Decongestant Effect of "Coldamaris Akut", a Carrageenan- and Sorbitol-Containing Nasal Spray in Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis.

Purpose: This study aimed to develop a hyperosmolar, barrier-forming nasal spray based on carrageenan and sorbitol, and to demonstrate its decongestant effect in the context of allergic rhinitis (AR).

Methods: The efficacy of the nasal spray components was tested in vitro by barrier function, virus replication inhibition, and water absorption assays. The decongestant effectiveness was assessed in a randomized, controlled, crossover environmental chamber trial, where participants with a history of seasonal grass pollen AR were exposed to grass pollen allergens under controlled conditions.

Alleviation of Allergic Rhinoconjunctivitis Symptoms in Participants Treated with a 0.005% Tacrolimus Eye-Drop Solution.

Purpose: This randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover, double-blind trial aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Tacrosolv, a novel 0.005% tacrolimus eye-drop solution, in adults with grass pollen-induced allergic conjunctivitis.

Methods: A total of 64 adult participants were randomized to receive 2.

Carrageenan-Containing Nasal Spray Alleviates Allergic Symptoms in Participants with Grass Pollen Allergy: A Randomized, Controlled, Crossover Clinical Trial.

Purpose: Nonpharmacological, barrier-forming nasal sprays are used to manage symptoms of allergic rhinitis. We aim to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of Callergin (investigational product, IP), a nasal spray containing barrier-forming iota-carrageenan, in the treatment of allergic rhinitis (AR).

Methods: In this randomized, controlled, crossover trial, adults with grass pollen allergy underwent a treatment sequence with IP, VisAlpin (comparator product, CP), and no treatment in random order.

The Saliva of Probands Sucking an Iota-Carrageenan Containing Lozenge Inhibits Viral Binding and Replication of the Most Predominant Common Cold Viruses and SARS-CoV-2.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate whether sucking of an iota-carrageenan containing lozenge releases sufficient iota-carrageenan into the saliva of healthy subjects to neutralize representatives of the most common respiratory virus families causing common cold and SARS-CoV-2.

Patients And Methods: In this monocentric, open label, prospective clinical trial, 31 healthy subjects were included to suck a commercially available iota-carrageenan containing lozenge. Saliva samples from 27 subjects were used for ex vivo efficacy analysis.

Fast effectiveness of a solubilized low-dose budesonide nasal spray in allergic rhinitis.

Background: Budesonide, a poorly water-soluble corticosteroid, is currently marketed as a suspension. Budesolv is a novel aqueous formulation containing dissolved budesonide showing increased local availability in preclinical models. Budesolv contains ~85% less corticosteroid than the marketed comparator.

[18F]FE@SUPPY: a suitable PET tracer for the adenosine A3 receptor? An in vivo study in rodents.

Purpose: The adenosine A3 receptor (A3R) is involved in cardiovascular, neurological and tumour-related pathologies and serves as an exceptional pharmaceutical target in the clinical setting. A3R antagonists are considered antiinflammatory, antiallergic and anticancer agents, and to have potential for the treatment of asthma, COPD, glaucoma and stroke. Hence, an appropriate A3R PET tracer would be highly beneficial for the diagnosis and therapy monitoring of these diseases.

High-Dose Testosterone Treatment Increases Serotonin Transporter Binding in Transgender People.

Background: Women are two times more likely to be diagnosed with depression than men. Sex hormones modulating serotonergic transmission are proposed to partly underlie these epidemiologic findings. Here, we used the cross-sex steroid hormone treatment of transsexuals seeking sex reassignment as a model to investigate acute and chronic effects of testosterone and estradiol on serotonin reuptake transporter (SERT) binding in female-to-male and male-to-female transsexuals.

The norepinephrine transporter in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder investigated with positron emission tomography.

Importance: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) research has long focused on the dopaminergic system's contribution to pathogenesis, although the results have been inconclusive. However, a case has been made for the involvement of the noradrenergic system, which modulates cognitive processes, such as arousal, working memory, and response inhibition, all of which are typically affected in ADHD. Furthermore, the norepinephrine transporter (NET) is an important target for frequently prescribed medication in ADHD.

Relation of progesterone and DHEAS serum levels to 5-HT1A receptor binding potential in pre- and postmenopausal women.

Preclinical research and clinical experience point to a modulation of 5-HT1A receptor expression by gonadal steroid hormones. We examined the effect of estradiol, progesterone and DHEAS on serotonin neurotransmission in 16 premenopausal and 28 postmenopausal women, differentiating by reproductive status. By means of positron emission tomography and the radiotracer [carbonyl-(11)C]WAY-100635, the 5-HT1A receptor binding potential (BP) was quantified in 45 brain regions of interest.

Effects of hormone replacement therapy on cerebral serotonin-1A receptor binding in postmenopausal women examined with [carbonyl-¹¹C]WAY-100635.

Preclinical research points to a strong modulatory influence of gonadal hormones on the serotonin system. However, human data corroborating this association remains scarce. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of hormone replacement therapy on 5-HT₁A receptor binding in postmenopausal women using positron emission tomography (PET) and the radioligand [carbonyl-(11)C]WAY-100635.

Attenuated serotonin transporter association between dorsal raphe and ventral striatum in major depression.

Suffering from anhedonia, patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) exhibit alterations in several parts of the serotonergic neurotransmitter system, which are in turn involved in reward processing. However, previous investigations of the serotonin transporter (SERT) focused on regional differences with varying results depending on the clinical syndrome. Here, we aimed to describe the serotonergic system of MDD patients on a network level by evaluating SERT associations across brain regions.

Regional differences in SERT occupancy after acute and prolonged SSRI intake investigated by brain PET.

Blocking of the serotonin transporter (SERT) represents the initial mechanism of action of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) which can be visualized due to the technical proceedings of SERT occupancy studies. When compared to the striatum, higher SERT occupancy in the midbrain and lower values in the thalamus were reported. This indicates that occupancy might be differently distributed throughout the brain, which is supported by preclinical findings indicating a regionally varying SERT activity and antidepressant drug concentration.

Gray matter and intrinsic network changes in the posterior cingulate cortex after selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor intake.

Preclinical studies have demonstrated that serotonin (5-HT) challenge changes neuronal circuitries and microarchitecture. However, evidence in human subjects is missing. Pharmacologic magnetic resonance imaging (phMRI) applying selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and high-resolution structural and functional brain assessment is able to demonstrate the impact of 5-HT challenge on neuronal network morphology and functional activity.

Neuropsychiatric deep brain stimulation for translational neuroimaging.

From a neuroimaging point of view, deep brain stimulation (DBS) in psychiatric disorders represents a unique source of information to probe results gained in functional, structural and molecular neuroimaging studies in vivo. However, the implementation has, up to now, been restricted by the heterogeneity of the data reported in DBS studies. The aim of the present study was therefore to provide a comprehensive and standardized database of currently used DBS targets in selected psychiatric disorders (obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), treatment-resistant depression (TRD), Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS)) to enable topological comparisons between neuroimaging results and stimulation areas.

Application of image-derived and venous input functions in major depression using [carbonyl-(11)C]WAY-100635.

Introduction: Image-derived input functions (IDIFs) represent a promising non-invasive alternative to arterial blood sampling for quantification in positron emission tomography (PET) studies. However, routine applications in patients and longitudinal designs are largely missing despite widespread attempts in healthy subjects. The aim of this study was to apply a previously validated approach to a clinical sample of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) before and after electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).

Cerebral serotonin transporter asymmetry in females, males and male-to-female transsexuals measured by PET in vivo.

The serotonergic system modulates brain functions that are considered to underlie affective states, emotion and cognition. Several lines of evidence point towards a strong lateralization of these mental processes, which indicates similar asymmetries in associated neurotransmitter systems. Here, our aim was to investigate a potential asymmetry of the serotonin transporter distribution using positron emission tomography and the radioligand [(11)C]DASB in vivo.

Serotonin-1A receptor binding is positively associated with gray matter volume -- a multimodal neuroimaging study combining PET and structural MRI.

Animal models revealed that the serotonin-1A (5-HT(1A)) receptor modulates gray matter structure. However, there is a lack of evidence showing the relationship between 5-HT(1A) receptor concentration and gray matter in the human brain in vivo. Here, to demonstrate an association between the 5-HT(1A) receptor binding potential, an index for receptor concentration, and the local gray matter volume (GMV), an index for gray matter structure, we measured 35 healthy subjects with both positron emission tomography (PET) and structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Prediction of SSRI treatment response in major depression based on serotonin transporter interplay between median raphe nucleus and projection areas.

Recent mathematical models suggest restored serotonergic burst-firing to underlie the antidepressant effect of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), resulting from down-regulated serotonin transporters (SERT) in terminal regions. This mechanism possibly depends on the interregional balance between SERTs in the raphe nuclei and in terminal regions before treatment. To evaluate these hypotheses on a systems level in humans in vivo, we investigated SERT availability and occupancy longitudinally in patients with major depressive disorder using positron emission tomography (PET) and the radioligand [11C]DASB.

Imaging treatment effects in depression.

In the past years a multitude of studies has revealed alterations on a neuromolecular, structural and network level in patients with major depressive disorder within key regions of emotion and cognition processing as well as implicated neurotransmitter systems. The present review is thought to give an overview over recent developments with regard to treatment-induced changes in structural, functional and molecular neuroimaging. A number of studies could show that antidepressant treatment may lead to a partial restorage of primarily altered processes.

Light-dependent alteration of serotonin-1A receptor binding in cortical and subcortical limbic regions in the human brain.

Objective: Climate, in particular sunshine, influences mood and energy levels, creating a positive upswing of mood on bright, sunny days and negative downswing in cold, dark winter seasons. Higher serotonin transporter availability in healthy human subjects in times of lesser light exposure and lower serotonin levels have been shown in winter.

Methods: We examined the light-dependent variations in serotonin-1A receptor binding in limbic regions in 36 drug-naive healthy human subjects.

Serotonin and molecular neuroimaging in humans using PET.

The serotonergic system is one of the most important modulatory neurotransmitter systems in the human brain. It plays a central role in major physiological processes and is implicated in a number of psychiatric disorders. Along with the dopaminergic system, it is also one of the phylogenetically oldest human neurotransmitter systems and one of the most diverse, with 14 different receptors identified up to this day, many of whose function remains to be understood.

Progesterone level predicts serotonin-1a receptor binding in the male human brain.

Background: Progesterone (P) is thought to influence mood and affective states. Alterations of the inhibitory serotonin-1A (5-HT(1A)) receptor distribution are associated with depression and anxiety. This study evaluates the influence of plasma P levels on the 5-HT(1A) receptor binding in healthy male subjects.

Central serotonin 1A receptor binding in temporal lobe epilepsy: a [carbonyl-(11)C]WAY-100635 PET study.

We performed positron emission tomography using [carbonyl-(11)C]WAY-100635, a serotonin 1A (5-HT(1A)) receptor antagonist, in 13 patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and in 13 controls. 5-HT(1A) receptor distribution mapping allowed correct lateralization of the epileptogenic temporal lobe in all patients. 5-HT(1A) receptor binding potential (BP(ND)) was significantly reduced in almost all temporal regions of the epileptogenic lobe.