Chronic Cocaine Use Triggers Changes in Brain's Neuron Structure

cocaine

Chronic exposure to cocaine reduces the expression of a protein known to regulate brain plasticity, according to new, in vivo research on the molecular basis of cocaine addiction. That reduction drives structural changes in the brain, which produce greater sensitivity to the rewarding effects of cocaine.

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Drugs from lizard saliva reduces the cravings for food

A drug made from the saliva of the Gila monster lizard is effective in reducing the craving for food. Researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy have tested the drug on rats, who after treatment ceased their cravings for both food and chocolate.

An increasing number of patients suffering from type 2 diabetes are offered a pharmaceutical preparation called Exenatide, which helps them to control their blood sugar. The drug is a synthetic version of a natural substance called exendin-4, which is obtained from a rather unusual source – the saliva of the Gila monster lizard (Heloderma suspectum), North America’s largest lizard.

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Gaia Theory of Earth as Living Organism

Credit: NOAA

The Gaia hypothesis -- first articulated by James Lovelock and Lynn Margulis in the 1970s -- holds that Earth's physical and biological processes are inextricably connected to form a self-regulating, essentially sentient, system.

One of the early predictions of this hypothesis was that there should be a sulfur compound made by organisms in the oceans that was stable enough against oxidation in water to allow its transfer to the air. Either the sulfur compound itself, or its atmospheric oxidation product, would have to return sulfur from the sea to the land surfaces. The most likely candidate for this role was deemed to be dimethylsulfide.

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Pitt Symposium to Focus on Early Intervention in Treatment of Psychotic Disorders

A daylong symposium will focus on research that suggests early identification and intervention may positively influence outcomes in psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia.  Schizophrenia spectrum disorders have an age of onset that typically spans from late adolescence to early adulthood. The onset occurs in the context of considerable cognitive and neurobiologic developmental changes that precede and overlap with the clinical manifestation of the disorder. The symposium aims to address the cognitive and brain changes that occur during human development that provide the context for early psychosis. The event’s speakers will describe the factors that could alter development and contribute to psychosis and will outline recent findings regarding early identification and interventions for psychosis. Story Source: The above story is republished from materials provided by UPMC/UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH SCHOOLS OF THE HEALTH SCIENCES . Note: please contact the source cited above.

Microbe That Can Handle Ionic Liquids

Researchers have identified a tropical rainforest microbe that can endure relatively high concentrations of an ionic liquid used to dissolve cellulosic biomass for the production of advanced biofuels. They've also determined how the microbe accomplishes this, a discovery that holds broad implications beyond biofuels.

The El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico is a tropical rainforest where a  train of the microbe Enterobacter lignolyticus was found that can tolerate an ionic liquid used to dissolve cellulosic biomass for microbial-based biofuel production. (Photo by Kristen DeAngelis)

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Bio-hybrid Device Acts as ‘Thermostat’ to Control Systemic Inflammation in Sepsis

A small, external bioreactor holding human cells pumped out an anti-inflammatory protein to prevent organ damage and other complications in a rat with acute inflammation caused by bacterial products in a model of sepsis. Inflammation is a necessary biological response that brings cells and proteins to the site of tissue injury to contend with foreign agents, such as bacteria and the products they produce, and to begin the healing process. [find more]

Excess weight in pregnant women can have negative health Implications for offspring in adulthood

That overweight during pregnancy can lead to overweight children and adolescents has been known for some time, but new research indicates that excess weight before and during pregnancy can have long-lasting health consequences for the offspring of such mothers even later in life. [read more]

Powerful function of single protein that controls neurotransmission discovered

Scientists have discovered that the single protein -- alpha 2 delta -- exerts a spigot-like function, controlling the volume of neurotransmitters and other chemicals that flow between the synapses of brain neurons. The study shows how brain cells talk to each other through these signals, relaying thoughts, feelings and action, and this powerful molecule plays a crucial role in regulating effective communication.

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In metallic glasses, researchers find a few new atomic structures

Drawing on powerful computational tools and a state-of-the-art scanning transmission electron microscope, materials science and engineering researchers have discovered a new nanometer-scale atomic structure in solid metallic materials known as metallic glasses.

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Novel approach to stimulate immune cells

Researchers have uncovered a new way to stimulate activity of immune cell opiate receptors, leading to efficient tumor cell clearance. The researchers have been able to take a new pharmacological approach to activate the immune cells to prevent cancer growth through stimulation of the opiate receptors found on immune cells.[find more]