rudyvdbrink/CitationDatabase huggingface dataset:
A Biopsychosocial Approach to Risk and Resilience on Behavior in Children Followed from Birth to Age 12.
Child psychiatry and human development, 2017

An increasing prevalence of mental health problems calls for more knowledge into factors associated with resilience. The present study used multiple statistical methodologies to examine a biopsychosocial model of risk and resilience on preadolescence behavior. Data from 889 children and mothers from a birth cohort were used. An adversity score was created by combining maternal symptoms of depression, psychosocial risk and children's experiences of life events. The proposed resilience factors investigated were candidate genetic polymorphisms, child temperament, social functioning, and maternal sense of coherence. The l/l genotype of the serotonin transporter linked polymorphic region was associated with lower internalizing scores, but not mainly related to the level of adversity. An easy temperament was associated with resilience for children exposed to high adversity. Social functioning was found to be promotive independent of the risk level. The results support a multiple-level model of resilience indicating effects, though small, of both biological and psychosocial factors.
A Versatile Method of Patterning Proteins and Cells.
Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE, 2017

Substrate and cell patterning techniques are widely used in cell biology to study cell-to-cell and cell-to-substrate interactions. Conventional patterning techniques work well only with simple shapes, small areas and selected bio-materials. This article describes a method to distribute cell suspensions as well as substrate solutions into complex, long, closed (dead-end) polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microchannels using negative pressure. This method enables researchers to pattern multiple substrates including fibronectin, collagen, antibodies (Sal-1), poly-D-lysine (PDL), and laminin. Patterning of substrates allows one to indirectly pattern a variety of cells. We have tested C2C12 myoblasts, the PC12 neuronal cell line, embryonic rat cortical neurons, and amphibian retinal neurons. In addition, we demonstrate that this technique can directly pattern fibroblasts in microfluidic channels via brief application of a low vacuum on cell suspensions. The low vacuum does not significantly decrease cell viability as shown by cell viability assays. Modifications are discussed for application of the method to different cell and substrate types. This technique allows researchers to pattern cells and proteins in specific patterns without the need for exotic materials or equipment and can be done in any laboratory with a vacuum.
Internet screening for anxiety disorders: Treatment-seeking outcomes in a three-month follow-up study.
Psychiatry research, 2015

Although many people use the internet to diagnose mental health problems, little is known about the relationship between internet self-diagnosis and treatment-seeking. The MACSCREEN (a validated, self-report screening tool for anxiety and depression) was posted on our clinic homepage and respondents were invited to take an anxiety test. Three months after completing the MACSREEN and a variety of symptom severity scales, respondents were emailed a follow up questionnaire asking about treatment-seeking behaviours. Of the 770 MACSCREEN respondents, 103 completed the follow-up questionnaire. Of these, 100% met criteria for at least one anxiety or mood disorder diagnosis and 51% sought treatment after completing the MACSCREEN. In the 49% who did not seek treatment, fear of medication (57%), discomfort talking to their doctor about anxiety (28%) and the belief that symptoms were not severe enough (28%) were cited as barriers. Compared to non-seekers, treatment-seekers were significantly more likely to meet screening criteria for Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Depression. Higher Sheehan Disability Scale scores and being married (versus single) significantly increased the odds of treatment-seeking, suggesting that functional impairment and disease burden on the family may be stronger predictors of treatment seeking than overall severity of symptoms.
Anxious behavior induces elevated hippocampal Cb
Neuroscience, 2017

Anxiety is differentially expressed across a continuum of stressful/fearful intensity, influenced by endocannabinoid systems and receptors. The hippocampus plays important roles in the regulation of affective behavior, emotion, and anxiety, as well as memory. Location of Cb
Transnitrosylation from DJ-1 to PTEN attenuates neuronal cell death in parkinson's disease models.
The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 2014

Emerging evidence suggests that oxidative/nitrosative stress, as occurs during aging, contributes to the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). In contrast, detoxification of reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species can protect neurons. DJ-1 has been identified as one of several recessively inherited genes whose mutation can cause familial PD, and inactivation of DJ-1 renders neurons more susceptible to oxidative stress and cell death. DJ-1 is also known to regulate the activity of the phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), which plays a critical role in neuronal cell death in response to various insults. However, mechanistic details delineating how DJ-1 regulates PTEN activity remain unknown. Here, we report that PTEN phosphatase activity is inhibited via a transnitrosylation reaction [i.e., transfer of a nitric oxide (NO) group from the cysteine residue of one protein to another]. Specifically, we show that DJ-1 is S-nitrosylated (forming SNO-DJ-1); subsequently, the NO group is transferred from DJ-1 to PTEN by transnitrosylation. Moreover, we detect SNO-PTEN in human brains with sporadic PD. Using x-ray crystallography and site-directed mutagenesis, we find that Cys106 is the site of S-nitrosylation on DJ-1 and that mutation of this site inhibits transnitrosylation to PTEN. Importantly, S-nitrosylation of PTEN decreases its phosphatase activity, thus promoting cell survival. These findings provide mechanistic insight into the neuroprotective role of SNO-DJ-1 by elucidating how DJ-1 detoxifies NO via transnitrosylation to PTEN. Dysfunctional DJ-1, which lacks this transnitrosylation activity due to mutation or prior oxidation (e.g., sulfonation) of the critical cysteine thiol, could thus contribute to neurodegenerative disorders like PD.
Hypoxic preconditioning attenuates necroptotic neuronal death induced by global cerebral ischemia via Drp1-dependent signaling pathway mediated by CaMKIIα inactivation in adult rats.
FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, 2019

Hypoxic preconditioning (HPC) alleviates the selective and delayed neuronal death in the hippocampal CA1 region induced by transient global cerebral ischemia (tGCI). This type of cell death may include different programmed cell death mechanisms, namely, apoptosis and necroptosis. Although apoptotic signaling is well defined, the mechanisms that underlie neuronal necroptosis are yet to be fully elucidated. In this study, we investigated whether HPC protects neurons from cerebral ischemia-induced necroptosis. We observed that tGCI up-regulated the expression of receptor-interacting protein (RIP) 3 and increased the interaction of RIP1-RIP3 in CA1 at the early stage of reperfusion. The pretreatment with HPC or necrostatin-1 decreased the expression of RIP3 and the formation of RIP1-RIP3 after tGCI. We also found that HPC decreased the expression and the activity of caspase-8 in CA1 after tGCI, and notably, the pretreatment with Z-VAD-FMK, a pan-caspase inhibitor, did not trigger necroptosis but attenuated the tGCI-induced neuronal damage. Furthermore, we demonstrated that HPC decreased the activation of calcium-calmodulin kinase (CaMK) IIα and the interaction of RIP1 and CaMKIIα induced by tGCI. Intriguingly, the pretreatment with a CaMKs inhibitor KN-93 before tGCI resulted in significantly reduced RIP1-3 interaction and tGCI-induced neuronal damage. Finally, we ascertained that HPC prevented the dephosphorylation of dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1)-Ser637 (serine 637) and inhibited the translocation of Drp1 to mitochondria induced by tGCI. Importantly, the treatment with a Drp1 inhibitor Mdivi-1 or necrostatin-1 before tGCI also abolished Drp1 dephosphorylation at Ser637 and mitochondrial translocation. Taken together, our results highlight that HPC attenuates necroptotic neuronal death induced by tGCI via Drp1-dependent mitochondrial signaling pathways mediated by CaMKIIα inactivation.-Zhan, L., Lu, Z., Zhu, X., Xu, W., Li, L., Li, X., Chen, S., Sun, W., Xu, E. Hypoxic preconditioning attenuates necroptotic neuronal death induced by global cerebral ischemia via Drp1-dependent signaling pathway mediated by CaMKIIα inactivation in adult rats.
Report of whole-brain radiation therapy in a patient with an implanted deep brain stimulator: important neurosurgical considerations and radiotherapy practice principles.
Journal of neurosurgery, 2016

Patients with implanted neuromodulation devices present potential challenges for radiation therapy treatment planning and delivery. Although guidelines exist regarding the irradiation of cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators, fewer data and less clinical experience exist regarding the effects of radiation therapy on less frequently used devices, such as deep brain stimulators. A 79-year-old woman with a history of coarse tremors effectively managed with deep brain stimulation presented with multiple intracranial metastases from a newly diagnosed lung cancer and was referred for whole-brain radiation therapy. She was treated with a German helmet technique to a total dose of 30 Gy in 10 fractions using 6 MV photons via opposed lateral fields with the neurostimulator turned off prior to delivery of each fraction. The patient tolerated the treatment well with no acute complications and no apparent change in the functionality of her neurostimulator device or effect on her underlying neuromuscular disorder. This represents the first reported case of the safe delivery of whole-brain radiation therapy in a patient with an implanted neurostimulator device. In cases such as this, neurosurgeons and radiation oncologists should have discussions with patients about the risks of brain injury, device malfunction or failure of the device, and plans for rigorous testing of the device before and after radiation therapy.
Protein-directed self-assembly of a fullerene crystal.
Nature communications, 2016

Learning to engineer self-assembly would enable the precise organization of molecules by design to create matter with tailored properties. Here we demonstrate that proteins can direct the self-assembly of buckminsterfullerene (C60) into ordered superstructures. A previously engineered tetrameric helical bundle binds C60 in solution, rendering it water soluble. Two tetramers associate with one C60, promoting further organization revealed in a 1.67-Å crystal structure. Fullerene groups occupy periodic lattice sites, sandwiched between two Tyr residues from adjacent tetramers. Strikingly, the assembly exhibits high charge conductance, whereas both the protein-alone crystal and amorphous C60 are electrically insulating. The affinity of C60 for its crystal-binding site is estimated to be in the nanomolar range, with lattices of known protein crystals geometrically compatible with incorporating the motif. Taken together, these findings suggest a new means of organizing fullerene molecules into a rich variety of lattices to generate new properties by design.
Patient characteristics associated with treatment initiation among paediatric patients with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder symptoms in a naturalistic setting in Central Europe and East Asia.
BMC psychiatry, 2014

Cultural views of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), differing healthcare systems and funding mechanisms, and the availability of mental health services can greatly influence the perceptions, diagnosis, and treatment of ADHD. There is, however, lack of information about treatment practice and the treatment decision-making process for ADHD, particularly in non-Western countries. Our study compared characteristics of paediatric patients newly diagnosed with ADHD symptoms who did and who did not initiate treatment, and also examined whether any differences varied by region in Central Europe and East Asia.
Neurotrophins regulate ApoER2 proteolysis through activation of the Trk signaling pathway.
BMC neuroscience, 2014

ApoER2 and the neurotrophin receptors Trk and p75(NTR) are expressed in the CNS and regulate key functional aspects of neurons, including development, survival, and neuronal function. It is known that both ApoER2 and p75(NTR) are processed by metalloproteinases, followed by regulated intramembrane proteolysis. TrkA activation by nerve growth factor (NGF) increases the proteolytic processing of p75(NTR) mediated by ADAM17. Reelin induces the sheeding of ApoER2 ectodomain depending on metalloproteinase activity. However, it is not known if there is a common regulation mechanism for processing these receptors.
Impaired basal and running-induced hippocampal neurogenesis coincides with reduced Akt signaling in adult R6/1 HD mice.
Molecular and cellular neurosciences, 2013

Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder affecting a range of cellular and molecular functions in the brain. Deficits in adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) have been documented in the R6/1 mouse model of HD. Here we examined basal and running-induced neuronal precursor proliferation in adult female and male R6/1 HD mice. We further tested whether sequential delivery of voluntary running followed by environmental enrichment could synergistically enhance functional AHN in female R6/1 HD mice. R6/1 HD mice engaged in significantly reduced levels of voluntary running, with males showing a more severe deficit. Basal neural precursor proliferation in the hippocampal sub-granular zone remained unchanged between female and male R6/1 HD mice and neither sex significantly responded to running-induced proliferation. While discrete provision of running wheels and enriched environments doubled AHN in adult female R6/1 HD mice it did not reflect the significant 3-fold increase in female wildtypes. Nevertheless, triple-label c-Fos/BrdU/NeuN immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy provided evidence that the doubling of AHN in female R6/1 HD mice was functional. Intrinsic cellular dysfunction mediated by protein aggregates containing mutant huntingtin (mHtt) did not appear to coincide with AHN deficits. In the hippocampus of female R6/1 HD mice, proliferating precursors and 6 week old adult-generated neurons were devoid of mHtt immuno-reactive aggregates, as were endothelial, microglial and astroglial cells populating the neurogenic niche. Serum transforming growth factor-β concentrations remained unaltered in female R6/1 HD mice as did the hippocampal levels of proliferating microglia and glial fibrillarly acidic protein expression. Examining the growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor 1 (GH/IGF-1) axis showed no change in base-line serum GH between genotypes. However, despite a reduced distance, acute running increases serum GH in both female wildtype and R6/1 HD mice. Serum IGF-1 levels were increased in female R6/1 HD mice compared to wildtypes during daytime inactive period, while hippocampal levels of the IGF-1 receptor remained unchanged. Running induced Akt phosphorylation in the hippocampus of female wildtype mice, which was not reflected in R6/1 HD mice. Total Akt levels were decreased in the hippocampus of both control and running R6/1 HD mice. Our results show adult-generated hippocampal neurons in female R6/1 HD mice express c-Fos and that running and Akt signaling deficits may mediate reduced basal and running-induced AHN levels.
The obligatory role of host microbiota in bioactivation of dietary nitrate.
Free radical biology & medicine, 2019

Nitric oxide (NO) is a key signalling molecule in the regulation of cardiometabolic function and impaired bioactivity is considered to play an important role in the onset and progression of cardiovascular and metabolic disease. Research has revealed an alternative NO-generating pathway, independent of NO synthase (NOS), in which the inorganic anions nitrate (NO
Hsp104 antagonizes alpha-synuclein aggregation and reduces dopaminergic degeneration in a rat model of Parkinson disease.
The Journal of clinical investigation, 2008

Parkinson disease (PD) is characterized by dopaminergic neurodegeneration and intracellular inclusions of alpha-synuclein amyloid fibers, which are stable and difficult to dissolve. Whether inclusions are neuroprotective or pathological remains controversial, because prefibrillar oligomers may be more toxic than amyloid inclusions. Thus, whether therapies should target inclusions, preamyloid oligomers, or both is a critically important issue. In yeast, the protein-remodeling factor Hsp104 cooperates with Hsp70 and Hsp40 to dissolve and reactivate aggregated proteins. Metazoans, however, have no Hsp104 ortholog. Here we introduced Hsp104 into a rat PD model. Remarkably, Hsp104 reduced formation of phosphorylated alpha-synuclein inclusions and prevented nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurodegeneration induced by PD-linked alpha-synuclein (A30P). An in vitro assay employing pure proteins revealed that Hsp104 prevented fibrillization of alpha-synuclein and PD-linked variants (A30P, A53T, E46K). Hsp104 coupled ATP hydrolysis to the disassembly of preamyloid oligomers and amyloid fibers composed of alpha-synuclein. Furthermore, the mammalian Hsp70 and Hsp40 chaperones, Hsc70 and Hdj2, enhanced alpha-synuclein fiber disassembly by Hsp104. Hsp104 likely protects dopaminergic neurons by antagonizing toxic alpha-synuclein assemblies and might have therapeutic potential for PD and other neurodegenerative amyloidoses.
Prenatal exposure to ethanol during late gestation facilitates operant self-administration of the drug in 5-day-old rats.
Alcohol (Fayetteville, N.Y.), 2014

Prenatal ethanol exposure modifies postnatal affinity to the drug, increasing the probability of ethanol use and abuse. The present study tested developing rats (5-day-old) in a novel operant technique to assess the degree of ethanol self-administration as a result of prenatal exposure to low ethanol doses during late gestation. On a single occasion during each of gestational days 17-20, pregnant rats were intragastrically administered ethanol 1 g/kg, or water (vehicle). On postnatal day 5, pups were tested on a novel operant conditioning procedure in which they learned to touch a sensor to obtain 0.1% saccharin, 3% ethanol, or 5% ethanol. Immediately after a 15-min training session, a 6-min extinction session was given in which operant behavior had no consequence. Pups were positioned on a smooth surface and had access to a touch-sensitive sensor. Physical contact with the sensor activated an infusion pump, which served to deliver an intraoral solution as reinforcement (Paired group). A Yoked control animal evaluated at the same time received the reinforcer when its corresponding Paired pup touched the sensor. Operant behavior to gain access to 3% ethanol was facilitated by prenatal exposure to ethanol during late gestation. In contrast, operant learning reflecting ethanol reinforcement did not occur in control animals prenatally exposed to water only. Similarly, saccharin reinforcement was not affected by prenatal ethanol exposure. These results suggest that in 5-day-old rats, prenatal exposure to a low ethanol dose facilitates operant learning reinforced by intraoral administration of a low-concentration ethanol solution. This emphasizes the importance of intrauterine experiences with ethanol in later susceptibility to drug reinforcement. The present operant conditioning technique represents an alternative tool to assess self-administration and seeking behavior during early stages of development.
A fluorescent screening assay for identifying modulators of GIRK channels.
Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE, 2012

G protein-gated inward rectifier K+ (GIRK) channels function as cellular mediators of a wide range of hormones and neurotransmitters and are expressed in the brain, heart, skeletal muscle and endocrine tissue(1,2). GIRK channels become activated following the binding of ligands (neurotransmitters, hormones, drugs, etc.) to their plasma membrane-bound, G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). This binding causes the stimulation of G proteins (Gi and Go) which subsequently bind to and activate the GIRK channel. Once opened the GIRK channel allows the movement of K+ out of the cell causing the resting membrane potential to become more negative. As a consequence, GIRK channel activation in neurons decreases spontaneous action potential formation and inhibits the release of excitatory neurotransmitters. In the heart, activation of the GIRK channel inhibits pacemaker activity thereby slowing the heart rate. GIRK channels represent novel targets for the development of new therapeutic agents for the treatment neuropathic pain, drug addiction, cardiac arrhythmias and other disorders(3). However, the pharmacology of these channels remains largely unexplored. Although a number of drugs including anti-arrhythmic agents, antipsychotic drugs and antidepressants block the GIRK channel, this inhibition is not selective and occurs at relatively high drug concentrations(3). Here, we describe a real-time screening assay for identifying new modulators of GIRK channels. In this assay, neuronal AtT20 cells, expressing GIRK channels, are loaded with membrane potential-sensitive fluorescent dyes such as bis-(1,3-dibutylbarbituric acid) trimethine oxonol [DiBAC4(3)] or HLB 021-152 (Figure 1). The dye molecules become strongly fluorescent following uptake into the cells (Figure 1). Treatment of the cells with GPCR ligands stimulates the GIRK channels to open. The resulting K+ efflux out of the cell causes the membrane potential to become more negative and the fluorescent signal to decrease (Figure 1). Thus, drugs that modulate K+ efflux through the GIRK channel can be assayed using a fluorescent plate reader. Unlike other ion channel screening assays, such atomic absorption spectrometry(4) or radiotracer analysis(5), the GIRK channel fluorescent assay provides a fast, real-time and inexpensive screening procedure.