Polymorphisms of the cannabinoid 1 receptor gene and cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis

Cognitive impairment occurs in 45—65% of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The cannabinoid system may potentially be neuroprotective in MS. We examined the relationship between polymorphisms of the CNR1 gene and neuropsychological outcome in MS using a test and confirmatory sample of patients. One hundred and ninety-four MS patients were assessed over five key areas of neuropsychological function, which are most commonly impaired in MS. The first 97 patients formed the test sample. A further confirmatory sample of 97 patients was used to test association found in the test sample. The schedule included: Wisconsin card sorting test 64 version, Rey auditory verbal learning task immediate and delayed scores, controlled oral word association task, judgement of line orientation and symbol digit modalities task. Three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were typed within the CNR1 gene.

For the overall neuropsychological assessment score we used a multiple linear regression model with selected covariates to show that subjects with the AA genotype of the SNP RS1049353 were more impaired (mean -2.47, SD 5.75, P = 0.008, Bonferroni corrected P = 0.024) than the other subjects (mean 0.24, SD 4.24). This was not confirmed when the association was retested in the confirmatory sample.

No associations were identified between these CNR1 variants and cognitive impairment in MS. Multiple Sclerosis 2008; 14: 177—182. http://msj.sagepub.com

Photoproduction of hydrogen from raw starch using a halophilic bacterial community

The bacterial community designated BC1, which originates from night soil treatment sludge, exhibited a strong ability to produce H2 from raw starch in the light in the presence of 3% NaC1. Three halophilic or halotolerant bacterial species, Vibrio fluvialis, Rhodobium marinum, and Proteus vulgaris, were isolated from BC1 and identified. The level of H2 production from starch by coculture of V. fluvialis and R. marinum was nearly equal to that by BC1, indicating that these two strains play roles in starch degradation and H2 production from the degraded products in BC1, respectively. Acetic acid and ethanol, which were detected as the major products of degradation of starch by V. fluvialis in pure culture, seemed to be mainly utilized for H2 production by R. marinum in BC1 and the coculture. However, R. marinum in pure culture could not produce H2 from a synthetic medium containing acetic acid and ethanol, suggesting that V. fluvialis supplied not only substrates but also some unknown factors capable of inducing H2 production from these substrates by R. marinum. A study using the starch-rich microalgae, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Dunaliella tertiolecta, demonstrated that the above coculture could be applied to the production of H2 at high yield from raw starch in an algal biomass.

Prostaglandin-induced eosinopenia in splenectomized rats

PGE1, PGE2, and PGF2alpha over a dose range of 1 to 50 microgram/kg decreased the number of circulating eosinophils in splenectomized rats. Pretreatment with a beta-blocking agent, propranolol, did not alter this effect, but adrenalectomy eliminated it. Anterior hypothalamic destruction also abolished eosinopenia induced by PGE1 and PGF2alpha but not that induced by PGE2.

Serum prostaglandin levels in asthmatic patients

Levels of serum prostaglandins E and F were measured by radioimmunoassay in 40 asthmatic patients and healthy subjects. Levels of both prostaglandins--E and F--were significantly higher in asthmatic patients than in normal control subjects. The prostaglandin F/prostaglandin E ratio was significantly higher in asthmatic patients than in normal control subjects.