No abstract

The Wistar-Kyoto rat (WKY) model has been suggested as a model of adult and adolescent depression though face, predictive and construct validities of the model to depression remain equivocal. The suitability of the WKY as a diathesis model that tests the double-hit hypothesis, particularly during critical periods of brain and behavioural development remains to be established. Here, effects of post-weaning social isolation were assessed during early adolescence (~30pnd) on behavioural despair and learned helplessness in the forced swim test (FST), plasma corticosterone levels and tissue monoamine concentrations in brain areas critically involved in depression, such as prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, striatum and hippocampus. Significantly increased immobility in the FST was observed in socially-isolated, adolescent WKY with a concomitant increase in corticosterone levels over and above the FST-induced stress. WKY also demonstrated a significantly increased release and utilization of dopamine, as manifested by levels of metabolites 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and homovanillic acid in nucleus accumbens, indicating that the large dopamine storage pool evident during adolescence induces greater dopamine release when stimulated. The serotonin metabolite 5-hydroxy-indoleacetic acid was also significantly increased in nucleus accumbens, indicating increased utilization of serotonin, along with norepinephrine levels which were also signficantly elevated in socially-isolated adolescent WKY. Differences in neurochemistry suggest that social or environmental stimuli during critical periods of brain and behavioural development can determine the developmental trajectories of implicated pathways.

No abstract

Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) is a slow progressing condition caused by balanced translocations of chromosomes 9 and 22, also defined as the Philadelphia (Ph)chromosome, containing the BCR-ABL1 oncogene. CML is classified into three stages; the Chronic, the Accelerated and the Blast crisis phase. These phases are associated with chromosomal translocations and secondary changes. Over the years, innovative scientific development in cancer cytogenetics has considerably improved the detection of chromosomal abnormalities. Fluorescence In situ Hybridization (FISH) method allows further identification of chromosomal alterations that karyotyping cannot resolve. Karyotyping is a gold standard technique that provides the human genome overview. This review mainly focuses on further chromosomal abnormalities, biology of CML, pathways, and therapeutic regimens. The study highlights CML subdivisions and the clinical importance of additional chromosomal abnormalities.

No abstract