transmission by regulating dispersal potential of vectors and contact rates between vectors and reservoir and/or dead-end hosts. We investigated circadian activity patterns of Culex erraticus (Dyar and Knab) at a wetland field site in central Alabama, by aspirating resting adults and questing females in the morning and evening hours, respectively. Mosquitoes were aspirated at regular time intervals to determine the time of day during which peak resting site-seeking and host-seeking activities occurred.

Distribution expansion of Culex coronator in Alabama.

Culex coronator, a mosquito species common to the American tropics, has been recently documented from a number of temperate areas in the USA. Since 2002 specimens have been reported for the first time from Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. Here we provide new collection records for Cx.

Thymoma presenting with infarction.

Thymomas are the most common tumours of the anterior mediastinum with most patients presenting incidentally. We present a case of thymoma presenting with sudden onset severe chest pain and raised plasma aminotransaminases secondarily to spontaneous infarction. We discuss the presence of these aminotransaminases in this highly unusual presentation of thymoma and believe our case demonstrates the inherent limitations of plasma enzymes due to their lack of specificity and sensitivity.