Lifetime prevalence of mental disorders in Lebanon: first onset, treatment, and exposure to war

Background

There are no published data on national lifetime prevalence and treatment of mental disorders in the Arab region. Furthermore, the effect of war on first onset of disorders has not been addressed previously on a national level, especially in the Arab region. Thus, the current study aims at investigating the lifetime prevalence, treatment, age of onset of mental disorders, and their relationship to war in Lebanon.

Methods and Findings

The Lebanese Evaluation of the Burden of Ailments and Needs Of the Nation study was carried out on a nationally representative sample of the Lebanese population (n = 2,857 adults). Respondents were interviewed using the fully structured WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview 3.0. Lifetime prevalence of any Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV) disorder was 25.8%. Anxiety (16.7%) and mood (12.6%) were more common than impulse control (4.4%) and substance (2.2%) disorders. Only a minority of people with any mental disorder ever received professional treatment, with substantial delays (6 to 28 y) between the onset of disorders and onset of treatment. War exposure increased the risk of first onset of anxiety (odds ratio [OR] 5.92, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.5–14.1), mood (OR 3.32, 95% CI 2.0–5.6), and impulse control disorders (OR 12.72, 95% CI 4.5–35.7).

Conclusions

About one-fourth of the sample (25.8%) met criteria for at least one of the DSM-IV disorders at some point in their lives. There is a substantial unmet need for early identification and treatment. Exposure to war events increases the odds of first onset of mental disorders.     

In vitro spermicidal activity of peptides from amphibian skin: dermaseptin S4 and derivatives

Sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancies present a great risk to the reproductive health of women. Therefore, female-controlled vaginal products directed toward disease prevention and contraception are needed urgently. In the present study, efforts were made to evaluate the contraceptive potency of dermaseptin DS4, an antimicrobial peptide derived from frog skin. To assess the structure-activity relationship between the native DS4 and its derivatives, a set of chemically modified peptides was synthesized and evaluated. Normal human semen samples were used to detect the spermicidal activity of the new compounds. HeLa cultures were used to determine the safety of compounds toward their toxicity. Fluorescent-binding assays were performed to evaluate the rapidity and the irreversibility of the sperm-immobilizing activity of peptides. All DS4 derivatives elicited concentration-dependent spermicidal activity at microgram concentrations (EC(100) values: 25 microg/ml-l mg/ml). The order was K4S4=S4a>S4>K4S4(1-16)a>S4(6-28). In cytotoxicity assay, some compounds were found to be significantly safer than nonoxynol-9, the most widely used spermicide, and their activity was not accompanied by total loss of plasma membrane integrity as detected by fluorescent microscopy. Our data also show that increasing the number of positive charges of the peptide resulted in a reduced cytotoxicity without affecting the spermicidal effect. This study indicates that dermaseptins are spermicidal molecules that deserve to be tested as topical contraceptive with useful activities that can add to their prophylaxis, safety, and effectiveness.     

Neutrophils exhibit distinct phenotypes toward chitosans with different degrees of deacetylation: implications for cartilage repair

Introduction  

Osteoarthritis is characterized by the progressive destruction of cartilage in the articular joints. Novel therapies that promote resurfacing of exposed bone in focal areas are of interest in osteoarthritis because they may delay the progression of this disabling disease in patients who develop focal lesions. Recently, the addition of 80% deacetylated chitosan to cartilage microfractures was shown to promote the regeneration of hyaline cartilage. The molecular mechanisms by which chitosan promotes cartilage regeneration remain unknown. Because neutrophils are transiently recruited to the microfracture site, the effect of 80% deacetylated chitosan on the function of neutrophils was investigated. Most studies on neutrophils use preparations of chitosan with an uncertain degree of deacetylation. For therapeutic purposes, it is of interest to determine whether the degree of deacetylation influences the response of neutrophils to chitosan. The effect of 95% deacetylated chitosan on the function of neutrophils was therefore also investigated and compared with that of 80% deacetylated chitosan.     

Caloric restriction impacts plasma microRNAs in rhesus monkeys

Caloric restriction (CR) is one of the most robust interventions shown to delay aging in diverse species, including rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta). Identification of factors involved in CR brings a promise of translatability to human health and aging. Here, we show that CR induced a profound change in abundance of circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) linked to growth and insulin signaling pathway, suggesting that miRNAs are involved in CR's mechanisms of action in primates. Deep sequencing of plasma RNA extracts enriched for short species revealed a total of 243 unique species of miRNAs including 47 novel species. Approximately 70% of the plasma miRNAs detected were conserved between rhesus monkeys and humans. CR induced or repressed 24 known and 10 novel miRNA species. Regression analysis revealed correlations between bodyweight, adiposity, and insulin sensitivity for 10 of the CR‐regulated known miRNAs. Sequence alignment and target identification for these 10 miRNAs identify a role in signaling downstream of the insulin receptor. The highly abundant miR‐125a‐5p correlated positively with adiposity and negatively with insulin sensitivity and was negatively regulated by CR. Putative target pathways of CR‐associated miRNAs were highly enriched for growth and insulin signaling that have previously been implicated in delayed aging. Clustering analysis further pointed to CR‐induced miRNA regulation of ribosomal, mitochondrial, and spliceosomal pathways. These data are consistent with a model where CR recruits miRNA‐based homeostatic mechanisms to coordinate a program of delayed aging.     

Ion transport mechanisms linked to bicarbonate secretion in the esophageal submucosal glands

The esophageal submucosal glands (SMG) secrete HCO(3)(-) and mucus into the esophageal lumen, where they contribute to acid clearance and epithelial protection. This study characterized the ion transport mechanisms linked to HCO(3)(-) secretion in SMG. We localized ion transporters using immunofluorescence, and we examined their expression by RT-PCR and in situ hybridization. We measured HCO(3)(-) secretion by using pH stat and the isolated perfused esophagus. Using double labeling with Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase as a marker, we localized Na(+)-coupled bicarbonate transporter (NBCe1) and Cl(-)-HCO(3)(-) exchanger (SLC4A2/AE2) to the basolateral membrane of duct cells. Expression of cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator channel (CFTR) was confirmed by immunofluorescence, RT-PCR, and in situ hybridization. We identified anion exchanger SLC26A6 at the ducts' luminal membrane and Na(+)-K(+)-2Cl(-) (NKCC1) at the basolateral membrane of mucous and duct cells. pH stat experiments showed that elevations in cAMP induced by forskolin or IBMX increased HCO(3)(-) secretion. Genistein, an activator of CFTR, which does not increase intracellular cAMP, also stimulated HCO(3)(-) secretion, whereas glibenclamide, a Cl(-) channel blocker, and bumetanide, a Na(+)-K(+)-2Cl(-) blocker, decreased it. CFTR(inh)-172, a specific CFTR channel blocker, inhibited basal HCO(3)(-) secretion as well as stimulation of HCO(3)(-) secretion by IBMX. This is the first report on the presence of CFTR channels in the esophagus. The role of CFTR in manifestations of esophageal disease in cystic fibrosis patients remains to be determined.