Effects of biperiden (cholinergic muscarinic m1/m4 receptor antagonist) on ethanol conditioned place preference in mice.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies suggest that muscarinic cholinergic receptors might act upon the dopamine release in the mesolimbic system and alter drug-reinforcing values related to drug craving. AIMS: We examined the effects of systemic biperiden administration, a muscarinic cholinergic (M1/M4) receptor antagonist, on ethanol (dose of 2 g/Kg) conditioned place preference (CPP), neuronal activation, dopamine and its metabolites levels in the nucleus accumbens. METHODS: Thirty minutes before the ethanol-induced CPP test, mice received saline or biperiden at doses of 1.0, 5.0, or 10.0 mg/kg. The time spent in each compartment was recorded for 15 min. After the CPP protocol, animals were euthanized, and we investigated the activation of the nucleus accumbens by immunohistochemistry for Fos. We also quantified dopamine, homovanillic acid (HVA), and dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) levels in the nucleus accumbens by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Additionally, the rotarod was employed to evaluate the effects of biperiden on motor coordination. RESULTS: Biperiden at different doses (1.0, 5.0, and 10.0 mg/kg) blocked the expression of ethanol-induced CPP. These biperiden doses increased the number of Fos-positive cells and the dopamine turnover in the nucleus accumbens. None of the doses affected the motor coordination evaluated by the rotarod. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that biperiden can modulate the effect of alcohol reward, and its mechanism of action may involve a change in dopamine and cholinergic mesolimbic neurotransmission.

Profile of the Nicotinic Cholinergic Receptor Alpha 7 Subunit Gene Expression is Associated with Response to Varenicline Treatment.

INTRODUCTION: Smoking is considered the leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality worldwide. Studies have sought to identify predictors of response to smoking cessation treatments. The aim of this study was to analyze a possible association of target gene expression for smoking cessation with varenicline. METHODS: We included 74 smokers starting treatment with varenicline. Gene expression analysis was performed through the custom RT² Profiler qPCR array assay, including 17 genes. Times for sample collection were before the start of therapy (T0) and two weeks (T2) and four weeks (T4) after the start of treatment. RESULTS: For gene expression analysis, we selected 14 patients who had success and 13 patients resistant to varenicline treatment. Success was considered to be when a patient achieved tobacco abstinence until the fourth week of treatment and resistant was when a patient had not stopped smoking as of the fourth week of treatment. We observed a significant difference for CHRNA7 gene expression: in the resistant group, samples from T2 and T4 had lower expression compared with T0 (fold change: 0.38, P = 0.007; fold change: 0.67, P = 0.004; respectively). CONCLUSION: This exploratory clinical study, searching for a possible predictor of effectiveness for varenicline, reaffirmed the association of the α7 nAChR subunit for nicotine dependence and smoking therapy effectiveness with varenicline.

Non-HFE hemochromatosis.

Hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) is an autosomal recessive disorder classically related to HFE mutations. However, since 1996, it is known that HFE mutations explain about 80% of HH cases, with the remaining around 20% denominated non-HFE hemochromatosis. Nowadays, four main genes are implicated in the pathophysiology of clinical syndromes classified as non-HFE hemochromatosis: hemojuvelin (HJV, type 2Ajuvenile HH), hepcidin (HAMP, type 2B juvenile HH), transferrin receptor 2 (TFR2, type 3 HH) and ferroportin (SLC40A1, type 4 HH). The aim of this review is to explore molecular, clinical and management aspects of non-HFE hemochromatosis.

Non-HFE hemochromatosis

Hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) is an autosomal recessive disorder classically related to HFE mutations. However, since 1996, it is known that HFE mutations explain about 80% of HH cases, with the remaining around 20% denominated non-HFE hemochromatosis. Nowadays, four main genes are implicated in the pathophysiology of clinical syndromes classified as non-HFE hemochromatosis: hemojuvelin (HJV, type 2Ajuvenile HH), hepcidin (HAMP, type 2B juvenile HH), transferrin receptor 2 (TFR2, type 3 HH) and ferroportin (SLC40A1, type 4 HH). The aim of this review is to explore molecular, clinical and management aspects of non-HFE hemochromatosis.

Ethnicity and arterial stiffness in Brazil.

BACKGROUND: The impact of increased central arterial stiffness as a predictor of morbidity and mortality, independently of other cardiovascular (CV) risk factors, has been established. The main aim of the present work was to investigate the association of ethnicity on arterial stiffness in different ethnic groups from the Brazilian population. METHODS: A total of 1,427 individuals from the general population were randomly selected from the Vitoria City metropolitan area and 588 Amerindians from a native community in Brazil. The ethnicity of the general population was classified by a standard questionnaire as Caucasian descent, African descent, or Mulattos (considered racially mixed subjects). Pulse wave velocity (PWV) was measured with a noninvasive automatic device (Complior, Colson; Garges les Gonesses, France). RESULTS: Hemodynamic data of PWV, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and mean blood pressure (MBP) was higher in African descent individuals than in the other groups (P < 0.001). These results were still observed after adjustment for age and mean arterial pressure (P < 0.001). In addition, studying only normotensive individuals, PWV adjusted levels were higher in African descent individuals, and lower in Amerindians when compared with other ethnic groups (P < 0.01), showing, without the possible confounder effects of time and severity of hypertension or medication use, that PWV is associated with ethnicity in our population. CONCLUSION: The study of different ethnic groups from a highly admixtured population was able to demonstrate an association between ethnicity and arterial stiffness.

Hemocromatose hereditária: associação entre as mutações no gene HFE e o estado de ferro em doadores de sangue e pesquisa de mutações nos genes HFE, HJV, HAMP, TFR2 e SLC40A1 em pacientes com sobrecarga de ferro primária / Hereditary hemochromatosis: relationship between HFE gene mutations and iron status in blood donors and HFE, HJV, HAMP, TFR2 and SLC40A1 gene sequencing in primary iron overload patients

A hemocromatose hereditária é caracterizada pelo aumento da absorção intestinal de ferro, acarretando progressivo acúmulo no organismo. Os objetivos foram: 1- determinar as frequências das mutações p.C282Y, p.H63D e p.S65C no gene HFE e avaliar os efeitos nas concentrações dos parâmetros do ferro em doadores de sangue; 2- pesquisar mutações nos genes: 2.1- HFE, 2.2- HJV e HAMP, 2.3- TFR2 e SLC40A1, em pacientes portadores de sobrecarga de ferro primária. Participaram 542 doadores de sangue provenientes do Hemocentro da Santa Casa de São Paulo. Foram incluídos 51 pacientes que apresentavam saturação de transferrina ≥ 50% (para mulheres) e ≥ 60% (para homens) e ausência de causas secundárias. Os genótipos para as mutações nos genes HFE foram avaliados pela PCR-RFLP. Foi realizado sequenciamento direto bidirecional para cada éxon dos genes, utilizando o sequenciador Genetic Analizer 3500XL®. Nos doadores de sangue, as frequências dos alelos HFE 282Y, HFE 63D e HFE 65C foram 2,1, 13,6 e 0,6%, respectivamente. Os homens que doaram pela primeira vez, portadores do genótipo HFE 282CY, apresentaram maiores valores de saturação de transferrina; e também os portadores dos genótipos HFE 63DD e 63HD apresentaram maiores concentrações de ferritina sérica, em relação aos de genótipo selvagem. Para os pacientes, 72,5% (37/51) apresentaram ao menos 1 alteração no gene HFE e 11 foram identificados como homozigotos para a mutação p.C282Y. Uma mutação não descrita na literatura (p.V256I) foi identificada no gene HFE e a modelagem molecular (análises de ligação e estrutural) detectou que a mutação não reduziu a afinidade entre as proteínas HFE e β2-microglobulina. No sequenciamento dos éxons dos genes HJV e HAMP foram identificadas as alterações já descritas: HJV p.E302K, HJV p.A310G, HJV p.G320V e HAMP p.R59G. Para o gene TFR2, foram identificados 3 polimorfismos já descritos (p.A75V, p.A617A e p.R752H). No gene SLC40A1 foram observados 6 polimorfismos (rs13008848, rs11568351...

Hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) is characterized by increased intestinal iron absorption, which leads to a progressive accumulation of iron in the body. The aims were: 1- to assess the frequency of HFE gene mutations (p.C282Y, p.H63D and p.S65C) and to identify their relationship to iron status in blood donors; 2- to search in primary iron overload patients: 2.1- HFE, 2.2- HJV and HAMP, 2.3- TFR2 and SLC40A1 gene mutations. Blood donors (n=542) were recruited from Hemocentro of Santa Casa Hospital, Sao Paulo, Brazil. The study included 51 patients with transferrin saturation ≥ 50% (women) and ≥ 60% (men) and absence of secondary causes. The genotypes for HFE mutations were evaluated by PCR-RFLP. Subsequent bidirectional sequencing for each gene was performed using the Genetic Analizer sequencer 3500XL®. The frequencies of HFE 282Y, HFE 63D and HFE 65C alleles were 2.1, 13.6 and 0.6% in blood donors, respectively. The first time male donors carrying heterozygous genotype for the p.C282Y mutation had higher transferrin saturation values; and men carrying HFE 63DD and 63HD genotypes had higher serum ferritin concentrations when compared to the wild genotype. Thirtyseven (72.5%) out of the 51 patients presented at least one HFE mutation and 11 were identified as homozygous for the mutation p.C282Y. One novel mutation (p.V256I) in the HFE gene was indentified and molecular modeling (free energy and structural analysis in silico) showed that p.V256I mutation did not reduce the affinity binding between HFE and β2-microglobulin. Sequencing in the HJV and HAMP genes revealed HJV p.E302K, HJV p.A310G, HJV p.G320V and HAMP p.R59G alterations. Sequencing in the TFR2 gene observed 3 polymorphisms (p.A75V, p.A617A e p.R752H); and sequencing in the SLC40A1 gene identified 6 polymorphisms (rs13008848, rs11568351, rs11568345, rs11568344, rs2304704 e rs11568346) and 1 p.G204S non-described mutation. The conclusions were: 1- for blood donors, the presence of HFE 282Y and...