Genetic Variations in the Human Cannabinoid Receptor Gene Are Associated with Happiness

Happiness has been viewed as a temporary emotional state (e.g., pleasure) and a relatively stable state of being happy (subjective happiness level). As previous studies demonstrated that individuals with high subjective happiness level rated their current affective states more positively when they experience positive events, these two aspects of happiness are interrelated. According to a recent neuroimaging study, the cytosine to thymine single-nucleotide polymorphism of the human cannabinoid receptor 1 gene is associated with sensitivity to positive emotional stimuli. Thus, we hypothesized that our genetic traits, such as the human cannabinoid receptor 1 genotypes, are closely related to the two aspects of happiness. In Experiment 1, 198 healthy volunteers were used to compare the subjective happiness level between cytosine allele carriers and thymine-thymine carriers of the human cannabinoid receptor 1 gene. In Experiment 2, we used positron emission tomography with 20 healthy participants to compare the brain responses to positive emotional stimuli of cytosine allele carriers to that of thymine-thymine carriers. Compared to thymine-thymine carriers, cytosine allele carriers have a higher subjective happiness level. Regression analysis indicated that the cytosine allele is significantly associated with subjective happiness level. The positive mood after watching a positive film was significantly higher for the cytosine allele carriers compared to the thymine-thymine carriers. Positive emotion-related brain region such as the medial prefrontal cortex was significantly activated when the cytosine allele carriers watched the positive film compared to the thymine-thymine carriers. Thus, the human cannabinoid receptor 1 genotypes are closely related to two aspects of happiness. Compared to thymine-thymine carriers, the cytosine allele carriers of the human cannabinoid receptor 1 gene, who are sensitive to positive emotional stimuli, exhibited greater magnitude positive emotions when they experienced positive events and had a higher subjective happiness level.     

Characterization of the cytoplasmic inclusion bodies of the spleens from patients with adult form Gaucher's disease

The twisted tubular cytoplasmic inclusion bodies were isolated from spleens of four patients with adult form Gaucher's disease. The chemical composition of the CIB (cytoplasmic inclusion bodies) was as follows: proteins, 10%, cholesterol, 10%, phospholipids, 10%, glycolipids, 70%. More than 90% of glycolipids from CIB were glucosylceramide. The structural protein profile of these bodies was examined by SDS-polyacrylamide disc gel electrophoresis on a semimicro-scale (s-PAGE). A similar protein composition which included two glycoproteins was found in all the four cases. The tubular structure of the bodies was changed to a small and round form by the treatment with 1 mM EDTA-Na2 which removed some structural proteins from the bodies. This indicated that some proteins might have an important role in maintaining the tubular structure of CIB.     

Separation of molecular species of glucosylceramide by high performance liquid chromatography of their benzoyl derivatives.

The method of separation of glucosylceramide by HPLC was reported. Glucosylceramide was perbenzoylated and separated on a packed muBondapack C18 column, using methanol as eluting solvent. The pattern obtained by HPLC closely resembled that obtained by GLC of the TMS-glucosylceramide, and reflected the molecular species of fatty acid components. This method is reproducible, and sensitive as GLC. This method also can be used for analysis of higher glycolipids.     

Endogenous sex hormone and estrogen binding activity in thyroid cancer

The reactions of four anti-sex hormone (Estrone, Estradiol, Estriol and Testosterone) antisera were immunohistochemically examined in 109 cancerous and 80 normal and benign thyroid tissues. Four kinds of sex hormones were detected in the tumour cells of 61 cases (56%) of thyroid cancer and in the follicular epithelial cells of 4 cases (5%) of normal and benign thyroid tissues. Among the thyroid cancers, 54 female (61%) and 7 cases in males (33%) were positive for sex hormones. Furthermore, estrogen binding activity was screened histochemically in 36 thyroid tissues of various types, and detected not only in thyroid cancer (6/15 cases), but in normal and benign thyroid tissues (4/21 cases) as well. It was concluded that endogenous estradiol was located in thyroid cancers more frequently in females than in males and that there was estrogen binding activity in the cells of not only thyroid cancers, but also normal and benign thyroid tissues. This is the first report of the demonstration of endogenous sex hormones in thyroid cancer.     

Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Clostridium difficile from Different Sources

A total of 79 Clostridium difficile strains from healthy young and elderly adults, elderly patients without gastrointestinal disease, elderly patients receiving antibiotics without gastrointestinal complications, and elderly patients with antibiotic-associated diarrhea or pseudomembranous colitis were tested for their susceptibilities to 24 antimicrobial agents. All of the 79 strains were inhibited by low concentrations of rifampicin, metronidazole, fusidic acid, vancomycin, ampicillin, and penicillin G. The strains were highly resistant to aminoglycosides, trimethoprim, sulfamethoxazole, nalidixic acid, and cycloserine and often resistant to neomycin, cefoxitin, and cefalexin. Wide variations in the susceptibility of C. difficile strains to erythromycin, clindamycin, lincomycin, chloramphenicol, and tetracycline were found. Strains resistant to erythromycin, clindamycin, and lincomycin were more frequently found among strains isolated from elderly adults than those isolated from young adults, with particularly high frequency among strains isolated from elderly patients receiving antibiotics. None of the 23 strains isolated from healthy young adults was resistant to chloramphenicol. All of the 14 strains resistant to erythromycin, clindamycin, lincomycin, and chloramphenicol were sensitive to tetracycline and all of the 15 strains resistant to erythromycin, clindamycin, lincomycin, and tetracycline were sensitive to chloramphenicol. Only one out of 19 tetracycline-resistant strains was highly toxigenic, whereas 42 (70%) of 60 sensitive strains were highly toxigenic.