Biomedical subjects

Christine L Miller

Publications and source records attributed to Christine L Miller.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Upregulation of the initiating step of the kynurenine pathway in postmortem anterior cingulate cortex from individuals with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Upregulation of the kynurenine pathway has been associated with several etiologies of psychosis, an indication that increased levels of pathway intermediates might be involved in eliciting some psychotic features. In schizophrenia, tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO2) was previously identified in postmortem frontal cortex as the enzyme likely responsible for the reported increase in pathway activity in the brain. For this follow-up study of postmortem anterior cingulate gyrus, we have found evidence of increased TDO2 activity in schizophrenia at three different levels of regulation: mRNA, protein, and metabolic product. The results were unaffected by neuroleptic status or smoking history. To make the distinction between mental disorders with psychosis and those without, this study included patients with bipolar disorder and major depression. Compared to the control group, the HPLC, RT-PCR, and immunohistochemistry results show significant elevation of (1) kynurenine in schizophrenia (1.9-fold, P = 0.02), and in bipolar disorder (1.8-fold, P = 0.04), primarily in the bipolar subgroup with psychosis (2.1-fold, P = 0.03); (2) TDO2 mRNA in schizophrenia (1.7-fold; P = 0.049); and (3) the immunohistochemistry values for the density of TDO2-positive white matter glial cells in schizophrenia (P = 0.01) and in major depression (P = 0.03) as well as the density and intensity of glial cells (in both gray and white matter) stained for TDO2 in bipolar disorder (P = 0.02). Unlike the results for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, the increase in TDO2 protein in the major depression group was not associated with an increase in kynurenine concentration.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Endemic infections of Parastrongylus (=Angiostrongylus) costaricensis in two species of nonhuman primates, raccoons, and an opossum from Miami, Florida.

Parastrongylus (=Angiostrongylus) costaricensis was first reported in the United States from cotton rats, Sigmodon hispidus, in Texas in 1979. Here, we report the findings of P. costaricensis in a siamang (Hylobates syndactylus) from the Miami MetroZoo, in 2 Ma's night monkeys (Aotus nancymaae) from the DuMond Conservancy located at Monkey Jungle in Miami, in 4 raccoons (Procyon lotor) trapped near the MetroZoo, and in an opossum (Didelphis virginiana) trapped at the MetroZoo. These records are the first records of P. costaricensis from all 4 species of hosts. All of the primates were zoo-born, and the raccoons and opossum were native, indicating that this parasite is now endemic at these 2 sites.

Angiostrongylus↗

PubMed2004

Expression of the kynurenine pathway enzyme tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase is increased in the frontal cortex of individuals with schizophrenia.

Markers of the kynurenine pathway were studied in postmortem frontal cortex obtained from individuals with schizophrenia and controls. Quantitative endpoint RT-PCR was used to measure mRNA transcripts. Of the two enzymes capable of catalyzing the first step in the pathway, tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO2) and indoleamine dioxygenase (IDO), the concentration of mRNA for TDO2 was found to be elevated 1.6-fold in the schizophrenia group (P = 0.03), whereas the concentration of the mRNA for IDO was not significantly different between the schizophrenia and control groups. Immunohistochemistry showed an increased density of TDO2-immunopositive astroglial cells in the white matter of patients with schizophrenia (P = 0.04). Neurons and vessels were also immunopositive for TDO2, but there were no significant differences in labeling of these structures between the two groups. These results add to the evidence that kynurenine pathway changes might be involved in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and the schizophrenia-like psychoses of other disorders.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Two new species of Falcaustra and comments on helminths of Norops tropidolepis (Sauria: Polychrotidae) from Costa Rica.

Falcaustra costaricae n. sp. from the intestines of the lizard Norops tropidolepis and F. heosemydis n. sp. from the large intestine of the turtle Heosemys depressa are described and illustrated. Falcaustra costaricae represents the 10th Neotropical species assigned to this genus and is distinguished from other Neotropical species by the distribution pattern of caudal papillae (10 preanal, 0 adanal, 12 postanal, and 1 median), length and width of spicules (510-561 microm long, 18-24 microm wide), and absence of pseudosucker. Falcaustra heosemydis represents the 29th Oriental species and is distinguished from other Oriental species by the distribution pattern of caudal papillae (10 preanal, 0 adanal, 12 postanal, and 1 median), length of spicules (790-890 microm), and absence of pseudosucker. Norops tropidolepis was found to harbor 3 species of Nematoda, F. costaricae, Rhabdias anolis, and acuariid larvae, and 2 species of Acanthocephala (centrorhynchid cystacanths and oligacanthorhynchid cystacanths).

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Evaluating RNA status for RT-PCR in extracts of postmortem human brain tissue.

Total RNA was extracted from 105 individual postmortem human brain samples representing a range of postmortem conditions. To improve upon parameters currently used to screen for RNA quality, electropherogram patterns generated by the Agilent Bioanalyzer 2100 were compared to the average score in random hexamer-primed reverse transcription real-time PCR for four housekeeping genes in each RNA sample. The ribosomal ratio (28S to 18S) was found to be unrelated to the housekeeping gene score (r = -0.06; P = 0.50), and there was no threshold value in the ratio that could be applied to effectively categorize the RNA degradation. Although the housekeeping gene score correlated significantly with the percentage of area in the electropherogram corresponding to moderate to high molecular weight intact mRNA (r = 0.41; P = 0.0001), the best discriminator was determined to be the ratio of the 18S peak height to the highest peak in the tRNA to 18S rRNA baseline. Applying a lower boundary of 2.12 for the ratio allowed for the screening out of samples with the lowest housekeeping gene scores without excluding better-quality samples. This measure represents a marked improvement over the 28S to 18S ratio, which proved to be a misleading indicator of the state of the mRNA for use in random hexamer-primed reverse transcription PCR.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed2004

Parastrongylus cantonensis in a nonhuman primate, Florida.

Parastrongylus (= Angiostrongylus) cantonensis is a parasitic nematode of Norway rats throughout tropical regions. This parasite is neurotropic and causes disease and death in humans and other mammals. We report the first identification of P. cantonensis as the cause of a debilitating neurologic disease in a captive primate in Florida.

Angiostrongylus cantonensis↗

PubMed2003

Methods to optimize the generation of cDNA from postmortem human brain tissue.

The analysis of gene transcript levels in postmortem human brain is a valuable tool for the study of neurological and psychiatric diseases. Optimization of the methods of RNA extraction and cDNA generation is particularly important in this application because postmortem human brain tissue is in limited supply and generally yields less RNA than many other human tissues. We compared column extraction and solvent extraction for total RNA, reverse transcription (RT) with random hexamers versus oligo-dT priming, and incubation of the RNA with or without DNase for effect on the cDNA product derived from the same homogenized pool of postmortem human frontal cortex. The total RNA obtained from the solvent method was found to be less stable at room temperature and to contain a higher proportion of non-messenger RNA than that obtained from the column method. Evaluating the RT-PCR results per wet weight of tissue extracted, we found that the signal strength was increased >20-fold by a protocol of Qiagen RNeasy column extraction, random hexamer RT priming and omitting DNase treatment of the RNA.

Brain Chemistry↗

PubMed2003

Symptom reflections of women with cardiac disease and advanced practice nurses: a descriptive study.

The purpose of this descriptive study was to explore the experiences of women with cardiac disease in regard to cardiac risk factors, symptoms, and symptom interpretation. Interviews with a convenience sample of 21 African American and Caucasian female patients, aged 40-81 years with cardiac diagnoses, were taped and transcribed. Three advanced practice nurses with experience in cardiovascular nursing were interviewed individually for background. Analyses of symptoms indicated that women experienced a range of prodromal symptoms other than chest pain prior to hospitalization such as: edema, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, dry cough, and exhaustion. Atypical symptoms delayed recognition of a cardiac problem for some women. The lack of symptom consistency underscores the need for thorough assessment and screening of women at risk for cardiac problems. Advanced practice nurses are aware of current cardiac disease research in women but they must continue to be vigilant for atypical symptoms.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2002

A review of symptoms of coronary artery disease in women.

BACKGROUND: Research on heart disease has increasingly included information on women's experiences. A number of recent studies present frequencies and comparisons of symptoms between men and women and there appears to be some variability in the symptoms especially among women. Even with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) where anticipated symptoms are more clear-cut, women can have vague or nonclassic symptoms. AIM AND METHOD: Selected medical and nursing research on cardiac symptoms is examined for information on the cardiac warning symptom experiences unique to women. A search of the literature between 1995 and 2000 was done using CINAHL and MEDLINE. Terms used for the search included: cardiac symptoms, women's symptoms and symptom perception. The findings from this review are used to suggest implications for clinical practice. FINDING: Women experiencing AMI present with a variety of symptoms including chest pain. Less obvious symptoms include; fatigue, shortness of breath, back pain, oedema, and transient non-specific chest discomfort. These less dramatic and non-specific symptoms do not necessarily prompt further assessment for coronary disease in women. CONCLUSION: Cardiac screening of women who present with cardiac risk factors and careful attention to less anticipated symptoms are critical factors that can improve the rapid identification of coronary disease in women. The unique physiological and sociological differences between women and men make further study of women's symptom experiences and perceptions important for health care providers. Further study of gender and ethnic differences in symptom patterns and recognition will help to improve screening and earlier identification of cardiac problems in women patients especially those without chest pain as a prodromal symptom.

Coronary Disease↗

PubMed2002

Fluorouracil as a treatment for corneal papilloma in a Malayan tapir.

A 26-year-old, wild caught, male Malayan tapir at the Miami Metrozoo with bilateral corneal papillomas was serially immobilized and given subconjunctival injections of fluorouracil. Over the course of 17 weeks five bilateral injections of 25 mg fluorouracil were given. This treatment caused regression of the corneal lesions as evidenced by decreased lesion diameter, decreased corneal vascularity, increased corneal clarity, and improved visual function. No adverse drug effects were observed.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Evolution of information on women and heart disease 1957-2000: a review of archival records and secular literature.

This project explores the evolution of public information on cardiac disease in women, focusing on warning signs and symptoms. Historical documents available from the American Heart Association of Wisconsin and selected professional and secular literature were reviewed. Analysis revealed little information specific to women's symptoms until the 1980s. During the 1960s, articles and programs focused on how women could take care of their husbands' hearts. The 1980s brought a dramatic surge in literature on women's health, specifically on women's risk for heart disease. The evolution of information about women has mirrored the evolution of women's social roles. Despite the growing body of literature, more information and educational programs are needed to increase public awareness of cardiac warning signs and symptoms in women.

Bibliometrics↗