Context:Previous studies have suggested subtle anatomical brain differences between patients with schizophrenia and healthy control subjects. However, the results are inconsistent and there is no study investigating the various subtypes of this mental disorder separately.Aim:This study was conducted to compare the rate of absence of adhesio interthalamica (AI), a midline brain structure, between 3 subtypes of schizophrenia (paranoid, undifferentiated, and residual) and healthy control group, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Materials and Methods:A total of 29 schizophrenia patients (21 men, 8 women) of three subtypes (paranoid, undifferentiated, and residual) were compared with 29 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. All subjects underwent 3-D brain MRI of full coronal series, 1.5-mm slices without interslice gaps. If the grey matter band connecting the thalami could not be identified on two or more coronal adjacent slices, the AI was considered as absent. The results were statistically analyzed.Results:The incidence rate of AI absence in patients with heterogenous subtypes of schizophrenia was was similar to control group, even when patients and controls of each gender were compared separately (P>0.05). In residual subtype, patients showed a significant priority in AI absence in comparison with the control group (P=0.041), which was not seen in paranoid and undifferentiated subtypes (P>0.05).Conclusion:Residual subtype of schizophrenia is associated with higher rate of AI absence in this study. Subsequent studies are required to determine if the absence of AI is a cause of residual schizophrenia or an effect.

It has been well documented that chronic stress can induce atherosclerotic changes, however, the underlying mechanisms is yet to be established. In this regard, this study aimed to elucidate the relation between hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal-axis (HPA-axis), toll-like receptors (TLRs), as well as M1/M2 macrophage ratio and pre-atherosclerotic changes in social isolation stress (SIS) in mice. We used small interfering RNA against the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) to evaluate the relation between HPA-axis and TLRs. C57BL/6J mice were subjected to SIS and RT-PCR, ELISA, flow cytometry, and immunohistochemistry were used to assess the relations between pre-atherosclerotic changes and TLRs, macrophage polarization, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and cell adhesion molecules in aortic tissue. We used TAK-242 (0.3 mg/kg, intraperitoneally), a selective antagonist of TLR4, as a possible prophylactic treatment for atherosclerotic changes induced by SIS. We observed that isolated animals had higher serum concentration of corticosterone and higher body weight in comparison to normal animals. In isolated animals, results of in vitro study showed that knocking-down of the GR in bone marrow–derived monocytes significantly decreased the expression of TLR4. In vivo study suggested higher expression of TLR4 on circulating monocytes and higher M1/M2 ratio in aortic samples. Pathological study showed a mild pre-atherosclerotic change in isolated animals. Finally, we observed that treating animals with TAK-242 could significantly inhibit the pre-atherosclerotic changes. SIS can possibly increase the risk of atherosclerosis through inducing abnormal HPA-axis activity and subsequently lead to TLR4 up-regulation, vascular inflammation, high M1/M2 ratio in intima. Thus, TLR4 inhibitors might be a novel treatment to decrease the risk of atherosclerosis induced by chronic stress.

The data indicate that simple febrile seizures can cause neuronal damages and enhancement of cytogenesis in the hippocampal dentate gyrus, which were still visible for at least 2 weeks. These findings also suggest the correlation of febrile seizure intensity and duration with neuronal damage.

No abstract

Background: It has been well documented that social isolation stress (SIS) can accelerate the formation of atherosclerotic plaque through inflammation. In this regard, this study aimed to elucidate the relation between HPA-axis, toll-like receptors (TLRs), as well as M1/M2 macrophage ratio and atherosclerosis in socially isolated (SI) animals.Methods: We used small interfering RNA (siRNA) against the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) to evaluate the relation between HPA-axis and TLRs. RT-PCR, ELISA, flow cytometry, and immunohistochemistry were used to assess any relation between atherosclerosis and TLRs, M1/M2 ratio, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and cell adhesion molecules in aortic tissue. Finally, we used TAK-242 (0.3 mg/kg, intraperitoneally), a selective antagonist of TLR4, as a possible prophylactic agent in formation of atherosclerotic plaque in-vivo.Results: We observed that SI animals had higher serum concentration of corticosterone and higher body weight in comparison to normal animals. In SI animals, results of in-vitro study showed that knocking-down of the GR in bone marrow–derived monocytes significantly decreased the expression of TLR4. In-vivo study suggested higher expression of TLR4 on circulating monocytes and higher M1/M2 ratio in aortic samples. Pathological study showed a mild formation of pre-atherosclerotic changes in SI animals. Finally, we observed that treating animals with TAK-242 could significantly inhibit the formation of pre-atherosclerotic changes.Conclusion: SIS can possibly increase the risk of atherosclerosis through over-activating HPA-axis and subsequently led to TLR4 up-regulation, tissue inflammation, high M1/M2 ratio in endothelium. Thus, TLR4 inhibitors might be a novel treatment to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis-induced by chronic stress.