Valproic acid withdrawal ameliorates impairments of hippocampal-spatial working memory and neurogenesis.

Valproic acid (VPA), an agent that is used to treat epileptic seizures, can cause spatial memory impairment in adults and children. This effect is thought to be due to the ability of VPA to inhibit neurogenesis in the hippocampus, which is required for learning. We have previously used an animal model to show that VPA significantly impairs hippocampal-spatial working memory and inhibits neuronal generation in the sub-granular zone of the dentate gyrus.

High-sensitivity epidermal growth factor receptor immunostaining for colorectal carcinomas, compared with EGFR PharmDx™: a study of diagnostic accuracy.

Immunostaining for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is important in the contemporary therapeutic strategy of colorectal carcinomas. We tried to increase detection sensitivity, and compared the high-sensitivity EGFR immunostaining with a worldwide standard, EGFR PharmDx™ (Dako). In order to pursue high-sensitivity EGFR detection, deparaffinized sections were pressure-cooked in 1 mM EDTA solution, pH 8.