The use of therapeutic interventions to reduce crowding-related arousal: A preliminary investigation

1979 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 219-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert A. Karlin ◽  
Sally Katz ◽  
Yakov M. Epstein ◽  
Robert L. Woolfolk
Author(s):  
R.P. Apkarian ◽  
J.S. Sanfilippo

The synthetic androgen danazol, is an isoxazol derivative of ethisterone. It is utilized in the treatment of endometriosis, fibrocystic breast disease, and has a potential use as a contraceptive. A study was designed to evaluate the ultrastructural changes associated with danazol therapy in a rat model. The preliminary investigation of the distal segment of the rat uterine horn was undertaken as part of a larger study intended to elucidate the effects of danazol on the female reproductive tract.Cross-sections (2-3 mm in length) of the distal segment of the uterine horn from sixteen Sprague-Dawley rats were prepared for SEM. Ten rats in estrus served as controls and six danazol treated rats were noted to have alterations of the estrus cycle i.e. a lag in cycle phase or noncycling patterns. Specimens were fixed in 3% glutaraldehyde in 0.05M phosphate buffer containing CaCl2 at pH 7.0-7.4 and chilled to 4°C. After a brief wash in distilled water, specimens were passed through a graded series of ethanol, critical point dryed in CO2 from absolute ethanol, and coated with 6nm Au. Observations were made with an IS1-40 SEM operated at 15kV.


Author(s):  
Becky Jackson

Preliminary investigation has indicated similarity in hepatic ultrastructural morphology in nutritional deprivation, and cyanide induced hepatic necrosis. Analysis of hepatic tissue has indicated disruption of intracellular membranes, specifically, reduction in rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) mitochondrial integrity, and glycogen stores. An increase in smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) portion was observed.To further investigate the apparent equivalence of necrotic morphology, ultrastructura1ly, BDF1 mice were subjected to senescence, nutritional deprevation, potassium cyanide (KCN) induced toxemia, and acetaminophen induced toxemia. Controls were utilized to ellucidate non-necrotic hepatocellular normals. U1trastructura1 investigation of controls (Fig. 1) shows densely granular RER, abundant glycogen stores, and morphologically normal mitochondria. Subjects with acetaminophen induced necrosis exhibit reduced normal RER with increased levels of dialated, vesicular RER in apparent conversion to SER (Fig. 2), loss of mitochondrial integrity, and glycogen store reduction. Senescent subjects exhibit a pronounced increase in SER and loss of glycogen store. (Fig. 3). Investigation of the senescent SER at high magnification (Fig. 5) indicates that the SER is arising from degranulating and vesiculating RER.


Author(s):  
Richard L. Klein ◽  
Åsa K. Thureson-Klein ◽  
Harihara M. Mehendale

KeponeR (decachlorooctahydro-1,3,4-metheno-2H-cyclobuta[cd]pentalen-2-one) is an insecticide effective against ants and roaches. It can cause severe toxicity in fishes, birds, rodents and man. Prominent effects include hepatic lipid deposition and hypertrophy, impairment of reproductive capacity and neurological disorders. Mitochondrial oligomycin-sensitive Mg2+-ATPase is also inhibited. The present study is a preliminary investigation of tissue ultrastructural changes accompanying physiological signs of acute toxicity, which after two days treatment include: pronounced hypersensitivity and tremor, various degrees of anorexia and adipsia, and decreased weight gain.Three different series of adult male Sprague-Dawley rats (Charles River or CD-I) were treated by intubation with Kepone in corn oil at a dose of 50 mg per kg for 3 successive days or at 200 ppm in food for 8 days. After ether anesthesia, rats were immediately perfused via a cannula in the left ventricle with 4% p-formaldehyde and 0.5% glutaraldehyde in Millonig's phosphate buffer at pH 7.2 for 20-30 min at 22°C.


2003 ◽  
Vol 70 ◽  
pp. 201-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hideaki Nagase ◽  
Keith Brew

The tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) are endogenous inhibitors of the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), enzymes that play central roles in the degradation of extracellular matrix components. The balance between MMPs and TIMPs is important in the maintenance of tissues, and its disruption affects tissue homoeostasis. Four related TIMPs (TIMP-1 to TIMP-4) can each form a complex with MMPs in a 1:1 stoichiometry with high affinity, but their inhibitory activities towards different MMPs are not particularly selective. The three-dimensional structures of TIMP-MMP complexes reveal that TIMPs have an extended ridge structure that slots into the active site of MMPs. Mutation of three separate residues in the ridge, at positions 2, 4 and 68 in the amino acid sequence of the N-terminal inhibitory domain of TIMP-1 (N-TIMP-1), separately and in combination has produced N-TIMP-1 variants with higher binding affinity and specificity for individual MMPs. TIMP-3 is unique in that it inhibits not only MMPs, but also several ADAM (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase) and ADAMTS (ADAM with thrombospondin motifs) metalloproteinases. Inhibition of the latter groups of metalloproteinases, as exemplified with ADAMTS-4 (aggrecanase 1), requires additional structural elements in TIMP-3 that have not yet been identified. Knowledge of the structural basis of the inhibitory action of TIMPs will facilitate the design of selective TIMP variants for investigating the biological roles of specific MMPs and for developing therapeutic interventions for MMP-associated diseases.


2020 ◽  
Vol 134 (17) ◽  
pp. 2243-2262
Author(s):  
Danlin Liu ◽  
Gavin Richardson ◽  
Fehmi M. Benli ◽  
Catherine Park ◽  
João V. de Souza ◽  
...  

Abstract In the elderly population, pathological inflammation has been associated with ageing-associated diseases. The term ‘inflammageing’, which was used for the first time by Franceschi and co-workers in 2000, is associated with the chronic, low-grade, subclinical inflammatory processes coupled to biological ageing. The source of these inflammatory processes is debated. The senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) has been proposed as the main origin of inflammageing. The SASP is characterised by the release of inflammatory cytokines, elevated activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, altered regulation of acetylcholine (ACh) nicotinic receptors, and abnormal NAD+ metabolism. Therefore, SASP may be ‘druggable’ by small molecule therapeutics targeting those emerging molecular targets. It has been shown that inflammageing is a hallmark of various cardiovascular diseases, including atherosclerosis, hypertension, and adverse cardiac remodelling. Therefore, the pathomechanism involving SASP activation via the NLRP3 inflammasome; modulation of NLRP3 via α7 nicotinic ACh receptors; and modulation by senolytics targeting other proteins have gained a lot of interest within cardiovascular research and drug development communities. In this review, which offers a unique view from both clinical and preclinical target-based drug discovery perspectives, we have focused on cardiovascular inflammageing and its molecular mechanisms. We have outlined the mechanistic links between inflammageing, SASP, interleukin (IL)-1β, NLRP3 inflammasome, nicotinic ACh receptors, and molecular targets of senolytic drugs in the context of cardiovascular diseases. We have addressed the ‘druggability’ of NLRP3 and nicotinic α7 receptors by small molecules, as these proteins represent novel and exciting targets for therapeutic interventions targeting inflammageing in the cardiovascular system and beyond.


Crisis ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Jacqueline M. Frei ◽  
Vladimir Sazhin ◽  
Melissa Fick ◽  
Keong Yap

Abstract. Psychiatric hospitalization can cause significant distress for patients. Research has shown that to cope with the stress, patients sometimes resort to self-harm. Given the paucity of research on self-harm among psychiatric inpatients, a better understanding of transdiagnostic processes as predictors of self-harm during psychiatric hospitalization is needed. The current study examined whether coping styles predicted self-harm after controlling for commonly associated factors, such as age, gender, and borderline personality disorder. Participants were 72 patients (mean age = 39.32 years, SD = 12.29, 64% male) admitted for inpatient treatment at a public psychiatric hospital in Sydney, Australia. Participants completed self-report measures of coping styles and ward-specific coping behaviors, including self-harm, in relation to coping with the stress of acute hospitalization. Results showed that younger age, diagnosis of borderline personality disorder, and higher emotion-oriented coping were associated with self-harm. After controlling for age and borderline personality disorder, higher levels of emotion-oriented coping were found to be a significant predictor of self-harm. Findings were partially consistent with hypotheses; emotion-oriented but not avoidance-oriented coping significantly predicted self-harm. This finding may help to identify and provide psychiatric inpatients who are at risk of self-harm with appropriate therapeutic interventions.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document