Inter-individual, hemispheric and sex variability of brain activations during numerosity processing

Numerosity perception is a fundamental and innate cognitive function shared by both humans and many animal species. Previous research has primarily focused on exploring the spatial and functional consistency of neural activations that were associated with the processing of numerosity information. However, the inter-individual variability of brain activations of numerosity perception remains unclear. In the present study, with a large-sample functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) dataset (n = 460), we aimed to localize the functional regions related to numerosity perceptions and explore the inter-individual, hemispheric, and sex differences within these brain regions. Fifteen subject-specific activated regions, including the anterior intraparietal sulcus (aIPS), posterior intraparietal sulcus (pIPS), insula, inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), inferior temporal gyrus (ITG), premotor area (PM), middle occipital gyrus (MOG) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), were delineated in each individual and then used to create a functional probabilistic atlas to quantify individual variability in brain activations of numerosity processing. Though the activation percentages of most regions were higher than 60%, the intersections of most regions across individuals were considerably lower, falling below 50%, indicating substantial variations in brain activations related to numerosity processing among individuals. Furthermore, significant hemispheric and sex differences in activation location, extent, and magnitude were also found in these regions. Most activated regions in the right hemisphere had larger activation volumes and activation magnitudes, and were located more lateral and anterior than their counterparts in the left hemisphere. In addition, in most of these regions, males displayed stronger activations than females. Our findings demonstrate large inter-individual, hemispheric, and sex differences in brain activations related to numerosity processing, and our probabilistic atlas can serve as a robust functional and spatial reference for mapping the numerosity-related neural networks.

[Peripheral blood KCNMA1 methylation level is associated with the occurrence and progression of lung cancer]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the association of KCNMA1 gene methylation levels in peripheral blood with lung cancer.

METHODS

The methylation levels of 4 CpG sites in KCNMA1 gene were quantitatively detected in 285 patients with lung cancer, 186 age- and sex-matched patients with benign pulmonary nodules and 278 matched healthy control subjects using mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). The association of KCNMA1 methylation levels with lung cancer was analyzed using logistic regression models adjusted for covariates. The KCNMA1 methylation levels in different subgroups of lung cancer patients were compared using Mann-Whitney U test.

RESULTS

In subjects over 55 years and in female subjects, the highest quartile (Q4) vs the lowest quartile (Q1) of KCNMA1_CpG_5 methylation levels were significantly correlated with lung cancer (for subjects over 55 years: OR=2.60, 95% CI: 1.25-5.41, P=0.011; for female subjects: OR=2.09, 95% CI: 1.03?4.26, P=0.042). From Q2 to Q4 of KCNMA1_CpG_5 methylation levels, their correlation with lung cancer became gradually stronger (P=0.003 and 0.038, respectively). In male subjects, the OR of Q4 of KCNMA1_CpG_5 methylation levels was 0.35 in patients with lung cancer as compared with patients with benign nodules (95% CI: 0.16-0.79, P=0.012). KCNMA1_CpG_3 methylation level was significantly lower in invasive adenocarcinoma than in noninvasive adenocarcinoma (P=0.028), and that of KCNMA1_CpG_1 was significantly higher in patients with larger tumors (T2-4) than in those with smaller tumors (T1) (P=0.021).

CONCLUSION

The change of peripheral blood KCNMA1 methylation level is correlated with the occurrence and development of lung cancer.

Potential biomarkers and lncRNA-mRNA regulatory networks in invasive growth hormone-secreting pituitary adenomas

PURPOSE

Growth hormone-secreting pituitary adenomas (GH-PAs) are common subtypes of functional PAs. Invasive GH-PAs play a key role in restricting poor outcomes. The transcriptional changes in GH-PAs were evaluated.

METHODS

In this study, the transcriptome analysis of six different GH-PA samples was performed. The functional roles, co-regulatory network, and chromosome location of differentially expressed (DE) genes in invasive GH-PAs were explored.

RESULTS

Bioinformatic analysis revealed 101 DE mRNAs and 70 DE long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) between invasive and non-invasive GH-PAs. Functional enrichment analysis showed that epithelial cell differentiation and development pathways were suppressed in invasive GH-PAs, whereas the pathways of olfactory transduction, retinol metabolism, drug metabolism-cytochrome P450, and metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome P450 had an active trend. In the protein-protein interaction network, 11 main communities were characterized by cell- adhesion, -motility, and -cycle; transport process; phosphorus and hormone metabolic processes. The SGK1 gene was suggested to play a role in the invasiveness of GH-PAs. Furthermore, the up-regulated genes OR51B6, OR52E4, OR52E8, OR52E6, OR52N2, MAGEA6, MAGEC1, ST8SIA6-AS1, and the down-regulated genes GAD1-AS1 and SPINT1-AS1 were identified in the competing endogenous RNA network. The RT-qPCR results further supported the aberrant expression of those genes. Finally, the enrichment of DE genes in chromosome 11p15 and 12p13 regions were detected.

CONCLUSION

Our findings provide a new perspective for studies evaluating the underlying mechanism of invasive GH-PAs.

Surgical treatment of pacemaker induced left innominate vein occlusion using a spiral vein graft

Superior vena cava syndrome due to transvenous pacing leads is an uncommon but potentially life-threatening complication. This case involves a 54-year-old man who developed left innominate vein occlusion due to a pacemaker lead. This complication induced a progressive swelling on the left side of his face, neck, arm, and upper chest. The left innominate vein occlusion was surgically treated using a composite spiral saphenous vein graft. Postoperatively, the patient has received anticoagulation therapy with warfarin to prevent thrombosis and, thereby, the long-term patency of the graft. He has undergone follow-up on a regular outpatient basis without showing any recurrence of clinical symptoms.

Intravesical immunotoxin as adjuvant therapy to prevent the recurrence of bladder cancer

OBJECTIVE

To assess the intravesical application of immunotoxin as adjuvant therapy to prevent recurrence after tumor resection in bladder cancer patients.

METHODS

An anti-human immunotoxin against bladder carcinoma, BDI-1-RT, was prepared and its in vitro targeting cytotoxicity estimated. The immunoreactivity of BDI-1-RT with human bladder cancer tissue of different grades and stages was detected by immunohistochemical analysis. After safety test, intravesical administration of BDI-1-RT was performed in 31 patients while mitomycin C (MMC) was used in 36 patients serving as a control group. The recurrence rates and side effects in both groups were recorded. In addition, the development of human anti-mouse antibodies (HAMA) was determined by ELISA, to assess the potential safety of this immunotoxin.

RESULTS

In our study, BDI-1-RT had immunoreactivity with 81.6% of bladder transitional cell carcinomas. The immunoreactivity of BDI-1-RT correlated with tumor grade. High-grade carcinoma had stronger staining than low-grade (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the BDI-1-RT group (10%) and MMC group (19.3%) in recurrence rate (P > 0.05). Side effects, including systemic and local, were more frequent in the MMC group (11 of 36 patients versus 2 of 31, P < 0.05). HAMA was not detected in any of 7 patients.

CONCLUSION

Immunotoxin may have considerable potential in the prophylaxis of bladder transition cell carcinoma.

Effect of major histocompatibility complex expression on murine intestinal graft survival

BACKGROUND

Clinical intestinal transplantation has been plagued by frequent and severe graft rejection. It has been proposed that the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens might play a critical role in this process owing to their extensive expression on enterocytes and mucosa-associated immune cells.

METHODS

The present study examined the role of MHC antigens in intestinal graft rejection using MHC class I-deficient and MHC class II-deficient donors.

RESULTS

Grafts with normal MHC expression were rejected by 9 days, whereas survival was prolonged to 14 days in the MHC class II-deficient grafts (P=NS) and to 20 days in the MHC I-deficient grafts (P<0.002). In all groups, early rejection was characterized by (1) increased crypt cell apoptosis, as detected by the terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) technique of in situ labeling; and (2) the increased expression of perforin and a CD8 phenotype in the graft-infiltrating cells.

CONCLUSIONS

These data suggest that MHC antigens, CD8-positive T cells, and perforin-expressing cells contribute to intestinal graft rejection. Apoptosis of the progenitor epithelial crypt cells during early intestinal rejection may impair the gut's ability to regenerate and repair mucosal damage.

Differential regulation of expression of rat hippocampal muscarinic receptor subtypes following fimbria-fornix lesion

Quantitative RNase protection assays were performed to determine the levels of muscarinic receptor subtype (m1-m5) mRNAs in rat hippocampi. Results showed that the m1, m3, and m4 subtype mRNAs were expressed at relatively high levels, but the levels of the m2 and m5 subtype were very low. Three weeks following aspiration lesions of the fimbria-fornix to produce cholinergic denervation of the hippocampus, non-M1 receptors (non-pirenzepine displaceable [3H]quinuclindinyl benzilate binding sites) in the hippocampus were increased significantly, which correlated with increases in the levels of hippocampal m3 and m4 receptor mRNAs (m3: +24% and m4: +41%). These findings indicate that multiple muscarinic receptor subtypes are expressed in the hippocampus with the m3 and m4 subtypes predominantly postsynaptic to the septohippocampal cholinergic terminals.

Bone morphogenetic proteins promote astroglial lineage commitment by mammalian subventricular zone progenitor cells

The epigenetic signals that regulate lineage development in the embryonic mammalian brain are poorly understood. Here we demonstrate that a specific subclass of the transforming growth factor beta superfamily, the bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), cause the selective, dose-dependent elaboration of the astroglial lineage from murine embryonic subventricular zone (SVZ) multipotent progenitor cells. The astroglial inductive effect is characterized by enhanced morphological complexity and expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein, with concurrent suppression of neuronal and oligodendroglial cell fates. SVZ progenitor cells express transcripts for the appropriate BMP-specific type I and II receptor subunits and selective BMP ligands, suggesting the presence of paracrine or autocrine developmental signaling pathways (or both). These observations suggest that the BMPs have a selective role in determining the cell fate of SVZ multipotent progenitor cells or their more developmentally restricted progeny.

Cytokines regulate the cellular phenotype of developing neural lineage species

The patterns and mechanisms of action of inductive signals that orchestrate neural lineage commitment and differentiation in the mammalian brain are incompletely understood. To examine these developmental issues, we have utilized several culture systems including conditionally immortalized cell lines, subventricular zone progenitor cells and primary neuronal cultures. A neural stem and progenitor cell line (MK31) was established from murine embryonic hippocampus by retroviral transduction of temperature-sensitive alleles of the simian virus 40 large tumor antigen. At the non-permissive temperature for antigen expression (39 degrees C) in serum-free media, the neural stem cells give rise to a series of increasingly mature neuronal progenitor and differentiated cellular forms under the influence of a subset of hematolymphopoietic cytokines (interleukins 5, 7, 9 and 11), when individually co-applied with transforming growth factor alpha, after pretreatment with basic fibroblast growth factor. These cellular forms elaborated a series of progressively more mature neurofilament proteins, a sequential pattern of ligand-gated channels, and inward currents and generation of action potentials with mature physiological properties. Because the factors regulating the development of central nervous system astrocytes have been so difficult to define, we have chosen to focus, in this manuscript, on the elaboration of this cell type. At 39 degrees C, application of a subfamily of bone morphogenetic proteins of the transforming growth factor beta superfamily of growth factors sanctioned the selective expression of astrocytic progenitor cells and mature astrocytes, as defined by sequential elaboration of the Yb subunit of glutathione-S-transferase and glial fibrillary acidic protein. These lineage-specific cytokine inductive relationships were verified using subventricular zone neural progenitor cells generated by the application of epidermal growth factor, alone or in combination with basic fibroblast growth factor, to dissociated cellular cultures derived from early embryonic murine brain, a normal non-transformed developmental population. Finally, application of a different series of cytokines from five distinct factor classes (basic fibroblast growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor-AA, insulin-like growth factor 1, neurotrophin 3 and representative gp130 receptor subunit-related ligands) caused the elaboration of oligodendroglial progenitor species and post-mitotic oligodendrocytes, defined by progressive morphological maturation and the expression of increasingly advanced oligodendroglial and oligodendrocyte lineage markers. In addition, seven different gp130-associated neuropoietic (ciliary neurotrophic factor, leukemia inhibitory factor, oncostatin-M) and hematopoietic (interleukins 6, 11, 12, granulocyte-colony stimulating factor) cytokines exhibited differential trophic effects on oligodendroglial lineage maturation and factor class interactions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

mRNAs encoding muscarinic and substance P receptors in cultured sympathetic neurons are differentially regulated by LIF or CNTF

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) have previously been shown to regulate neuronal choice of neurotransmitter. In this present study, these factors were shown to specifically and differentially regulate levels of both muscarinic (subtypes m1, m2, m3, m4, and m5) and substance P receptor (SPR) mRNAs in sympathetic neurons of the rat superior cervical ganglion (SCG) using solution hybridization/RNase protection analysis. In vivo, neonatal rat SCG expressed predominantly m2 (10.31 +/- 0.43 pg mRNA/micrograms total RNA) and some m1 (1.54 +/- 0.84 pg/microgram) muscarinic receptor mRNA, which increased developmentally to adult levels (m2 mRNA levels being 60% higher than those in neonates). By contrast, m3, m4, and m5 subtype mRNAs were much less abundant at all time points measured. A similar developmental regulation was found in dissociated SCG neurons in vitro. After 16 days in culture, m2 mRNA increased 334% to 15.76 +/- 0.68 pg/microgram, while m1 mRNA changed little (2.03 +/- 1.00 pg/microgram). However, LIF or CNTF treatment (5 ng/ml, 14 days) in sister cultures completely blocked this developmental increase. Further, LIF treatment blocked the normal muscarinic receptor-mediated increase in intracellular calcium (fura-2 imaging), indicating a functional change in receptor phenotype. By contrast, levels of SPR mRNA, which were low in untreated cultures (0.037 +/- 0.025 pg SPR mRNA/microgram total RNA), were elevated by LIF or CNTF treatment, to 0.866 +/- 0.034 pg/microgram and 0.662 +/- 0.148 pg/microgram, respectively. These observations indicate that muscarinic and SPR receptor expression are differentially regulated by the same factors in SCG neurons and that neuronal choice of receptor phenotype may be, at least in part, specifically regulated by cytokines/growth factors in the cellular milieu.

Reduction in muscarinic receptors by antisense oligodeoxynucleotide

Treatment of rat superior cervical ganglion cells in culture for 4 days with an antisense oligodeoxynucleotide corresponding to a partial sequence of the mRNA coding the m1 muscarinic receptor decreased m1 receptor mRNA by 64% without affecting m2 receptor mRNA. [3H]Pirenzepine binding to M1 receptors was decreased by 43%. Intraventricular infusion of this antisense oligodeoxynucleotide reduced muscarinic receptor density in M1 but not M2 receptor-rich brain regions.

[Antiarrhythmic effect of Oenanthe javanica (Bl.) DC. injection]

The antiarrhythmic effect of Shuiqin (Oenanthe javanica) injection was studied in rats. An injection of 3 ml/kg iv could significantly antagonize the arrhythmias induced by aconitine and BaCl2, and decrease the rates of ventricular fibrillation and death induced by CaCl2. The results suggest that Shuqin injection has a significant antiarrhythmic effect on experimental rats.