ABSTRACT
Range adaptation refers to the representation of a stimulus value based on its relative position in the range of pre-experienced values. Altered range adaptation in value representation may be related to motivation and pleasure (MAP) deficit in schizophrenia (SCZ). This follow-up study examined the relationship between range adaptation performance and MAP symptoms in SCZ patients. We recruited 26 schizophrenia patients and followed them for 1 year. They completed an experimental task for estimating their range adaptation to outcome value (OV) and expected value (EV) at baseline and after 1 year. At baseline, we found a marginally significant and negative correlation between OV adaptation and avolition symptoms in SCZ patients. Moreover, the 1-year change of EV adaptation was significantly and negatively correlated with the change of self-report pleasure experience. Our results suggest that range adaptation may track the variations of MAP symptoms in SCZ.
ABSTRACT
AIM: To investigate the reversal effect of neferine on multidrug resistance in human gastric carcinoma cell line. METHODS: Cells of a human gastric cancer cells line, SGC7901, and its vincristine (VCR) -resistant variant, SGC7901/VCR, were cultivated with or without neferine and/or VCR. The cytotoxic effect of VCR was evaluated by the MTT assay. Cell apoptosis induced by VCR was determined by flow cytometry (FCM). The expression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and a multidrug-resistance-associated protein (MRP) in cells was examined by immunofluorescence and FCM. RESULTS: Neferine at the concentration from 2.5 micromol/L to 10 micromol/L had no cytotoxicity to SGC7901 cells, and its variant SGC7901/VCR cells. The IC50 of VCR against SGC7901 and SGC7901/VCR cells was 0.059 microg/mL and 2.32 microg/mL, respectively, indicating that SGC7901/VCR cells were 39 times more resistant to VCR than its parent SGC7901 cells. After treatment with neferine at concentrations of 2.5, 5 and 10 micromol/L, the IC(50) of VCR to SGC7901/VCR cell line decreased to 0.340, 0.128 and 0.053 microg/mL, respectively, thus, increased the chemosensitivity by 6.8-, 18.1- and 43.8-fold, respectively. SGC7901/VCR cells were apoptosis resistant to VCR. Neferine (2.5, 5 and 10 micromol/L) promoted the VCR-induced apoptosis of SGC7901/VCR cells in a dose-dependent manner. The expressions of P-gp and MRP were strongly positive in SGC7901/VCR cells, which were significantly down-regulated after treatment with neferine (10 micromol/L) for 24 h. CONCLUSION: Neferine reverses multidrug resistance of human gastric carcinoma SGC7901/VCR cells, which may be associated with the down-regulations of P-gp and MRP expression in SGC701/VCR cells.
