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Increased Understanding Of Gene's Potentially Protective Role In Parkinson's
Treatments for Parkinson's disease, estimated to affect 1 million Americans, have yet to prove effective in slowing the progression of the debilitating disease. However, University of Alabama researchers have identified how a specific gene protects dopamine-producing neurons from dying in both animal models and in cultures of human neurons, according to a scientific article publishing in the Journal of Neuroscience. This increased understanding of the gene's neuro-protective capability is, the researchers said, another step toward the potential development of a new drug treatment... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today) Concern raised over neonatal care
A Welsh assembly inquiry into neonatal hospital services will hear later there is some way to go to improve the care of premature and sick babies in Wales. (Source: BBC News | Health | UK Edition) The Role Of Bilingualism In A Child's Development
A new study on children who are raised bilingual examined the effects on children's development of growing up speaking two languages. The study found that different factors were responsible for the language- and non-language-related outcomes of bilingualism found in previous research. The research was carried out at York University in Toronto and published in the journal Child Development . Bilingual children show differences in how they develop language and cognitive skills through the early school years... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today) Prenatal and Postnatal Expression of Glutathione Transferase {zeta} 1 in Human Liver and the Roles of Haplotype and Subject Age in Determining Activity with Dichloroacetate [Articles]
Glutathione transferase 1 (GSTZ1), also known as maleylacetoacetate isomerase, catalyzes the penultimate step of tyrosine catabolism and metabolizes several α-halocarboxylic acids, including dichloroacetic acid (DCA), an investigational drug used for lactic acidosis and, recently, solid tumors. Age-related differences have been suggested in DCA pharmacotoxicology, but no information is available on GSTZ1 ontogeny in humans. Here, we investigated the cytosolic GSTZ1 developmental expression pattern and the influence of haplotype on GSTZ1 activity with DCA by using human livers from donors between 10 weeks gestation and 74 years. GSTZ1 expression was very low in fetal livers (<2 pmol of GSTZ1/mg cytosol). The expression began to increase after birth in an age-dependent manner until age 7 years. GSTZ1 was then sustained at stable, yet variable, levels (median, 20.0 pmol/mg cytosol; range, 4.8–47.3 pmol/mg cytosol) until age 74 years. GSTZ1 activity with DCA was strongly associated with haplotype and expression level. Samples homozygous or heterozygous for GSTZ1A exhibited ~3-fold higher DCA dechlorinating activity than samples carrying other alleles at a given level of expression. The correlations (r2) between activity and expression were 0.90 and 0.68, respectively, for GSTZ1A carriers (n = 11) and noncarriers (n = 61). GSTZ1 is expressed in mitochondria in addition to cytosol. The GSTZ1A allele exhibited similar effects in the mitochondrial fraction by conferring a higher activity with DCA. In summary, we report a neonatal onset and an age-related increase in GSTZ1 protein expression during human liver development. Haplotype influenced GSTZ1 activity with DCA but not protein expression.
National League for Nursing to Co-Sponsor IOM Global...
February 6, 2012 - The National League for Nursing has announced its alliance with the Institute of Medicine's new Global Forum on Innovation in Health Professional Education. Still in formation, the IOM global forum will consist of at least two dozen member-sponsors--professional organizations like the NLN, as well as foundations, government agencies, and allied health care corporations. (Source: NurseZone.com Nursing News)
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