Co-morbid psychiatric disorder in chronic epilepsy: recognition and etiology of depression.

This article briefly presents one approach to conceptualizing known and suspected risk factors for co-morbid psychiatric disorder in epilepsy. The utility of this model is then reviewed by examining selected neurobiologic, psychosocial, and iatrogenic risk factors for a common co-morbid psychiatric disorder, interictal depression. Finally, data are presented concerning the rates of current and lifetime mood disorders among a sample of 76 patients with chronic complex partial seizures, the degree to which co-morbid depression has been recognized and treated in chronic epilepsy, and the health-related quality of life status associated with current and past mood disorders.

Prostatic carcinoma cell migration via alpha(v)beta3 integrin is modulated by a focal adhesion kinase pathway.

The highly invasive human prostate cancer PC3 cell line was found to express the alpha(v)beta3 integrin; in contrast, the noninvasive LNCaP prostate cancer cell line did not express alpha(v)beta3. PC3 cells adhered to and migrated on vitronectin (VN), an alpha(v)beta3 ligand expressed in mature bone where prostate cancer cells preferentially metastasize. In contrast, LNCaP cells did not adhere to or migrate on VN.

The synergistic activity of alphavbeta3 integrin and PDGF receptor increases cell migration.

Integrins and growth factor receptors act synergistically to modulate cellular functions. The alphavbeta3 integrin and the platelet-derived growth factor receptor have both been shown to play a positive role in cell migration. We show here that a platelet derived growth factor-BB gradient stimulated migration of rat microvascular endothelial cells on vitronectin (9.

Transcriptional defects underlie loss of E-cadherin expression in breast cancer.

Decreased expression of E-cadherin (E-cad), a calcium-dependent cell adhesion molecule, has been seen in many different epithelial cancers. Although somatic mutations in the E-cad gene have been identified in a small subset of tumors, in the majority of cancers, the mechanisms underlying loss of E-cad expression are poorly understood. We have cloned the human E-cad promoter and defined its critical components in functional assays.

Deficits in radial arm maze performance in kindled rats: evidence for long-lasting memory dysfunction induced by repeated brief seizures.

Repeated activation of neural pathways by kindling induces brief seizures, permanent increases in seizure susceptibility, neuronal loss in the hippocampus, and mossy fiber sprouting in the dentate gyrus. Because kindling induces permanent cellular alterations in hippocampal pathways that have been implicated in memory, it was of interest to determine if kindling also induces long-lasting impairments in a spatial memory task in rats. In this study, the effects of kindling on memory were investigated by assessing kindled rats in a radial arm maze behavior that is impaired by hippocampal damage.

Extent of T cell receptor ligation can determine the functional differentiation of naive CD4+ T cells.

Naive CD4+ T cells can differentiate into cells predominantly involved in humoral immunity, known as T helper type 2 cells (Th2), or cells involved in cell-mediated immunity, known as Th1 cells. In this report, we show that priming of CD4+ T cells bearing a transgene-encoded T cell receptor can lead to differentiation into Th1-like cells producing abundant interferon gamma when the cells are exposed to high antigen doses, while low doses of the same peptide induce cells with the same T cell receptor to differentiate into Th2-like cells producing abundant interleukin 4. Thus antigen dose is one factor that can control the differentiation fate of a naive CD4+ T cell.

Frequent alterations in E-cadherin and alpha- and beta-catenin expression in human breast cancer cell lines.

Alterations in intercellular junction and membrane cytoskeletal proteins may underlie some of the morphological, invasive and metastatic properties of cancer. E-cadherin, a transmembrane protein that functions in epithelial cell-cell interactions at adherens junctions, is linked to the membrane cytoskeletal matrix through interactions with alpha- and beta-catenin. We have carried out studies of E-cadherin and alpha- and beta-catenin in 18 breast cancer cell lines to determine the prevalence and nature of alterations in these genes in breast cancer.

Cloning and characterization of the recA genes from Mycoplasma pulmonis and M. mycoides subsp. mycoides.

The RecA protein has a central role in DNA repair and is essential for homologous recombination in most eubacteria. Little is known about these critical processes in mycoplasmas. By using standard and inverse polymerase chain reactions (PCR) coupled with conventional cloning techniques, a series of overlapping fragments comprising the entire recA genes of Mycoplasma mycoides subsp.

Mycoplasma corogypsi sp. nov., a new species from the footpad abscess of a black vulture, Coragyps atratus.

Strain BV1 was isolated from the exudate of the footpad abscess of a black vulture (Coragyps atratus). The colonies had a "fried-egg" appearance consistent with that of mycoplasmal species. Electron microscopic examination of the cells revealed irregular elongated or elliptical forms and smaller circular budding processes.

Construction of recA mutants of Acholeplasma laidlawii by insertional inactivation with a homologous DNA fragment.

Mycoplasmas (class Mollicutes) are wall-less prokaryotes phylogenetically related to gram-positive bacteria. This study describes the construction of recA mutants of the mycoplasma Acholeplasma laidlawii. An internal fragment of the recA gene from A.

Degenerate oligonucleotide primers for enzymatic amplification of recA sequences from gram-positive bacteria and mycoplasmas.

RecA protein in gram-negative bacteria, especially in Escherichia coli, has been extensively studied, but little is known about this key enzyme in other procaryotes. Described here are degenerate oligonucleotide primers that have been used to amplify by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) recA sequences from several gram-positive bacteria and mycoplasmas. The DNA sequences of recA PCR products from Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus mutans, Enterococcus faecalis, and Mycoplasma pulmonis were determined and compared.

Cloning and DNA sequence of a mycoplasmal recA gene.

Mycoplasmas are wall-less prokaryotes phylogenetically related to gram-positive bacteria. In order to investigate DNA recombination in these organisms, we have cloned the recA gene from the mycoplasma Acholeplasma laidlawii. DNA sequence data indicate extensive homology between the A.

Development of the bursa of Fabricius in the partridge and pheasant.

Development and regression of the bursa of Fabricius was measured in chukar partridge (Alectoris chukar) and ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) from hatch to 40 and 34 weeks of age, respectively. Testes weights were recorded for 8 to 34-week-old pheasants and 12 to 30-week-old chukars. Approximately 12 partridges and 12 pheasants of mixed sex were killed every other week and their bursae measured and weighed.

Effects of light conditioning on reproduction in partridge.

Reproductive response was measured in two lines of chukar partridge given conditioning light treatments of either 8 hr light:16 hr dark (8L:16D) at 50 lx or 16L:8D at .1 lx for 4, 6, or 8 weeks, respectively. Birds were recycled to lay using the same conditioning light treatments.

Shank length for determining sex in chukars.

Shank length measurement of greater than or equal to 60 mm for males and less than 60 mm for females was used to predict sexes in male and female chukar partridges (Alectoris chukar) at 8, 10, 12, 20, 32, and 64 weeks of age. Growth of the shank is nearly complete at 10 weeks of age, whereas growth of body tissue continues to about 20 weeks of age. The best prediction of sexes was made at 10 weeks of age with an accuracy of about 95%.

The effect of light intensity, temperature, and diet on growth in red-legged partridge.

Three hundred Red-legged partridge chicks ( Alectoris graeca) were divided into two groups and fed starter diets calculated to contain 24.5 and 24.9% crude protein and 2646 and 2662 kcal/kg metabolizable energy, respectively.

Blood parameters of one-year-old and seven-year old partridges (Alectoris chukar).

Several blood parameters were determined for 12 1-year-old and 12 7-year-old partridges to establish base line values on blood chemistry of this species. After taking blood samples, the 7-year-old birds were killed and necropsied for gross examination. With aging, there was a significant increase in plasma glucose, glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase (GOT), potassium, cholesterol, uric acid, and albumin.

Inbreeding effects on reproductive traits in the ring-necked pheasant.

Ten inbred lines of Ring-necked pheasants were established in 1978 and mated for four generations using a system of repeated backcrossing of daughters to a common sire. In the event the old sire died, the surviving daughters were mated to a surviving brother or half-brother of the same generation. Only 4 of 10 original inbred lines survived four generations of backcrossing; two involved matings with the original sire and two with brothers or half-brothers of Generations 1 and 3, respectively.

The effect of ambient temperature and energy level on reproduction in Red-Legged partridges.

The effects of temperature and dietary energy on various reproductive parameters were studied in Red-Legged partridges (Alectoris graeca) reared in three environmental chambers at either 18.3, 23.9, or 29.

Photorefractoriness and sexual response in aging partridge kept under constant long- and short-day photoperiods.

The duration of post-juvenile refractoriness was studied in Red-legged partridge kept under a long constant 16-hr photoperiod from hatch to 55 months of age. A second group of partridge was kept under a short constant 8-hr photoperiod from hatch to 38 months of age. Body weight was measured bimonthly, and daily egg production kept on birds reaching sexual maturity.

The effect of photoperiod and feed restriction on semen production in the turkey.

In Experiment 1, 72 yearling Broad Breasted White Turkey males were induced to molt under either stimulatory (16L:8D) or nonstimulatory (8L:16D) light used concurrently with a short period of feed and water deprivation, and followed by periods of daily feed restriction (50% of full feed). One-fourth of the males wer killed at intervals of 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks and their testes weighed. In Experiment 2, 40 yearling Broad Breasted White males were killed at 2-week intervals during an 8-week period of 8 hr light per day followed by a 10-week period of 16 hr light per day.