Hepatic extracellular ATP/adenosine dynamics in zebrafish models of alcoholic and metabolic steatotic liver disease.

Steatotic liver disease (SLD) is a burgeoning health problem predominantly associated with excessive alcohol consumption, which causes alcohol-related liver disease (ALD), and high caloric intake, which results in metabolic dysfunction-associated SLD (MASLD). The pathogenesis of ALD and MASLD, which can progress from steatohepatitis to more severe conditions such as liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma, is complicated by several factors. Recently, extracellular ATP and adenosine (Ado), as damage-associated molecular patterns, were reported to promote inflammation and liver fibrosis, contributing to SLD pathogenesis.

Behavioral and neurological effects of Vrk1 deficiency in zebrafish.

Vaccinia-related kinase 1 (VRK1) is a serine/threonine kinase, for which mutations have been reported cause to neurodegenerative diseases, including spinal muscular atrophy, characterized by microcephaly, motor dysfunction, and impaired cognitive function, in humans. Partial Vrk1 knockdown in mice has been associated with microcephaly and impaired motor function. However, the pathophysiological relationship between VRK1 and neurodegenerative disorders and the precise mechanism of VRK1-related microcephaly and motor function deficits have not been fully investigated.

Vrk2 deficiency elicits aggressive behavior in female zebrafish.

Vaccinia-related kinase 2 (VRK2) is a serine/threonine kinase initially identified in highly proliferative cells such as thymocytes and fetal liver cells, and it is involved in cell proliferation and survival. VRK2 is also expressed in the brain; however, its molecular function in the central nervous system is mostly unknown. Many genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have reported that VRK2 is a potential candidate molecule for neuropsychiatric diseases such as schizophrenia in humans.

Cocaine has some effect on neuromedin U expressing neurons related to the brain reward system.

Neuromedin U (NMU) is a bioactive neuropeptide, highly distributed in the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system. NMU has various physiological functions related to feeding behavior, energy metabolism, stress responses, circadian rhythmicity and inflammation. Recently, several reports indicate that the central NMU system plays an important role in the reward systems in the brain.

Demographic and clinical characteristics of dominican adults admitted to a diabetic foot clinic in the Dominican Republic, 2015.

Aim: To identify the demographic and clinical characteristics of Dominican adults admitted to a diabetic foot clinic and compare these characteristics by sex to better characterize and understand the severity of diabetes in the Dominican Republic.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective medical chart review of Dominican adults admitted to the National Institute of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Nutrition's (INDEN) diabetic foot clinic between January 1st, 2015 and December 31st, 2015. We generated descriptive statistics and compared results by sex.