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Anxiety is a polygenic condition, and the recently discovered Endocannabinoid System (ECS) is one plausible candidate. Experimental data suggest that the ECS can modulate several neurotransmitter systems, including the serotonergic system, which itself plays a significant role in anxiety. However, to date there is no evidence of gene-gene interactions; indeed genetic studies focusing separately on the two systems provide conflicting data. Thus, the aim of our study was to analyze the interaction of the promoter regions of the serotonin transporter (SLC6A4) and cannabinoid receptor 1 (CNR1) genes on anxiety. We genotyped 706 individuals for the 5-HTTLPR in the SLC6A4 promoter and 4 SNPs located in the CNR1 promoter region. Anxiety was measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S, STAI-T), the anxiety subscale of TEMPS-A (TEMPS-Anx), and the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI-Anx). Significant 5-HTTLPR x CNR1 promoter-promoter interaction was observed using STAI-T (P = 0.0006) and TEMPS-Anx (P = 0.0013). The risk of high anxiety scores on BSI-Anx was 4.6-fold greater in homozygous 'GG' rs2180619 in combination with homozygous 'SS' 5-HTTLPR (P = 0.0005) compared to other genotypes. The effect of previously described "TGC" haplotype in the alternative promoter of CNR1 depended both on the conventional promoter polymorphism and the 5-HTTLPR. Our haplotype and putative transcription binding profile analyses strongly suggest that certain constellations of CB1-receptor and 5-HTT promoters yield extremely high or low synaptic 5-HT concentrations, and these are associated with an anxious phenotype. In conclusion, genetically determined serotonergic and endocannabinoid dysfunctions could lead to a vulnerability causing anxiety disorders and possibly depression.

No abstract

BackgroundCytoplasmic lipid-droplets are common inclusions of eukaryotic cells. Lipid-droplet binding thalidomide analogs (2,6-dialkylphenyl-4/5-amino-substituted-5,6,7-trifluorophthalimides) with potent anticancer activities were synthesized.ResultsCytotoxicity was detected in different cell lines including melanoma, leukemia, hepatocellular carcinoma, glioblastoma at micromolar concentrations. The synthesized analogs are non-toxic to adult animals up to 1 g/kg but are teratogenic to zebrafish embryos at micromolar concentrations with defects in the developing muscle. Treatment of tumor cells resulted in calcium release from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), ER stress and cell death. Antioxidants could partially, while an intracellular calcium chelator almost completely diminish ROS production. Exogenous docosahexaenoic acid or eicosapentaenoic acid induced calcium release and ROS generation, and synergized with the analogs in vitro, while oleic acid had no such an effect. Gene expression analysis confirmed the induction of ER stress-mediated apoptosis pathway components, such as GADD153, ATF3, Luman/CREB3 and the ER-associated degradation-related HERPUD1 genes. Tumor suppressors, P53, LATS2 and ING3 were also up-regulated in various cell lines after drug treatment. Amino-phthalimides down-regulated the expression of CCL2, which is implicated in tumor metastasis and angiogenesis.ConclusionsBecause of the anticancer, anti-angiogenic action and the wide range of applicability of the immunomodulatory drugs, including thalidomide analogs, lipid droplet-binding members of this family could represent a new class of agents by affecting ER-membrane integrity and perturbations of ER homeostasis.