The α 1 -adrenergic receptor (α 1 AR) subtypes, α 1A AR and α 1B AR, have differential effects in the heart and central nervous system. Long-term stimulation of the α 1A AR subtype prolongs lifespan and provides cardio-and neuro-protective effects. We examined the lifespan of constitutively active mutant (CAM)-α 1B AR mice and the incidence of cancer in mice expressing the CAM form of either the α 1A AR (CAM-α 1A AR mice) or α 1B AR. CAM-α 1B AR mice have a significantly shortened lifespan when compared with wild-type (WT) animals; however, the effect was sex dependent. Female CAM-α 1B AR mice lived significantly shorter lives, while the median lifespan of male CAM-α 1B AR mice was not different when compared with that of WT animals. There was no difference in the incidence of cancer in either sex of CAM-α 1B AR mice. The incidence of cancer was significantly decreased in CAM-α 1A AR mice when compared with that in WT, and no sex-dependent effects were observed. Further study is warranted on cancer incidence after activation of each α 1 AR subtype and the effect of sex on lifespan following activation of the α 1B AR. The implications of a decrease in cancer incidence following long-term α 1A AR stimulation could lead to improved treatments for cancer.
Coccidioides immitis is a dimorphic fungus, growing as a fungus in the soil and as a yeast in the human body, that is geographically limited in the United States, being most commonly associated with the San Joaquin Valley and found in California and Arizona. In most individuals, infection with C. immitis causes an asymptomatic, self-limited pulmonary infection; however, in a small percentage of individuals, the infection is disseminated and can involve any organ. We present the case of a 50-year-old man who was found unresponsive in his home in the northern portion of the United States. Autopsy revealed a 2163-g spleen. The initial differential diagnosis for the splenomegaly was an infection or a neoplastic process, such as leukemia. Because of the geographic location where the body was found, C. immitis was not initially considered; however, microscopic examination confirmed the presence of C. immitis spherules, which were found in the spleen and other organs. Granulomatous inflammation, often associated with spherules, was also present in a kidney, the pancreas, the thyroid gland, a parathyroid gland, and the heart. Additional investigation after the autopsy revealed that the decedent had spent time in the past in California, which would have allowed for exposure to C. immitis. The decedent had a rare form of a disease process not normally associated with the geographic location in which he was found, which highlights the need for continued diligence in death investigation so as to not allow a first impression to impair the correct final determination.
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