PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Odile Spreux-Varoquaux

Publications and source records attributed to Odile Spreux-Varoquaux.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2007

Comparative effects of two type I interferons, human IFN-alpha and ovine IFN-tau on indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase in primary cultures of human macrophages.

Type I interferons (IFNs) are widely used to treat viral diseases. Depressive symptoms and suicide attempts are common neuropsychiatric side-effects during treatment with type I IFNs. Activation of indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), the first and rate-limiting enzyme of the kynurenine pathway by IFNs, leads to an increase in tryptophan (Trp) catabolism. Low levels of Trp lead to decrease of serotonin synthesis, which is likely to be related to the depressive symptoms. Ovine type I interferon-tau (IFN-tau) has a more potent antiretroviral effect and is less toxic than human type I IFN-alpha. Effects of IFN-tau and IFN-alpha on IDO expression and activity in primary cultures of human macrophages were compared in parallel to those of IFN-gamma, considered as one of the most potent IDO inducer. We found that both IFN-alpha and IFN-tau were poor inducers of IDO compared with IFN-gamma. However, IDO activation was slightly and significantly lower with ovine IFN-tau than human IFN-alpha, suggesting that ovine IFN-tau might have a lower impact on serotoninergic pathway compared with human IFN-alpha.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Effect of glucose on tobacco craving. Is it mediated by tryptophan and serotonin?

RATIONALE: Oral glucose has been shown to decrease tobacco craving in many but not all previous studies. Glucose ingestion may facilitates entry of tryptophan (TRP), the unique source of brain serotonin, into the brain, glucose's action seems to be opposite of rapid TRP depletion. Therefore, the aim was to assess the effect of high doses of oral glucose on tobacco craving, withdrawal symptoms, plasma TRP and blood serotonin concentrations in temporarily abstinent smokers. METHODS: Aspartame 0.6 g/200 ml (A, placebo), glucose 32.5 g/200 ml (G32.5) and 75 g/200 ml water (G75) were administered to 12 healthy smokers after an overnight abstinence in a crossover, double blind study. Tobacco craving (short version of the Tobacco Craving Questionnaire, TCQ), withdrawal symptoms, choice reaction time, affect, blood glucose, plasma insulin, nicotine, cotinine, free and total TRP, and blood serotonin concentrations were assessed during a period of 5 h after administration. RESULTS: Blood glucose and plasma insulin increased after G32.5, G75 and remained unchanged after A. TCQ score increased with A and remained almost unchanged with both doses of glucose (conditionxtime interaction: P=0.023). Total withdrawal score increased differently according to sex and condition (P<0.05). Motor reaction time increased with A and decreased with glucose (P=0.016). The overall decrease in plasma TRP was 0.31+/-17, 0.49+/-0.19 and 1.44+/-0.24 mg/l with A, G32.5 and G75, respectively (P<0.001). Baseline blood serotonin was lower in women (n=5) than in men; it showed a condition by time (P=0.007) and a condition by time by sex interaction (P=0.023). CONCLUSIONS: Glucose attenuates tobacco craving and withdrawal symptoms in temporarily abstinent smokers. This is accompanied by a decrease in plasma TRP and a sex dependent increase in blood serotonin. Further studies assessing the direct effect of glucose on brain serotonin are needed to ascertain whether a glucose induced reduction in craving is associated with an increase in brain serotonin.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed2002

Glutamate levels in cerebrospinal fluid in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a reappraisal using a new HPLC method with coulometric detection in a large cohort of patients.

Glutamate is involved in the degeneration of motor neurons in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, the aetiology of ALS appears heterogeneous, leading to the possibility that patient subgroups with different pathophysiology may exist. The concentration of glutamate in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is measured using a new HPLC method with coulometric detection in a large cohort of ALS patients and controls: 377 ALS patients, 88 neurological patients and 18 normal controls. In ALS patients, and only in these subjects, the existence of two groups was observed, one with normal glutamate concentrations and one (40.8% of ALS patients) with high glutamate concentrations. High glutamate concentrations were correlated with a spinal onset of the disease, more impaired limb function and a higher rate of muscle deterioration. These results suggest that elevations of CSF glutamate concentrations could reflect the intensity of cell insult in the spinal cord. It remains to be determined if the group of patients with high CSF glutamate concentrations represents a specific subgroup of patients in terms of mechanism of disease, or only in terms of the spatial extent of motor neuron insult.

Age Factors↗