This study identified

24 differentially expressed genes in HBMECs upon A beta treatment. Among these genes, we found that the gene for a well-characterized calcium-regulating hormone, stanniocalcin-1 (STC1) was specifically up-regulated by A beta treatment in a time and dose-dependent manner. Moreover, using overexpression and knock-down strategies, we found that overexpression GSK1838705A of STC1 decreased transmigration of monocytes induced by A beta and prevented A beta-induced apoptosis of HBMECs. in addition, we explored the possible mechanisms underlying the effects of STC1, showing that overexpression of STC1 attenuated the effect of A beta on up-regulating early growth response-1 (Egr-1), macrophage inflammatory PI3K inhibitor Protein-1 beta (MIP-1 beta), or cleaved caspase-8. Our data thus indicate a key role of STC1 in the response of HBMECs to A beta exposure. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.”
“The neural pathways through which substance P (SP) influences fear and

anxiety are poorly understood. However, the amygdala, a brain area repeatedly implicated in fear and anxiety processes, is known to contain large numbers of SP-containing neurons and SP receptors. Several studies have implicated SP neurotransmission within the amygdala in anxiety processes. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of site-specific infusions of an SP receptor antagonist, GR 82334, on conditioned fear responses using the fear-potentiated startle paradigm. GR 82334 infusion into the basolateral (BLA) or the medial (MeA) nuclei of the amygdala, but not into the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA), dose dependently reduced fear-potentiated startle. Similar effects were obtained with GR 82334 infusion into the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMH), to which the MeA projects, and into the rostral dorsolateral periaqueductal gray (PAG), to which the VMH projects, but not into the deep layers of the superior colliculus/deep mesencephalic nucleus (dSC/DpMe), an output of the CeA previously shown to be important for fear-potentiated startle. Consistent with previous findings, infusion of the AMPA receptor BYL719 antagonist, NBQX, into the dSC/DpMe, but

not into the PAG, did disrupt fear-potentiated startle. These findings suggest that multiple outputs from the amygdala play a critical role in fear-potentiated startle and that SP plays a critical, probably modulatory role, in the MeA to VMH to PAG to the startle pathway based on these and data from others.”
“Global warming is currently of great concern. Yet the ecological effects of low-frequency climate variations remain largely unknown. Recent analyses of interdecadal variability in population abundance of the Oriental migratory locust (Locusta migratoria manilensis) in China have revealed negative associations with temperature and positive associations with Yangtze drought and flood frequencies during the past millennium (AD 957-1956).