Contribution of physiological dynamics in predicting major depressive disorder severity.

This study aimed to explore the physiological dynamics of cognitive stress in patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and design a multiparametric model for objectively measuring severity of depression. Physiological signal recordings from 40 MDD patients and 40 healthy controls were collected in a baseline stage, in a stress-inducing stage using two cognitive tests, and in the recovery period. Several features were extracted from electrocardiography, photoplethysmography, electrodermal activity, respiration, and temperature.

Psychosomatic response to acute emotional stress in healthy students.

The multidimensionality of the stress response has shown the complexity of this phenomenon and therefore the impossibility of finding a unique biomarker among the physiological variables related to stress. An experimental study was designed and performed to guarantee the correct synchronous and concurrent measure of psychometric tests, biochemical variables and physiological features related to acute emotional stress. The population studied corresponds to a group of 120 university students between 20 and 30 years of age, with healthy habits and without a diagnosis of chronic or psychiatric illnesses.

Pain in Older Adults With Dementia: A Survey in Spain.

The risk of suffering pain increases significantly throughout life, reaching the highest levels in its latest years. Prevalence of pain in nursing homes is estimated to range from 40 to 80% of residents, most of them old adults affected with dementia. It is already known that pain is under-diagnosed and under-treated in patients with severe cognitive impairment and poor/absent verbal communication, resulting in a serious impact on their quality of life, psychosocial, and physical functioning.

Photoplethysmographic Waveform Analysis for Autonomic Reactivity Assessment in Depression.

Objective: In the present study, a photoplethysmographic (PPG) waveform analysis for assessing differences in autonomic reactivity to mental stress between patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and healthy control (HC) subjects is presented.

Methods: PPG recordings of 40 MDD and 40 HC subjects were acquired at basal conditions, during the execution of cognitive tasks, and at the post-task relaxation period. PPG pulses are decomposed into three waves (a main wave and two reflected waves) using a pulse decomposition analysis.

Personalized medicine into health national services: barriers and potentialities.

Research and innovation in personalized medicine (PM) are extensive and expanding, with several pharmacogenetic/pharmacogenomic (PGx) testing options currently available for a wide range of health problems. However, PGx-guided therapy faces many barriers to full integration into clinical practice and acceptance by practitioner/patient: utilization and uptake by payers in real-world practice are being discussed, and the criteria to guide clinicians and policy makers in PGx test selection are not fully incorporated. This review focuses on the advances of pharmacogenomics to individualize treatments, the relationship between pharmacogenetics and pharmacometabolomics, the new paradigm of the Big Data, the needs and barriers facing PGx clinical application and the situation of PGx testing in health national services.

Kidney-specific genetic deletion of both AMPK α-subunits causes salt and water wasting.

AMP-activated kinase (AMPK) controls cell energy homeostasis by modulating ATP synthesis and expenditure. In vitro studies have suggested AMPK may also control key elements of renal epithelial electrolyte transport but in vivo physiological confirmation is still insufficient. We studied sodium renal handling and extracellular volume regulation in mice with genetic deletion of AMPK catalytic subunits.

Severe ipsilateral musculoskeletal involvement in a Cornelia de Lange patient with a novel NIPBL mutation.

Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS) is a congenital autosomal dominant (NIPBL, SMC3 and RAD21) or X-linked (SMC1A and HDAC8) disorder characterized by facial dysmorphism, pre and postnatal growth retardation, developmental delay and/or intellectual disability, and multiorgan involvement. Musculoskeletal malformations are usually bilateral and affect mainly the upper limbs; the range goes from brachyclinodactyly to severe reduction defects. Instead lower extremities are usually less and mildly involved.

Immunophenotype and gene expression profiles of cell surface markers of mesenchymal stem cells derived from equine bone marrow and adipose tissue.

Bone marrow and adipose tissue are the two main sources of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC). The aim of this work was to analyse the immunophenotype of 7 surface markers and the expression of a panel of 13 genes coding for cell surface markers in equine bone marrow and adipose tissue-derived MSCs obtained from 9 horses at third passage. The tri-lineage differentiation was confirmed by specific staining.

Expression of CYP2W1 in colon tumors: regulation by gene methylation.

Introduction: CYP2W1 is a novel enzyme shown to be selectively expressed in rat fetal colon and in human colon cancer and has previously been suggested as a potential drug target for cancer therapy. Here, the expression and gene methylation of CYP2W1 were analyzed in human colon carcinoma cell lines, colon tumors and in corresponding normal colon tissue.

Methods: CYP2W1 mRNA and protein expression in HepG2 and Caco-2TC7 cells and normal colon and colon tumor tissue samples were analyzed using real-time PCR and Western blotting.

Tumor-specific expression of the novel cytochrome P450 enzyme, CYP2W1.

A novel human cytochrome P450, CYP2W1, was cloned and expressed heterologously. No or very low CYP2W1 mRNA levels were detected in fetal and adult human tissues, expression was however seen in 54% of human tumor samples investigated (n=37), in particular colon and adrenal tumors. Western blotting also revealed high expression of CYP2W1 in some human colon tumors.

Omeprazole treatment: genotoxicity biomarkers, and potential to induce CYP1A2 activity in humans.

Omeprazole is one of the most used acid-suppressing medications. This fact emphasizes the questions concerning the safety of this compound. Healthy volunteers (n=33) were included in this prospective study.

Frequency distribution of C3435T mutation in exon 26 of the MDR1 gene in a Spanish population.

P-glycoprotein (PGP) is a transmembrane efflux transporter with an important role in drug therapy. The level of PGP expression leads to relevant consequences in terms of efficacy and toxicity by modulating drug disposition. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in exon 26 of the gene C3435T was recently associated to PGP levels and substrate uptake.

Influence of the urine flow rate on some caffeine metabolite ratios used to assess CYP1A2 activity.

Five established metabolite ratios (MRs) to measure P450 CYP1A2 activity--MR1 (17X + 17U)/137X, MR2 (AFMU + 1X + 1U)/17U, MR3 (17X/137X), MR4 (AFMU + 1X + 1U + 17X + 17U)/137X, and MR5 (AFMU + 1X + 1U)/17X--were calculated in urine 4-5 hours after caffeine intake. First, to assess the potential of omeprazole to induce CYP1A2 activity, a caffeine test was performed in 27 subjects on two occasions: before and after 14 days on omeprazole (20 mg/day). Samples of urine were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to quantify caffeine and metabolites used to calculate the different caffeine MRs.