We found that reduced length of the investigated trinucleotide repeat might aggravate craving symptoms. Moreover, an elevated number of repeats might be protective against severe craving. In summary, the presented data points to an underestimated role of the genetic regulation

of androgens in the pathogenesis of alcohol dependence and related disorders. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“We found a novel type germline mutation at exon 11 of the c-kit gene, which results in a substitution of Tyr to Cys at codon 553 of the c-kit gene product (KIT-Tyr553Cys), in a 68-year-old female patient Wortmannin cost with multiple gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). In the present study, we carried out mutational analysis in her family members to determine the carriers and characterized the mutation by introducing the corresponding mutation (murine KIT-Tyr552Cys) into expression vector possessing

murine c-kit cDNA. Mutational analysis of peripheral blood leukocytes of her family members revealed that a 44-year-old son had the same mutation, but at MDV3100 present he had neither apparent symptoms nor images of multiple GISTs. By transfection with the expression vector possessing the murine mutant c-kit cDNA, interleukin-3-dependent Ba/F3 murine lymphoid cells started growing autonomously without any growth factors, indicating that the mutation was considered to be of gain-of-function. Imatinib, a small molecule of tyrosine kinase inhibitor, effectively inhibited autophosphorylation of KIT-Tyr552Cys. Nilotinib,

another small molecule of the KIT inhibitor, also effectively inhibited autophosphorylation of KIT-Tyr552Cys. In fact, proliferation of Ba/F3 cells expressing KIT-Tyr552Cys was effectively inhibited by both imatinib and nilotinib. These selleck screening library findings indicate that the novel type human KIT-Tyr553Cys mutation is the cause of the present familial and multiple GISTs, and that both imatinib and nilotinib might effectively inhibit the growth of GISTs developing in the patients of this family. Laboratory Investigation (2012) 92, 451-457; doi:10.1038/labinvest.2011.165; published online 14 November 2011″
“Depression is one of the most common and debilitating psychiatric illnesses around the world, but the current antidepressants used to treat depression have many limitations. Progressively more studies have shown that neuropeptide systems are potential novel therapeutic targets for depression. However, whether the neuropeptide trefoil factor 3 (TFF3) participates in the development of depression has not been examined. In the current experiments, we assessed the antidepressant effects of TFF3 using the forced swim test (FST), tail suspension test (TST), and chronic mild stress (CMS) paradigm. Furthermore, we determined the mechanism that underlies the antidepressant-like effects of TFF3 in the rat FST. TFF3 dose-dependently reduced immobility time in both FST and TST.