Effects of CB1 antagonist on the control of metabolic functions in obese type 2 diabetic patients.

Clinical reports (RIO trials) have shown that chronic administration of a CB-cannabinoid receptor antagonist (rimonabant) provides improvements of disturbed metabolic parameters observed in overweight and obese patients with type 2 diabetes. The production of endocannabinoid and the expression of CB1-cannabinoid receptors are largely distributed in the different organs aside from the brain. It is now clearly established that endocannabinoids act both through orexigenic effects and peripheral metabolic effects in various tissues involved in the control of metabolism and energy expenditure (i.

Gene-environment interactions in vulnerability to cocaine intravenous self-administration: a brief social experience affects intake in DBA/2J but not in C57BL/6J mice.

Rationale: Individual differences in cocaine-taking behavior and liability to develop abuse are clearly observed, but underlying mechanisms are still poorly understood. A role for gene-environment interactions has been proposed but remains hypothetical.

Objectives: We investigated whether gene-environment interactions influence intravenous cocaine self-administration (SA) in mice.

Integrated physiology and pathophysiology of CB1-mediated effects of the endocannabinoid system.

The discovery of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) has raised a large interest in the scientific community providing us with a strikingly long list of apparently independent multi organ effects. As a result, in most reviews on this issue the main function of the ECS is considered as modulatory. Unfortunately, this vision does not add much to our understanding of the specific biological function of the ECS.

Intracanalicular meningioma: clinical features, radiologic findings, and surgical management.

Objective: Intracanalicular meningiomas are extremely rare, and only 36 cases have been reported to date. The aim of this study is to describe the clinical, radiologic, and histopathologic features of 13 intracanalicular meningiomas highlighting important aspects of tumor diagnosis and treatment.

Study Design: Retrospective study.

Development and implementation of a direct detection, quantitation and validation system for class I MHC self-peptide epitopes.

Gene and protein expression studies demonstrate that viral-infected and malignant cells undergo a complex series of transcriptional and translational changes. As class I MHC molecules reflect the proteome (and changes therein) by presenting intracellular peptide epitopes, the development of a direct discovery and validation technology for the identification of these epitopes is needed. We developed our technology using HIV-1-infected cells as a model.

Revision glomus tumor surgery.

The infratemporal fossa approach type A is the best way to deal with recurrent tympano-jugular paragangliomas because facial nerve rerouting is fundamental to reaching the area of the internal carotid artery, where recurrence is likely to occur. Preservation of lower cranial nerve function is not feasible when there is tumor infiltration of the medial wall of the jugular bulb; any attempt at nerve dissection increases the risk of leaving some tumor remnants. Correct management of the internal carotid artery, including preoperative stent insertion or permanent preoperative balloon occlusion, is usually a fundamental step when dealing with these highly vascularized lesions.

Motherhood-induced memory improvement persists across lifespan in rats but is abolished by a gestational stress.

Motherhood modifies the biology and behavior of the female, a process which prepares the mother's cognitive systems that are needed for nurturance. It has recently been shown that motherhood enhances hippocampal-mediated spatial learning and synaptic plasticity. Deleterious and long-term effects of a stress experienced during gestation have been demonstrated on progeny.

Percutaneous sclerotherapy for lymphangioma and soft-tissue venous malformation located in the maxillofacial region in children and young adults.

To demonstrate that percutaneous sclerotherapy for lymphangioma using a new fibrosing agent (OK-432) and for soft-tissue venous malformation with alcoholization can improve management of these congenital vascular abnormalities. Between February 2003 and November 2005 five patients with lymphangioma, ranging in age from 23 months to 18 years (mean age = 9 years) and four patients with soft-tissue venous malformation, raging in age from 25 months to 18 years (mean age = 11 years) underwent percutaneous sclerotherapy. Ultrasound Computed tomography and/or Magnetic Resonance imaging were performed beforehand to evaluate the anatomic boundaries of the malformation.

Glucocorticoid negative feedback in methadone-maintained former heroin addicts with ongoing cocaine dependence: dose-response to dexamethasone suppression.

Combined cocaine and illicit opiate use is common. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that cocaine dependence in former heroin-addicted patients maintained on methadone treatment is associated with enhanced glucocorticoid negative feedback. Multiple dose dexamethasone suppression tests, using a conventional 2.

Postnatal stimulation of the pups counteracts prenatal stress-induced deficits in hippocampal neurogenesis.

Background: Prenatal stress constitutes a developmental risk factor for later psychopathology. The behavioral disorders are sustained by neurobiological alterations including long-term reduction of hippocampal neurogenesis; its deregulation has been involved in cognitive impairments, mood disorders and addiction. A major goal is to define periods in development and strategies for intervening to prevent the effects of early stressful events.

DC-SIGN is a receptor for human herpesvirus 8 on dendritic cells and macrophages.

Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) causes Kaposi's sarcoma and pleural effusion lymphoma. In this study, we show that dendritic cell-specific ICAM-3 grabbing nonintegrin (DC-SIGN; CD209) is a receptor for HHV-8 infection of myeloid DCs and macrophages. DC-SIGN was required for virus attachment to these cells and DC-SIGN-expressing cell lines.

Gene expression regulation following behavioral sensitization to cocaine in transgenic mice lacking the glucocorticoid receptor in the brain.

Several findings suggest that glucocorticoid hormones influence the propensity of an individual to develop cocaine abuse. These hormones activate two related transcription factors, the glucocorticoid receptor and the mineralocorticoid receptor. We have shown previously that mice carrying a mutation of the glucocorticoid receptor gene specifically in neural cells, glucocorticoid receptor knock-out in the brain, show a dramatic decrease in cocaine-induced self-administration and no behavioral sensitization to this drug, two experimental procedures considered relevant models of addiction.

Smad-dependent alterations of PPT cholinergic neurons as a pathophysiological mechanism of age-related sleep-dependent memory impairments.

In humans, memory impairments are highly prevalent in the aged population, but their functional and structural origins are still unknown. We hypothesized that circadian rhythm alterations may predict spatial memory impairment in aged rats. We demonstrate an association between sleep/wake circadian rhythm disturbances (non-REM sleep fragmentation) and spatial memory impairments in aged rats.

Preexposure during or following adolescence differently affects nicotine-rewarding properties in adult rats.

Rationale: Many people come in contact with psychoactive drugs, yet not all of them become addicts. Epidemiology shows that a late approach with cigarette smoking is associated with a lower probability to develop nicotine dependence. Exposure to nicotine during periadolescence, but not similar exposure in the postadolescent period, increases nicotine self-administration in rats, but underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood.

KNOX action in Arabidopsis is mediated by coordinate regulation of cytokinin and gibberellin activities.

The shoot apical meristem (SAM) is a pluripotent group of cells that gives rise to the aerial parts of higher plants. Class-I KNOTTED1-like homeobox (KNOX) transcription factors promote meristem function partly through repression of biosynthesis of the growth regulator gibberellin (GA). However, regulation of GA activity cannot fully account for KNOX action.

Evolution of leaf developmental mechanisms.

Leaves are determinate organs produced by the shoot apical meristem. Land plants demonstrate a large range of variation in leaf form. Here we discuss evolution of leaf form in the context of our current understanding of leaf development, as this has emerged from molecular genetic studies in model organisms.

Methylazoxymethanol acetate does not fully block cell genesis in the young and aged dentate gyrus.

During adulthood, new neurons are continuously added to the mammalian dentate gyrus (DG). An increasing number of studies have correlated changes in rates of dentate neurogenesis with memory abilities. One study based on subchronic treatment with the toxin methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM) has provided causal evidence that neurogenesis is involved in hippocampal-dependent trace conditioning.

Embolization of a ruptured pseudoaneurysm with massive hemorrhage following pancreas transplantation: a case report.

Pseudoaneurysm associated with an arterioenteric fistula is rare, but its clinical manifestations may represent a dramatic event that involves diagnostic and therapeutic problems. We report a case of an arterioduodenal fistula related to a ruptured pseudoaneurysm after simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation (SPK) with massive gastrointestinal hemorrhage treated by embolization of the Y graft. A 51-year-old man with type I diabetes and end-stage renal disease underwent SPK.

Lifelong corticosterone level determines age-related decline in neurogenesis and memory.

Ageing is accompanied by an alteration of spatial memory, a decline in hippocampal neurogenesis and a dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis (HPA) leading to elevated levels of circulating corticosterone. However, the role of the HPA axis in age-related decline in cognitive functions and in neurogenesis decline remains unclear. We found that suppression of glucocorticoids secretion from midlife to the rest of the animals' life increases neurogenesis in old animals and prevents the emergence of age-related memory disorders.

Brain apparent diffusion coefficient evaluation in pediatric patients with neurofibromatosis type 1.

Objective: The most frequent intracranial appearance in children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is represented by the presence of hyperintense lesions on T2-weighted images, the so-called "unidentified bright objects" (UBOs). Di Paolo demonstrated that these lesions represent foci of myelin vacuolization with increased water content. The aim of this study was to investigate the isotropic apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values within the UBOs and normal-appearing brain and at the regressed UBO sites.

The MAPK pathway and Egr-1 mediate stress-related behavioral effects of glucocorticoids.

Many of the behavioral consequences of stress are mediated by the activation of the glucocorticoid receptor by stress-induced high levels of glucocorticoid hormones. To explore the molecular mechanisms of these effects, we combined in vivo and in vitro approaches. We analyzed mice carrying a brain-specific mutation (GR(NesCre)) in the glucocorticoid receptor gene (GR, also called Nr3c1) and cell lines that either express endogenous glucocorticoid receptor or carry a constitutively active form of the receptor (DeltaGR) that can be transiently induced.

Pregnenolone sulfate enhances neurogenesis and PSA-NCAM in young and aged hippocampus.

Age-dependent cognitive impairments have been correlated with functional and structural modifications in the hippocampal formation. In particular, the brain endogenous steroid pregnenolone-sulfate (Preg-S) is a cognitive enhancer whose hippocampal levels have been linked physiologically to cognitive performance in senescent animals. However, the mechanism of its actions remains unknown.

Management of the internal carotid artery in tumors of the lateral skull base: preoperative permanent balloon occlusion without reconstruction.

Objective: To present our experience with permanent preoperative balloon occlusion of the internal carotid artery while dealing with different abnormalities of the lateral skull base and a comparison with the results mentioned in the literature.

Study Design: Retrospective case review.

Setting: Private neurotologic and skull base tertiary referral center.