Immunomodulatory Effects Mediated by Dopamine.

Dopamine (DA), a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system (CNS), has modulatory functions at the systemic level. The peripheral and central nervous systems have independent dopaminergic system (DAS) that share mechanisms and molecular machinery. In the past century, experimental evidence has accumulated on the proteins knowledge that is involved in the synthesis, reuptake, and transportation of DA in leukocytes and the differential expression of the D1-like (D1R and D5R) and D2-like receptors (D2R, D3R, and D4R). The expression of these components depends on the state of cellular activation and the concentration and time of exposure to DA. Receptors that are expressed in leukocytes are linked to signaling pathways that are mediated by changes in cAMP concentration, which in turn triggers changes in phenotype and cellular function. According to the leukocyte lineage, the effects of DA are associated with such processes as respiratory burst, cytokine and antibody secretion, chemotaxis, apoptosis, and cytotoxicity. In clinical conditions such as schizophrenia, Parkinson disease, Tourette syndrome, and multiple sclerosis (MS), there are evident alterations during immune responses in leukocytes, in which changes in DA receptor density have been observed. Several groups have proposed that these findings are useful in establishing clinical status and clinical markers.

Immunomodulation and anti-inflammatory effects of garlic compounds.

The benefits of garlic to health have been proclaimed for centuries; however, only recently have Allium sativum and its derivatives been proposed as promising candidates for maintaining the homeostasis of the immune system. The complex biochemistry of garlic makes it possible for variations in processing to yield different preparations with differences in final composition and compound proportion. In this review, we assess the most recent experimental results, which indicate that garlic appears to enhance the functioning of the immune system by stimulating certain cell types, such as macrophages, lymphocytes, natural killer (NK) cells, dendritic cells, and eosinophils, by mechanisms including modulation of cytokine secretion, immunoglobulin production, phagocytosis, and macrophage activation. Finally, because immune dysfunction plays an important role in the development and progress of several diseases, we critically examined immunoregulation by garlic extracts and compounds isolated, which can contribute to the treatment and prevention of pathologies such as obesity, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disorders, gastric ulcer, and even cancer. We concluded that A. sativum modulates cytokine secretion and that such modulation may provide a mechanism of action for many of their therapeutic effects.

Procesamiento de la música en el primer episodio de trastorno depresivo mayor sin tratamiento / Music processing in major depressive disorder first episode without treatment

El propósito de este estudio fue registrar diferencias durante la audición de dos tipos diferentes de música en pacientes con Trastorno Depresivo Mayor (TDM), comparados con sujetos sanos, mediante imagen por resonancia magnética funcional (IRMf). La actividad cerebral con estímulos musicales ha sido investigada ampliamente en sujetos sanos, pero son escasos los estudios del procesamiento de la música en estados de patología mental, particularmente en el TDM. Los estudios en esta área interdisciplinaria proveen una nueva perspectiva de investigación para explorar los sustratos neurobiológicos del TDM. Participaron 20 sujetos de sexo masculino: 10 pacientes con TDM (34 ± 7 años) y 10 sujetos control (33 ± 7 años). Los pacientes se seleccionaron en el servicio de pre-consulta del Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz (INPRFM) de la Ciudad de México, y los sujetos control entre los trabajadores del propio Instituto que respondieron a la invitación. Todos los participantes contestaron, con fines de confirmar el diagnóstico, las escalas de ansiedad y depresión de Hamilton, los inventarios de Beck para ansiedad y depresión y el SCL-90-R. A los pacientes se les aplicó además el MINI-mental test. Para la IRMf se usó un equipo Philips Achieva de tres Teslas en el INPRFM, el análisis se hizo con el formato SPM2 usando el sistema MRIcro. Los estímulos experimentales fueron una obra musical de JS Bach validada como tranquila y otra de J Prodromidès validada como inquietante. Los resultados muestran diferencias tanto entre los grupos de sujetos como entre los tipos de música: en todos los casos se activó el área parahipocampal, la cola del núcleo caudado y la corteza temporal auditiva. Concluimos que el procesamiento neurobiológico de la música es afectado por el TDM. Se discuten las implicaciones clínicas y cognoscitivas de estos hallazgos.

The purpose of this study is the assessment of the differences in brain activity when patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) listen to two different types of music, with healthy subjects as control, by using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Brain activity in musical stimuli with healthy subjects has been investigated extensively, but there are few neurobiologic music studies in mental illness, particularly in MDD. Studies in this area provide a new perspective on interdisciplinary research to explore the neurobiological substrates of MDD. This study involved 20 male subjects: 10 patients (34 ± 7 years), and 10 control subjects (33 ± 7 years). The MDD :atients were selected in the pre-consultation service of the National Institute of :sychiatry Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz (IN:RFM) of Mexico City, and control subjects were selected among workers of the Institute who responded to the invitation. All participants completed the Hamilton scales for anxiety and depression, Beck inventories for depression and anxiety and, the SCL-90-R. The Mini-Mental State Examination test was also administered to patients for diagnostic purposes. The fMRI was obtained by Philips Achieva 3-Tesla in the INPRF; the analysis was done using S:M2 format MRIcro system. The experimental stimuli were two pieces of music: one by JS Bach validated as quiet and another one by J Prodromidès validated as disturbing. Results show differences between both groups of subjects and between types of music. In all cases, the parahippocampal area, the tail of the caudate nucleus and the auditory temporal cortex were activated. The neurobiological processing of music is affected by MDD. We discuss the clinical and cognitive implications of these findings.