Reduced striatal ecto-nucleotidase activity in schizophrenia patients supports the “adenosine hypothesis”

Schizophrenia (SZ) is a major chronic neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by a hyperdopaminergic state. The hypoadenosinergic hypothesis proposes that reduced extracellular adenosine levels contribute to dopamine D₂ receptor hyperactivity. ATP, through the action of ecto-nucleotidases, constitutes a main source of extracellular adenosine. In the present study, we examined the activity of ecto-nucleotidases (NTPDases, ecto-5′-nucleotidase, and alkaline phosphatase) in the postmortem putamen of SZ patients (n = 13) compared with aged-matched controls (n = 10). We firstly demonstrated, by means of artificial postmortem delay experiments, that ecto-nucleotidase activity in human brains was stable up to 24 h, indicating the reliability of this tissue for these enzyme determinations. Remarkably, NTPDase-attributable activity (both ATPase and ADPase) was found to be reduced in SZ patients, while ecto-5′-nucleotidase and alkaline phosphatase activity remained unchanged. In the present study, we also describe the localization of these ecto-enzymes in human putamen control samples, showing differential expression in blood vessels, neurons, and glial cells. In conclusion, reduced striatal NTPDase activity may contribute to the pathophysiology of SZ, and it represents a potential mechanism of adenosine signalling impairment in this illness.     

Implication of guanosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate,adenosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate,adenosine 5′-mono-, di- and triphosphate and fructose-2,6-bisphosphate in the regulation of the glycolytic pathway in hypoxic/anoxic mussel,Mytilus galloprovincialis

The change in the content of cyclic GMP, cyclic AMP, ATP, ADP, AMP and fructose-2,6-bisphosphate that occurred in the mantle of the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis Lmk when specimens of this mollusk were subjected to a hypoxia/anoxia situation were assessed. After the early 24 h in anaerobiosis, a clear decrease was observed in the ATP content, which remained close to that value for the rest of the time. AMP content doubled during the early 24 h in anaerobiosis and, from that time on, it remained close to that value. Fructose-2,6-bisphoshate and cyclic GMP showed a similar behavior. The levels of these compounds rose significantly during the early hours in anaerobiosis, and then fell to values similar to those of aerobiosis, remaining constant for the rest of the time. Neither ADP nor cAMP showed significant variations.     

Land use influences harvestman diversity in northern Spain: a case study involving secondary grasslands and forest plantations (Arachnida: Opiliones)

Harvestmen have a general distribution pattern with more species and higher abundance in forests than in open habitats, as previously verified in mountain Cantabrian areas of northern Spain, of the Orocantabrian Province. The study of harvestmen of the low Cantabrian areas of the adjacent biogeographic Cantabro-Atlantic Province is highly appropriate to determine the influence of biogeographic position on the main diversity parameters and the effect of different land uses on harvestman assemblages. The main types of managed habitats (forest plantations and secondary grasslands), together with natural forests, non-planted young forests, shrublands and habitat boundaries were continuously sampled with seven pitfall traps during 1 year at 28 sites. The harvestman assemblages were classified using six different analyses, and indicator species were identified. The spatial patterns of harvestman diversity in low areas differed from those of mountain areas, although they have 15 species in common. Remarkably, higher average harvestman species richness was measured in low Cantabrian areas than in mountain areas. Shrublands and boundaries were the most species-rich habitats. Forested areas were the poorest in abundance, and were not the habitats richest in harvestman species, though they had higher average richness than mountain Cantabrian forests. Grasslands had a unique harvestman composition with significant extraordinary abundances, in particular of Homalenotus quadridentatus (indicator species of this habitat) and H. laranderas. Interestingly, H. laranderas, Paroligolophus agrestis and Ischyropsalis hispanica, indicator species of some open habitats in low Cantabrian areas, have recently been shown to be indicators of shady forests in mountain Cantabrian territories.     

Acorn cake during the Holocene: experimental reconstruction of its preparation in the western Pyrenees,Iberia

In many agricultural and hunter-gatherer communities, edible wild plants are still a relevant food source, although their use has been, in many cases, undervalued. In this sense, acorns have been known as a foodstuff in written sources since antiquity, as well as from scientific analyses in archaeobotany and ethnobotany. We have tried to reconstruct the chaîne opératoire in the preparation of acorn cake, with experiments using materials similar to those potentially used in the western Pyrenees in the past. Furthermore, we have considered some ethnographic data which are available for this area. The results show that the treatment of pre-selected acorns by raw-roasting and leaching is feasible and we emphasise their nutritional value. The results of the experiments improved considerably with the use of pottery and optimal storage conditions. In addition, several by-products useful for other daily tasks were generated which may have been used as well in the past.     

Whole abdominal radiotherapy in ovarian cancer

Objectives

The aim of the study was to evaluate the clinical outcome and toxicity after adjuvant whole abdominal radiotherapy (WART) in patients with ovarian cancer.

Material and methods

Ten patients with optimal cytoreduced ovarian cancer, with a mean age of 58 years (40–70) and stage Ic: 4, stage II: 2, stage III: 4, were treated with WART and adjuvant chemotherapy (9/10). The total radiation dose was 22.5 Gy in the whole abdomen and 42–45 Gy in the pelvis.

Results

The mean follow-up was 8 years. The 5-year actuarial disease-free survival (DFS) was 60%, and the overall survival (OS) was 70%. Four patients had disease recurrence. The sites of recurrence were the abdomen in 2 patients and distant metastases in the other 2 patients (liver and brain metastasis). Gastrointestinal toxicity was as follows: acute 3/10 grades I and II, and late toxicity: 2/10 grades I and II, and only 1 patient developed small bowel obstruction (SBO) that required surgery.

Conclusions

Whole abdominal radiotherapy after surgery and platinum-based chemotherapy achieves high locoregional disease control with an acceptable risk of acute toxicity.