Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system (CNS). Most GABAergic neurons synthesize GABA from glutamate and release it in the synaptic cleft in the CNS. However, astrocytes can also synthesize and release GABA, activating GABA receptors in the neighboring neurons in physiological and pathological conditions. As the primary homeostatic glial cells in the brain, astrocytes play a crucial role in regulating GABA homeostasis and synaptic neurotransmission. Accumulating evidence demonstrates that astrocytic GABA dysregulation is implicated in psychiatric disorders, including alcohol use disorder (AUD) and major depressive disorder (MDD), the most prevalent co-occurring psychiatric disorders. Several current medications and emerging pharmacological agents targeting GABA levels are in clinical trials for treating AUD and MDD. This review offers a concise summary of the role of astrocytic GABA regulation in AUD and MDD. We also provide an overview of the current understanding and areas of debate regarding the mechanisms by which astrocytes regulate GABA in the CNS and their potential significance in the molecular basis of AUD and MDD, paving the way toward future research directions and potential therapeutic target areas within this field.

| Salmonellosis is a major public health concern with food economic losses worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the mutual role that may be played by chicken-ready meals and food handlers in the transmission of different Salmonella serotypes to hospitalized patients in Assiut Governorate, Egypt, as well as, to assess their pathogenic potential and antimicrobial resistance. Out of 150 chicken meals collected randomly from various restaurants and food shops including, shish-tawook, pane, and shawerma (50 for each), 10% were contaminated with Salmonella with the acquisition of shish-tawook (14%). On the other hand, 100 hand swabs that were assembled from food handlers working in the same places yielded 13 Salmonella isolates, at the time 4 isolates were only obtained from 50 hospitalized patients with diarrhea. From the public health point of view, S. typhimuriu m , S. enteritidis, and S. kentucky were serotyped from both food and human samples. Epidemiologically, insignificant sex risk factor was statistically found in this study although Salmonella was more common in males (14.67%) than in females (8%) among food handlers and the opposite among hospitalized patients (4.76% and 10.34% in males and females, respectively). Salmonella infection was dominant in 20 < 35 and 35 < 50 age groups among food handlers and patients, respectively. Complete resistance of the obtained isolates was showed to erythromycin, streptomycin, and nalidixic acid with the highest MAR index (0.640) appeared in clinical isolates from patients compared to food (0.517) and food handlers (0.471). All detected Salmonella serotypes harbored invA gene through which a phylogenetic analysis was conducted for six isolates showing a high degree of similarity between them and those imported from Genbank. hilA, spvC, stn, and qacED1 genes were detected in 75, 16.67, 66.67, and 50% of Salmonella serotypes, respectively. These findings signify the role played by chicken-ready meals, as well as their handling, in the high rate of multidrug-resistant Salmonella isolates and the risks it poses to public health.

There are substantial care gaps in optimizing treatment response for bipolar depression given, at best, a modicum of benefit from antidepressant treatment and, in contrast, a substantial cardiometabolic burden associated with regulatory-approved antipsychotic treatment. Lamotrigine (LGT) is an anticonvulsant with an evidence base in both epilepsy and bipolar disorder (BD), in particular bipolar depression "stabilizing from down under." There is a well-established bidirectional relationship between BD and epilepsy. Recognizing the complex interplay between mood, diet, and energy metabolism, lifestyle interventions have emerged as an adjunctive therapeutic approach in BD. Among these, therapeutic ketosis, with century-old evidence base in epilepsy, has regained new interest as a promising adjunctive treatment for mood and metabolic comorbidities. LGT and therapeutic ketosis both target neurobiological pathways that regulate energy metabolism and promote neuronal stability—key processes implicated in mood regulation and neuronal protection. This alignment suggests the possibility of synergistic effects in BD. In this review, we explore the overlapping mechanisms of LGT and therapeutic ketosis and provide clinical insights into their combined use in BD, offering a comprehensive perspective on this innovative treatment strategy.