Articles: function.
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To evaluate changes in DNA methylation profiles in patients with fibromyalgia (FM) compared to matched healthy controls (HCs). All individuals underwent full clinical and neurophysiological assessment by cortical excitability (CE) parameters measured by transcranial magnetic stimulation. DNA from the peripheral blood of patients with FM (n = 24) and HC (n = 24) were assessed using the Illumina-HumanMethylation450 BeadChips. ⋯ Fibromyalgia has a hypomethylation DNA pattern, which is enriched in genes implicated in stress response and DNA repair/free radical clearance. These changes occurred parallel to changes in CE parameters. New epigenetic insights into the pathophysiology of FM may provide the basis for the development of biomarkers of this disorder.
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Painful neuropathy is the major dose-limiting side effect of paclitaxel chemotherapy. Mitochondrial dysfunction and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) deficit have previously been shown in peripheral nerves of paclitaxel-treated rats, but the effects of paclitaxel in the dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) have not been explored. The aim of this study was to determine the bioenergetic status of DRG neurons following paclitaxel exposure in vitro and in vivo. ⋯ None of these paclitaxel-evoked changes could be replicated from in vitro paclitaxel exposure to naive DRG neurons, demonstrating the impact of in vivo exposure and the importance of in vivo models. These data demonstrate the nature of mitochondrial dysfunction evoked by in vivo paclitaxel in the DRG for the first time. Furthermore, we have identified paclitaxel-evoked changes in the bioenergetics of DRG neurons, which result in a persistent energy deficit that is causal to the development and maintenance of paclitaxel-induced pain.
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Blood biomarkers of neuronal damage could facilitate clinical management of and therapeutic development for Huntington's disease. We investigated whether neurofilament light protein NfL (also known as NF-L) in blood is a potential prognostic marker of neurodegeneration in patients with Huntington's disease. ⋯ Medical Research Council, GlaxoSmithKline, CHDI Foundation, Swedish Research Council, European Research Council, Wallenberg Foundation, and Wolfson Foundation.
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There is growing evidence that pulmonary function impairment is related to cardiovascular events and death. Some studies have shown that the level of FVC is negatively related to arterial stiffness, but most studies were confined to men, and none of them examined the association of the presence of restrictive spirometry pattern with arterial stiffness. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association of restrictive spirometry pattern with arterial stiffness by sex. ⋯ Both restrictive spirometry pattern and reduced FVC were associated with a higher risk of arterial stiffness, not only in men but also in women. Clinically, assessment of arterial stiffness might be considered in individuals with restrictive spirometry pattern.