4th Global Experts Meeting on Neuropharmacology September 14-16, 2016 San Antonio, USA

Asif Kabani is a rising MS2 at the McGovern Medical School. Born and raised in Chicago, IL, Asif went to high school and undergrad in Dallas. After graduating from the University of Texas at Dallas, Asif moved to Houston for medical school. In addition to his global health concentration, Asif works as a tutor and assumes leadership positions in the extracurricular activities he is involved in. He hopes to pursue a surgical track in the future. In his free time, Asif likes to travel, work out occasionally, keep up with professional sporting, and go on long walks to catch Pokemon

Methylphenidate (MPD) is a psychostimulant that is widely prescribed to treat attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The effects of MPD, namely increased alertness and focus with decreased fatigue, make it a popular drug in the non-ADHD student population, with this use spiking recently. There are still questions regarding the potential of abuse of MPD, reinforced by past psychostimulants being pulled from the market. The nucleus accumbens (NAc), part of the motive circuit that modulates drug seeking and reward behavior, is the target of MPD action. This study seeks to determine if there are any differences in behavioral and NAc neuronal activity in freely-behaving adolescent and adult rat models in response to acute and chronic exposure of differing doses of MPD. Rats at postnatal day (P) 40 (adolescent) and P60 (adult) were split into four groups: saline (control), 0.6, 2.5, and 10.0 mg/kg MPD. After a 10 day protocol of 6 daily injections of saline or MPD, followed by 3 washout days and then a MPD rechallenge on day 10, the following was found. The same dose of MPD elicited behavioral sensitization in some animals and behavioral tolerance in others. In general, higher doses of MPD resulted in a greater ratio of tolerant to sensitized adults, but the opposite was seen in the adolescents. In terms of neuronal activity, a significant difference was observed between animals that expressed sensitization versus tolerance. We hypothesize that different genotypes result in some animals expressing sensitization and others expressing tolerance. Moreover, this predisposition is reflected in the significant difference in baseline and locomotor neuronal activity and the different responses to MPD between adolescent and adult.

Sid Venkataraman is a rising second year medical student at the University of Texas McGovern Medical School. A Texan and native Houstonian, Sid received his B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin in 2012 before returning to Houston for medical school. He is currently conducting research under Dr. Nachum Dafny focusing on the effect of Ritalin on different brain areas. In the future, he hopes to become a neurosurgeon involved in academic medicine who splits his time between clinic, research, and teaching. In addition, Sid is involved in several organizations including the medical student section of the Texas Medical Association and the executive board for the McGovern medical school chapter of neurological surgery students association.

The use of methylphenidate (MPD), a commonly prescribed drug to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), has steadily increased over the past 25 years. This trend has been accompanied by more MPD abuse by ordinary individuals for its cognitive enhancing effects. Therefore, understanding the effects of MPD on the prefrontal cortex (PFC), a brain area involved in higher cortical processing such as executive function, language, planning, and attention regulation, is of particular importance. The goal of this study is to investigate the effects of acute and chronic, dose-dependent MPD exposure on both the PFC neuronal population and behavioral activity in freely behaving animals implanted previously with electrodes within the PFC. For this experiment, four groups of animals were used: saline (control), 0.6, 2.5, and 10.0 mg/kg MPD. It was observed that the same dose of either 0.6, 2.5, or 10.0 mg/kg repetitive (chronic) MPD exposure elicited behavioral sensitization in some animals and behavioral tolerance in others, and that the majority of PFC units recorded from animals expressing behavioral sensitization responded to MPD by increasing their neuronal firing rate, whereas the majority of PFC neurons recorded from animals expressing behavioral tolerance responded to MPD by decreasing their neuronal firing rate. We propose that in animals that display behavioral sensitization, chronic MPD exposure causes an increase in the number of post-synaptic D1 dopamine receptors leading to an increase in behavioral and neuronal firing rate, while in animals that display behavioral tolerance, chronic MPD exposure causes an increase in the number of post-synaptic D2 dopamine receptors leading to a decrease in behavioral and neuronal firing rate.

Tahseen J. Karim is a 3rd year medical student at the McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. He is completing his Neuroscience Scholarly Concentration while simultaneously obtaining his MD. Tahseen aims to specialize in pediatric neurology.

Methylphenidate (MPD), also known as Ritalin, is a psychostimulant used to treat attention hyperactivity disorder. However, it is increasingly being misused by normal adolescents and young adults for recreation and academic advantage. The neurophysiological mechanism of action and behavioral effects of MPD treatment are not fully understood. It is important to elucidate the activity of MPD in normal subjects in order to optimize disorder treatment and prevent adverse long-term effects in patients. MPD inhibits the reuptake of norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA) into presynaptic terminals in the central nervous system (CNS). The locus coeruleus (LC) and the ventral tegmental area (VTA) are the main sources of NE and DA within the CNS, respectively. The LC and VTA normally mediate attention, response habits, and drug reward and pleasure behaviors. Selective neuronal connections between the LC and VTA have been identified implicating interdependence between the structures. The objective of this study was to compare the dynamics of neuronal activity within the LC and VTA of adolescent rats using an acute and chronic MPD dose response protocol. Freely behaving animals were implanted with permanent electrodes in the LC and VTA. Each subject was administered either saline, 0.6, 2.5, or 10.0 MPD mg/kg on experimental days 1-6. This period was followed by 3 days of washout and MPD re-challenge on experimental day 10. Changes in locomotor activity after chronic MPD exposure were used to separate the animals into groups exhibiting either behavioral tolerance or behavioral sensitization. The neuronal activity recorded from each group was evaluated separately. 94, 98, and 94% of LC units responded significantly to chronic doses of 0.6, 2.5, or 10.0 mg/kg MPD, respectively. Similarly, 91, 98, and 100% of VTA units exhibited significant changes in neuronal activity to the same chronic doses of MPD, respectively. Acute MPD elicited excitation in most LC and VTA units. The majority of LC units recorded from subjects exhibiting behavioral sensitization displayed further increased neuronal response after MPD re-challenge demonstrating neurophysiological sensitization. The majority of LC units recorded from subjects exhibiting behavioral tolerance displayed attenuation of neuronal response after MPD re-challenge indicating neurophysiological tolerance. The responses from VTA units expressed a different pattern. The activity of the LC and VTA units indicates that the mechanism of action of MPD is more dynamic than previously thought, a characteristic that physicians must consider during treatment.

Raymond Traweek is a 2nd year medical student at McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. He is currently pursuing his MD alongside a scholarly concentration in Medical Humanities. Raymond aims for a surgical subspecialty.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a complex behavioral and psychiatric disorder characterized by hyperactivity, increased impulsivity, and inattention, though the precise neurophysiology remains unclear. Currently, methylphenidate (MPD) is one of the most commonly prescribed psychostimulants for management and treatment of ADHD. A rise in the consumption of MPD in the healthy population has prompted concern regarding the ontogenic effects of acute and chronic MPD exposure. The objective of this study is to concomitantly record behavioral and neuronal activity for the dorsal raphe (DR), a major source of serotonergic innervation in the mammalian brain, following the dose-response protocol of acute and chronic administration of MPD in freely behaving adult and adolescent rats. Four groups of rats were used: saline (control), 0.6, 2.5, and 10.0, mg/kg MPD. The experiment lasted 10 consecutive days. Animals received MPD injections on experimental days 1-6, followed by three washout days, and a rechallenge with the same MPD dosage on experimental day 10 (ED10). It was found that most of the DR units responded to MPD exposure, and that the recordings obtained from adolescent rats exhibited different response patterns compared to the recordings obtained from adult rats. Additionally, the DR units of behaviorally sensitized animals exhibited a significant (p<0.05) difference in response to MPD rechallenge on ED10 as compared to the DR units of behaviorally tolerant animals. Furthermore, it was found that the ratio of the number of animals exhibiting behavioral sensitization to the number of animals exhibiting behavioral tolerance in adolescents showed a significant (p<0.05) difference from the ratio of behavioral sensitization to tolerance in adult animals. In conclusion, these correlations suggest that the effect of MPD on adolescents is different than the effect of MPD on adults, and that the DR of both adolescents and adults participate in MPD action.

William Ip is a second year medical student at the University of Texas McGovern medical school. Born and raised in Texas, he attended the University of Texas at Austin where he graduated and received his Bachelor of Science and Arts in Biochemistry in 2015. Currently, William is pursing his medical degree with an interest in surgery at McGovern Medical School serving as an officer for Surgical Student Association and an executive board member for Surgical Corps.

Methylphenidate (MPD) is the most frequently prescribed psychostimulant used in children and adolescents to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, recently its recreational use is becoming more prevalent in teenagers and college students for its ability to improve cognitive ability, which is concerning given that the long term effects of chronic MPD exposure on the developing brain are not fully understood. One of the areas MPD acts upon in the brain is the ventral tegmental area (VTA), which is part of the motivation/rewards system and also involved with cognition and addiction. Behavioral locomotor activity was recorded in 151 adult and 156 adolescent freely behaving rats using an open field computerized animal activity system. The two age groups each were divided into 4 subgroups: saline (control), 0.6, 2.5, 10.0 mg/kg MPD. The experiment lasted 10 days: 6 injection days, 3 washout days, and a day for MPD rechallenge. In both age groups, chronic administration of the same dose elicited behavioral sensitization in some animals and behavioral tolerance in others. Overall, the ratio of sensitized versus tolerant animals in adolescents was found to be greater that the ratio in adults. The VTA neuronal activity was recorded alongside every behavioral recording. 10.0 mg/kg MPD had the strongest rechallenge effect in adolescents while 0.6 mg/kg MPD had the strongest rechallenge effect in adults. Our study shows that acute and chronic MPD exposure exerts different effects on the brains of adolescent and adult rats. Finally, this study could further alter the way physicians prescribe psychostimulants such as MPD to children and adults.

Reginald Lafleur currently works as house physician at Harlem Cardiology and supervising pharmacist at Aneddona Pharmacy. He is Magna Cum Laude alum of Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Florida and Medical University of Lublin, Lublin Poland. Author of published journal article, 2016. Director of health & temperance ministry at Ridgwood, SDA Church, Ridgewood, NY. He is interested in Postgraduate Training in Medicine, Psychiatry, and Clinical Research Fellowship.
Phenix Alcide currently serves as the Principal Site Coordinator for CANTOS Trial with NOVARTIS Pharmaceuticals @ New York Cardiovascular Specialist, Harlem Cardiology. He also sees patients for ZOLL LifeVest Inc, a Cardiac Wearable Defibrillator @ New York-Presbyterian Hospital Healthcare system (Columbia University Medical Center, Weil Cornell Medical Center), Mount Sinai Heart and NYU Langone Medical Center. He is Co-author of published journal article, 2016 . By S.Karger AG, Basel . He has Interest in Post Graduate Fellowship in Medicine. He serves as adviser/speaker for World Professional Analytics Group (World PAG), a HealthCare Solutions for providers, clinics and Hospitals (www.worldpag.com). He was certified in EECP treatment therapy in 2014 which is a safe, non-invasive, outpatient treatment option for patients suffering from ischemic heart diseases such as angina and heart failure.

Myxomas are myxoid tumor of primitive connective tissue, and are one of the most common primary tumor of the heart in adults. About 86 percent occurs in the atrium. Two specific types of cardiac myxoma identified in literature: type 1 and type 2. Type 1 is characterized by a soft and villous like outer surface and has highest risk for embolization. Type 2 has a more compact consistency and even surface and has low risk for embolization. We present a case of incidental finding left atrial mass confirmed with transthoracic echocardiogram measuring 3.6x2.9cm. The left atrial mass was surgically removed and pathology confirmed the excised mass to be a myxomatous tumor. Some days following surgical excision patient developed slurred speech, right sided weakness. Stroke was confirmed by computer tomography (CT) angiogram and CT perfusion imaging which showed hypo perfusion of the left middle cerebral artery (MCA ) and M1 occlusion with hypoperfusion of the left MCA territory with a National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score of 11. Patient was not candidate for thrombolysis and underwent mechanical thrombectomy with retriever within 8 hours from the time of initial presentation. Full neurological recovery was achieved several months after discharged from an acute rehabilitation center. Late occurrence of stroke after cardiac myxoma resection is very rare. More cases of such event are to be reported in literature since in aggregate they may constitute basis for future research on surgical and postoperative management of atrial myxoma

Mi Young Lee has completed PhD from Konkuk university of Korea. She works about standardization and development of medicinal herbs more than 20 years. She is the project manager, study on the anti-depression effect of Korea traditional medicine. She has published more than 50 papers in reputed journals.

Stress is closely linked to various diseases. The excessive stress can lead to alterations in the brain activity, immune system, mitochondria system, neuroendocrine system, and sympathetic nervous system, via activation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. In this study, corticosterone-treated SK-N-SH cells displayed decreased cell viability, ATP levels, and MMPs compared to untreated SK-N-SH cells. HSF ex and HSR ex may play an important role in ameliorating the correlation between stress and the development of depression. HSF ex and HSR ex are able to prevent CORT-induced neuronal cell death via activation of the BDNF signaling pathway.

LI LI has completed his PhD from Peking University Health Science Center and MD from Capital Medical University in China. She has published more than 15 papers in reputed journals.

Oxymatrine, a quinolizidine natural drug extracted from Sophora japonica, has been reported to have neuroprotective effect and cardioprotective effect. However, the protective effect of oxymatrine on arsenic trioxide (As2O3)-induced liver injury has not been reported. In the present study, we investigated the protective effects of oxymatrine on As2O3-induced liver injury in rats. Male Wistar rats were administrated 3mg As2O3 intravenous injection on alternate days for 4 days. Oxymatrine was given 1 h before As2O3 treatment. The results showed that oxymatrine inhibited As2O3-induced hepatic pathological damage, liver ROS level and MDA level. As2O3 decreased the antioxidant enzymes SOD, GPX, and CAT activity and the decrease was inhibited by treatment of oxymatrine. Furthermore, oxymatrine attenuated the retention of arsenic in liver tissues and improved the expression of Nrf2 and HO-1. In conclusion, our results suggested that oxymatrine protected against As2O3-induced oxidative damage by activating Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.