Novel Pathway of Adenosine Generation in the Lungs from NAD+: Relevance to Allergic Airway Disease.

Adenosine and uric acid (UA) play a pivotal role in lung diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In the present experiments, we measured adenosine synthesis from nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) in membranes prepared from wild type (WT) and CD38 knockout (CD38KO) mouse lungs, from cultured airway smooth muscle and epithelial cells, and in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid after airway challenge with epidemiologically relevant allergens. Adenosine was determined using an enzymatically coupled assay that produces ATP and is detected by luminescence. Uric acid was determined by ELISA. Exposure of cultured airway epithelial cells to Alternaria alternata extract caused significant nucleotide (NAD+ and ATP) release in the culture media. The addition of NAD+ to membranes prepared from WT mice resulted in faster generation of adenosine compared to membranes from CD38KO mice. Formation of adenosine from NAD+ affected UA and ATP concentrations, its main downstream molecules. Furthermore, NAD+ and adenosine concentrations in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid decreased significantly following airway challenge with house-dust mite extract in WT but not in CD38KO mice. Thus, NAD+ is a significant source of adenosine and UA in the airways in mouse models of allergic airway disease, and the capacity for their generation from NAD+ is augmented by CD38, a major NADase with high affinity for NAD+. This novel non-canonical NAD+-adenosine-UA pathway that is triggered by allergens has not been previously described in the airways.

Salud familiar en niños con discapacidad intelectual / Family health in children with intellectual disabilities / Saúde da família em crianças com deficiência intelectual

RESUMEN Introducción: El tránsito de la familia por las etapas de ciclo vital tiene eventos que dinamizan la funcionabilidad familiar, tener un hijo diagnosticado con discapacidad intelectual irrumpe la dinámica. Objetivo: Diagnosticar la salud del familiar donde convive un discapacitado intelectual perteneciente a la Escuela Especial "José Antonio Echavarría" del municipio Guantánamo. Método: Se realizó un estudio descriptivo de corte transversal cuanticualitativo, en 45 familias de la Escuela Especial "José Antonio Echavarría" del municipio Guantánamo. Se utilizó el modelo teórico-metodológico de evaluación de la salud familiar que incluyó como instrumentos de evaluación, la prueba de percepción del funcionamiento familiar, inventario de características familiares de riesgo y la matriz familiar. Resultados: Según la ontogénesis de las familias predominaron las ampliadas para un 65,3 %, por la composición y estructura, las medianas, y por el número de generaciones, trigeneracional, para un 45,36 %. Las crisis paranormativas estaban presentes en 66,6 % de las familias al presentar desmembramiento, el 39,8 % por desmoralización, sólo el 4,4 % de las familias fue funcional. Según características familiares de riesgo las variables que más prevalecieron fueron procesos críticos normativos con un 95,5 %, procesos críticos de salud y procesos críticos paranormativos para un 100 %. El cruzamiento de los resultados dió lugar a la matriz de salud familiar. Conclusiones: Se reveló que es más frecuente la presencia de un niño discapacitado en familias disfuncionales, que de manera más común no satisfacen sus funciones.

ABSTRACT Introduction: The family's transit through the stages of the life cycle has events that boost family functionality, having a child diagnosed with intellectual disability breaks the dynamic. Objective: To diagnose the health of the family member where an intellectual disabled person belonging to the Special School "José Antonio Echavarría" of the Guantánamo municipality lives. Method: A descriptive study of a quantitative cross-sectional study was carried out in 45 families of the "José Antonio Echavarría" Special School of the Guantánamo municipality. The theoretical-methodological model of family health evaluation was used, which included as evaluation instruments, the proof of perception of family functioning, inventory of family risk characteristics and the family matrix. Results: According to the ontogenesis of the families, the ones extended by 65.3% predominated, by the composition and structure, the medium ones, and by the number of three-generational generations, for 45.36%. The paranormative crises were present in 66.6% of the families when presenting dismemberment, 39.8% due to demoralization, only 4.4% of the families were functional. According to family risk characteristics, the variables that prevailed most were critical regulatory processes with 95.5%, critical health processes and paranormal regulatory processes for 100%. The crossing of the results gave rise to the family health matrix. Conclusions: It was revealed that the presence of a disabled child is more frequent in dysfunctional families, which more commonly do not fulfill their functions.

RESUMO Introdução: O trânsito da família pelas etapas do ciclo de vida tem eventos que aumentam a funcionalidade da família, tendo um filho com diagnóstico de deficiência intelectual rompe a dinâmica. Objetivo: Diagnosticar a saúde do familiar onde mora uma pessoa com deficiência intelectual pertencente à Escola Especial "José Antonio Echavarría", do município de Guantánamo. Método: Foi realizado um estudo descritivo de um estudo transversal quantitativo em 45 famílias da Escola Especial "José Antonio Echavarría" do município de Guantánamo. Utilizou-se o modelo teórico-metodológico de avaliação em saúde da família, que incluiu como instrumentos de avaliação, a prova de percepção do funcionamento da família, inventário das características de risco familiar e matriz familiar. Resultados: De acordo com a ontogênese das famílias, as ampliadas em 65,3% predominaram, pela composição e estrutura, as médias e pelo número de três gerações geracionais, para 45,36%. As crises paranormativas estavam presentes em 66,6% das famílias quando apresentavam desmembramento, 39,8% devido à desmoralização, apenas 4,4% das famílias eram funcionais. De acordo com as características de risco familiar, as variáveis que mais prevaleceram foram processos regulatórios críticos com 95,5%, processos críticos de saúde e processos reguladores paranormais para 100%. O cruzamento dos resultados deu origem à matriz de saúde da família. Conclusões: Foi revelado que a presença de uma criança com deficiência é mais frequente em famílias disfuncionais, que mais comumente não cumprem suas funções.

Dopamine-Evoked Synaptic Regulation in the Nucleus Accumbens Requires Astrocyte Activity.

Dopamine is involved in physiological processes like learning and memory, motor control and reward, and pathological conditions such as Parkinson's disease and addiction. In contrast to the extensive studies on neurons, astrocyte involvement in dopaminergic signaling remains largely unknown. Using transgenic mice, optogenetics, and pharmacogenetics, we studied the role of astrocytes on the dopaminergic system. We show that in freely behaving mice, astrocytes in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a key reward center in the brain, respond with Ca2+ elevations to synaptically released dopamine, a phenomenon enhanced by amphetamine. In brain slices, synaptically released dopamine increases astrocyte Ca2+, stimulates ATP/adenosine release, and depresses excitatory synaptic transmission through activation of presynaptic A1 receptors. Amphetamine depresses neurotransmission through stimulation of astrocytes and the consequent A1 receptor activation. Furthermore, astrocytes modulate the acute behavioral psychomotor effects of amphetamine. Therefore, astrocytes mediate the dopamine- and amphetamine-induced synaptic regulation, revealing a novel cellular pathway in the brain reward system.

Activity-dependent switch of GABAergic inhibition into glutamatergic excitation in astrocyte-neuron networks.

Interneurons are critical for proper neural network function and can activate Ca2+ signaling in astrocytes. However, the impact of the interneuron-astrocyte signaling into neuronal network operation remains unknown. Using the simplest hippocampal Astrocyte-Neuron network, i.e., GABAergic interneuron, pyramidal neuron, single CA3-CA1 glutamatergic synapse, and astrocytes, we found that interneuron-astrocyte signaling dynamically affected excitatory neurotransmission in an activity- and time-dependent manner, and determined the sign (inhibition vs potentiation) of the GABA-mediated effects. While synaptic inhibition was mediated by GABAA receptors, potentiation involved astrocyte GABAB receptors, astrocytic glutamate release, and presynaptic metabotropic glutamate receptors. Using conditional astrocyte-specific GABAB receptor (Gabbr1) knockout mice, we confirmed the glial source of the interneuron-induced potentiation, and demonstrated the involvement of astrocytes in hippocampal theta and gamma oscillations in vivo. Therefore, astrocytes decode interneuron activity and transform inhibitory into excitatory signals, contributing to the emergence of novel network properties resulting from the interneuron-astrocyte interplay.

Strain-specific regulation of striatal phenotype in Drd2-eGFP BAC transgenic mice.

Mice carrying bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgenes have become important tools for neuroscientists, providing a powerful means of dissecting complex neural circuits in the brain. Recently, it was reported that one popular line of these mice--mice possessing a BAC transgene with a D(2) dopamine receptor (Drd2) promoter construct coupled to an enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) reporter--had abnormal striatal gene expression, physiology, and motor behavior. Unlike most of the work using BAC mice, this interesting study relied upon mice backcrossed on the outbred Swiss Webster (SW) strain that were homozygous for the Drd2-eGFP BAC transgene. The experiments reported here were conducted to determine whether mouse strain or zygosity was a factor in the reported abnormalities. As reported, SW mice were very sensitive to transgene expression. However, in more commonly used inbred strains of mice (C57BL/6, FVB/N) that were hemizygous for the transgene, the Drd2-eGFP BAC transgene did not alter striatal gene expression, physiology, or motor behavior. Thus, the use of inbred strains of mice that are hemizygous for the Drd2 BAC transgene provides a reliable tool for studying basal ganglia function.