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EJNMMI Radiopharmacy and Chemistry May 2024Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by a degeneration of the dopaminergic system. Dopamine transporter (DAT) positron emission...
BACKGROUND
Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by a degeneration of the dopaminergic system. Dopamine transporter (DAT) positron emission tomography (PET) imaging has emerged as a powerful and non-invasive method to quantify dopaminergic function in the living brain. The PET radioligand, [F]FE-PE2I, a cocaine chemical derivative, has shown promising properties for in vivo PET imaging of DAT, including high affinity and selectivity for DAT, excellent brain permeability, and favorable metabolism. The aim of the current study was to scale up the production of [F]FE-PE2I to fulfil the increasing clinical demand for this tracer.
RESULTS
Thus, a fully automated and GMP-compliant production procedure has been developed using a commercially available radiosynthesis module GE TRACERLab FX2 N. [F]FE-PE2I was produced with a radiochemical yield of 39 ± 8% (n = 4, relative [F]F delivered to the module). The synthesis time was 70 min, and the molar activity was 925.3 ± 763 GBq/µmol (250 ± 20 Ci/µmol). The produced [F]FE-PE2I was stable over 6 h at room temperature.
CONCLUSION
The protocol reliably provides a sterile and pyrogen-free GMP-compliant product.
PubMed: 38696063
DOI: 10.1186/s41181-024-00269-9 -
Movement Disorders Clinical Practice Jun 2024As the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD) is fundamentally clinical, the usefulness of ioflupane (I) single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) or DaTSCAN as... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
As the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD) is fundamentally clinical, the usefulness of ioflupane (I) single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) or DaTSCAN as a diagnostic tool has been a matter of debate for years. The performance of DaTSCAN is generally recommended in the follow-up of patients with a clinically uncertain diagnosis, especially in those with a suspected essential tremor, drug-induced parkinsonism, or vascular parkinsonism. However, there is a dearth of DaTSCAN findings regarding neurodegenerative parkinsonisms besides PD and atypical parkinsonisms. To date, a specific nigrostriatal dopamine uptake pattern that would help differentiate PD from the most frequent atypical parkinsonisms is yet to be described. This fact is further complicated by the possible visualization of abnormalities in the uptake pattern in patients with rarer neurodegenerative parkinsonisms.
OBJECTIVES
We aimed to summarize the current literature regarding DaTSCAN findings in patients with rare neurodegenerative parkinsonisms.
METHODS
The PubMed database was systematically screened for studies in English or Spanish up to October 15, 2023, using search terms "DaTSCAN", "ioflupane", "DaT-SPECT", "123I-FP-CIT SPECT", "dopamine transporter imaging", and "[123I] FP-CIT SPECT". Duplicated publications and studies regarding PD, atypical parkinsonisms, dystonia-parkinsonism, essential tremor, and parkinsonism due to non-degenerative causes were excluded.
RESULTS
The obtained results were reviewed and summarized, including DaTSCAN findings in fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome, prion diseases, Huntington's disease, spinocerebellar ataxia, hereditary spastic paraparesis, metabolic disorders, and other diseases (anti-IgLON5 disease, ring chromosome 20 syndrome, chorea-acanthocytosis, and neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis).
CONCLUSIONS
This review highlights the need to determine in the future the utility and cost-effectiveness of DaTSCAN, both as a diagnostic and a prognostic tool, in patients with parkinsonian symptoms in rare neurodegenerative diseases.
Topics: Humans; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; Parkinsonian Disorders; Tropanes; Parkinson Disease
PubMed: 38693679
DOI: 10.1002/mdc3.14055 -
Biological Psychiatry. Cognitive... Apr 2024Internet gaming disorder (IGD) can lead to psychological problems and cause behavioral problems in individuals. Traditional interventions have been ineffective in...
Mindfulness Meditation Training Reduces Gaming Cravings by Reshaping the Functional Connectivity Between the Default Mode Network and Executive Control-Related Brain Regions.
BACKGROUND
Internet gaming disorder (IGD) can lead to psychological problems and cause behavioral problems in individuals. Traditional interventions have been ineffective in treating IGD. Meanwhile, mindfulness meditation (MM) is an emerging method that has proven to be effective for treating psychiatric disorders. In this study, MM was used to intervene in IGD and to explore its neural mechanism.
METHODS
Eighty participants were recruited through advertisements. Eventually, 61 completed the 1-month training (MM group, n = 31; progressive muscle relaxation [PMR] group, n = 30), including a pretest, 8 training sessions, and a posttest. Regional homogeneity and degree centrality were calculated, and the tests (pre- and post-) and group (MM and PMR) analysis of variance was performed. The overlapping results were obtained as region of interest for functional connectivity (FC) analyses. Behavioral data and neurotransmitter availability maps were correlated with FC.
RESULTS
Compared with PMR, MM decreased the severity of addiction and game craving in IGD. Brain imaging results showed that the FC between and within the executive control and default mode networks/reward-related regions were enhanced. Significant negative correlations were observed between FC and dopamine receptor D, dopamine transporter, and vesicular acetylcholine transporter. Significant positive correlations were observed between FCs and serotonin and aminobutyric acid receptors.
CONCLUSIONS
This study confirmed the effectiveness of MM in treating IGD. MM altered the default mode and enhanced top-down control over game cravings. These findings were revealed by the correlations between brain regions and behavioral and biochemical effects. The results show the neural mechanism of MM in reducing IGD and lay the foundation for future research.
PubMed: 38692393
DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2024.04.011 -
The Science of the Total Environment Jul 2024The misuse of antitussives preparations is a continuing problem in the world, and imply that they might have potential new psychoactive substances (NPS) activity....
The misuse of antitussives preparations is a continuing problem in the world, and imply that they might have potential new psychoactive substances (NPS) activity. However, few study focus on their ecological toxicity towards fish. In the present study, the machine learning (ML) methods gcForest and random forest (RF) were employed to predict NPS activity in 30 antitussives. The potential toxic target, mode of action (MOA), acute toxicity and chronic toxicity to fish were further investigated. The results showed that both gcForest and RF achieved optimal performance when utilizing combined features of molecular fingerprint (MF) and molecular descriptor (MD), with area under the curve (AUC) = 0.99, accuracy >0.94 and f1 score > 0.94, and were applied to screen the NPS activity in antitussives. A total of 15 antitussives exhibited potential NPS activity, including frequently-used substances like codeine and dextromethorphan. The binding affinity of these antitussives with zebrafish dopamine transporter (zDAT) was high, and even surpassing that of some traditional narcotics and NPS. Some antitussives formed hydrogen bonds or salt bridges with aspartate (Asp) 95, tyrosine (Tyr) 171 of zDAT. For the ecotoxicity, the MOA of these 15 antitussives in fish was predicted as narcosis. The prenoxdiazin, pholcodine, codeine, dextromethorphan and dextrorphan exhibited very toxic/toxic to fish. It was necessary to pay close attention to the ecotoxicity of these antitussives. In this study, the integration of ML, molecular docking and ECOSAR approaches are powerful tools for understanding the toxicity profiles and ecological hazards posed by new pollutants.
Topics: Animals; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Psychotropic Drugs; Zebrafish; Fishes; Machine Learning
PubMed: 38692322
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172872 -
Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences :... May 2024Glial cells constitute nearly half of the mammalian nervous system's cellular composition. The glia in C. elegans perform majority of tasks comparable to those conducted...
Glial cells constitute nearly half of the mammalian nervous system's cellular composition. The glia in C. elegans perform majority of tasks comparable to those conducted by their mammalian equivalents. The cephalic sheath (CEPsh) glia, which are known to be the counterparts of mammalian astrocytes, are enriched with two nuclear hormone receptors (NHRs)-NHR-210 and NHR-231. This unique enrichment makes the CEPsh glia and these NHRs intriguing subjects of study concerning neuronal health. We endeavored to assess the role of these NHRs in neurodegenerative diseases and related functional processes, using transgenic C. elegans expressing human alpha-synuclein. We employed RNAi-mediated silencing, followed by behavioural, functional, and metabolic profiling in relation to suppression of NHR-210 and 231. Our findings revealed that depleting nhr-210 changes dopamine-associated behaviour and mitochondrial function in human alpha synuclein-expressing strains NL5901 and UA44, through a putative target, pgp-9, a transmembrane transporter. Considering the alteration in mitochondrial function and the involvement of a transmembrane transporter, we performed metabolomics study via HR-MAS NMR spectroscopy. Remarkably, substantial modifications in ATP, betaine, lactate, and glycine levels were seen upon the absence of nhr-210. We also detected considerable changes in metabolic pathways such as phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan biosynthesis metabolism; glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism; as well as glyoxalate and dicarboxylate metabolism. In conclusion, the deficiency of the nuclear hormone receptor nhr-210 in alpha-synuclein expressing strain of C. elegans, results in altered mitochondrial function, coupled with alterations in vital metabolite levels. These findings underline the functional and physiological importance of nhr-210 enrichment in CEPsh glia.
Topics: Animals; Caenorhabditis elegans; Mitochondria; Neuroglia; Parkinson Disease; Humans; alpha-Synuclein; Disease Models, Animal; Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; Animals, Genetically Modified; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; Dopamine; Metabolomics; RNA Interference
PubMed: 38691171
DOI: 10.1007/s00018-024-05179-2 -
International Journal of Molecular... Apr 2024According to previous studies, the median raphe region (MRR) is known to contribute significantly to social behavior. Besides serotonin, there have also been reports of...
According to previous studies, the median raphe region (MRR) is known to contribute significantly to social behavior. Besides serotonin, there have also been reports of a small population of dopaminergic neurons in this region. Dopamine is linked to reward and locomotion, but very little is known about its role in the MRR. To address that, we first confirmed the presence of dopaminergic cells in the MRR of mice (immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR), and then also in humans (RT-PCR) using healthy donor samples to prove translational relevance. Next, we used chemogenetic technology in mice containing the Cre enzyme under the promoter of the dopamine transporter. With the help of an adeno-associated virus, designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) were expressed in the dopaminergic cells of the MRR to manipulate their activity. Four weeks later, we performed an extensive behavioral characterization 30 min after the injection of the artificial ligand (Clozapine-N-Oxide). Stimulation of the dopaminergic cells in the MRR decreased social interest without influencing aggression and with an increase in social discrimination. Additionally, inhibition of the same cells increased the friendly social behavior during social interaction test. No behavioral changes were detected in anxiety, memory or locomotion. All in all, dopaminergic cells were present in both the mouse and human samples from the MRR, and the manipulation of the dopaminergic neurons in the MRR elicited a specific social response.
Topics: Animals; Dopaminergic Neurons; Male; Mice; Social Behavior; Humans; Clozapine; Raphe Nuclei; Behavior, Animal; Dopamine; Mice, Inbred C57BL
PubMed: 38673899
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25084315 -
International Journal of Molecular... Apr 2024Amphetamines (Amph) are psychostimulants broadly used as physical and cognitive enhancers. However, the long-term effects of prenatal exposure to Amph have been poorly...
Amphetamines (Amph) are psychostimulants broadly used as physical and cognitive enhancers. However, the long-term effects of prenatal exposure to Amph have been poorly investigated. Here, we show that continuous exposure to Amph during early development induces long-lasting changes in histone methylation at the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) homolog and the vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT) homologue genes. These Amph-induced histone modifications are correlated with enhanced expression and function of CAT-2/TH and higher levels of dopamine, but decreased expression of CAT-1/VMAT in adult animals. Moreover, while adult animals pre-exposed to Amph do not show obvious behavioral defects, when challenged with Amph they exhibit Amph hypersensitivity, which is associated with a rapid increase in /TH mRNA. Because has helped reveal neuronal and epigenetic mechanisms that are shared among animals as diverse as roundworms and humans, and because of the evolutionary conservation of the dopaminergic response to psychostimulants, data collected in this study could help us to identify the mechanisms through which Amph induces long-lasting physiological and behavioral changes in mammals.
Topics: Animals; Caenorhabditis elegans; Vesicular Monoamine Transport Proteins; Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; Amphetamine; Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; Embryonic Development; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Dopamine; Epigenesis, Genetic
PubMed: 38673805
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25084219 -
International Journal of Molecular... Apr 2024Cognitive behavioral therapy is based on the view that maladaptive thinking is the causal mechanism of mental disorders. While this view is supported by extensive...
Cognitive behavioral therapy is based on the view that maladaptive thinking is the causal mechanism of mental disorders. While this view is supported by extensive evidence, very limited work has addressed the factors that contribute to the development of maladaptive thinking. The present study aimed to uncover interactions between childhood maltreatment and multiple genetic differences in irrational beliefs. Childhood maltreatment and irrational beliefs were assessed using multiple self-report instruments in a sample of healthy volunteers ( = 452). Eighteen single-nucleotide polymorphisms were genotyped in six candidate genes related to neurotransmitter function (; ; ), neurotrophic factors (), and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (; ). Gene-environment interactions (G×E) were first explored in models that employed one measure of childhood maltreatment and one measure of irrational beliefs. These effects were then followed up in models in which either the childhood maltreatment measure, the irrational belief measure, or both were substituted by parallel measures. Consistent results across models indicated that childhood maltreatment was positively associated with irrational beliefs, and these relations were significantly influenced by rs165774 and rs53576. These results remain preliminary until independent replication, but they represent the best available evidence to date on G×E in a fundamental mechanism of psychopathology.
Topics: Humans; Gene-Environment Interaction; Female; Male; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Adult; Receptors, Oxytocin; Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; Child Abuse; Middle Aged; Adverse Childhood Experiences; Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; Young Adult; Child; Receptors, Glucocorticoid
PubMed: 38673790
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25084206 -
Hormones and Behavior Jul 2024The synthetic progestin, 17α-hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17-OHPC), is administered to pregnant individuals at risk for preterm birth and is likely transferred from...
The synthetic progestin, 17α-hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17-OHPC), is administered to pregnant individuals at risk for preterm birth and is likely transferred from mother to fetus. Yet, there is little information regarding the potential effects of 17-OHPC administration on behavioral and neural development in offspring. In rats, neonatal 17-OHPC exposure altered dopaminergic fiber distribution and density in the prelimbic medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in neonates and adolescents, respectively. Additionally, neonatal 17-OHPC exposure in male rats increased response omissions in a delay discounting task of impulsive decision-making. Because developmental 17-OHPC exposure has differential effects in males and females, investigating the effects of 17-OHPC on impulsive decision-making in female rats is necessary. The present study tested the effects of developmental 17-OHPC exposure (P1-P14) in a delay discounting task in which female rats chose between a small immediate reward and a larger delayed (0, 15 30, or 45 s) reward. 17-OHPC-exposed females made more omissions than controls. There was no effect of 17-OHPC on large reward preference nor on response time, and omissions were similar during both free- and forced-choice trials. The present study also aimed to investigate the neural mechanisms underlying omissions in 17-OHPC-exposed female rats. The dopamine transporter inhibitor, methylphenidate (MPH), was administered prior to delay discounting testing. MPH treatment did not reduce omissions in 17-OHPC-exposed females. If anything, MPH increased omissions in control females nearly fourfold during the longest delays. These results suggest that developmental 17-OHPC exposure increased omissions without affecting impulsivity or slowing decision-making. Furthermore, omissions may be regulated, at least in part, by dopaminergic mechanisms.
Topics: Animals; Female; Rats; Decision Making; 17 alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone Caproate; Dopamine; Pregnancy; Delay Discounting; Impulsive Behavior; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Prefrontal Cortex; Animals, Newborn; Reward
PubMed: 38669977
DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105550 -
EJNMMI Physics Apr 2024This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of C-CFT PET brain imaging in Parkinson's Disease using a total-body PET/CT scanner and explore the optimal scan duration to...
PURPOSE
This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of C-CFT PET brain imaging in Parkinson's Disease using a total-body PET/CT scanner and explore the optimal scan duration to guide the clinical practice.
METHODS
Thirty-two patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) performing C-CFT PET/CT brain imaging using a total-body PET/CT scanner were retrospectively enrolled. The PET data acquired over a period of 900 s were reconstructed into groups of different durations: 900-s, 720-s, 600-s, 480-s, 300-s, 180-s, 120-s, 60-s, and 30-s (G900 to G30). The subjective image quality analysis was performed using 5-point scales. Semi-quantitative measurements were analyzed by SUVmean and dopamine transporter (DAT) binding of key brain regions implicated in PD, including the caudate nucleus and putamen. The full-time images (G900) were served as reference.
RESULTS
The overall G900, G720, and G600 image quality scores were 5.0 ± 0.0, 5.0 ± 0.0, and 4.9 ± 0.3 points, respectively, and there was no significant difference among these groups (P > 0.05). A significant decrease in these scores at durations shorter than 600 s was observed when compared to G900 images (P < 0.05). However, all G300 image quality was clinically acceptable (≥ 3 points). As the scan duration reduced, the SUVmean and DAT binding of caudate nucleus and putamen decreased progressively, while there were no statistically significant variations in the SUVmean of the background among the different groups. Moreover, the changes in the lesion DAT binding (ΔDAT-binding) between the full-time reference G900 image and other reconstructed group G720 to G30 images generally increased along with the reduced scan time.
CONCLUSION
Sufficient image quality and lesion conspicuity could be achieved at 600-s scan duration for C-CFT PET brain imaging in PD assessment using a total-body PET/CT scanner, while the image quality of G300 was acceptable to meet clinical diagnosis, contributing to improve patient compliance and throughput of PET brain imaging.
PubMed: 38662044
DOI: 10.1186/s40658-024-00640-4