DRD4 gene polymorphism and impulse control disorder induced by dopamine agonists in Parkinson's disease.

Impulse control disorders and their consequences display variability among individuals, indicating potential involvement of environmental and genetic factors. In this retrospective study, we analyzed a cohort of Parkinson's disease patients treated with dopamine agonists and investigated the influence of the dopamine D4 receptor gene polymorphism, DRD4 7R+, which is linked to psychiatric disorders, impulsive traits, and addictive behaviors. We found that DRD4 7R+ is a significant genetic risk factor associated with the severity of ICD.

Image-guided programming deep brain stimulation improves clinical outcomes in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective treatment for patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, some patients may not respond optimally to clinical programming adjustments. Advances in DBS technology have led to more complex and time-consuming programming.

Cells immersed in collagen matrices show a decrease in plasma membrane fluidity as the matrix stiffness increases.

Cells are constantly adapting to maintain their identity in response to the surrounding media's temporal and spatial heterogeneity. The plasma membrane, which participates in the transduction of external signals, plays a crucial role in this adaptation. Studies suggest that nano and micrometer areas with different fluidities at the plasma membrane change their distribution in response to external mechanical signals.

Acalculous cholecystitis associated with levodopa-carbidopa intestinal infusion therapy: A case report.

Continuous intra jejunal infusion of levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG) is one of the primary therapies for improving advanced Parkinson's disease symptoms. Placement of the jejunal catheter through the abdominal wall for drug administration requires a percutaneous interventional procedure called percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG). PEG is considered a safe and straightforward procedure, and it is performed very commonly in clinical practice.

Selective Surface and Intraluminal Localization of Wnt Ligands on Small Extracellular Vesicles Released by HT-22 Hippocampal Neurons.

The Wnt signaling pathway induces various responses underlying the development and maturation of the nervous system. Wnt ligands are highly hydrophobic proteins that limit their diffusion through an aqueous extracellular medium to a target cell. Nevertheless, their attachment to small extracellular vesicles-like exosomes is one of the described mechanisms that allow their transport under this condition.

Canonical Wnt Signaling Modulates the Expression of Pre- and Postsynaptic Components in Different Temporal Patterns.

Wnt ligands play critical roles in neuronal development, synapse formation, synaptic activity, and plasticity. Synaptic plasticity requires molecular remodeling of synapses, implying the expression of key synaptic components. Some studies have linked Wnt signaling activity to changes in synaptic protein levels.

Serine-Arginine Protein Kinase SRPK2 Modulates the Assembly of the Active Zone Scaffolding Protein CAST1/ERC2.

Neurons release neurotransmitters at a specialized region of the presynaptic membrane, the active zone (AZ), where a complex meshwork of proteins organizes the release apparatus. The formation of this proteinaceous cytomatrix at the AZ (CAZ) depends on precise homo- and hetero-oligomerizations of distinct CAZ proteins. The CAZ protein CAST1/ERC2 contains four coiled-coil (CC) domains that interact with other CAZ proteins, but also promote self-assembly, which is an essential step for its integration during AZ formation.

Presymptomatic Treatment With Andrographolide Improves Brain Metabolic Markers and Cognitive Behavior in a Model of Early-Onset Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia. The onset and progression of this pathology are correlated with several changes in the brain, including the formation of extracellular aggregates of amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptide and the intracellular accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau protein. In addition, dysregulated neuronal plasticity, synapse loss, and a reduction in cellular energy metabolism have also been described.

Modulating Wnt signaling at the root: Porcupine and Wnt acylation.

Communication between cells occurs through secreted molecules, among which Wnt ligands play a critical role in balancing cell proliferation, differentiation and cellular homeostasis. The action of Wnt signaling can be modulated at several levels, including posttranslational modification of the Wnt ligands, whose acylation is critical for biological activity. At least three enzymes are necessary for Wnt acylation/deacylation: stearoyl CoA desaturase (SCD), porcupine (PORCN) and Notum.

The Exocyst Component Exo70 Modulates Dendrite Arbor Formation, Synapse Density, and Spine Maturation in Primary Hippocampal Neurons.

Neurons are highly polarized cells displaying an elaborate architectural morphology. The design of their dendritic arborization and the distribution of their synapses contribute importantly to information processing in the brain. The growth and complexity of dendritic arbors are driven by the formation of synapses along their lengths.

Wnt-induced activation of glucose metabolism mediates the in vivo neuroprotective roles of Wnt signaling in Alzheimer disease.

Dysregulated Wnt signaling is linked to major neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer disease (AD). In mouse models of AD, activation of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway improves learning/memory, but the mechanism for this remains unclear. The decline in brain function in AD patients correlates with reduced glucose utilization by neurons.

Ascorbic acid-cyclodextrin complex alters the expression of genes associated with lipid metabolism in bovine in vitro produced embryos.

Ascorbic acid (AC) used as antioxidant in embryo culture is very sensitive and degrades unavoidably in aqueous solution. Methyl-β-cyclodextrin (CD) improved the stability of AC in solution to elevated temperature, light, humidity and oxidation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the complex AC-CD during in vitro maturation (IVM) or in vitro culture (IVC) on oocyte developmental competence and subsequent embryo development and quality.

Observation of intra- and interspecific differences in the nest chemical profiles of social wasps (Hymenoptera: Polistinae) using infrared photoacoustic spectroscopy.

The aim of this study was to explore whether the nest chemical profile (NCP) can be used to determine intra- and interspecific differences in social wasps of the subfamily Polistinae. For this purpose, Fourier transform infrared photoacoustic spectroscopy (FTIR-PAS) was used to directly analyze small pieces of nest as well as the gasters of females. An advantage of the methodology was that no sample preparation was required.

Vertebrate Presynaptic Active Zone Assembly: a Role Accomplished by Diverse Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms.

Among all the biological systems in vertebrates, the central nervous system (CNS) is the most complex, and its function depends on specialized contacts among neurons called synapses. The assembly and organization of synapses must be exquisitely regulated for a normal brain function and network activity. There has been a tremendous effort in recent decades to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms participating in the formation of new synapses and their organization, maintenance, and regulation.

CLOVES Syndrome: Severe Neonatal Presentation.

Congenital Lipomatous Overgrowth, Vascular Malformations, Epidermal Nevi and Spinal Abnormalities (CLOVES syndrome) is a newly described and rare overgrowth disorder with serious morbidity. The course of this disease is not well understood and few cases have been reported among neonates. Moreover, not all of the signs of this syndrome are present at birth, making a high index of suspicion necessary.

Emerging Synaptic Molecules as Candidates in the Etiology of Neurological Disorders.

Synapses are complex structures that allow communication between neurons in the central nervous system. Studies conducted in vertebrate and invertebrate models have contributed to the knowledge of the function of synaptic proteins. The functional synapse requires numerous protein complexes with specialized functions that are regulated in space and time to allow synaptic plasticity.

Trio, a Rho Family GEF, Interacts with the Presynaptic Active Zone Proteins Piccolo and Bassoon.

Synaptic vesicles (SVs) fuse with the plasma membrane at a precise location called the presynaptic active zone (AZ). This fusion is coordinated by proteins embedded within a cytoskeletal matrix assembled at the AZ (CAZ). In the present study, we have identified a novel binding partner for the CAZ proteins Piccolo and Bassoon.

In Vitro Effectiveness of a Terpenic Denture Cleanser on Old Biofilm Surfaces.

Purpose: To assess the effects of terpenic denture cleanser on denture biofilm removal using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Materials And Methods: The internal surface biofilm of four maxillary dentures was elucidated with Caristop-revelador Dual Tone, and 40 blue-stained specimens (0.6 cm × 0.

Assessment of Automatically Exported Clinical Data from a Hospital Information System for Clinical Research in Multiple Myeloma.

Purpose: An important part of the electronic information available in Hospital Information System (HIS) has the potential to be automatically exported to Electronic Data Capture (EDC) platforms for improving clinical research. This automation has the advantage of reducing manual data transcription, a time consuming and prone to errors process. However, quantitative evaluations of the process of exporting data from a HIS to an EDC system have not been reported extensively, in particular comparing with manual transcription.

Morphophysiological and cuticular chemical alterations caused by Xenos entomophagus endoparasites in the social wasp Polistes ferreri (Hymenoptera, Vespidae).

Social wasps can face many challenges during their colony cycle, including the presence of parasites. The order Strepsiptera is among the main parasites of the wasp genus Polistes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an endoparasite species on the host Polistes ferreri, with the hypothesis that females of this social wasp would undergo morphophysiological alterations as well as changes in their cuticular chemical profile caused by the obligate endoparasite.

Development of a highly potent, selective, and cell-active inhibitor of cysteine cathepsin L-A hybrid design approach.

A hybrid-design approach is undertaken to develop a highly potent and selective inhibitor of human cathepsin L. Studies involving human breast carcinoma MDA-MB-231 cells establish that this inhibitor can successfully block intracellular cathepsin L activity, and retard the cell-migratory potential of these highly metastatic cells.

Potential role of sodium-proton exchangers in the low concentration arsenic trioxide-increased intracellular pH and cell proliferation.

Arsenic main inorganic compound is arsenic trioxide (ATO) presented in solution mainly as arsenite. ATO increases intracellular pH (pHi), cell proliferation and tumor growth. Sodium-proton exchangers (NHEs) modulate the pHi, with NHE1 playing significant roles.

Division of labor in colonies of the eusocial wasp, Mischocyttarus consimilis.

The division of labor between castes and the division of labor in workers according to age (temporal polyethism) in social wasps are crucial for maintaining social organization. This study evaluated the division of labor between castes, and the temporal polyethism in workers of Mischocyttarus consimilis Zikán (Hymenoptera: Vespidae). To describe the behavioral repertory of this species, observations were made of 21 colonies, with 100 hours of observations.