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Journal Article 2015; 36(1): 7-14 PubMed PMID: 25789584 Citation  Keywords:  A Kinase Anchor Proteins:physiology, Animals, Humans, Signal Transduction:physiology,.   

OBJECTIVE: Kinase Anchoring Proteins (AKAPs) have evolved to regulate the spatial and temporal organization of cellular signal transduction. As a typical member, AKAP5 which consisting of three orthologues: bovine AKAP75, rodent AKAP150 and human AKAP79, is the best known model in the anchoring and targeting properties. It is shown that AKAP5 can bind β2-adrenergic receptor, which is a member of GPCR superfamily, and orchestrate the interactions of various protein kinases, protein phosphatases and cytoskeletal element. AKAP5 is originally identified as a component of the postsynaptic density in neurons and plays a vital role in modulating neuronal activities. Subsequently, the AKAP5 complexes are also detected in other tissues and participated in various processes....

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Journal Article 2015; 36(1): 1-6 PubMed PMID: 25789583 Citation  Keywords:  Bibliography as Topic, Biomedical Research:ethics, Depressive Disorder:immunology, Humans, Plagiarism, Publishing:ethics, Review Literature as Topic,.   

: Once original scientific results are published the author has the "intellectual property" and may claim ownership. Discovery credit is one of the most important "rewards" for scientists and thus incorrect credits undermine the reward system of science. Scientists who publish should therefore give proper credit and acknowledge the primary sources. Failure to do so is regarded as "citation negligence", "the disregard syndrome", "citation amnesia", "plagiarism by omission", "bibliographic plagiarism" or "citation plagiarism", and may range from an unconscious or conscious "failure to credit a prior discoverer so as to give an improper impression of priority" to "the appropriation of another person's ideas or results without given proper credit". False discovery credit is considered to be "a menace to honest science", "a serious transgression" or "intellectual theft, be it intentional or not". This paper describes some examples of citation amnesia showing that scientists often fail to credit prior sources and give false discovery credit to other scientists. One example is the association between major depression and activated immuno-inflammatory pathways, a discovery by European groups and published in many papers since 1990. Now, 25 years later, it is commonplace that these theories are credited to secondary American sources whose work in "the last decade", did or did not examine these pathways in major depression. This gives an improper impression of priority of American-based scientists. Here it is proposed that this citation amnesia and plagiarism reinforced the wrong science and had negative effects on the development of immune-inflammatory biomarkers and new immune-related treatments for depression. It is concluded that journal editors should improve their citation standards to guarantee correct assignment of discovery credit for example by demanding a signed pledge from the authors that correct citations to the primary sources were made....

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Journal Article 2014; 35(8): 724-732 PubMed PMID: 25702302 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Calcium Channels, L-Type:drug effects, Cells, Cultured, Cerebral Cortex:cytology, Estradiol:pharmacology, Female, Insulin-Like Growth Factor I:pharmacology, Ion Channel Gating:drug effects, Neurons:drug effects, Patch-Clamp Techniques, Rats.Rats.   

INTRODUCTION: Calcium transport pathways are key factors for understanding how changes in the cytoplasmic calcium concentration are associated with neuroprotection because calcium is involved in the onset of death signaling in neurons.

OBJECTIVES: This study characterized the effects of 17β-estradiol and IGF-1 on voltage-activated and stretch-activated calcium channels in rat cultured cortical neurons.

METHODS: The whole-cell patch-clamp technique, using a voltage steps protocol or by applying positive pressure into the micropipette, was used on 7-10 day cultured neurons from a Wistar rat cortex, and pharmacological characterization was performed on these neurons.

RESULTS: Both 17β-estradiol and IGF-1 inhibited the currents mediated by L-type voltage-activated calcium channels, although the IGF-1 effects were lower than those of 17β-estradiol. The effect of both hormones together was greater than the sum of the effects of the individual agents. Unlike IGF-1, 17β-estradiol decreased the current mediated by stretch-activated channels. The inhibition of the classical receptors of these hormones did not affect the results.

CONCLUSION: Both hormones regulate voltage-activated calcium channels in a synergistic way, but only 17β-estradiol has an inhibitory effect on stretch-activated calcium channels. These effects are not mediated by classical receptors and may be relevant to the neuroprotective effects of both hormones because they diminish calcium entry into the neuron and decrease the possibility for the onset of apoptotic signaling....

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Journal Article 2014; 35(8): 711-717 PubMed PMID: 25702300 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Antidepressive Agents:therapeutic use, Anxiety Disorders:drug therapy, Combined Modality Therapy, Depressive Disorder:drug therapy, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Psychotherapy:methods, Self Concept, Social Stigma, Treatment Outcome,.   

OBJECTIVE: Many psychiatric patients suffer from self-stigma. One consequence of these internalized prejudices is decreased treatment efficacy. Much has been written about the effects of self-stigma in patients with severe mental disorders. However, individuals with minor psychiatric disorders also suffer from self-stigma. It is therefore necessary to explore the effect of self-stigma on treatment efficacy of neurotic patients.

METHOD: Aim of out study was to investigate relationship between self-stigma, severity of symptoms, and presence of comorbidit disorder and treatment outcome in neurotic patients. Patients were treated by combined psycho and pharmacotherapy. Level of self-stigma was measured by Internalized Stigma Of Mental Illness scale. Severity of anxiety and depressive symptoms was assed by Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depressive Inventory and Clinical Global Impression Scale.

RESULTS: Level of self-stigma was significantly correlated with the levels of anxiety, depression and global evalutions of a mental state on the beginnig of the therapy. Up to our results patients with higher level of self-stigmatization had lower improvement after combined treatmet in respect to perceived anxiety symptoms.

CONCLUSION: Self-stigma seems to be an important factor influencing efficacy of combined treatment. More researches focused on self-stigmatization should be done to find an optimal therapeutic strategy for patients with higher level of self-stigmatization....

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Journal Article 2014; 35(8): 703-710 PubMed PMID: 25702299 Citation  Keywords:  Anabolic Agents:administration & dosage, Animals, Anxiety:chemically induced, Behavior, Animal:drug effects, Male, Nandrolone:administration & dosage, Rats, Rats, Wistar,.   

OBJECTIVE: Nandrolone decanoate (ND) is frequently used anabolic androgenic steroid (AAS) among the athletes. Despite the health risks, there is significant increase in prevalence of AAS abuse.

DESIGN: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of chronic exposure to ND at supraphysiological dose (to mimic the doses for human AAS abusers) on anxiety levels in adult rats.

SETTINGS: We performed several behavioral tests (open field test, elevated plus maze test, beam-walking test, evoked beam-walking test and tail suspension test) for estimation of anxiety in rats. Adult rats received 20 mg/kg intraperitoneal injection of ND weekly for four weeks. Behavioral test were performed on the seventh day after the last dose of ND.

RESULTS: Anxiogenic-like pattern of behavior was clearly observed in several behavioral tests, such as open field test (decrease of total distance moved and cumulative duration of moving, decrease of an average velocity of the animals, decrease of frequency and total time in centre zone); elevated plus maze (decreased total time spent in open arms and the number of entries in open arms of the elevated plus maze); evoked beam-walking test (decreased time to cross the beam) and tail suspension test (increased latency to first immobility and decreased total duration of immobility).

MAIN FINDINGS: Results of this study show that four-week treatment with the supraphysiological dose of ND produced anxiogenic effects in sedentary male rats.

CONCLUSION: Our results show that rats after chronic treatment with a supraphysiological dose of ND exhibited anxiety-like behavior....

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Journal Article 2014; 35(8): 697-702 PubMed PMID: 25702298 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Depressive Disorder, Major:pathology, Diffusion Tensor Imaging:methods, Female, Humans, Male, Nerve Regeneration:physiology, White Matter:anatomy & histology,.   

OBJECTIVE: While increasing evidence suggests that major depressive disorder (MDD) is coincident with the altered white matter microstructure in many brain regions including the prefrontal cortex, parietal lobe, ventral tegmental area and limbic system, it remains controversial in the nature of white matter structural changes and in its relationship with depression syndrome. We believe that the age of patients and the antidepressant treatment to them would contribute to that controversy. Here in this study we explored the microstructural changes of the entire brain white matter of the adult patients with first-episode, antidepressant drug-naïve MDD.

DESIGN: We performed the diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) among a relatively large sample size of patients and age-matched control individuals (forty-one MDD patients and forty-one control subjects) and used recently developed tract-based spatial statistics to analyze the difference of mean fractional anisotropy (FA) between patients and control individuals.

RESULTS: We surprisingly found that MDD patients exhibited a significantly greater mean FA, which is used to elucidate the structural organization of the neural fibers, than control subjects in the whiter matter of the left superior longitufinal fasciculus. However, this change in the white matter of MDD patient did not correlate with depressive clinical features (HMAD, illness duration and initial age) in the present study.

CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that a potential compensatory regeneration of nerve fibers occurs in the early course of MDD development. Advanced understanding of the potential nerve fiber regeneration in the early course of MDD and its associated mechanisms will possibly shade light on a better strategy for MDD prevention and treatment....

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Journal Article 2014; 35(8): 684-690 PubMed PMID: 25702296 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Apoptosis:drug effects, Dietary Supplements, Disease Models, Animal, Drug Therapy, Combination, Hippocampus:drug effects, Hormone Replacement Therapy, Hypothyroidism:drug therapy, Male, Oxidative Stress:drug effects, Random Allocation, Rats.Rats.   

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of levothyroxine (L-T4), vitamin E or both on oxidative stress status and hippocampal apoptosis in a propylthiouracil (PTU)-induced hypothyroid rat model.

METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups: Control, PTU+PTU+L-T4+PTU+Vit E, PTU+Vit E+L-T4. In each group we assessed levels of serum triiodothyronine (T3), tetraiodothyronine (T4), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), hippocampus cellular apoptosis index (AI), hippocampus nicotinamide adenine denucleotide hydrogen (NADPH)oxidase and superoxide dismutase (SOD).

RESULTS: 1) Compared with the control group, NADPH oxidase levels were significantly increased, and SOD levels were significantly reduced in the PTU groups (p<0.05). 2) Compared to the PTU group, SOD levels were significantly increased in the PTU+Vit E and PTU+L-T4+Vit E group (p<0.05). NADPH oxidase levels were significantly decreased in the PTU+L-T4, PTU+Vit E and PTU+ L-T4+Vit E group (p<0.05). 3) Compared with the control group, hippocampus AI increased significantly in the PTU group (p<0.05). Compared with the PTU group, hippocampus AI was significantly reduced in the PTU+L-T4 group and PTU+L-T4+Vit E group (p<0.05). 4) Hippocampus AI was positively correlated with NADPH oxidase expression levels in hippocampus tissue (r=0.644, p<0.01).

CONCLUSION: Levothyroxine replacement therapy combined with vitamin E reduces hippocampus AI by improving oxidative stress. This study suggested that the mechanisms of hippocampus tissue injury in a hypothyroid rat model is related to hippocampus apoptosis from increased oxidative stress....

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Journal Article 2014; 35(8): 676-683 PubMed PMID: 25702295 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Adult, Age of Onset, Dwarfism, Pituitary:psychology, Female, Human Growth Hormone:administration & dosage, Humans, Male, Quality of Life:psychology, Severity of Illness Index, Young Adult,.   

BACKGROUND: Transition is a term used to describe the period of adolescence after which the final adult height during growth hormone (GH) treatment is achieved. According to re-evaluation results in insulin tolerance test (ITT) patients with severe and partial growth hormone deficiency (GHD) may be distinguished.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to assess QoL in patients with different degrees of GHD in transition phase.

METHODS: QoL was evaluated in 76 subjects aged 16-25 years with severe (SGHD, n=26), partial GHD (PGHD, n=22) and normal GH secretion (NGH, n=28) using SF-36 v.2™ Health Survey and the Quality of Life Assessment of Growth Hormone Deficiency in Adults (QoL-AGHDA) questionnaires.

RESULTS: Physical Component Score (PCS), Physical Functioning (PF) and General Health (GH) results were significantly lower in patients with SGHD than in NGH group. SF-36 v.2™ Health Survey scores in PGHD were similar as in NGH patients. There were no statistically significant differences in QoL-AGHDA scores between the examined groups. We found positive correlations between peak GH in ITT and PF (r=0.29; p=0.02) or Role Emotional (r=0.37; p=0.002) scores.

CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that the QoL in adolescents and young adults with severe GHD in transition period is disturbed mainly in terms of physical health and emotions. These changes were detected only by generic SF-36, but not by disease-specific QoL-AGHDA questionnaire. Therefore AGHDA-QoL assessment may not be applicable in GHD patients in transition period. QoL in the patients with partial GHD is unchanged in comparison to growth hormone sufficient subjects....

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