Lastly, to better understand the relationship between KA-R activity and anxiety-like selleck inhibitor behavior, we bilaterally microinjected ATPA directly into the BLA. We observed an increase in measures of anxiety-like behavior, assessed in the light/dark box, with no change in locomotor activity. This

evidence suggests that kainate receptors in the BLA are inhibited by pharmacologically relevant concentrations of ethanol and may contribute to some of the acute anxiolytic effects of this drug. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Bats are increasingly recognized to harbor a wide range of viruses, and in most instances these viruses appear to establish long-term persistence in these animals. They are the reservoir of a number of human zoonotic diseases including Nipah, Ebola, and severe acute respiratory syndrome. We report the identification of novel groups of astroviruses in apparently healthy insectivorous bats found in Hong Kong, in particular, bats belonging to the genera Miniopterus and Myotis. Astroviruses are important causes of diarrhea in many animal species, including humans. Many BMS202 concentration of the bat astroviruses form distinct phylogenetic clusters in the

genus Mamastrovirus within the family Astroviridae. Virus detection rates of 36% to 100% and 50% to 70% were found in Miniopterus magnater and Miniopterus pusillus bats, respectively, captured within a single bat habitat during four consecutive visits spanning 1 year. There was high genetic diversity of viruses in bats found within this single habitat. Some bat astroviruses may be phylogenetically related to human astroviruses, and further studies with a wider range of bat species in different geographic locations are warranted. These findings are likely to provide new insights into the ecology and evolution of astroviruses and reinforce the role of bats as a reservoir of viruses with potential to pose a zoonotic threat to human health.”
“During cell aging, proteins accumulate damages, which affect their structure and activity. The protein L-isoaspartyl methyltransferase (PIMT) is involved in the repair of proteins containing

abnormal L-isoaspartyl residues. Although its mechanism of action is well defined, little is known about the pathways involved in the regulation of PIMT expression. In this study, PIK3C2G we demonstrated that glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) and beta-catenin are involved in the regulation of PIMT expression. Treatment of astrocytoma cells (U-87) with direct pharmacological GSK-3 inhibitors such as lithium, SB-216763 and SB-415286 stimulated PIMT expression (similar to twofold). As expected, GSK-3 inhibition led to an increase of phosphorylated GSK-30 (Ser9) and to beta-catenin accumulation. PIMT induction by lithium was dependent on increased protein synthesis. In addition, RT-PCR analysis showed higher level of PIMT mRNA following GSK-3 inhibition, which was abolished by the transcriptional inhibitor actinomycin D.