Search

Emotion recognition abilities are fundamental to our everyday social interaction. A large number of clinical populations show impairments in this domain, with emotion recognition atypicalities being particularly prevalent among disorders exhibiting a dopamine system disruption (e.g., Parkinson's disease). Although this suggests a role for dopamine in emotion recognition, studies employing dopamine manipulation in healthy volunteers have exhibited mixed neural findings and no behavioral modulation. Interestingly, while a dependence of dopaminergic drug effects on individual baseline dopamine function has been well established in other cognitive domains, the emotion recognition literature so far has failed to account for these possible interindividual differences. The present within-subjects study therefore tested the effects of the dopamine D2 antagonist haloperidol on emotion recognition from dynamic, whole-body stimuli while accounting for interindividual differences in baseline dopamine. A total of 33 healthy male and female adults rated emotional point-light walkers (PLWs) once after ingestion of 2.5 mg haloperidol and once after placebo. To evaluate potential mechanistic pathways of the dopaminergic modulation of emotion recognition, participants also performed motoric and counting-based indices of temporal processing. Confirming our hypotheses, effects of haloperidol on emotion recognition depended on baseline dopamine function, where individuals with low baseline dopamine showed enhanced, and those with high baseline dopamine decreased emotion recognition. Drug effects on emotion recognition were related to drug effects on movement-based and explicit timing mechanisms, indicating possible mediating effects of temporal processing. Results highlight the need for future studies to account for baseline dopamine and suggest putative mechanisms underlying the dopaminergic modulation of emotion recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a well‐recognised but poorly understood disease complex in the horse. Clinical signs may vary but often include weight loss, diarrhoea and colic. The effect this disease process may have on the gastrointestinal pacemaker cells (the interstitial cells of Cajal), enteric neurons and glial cells has not been previously evaluated in the horse. Objectives: To compare the density of the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC), enteric neurons and glial cells in horses with IBD to those of normal horses using immunohistochemical markers. Study design: Retrospective, quantitative immunohistochemical study. Methods: Ileal samples were collected during post‐mortem examinations from 14 horses with a clinical and histopathological diagnosis of IBD and from eight normal controls. All horses were Standardbreds 1–15 years of age. Six of the IBD cases had eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EG) while the remaining eight had granulomatous enteritis (GE). Tissue sections were labelled with anti‐CD117 (c‐Kit), anti‐TMEM16 (TMEM16), anti‐protein gene product (PGP9.5) and anti‐glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) using standard immunohistochemical labelling techniques. Image analysis was performed to quantify the presence of ICC (CD117, TMEM16) as well as neuronal (PGP9.5) and enteroglial (GFAP) networks. Results: Interstitial cells of Cajal networks were significantly reduced in the myenteric plexus (MP) region in IBD horses compared with the controls for both markers (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the density of the neuronal or glial cell markers between the two groups (P>0.05). Main limitations: The number of horses included in the study. Conclusions: Disruption to ICC networks may contribute to the clinical signs of colic in some horses with IBD. Further studies are needed to establish the pathophysiological mechanisms involved and the functional effects of the reduced ICC networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundEvidence-based psychosocial treatments for schizophrenia founded on Western belief systems and values may not be efficacious in different cultures without adaptation. This systematic review analyses the nature and outcomes of culturally-adapted psychosocial interventions in schizophrenia, examining how interventions have been adapted, their efficacy and what features drive heterogeneity in outcome.MethodArticles identified by searching electronic databases from inception to 3 March 2016, reference lists and previous reviews were independently screened by two authors for eligible controlled trials. Data on the nature of adaptations was analysed inductively using thematic analyses. Meta-analyses were conducted using random effects models to calculate effect sizes (Hedges’ g) for symptoms.ResultsForty-six studies with 7828 participants were included, seven adapted for minority populations. Cultural adaptations were grouped into nine themes: language, concepts and illness models, family, communication, content, cultural norms and practices, context and delivery, therapeutic alliance, and treatment goals. Meta-analyses showed significant post-treatment effects in favour of adapted interventions for total symptom severity (n = 2345, g: −0.23, 95% confidence interval (CI) −0.36 to −0.09), positive (n = 1152, g: −0.56, 95% CI −0.86 to −0.26), negative (n = 855, g: −0.39, 95% CI −0.63 to −0.15), and general (n = 525, g: −0.75, CI −1.21 to −0.29) symptoms.ConclusionsThe adaptation process can be described within a framework that serves as a benchmark for development or assessment of future adaptations. Culturally adapted interventions were more efficacious than usual treatment in proportion to the degree of adaptation. There is insufficient evidence to show that adapted interventions are better than non-adapted interventions. Features of context, intervention and design influenced efficacy. Investigating whether adaptation improves efficacy, most importantly amongst ethnic minorities, requires better designed trials with comparisons against unadapted interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study investigated morphological changes associated with soya bean meal‐induced enteritis (SBMIE) in distal intestine (DI) of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fed a soya bean meal (SBM)‐based diet and exposed to normoxia or hypoxia created by optimal and low water flow rates, respectively. A 28‐day adaption period was followed by a 42‐day challenge period where 600 fish were subjected to dietary challenge and/or hypoxia. Twelve tanks each containing 50 juvenile trout were assigned randomly in triplicate to each treatment. Histopathological and immunohistochemical evaluation revealed pathological features that have not previously been described in association with SBMIE. Vacuolar degeneration of epithelial cells mainly at the base of mucosal folds, epithelial cysts, epithelial dysplasia, necrosis, shedding of necrotic cells, and granulomatous inflammation including infiltration of enlarged, sometimes finely vacuolated or “foamy” macrophages, multinucleated giant cells and increased proliferation of fibroblasts were observed. Acid‐fast bacteria were not detected in enlarged macrophages; however, these cells contained AB‐PAS‐ and sometimes cytokeratin‐positive material, which was interpreted to be of epithelial/goblet cell origin. Hypoxia did not affect the morphological changes in DI. These results suggest that SBM was associated with a granulomatous form of enteritis in DI of rainbow trout regardless of water oxygen level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infections remain highly prevalent. CT reinfection occurs frequently within months after treatment, likely contributing to sustaining the high CT infection prevalence. Sparse studies have suggested CT reinfection is associated with a lower organism load, but it is unclear whether CT load at the time of treatment influences CT reinfection risk. In this study, women presenting for treatment of a positive CT screening test were enrolled, treated and returned for 3- and 6-month follow-up visits. CT organism loads were quantified at each visit. We evaluated for an association of CT bacterial load at initial infection with reinfection risk and investigated factors influencing the CT load at baseline and follow-up in those with CT reinfection. We found no association of initial CT load with reinfection risk. We found a significant decrease in the median log10 CT load from baseline to follow-up in those with reinfection (5.6 CT/ml vs. 4.5 CT/ml; P = 0.015). Upon stratification of reinfected subjects based upon presence or absence of a history of CT infections prior to their infection at the baseline visit, we found a significant decline in the CT load from baseline to follow-up (5.7 CT/ml vs. 4.3 CT/ml; P = 0.021) exclusively in patients with a history of CT infections prior to our study. Our findings suggest repeated CT infections may lead to possible development of partial immunity against CT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Large intravenous bilirubin loads block biliary phospholipid secretion, produce canalicular membrane lesions and cause canalicular cholestasis. Cholic acid co-infusion forestalls these untoward effects. The aim of this study was first to determine whether bilirubin overload causes cholestasis through reducing the activity or the hepatic expression of the bile salt export pump (bsep) or Na-taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (ntcp) and, secondly, whether cholic acid co-infusion forestalls cholestasis by upregulating bsep, ntcp or phosphoglycoprotein 3 (pgp3) expressions or activities. A further aim was to determine whether large bilirubin infusions also produce ultrastructural changes inside hepatocytes. Methods: The effects of intravenous infusion of 2 g bilirubin over 150 min on hepatic expression of bsep, ntcp and pgp3 were studied in bile acid-depleted and cholic acid co-infused pigs, and related to canalicular bile acid transport and bile secretion. Effects on hepatocyte ultrastructural morphology were analysed by electron microscopy. Results: Bilirubin-induced cholestasis reflected marked diminution of bsep and pgp3 transport activities and not reduced hepatic expression of these transporters. Hepatocyte ultrastructural abnormalities were predominantly confined to the hepatocyte canalicular membrane in cholestatic livers. Cholic acid co-infusion with bilirubin conferred complete cholestasis protection through enhancing pgp3 and bsep transporter activities and not through upregulating their expression. Bilirubin infusion did not change ntcp expression. Conclusion: Bilirubin-induced cholestasis is due to markedly impaired activity of the membrane-embedded bsep transporter consequent upon ultrastructural injury to the canalicular membrane. Cholic acid co-infusion with bilirubin enhances bsep and pgp3 activities and confers protection against canalicular membrane injury and bilirubin-induced cholestasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The usefulness of testing for IgG avidity in association with Toxoplasma gondii was evaluated in a US reference laboratory. European investigators have reported that high-avidity IgG toxoplasma antibodies exclude acute infection in the preceding 3 months. In this US study, 125 serum samples taken from 125 pregnant women in the first trimester were chosen retrospectively, because either the IgM or differential agglutination (AC/HS) test in the Toxoplasma serologic profile suggested or was equivocal for a recently acquired infection. Of 93 (74.4%) serum samples with either positive or equivocal results in the IgM ELISA, 52 (55.9%) had high-avidity antibodies, which suggests that the infection probably was acquired before gestation. Of 87 (69.6%) serum samples with an acute or equivocal result in the AC/HS test, 35 (40.2%) had high-avidity antibodies. Forty women were given spiramycin, to prevent congenital transmission, and 7 (17.5%) had high-avidity antibodies. These findings highlight the value of testing a single serum sample obtained in the first trimester of pregnancy for IgG avidity. © 2001 Infectious Diseases Society of America [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracted soybean meal (SBM) in the diet for Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., causes an inflammatory response in the distal intestine. The morphological changes of the epithelial cells and a characterization of the inflammatory cell infiltrate of the distal intestinal mucosa were studied using a panel of enzyme and immunohistochemical markers. The salmon (average body weight 927 g) used in the study were fed either a fishmeal-based diet (control diet) or a diet in which 30% of the fishmeal protein was replaced with SBM protein (SBM diet). In salmon fed SBM, there were markedly reduced enzyme reactivities in the distal intestinal epithelial cells, both in the brush border [5′-nucleotidase (5′N), Mg2+-ATPase, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and leucine aminopeptidase (LAP)] and in the intracellular structures [alkaline and acid phosphatase, non-specific esterase (NSE) and alanine aminopeptidase (AAP)]. There appeared to be an increased presence of cells of monocytic lineage, including macrophages, as well as neutrophilic granulocytes and immunoglobulin (Ig) M in the lamina propria of the SBM-fed fish. The mid intestine showed little response to the diet. The results suggest that toxic/antigenic component(s) of SBM affect the differentiation of the distal intestinal epithelial cells and may help explain the reduced nutrient digestibilities previously reported in salmonids fed extracted SBM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The retention of vaccine components was studied in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., following different routes of vaccination against Aeromonas salmonicida. Frozen tissue was collected from the spleen, head kidney, hind gut and liver of fish that had been vaccinated by intraperitoneal injection (monovalent and trivalent vaccines), immersion and oral administration 2,6,8 and 16 weeks previously. The trivalent injection group showed the highest levels of specific antibodies and was the only group to show protection following challenge with virulent A. salmonicida. Following intraperitoneal injection, there was an initial widespread distribution of Aeromonas lipopolysaccharide, but by 16 weeks lipopolysaccharide was predominantly found in macrophage populations in the spleen, head kidney and abdominal granulomas. Only small amounts of lipopolysaccharide were retained in the head kidney of the immersion group and no lipopolysaccharide was retained in the oral group. Small and inconsistent amounts of A-layer protein were present in the melanomacrophages of the head kidney of all groups. The relative prominence of A-layer protein in the spleen of the trivalent injection group 8 weeks after vaccination was linked to the high levels of specific antibodies, and possible immune-complex trapping and the enhancement of immunological memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence and distribution of B cells and other early leucocyte populations are described in the spleen of fetal lambs from 40 to 134 days of gestation (length of gestation 150 days). Computer-assisted morphometric analysis and flow cytometry were used to quantify the early predominance of B cells in mid-gestation. B cells appeared at about 48 days and increased in number to occupy over 20% of the spleen area at 77 days. All spleens were collected on their respective livers and at no stage did the livers contain more than a few IgM-positive (+) cells, which were usually close to blood vessels. Two-colour flow cytometry demonstrated that only 1–2 % of IgM+ cells expressed CD5 at 81 days. Beyond 77 days, with the expanding presence of T cells, the percentage of area occupied by IgM+ cells declined to stabilize at about 7% during late gestation. The conventional organizatton of the splenic white pulp was observed from 90 days along with 5′ nucleotidase-positive primary follicles. Double staining technique using immunohistochemical methods demonstrated that IgM+ cells were proliferating in the spleen from as early as 51 days and that clusters of proliferating IgM cells were prominent between 60 and 77 days. The results of the present study suggest that during the ontogeny of fetal lambs the spleen is a site of B-cell development or expansion before colonization of the ileal Peyer's patch and the subsequent generation of the preimmune antibody repertoire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phenotypes of lymphocytes infiltrating the epithelium of the jejunal and ileal Peyer's patches in foetal sheep at about 130 days gestation and 2-month-old lambs were examined using indirect immunoperoxidase histochemistry, a panel of monoclonal antibodies and enzyme histochemistry. Computer-assisted morphometric analysis enabled the relative size of reactive areas within epithelia to be estimated. The comparison of the intraepithelial lymphocyte populations associated with structurally developed Peyer's patches of foetal sheep and those of lambs allowed assessment of the impact of extrinsic factors from which the sheep foetus is shielded. The study confirmed the postnatal expansion in the villous intraepithelial lymphocyte population and showed that this expansion involved the CD8 and γδ phenotypes. CD4 lymphocytes did not appear in the follicle-associated epithelium until after birth. Unlike the villous epithelium, the follicle-associated epithelium had a high frequency of IgM+ and MHC II+ cells, which was dramatically reduced after birth. This postnatal reduction was particularly prominant in the follicle-associated epithelium of the jejunal Peyer's patch, where the frequency of IgM+ cells fell from 12.4% in foetal sheep to 0.7% in lambs. Double staining for alkaline phosphatase in the jejunal Peyer's patch suggested that clusters of IgM+ cells were associated with M cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes of lymphocyte subpopulations in jejunal and ileal Peyer's patches (JPP and IPP) of six calves inoculated with Salmonella dublin were investigated at 9 hours, 1, 2, 3 and 7 days post inoculation (p.i.) using immunohistochemistry. Reactive areas and area percentages of B-lymphocytes, as well as CD4 +, CD8+ and γδT-lymphocytes within the different compartments of PP were estimated using computer-assisted morphometric analysis. A significant, linear decline of the areas of lymphoid follicles and domes in JPP and IPP due to depletion of B-lymphocytes was found. The rate of decline was similar in JPP and IPP, but more severe in lymphoid follicles than in domes. Intraepithelial cells in follicle-associated epithelium changed from predominantly B-lymphocytes in controls to CD8+ T-lymphoytes in inoculated calves and clusters of B-lymphocytes were observed above domes at days 1 and 2 p.i. Areas of CD4+ and CD8+ T-lymphocytes within lymphoid follicles and domes were increased at 3 and 7 days p.i. resulting in decreased compartmentalization of the normally segregated T- and B-lymphocyte populations. The increase of CD4+ and CD8+ T-lymphocytes was, however, significant in lymphoid follicles in the JPP only. No significant changes in the amount and distribution of γδT-lymphocytes were observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assessed clinical and serologic findings in 25 infants with congenital toxoplasmosis born to mothers treated during pregnancy in the United States. Results indicate a lower prevalence of eye findings and hydrocephalus in the group of infants born to treated mothers (62.5% and 38.5%, respectively) compared to results on the same pathologies reported in our previous cohort of infants born to untreated mothers (92.2% and 67.7%, respectively). The sensitivity of the IgM ISAGA and IgA ELISA in the present study were lower (44% and 60%, respectively) compared to sensitivity of these methods in our previously studied group of infants born to untreated mothers (86.6% and 76.5%, respectively). These findings provide further evidence that anti-parasitic treatment if administered during pregnancy can contribute to better clinical outcomes, even in countries where systematic screening and treatment have not been routinely implemented.

Paratuberculosis is a chronic granulomatous enteritis and lymphadenitis in ruminants caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberuclosis. To investigate the efficacy of assays for early diagnosis, experimental infections were performed in goat kids. Oral doses of M. a. paratuberculosis were administered to goat kids over extended periods and the resulting infection was followed for 12–24 months. Complementary experiments were performed on goat kids vaccinated against M. a. paratuberculosis. Immunological, pathological and morphological examinations were undertaken in both these experimental systems. The analysis of results from these experiment series provided novel insights into the influence of the biology of gut-associated lymphoid tissue on the progress of disease, into the character of the tissue granuloma and its dominance of the local tissue response and into the relationship between the local and systemic immune responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have applied a laser micro-dissection microscope followed by RT-PCR analysis of micro-dissected tissue to identify gene expression of various immune genes in the Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar. A major problem in teleost anatomy is the lack of specific cell markers to identify different leukocyte populations. For instance, the involvement of T-cells in inflammatory reactions is unknown. We used frozen sections from the gut of salmon fed to induce localized inflammatory reactions and micro-dissected regions showing proliferative changes. RNA was extracted from the micro-dissected specimens and subjected to quantitative RT-PCR using primers and TaqMan probes for T-cell receptor, MHC class II and elongation factor, which served as a house-keeping gene. The results showed expression of T-cell receptor, MHC class II and elongation factor. The expression of the elongation factor corresponded invariably to the area micro-dissected tissue. In conclusion, T-cells are present in teleost inflammatory reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pathogenic and presumed non-pathogenic bacteria isolated from fish were tested for their adhesion to cryosections from different mucosal surfaces of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L. Adhered bacteria were detected by immunohistochemistry. Mucus was stained and fixed with Alcian blue after incubation of bacteria. The majority of the bacteria tested, i.e. Vibrio anguillarum serotype O1, Vibrio salmonicida, Vibrio viscosus, Flexibacter maritimus and ‘gut vibrios’, i.e. Vibrio iliopiscarius and intestinal isolates of V. salmonicida, all adhered to mucus on all salmon epithelial surfaces tested, including sections from the foregut, hindgut, pyloric caeca, gills and skin. In contrast, V. anguillarum serotype O2, including both serotypes O2a and O2b, did not adhere to mucus, but did adhere to all other components of the tissues. As a positive control for adhesion of bacteria on cryosections, Escherichia coli was bound to piglet ileal mucosal lining, and as a negative control for adhesion, Staphylococcus aureus was found not to bind to any of the tissues tested. The present study shows that adhesion to mucus was not restricted to pathogenic bacteria, and furthermore, that not all pathogenic bacteria studied adhered to mucus. Hence, on the basis of these findings, the present authors suggest that V. anguillarum O2 may have an invasion strategy which does not involve adhesion to mucus, and thus, differs from the other pathogenic bacteria in the present study, which all bound to salmon mucus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]