Chronic Stimulation (chronic + stimulation)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Intracellular degradation of somatostatin-14 following somatostatin-receptor 3-mediated endocytosis in rat insulinoma cells

FEBS JOURNAL, Issue 19 2008
Dirk Roosterman
Somatostatin receptor (SSTR) endocytosis influences cellular responsiveness to agonist stimulation and somatostatin receptor scintigraphy, a common diagnostic imaging technique. Recently, we have shown that SSTR1 is differentially regulated in the endocytic and recycling pathway of pancreatic cells after agonist stimulation. Additionally, SSTR1 accumulates and releases internalized somatostatin-14 (SST-14) as an intact and biologically active ligand. We also demonstrated that SSTR2A was sequestered into early endosomes, whereas internalized SST-14 was degraded by endosomal peptidases and not routed into lysosomal degradation. Here, we examined the fate of peptide agonists in rat insulinoma cells expressing SSTR3 by biochemical methods and confocal laser scanning microscopy. We found that [125I]Tyr11-SST-14 rapidly accumulated in intracellular vesicles, where it was degraded in an ammonium chloride-sensitive manner. In contrast, [125I]Tyr1-octreotide accumulated and was released as an intact peptide. Rhodamine-B-labeled SST-14, however, was rapidly internalized into endosome-like vesicles, and fluorescence signals colocalized with the lysosomal marker protein cathepsin D. Our data show that SST-14 was cointernalized with SSTR3, was uncoupled from the receptor, and was sorted into an endocytic degradation pathway, whereas octreotide was recycled as an intact peptide. Chronic stimulation of SSTR3 also induced time-dependent downregulation of the receptor. Thus, the intracellular processing of internalized SST-14 and the regulation of SSTR3 markedly differ from the events mediated by the other SSTR subtypes. [source]


CD56-expressing T cells that have features of senescence are expanded in rheumatoid arthritis

ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATISM, Issue 1 2007
Joshua J. Michel
Objective T cells deficient in CD28 expression have been implicated in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Given that CD28-null T cells are functionally heterogeneous, we undertook this study to screen for novel receptors on these cells. Methods Seventy-two patients with RA (ages 35,84 years) and 53 healthy persons (32 young controls ages 19,34 years, 21 older controls ages 39,86 years) were recruited. Phenotypes and proliferative capacity of T cells from fresh leukocytes and of long-term cultures were monitored by flow cytometry. Lung biopsy specimens from patients with RA-associated interstitial pneumonitis (IP) were examined by immunohistochemistry. Receptor functionality was assessed by crosslinking bioassays. Results Chronic stimulation of CD28+ T cells in vitro yielded progenies that lacked CD28 but that gained CD56. Ex vivo analysis of leukocytes from patients with extraarticular RA showed a higher frequency of CD56+,CD28-null T cells than in patients with disease confined to the joints or in healthy controls. CD56+,CD28-null T cells had nil capacity for proliferation, consistent with cellular senescence. CD56+ T cells had skewed T cell receptor (TCR) ,/,-chain usage and restricted TCR third complementarity-determining region spectra. Histologic studies showed that CD56+ T cells were components of cellular infiltrates in RA-associated IP. CD56 crosslinking on T cells sufficiently induced cytokine production, although CD56/TCR coligation induced higher production levels. Conclusion Chronic activation of T cells induces counterregulation of CD28 and CD56 expression. The loss of CD28 is accompanied by the gain of CD56 that confers TCR-independent and TCR-dependent activation pathways. We propose that accumulation of CD56+ T cells in RA contributes to maladaptive immune responses and that CD56+ T cells are potential targets for therapy. [source]


Effect of deep brain stimulation of the posterior hypothalamic area on the cardiovascular system in chronic cluster headache patients

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 9 2007
P. Cortelli
The objective of this study was to determine the cardiovascular effects of chronic stimulation of the posterior hypothalamic area (PHA) in cluster headache (CH) patients. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP), cardiac output, total peripheral resistance (TPR), heart rate (HR) and breathing were monitored at supine rest and during head-up tilt test (HUTT), Valsalva manoeuvre, deep breathing, cold face test and isometric handgrip in eight drug-resistant chronic CH patients who underwent monolateral electrode implantation in the PHA for therapeutic purposes. Autoregressive power spectral analysis (PSA) of HR variability (HRV) was calculated at rest and during HUTT. Each subject was studied before surgery (condition A) and after chronic deep brain stimulation (DBS) of PHA (condition B). Baseline SBP, DBP, HR and cardiovascular reflexes were normal and similar in both conditions. With respect to condition A, DBP, TPR and the LF/HF obtained from the PSA of HRV were significantly (P < 0.05) increased during HUTT in condition B. In conclusion, chronic DBS of the PHA in chronic CH patients is associated with an enhanced sympathoexcitatory drive on the cardiovascular system during HUTT. [source]


Region-Specific Induction of FosB/,FosB by Voluntary Alcohol Intake: Effects of Naltrexone

ALCOHOLISM, Issue 10 2010
Jing Li
Background:, ,FosB is the best characterized transcription factor induced by chronic stimulation. Although previous studies have demonstrated that chronic passive ethanol exposure alters ,FosB immunoreactivity (IR), the effect of chronic voluntary ethanol consumption on ,FosB remains unknown. Furthermore, although previous studies have demonstrated that the opioid antagonist naltrexone reduces alcohol consumption in clinical and preclinical settings, the effect of naltrexone on FosB/,FosB has not been explored. Here, we examined the effects of chronic voluntary ethanol intake and naltrexone on FosB/,FosB IR in striatal region and prefrontal cortex, and the effect of naltrexone on voluntary ethanol intake. Methods:, We utilized immunohistochemistry to define the changes in FosB/,FosB IR induced by chronic voluntary ethanol intake under a two-bottle intermittent access of 20% ethanol model and by systematic administration (intraperitoneal injection) of naltrexone in Sprague-Dawley rats. Results:, Chronic (15 drinking sessions in 35 days) voluntary ethanol intake robustly induces FosB/,FosB IR in nucleus accumbens core, dorsolateral striatum, and orbitofrontal cortex, but not in nucleus accumbens shell, dorsomedial striatum, and medial prefrontal cortex. Systemic administration of naltrexone for 6 days significantly reduced voluntary ethanol consumption and FosB/,FosB IR induced by chronic voluntary ethanol intake. Conclusion:, Our results suggest that chronic voluntary ethanol intake induces FosB/,FosB IR in a subregion-specific manner which involves the activation of endogenous opioid system. [source]


Lower stimulation frequency can enhance tolerability and efficacy of pallidal deep brain stimulation for dystonia

MOVEMENT DISORDERS, Issue 3 2007
Ron L. Alterman MD
Abstract We report the case of a patient with medically refractory primary dystonia who was treated with bilateral pallidal deep brain stimulation. Stimulation at 130 Hz or higher, by means of the more ventral contacts generated capsular side effects, which made their use impractical. Consequently, the patient was treated for 9 months at 130 to 185 Hz, by means of the more dorsal contacts, achieving modest results. By reducing the stimulation frequency to 80 Hz, we were able to activate the ventral contacts without inducing side effects. Within days, the patient experienced a dramatic improvement in function that has persisted for 1 year. A further reduction in stimulation frequency to 60 Hz resulted in a worsening of his symptoms. We conclude that chronic stimulation at frequencies of <100 Hz may be efficacious in dystonia and may enhance the tolerability of stimulation by means of contacts that are positioned posteroventrally within the internal globus pallidus, nearer the internal capsule. © 2006 Movement Disorder Society [source]


Tremor induced by thalamic deep brain stimulation in patients with complex regional facial pain,

MOVEMENT DISORDERS, Issue 8 2004
Constantine Constantoyannis MD
Abstract We report on two patients who developed a new postural and action tremor after chronic stimulation of the contralateral thalamus (VPM nucleus) during treatment of a complex regional facial pain syndrome. The tremor was only present during deep brain stimulation (DBS) and was suppressed with adjustment of the stimulation parameters. Tremor was seen only with low frequency stimulation (50 Hz or lower) and disappeared with higher stimulation frequencies. In addition to being an unusual side effect of thalamic DBS, we believe that this phenomenon affords insight into one possible mechanism underlying essential tremor (ET). A central oscillatory mechanism involving the olivocerebellar complex and the thalamus, which is a part of the cerebro,cerebello,cerebral circuit, is thought to play an important role in the genesis of ET. Induction of a tremor resembling ET in our patients indicates an active role for low frequency stimulation. A plausible explanation for this is that low frequency stimulation in the thalamic area enhances the output of the tremor-producing network. This leads credence to the concept of central oscillations in a "tremor circuit," of which the thalamus is a part, as being important in ET. © 2004 Movement Disorder Society [source]


Partial lesion of thalamic ventral intermediate nucleus after chronic high-frequency stimulation

MOVEMENT DISORDERS, Issue 6 2004
Jasmine Henderson PhD
Abstract A 73-year-old man with Parkinson's disease underwent thalamic stimulation for disabling tremor with excellent results only when stimulation on. Post-mortem neuropathology (7 years postoperatively) revealed 60% cell loss within 0.5 mm of the electrode tip. Tremor improvement was attributable to chronic stimulation, not microthalamotomy. © 2004 Movement Disorder Society [source]


Is the target for thalamic deep brain stimulation the same as for thalamotomy?

MOVEMENT DISORDERS, Issue 10 2003
FRCSC, Zelma H.T. Kiss MD
Abstract Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has virtually replaced thalamotomy for the treatment of essential tremor. It is thought that the site for DBS is the same as the optimal lesion site; however, this match has not been investigated previously. We sought to determine whether the location of thalamic DBS matched the site at which thalamotomy would be performed. Eleven patients who had detailed microelectrode recording and stimulation for placement of DBS electrodes and subsequent successful tremor control were analysed. An experienced surgeon, blinded to outcome and final electrode position, selected the ideal thalamotomy site based on the reconstructed maps obtained intraoperatively. When the site of long-term clinically used DBS and theoretical thalamotomy location was calculated in three-dimensional space and compared for each of the x, y, and z axes in stereotactic space, there was no significant difference in the mediolateral location of DBS and theoretical lesion site. There was also no difference between the theoretical lesion site and the placement of the tip of the electrode; however, the active electrodes used for chronic stimulation were significantly more anterior (P = 0.005) and dorsal (P = 0.034) to the ideal thalamotomy target. This mismatch may reflect the compromise required between adverse and beneficial effects with chronic stimulation, but it also suggests different mechanisms of effect of DBS and thalamotomy. © 2003 Movement Disorder Society [source]


Downregulation of tonic GABA currents following epileptogenic stimulation of rat hippocampal cultures

THE JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 2 2006
Jin-shun Qi
Deficits in GABAergic inhibitory transmission are a hallmark of temporal lobe epilepsy and have been replicated in animal and tissue culture models of epilepsy. GABAergic inhibition comprises phasic and tonic inhibition that is mediated by synaptic and extrasynaptic GABAA receptors, respectively. We have recently demonstrated that chronic stimulation with cyclothiazide (CTZ) or kainic acid (KA) induces robust epileptiform activity in hippocampal neurons both in vitro and in vivo. Here, we report a downregulation of tonic GABA inhibition after chronic epileptogenic stimulation of rat hippocampal cultures. Chronic pretreatment of hippocampal neurons with CTZ or KA resulted in a marked reduction in GABAergic inhibition, as shown by a significant decrease in whole-cell GABA currents and in the frequency of miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents (mIPSCs). Interestingly, synaptically localized GABAA receptors remained relatively stable, as evidenced by the unaltered amplitude of mIPSCs, as well as the unchanged punctate immunoreactivity of ,2 subunit-containing postsynaptic GABAA receptors. In contrast, tonic GABA currents, assessed either by a GABAA receptor antagonist bicuculline or a selective extrasynaptic GABAA receptor agonist THIP, were significantly reduced following epileptogenic stimulation. These results reveal a novel form of neural plasticity, that epileptogenic stimulation can selectively downregulate extrasynaptic GABAA receptors while leaving synaptic GABAA receptors unchanged. Thus, in addition to synaptic alteration of GABAergic transmission, regulation of tonic inhibition may also play an important role during epileptogenesis. [source]


FLUORESCENCE ACTIVATED CELL SORTING OF TRANSIENTLY TRANSFECTED As4.1 CELLS SHOWS RENIN ENHANCER DIRECTS ON/OFF SWITCHING OF RENIN PROMOTER IN VITRO

CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PHARMACOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 4 2008
Brian J MorrisArticle first published online: 27 FEB 200
SUMMARY 1The proximal promoter of the renin gene is weak and its activity is influenced by a strong, far-upstream enhancer. This and the ability of renin expression in renal afferent arteriolar cells to be ,recruited' under chronic stimulation is consistent with the on/off switching (variegation) model of gene expression. If true, this would provide an example in which variegation controls a physiologically regulable gene. 2The present study tested the hypothesis that renin promoter activity may accord with the variegation model, at least in individual juxtaglomerular (mouse As4.1) cells in vitro. 3As4.1 cells were transiently transfected with constructs containing the mouse renin (Ren-1c) enhancer adjacent to the Ren-1c promoter and a linked reporter gene encoding enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). The EGFP signal from individual cells was monitored by fluorescence activated cell sorting. 4In the presence of the renin enhancer there was 10-fold higher EGFP expression in transfected cells compared with cells transfected with EGFP constructs containing the promoter alone. There was, moreover, an 8-fold increase in the number of EGFP expressing cells. However, EGFP expression in individual transfected cells was similar in the presence or absence of the enhancer. 5Results from the in vitro system used suggest that the Ren-1c enhancer does not regulate the rate of promoter activity, but rather increases the probability of achieving an active transcriptional state. Limitations of these findings are discussed. [source]


Molecular basis of opioid dependence: role of signal regulation by G-proteins

CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PHARMACOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 5-6 2003
Prudence H Tso
Summary 1.,Morphine and opiate narcotics are potent analgesics that have a high propensity to induce tolerance and physical dependence following their repeated administration. 2.,The molecular basis of opiate dependence has not been completely elucidated, although the participation of opioid receptors is a prerequisite. Cellular dependence on opioids is believed to result from the chronic stimulation of opioid-regulated signalling networks. 3.,As G-protein-coupled receptors, the opioid receptors must rely on heterotrimeric G-proteins for signal transduction. Recent advances in our understanding of G-protein signalling have unveiled novel signalling molecules and mechanisms, some of which may be intricately involved in the manifestation of opiate dependence. 4.,In the present review, we will attempt to trace chronic opioid signals along elaborate G-protein-regulated pathways. [source]


Bacterial colonization of stimulation electrode wires in patients undergoing temporary sacral nerve stimulation

COLORECTAL DISEASE, Issue 2 2010
T. Dudding
Abstract Objective, In patients undergoing sacral nerve stimulation (SNS), a temporary percutaneous stimulation wire is often used to assess the clinical response to therapy prior to chronic stimulation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of bacterial colonization of screening wires and risk of clinical infection in patients undergoing prolonged temporary SNS screening. Method, Data were collected prospectively on a consecutive series of patients undergoing temporary SNS for bowel dysfunction. Procedures were performed using a standardized percutaneous technique with a single shot of either co-amoxyclav 1.2 g or cefuroxime 1.5 g given intravenously on induction. Adherent polyurethane dressings were applied to secure the wire. At the end of the screening period the wire and dressings were removed, the skin entry site was cleaned using an alcohol wipe and the wire removed via an aseptic technique. The distal tip of the wire was then cut and sent for culture. Results, Thirteen wires were removed at a median of 21 (range 16,29) days following insertion. There were no signs of local or systemic infection. Seven of the thirteen wires (54%) were found to have deep bacterial colonization. The commonest organisms isolated were staphylococcus species. There was no correlation between the length of time the lead had been implanted and the incidence of bacterial colonization. Conclusion, Bacterial colonization of the temporary stimulation wire is common but appears to be associated with a low risk of clinical infection. A single peri-operative dose of antibiotics does not appear to prevent colonization. [source]