Oral Exposure to Tributyltin Induced Behavioral Abnormality and Oxidative Stress in the Eyes and Brains of Juvenile Japanese Medaka (Oryzias latipes)

The widely used compound tributyltin (TBT), which can be continuously detected in aquatic species and seafood, may induce diverse adverse effects on aquatic organisms. However, little is known regarding the mechanistic links between behavioral abnormality and oxidative stress in different fish tissues in response to oral TBT exposure. Herein, juvenile Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) were orally exposed to TBT at 1 and 10 ng/g-bw/d for four weeks. After exposure, the locomotor activity and social interaction of juvenile medaka were found to be significantly reduced in the 10 ng/g-bw/d TBT-exposed group. Furthermore, the antioxidant biomarkers in different tissues of juvenile medaka showed different levels of sensitivity to TBT exposure. The eye superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities markedly increased in both groups exposed to 1 and 10 ng/g-bw/d TBT, while the eye and brain malondialdehyde (MDA) levels increased in the higher dose group. Furthermore, the eye and brain ATPase activities markedly declined in the 1 ng/g-bw/d TBT-exposed group. A correlation analysis revealed that the decreased locomotor activity and social interaction in medaka were associated with the eye antioxidant enzyme (i.e., SOD and catalase (CAT)) activity and brain oxidative damage level. Thus, our findings suggested that there might be some mechanistic links between the behavioral abnormality induced by TBT exposure and oxidative stress in the eyes and brains of medaka. Thus, our findings indicate that the impacts of oral exposure to TBT should be considered to better assess its risk to the aquatic ecosystem and human health.

Multiple Colonic Radiopaque Foreign Bodies in a 7-Year-Old Child: The Plain Radiographic Features and a Case Report

Foreign bodies are uncommon and may be ingested, inserted into a body cavity or deposited in the body by traumatic or iatrogenic injury. Foreign body ingestion is more common in children with equal incidence in males and females, and has a peak incidence in the ages between six months to three years. This is a case of a seven-year-old male child with behavioral abnormality and long history of ingestion of foreign bodies who presented with abdominal pain and discomfort with passage of hard solid stone like particles in feaces. The patient had a conventional abdominal radiograph that showed multiple radiopaque structures of varying sizes, some of which are clump-like in the peripheral abdomen; the large colon and region of the rectum.

Selegiline alleviates the depressive-like behaviors of methamphetamine withdrawal syndrome through modulating mitochondrial function and energy hemostasis

Background: Methamphetamine (METH) is considered the second most commonly abused drug in the world. There is limited or no evidence concerning the effective treatment of METH withdrawal symptoms, such as depression and anxiety. Mode of action of selegiline (increase of the brain neurotransmitter activity) suggests that it might be useful in METH withdrawal syndrome treatment, being capable of diminishing the preference and depression involved in drug degeneration and addictive activities. Methods: Mice were randomly divided into 10 groups (n= 10): five METH-nondependent groups treated with normal saline intraperitoneal (i.p) for two weeks, to which, from the 15th day, selegiline (10, 20 and 40 mg/kg; i.p) or fluoxetine (5 mg/kg; i.p) was administrated for 10 consecutive days. Other groups injected METH (2 mg/kg, at 12-h intervals) for 14 days. From the 15th day, the 10-day period of METH abstinence started and the above-mentioned doses of selegiline or fluoxetine were injected. Then, the mice were evaluated for depression and biochemical assessments from the 25th day of the study. Results: Our data indicated that post-treatment with selegiline (10-40 mg/kg; i.p) for 10 days reversed METH-induced depressive-like behaviors in the forced swimming test (FST), tail suspension test (TST), and splash test with exerting no effects on the locomotor activity. Furthermore, none of the previously proposed treatments affected the behavioral abnormality in the control animals. Moreover, both selegiline and fluoxetine as standard antidepressant drug, substantially improved the levels of mitochondrial reduced glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), and adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Conclusion: Our findings demonstrated that selegiline produced antidepressant-like effects following METH withdrawal and prevented the mitochondrial dysfunction in the male mice.

Neuroprotective Effects of Danshen Chuanxiongqin Injection Against Ischemic Stroke: Metabolomic Insights by UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS Analysis

The incidence of cerebral ischemic stroke characterized by high mortality is increasing every year. Danshen Chuanxiongqin Injection (DSCXQ), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preparation, is often applied to treat cerebral apoplexy and its related sequelae. However, there is a lack of systematic research on how DSCXQ mediates its protective effects against cerebral ischemia stroke. Metabolomic analysis based on UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS was employed to explore the potential mechanisms of DSCXQ on ischemic stroke induced by transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Pattern analysis and metabolomic profiling, combined by multivariate analysis disclosed that 55 differential metabolites were identified between Sham group and Model group, involving sphingolipid metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis, primary bile acid biosynthesis, pantothenate and CoA synthesis and valine, leucine and isoleucine biosynthesis pathways. DSCXQ could reverse brain metabolic deviations in stroke by significantly upregulating the levels of L-tryptophan, Lyso (18:0/0:0), LPC (18:2), Indole-3-methyl acetate, and downregulating the levels of sphinganine 1-phosphate, L-threonic acid, glutaconic acid and N6,N6,N6-Trimethyl-L-lysine. In our study, we focused on the neuroprotective effects of DSCXQ against neuroinflammatory responses and neuronal apoptosis on a stroke model based on sphingolipid metabolism. The expressions of Sphk1, S1PR1, CD62P, Bcl-2, Bax, and cleaved Caspase-3 in brain tissue were evaluated. The neurological deficit, cerebral infarct size and behavioral abnormality were estimated. Results showed that DSCXQ intervention significantly reduced cerebral infarct size, ameliorated behavioral abnormality, inhibited the expression of Sphk1, S1PR1, CD62P, Bax, Cleaved Caspase-3, while increased the level of Bcl-2, and prevented neuronal apoptosis. The limitations are that our study mainly focused on the verification of sphingolipid metabolism pathway in stroke, and while other metabolic pathways left unverified. Our study indicates that SphK1-SIP axis may potentiate neuroinflammatory responses and mediate brain damage through neuronal apoptosis, and DSCXQ could suppress the activity of SphK1-SIP axis to protect brain tissue in cerebral ischemia. In conclusion, this study facilitates our understanding of metabolic changes in ischemia stroke and the underlying mechanisms related to the clinical application of DSCXQ.

Genetic mechanism of ASD-related monogenetic diseases

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a series of neurodevelopmental disorders presented as behavioral abnormality such as problems with social, communication, and repetitive behaviors. There are four ASD-related monogenetic diseases worthy of analysis: fragile X syndrome, PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome, tuberous sclerosis complex, and Rett syndrome. These four monogenetic diseases are respectively caused by one gene and have something in common in phenotype while also have their unique features. All of them have been related to the same pathway: phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate kinase (PI3K) / protein kinase B (PKB or Akt) / mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway, which plays a primary role in many physiological processes on a cellular level. Nowadays, there is no cure for these monogenetic diseases, thus much remains to be done to find ways to treat patients with the diseases mentioned above.

A 12-year-old boy presented with jaundice, abdominal distension and leg edema

This article has no abstract. The first 100 words appear below: A 12-year-old immunized boy, 3rd issue of consanguineous parents, presented with jaundice for the last 4 months and gradual abdominal distension for last 2 months. Mother also mentioned the swelling of both ankles for the same duration. He had anorexia, nausea and generalized weakness. There was no history of previous jaundice, blood transfusion, surgical procedure, history of taking offending drugs, no family history of liver disease, deterioration of school performance or neuropsychiatric manifestations, bleeding manifestations, behavioral abnormality, altered consciousness or convulsion.