Behavioral indices of alcohol-induced premature responding correlated with the current
drinking levels and impulsivity traits, suggesting an interaction between alcohol effects and personality predispositions. A distributed frontoparietal cortical network was activated by incongruity. However, moderate alcohol inebriation selectively attenuated anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) activation during both high-conflict trials and erroneous responses, indicating vulnerability of the regulative function subserved by the ACC. By disrupting topdown, strategic processing, alcohol may interfere with goal-directed behavior, resulting in poor self control. The present results support G418 solubility dmso models proposing that alcohol-induced prefrontal impairments diminish inhibitory control and are modulated by dispositional risk factors and levels of alcohol consumption. Hum Brain Mapp, 2012. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.”
“Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension is characterized by increased thickness of pulmonary vessel walls due to both increased proliferation of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cell (PASMC) and deposition of extracellular matrix. In patients suffering
from pulmonary arterial hypertension, endothelin-1 AZD3965 (ET-1) synthesis is up-regulated and may increase PASMC activity and vessel wall remodeling through transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-beta 1) and connective tissue growth factor.\n\nObjective: To assess the signaling pathway leading to ET-1 induced proliferation and extracellular matrix deposition by human PASMC.\n\nMethods: PASMC were serum starved for 24 hours before stimulation with either ET-1 and/or TGF-beta 1. ET-1 was inhibited by Bosentan, ERK1/2 mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) was inhibited by U0126 and p38 MAPK was inhibited by Selleckchem Compound C SB203580.\n\nResults: ET-1 increased PASMC proliferation when combined with serum. This effect involved the mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPK) ERK1/2 MAPK and was abrogated by Bosentan which caused a G1- arrest through
activation of p27((Kip)). Regarding the contribution of extracellular matrix deposition in vessel wall remodeling, TGF-beta 1 increased the deposition of collagen type-I and fibronectin, which was further increased when ET-1 was added mainly through ERK1/2 MAPK. In contrast, collagen type-IV was not affected by ET-1. Bosentan dose-dependently reduced the stimulatory effect of ET-1 on collagen type-I and fibronectin, but had no effect on TGF-beta 1.\n\nConclusion and Clinical Relevance: ET-1 alone does not induce PASMC proliferation and extracellular matrix deposition. However, ET-1 significantly up-regulates serum induced proliferation and TGF-beta 1 induced extracellular matrix deposition, specifically of collagen type-I and fibronectin. The synergistic effects of ET-1 on serum and TGF-beta 1 involve ERK1/2 MAPK and may thus present a novel mode of action in the pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension.