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“Recent studies suggest a functional role for neuronal cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (P450) activity in opioid analgesia. To characterize the relevant receptors, brain areas, and circuits, detailed in vitro and in vivo studies were performed with the highly selective check details mu

opioid receptor agonist DAMGO in neuronal P450-deficient mutant (Null) and control mice. Homogenates of brain regions and spinal cord showed no differences in DAMGO-induced activation of [S-35]- GTP gamma S binding between Null and control mice, indicating no genotype differences in mu opioid receptor signaling, receptor affinities or receptor densities. Intracerebroventricular (icy) DAMGO produced robust, near-maximal, analgesic responses in control mice which were attenuated by 50% in Null mice, confirming a role for mu opioid receptors in activating P450-associated responses. Intra-periaqueductal gray (PAG) and intra-rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM) injections of DAMGO

revealed deficits in Null (vs. control) analgesic responses, yet no such genotype differences were observed after intrathecal DAMGO administration. Taken with earlier published findings, the present results suggest that activation of mu opioid receptors in both the PAG and in the RVM relieves pain by mechanisms which include nerve-terminal P450 enzymes within inhibitory PAG-RVM projections. Spinal opioid analgesia, HSP990 research buy however, does not seem to require such P450 enzyme activity. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.”
“Primary neuroendocrine (NE) tumors of the kidney (PNRTs) are rare and frequently mistaken for other renal and urothelial cancers. We evaluated morphological and molecular findings of 11 PNRTs classified according to the World Health Organization classification of lung NE tumors. Patients included 5 men and 6 women with a median age of 50 years. These tumors occurred in the left (5/11),

right (3/11), and horseshoe (1/11) buy PHA-848125 kidney. The histologic patterns were predominantly solid, trabecular, and pseudoglandular. Lymphovascular invasion and calcification were found in 3 and 1 cases, respectively. There were 2 atypical and 9 typical carcinoids. At the time of surgery, 2 patients with atypical carcinoids had hepatic metastasis, and 1 of the typical carcinoid patients had lymph node metastasis. All cases showed <1% proliferative rate, except 2 cases with hepatic metastasis, which showed 3% to 5% with MIB1/Ki-67 immunostaining. Immunostainings were frequently positive for synaptophysin, chromogranin, CD56, CD99, and neuron-specific enolase. Follow-up data (average 4 years) were available for 6 patients. Two patients with distant metastasis were alive with disease, and four patients with no metastasis were alive without disease. We evaluated the association of PNRT and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) on chromosome 3p21 and found LOH in 2 of 3 cases. However, the comparative genomic hybridization study (2/2) did not demonstrate significant chromosomal imbalances.