Altruism with Social Roots: An Emerging Literature

Revised: 2007-01.-- Published as an article in: Revista Desarrollo y Sociedad (2006), Semestre II, pp. 245-260.

USP1 deubiquitinase: cellular functions, regulatory mechanisms and emerging potential as target in cancer therapy

12 p.

Usage of substances and their dosage regimes in pharmacological animal models of schizophrenia

Background: Contrary to what is generally thought schizophrenia is a very common mental health issue. For this, several animal models are used to assess the illness in order to develop a definitive. The most widely spread paradigm is the use of pharmacological models. Aim: The aim of this review is to display which are the most used insults for the assessment of social behaviour related negative symptoms in animal models as well as to ascertain which is the most adequate regime. Design: Literature review. Methods: PubMed database was used for this article by the search of the indexed “schizophrenia”, “animal models”, “social behaviour” and “negative symptoms” descriptors. With the exception of a single article due to it value this review is based on articles from 10 years onwards. Besides, only clinical trials and reviews written in English or Spanish and that had laboratory rodents as target population were accepted. Results: The studies assessed agree that pharmacological models (specially those regarding the NMDA receptor antagonists) are a valuable means for the experimental investigation of negative symptoms in schizophrenia with the necessity to emphasise that only some negative symptoms (anhedonia and social interaction, mainly) can be experimentally assessed. Conclusions: There is not enough evidence regarding the fours aspects of this review. PCP, Ketamine or MK-801 in sub-acute dosage regimes are currently the most indicated insults to mimic schizophrenic symptoms in rodents, although further research in needed, albeit other substances are valuable as well. (In English language exclusively)

Biochemical biomarkers in samples processed by different methods in Environmental Specimen Banks

In the last decades the creation of new Environmental Specimen Banks (ESB) is increasing due to the necessity of knowing the effects of pollutants in both the environment and human populations. ESBs analyze and store samples in order to understand the effects of chemicals, emerging substances and the environmental changes in biota. For a correct analysis of the effect induced by these variables, there is a need to add biological endpoints, such as biomarkers, to the endpoints based on chemical approaches which have being used until now. It is essential to adapt ESB´s sampling strategies in order to enable scientists to apply new biological methods. The present study was performed to obtain biochemical endpoints from samples stored in the BBEBB (Biscay Bay Environmental Biospecimen Bank) of the Marine Station of Plentzia (PIE - UPV/EHU). The main objective of the present work was to study the variability caused in biochemical biomarkers by different processing methods in mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) from two localities (Plentzia and Arriluze) with different pollution history. It can be concluded that the selected biomarkers (glutathione S-transferase and acetylcholinesterase) can be accurately measured in samples stored for years in the ESBs. The results also allowed the discrimination of both sampling sites. However, in a further step, the threshold levels and baseline values should be characterized for a correct interpretation of the results in relation to the assessment of the ecosystem health status.

Cellular and molecular responses of zebrafish to legacy and emerging pollutants: the specific cases of PAHs and metal oxide nanoparticles

270 p.