Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells: classification, function and clinical implications.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The discovery of a new class of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) revealed their superior role for various nonvisual biological functions, including the pupil light reflex, and circadian photoentrainment. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent works have identified and characterized several anatomically and functionally distinct ipRGC subtypes and have added strong new evidence for the accessory role of ipRGCs in the visual system in humans. SUMMARY: This review summarizes current concepts related to ipRGC morphology, central connections and behavioural functions and highlights recent studies having clinical relevance to ipRGCs. Clinical implications of the melanopsin system are widespread, particularly as related to chronobiology.

Notch regulation of lymphocyte development and function.

Notch proteins regulate a broad spectrum of cell fate decisions and differentiation processes during fetal and postnatal development. Mammals have four Notch receptors that bind five different ligands. The function of Notch signaling during lymphopoiesis and T cell neoplasia, based on gain-of-function and conditional loss-of-function approaches for the Notch1 receptor, indicates Notch1 is essential in T cell lineage commitment. Recent studies have addressed the involvement of other Notch receptors and ligands as well as their downstream targets, demonstrating additional functions of Notch signaling in embryonic hematopoiesis, intrathymic T cell development, B cell development and peripheral T cell function.

MELANGES littéraires et généalogiques.

Contient : Lettre de Mlle de Seine (corrigez de Soins) à Mrs de l'Académie française, de Bruxelles, le 7 mars 1735, signée ; « De Seine, femme de Quinaut du Fresne. » ; « Principes de Déisme, ou examen des livres attribués à Moyse » ; Lettre de Louis d'Orléans, [duc de Chartres] à l'abbé Sallier (s. d.) ; Quatre lettres de Balzac à [René de Voyer] d'Argenson (26 décembre 1645-1er mai 1653) ; Lettre d'un prince hindou en faveur des négociants français (s. d.) ; Ordre donné par Gaston d'Orléans au gouverneur de la Bastille de tirer sur les troupes royales (2 juillet 1662) ; original (fac. sim. dans La Bibliothèque nationale, t. I, p. 104 ; Lettre de Voiture [au prince de Condé] (s. d.) ; Analyse de l'indult donné par Paul III au cardinal Charles de Lorraine, le 20 mai 1543 ; « Manière de se servir des pièces artificielles de l'organe de l'ouïe et de la vue faites par le sr Mastiani, médecin sicilien » (incomplet de la fin) ; « Extrait d'un mémoire remis à la Porte par le comte de Bonneval, par ordre du Sultan, le 4 février 1741. » ; Remarques sur la régence de Philippe, duc d'Orléans ; Note sur un ms. du Roman de Rou copié par A. Duchesne [collection Duchesne, t. 79] ; Note sur Jean le Bon, considéré comme protecteur des lettres ; Note, en italien, sur une pierre gravée à légende grecque (avec un dessin de la pierre) ; Notes sur les présidents des enquêtes et des requêtes du Parlement de Paris ; Notice des privilèges concédés par Gaston, comte de Foix, aux seigneurs de Loos (1376), en béarnais ; copie authentique de 1577 ; Bulle de Sixte IV pour l'église de Notre-Dame-de-Noyon (7 octobre 1474) ; Notice historique sur la ville de Cambrai ; Note historique sur la ville d'Auxerre, et récit des dévastations des Calvinistes dans ladite ville et aux environs ; Généalogie de la maison de Pons-Saint-Maurice, tirée du cabinet de Clairambault ; Généalogie de la famille Boucherat ; Note sur les droits de l'Université de Paris à la foire du Lendit ; Lettre de Colbert à Mazarin (26 juillet 1653) ; Notes sur la généalogie de la maison de Noailles, parmi lesquelles (f. 175) une notice autographe de Du Bouchet sur Antoine de Noailles (1520-1563) et (f. 179) une lettre de M. de Gordon-Mirabel [à Baluze] (28 juin 1716) ; Généalogie de la famille de Salagnat ; Notice sur les origines de la famille Séguier, de la main de Du Bouchet ; Lettres de Bertrand, évêque de la Sabine (1354) et bulle de Grégoire XIII (11 janvier 1573), extraites des archives du chapitre de Rodez ; Généalogie de la famille de Bonneval ; placard imprimé, et notes diverses sur l'histoire de cette famille ; Inventaire de titres concernant Nogent-le-Rotrou (1102-1401) ; Notice sur Jean de Selve (+ 1529), et notes sur l'histoire de sa famille ; Lettre de Gilles La Carry, S. J., au cardinal de Bouillon (Clermont en Auvergne, 7 juillet 1678), accompagnant une mémoire du même sur les anciens comtes de Bourges et d'Auvergne ; Mémoire sur les cartulaires de l'église de Brioude ; Lettres de Jean, comte de Boulogne et d'Auvergne, portant fondation de divers anniversaires en la chapelle de Vic-le-Comte, d'après une inscription de la dite chapelle, copie de 1703 ; Notes sur diverses pièces à produire pour la généalogie de M. de Noailles ; Deux lettres de Guillaume de Saint-Laurent à Baluze (avriljuillet 1698) ; Lettre d'Alexandre IV à saint Louis, en faveur de l'église de Brioude (5 août 1259) ; Notices de donations faites à l'église de Clermont ; Généalogie de la famille de l'Estang ; Extrait du testament de Guillaume de Chanac, patriarche d'Alexandrie, envoyé à Mabillon, et notes diverses sur ce personnage et la famille de Chanac ; Inventaire des titres concernant la maison de Licques (1455-1712) ; Volumes de la Byzantine existant à la bibliothèque du « Metoque » [à Constantinople] ; Notes sur le texte de Platon ; Extraits des archives de Montauban concernant Arnaud, patriarche d'Alexandrie ; Généalogie de la maison de Jugé ; Lettre de A. de la Forestie à M. de Jugé, « secrétaire de la Chambre du roy » (Bordeaux, 13 janvier 1596) ; original ; Lettres royaux nommant Sébastien de Jugé en l'office de secrétaire de la Chambre du roi (31 décembre 1580) ; Trois lettres de M. Duverdier à Baluze (Tulle, 20 mai 1694-14 avril 1695) ; Factum pour M. Pierre de la Garde, contre Jeanne de Bivezac et Marie de Cosnac, imprimé de 4 pages in-8° ; Notice de titres concernant la famille Dixmier (1492-1707) ; Lettre de Jean, évêque d'Aix, à Blanche, veuve de Philippe de Valois [1387] ; Généalogie de la famille Fouchier de Sainte-Fortunade ; Testament de Gui de Maillesec, évêque de Preneste (12 septembre 1407) ; Testament de Pierre de B[enac,] cardinal-prêtre du titre de Saint-Laurent in Damaso ; Lettre de J. Collin à Baluze, lui annonçant l'envoi du document précédent (Limoges, 16 mars 1660) ; Note sur la famille Roux ; Bulle de Clément pour Manuel de Puget (9 août 1349) ; Extrait d'un catalogue des évêques de Chartres ; Testament du cadinal Guillaume Godin (1335) ; Deux lettres de Jean-Baptiste Fradilhon à Baluze (26 août 1694-5 janvier 1695) ; Lettre de R[ené] Ouvrard à Baluze (Tours, 1er mars 1690) ; Notes généalogiques diverses, en particulier sur la famille de Selve ; Tablettes de cire, papyrus et chartes, planches gravées, extraites du Nouveau traité de diplomatique, des Benédictins

Documents et pièces diverses, en majeure partie originaux, conservés jadis dans le TRESOR DES CHARTES DE LORRAINE. — Nombreux sceaux. — Voy. l'analyse détaillée de la plupart de ces pièces dans l'Inventaire de Dufourny (Bibl. nat., ms. fr. 4880-4886 ; Bibl. de Nancy, mss. 754-765). On ne relève ici que les pièces qui n'y figurent pas. LXXXVIII — Portefeuille-layette 44 b (1403-1496)

Contient : Vidimus (1497) des lettres de Marguerite, duchesse de Bourgogne, portant réception de l'hommage de Ferry, comte de Vaudémont, pour une rente sur le tonlieu de Damme (Arras, 22 novembre 1404) ; Affranchissement accordé par Marguerite de Joinville, comtesse de Vaudémont, à Geoffroy Parmentier et à Jeannette, sa femme, demeurant à Vézelise (1415) ; Lettres d'Antoine de Lorraine au duc de Bar, au sujet de déprédations commises dans la terre de Montiers-sur-Saulx (Vézelise, 1430) ; Déclaration de Philippe le Bon, duc de Bourgogne, concernant la mise en liberté de prisonniers faits depuis la trève, conclue sur sa médiation entre le duc de Bar et le comte de Vaudémont (1432) ; Lettres de Charles VII au comte Antoine (1443) ; Lettres du roi René au même (1435-1437) ; Lettres de la duchesse Isabelle au même (1435) ; « Instrument de Joffroi Bouquin, pour un accort fait à Condet-sur-Muselle, le xxije jour d'aoust l'an lxij, entre Pierre de Moncelz et le dit Joffroi pour ma dame, et messire Jehan de Saulmez pour monseigneur le duc de Bar » (28 mars 1363 ; n° 91 de la layette Traités III) ; Lettres du roi René portant don à Ferry II, comte de Vaudémont, du montant de l'imposition de 16 fl. par feu dans les seigneuries possédées par le dit Ferry en Provence (Angers, 27 décembre 1467) ; Vidimus (1477) des lettres du roi René, concédant la seigneurie de Beaufrémont au comte de Vaudémont (Marseille, 13 avril 1470) ; Mandement du roi René pour le paiement des gages de René, comte de Vaudémont, nommé gouverneur d'Anjou (Aix, 7 février 1473) ; Instructions données à Jean de Saint-Amadour et Huyn Roynette, lieutenant de Nancy, pour une mission auprès du roi (XVe siècle)

Canakinumab for the treatment of acute flares in difficult-to-treat gouty arthritis: Results of a multicenter, phase II, dose-ranging study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and tolerability of canakinumab, a fully human anti-interleukin-1β monoclonal antibody, for the treatment of acute gouty arthritis. METHODS: In this 8-week, single-blind, double-dummy, dose-ranging study, patients with acute gouty arthritis whose disease was refractory to or who had contraindications to nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs and/or colchicine were randomized to receive a single subcutaneous dose of canakinumab (10, 25, 50, 90, or 150 mg; n = 143) or an intramuscular dose of triamcinolone acetonide (40 mg; n = 57). Patients assessed pain using a 100-mm visual analog scale. RESULTS: Seventy-two hours after treatment, a statistically significant dose response was observed for canakinumab. All canakinumab doses were associated with numerically less pain than triamcinolone acetonide; thus, a dose with equivalent efficacy to triamcinolone acetonide 72 hours after treatment could not be determined. The reduction from baseline in pain intensity with canakinumab 150 mg was greater than with triamcinolone acetonide 24, 48, and 72 hours after treatment (differences of -11.5 mm [P = 0.04], -18.2 mm [P = 0.002], and -19.2 mm [P < 0.001], respectively), and 4, 5, and 7 days after treatment (all P < 0.05). Canakinumab significantly reduced the risk of recurrent flares versus triamcinolone acetonide (P ≤ 0.01 for all doses) (relative risk reduction 94% for canakinumab 150 mg versus triamcinolone acetonide). The overall incidence of adverse events was similar for canakinumab (41%) and triamcinolone acetonide (42%); most were mild or moderate in severity. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that canakinumab 150 mg provides rapid and sustained pain relief in patients with acute gouty arthritis, and significantly reduces the risk of recurrent flares compared with triamcinolone acetonide.

Calcium-sensing receptors modulate renin release in vivo and in vitro in the rat.

OBJECTIVES: Calcium-sensing receptors (CaSRs) have been localized in the juxtaglomerular apparatus where they may contribute to the regulation of renin release. In the present study, we investigated the in-vitro and in-vivo effects of the calcimimetic R-568 on renin release. METHODS: In vitro, the effect of calcimimetics on renin release was assessed by incubating freshly isolated rat juxtaglomerular cells with or without R-568 (1 and 10 mumol/l) in serum-free medium in the presence or absence of forskolin or CaCl2. In vivo, we measured the impact of R-568 (20 ng/min intravenously) on the acute changes in plasma renin activity (PRA) induced by either a 90 min infusion of the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor captopril, or the beta-receptor agonist isoproterenol, or of a vehicle in or after a furosemide challenge in conscious Wistar rats. RESULTS: In vitro, R-568 dose-dependently blunted renin release, but also reduced the increase in renin due to forskolin (P < 0.01). Both isoproterenol and enalapril increased in vivo PRA to 3.1 +/- 0.3 and 3.7 +/- 0.5 ng Ang I/ml per h, respectively (P < 0.01), compared with vehicle (1.5 +/- 0.2 ng Ang I/ml per h). R-568 significantly reduced PRA to 2.1 +/- 0.1 ng/ml per h in isoproterenol-treated rats and to 1.6 +/- 0.2 ng/ml per h in enalapril-treated rats (P < 0.05). In low-salt treated animals, acute infusion of furosemide increased PRA from 8.7 +/- 3.2 to 18.6 +/- 2.3, whereas R-568 partially blunted this rise to 11.2 +/- 1.5 (P = 0.02). In vivo, R-568 significantly lowered serum calcium and PTH1-84, but the drug-induced changes in PRA were independent of the changes in calcium and parathyroid hormone. CONCLUSION: After the recent discovery of CaSRs in juxtaglomerular cells of mice, our results confirm the presence of such receptors in rats and demonstrate that these receptors modulate renin release both in vitro and in vivo. This suggests that CaSRs play a role as a regulatory pathway of renin release.

Efficient T cell activation requires an optimal dwell-time of interaction between the TCR and the pMHC complex.

Cytotoxic T cell (CTL) activation by antigen requires the specific detection of peptide-major histocompatibility class I (pMHC) molecules on the target-cell surface by the T cell receptor (TCR). We examined the effect of mutations in the antigen-binding site of a Kb-restricted TCR on T cell activation, antigen binding and dissociation from antigen.These parameters were also examined for variants derived from a Kd-restricted peptide that was recognized by a CTL clone. Using these two independent systems, we show that T cell activation can be impaired by mutations that either decrease or increase the binding half-life of the TCR-pMHC interaction. Our data indicate that efficient T cell activation occurs within an optimal dwell-time range of TCR-pMHC interaction. This restricted dwell-time range is consistent with the exclusion of either extremely low or high affinity T cells from the expanded population during immune responses.

Role of the glyoxalase system in astrocyte-mediated neuroprotection.

The glyoxalase system is the most important pathway for the detoxification of methylglyoxal (MG), a highly reactive dicarbonyl compound mainly formed as a by-product of glycolysis. MG is a major precursor of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which are associated with several neurodegenerative disorders. Although the neurotoxic effects of MG and AGEs are well characterized, little is known about the glyoxalase system in the brain, in particular with regards to its activity in different neural cell types. Results of the present study reveal that both enzymes composing the glyoxalase system [glyoxalase-1 (Glo-1) and Glo-2] were highly expressed in primary mouse astrocytes compared with neurons, which translated into higher enzymatic activity rates in astrocytes (9.9- and 2.5-fold, respectively). The presence of a highly efficient glyoxalase system in astrocytes was associated with lower accumulation of AGEs compared with neurons (as assessed by Western blotting), a sixfold greater resistance to MG toxicity, and the capacity to protect neurons against MG in a coculture system. In addition, Glo-1 downregulation using RNA interference strategies resulted in a loss of viability in neurons, but not in astrocytes. Finally, stimulation of neuronal glycolysis via lentiviral-mediated overexpression of 6-phosphofructose-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase-3 resulted in increased MG levels and MG-modified proteins. Since MG is largely produced through glycolysis, this suggests that the poor capacity of neurons to upregulate their glycolytic flux as compared with astrocytes may be related to weaker defense mechanisms against MG toxicity. Accordingly, the neuroenergetic specialization taking place between these two cell types may serve as a protective mechanism against MG-induced neurotoxicity.

International Olympic Committee consensus statement on thermoregulatory and altitude challenges for high-level athletes.

Challenging environmental conditions, including heat and humidity, cold, and altitude, pose particular risks to the health of Olympic and other high-level athletes. As a further commitment to athlete safety, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Medical Commission convened a panel of experts to review the scientific evidence base, reach consensus, and underscore practical safety guidelines and new research priorities regarding the unique environmental challenges Olympic and other international-level athletes face. For non-aquatic events, external thermal load is dependent on ambient temperature, humidity, wind speed and solar radiation, while clothing and protective gear can measurably increase thermal strain and prompt premature fatigue. In swimmers, body heat loss is the direct result of convection at a rate that is proportional to the effective water velocity around the swimmer and the temperature difference between the skin and the water. Other cold exposure and conditions, such as during Alpine skiing, biathlon and other sliding sports, facilitate body heat transfer to the environment, potentially leading to hypothermia and/or frostbite; although metabolic heat production during these activities usually increases well above the rate of body heat loss, and protective clothing and limited exposure time in certain events reduces these clinical risks as well. Most athletic events are held at altitudes that pose little to no health risks; and training exposures are typically brief and well-tolerated. While these and other environment-related threats to performance and safety can be lessened or averted by implementing a variety of individual and event preventative measures, more research and evidence-based guidelines and recommendations are needed. In the mean time, the IOC Medical Commission and International Sport Federations have implemented new guidelines and taken additional steps to mitigate risk even further.

Brain dynamics underlying training-induced improvement in suppressing inappropriate action.

Inhibitory control, a core component of executive functions, refers to our ability to suppress intended or ongoing cognitive or motor processes. Mostly based on Go/NoGo paradigms, a considerable amount of literature reports that inhibitory control of responses to "NoGo" stimuli is mediated by top-down mechanisms manifesting ∼200 ms after stimulus onset within frontoparietal networks. However, whether inhibitory functions in humans can be trained and the supporting neurophysiological mechanisms remain unresolved. We addressed these issues by contrasting auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) to left-lateralized "Go" and right NoGo stimuli recorded at the beginning versus the end of 30 min of active auditory spatial Go/NoGo training, as well as during passive listening of the same stimuli before versus after the training session, generating two separate 2 × 2 within-subject designs. Training improved Go/NoGo proficiency. Response times to Go stimuli decreased. During active training, AEPs to NoGo, but not Go, stimuli modulated topographically with training 61-104 ms after stimulus onset, indicative of changes in the underlying brain network. Source estimations revealed that this modulation followed from decreased activity within left parietal cortices, which in turn predicted the extent of behavioral improvement. During passive listening, in contrast, effects were limited to topographic modulations of AEPs in response to Go stimuli over the 31-81 ms interval, mediated by decreased right anterior temporoparietal activity. We discuss our results in terms of the development of an automatic and bottom-up form of inhibitory control with training and a differential effect of Go/NoGo training during active executive control versus passive listening conditions.

Therapeutic strategies to improve control of hypertension.

Blood pressure is poorly controlled in most European countries and the control rate is even lower in high-risk patients such as patients with chronic kidney disease, diabetic patients or previous coronary heart disease. Several factors have been associated with poor control, some of which involve the characteristic of the patients themselves, such as socioeconomic factors, or unsuitable life-styles, other factors related to hypertension or to associated comorbidity, but there are also factors directly associated with antihypertensive therapy, mainly involving adherence problems, therapeutic inertia and therapeutic strategies unsuited to difficult-to-control hypertensive patients.It is common knowledge that only 30% of hypertensive patients can be controlled using monotherapy; all the rest require a combination of two or more antihypertensive drugs, and this can be a barrier to good adherence and log-term persistence in patients who also often need to use other drugs, such as antidiabetic agents, statins or antiplatelet agents. The fixed combinations of three antihypertensive agents currently available can facilitate long-term control of these patients in clinical practice. If well tolerated, a long-term therapeutic regimen that includes a diuretic, an ACE inhibitor or an angiotensin receptor blocker, and a calcium channel blocker is the recommended optimal triple therapy.