The sexually dimorphic expression of glutamate transporters and their implication in pain after spinal cord injury

In addition to the loss of motor function,~60% of patients develop pain after spinal cord injury.The cellular-molecular mechanisms are not well understood,but the data suggests that plasticity within the rostral,epicenter,and caudal penumbra of the injury site initiates a cellularmolecular interplay that acts as a rewiring mechanism leading to central neuropathic pain.Sprouting can lead to the formation of new connections triggering abnormal sensory transmission.The excitatory glutamate transporters are responsible for the reuptake of extracellular glutamate which makes them a critical target to prevent neuronal hyperexcitability and excitotoxicity.Our previous studies showed a sexually dimorphic therapeutic window for spinal cord injury after treatment with the selective estrogen receptor modulator tamoxifen.In this study,we investigated the anti-allodynic effects of tamoxifen in male and female rats with spinal cord injury.We hypothesized that tamoxifen exerts anti-allodynic effects by increasing the expression of glutamate transporters,leading to reduced hyperexcitability of the secondary neuron or by decreasing aberrant sprouting.Male and female rats received a moderate contusion to the thoracic spinal cord followed by subcutaneous slow-release treatment of tamoxifen or matrix pellets as a control(placebo).We used von Frey monofilaments and the“up-down method”to evaluate mechanical allodynia.Tamoxifen treatment decreased allodynia only in female rats with spinal cord injury revealing a sexdependent effect.The expression profile of glutamatergic transporters(excitatory amino acid transporter 1/glutamate aspartate transporter and excitatory amino acid transporter 2/glutamate transporter-1)revealed a sexual dimorphism in the rostral,epicenter,and caudal areas of the spinal cord with a pattern of expression primarily on astrocytes.Female rodents showed a significantly higher level of excitatory amino acid transporter-1 expression while male rodents showed increased excitatory amino acid transporter-2 expression compared with female rodents.Analyses of peptidergic(calcitonin gene-related peptide-α)and non-peptidergic(isolectin B4)fibers outgrowth in the dorsal horn after spinal cord injury showed an increased calcitonin gene-related peptide-α/isolectin B4 ratio in comparison with sham,suggesting increased receptive fields in the dorsal horn.Although the behavioral assay shows decreased allodynia in tamoxifen-treated female rats,this was not associated with overexpression of glutamate transporters or alterations in the dorsal horn laminae fibers at 28 days post-injury.Our findings provide new evidence of the sexually dimorphic expression of glutamate transporters in the spinal cord.The dimorphic expression revealed in this study provides a therapeutic opportunity for treating chronic pain,an area with a critical need for treatment.

Glutamine transporters as effective targets in digestive system malignant tumor treatment

Glutamine is one of the most abundant non-essential amino acids in human plasma and plays a crucial role in many biological processes of the human body.Tumor cells take up a large amount of glutamine to meet their rapid proliferation requirements,which is supported by the upregulation of glutamine transporters.Targeted inhibition of glutamine transporters effectively inhibits cell growth and proliferation in tumors.Among all cancers,digestive system malignant tumors(DSMTs)have the highest incidence and mortality rates,and the current therapeutic strategies for DSMTs are mainly surgical resection and chemotherapy.Due to the relatively low survival rate and severe side effects associated with DSMTs treatment,new treatment strategies are urgently required.This article summarizes the glutamine transporters involved in DSMTs and describes their role in DSMTs.Additionally,glutamine transportertarget drugs are discussed,providing theoretical guidance for the further development of drugs DSMTs treatment.

Increased excitatory amino acid transporter 2 levels in basolateral amygdala astrocytes mediate chronic stress–induced anxiety-like behavior

The conventional perception of astrocytes as mere supportive cells within the brain has recently been called into question by empirical evidence, which has revealed their active involvement in regulating brain function and encoding behaviors associated with emotions.Specifically, astrocytes in the basolateral amygdala have been found to play a role in the modulation of anxiety-like behaviors triggered by chronic stress. Nevertheless, the precise molecular mechanisms by which basolateral amygdala astrocytes regulate chronic stress–induced anxiety-like behaviors remain to be fully elucidated. In this study, we found that in a mouse model of anxiety triggered by unpredictable chronic mild stress, the expression of excitatory amino acid transporter 2 was upregulated in the basolateral amygdala. Interestingly, our findings indicate that the targeted knockdown of excitatory amino acid transporter 2 specifically within the basolateral amygdala astrocytes was able to rescue the anxiety-like behavior in mice subjected to stress. Furthermore, we found that the overexpression of excitatory amino acid transporter 2 in the basolateral amygdala, whether achieved through intracranial administration of excitatory amino acid transporter 2agonists or through injection of excitatory amino acid transporter 2-overexpressing viruses with GfaABC1D promoters, evoked anxiety-like behavior in mice. Our single-nucleus RNA sequencing analysis further confirmed that chronic stress induced an upregulation of excitatory amino acid transporter 2 specifically in astrocytes in the basolateral amygdala. Moreover, through in vivo calcium signal recordings, we found that the frequency of calcium activity in the basolateral amygdala of mice subjected to chronic stress was higher compared with normal mice.After knocking down the expression of excitatory amino acid transporter 2 in the basolateral amygdala, the frequency of calcium activity was not significantly increased, and anxiety-like behavior was obviously mitigated. Additionally, administration of an excitatory amino acid transporter 2 inhibitor in the basolateral amygdala yielded a notable reduction in anxiety level among mice subjected to stress. These results suggest that basolateral amygdala astrocytic excitatory amino acid transporter 2 plays a role in in the regulation of unpredictable chronic mild stress-induced anxiety-like behavior by impacting the activity of local glutamatergic neurons, and targeting excitatory amino acid transporter 2 in the basolateral amygdala holds therapeutic promise for addressing anxiety disorders.

Smart Cellulose‑Based Janus Fabrics with Switchable Liquid Transportation for Personal Moisture and Thermal Management

The Janus fabrics designed for personal moisture/thermal regulation have garnered significant attention for their potential to enhance human comfort.However,the development of smart and dynamic fabrics capable of managing personal moisture/thermal comfort in response to changing external environments remains a challenge.Herein,a smart cellulose-based Janus fabric was designed to dynamically manage personal moisture/heat.The cotton fabric was grafted with N-isopropylacrylamide to construct a temperature-stimulated transport channel.Subsequently,hydrophobic ethyl cellulose and hydrophilic cellulose nanofiber were sprayed on the bottom and top sides of the fabric to obtain wettability gradient.The fabric exhibits anti-gravity directional liquid transportation from hydrophobic side to hydrophilic side,and can dynamically and continuously control the transportation time in a wide range of 3–66 s as the temperature increases from 10 to 40℃.This smart fabric can quickly dissipate heat at high temperatures,while at low temperatures,it can slow down the heat dissipation rate and prevent the human from becoming too cold.In addition,the fabric has UV shielding and photodynamic antibacterial properties through depositing graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets on the hydrophilic side.This smart fabric offers an innovative approach to maximizing personal comfort in environments with significant temperature variations.

Recent progress in the applications of presynaptic dopaminergic positron emission tomography imaging in parkinsonism

Nowadays,presynaptic dopaminergic positron emission tomography,which assesses deficiencies in dopamine synthesis,storage,and transport,is widely utilized for early diagnosis and differential diagnosis of parkinsonism.This review provides a comprehensive summary of the latest developments in the application of presynaptic dopaminergic positron emission tomography imaging in disorders that manifest parkinsonism.We conducted a thorough literature search using reputable databases such as PubMed and Web of Science.Selection criteria involved identifying peer-reviewed articles published within the last 5 years,with emphasis on their relevance to clinical applications.The findings from these studies highlight that presynaptic dopaminergic positron emission tomography has demonstrated potential not only in diagnosing and differentiating various Parkinsonian conditions but also in assessing disease severity and predicting prognosis.Moreover,when employed in conjunction with other imaging modalities and advanced analytical methods,presynaptic dopaminergic positron emission tomography has been validated as a reliable in vivo biomarker.This validation extends to screening and exploring potential neuropathological mechanisms associated with dopaminergic depletion.In summary,the insights gained from interpreting these studies are crucial for enhancing the effectiveness of preclinical investigations and clinical trials,ultimately advancing toward the goals of neuroregeneration in parkinsonian disorders.

Additive neurorestorative effects of exercise and docosahexaenoic acid intake in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease

There is a need to develop interventions to slow or reverse the degeneration of dopamine neurons in Parkinson’s disease after diagnosis.Given that preclinical and clinical studies suggest benefits of dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids,such as docosahexaenoic acid,and exercise in Parkinson’s disease,we investigated whether both could synergistically interact to induce recovery of the dopaminergic pathway.First,mice received a unilateral stereotactic injection of 6-hydroxydopamine into the striatum to establish an animal model of nigrostriatal denervation.Four weeks after lesion,animals were fed a docosahexaenoic acid-enriched or a control diet for the next 8 weeks.During this period,the animals had access to a running wheel,which they could use or not.Docosahexaenoic acid treatment,voluntary exercise,or the combination of both had no effect on(i)distance traveled in the open field test,(ii)the percentage of contraversive rotations in the apomorphine-induction test or(iii)the number of tyrosine-hydroxylase-positive cells in the substantia nigra pars compacta.However,the docosahexaenoic acid diet increased the number of tyrosine-hydroxylase-positive terminals and induced a rise in dopamine concentrations in the lesioned striatum.Compared to docosahexaenoic acid treatment or exercise alone,the combination of docosahexaenoic acid and exercise(i)improved forelimb balance in the stepping test,(ii)decreased the striatal DOPAC/dopamine ratio and(iii)led to increased dopamine transporter levels in the lesioned striatum.The present results suggest that the combination of exercise and docosahexaenoic acid may act synergistically in the striatum of mice with a unilateral lesion of the dopaminergic system and provide support for clinical trials combining nutrition and physical exercise in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.

Dysregulation of genes involved in the long-chain fatty acid transport in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC)is an aggressive lethal malignancy with limited options for treatment and a 5-year survival rate of 11%in the United States.As for other types of tumors,such as colorectal cancer,aberrant de novo lipid synthesis and reprogrammed lipid metabolism have been suggested to be associated with PDAC development and progression.AIM To identify the possible involvement of lipid metabolism in PDAC by analyzing in tumoral and non-tumoral tissues the expression level of the most relevant genes involved in the long-chain fatty acid(FA)import into cell.METHODS A gene expression analysis of FASN,CD36,SLC27A1,SLC27A2,SLC27A3,SLC27A4,SLC27A5,ACSL1,and ACSL3 was performed by qRT-PCR in 24 tumoral PDAC tissues and 11 samples from non-tumoral pancreatic tissues obtained via fine needle aspiration or via surgical resection.The genes were considered significantly dysregulated between the groups when the p value was<0.05 and the fold change(FC)was≤0.5 and≥2.RESULTS We found that three FA transporters and two long-chain acyl-CoA synthetases genes were significantly upregulated in the PDAC tissue compared to the non-tumoral tissue:SLC27A2(FC=5.66;P=0.033),SLC27A3(FC=2.68;P=0.040),SLC27A4(FC=3.13;P=0.033),ACSL1(FC=4.10;P<0.001),and ACSL3(FC=2.67;P=0.012).We further investigated any possible association between the levels of the analyzed mRNAs and the specific characteristics of the tumors,including the anatomic location,the lymph node involvement,and the presence of metastasis.A significant difference in the expression of SLC27A3(FC=3.28;P=0.040)was found comparing patients with and without lymph nodes involvement with an overexpression of this transcript in 17 patients presenting tumoral cells in the lymph nodes.CONCLUSION Despite the low number of patients analyzed,these preliminary results seem to be promising.Addressing lipid metabolism through a broad strategy could be a beneficial way to treat this malignancy.Future in vitro and in vivo studies on these genes may offer important insights into the mechanisms linking PDAC with the long-chain FA import pathway.

Renal glucosuria in children

The kidneys play a critical role in maintaining glucose homeostasis.Under normal renal tubular function,most of the glucose filtered from the glomeruli is re-absorbed in the proximal tubules,leaving only trace amounts in the urine.Glycosuria can occur as a symptom of generalized proximal tubular dysfunction or when the reabsorption threshold is exceeded or the glucose threshold is reduced,as seen in familial renal glycosuria(FRG).FRG is characterized by persistent glycosuria despite normal blood glucose levels and tubular function and is primarily associated with mutations in the sodium/glucose cotransporter 5A2 gene,which encodes the sodium-glucose cotransporter(SGLT)2.Inhibiting SGLTs has been proposed as a novel treatment strategy for diabetes,and since FRG is often considered an asymptomatic and benign condition,it has inspired preclinical and clinical studies using SGLT2 inhibitors in type 2 diabetes.However,patients with FRG may exhibit clinical features such as lower body weight or height,altered systemic blood pressure,diaper dermatitis,amino-aciduria,decreased serum uric acid levels,and hypercalciuria.Further research is needed to fully understand the pathophysiology,molecular genetics,and clinical manifestations of renal glucosuria.

洛阳轨道交通站点步行接驳的影响因素研究

通过分析洛阳轨道交通站点的步行接驳影响因素,旨在为提高公共交通吸引力、优化轨道交通系统和促进可持续交通发展提供参考。研究基于GIS分析、实地调研和调查问卷,重点考察了不同类型站点特征、站点设计与布局、客流特征与出行需求及公共交通政策与管理等因素。结果显示,站点周边的功能混合度、人口密度、公共设施和服务质量等因素,以及站点的出入口位置、数量、通达性对步行接驳质量有显著影响。此外,乘客的出行目的、时间分布和交通换乘需求也对步行接驳服务质量产生影响。基于调研结果,建议采取提升步行网络密度、提升步行网络的整体性等措施,以改善洛阳市轨道交通站点的步行接驳状况。

锯齿形氮化铝纳米带负阻器件电子输运性质研究

低维纳米带材料因为其结构的特异性而呈现出新奇的物理性质.修饰纳米带的边缘能够调制其电子性质.本文运用基于密度泛函理论(DFT)的第一性原理计算方法,探究了锯齿形氮化铝纳米带(ZAlNNR)单边氟化、单边氯化以及单边氢化的电子结构和输运特性.研究表明:锯齿型氮化铝纳米带可以通过以上手段实现能带结构的半导体-金属转换.计算电子输运特性,我们发现三种边缘修饰的器件均呈现出负微分电阻效应,其中AlN-F器件有最大峰谷电流比(PVCR),达到了1.78×10^(7),是硅烯纳米器件以及黑磷纳米器件的10^(6)倍.值得一提的是,相比于H-AlN-Cove纳米器件,AlN-F器件能够在更小的偏压范围内实现高PVCR.该结果为锯齿形氮化铝纳米带在低功耗纳米器件中的应用提供了广泛的前景.

Ilizarov骨搬移联合抗生素骨水泥促进胫骨大段骨缺损的对接点愈合

背景:Ilizarov骨搬移治疗开放性胫骨大段骨缺损十分有效,但仍有并发症,其中对接点愈合困难是治疗难点之一。目的:探讨Ilizarov骨搬移联合抗生素骨水泥对开放性胫骨大段骨缺损术后对接点愈合的影响。方法:选择2010年8月至2022年1月滨州医学院附属医院收治的开放性胫骨大段(骨缺损> 4 cm)骨缺损患者51例,其中28例接受单纯Ilizarov骨搬移治疗(对照组),23例接受Ilizarov骨搬移联合抗生素骨水泥治疗(试验组)。统计比较两组患者外固定时间、骨愈合时间、骨愈合指数、骨搬移过程中的目测类比评分、末次随访时的骨缺损肢体功能、对接点愈合及并发症发生情况。结果与结论:(1)51例患者均获得完整随访,平均随访(22.53±5.77)个月,试验组患者外固定时间、骨愈合时间、骨愈合指数、术后感染率及对接点未愈合率均少于对照组(P <0.05),两组二期手术后6个月的目测类比评分、末次随访时的骨缺损肢体功能优良率比较差异无显著性意义(P> 0.05);(2)结果表明,相较于单纯的Ilizarov骨搬移治疗,Ilizarov骨搬移联合抗生素骨水泥治疗可促进开放性胫骨骨折对接点的愈合,提高骨愈合率。

基于石墨烯电极TCNQ分子结热/电输运性质理论研究

本文采用密度泛函理论和非格林平衡函数,对基于石墨烯电极的7,7,8,8-四氰基苯醌二甲烷(Tetracyanoquinodimethane,TCNQ)分子结热/电输运性质进行系统研究.研究结果表明:随着中心TCNQ分子个数的增加,声子透射系数明显降低,即声子透射行为受到极大抑制.与此同时,电子透射系数也有一定程度的减小.在热/电参数的协同作用下,伴随分子数量的增加分子结热电转换性能呈上升趋势,1TCNQ热电优值(ZT)为0.016,而2TCNQ则上升了1个数量级,ZT值达到0.11.最后,我们对分子结依赖于分子结构个数的自旋输运性质进行研究,发现TCNQ分子结具有显著的自旋过滤效应,其过滤能力随着TCNQ分子数量的增加而增加.该工作可为实验制备分子热电器件提供理论依据和数据支持.

四硫富瓦烯分子结基于连接位点热-电输运性能理论调控研究

热电材料的研究对于再利用工业废热、生产清洁能源具有很大的意义.本文以锯齿状石墨烯纳米带(zGNR)做为电极,以不同连接位点的四硫富瓦烯(Tetrathiafulvalene,TTF)分子做为中心散射分子,构建了中心连接TTF分子结器件和边缘连接TTF分子结器件两种热电器件.采用密度泛函理论和非平衡格林函数方法研究了它们的热-电输运性质.结果表明,连接位点的不同对TTF分子器件热电性能具有显著影响.基于锯齿状石墨烯纳米带独特的边缘结构,导致边缘连接TTF分子结器件电输运性质高于中心连接分子结器件;与此同时,边缘悬挂氢键局域共振效应使得边缘连接TTF分子结热输运性能略小于中心连接TTF分子器件.边缘连接TTF分子结器件获取优异热电优值(ZT=0.457),为中心连接TTF分子结器件的3.4倍(ZT=0.135).

区域医疗系统抗震韧性综述

韧性作为一种新的灾害风险管理理念,已成为防灾减灾领域的研究热点,考虑到医疗系统在城市运行和灾后救援中的重要作用,在地震期间和之后,区域医疗系统应该具有足够的韧性,并提供连续的医疗服务。如何综合考虑区域范围内多家医院和交通系统的安全性、应急响应能力、多系统的整合与协作,有效评估区域医疗系统的抗震韧性水平,并提出科学的改进建议,对建设韧性城乡具有重要的理论意义。本文通过梳理国内外文献,阐明了区域医疗系统韧性的概念和内涵,总结了地震后短期应急和长期修复两个阶段韧性评估的重点,归纳了现有区域医疗系统韧性的评估框架,从医院集群系统、面向医疗的交通系统、应急医疗服务系统和医疗-交通耦合系统4个方面阐述了现有评估方法。区域医疗系统韧性的研究旨在提高其面对灾害时的抵抗性、短期适应性和长期恢复性,这些研究对于满足紧急和日常的医疗需求以及指导灾后恢复具有重要意义。目前区域医疗系统抗震韧性的研究取得了一些进展,但仍然存在一些挑战,本文最后展望了未来的研究方向。

Novel understanding of ABC transporters ABCB1/MDR/P-glycoprotein, ABCC2/MRP2, and ABCG2/BCRP in colorectal pathophysiology

AIM: To evaluate ATP-binding cassette(ABC) transporters in colonic pathophysiology as they had recently been related to colorectal cancer(CRC) development. METHODS: Literature search was conducted on Pub Med using combinations of the following terms: ABC transporters, ATP binding cassette transporter proteins, inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative, colitis, Crohns disease, colorectal cancer, colitis, intestinal inflammation, intestinal carcinogenesis, ABCB1/P-glycoprotein(P-gp/CD243/MDR1), ABCC2/multidrug resistance protein 2(MRP2) and ABCG2/breast cancer resistance protein(BCRP), Abcb1/Mdr1 a, abcc2/Mrp2, abcg2/Bcrp, knock-out mice, tight junction, membrane lipid function. RESULTS: Recently, human studies reported thatchanges in the levels of ABC transporters were early events in the adenoma-carcinoma sequence leading to CRC. A link between ABCB1, high fat diet and gut microbes in relation to colitis was suggested by the animal studies. The finding that colitis was preceded by altered gut bacterial composition suggests that deletion of Abcb1 leads to fundamental changes of hostmicrobiota interaction. Also, high fat diet increases the frequency and severity of colitis in specific pathogenfree Abcb1 KO mice. The Abcb1 KO mice might thus serve as a model in which diet/environmental factors and microbes may be controlled and investigated in relation to intestinal inflammation. Potential molecular mechanisms include defective transport of inflammatory mediators and/or phospholipid translocation from one side to the other of the cell membrane lipid bilayer by ABC transporters affecting inflammatory response and/or function of tight junctions, phagocytosis and vesicle trafficking. Also, diet and microbes give rise to molecules which are potential substrates for the ABC transporters and which may additionally affect ABC transporter function through nuclear receptors and transcriptional regulation. Another critical role of ABCB1 was suggested by the finding that ABCB1 expression identifies a subpopulation of pro-inflammatory Th17 cells which were resistant to treatment with glucocorticoids. The evidence for the involvement of ABCC2 and ABCG2 in colonic pathophysiology was weak. CONCLUSION: ABCB1, diet, and gut microbes mutually interact in colonic inflammation, a well-known risk factor for CRC. Further insight may be translated into preventive and treatment strategies.

Localization of vesicular glutamate transporters in the peripheral vesti-bular system of rat

Objective To examine the vesicular glutamate transporters （VGluTs： VGluT 1-VGluT3） in the peripheral vestibular system. Methods The vestibular structures, including Scarpa＇s ganglion （vestibular ganglion, VG）, maculae of utricle and saccule, and ampullary cristae, from normal Sprague-Dawley rats were processed immunohistochemically for VGluTs, by avidin-biotinylated peroxidase complex method, with 3-3＇-diaminobenzidine （DAB） as chromogen. Results （1） VGluT 1 was localized to partial neurons of VG and to the putative primary afferent fibers innervating vestibular end-organs. （2） Intense VGluT3 immunoreactivity was detected in large number of sensory epithelia cells, and weak labeling of VGluT3- positive afferent fibers was in the maculae and ampullary cristae. （3） No or very weak VGluT2 immunoreactivity was observed in the VG and acoustic maculae. Conclusion These results provide the morphological support that glutamate exists in the peripheral vestibular system, and it may play an important role in the centripetal vestibular transmission.

Glutamine transporters as pharmacological targets: From function to drug design

Among the different targets of administered drugs,there are membrane transporters that play also a role in drug delivery and disposition.Moreover,drug-transporter interactions are responsible for off-target effects of drugs underlying their toxicity.The improvement of the drug design process is subjected to the identification of those membrane transporters mostly relevant for drug absorption,delivery and side effect production.A peculiar group of proteins with great relevance to pharmacology is constituted by the membrane transporters responsible for managing glutamine traffic in different body districts.The interest around glutamine metabolism lies in its physio-pathological role;glutamine is considered a conditionally essential amino acid because highly proliferative cells have an increased request of glutamine that cannot be satisfied only by endogenous synthesis.Then,glutamine transporters provide cells with this special nutrient.Among the glutamine transporters,SLC1A5,SLC6A14,SLC6A19,SLC7A5,SLC7A8 and some members of SLC38 family are the best characterized,so far,in both physiological and pathological conditions.Few 3D structures have been solved by CryoEM;other structural data on these transporters have been obtained by computational analysis.Interactions with drugs have been described for several transporters of this group.For some of them,the studies are at an advanced stage,for others,the studies are still in nuce and novel biochemical findings open intriguing perspectives.

Overview of organic anion transporters and organic anion transporter polypeptides and their roles in the liver

Organic anion transporters(OATs)and organic anion transporter polypeptides(OATPs)are classified within two SLC superfamilies,namely,the SLC22A superfamily and the SLCO superfamily(formerly the SLC21A family),respectively.They are expressed in many tissues,such as the liver and kidney,and mediate the absorption and excretion of many endogenous and exogenous substances,including various drugs.Most are composed of 12 transmembrane polypeptide chains with the C-terminus and the N-terminus located in the cell cytoplasm.OATs and OATPs are abundantly expressed in the liver,where they mainly promote the uptake of various endogenous substrates such as bile acids and various exogenous drugs such as antifibrotic and anticancer drugs.However,differences in the locations of glycosylation sites,phosphorylation sites,and amino acids in the OAT and OATP structures lead to different substrates being transported to the liver,which ultimately results in their different roles in the liver.To date,few articles have addressed these aspects of OAT and OATP structures,and we study further the similarities and differences in their structures,tissue distribution,substrates,and roles in liver diseases.

Glutamate transporters, EAAT1 and EAAT2, are potentially important in the pathophysiology and treatment of schizophrenia and affective disorders

Glutamate is the predominant excitatory neurotransmitter in the human brain and it has been shown that prolonged activation of the glutamatergic system leads to nerve damage and cell death. Following release from the pre-synaptic neuron and synaptic transmission, glutamate is either taken up into the presynaptic neuron or neighbouring glia by transmembrane glutamate transporters. Excitatory amino acid transporter(EAAT) 1 and EAAT2 are Na+-dependant glutamate transporters expressed predominantly in glia cells of the central nervous system. As the most abundant glutamate transporters, their primary role is to modulate levels of glutamatergic excitability and prevent spill over of glutamate beyond the synapse. This role is facilitated through the binding and transportation of glutamate into astrocytes and microglia. The function of EAAT1 and EAAT2 is heavily regulated at the levels of gene expression, post-transcriptional splicing, glycosylation states and cell-surface trafficking of the protein. Both glutamatergic dysfunction and glial dysfunction have been proposed to be involved in psychiatric disorder. This review will present an overview of the roles that EAAT1 and EAAT2 play in modulating glutamatergic activity in the human brain, and mount an argument that these two transporters could be involved in the aetiologies of schizophrenia and affective disorders as well as represent potential drug targets for novel therapies for those disorders.

Role of copper transporters in platinum resistance

Platinum(Pt)-based antitumor agents are effective in the treatment of many solid malignancies. However, their efficacy is limited by toxicity and drug resistance. Reduced intracellular Pt accumulation has been consistently shown to correlate with resistance in tumors. Proteins involved in copper homeostasis have been identified as Pt transporters. In particular, copper transporter receptor 1(CTR1), the major copper influx transporter, has been shown to play a significant role in Pt resistance. Clinical studies demonstrated that expression of CTR1 correlated with intratumoral Pt concentration and outcomes following Pt-based therapy. Other CTRs such as CTR2, ATP7 A and ATP7 B, may also play a role in Pt resistance. Recent clinical studies attempting to modulate CTR1 to overcome Pt resistance may provide novel strategies. This review discusses the role of CTR1 as a potential predictive biomarker of Pt sensitivity and a therapeutic target for overcoming Pt resistance.