Identification of Oocyte-Specific Diva-Associated Proteins using Mass Spectrometry / 대한불임학회지

OBJECTIVE: We previously described that Diva is highly expressed in matured metaphase II (MII) oocytes compared to immature germinal vesicle (GV) oocytes in mouse.1 We report here that the expression of Diva transcript as well as protein is oocyte-specific. To elucidate its physiological role in oocyte, the binding partner(s) of Diva has been identified by using immunoprecipitation (IP) followed by Mass Spectrometry. METHODS: NIH/3T3 cells were transiently transfected for 24 h with either empty vector for control or FLAG-tagged mouse Diva construct, and IP was performed with anti-FLAG antibody. The immuno-isolated complexes were resolved by SDS-PAGE on a 12% gel followed by Coomassie Blue staining. For in-gel digestion, 15 bands of interest were excised manually and digested with trypsin. All mass spectra were acquired at a positive reflector mode by a 4700 Proteomics Analyzer (Applied Biosystems, Framingham, MA). Proteins were identified by searching the NCBI nonredundant database using MASCOT Peptide Mass Fingerprint software (Matrixscience, London). RESULTS: Diva-associated complexes were formed in FLAG-tagged mouse Diva-overexpressed NIH/3T3 cells via IP using anti-FLAG-conjugated beads. Among the excised 15 bands, actin and actin-binding proteins such as tropomyosin, tropomodulin 3, and alpha-actinin were identified. Binding between Diva and actin or tropomyosin was confirmed by IP followed by Western blot analysis. Both bindings were also detected endogenously in mouse ovaries, indicating that Diva works with actin and tropomyosin. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report that immuno-isolated Diva-associated complexes are related to actin filament of the cytoskeletal system. When we consider the association of Diva with actin and tropomyosin, oocyte-specific Diva may play a role in modulating the cytoskeletal system during oocyte maturation.

Menstrual Resumption after Switching from Risperidone to Quetiapine Treatment: Case Series / 대한정신약물학회지

INTRODUCTION: Hyperprolactinemia is associated with gonadal dysfunction, infertility and an increased risk of long-term complications including osteoporosis. METHODS: This is observational study investigating the effectiveness of a switching strategy using quetiapine in 13 women with schizophrenia who were suffering from risperidone-induced amenorrhea. We tried to identify duration of amenorrhea before change of medications into quetiapine, menstrual resumption lead time, baseline serum prolactin level, and the prolactin level right after menstrual resumption. And we used spearman correlation as non-parametric analysis tool. As antipsychotics were changed from risperidone to quetiapine, all participants showed lowered prolactin level and resumed menstruation. RESULTS: Prolactin levels were changed from baseline 98.98+/-56.66 ng/ml to 14.76+/-19.83 ng/ml right after menstrual resumption. The average time taken for resuming the menstruation was 26.31+/-12.22 days. There was a significant correlation between the average time taken for menstruation resumption and baseline prolactin level, but we couldn't find a correlation between baseline prolactin levels and duration of amenorrhea, and between changed prolactin levels and duration of amenorrhea. 3 of 13 patients underwent aggravation of psychiatric symptoms after risperidone was changed into quetiapine. CONCLUSION: Quetiapine was useful for the purpose of menstrual resumption. However, clinicians need to consider the relative merits of changing the antipsychotic drugs in patients who are already symptomatically stable but experiencing the menstrual irregularities.

A Case of Hemiballism-Hemichorea Movement Disorder / 신경정신의학

Hemiballism-hemichorea is a rare movement disorder that presents unilateral flinging movements of the limbs. Recent studies pointed non-ketotic hyperglycemia as an underlying cause of this movement disorder. We report an elderly women with irregular, involuntary movement of the limbs after her uncontrolled diabetes mellitus was successfully managed by the control of glucose level. Characteristic magnetic resonance imaging findings and the management of this condition were discussed.

Estrogen Effects and Mechanism of Action in the Central Nervous System / 대한정신약물학회지

Estrogens have diverse effects on the CNS throughout the lifespan and do so via multiple mechanisms involving both genomic and non-genomic receptors. Estrogens affect not only the hypothalamus but also catecholamine, serotonin, acetylcholine and dopamine system including hippocampus, nigrostriatal, and glial cells. These systems are involved in a variety of estrogen actions on mood, locomotor activity, pain sensitivity, and cognition. Estrogens act primarily by classic genomic mechanisms through intracellular receptors to modulate transcription and protein synthesis. Estrogens also act via second messenger such as cAMP regulation, MAP kinase regulation and calcium homeostasis. These actions may be related to non-genomic receptors, the membrane-binding receptors, which are not well identified. Furthermore estrogens act as potent neuroprotective and neurotrophic factors by estrogen receptor dependent and independent mechanisms. There are some supports that estrogens are helpful for mood disturbance in reproductive-related conditions. Also inconsistent effects of estrogens on mood and cognitive functions associated with the postmenopause, Alzheimer's disease, and neurotrauma are reported. Based upon diversity of region and molecular mechanism of action of estrogens in the brain, much more research is required to establish guideline for using estrogen as a potential antidepressant, cognitive enhancer, and neuroprotective agent in the clinical practice of psychiatry.

Vulnerability to Minor Stressful Events in Young Women with Premenstrual Syndrome / 신경정신의학

PURPOSE: Although numerous etiological models of premenstrual syndrome(PMS) such as the biochemical, hormonal, psychosocial models have been proposed, there is no consistent conclusion. Especially, in psychosocial model, state-dependent changes in the perception of stressors according to menstrual cycle phases was suggested for PMS. In this study, we investigated relationship between menstrual cycle and daily minor stressors in young women, and vulnerability to minor stressors in young women with PMS. METHODS: 46 female college students completed modified daily rating form(DRF) of premenstrual symptoms which based on DSM-IV criteria for PMDD, and daily stress inventory(DSI) during at least one menstrual cycle. If the mean score of at least one DRF item during premenstrual phase were more than 3 on 6 point scale and 30% increase in symptom severity during premenstrual phase compared with during postmenstrual phase, they were referred as PMS group(N=20), and the others as non-PMS group(N=26). The event, impact, and impact/event ratio scores of DSI were compared in two groups. Data were analyzed by analysis of variance with repeated measure ANOVA. And post hoc simple; repeated contrast test were performed when indicated by significant repeated measure ANOVA. RESULTS: In all subjects, the event and the impact scores in premenstrual and menstrual phases were significantly higher than in postmenstrual phase. Among the DSI categories, the impact scores of interpersonal problem and cognitive stressors in premenstrual and menstrual phases were significantly higher than in postmenstrual phase. In PMS group, there was a significant difference between premenstrual and postmenstrual phase in the impact score but not in the event score, and the event and the impact scores were significantly increased in menstrual phase than postmenstrual phase. In non-PMS group, the event and the impact scores in premenstrual and menstrual phases were significantly higher than in postmenstrual phase. There was no significant difference in the impact/event ratio scores in both groups. Between the PMS and non-PMS group, there was significant difference in the impact/event ratio scores in premenstrual phase, but not in the event score and the impact scores at any phase. CONCLUSION: Young women may experience more daily minor stressors and may be impacted more severely in premenstrual and menstrual phases than in postmenstrual phase. In premenstrual phase, the young women with PMS are likely to have more vulnerability to daily minor stressors than controls. Further studies using larger sample size with varied age are required.