Mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum and actin filament behavior after PDT with chloroaluminum phthalocyanine liposomal in HeLa cells

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) for cancer is a therapeutic modality in the treatment of tumors in which visible light is used to activate a photosensitizer. Cell membranes have been identified as an important intracellular target for singlet oxygen produced during the photochemical pathway. This study analyzed the cytotoxicity in specific cellular targets of a photosensitizer used in PDT in vitro. The photosensitizing effects of chloroaluminum phthalocyanine liposomal were studied on the mitochondria, cytoskeleton and endoplasmic reticulum of HeLa cells. Cells were irradiated with a diode laser working at 670 nm, energy density of 4.5 J/cm(2) and power density of 45 mW/cm(2). Fluorescence microscopic analysis of the mitochondria showed changes in membrane potential. After PDT treatment, the cytoskeleton and endoplasmic reticulum presented basic alterations in distribution. The combined effect of AlPHCl liposomal and red light in the HeLa cell line induced photodamage to the mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum and actin filaments in the cytoskeleton. (c) 2008 International Federation for Cell Biology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hyaluronidase Behavior at the Air/Liquid and Air/Lipid Interfaces and Improved Enzymatic Activity by Its Immobilization in a Biomembrane Model

Bovine testicular hyalurphidase (BT-HAase), a tetrameric enzyme responsible for randomly hyaluronic acid, catalytic hydrolysis, was successfully immobilized on Langmuir- Blodgett films prepared with the sodium salt of dihexadacylphosphoric acid, (DHP-Zn(II)) ending with dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine, DPPC. Data of protein, adsorption at the air-liquid interface by means of pendant drop shipe analysis and interaction of the protein with Langmuir monolayers of DPPC, using a Langmuir trough, have provided information. about the conditions to be used in the protein immobilization. The dynamic surface pressure curves obtained from pendant drop experiments for the enzyme in buffer solutions indicate that, within the range of concentration investigated in this study, the enzyme exhibits the largest induction time at 5 mu g L(-1) attributed to diffusion processes. Nevertheless, it seems that, at this concentration, the most probable conformation should be the one which occupies the smallest area at pi -> 0. The surface pressure (pi) area curves obtained for BT-HAase and mixed DPPC- BT-HAase monolayers reveal the presence of the enzyme at the air-lipid interface up to 45 mN m(-1). Tests of enzymatic activity, using hyaluronic acid, HA, as the substrate, showed an increase of activity compared to the homogeneous medium. A simplified model of protein insertion into the lipid matrix is used to explain the obtained results.

Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of schizophrenia and related disorders

Background: The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists is co-ordinating the development of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) in psychiatry, funded under the National Mental Health Strategy (Australia) and the New Zealand Health Funding Authority. This paper presents CPGs for schizophrenia and related disorders. Over the past decade schizophrenia has become more treatable than ever before. A new generation of drug therapies, a renaissance of psychological and psychosocial interventions and a first generation of reform within the specialist mental health system have combined to create an evidence-based climate of realistic optimism. Progressive neuroscientific advances hold out the strong possibility of more definitive biological treatments in the near future. However, this improved potential for better outcomes and quality of life for people with schizophrenia has not been translated into reality in Australia. The efficacy-effectiveness gap is wider for schizophrenia than any other serious medical disorder. Therapeutic nihilism, under-resourcing of services and a stalling of the service reform process, poor morale within specialist mental health services, a lack of broad-based recovery and life support programs, and a climate of tenacious stigma and consequent lack of concern for people with schizophrenia are the contributory causes for this failure to effectively treat. These guidelines therefore tackle only one element in the endeavour to reduce the impact of schizophrenia. They distil the current evidence-base and make recommendations based on the best available knowledge. Method: A comprehensive literature review (1990-2003) was conducted, including all Cochrane schizophrenia reviews and all relevant meta-analyses, and a number of recent international clinical practice guidelines were consulted. A series of drafts were refined by the expert committee and enhanced through a bi-national consultation process. Treatment recommendations: This guideline provides evidence-based recommendations for the management of schizophrenia by treatment type and by phase of illness. The essential features of the guidelines are: (i) Early detection and comprehensive treatment of first episode cases is a priority since the psychosocial and possibly the biological impact of illness can be minimized and outcome improved. An optimistic attitude on the part of health professionals is an essential ingredient from the outset and across all phases of illness. (ii) Comprehensive and sustained intervention should be assured during the initial 3-5 years following diagnosis since course of illness is strongly influenced by what occurs in this 'critical period'. Patients should not have to 'prove chronicity' before they gain consistent access and tenure to specialist mental health services. (iii) Antipsychotic medication is the cornerstone of treatment. These medicines have improved in quality and tolerability, yet should be used cautiously and in a more targeted manner than in the past. The treatment of choice for most patients is now the novel antipsychotic medications because of their superior tolerability and, in particular, the reduced risk of tardive dyskinesia. This is particularly so for the first episode patient where, due to superior tolerability, novel agents are the first, second and third line choice. These novel agents are nevertheless associated with potentially serious medium to long-term side-effects of their own for which patients must be carefully monitored. Conventional antipsychotic medications in low dosage may still have a role in a small proportion of patients, where there has been full remission and good tolerability; however, the indications are shrinking progressively. These principles are now accepted in most developed countries. (vi) Clozapine should be used early in the course, as soon as treatment resistance to at least two antipsychotics has been demonstrated. This usually means incomplete remission of positive symptomatology, but clozapine may also be considered where there are pervasive negative symptoms or significant or persistent suicidal risk is present. (v) Comprehensive psychosocial interventions should be routinely available to all patients and their families, and provided by appropriately trained mental health professionals with time to devote to the task. This includes family interventions, cognitive-behaviour therapy, vocational rehabilitation and other forms of therapy, especially for comorbid conditions, such as substance abuse, depression and anxiety. (vi) The social and cultural environment of people with schizophrenia is an essential arena for intervention. Adequate shelter, financial security, access to meaningful social roles and availability of social support are essential components of recovery and quality of life. (vii) Interventions should be carefully tailored to phase and stage of illness, and to gender and cultural background. (viii) Genuine involvement of consumers and relatives in service development and provision should be standard. (ix) Maintenance of good physical health and prevention and early treatment of serious medical illness has been seriously neglected in the management of schizophrenia, and results in premature death and widespread morbidity. Quality of medical care for people with schizophrenia should be equivalent to the general community standard. (x) General practitioners (GPs)s should always be closely involved in the care of people with schizophrenia. However, this should be truly shared care, and sole care by a GP with minimal or no special Optimal treatment of schizophrenia requires a multidisciplinary team approach with a consultant psychiatrist centrally involved.

Characterization and voltammetric behavior of Pt(y)Mo(z)O(x)/C electrodes prepared by the thermal decomposition of polymeric precursors

Carbon-supported catalysts containing platinum and molybdenum oxide are prepared by thermal decomposition of polymeric precursors. The Pt(y)Mo(z)O(x)/C materials are characterized by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The catalysts present a well-controlled stoichiometry and nanometric particles. Molybdenum is present mainly as the MoO(3) orthorhombic structure, and no Pt alloys are detected. The voltammetric behavior of the electrodes is investigated; a correlation with literature results for PtMo/C catalysts prepared by other methods is established. The formation of soluble species and the aging effect are discussed. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synthesis, characterization and electrochemical behavior of the vanadium pentoxide/cetyl pyridinium chloride hybrid material

In situ and ex situ studies concerning the new hybrid material vanadium pentoxide xerogel in the presence of the cationic surfactant cetyl pyridinium chloride (V(2)O(5)/CPC) are presented. The in situ characterization studies revealed the presence of a lamellar structure for the V(2)O(5)/CPC hybrid material. The intercalation reaction was evidenced on the basis of the increase in the d-spacing as well as the displacement of the infrared bands toward lower energy levels. Electrochemical studies comprising the cyclic voltammetry and the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques showed that the behavior of the hybrid material is considerably influenced by the electrolyte composition. The ion insertion/de-insertion into the V(2)O(5) xerogel structure accompanying the charge transfer process is influenced by the solid-state diffusion process modeled by using the finite-space Warburg element.

Effects of reversible inactivation of the medial septum on rat exploratory behavior in the elevated plus-maze using a test-retest paradigm

The effect of intraseptal injections of lidocaine before a first or a second session in the elevated plus-maze, in a test-retest paradigm, was investigated. In addition to gross session analyses, a minute-by-minute analysis of the sessions was used to evaluate both anxiety and memory. Lidocaine injections before the test session produced increases in the frequency of entries, time spent and distance run in the open arms without affecting activity occurring in the closed arms. During the retest session, saline- and lidocaine-treated rats exhibited increased indices of anxiety and lidocaine-treated rats exhibited decreased closed-arm entries. The minute-by-minute analysis showed a faster decrease in anxiety-related behaviors during the test session by saline- than by lidocaine-treated rats and a significant decrease in closed-arm exploration by saline-treated rats, but not by lidocaine-treated ones. Lidocaine injection before the retest session produced increases in the frequency of entries, time spent and distance run in the open arms in the second session when compared with saline-treated rats. Minute-by-minute analysis showed an increase in the time spent in the open arms by lidocaine animals at the beginning of the retest session in comparison to saline animals and a significant decrease in closed-arm exploration by both groups. These results suggest that inactivation of the medial septum by lidocaine affects the expression of unconditioned and conditioned forms of anxiety in the elevated plus-maze and, in a lesser way, the acquisition and retention of spatial information. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

NEURAL CORRELATES OF SCENT MARKING BEHAVIOR IN C57BL/6J MICE: DETECTION AND RECOGNITION OF A SOCIAL STIMULUS

Mice show urinary scent marking behavior as a form of social communication. Marking to a conspecific stimulus mouse or odor varies with stimulus familiarity, indicating discrimination of novel and familiar animals. This study investigated Fos immunoreactivity in inbred C57BL/6J (C57) males following scent marking behavior in response to detection of a social stimulus, or discrimination between a familiar and an unfamiliar conspecific. In Experiment 1 C57 mice were exposed for four daily trials to an empty chamber; on a test day they were exposed to the same chamber or to a male CD-1 mouse in that chamber. Increased scent marking to the CD-1 mouse was associated with increased Fos-immunoreactive cells in the basolateral amygdala, medial amygdala, and dorsal and ventral premammillary nuclei. In Experiment 2 C57 mice were habituated to a CD-1 male for 4 consecutive days and, on the 5th day, exposed to the same CD-1 male, or to a novel CD-1 male. Mice exposed to a novel CD-1 displayed a significant increase in scent marking compared to their last exposure to the familiar stimulus, indicating discrimination of the novelty of this social stimulus. Marking to the novel stimulus was associated with enhanced activation of several telencephalic, as well as hypothalamic and midbrain, structures in which activation had not been seen in the detection paradigm (Experiment 1). These included medial prefrontal and piriform cortices, and lateral septum; the paraventricular nuclei, ventromedial nuclei, and lateral area of the hypothalamus, and the ventrolateral column of the periaqueductal gray. These data suggest that a circumscribed group of structures largely concerned with olfaction is involved in detection of a conspecific olfactory stimulus, whereas discrimination of a novel vs. a familiar conspecific stimulus engages a wider range of forebrain structures encompassing higher-order processes and potentially providing an interface between cognitions and emotions. (C) 2009 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterization of rat behavior in the elevated plus-maze using a directed graph

The elevated plus-maze is a device widely used to assess rodent anxiety under the effect of several treatments, including pharmacological agents. The animal is placed at the center of the apparatus, which consists of two open arms and two arms enclosed by walls, and the number of entries and duration of stay in each arm are measured for a 5-min exposure period. The effect of an anxiolytic drug is to increase the percentage of time spent and number of entries into the open arms. In this work, we propose a new measure of anxiety levels in the rat submitted to the elevated plus-maze. We represented the spatial structure of the elevated plus-maze in terms of a directed graph and studied the statistics of the rat`s transitions between the nodes of the graph. By counting the number of times each transition is made and ordering them in descending frequency we represented the rat`s behavior in a rank-frequency plot. Our results suggest that the curves obtained under different pharmacological conditions can be well fitted by a power law with an exponent sensitive to both the drug type and the dose used. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characterization of the rat exploratory behavior in the elevated plus-maze with Markov chains

The elevated plus-maze is an animal model of anxiety used to study the effect of different drugs on the behavior of the animal It consists of a plus-shaped maze with two open and two closed arms elevated 50 cm from the floor The standard measures used to characterize exploratory behavior in the elevated plus-maze are the time spent and the number of entries in the open arms In this work we use Markov chains to characterize the exploratory behavior of the rat in the elevated plus-maze under three different conditions normal and under the effects of anxiogenic and anxiolytic drugs The spatial structure of the elevated plus-maze is divided into squares which are associated with states of a Markov chain By counting the frequencies of transitions between states during 5-min sessions in the elevated plus-maze we constructed stochastic matrices for the three conditions studied The stochastic matrices show specific patterns which correspond to the observed behaviors of the rat under the three different conditions For the control group the stochastic matrix shows a clear preference for places in the closed arms This preference is enhanced for the anxiogenic group For the anxiolytic group the stochastic matrix shows a pattern similar to a random walk Our results suggest that Markov chains can be used together with the standard measures to characterize the rat behavior in the elevated plus-maze (C) 2010 Elsevier B V All rights reserved

Choice of macroinvertebrate metrics to evaluate stream conditions in Atlantic Forest, Brazil

The development of biomonitoring programs based on the macroinvertebrate community requires the understanding of species distribution patterns, as well as of the responses of the community to anthropogenic stressors. In this study, 49 metrics were tested as potential means of assessing the condition of 29 first- and second-order streams located in areas of differing types of land use in So Paulo State, Brazil. Of the sampled streams, 15 were in well-preserved regions in the Atlantic Forest, 5 were among sugarcane cultivations, 5 were in areas of pasture, and 4 were among eucalyptus plantations. The metrics were assessed against the following criteria: (1) predictable response to the impact of human activity; (2) highest taxonomic resolution, and (3) operational and theoretical simplicity. We found that 18 metrics were correlated with the environmental and spatial predictors used, and seven of these satisfied the selection criteria and are thus candidates for inclusion in a multimetric system to assess low-order streams in So Paulo State. These metrics are family richness; Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPT) richness; proportion of Megaloptera and Hirudinea; proportion of EPT; Shannon diversity index for genus; and adapted Biological Monitoring Work Party biotic index.

Agonistic behavior and environmental enrichment of cats communally housed in a shelter

Objective-To evaluate the presence of a dominance rank in a group of cats and the relation between agonistic behavior and the use of resources, including environmental enrichment, in these cats. Design-Observational analytic study. Animals-27 neutered cats in a shelter in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Procedures-The cats were video recorded for 4 consecutive days to obtain baseline data. Subsequently, a puzzle feeder was added as an enrichment device every other day over 8 days, for a total of 4 days with enrichment. Cats were also video recorded on these days. All pretreatment and posttreatment agonistic behaviors and interactions with the puzzle feeder were recorded by reviewing the videotapes. Results-143 agonistic encounters were recorded, of which 44 were related to resources and 99 were not. There were insufficient agonistic interactions to determine a dominance rank. Presence or absence of the puzzle feeder did not affect the rate of aggression. There was no significant effect of weight, sex, or coat color on the rate of aggression, and aggressive behavior did not correlate with time spent with the puzzle feeder. Twenty-three of the 27 cats interacted with the puzzle feeder. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-In a stable group of communally housed cats, environmental enrichment did not cause increased aggression as a result of competition for the source of enrichment. Because environmental enrichment increases the opportunity to perform exploratory behaviors, it may improve the welfare of groups of cats maintained long-term in shelters, sanctuaries, or multicat households. (J Am Vet Med Assoc 2011239:796-802)

Book review of: Choice, Behavioural Economics and Addiction Ruby Vuchinich & Nick Heather, eds

The body of work contained in Choice, Behavioural Economics and Addiction is the result of a conference held at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, 2002. The purpose of the conference was to bring together highly accredited international authors in the field of addiction research pertaining to behavioural choice theories. The conference provided a forum where these theories and their empirical implications could be discussed and debated. This book represents the conference proceedings and as such is a combination of journal articles that each relevant author has published plus additional comments from allocated reviewers.

5-HT1A receptors of the lateral septum regulate inhibitory avoidance but not escape behavior in rats

Serotonin in the lateral septum (LS) has been implicated in the modulation of defensive behaviors and in anxiety. However, it is currently unknown whether changes in 5-HT mechanisms in this brain area may selectively affect defensive responses associated with specific subtypes of anxiety disorders recognized in clinical settings. To address this question, we evaluated the effect of the intra-LS injection of the 5-HT1A/7 receptor agonist 8-CH-DPAT (0.6, 3.0, 15.0 nmol) in male Wistar rats exposed to the elevated T-maze animal model of anxiety. This test allows the measurement of two behavioral defensive responses in the same rat: inhibitory avoidance and escape behavior. In clinical terms, these responses have been respectively related to generalized anxiety and panic disorder. The effects of 8-OH-DPAT were compared to those caused by a standard anxiolytic compound, the benzodiazepine receptor agonist midazolam (MDZ, 20 nmol). We also investigated whether the intra-LS injection of the 5-HT1A receptor antagonist WAY-100635 (0.37 nmol) was able to block the effects of 8-OH-DPAT. All animals were also tested in an open field for locomotor activity assessments. Results showed that whereas intra-LS administration of MDZ decreased avoidance latencies, suggesting an anxiolytic action, 8-OH-DPAT caused the opposite effect. Neither drug affected the escape performance. Intra-LS administration of WAY-100635 blocked the anxiogenic effect caused by 8-OH-DPAT. No changes to locomotion were detected in the open field. The data suggests that LS 5-HT1A receptors are involved in the control of inhibitory avoidance behavior and that a failure in this regulatory mechanism may be of importance to the physiopathology of generalized anxiety disorder. (c) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Political Parties and Governors as Determinants of Legislative Behavior in Brazil`s Chamber of Deputies, 1988-2006

This article examines the relative importance of regional and national forces in shaping the behavior of Brazilian legislators at the national level. A widely held view is that national legislators respond to state pressures in making decisions, rather than pressures from the national government. Governors not only can influence national debates but also can determine outcomes by exerting control over their states` legislative delegations. This article examines a dataset of all roll-call votes in the Chamber of Deputies between 1989 and 2006 to isolate and evaluate the impact of local pressures on legislative voting. Spanning the terms of five presidents and five different congresses, the data show that the local influence is weaker than the national on the voting decisions of individual legislators and the voting cohesion of state delegations. Alternative institutional resources allow the central government to counteract the centrifugal pressures of federalism and other institutional influences.