Gene-environment interplay in alcoholism and other substance abuse disorders: expressions of heritability and factors influencing vulnerability

Factors that confer predisposition and vulnerability for alcoholism and other substance abuse disorders may be described usefully within the gene-environment interplay framework. Thus, it is postulated that heritability provides a major contribution not only to alcohol but also to other substances of abuse. Studies of evoked potential amplitude reduction have provided a highly suitable and testable method for the assessment of both environmentally-determined and heritable characteristics pertaining to substance use and dependence. The different personal attributes that may co-exist with parental influence or exist in a shared, monozygotic relationship contribute to the final expression of addiction. In this connection, it appears that personality disorders are highly prevalent co-morbid conditions among addicted individuals, and, this co-morbidity is likely to be accounted for by multiple complex etiological relationships, not least in adolescent individuals. Co-morbidity associated with deficient executive functioning may be observed too in alcohol-related aggressiveness and crimes of violence. The successful intervention into alcohol dependence and craving brought about by baclofen in both human and animal studies elucidates glutamatergic mechanisms in alcoholism whereas the role of the dopamine transporter, in conjunction with both the noradrenergic and serotonergic transporters, are implicated in cocaine dependence and craving. The role of the cannabinoids in ontogeny through an influence upon the expression of key genes for the development of neurotransmitter systems must be considered. Finally, the particular form of behaviour/characteristic outcome due to childhood circumstance may lie with biological, gene-based determinants, for example individual characteristics of monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity levels, thereby rendering simple predictive measures both redundant and misguiding.

Gene-environment interplay in affect and dementia: emotional modulation of cognitive expression in personal outcomes

A multitude of factors, that either singly, interactively, or sequentially influence the gene-environment interplay in affective and dementia states, include several phases of neurodevelopmental liability in both humans and laboratory animals. Genetic vulnerability for both affective disorders and dementia describes a scenario distinguished by progressive need for concern, particularly in view of the interplay between these areas of ill-health. The contribution of emotional and cognitive expression to personal outcomes, e.g., as a function of affective personality type, a state-dependent analysis of personality characteristics, appears to pervade both the individual's experience of social and physical environments and the performance of cognitive tasks. The role of the endocannabinoids in mental health may offer insights for the psychopharmacology of both cognition and affect. Maladaptive emotional reactions and a defective cognitive ability will contribution to unsatisfactory/maladaptive coping strategies, in turn, leading to further complications of an affective and dysfunctional nature, eventually with a clinical psychopathological outcome. These considerations impinge upon critical issues concerning predisposition and vulnerability. Classical eye-blink conditioning provides a highly established procedure for assessment of defective physiology in models of Alzheimer's dementia. In order to develop a consideration of the array of situations presenting the variation of outcome due to type of affective personality, the role of fear and anxiety and stress in affective states influencing cognition are examined and the critical role of brain circuits mediating emotions influencing cognitive outcomes is discussed.

An antihypokinesic action of alpha2-adrenoceptors upon MPTP-induced behaviour deficits in mice

The effects of co-administration of either the dopamine precursor, L-Dopa, or the directly-acting, mixed dopamine (DA) agonist, apomorphine, with the alpha-adrenoceptor agonists, clonidine and guanfacine, upon the motor activity of hypoactive L-Dopa-tolerant MPTP-treated C57 BL/6 mice were measured in four experiments. In each case, MPTP (2 x 40 mg/kg, s.c., separated by a 24-hr interval) was administered eight-to-ten weeks before behavioural testing. It was found that clonidine co-administered with L-Dopa (20 mg/kg) restored motor activity in a dose- and parameter-related manner: locomotion and total activity were restored by the 1 mg/kg dose, rearing behaviour by the 0.3 and 1 mg/kg doses. The restorative effects of clonidine (1 mg/kg), co-administered with L-Dopa, were antagonised completely by pretreatment with yohimbine (1 mg/kg), but not by prazosin (1 mg/kg). Guanfacine (1 mg/kg) co-administered with L-Dopa (20 mg/kg) restored locomotor, but not rearing, behaviour in L-Dopa-tolerant MPTP-treated mice. The antikinesic action of guanfacine was antagonised completely by yohimbine (1 mg/kg), but not prazosin (1 mg/kg). Clonidine (1 or 3 mg/kg) co-administered with apomorphine (0.1, 0.3, 1.0 or 3.0 mg/kg), directly-acting DA agonist, did not restore motor behaviour in the hypokinesic L-Dopa-tolerant MPTP-treated mice. Nor did apomorphine, by itself, affect the motor activity of these animals. Neurochemical analysis indicated marked DA, DOPAC and HVA depletions in the striatum, and to a much lesser extent in the frontal cortex, of MPTP-treated mice. The synergistic antiparkinsonian action of clonidine with L-Dopa, but not apomorphine, in hypokinetic MPTP mice for the restoration of responding to a suprathreshold dose of L-Dopa, to which "wearing-off" had been induced previously, is discussed.

Brain sites of movement disorder: genetic and environmental agents in neurodevelopmental perturbations

In assessing and assimilating the neurodevelopmental basis of the so-called movement disorders it is probably useful to establish certain concepts that will modulate both the variation and selection of affliction, mechanisms-processes and diversity of disease states. Both genetic, developmental and degenerative aberrations are to be encompassed within such an approach, as well as all deviations from the necessary components of behaviour that are generally understood to incorporate "normal" functioning. In the present treatise, both conditions of hyperactivity/hypoactivity, akinesia and bradykinesia together with a constellation of other symptoms and syndromes are considered in conjunction with the neuropharmacological and brain morphological alterations that may or may not accompany them, e.g. following neonatal denervation. As a case in point, the neuroanatomical and neurochemical points of interaction in Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are examined with reference to both the perinatal metallic and organic environment and genetic backgrounds. The role of apoptosis, as opposed to necrosis, in cell death during brain development necessitates careful considerations of the current explosion of evidence for brain nerve growth factors, neurotrophins and cytokines, and the processes regulating their appearance, release and fate. Some of these processes may possess putative inherited characteristics, like alpha-synuclein, others may to greater or lesser extents be endogenous or semi-endogenous (in food), like the tetrahydroisoquinolines, others exogenous until inhaled or injested through environmental accident, like heavy metals, e.g. mercury. Another central concept of neurodevelopment is cellular plasticity, thereby underlining the essential involvement of glutamate systems and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor configurations. Finally, an essential assimilation of brain development in disease must delineate the relative merits of inherited as opposed to environmental risks not only for the commonly-regarded movement disorders, like Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease and epilepsy, but also for afflictions bearing strong elements of psychosocial tragedy, like ADHD, autism and Savantism.

Effects of flotation-REST on muscle tension pain

The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether the floating form of the restricted environmental stimulation technique (REST) may be applied within the field of pain relief. Flotation-REST consists of a procedure whereby an individual is immersed in a tank filled with water of an extremely high salt concentration. Thirty-seven patients (14 men and 23 women) suffering from chronic pain consisting of aching muscles in the neck and back area participated in the study. They were randomly assigned to either a control group (17 participants) or an experimental group (20 participants). The experimental group received nine opportunities to use the flotation-REST technique in the water tank over a three-week period. The results indicated that the most severe perceived pain intensity was significantly reduced, whereas low perceived pain intensity was not influenced by the floating technique. Further, the results indicated that circulating levels of the noradrenaline metabolite 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylethyleneglycol were reduced significantly in the experimental group but not in the control group following treatment, whereas endorphin levels were not affected by flotation. Flotation-REST treatment also elevated the participants' optimism and reduced the degree of anxiety or depression; at nighttime, patients who underwent flotation fell asleep more easily. The present findings describe possible changes, for the better, in patients presenting with chronic pain complaints.

Effects of alpha-adrenoceptor agonists in chronic morphine administered DSP4-treated rats: evidence for functional cross-sensitization

Five experiments were performed to study the effects of the Alpha-adrenoceptor agonists, clonidine and guanfacine, upon spontaneous motor activity in chronically morphine administered DSP4-treated and control rats. DSP4 (2 x 50 mg/kg, with a 10-day interval between injections) and vehicle (distilled water) were injected i.p., on each occasion 30 min after zimeldine (20 mg/kg). Morphine dosages were raised incrementally from 5 mg/kg (Days 1-3), through 10 mg/kg (Days 4-7) and 20 mg/kg (Days 8-14), to 30 mg/kg (Days 15-20). Motor activity testing occurred on Day 21, Day 22 as well as in Experiments II-V, (from 1st morphine injection). DSP4 pretreatment and chronic morphine injections each reduced motor activity during the first 30 min of testing; combined DSP4 and morphine treatment potentiated the hypoactivity. Habituation quotients indicated deficits in habituation to the novel test environment by the Vehicle-morphine (Quoteint2 only) and DSP4-morphine groups. Acute clonidine treatment (0.04 mg/kg s.c.) reduced motor activity during the first 30 min of testing but attenuated or blocked the morphine-induced hypoactivity in DSP4-treated and control rats. During the 60-90 min test period, clonidine, but not guanfacine (0.08 mg/kg), potentiated morphine-induced hyperactivity in control rats; acute clonidine enhanced this effect, whereas acute guanfacine reduced it, in the DSP4-treated rats. The enhanced hyperactivity of morphine-clonidine suggest a cross-sensitivity effect. Naloxone (0.1 mg/kg s.c.), injected after the 1st 30-min of testing, potentiated markely the clonidine-induced elevations of motor activity in morphine-administered control rats; in the DSP4-treated rats, these effects were dramatically potentiated, underlining the cross-sensitivity effect. Acute guanfacine treatment reduced motor activity during the first 30 min of testing but did not attenuate reliably morphine-induced hypoactivity in control or DSP4 rats. Naloxone did not potentiate the guanfacine-induced hyperactivity of morphine-administered control rats but induced a marked enhancement in the DSP4-treated rats, a specific case of cross-reactivity. The major findings pertain to a cross-sensitization effect of morphine upon clonidine-induced motor activity in both DSP4-treated and control rats, and to a lesser extent between morphine and guanfacine in NA-denervated rats only. The results may offer interactive implications for noradrenergic-opiate system functioning that may be of influence under neuropathological conditions.

Memory deficits in adult rats following postnatal iron administration

Two experiments investigated the effects of Fe(2+), administered postnatally to rat pups on days 10-12, upon tests of memory performance and motor behaviour. In experiment I, Wistar rat pups were administered Fe(2+) at doses of either 2.5, 7.5, 15.0 or 30.0 mg/kg, or vehicle, postnatally, and tested in the open-field at 3 months of age, followed 6 weeks later by testing in the radial arm maze. In the open-field test, only the 30.0 mg/kg Fe(2+) group showed a significantly decreased number of ambulations, but not rearings. In the radial arm maze, all four dose groups, demonstrated deficits in acquisition performance from test days 3 to 5. Retention quotients confirmed the cognitive deficits over all four Fe(2+) groups. In experiment II, rats were administered either 2.5, 7.5 or 22.5 mg Fe(2+) per kg, or vehicle, postnatally, and tested in the inhibitory avoidance (IA) conditioning and retention test at 3 months of age. In the IA conditioning test, groups were either given five 10-min preexposures to the test chamber (preexposed) or simply moved to another cage (non-preexposed). IA retention was blocked in non-preexposed rats administered 7.5 and 22.5 mg Fe(2+) per kg whereas in preexposed rats the 7.5 mg/kg group did not differ from the control (vehicle) group, although the preexposed control group showed significantly better retention than the non-preexposed control group. Postnatal iron administration appears to induce long-lasting detrimental effects upon performance of both appetitively and negatively reinforced tests of memory. Analysis of iron content indicated significant increases in the substantia nigra of the 7.5, 15.0 and 30.0 mg/kg dose groups, but not in the 2.5 mg/kg dose group. Postnatal iron administration appears to induce far-reaching effects upon the performance of certain learned behaviours.

Neonatal iron exposure induces oxidative stress in adult Wistar rat

Oxidative stress and excess of iron in the brain has been implicated in a variety of acute and chronic neurological conditions. The neonatal period is critical for the establishment of normal iron content in the adult brain. In the present study, the long-term oxidative effects of iron exposure during this period were assessed by treating Wistar rats orally with 0, 7.5 or 15 mg Fe(+2)/kg of body weight on postnatal days 10-12. Thiobarbituric acid reactive species, protein carbonyl, superoxide dismutase activity were measured at the age of 3 months. It was found that there was an increase in thiobarbituric acid reactive species and protein carbonyl in the substantia nigra of iron treated rats. In contrast, oxidative stress in the striatum was decreased. Superoxide dismutase activity was decreased in the substantia nigra iron treated rats. There were no differences in cerebellum measures among the groups. Our results demonstrated that iron supplementation in a critical neonatal period induced oxidative stress and modulated SOD activity in the adult life in selective brain regions.

Internet blues revisited: replication and extension of an Internet paradox study

This study is a replication of the Kraut et al. Internet paradox study designed to set guidelines for harmless Internet usage, without any potential for personal damage. The present study produced two main results: The first is a partial confirmation of the general response pattern found by Kraut et al. (i.e., that younger individuals tend to use the Internet to a higher degree and that they experience a lesser degree of psychological well-being). The second main result, however, contradicts the interpretation by Kraut et al. of the causal relationship between Internet usage and psychological well-being.

Neonatal iron potentiates adult MPTP-induced neurodegenerative and functional deficits

The interactive effects of neonatal iron and adult MPTP treatment groups of C57 Bl/6 mice were studied through adminustration of iron (Fe(2+)) 7.5mg/kg b.w., p.o. or vehicle (saline) on days 10-12 post partum, followed at 3months of age by administration of either MPTP (2x20 or 2x40mg/kg, s.c.) or saline. Neonatal iron administration to mice-induced hypoactivity during the first 20-min period of testing and hyperactivity during the 3rd and final 20-min period for all three parameters of motor activity tested at 4months of age. MPTP treatment caused a dose-related hypokinesia throughout the 3x20-min test periods; in the mice that received both neonatal iron and MPTP severe deficits of motor activity (akinesia) were obtained. Iron treatment impaired the ability of mice to habituate to the novel testing environment and later administration of MPTP potentiated the impairment markedly. Neurochemical analyses of striatal and frontal cortical dopamine (DA) and DA metabolites demonstrated that the depletions were potentiated under conditions of combined neonatal iron and adult MPTP. The analysis of total iron content (µg/g) in brain regions indicated notably elevated levels in the basal ganglia, but not in the frontal cortex, of mice administered Fe(2+). Iron-overload combined with MPTP treatment induced functional and neurochemical deficits with interactive consequences beyond a mere additive effect that may have implications for the neurodegenerative process in parkinsonism.

Latent learning in a radial arm maze following neonatal dopamine depletion

Animals neonatally depleted of dopamine show decreases in exploratory behaviour. As latent learning may depend on exploratory behaviour the present study was undertaken to examine the effects of neonatal dopamine depletion on latent learning. In two experiments dopamine was depleted neonatally, using 6-hydroxydopamine injected intracisternally on day 1 after birth. In both experiments, exploratory behaviour, measured as rearing and head-dip responses in a modified openfield/holeboard, was reduced in the dopamine depleted rats whereas ambulatory behaviour was elevated. In a modified radial arm maze also, rearing responses were decreased while ambulation was increased for the 6-hydroxydopamine treated rats. Latent learning was tested in each experiment following preexposure to the maze for either a single trial or four trials. 6-Hydroxydopamine treated rats demonstrated a comparable latent learning effect to vehicle treated rats after four maze exposures but showed a greatly attenuated latent learning effect following only a single exposure. It is suggested that the effects of neonatal dopamine upon maze and latent learning are secondary to the effects on hyperactivity, reduced exploration and/or increased neophobia shown by these rats.

Co-administration of memantine and amantadine with sub/suprathreshold doses of L-Dopa restores motor behaviour of MPTP-treated mice

The antiparkinsonian effects of the uncompetitive NMDA antagonists, memantine, amantadine and MK-801, in combination with an acute subthreshold dose of L-Dopa (5 mg/kg) in drug-naive MPTP-treated mice or a suprathreshold dose (20 mg/kg) in L-Dopa tolerant MPTP-treated mice were investigated. In the former case, memantine (locomotion: 3 mg/kg; rearing: 1 mg/kg) and amantadine (locomotion and rearing: 10 mg/kg) injected 60 min before the subthreshold dose of L-Dopa (5 mg/kg), each induced an antiparkinsonian action in hypokinesic MPTP-treated mice that consisted of dose-specific, as opposed to dose-related, elevations of locomotion and rearing behaviour. At the same time, higher doses of memantine reduced further the rearing (10 and 30 mg/kg) and locomotor (30mg/kg) behaviour of the MPTP-treated mice. MK-801 plus L-Dopa elevated locomotion (0.1 mg/kg) but reduced rearing at the 0.3 mg/kg dose. In control, saline-treated mice, memantine (3, 10 and 30 mg/kg) and MK-801 (0.1 and 0.3 mg/kg) increased locomotor behaviour but decreased rearing behaviour, while amantadine produced no effects. Memantine increased locomotor (1 and 3 mg/kg, s.c.; 1 mg/kg dose restored activity) and rearing (0.3 and 3 mg/kg) activity in the L-Dopa tolerant MPTP-treated mice, whereas amantadine (3 and 10 mg/kg) restored both locomotor (30 mg/kg significantly increased locomotion but did not restore the activity level) and rearing (3 mg/kg only) activity. MK-801 (0.1 and 0.3 mg/kg, s.c.) also increased significantly locomotor activity of L-Dopa-tolerant MPTP mice although the antikinetic action was not reversed, thereby precluding a restorative effect of the compound. These results, demonstrating both a synergistic and a restorative effect of the NMDA antagonists in coadministration with L-Dopa, demonstrate a putative antiparkinson action by these compounds in a functional animal model that incorporates the "wearing-off" complications of L-Dopa administration in the disorder.

Effects of MAO inhibitors upon MPTP mice chronically treated with suprathreshold doses of L-dopa

Groups of mice were administered either saline or 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) (2 X 40 mg / kg, s.c., separated by a 24-hour interval) 4-6 weeks prior to behavioural testing. At testing, all the MPTP-injected mice were repeatedly administered L-dopa (20 mg / kg, s.c., five times each week, Monday-Friday), by applying a procedure that induced a severe reduction of motor activity parameters from Day 1 to Day 25. Control (uninjected mice) received only saline and were retained only for neurochemical analysis. In each of three experiments, following the reduction of the activity-stimulating effects of L-dopa by repeated administration, a restorative effect of different monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors was tested by co-administration of the test compounds (irreversible MAO-B inhibitor, reversible MAO-A inhibitors, or irreversible MAO-A / mixed MAO inhibitors) with L-dopa (20 mg / kg). In each case the MAO inhibitor was injected 60 min prior to L-dopa. L-Deprenyl (3 or 10 mg / kg, s.c.), in combination with L-dopa, reinstated locomotion and total activity, but not rearing, dose-dependently, in L-dopa-tolerant mice. The reversible MAO-A inhibitors, amiflamine and alpha-ethyltryptamine, in combination with L-dopa, reinstated locomotion and total activity, leaving rearing unaffected; Ro 41-1049 (3 mg / kg, s.c.) restored all three parameters of activity; locomotor activity was restored by all three doses (1, 3, and 10 mg / kg, s.c.). On the other hand, neither the irreversible MAO-A inhibitor, clorgyline, nor the mixed MAO inhibitor, phenelzine, produced any directly effective restorative increments. Neurochemical analysis confirmed the severe striatal dopamine depletion of MPTP-treated mice. These results demonstrate a synergistic and restorative action of combining certain MAO inhibitors, namely the reversible MAO-A inhibitors, with the suprathreshold dose of L-dopa in MPTP-treated, L-dopa-tolerant mice.

Neonatal nicotine administration influences ethanol-induced behaviors

Neonatal mice were administered nicotine (66 microg (-)-nicotine base/kg body weight (bw) s.c. twice daily at 0800 and 1700 h on postnatal days 10 and 14) and control mice received saline (10 ml 0. 9% NaCl/kg bw s.c.) on the same occasions. Behavioral testing was initiated 3 months after birth. In Experiment 1, neonatal nicotine administration did not affect spontaneous motor activity but altered the peak dose stimulatory effect of ethanol upon locomotion and rearing activity from 3.0 mg/kg, in the control mice, to 1.5 mg/kg. Administration of the nicotine antagonist, mecamylamine (MEC, 2.0 mg/kg), had no effect upon the peak dose stimulatory effect (i.e., 1. 5 mg/kg) evidenced in the nicotine-treated mice, but attenuated the stimulatory effect of the 3.0 mg/kg dose of ethanol in the control mice. In Experiment 2, the effects of neonatal nicotine administration upon ethanol intake and preference were assessed. In the single fluid access (one-bottle) test, nicotine-treated mice consumed both more ethanol (2%, 4%, or 6% concentrations) and more tap water than control mice. In the two-bottle ethanol preference test, nicotine-treated mice consumed more ethanol and tap water. Further analysis of the high-preferring (HP) ethanol mice indicated higher ethanol intake and preference in the nicotine-treated mice but no differences in tap water or total fluid intake. The present findings are considered together with prevailing notions of nicotine receptor alterations and possible cross-sensitization effects modulating substance abuse.

Effects of clonidine and alpha-adrenoceptor antagonists on motor activity in DSP4-treated mice I: dose-, time- and parameter-dependency

In three experiments the acute effects of clonidine administration upon locomotor and rearing behaviour of mice pretreated with the selective noradrenaline (NA) neurotoxin, DSP4 (1 x 75 mg/kg, i.p.) 10-12 days previously, were studied. Clonidine (0.01, 0.05, 0.25, 1.25 and 3.0 mg/kg, i.p.) induced a dose-dependent reduction of motor activity during the initial 30 min of testing in both DSP4-treated and control mice; this effect was attenuated by DSP4 treatment in the 0.01, 0.05, 0.25 and 3.0 mg/kg dose groups. By the third 30-min period of testing (60-90 min), each clonidine dose group, except the highest (3.0 mg/kg) dose for locomotion and the two highest (1.25 and 3.0 mg/kg) doses for rearing, induced increases in motor activity in the control mice. In DSP4-treated mice, a large increase in locomotor counts was produced by the 0.05 mg/kg dose of clonidine with lesser increases induced by the 0.01 mg/kg dose group, whereas a lesser effect of the 0.05 mg/kg group (30-60 min) was obtained for rearing but a larger effect of the 0.25 mg/kg group (60-90 min). Yohimbine (0.5 mg/kg, i.p., 15 min before clonidine) attenuated the suppressive effects of clonidine (0.01 and 0.05 mg/kg) during the initial 30 min of testing and markedly increased locomotor and rearing counts, both by itself and in combination with each dose of clonidine, in both DSP4-treated and control mice over the following 90 min of testing. Yohimbine treatment attenuated the large increase in locomotor counts induced by the 0.05 mg/kg dose of clonidine in the NA-denervated mice. Dihydroergotamine (0.5 mg/kg, i.p., 15 min before clonidine) did not antagonise either the initial suppressive effect or the later supersensitivity effect of the 0.05 mg/kg dose of clonidine. DSP4 treatment by itself reduced motor activity. The effects of clonidine, dose- and time-dependently, by itself or in co-administration with alpha-adrenoceptor antagonists, in DSP4-treated or control mice displayed denervation-induced supersensitivity that appear to reflect mainly postsynaptic alpha2-adrenoceptor mediation.

Effects of clonidine and alpha-adrenoceptor antagonists on motor activity in DSP4-treated mice II: interactions with apomorphine

Adult mice were administered either the noradrenaline (NA) neurotoxin, N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-ethyl-2-bromobenzylamine (DSP4) or distilled water (control), 10-12 days before motor activity testing, and 6 h before testing all the mice were administered reserpine (10 mg/kg), the monoamine-depleting agent. The interactive effects of (I) clonidine, the alpha(2)-adrenoceptor agonist, with the dopamine (DA) agonist, apomorphine, and the alpha(2)-antagonist, yohimbine, and (II) with either yohimbine or the alpha(1)-antagonist, prazosin, upon motor behaviour in activity test chambers were studied in reserpinized DSP4-treated and control mice. It was shown that apomorphine (3 mg/kg) increased locomotor and total activity in both reserpinized DSP4-treated and control mice but the effect was attenuated in the DSP4 mice. Co-administration of clonidine (3 mg/kg) with apomorphine potentiated the effects of apomorphine on motor activity and this effect was enhanced markedly by DSP4 pretreatment. Yohimbine (10 mg/kg) antagonized the motor activity-stimulating effects of apomorphine in both DSP4-treated and control mice. Co-administration of clonidine with apomorphine, following yohimbine, restored motor activity levels to those obtained in the absence of yohimbine and this effect upon locomotor activity was enhanced by DSP4 pretreatment. The effects of clonidine on motor activity were enhanced by NA-denervation. Prazzosin (3 mg/kg) enhanced the locomotor activity of both reserpinized DSP4-treated and control mice after the initial 30-min period but was not affected by DSP4 treatment. Analysis of post-decapitation convulsions (PDCs) indicated loss of the reflex by DSP4 pretreatment. Reserpine pretreatment abolished the initial, exploratory phase (30 min) of motor activity. These results demonstrate interactions between NA and DA systems that may bear eventual relevance to neurologic disorders such as parkinsonism.

MPTP-induced deficits in motor activity: neuroprotective effects of the spintrapping agent, alpha-phenyl-tert-butyl-nitrone (PBN)

In Experiment 1, groups of mice were administered either saline or MPTP (2 x 30 mg/kg, s.c., separated by a 24-hr interval) 30 min after being injected either PBN (15, 50 or 150 mg/kg, s.c., low, medium and high doses, respectively) or L-Deprenyl (0.25 or 10.0 mg/kg, s.c., low and high doses, respectively), the reference compound used, or saline. Tests of spontaneous motor activity 14 days later indicated that the MPTP-induced hypokinesia for locomotion and rearing was alleviated by prior administration with PBN (50 or 150 mg/kg) or L-Deprenyl (10.0 mg/kg); lower doses of PBN (15 mg/kg) and L-Deprenyl (0.25 mg/kg) did not affect the MPTP-induced deficits. Dopamine (DA) concentrations in the striatum confirmed a more severe loss of DA in the MPTP, PBN (15) + MPTP and Deprenyl(0.25) + MPTP groups than in the control group. Significant protection of DA was observed in the PBN(50) + MPTP, PBN(150) + MPTP and Deprenyl(10) + MPTP groups that did not exhibit an hypokinetic behaviour. In Experiment 2, the effects of repeated treatment with PBN (50 mg/kg, s.c. over 12 days), post-MPTP, were studied in aged (15-month-old) and young (3-month-old) mice. Subchronic administration of PBN increased substantially the motor activity of old and young mice that had received MPTP. Aged control (saline) mice showed an activity deficit compared to young control mice; this deficit was abolished by repeated PBN treatment. The results suggest that moderate-to-high doses of PBN whether injected in a single dose prior to MPTP or subchronically following MPTP injections may afford protective effects against both the functional changes and DA-loss caused by MPTP treatment, possibly through an antioxidant mechanism.

Health of women: associations among life events, social support, and personality for selected patient groups

This study examined the effects of life events, social support, personality traits, and siblings' birth-order on the health of women. 199 middle-class participants were included. 95 women, randomly assigned from four different patient groups, were compared with a control group of 96 randomly selected women without any special health problems. They completed a questionnaire which included questions regarding family background, health, different life events, social support, and signs of disease and a projective test, the Sivik Psychosomatism Test. Analysis indicated that report of negative life events was associated with more physical symptoms than positive life events and that the patient groups reported more negative life events and less social support than the control group.

Maze learning and motor activity deficits in adult mice induced by iron exposure during a critical postnatal period

Newborn mice were administered Fe(2+) (iron succinate: 7.5 mg/kg, b. wt) on either Days 3-5, 10-12 or 19-21, or vehicle (saline) at the same times, postnatally. Spontaneous motor behaviour and radial arm maze learning were tested at the age of 3 months. It was found that mice treated with Fe(2+) during postnatal Days 10-12 were markedly hypokinetic during the 1st 20-min test period and hyperkinetic during the 3rd and final 20-min test period. These mice showed an almost complete lack of habituation of spontaneous motor activity parameters to the test chambers. In the radial arm maze, the Days 10-12 treatment group evidenced significantly both more errors in arm choices and longer latencies to acquire all eight pellets; these mice showed also a severe trial-to-trial retention deficit as indexed by retention quotients. These behavioural deficits were observed also in animals treated with Fe(2+) during postnatal Days 3-5, but the effects were less pronounced, indicating the higher susceptibility of the brain for Fe(2+)-induced damage during Days 10-12 postpartum. Treatment with Fe(2+) on Days 19-21 did not induce behavioural alterations in comparison with its respective control (vehicle) group. Analysis of total brain iron content indicated significantly more iron (microg/g) accumulation in the basal ganglia, but not frontal cortex, of mice from the Days 3-5 and 10-12 Fe(2+) (7.5 mg/kg) treatment groups. The contribution of iron overload during the immediate postnatal to later functional deficits seems to implicate symptoms of Parkinsonism but the kinetics of iron uptake to the brain and its regional distribution at this critical period of development awaits elucidation.

Restoration and putative protection in Parkinsonism

Synergistic antiparkinsonian actions of different classes of putative therapeutic agents co-administered with a subthreshold dose of L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-Dopa) (5 mg/kg) in drug-naive 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-treated mice as well as the restorative actions of those compounds in suprathreshold L-Dopa-tolerant MPTP-treated mice subjected to "wearing-off" of L-Dopa efficacy were assessed in a series of experiments. The classes of compounds studied included the noncompetitive NMDA antagonists, memantine, amantadine and MK-801, the anticonvulsive and putative anticonvulsive agents, lamotrigine, FCE 26743, phenytoin, the monoamine oxidase inhibitors, L-Deprenyl, amiflamine, alpha-ethyltryptamine, clorgyline and guanfacine. In this final case, the restorative effects of clonidine and guanfacine were antagonized by the alpha(2)-adrenoceptor antagonist, yohimbine, but not the alpha(1)-adrenoceptor antagonist, prazosin. Within each class of potentially therapeutic agents a differential restorative efficacy was obtained, but the combination of different doses of apomorphine with clonidine failed to restore motor activity. Finally, the neuroprotective actions of acute and subchronic administration of the nitrone spin-trapping compound, alpha-phenyl-tert-butyl nitrone upon the spontaneous motor behaviour and striatal dopamine concentrations of MPTP-treated mice was examined.

Neuroprotective and neurorestorative strategies for neuronal injury

Mechanisms of neuronal cell death in apoptosis and necrosis are examined. Neurotoxic processes underlying cellular destruction may involve N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor activation and/or activation of neuronal nitric oxide synthase but the depletion of energy and generation of free radicals appears to be critical. In Alzheimer's disease the damaging effects of peroxynitrite and exposure to beta-amyloid peptide is evident. Mitochondrial dysfunction is involved in several neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington's disease as well as Alzheimer's disease and in these disorders the innovations offered by techniques ranging from transgenic mouse models of the disorder to cell culture preparations are remarkable. Agents of neuroprotection and neurorestoration possess either characteristics specific to particular disorders or have a general applicability or both. The vast array of agents available are for the most part the objectives of laboratory examinations but an increasing selection of compounds are reaching the clinical necessities thereby influencing current strategic notions to modify tactical contingencies. Among the agents listed are included: inhibitors of the enzyme poly-ADP-ribose polymerase, inhibition of apoptotic cell death, agents acting on mitochondrial permeability transition, excitatory amino acid antagonists, applications of neurotrophins, immunophilins, agents influencing heme oxygenase-1 expression and iron sequestration in aging astroglia, improvements in mitochondrial energy production or buffering, and finally dopaminemimetics with differential affinities for dopamine receptors.

Effects of co-administration of anticonvulsant and putative anticonvulsive agents and sub/suprathreshold doses of L-dopa upon motor behaviour of MPTP-treated mice

The effects of co-administration of the dopamine precursor, L-Dopa, with anticonvulsant and putative anticonvulsive agents upon the motor activity of hypoactive MPTP-treated C57 BL/6 mice were measured in six experiments. In each case, MPTP (2 x 40 mg/kg, s.c., separated by a 24-hr interval) was administered four to six weeks prior to behavioural testing. Thus, the effects of these agents combined with either a single acute, subthreshold dose (5 mg/kg, s.c.) of L-Dopa, or, with chronically-administered, suprathreshold doses (20 mg/kg, s.c.) of L-Dopa were studied. In the former, lamotrigine, FCE 26743 and L-Deprenyl, injected 60 min before subthreshold L-Dopa (5 mg/kg), each induced an antiparkinsonian action in MPTP-treated mice that consisted of dose-specific, as opposed to dose-related, elevations of locomotion and rearing behaviour. In the latter, lamotrigine (all three measures of activity at 3 mg/kg), FCE 26743 (locomotion and total activity at 3; rearing at 1 and 3 mg/kg) and L-Deprenyl (locomotion and total activity at 1 and 3mg/kg), but not phenytoin (neither at 1 nor 3 mg/kg), reinstated the motor activity-stimulating effects of the threshold dose of L-Dopa (20 mg/kg) in L-Dopa-tolerant, MPTP-treated mice. Neurochemical analyses confirmed severe DA depletions in MPTP-treated mice. Since neither lamotrigine, FCE 26743 nor L-Deprenyl, nor subthreshold L-Dopa, by themselves increased the motor behaviour of MPTP-treated mice, a synergistic effect of the co-administration is concluded. Further, since the suprathreshold dose of L-Dopa by itself failed to stimulate motor activity in the MPTP mice following chronic (25 daily injections) administrations of the compound, it is suggested that a restorative effect, in combination with lamotrigine, FCE 26743 or L-Deprenyl was evidenced. The potential therapeutic benefits of anticonvulsant or putative anticonvulsive compounds for parkinsonian symptoms are discussed.

Neonatal iron exposure induces neurobehavioural dysfunctions in adult mice

Excess iron in the brain has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several human neurodegenerative disorders, i.e., Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. The neonatal period is critical for the establishment of normal iron content in the adult brain. In the present study, the long-term neurobehavioral effects of iron exposure during this period were assessed by treating NMRI mice orally with 0.0, 3.7, or 37.0 mg Fe(2+)/kg body wt on postnatal days 10-12. Spontaneous motor behavior and radial arm maze learning were tested at the age of 3 months. It was found that the mice treated with the higher dose of Fe(2+), 37.0 mg/kg body wt, were hypoactive during the first 20 min of testing but hyperactive during the final 20 min, showing an almost complete lack of habituation of spontaneous activity in the test chambers. These changes were also seen in animals treated with the lower dose of Fe(2+), 3.7 mg/kg body wt, but the effects were less pronounced, indicating a dose-response relationship. In the radial arm maze, the Fe(2+) 37.0 mg/kg group evidenced significantly both more errors in arm choices and longer latencies to acquire all eight pellets. Both dose groups showed attenuated performance increments on successive trials. Analysis of brain iron content indicated significantly more total iron (microgram/g) in the basal ganglia, but not frontal cortex, of the higher, 37 mg/kg, dose group. The knowledge of the long-term effects of iron entering the brain during this critical period of rapid brain growth is limited. Increased amounts of iron in the brain, especially in the basal ganglia, may contribute to neurodegenerative processes.

Tolerance to a suprathreshold dose of L-Dopa in MPTP mice: effects of glutamate antagonists

Three experiments were performed to study the development and manipulation of tolerance to a suprathreshold dose of L-Dopa (20 mg/kg, s.c.) in MPTP-treated and control (saline-injected) C57 Bl/6 mice. The motor activity reinstatement effect of this dose of L-Dopa upon MPTP-treated mouse behaviour deteriorated from the 13th injection (Test Day 8) of L-Dopa onwards and reached basal level (i.e. no stimulatory effects of the drug) by the 16th administration (Test Day 10). Administration of L-Dopa to control mice reduced locomotor and rearing activity throughout the tolerance development period (Test Days 1-12) during the first hour after injection, and then increased locomotor activity during the second hour. The effects of combining either a noncompetitive, MK-801, or a competitive, CGP 40116, glutamate antagonist with L-Dopa, following tolerance development, were assessed in MPTP mice on the 23rd day of L-Dopa administration (Test Day 13). MK-801 (0.1 mg/kg, s.c.) reinstated the locomotory and rearing behaviour induced by L-Dopa; CGP 40116 did so also to a greater extent in the dose range 0.01 to 0.03 mg/kg. These results indicate that MPTP-treated mice continue to offer a useful parkinsonian model also for the examination of different aspects of the "wearing-off" phenomenon of L-Dopa tolerance and in particular the putative glutamatergic involvement. The clinical consequences may be far-reaching for the utility of L-Dopa in Parkinson's disease, whether the effects demonstrated be of a reinstatement or synergistic nature, once therapeutically adequate glutamate antagonists are more readily available.

Effects of alcohol and frustration on experimental graffiti

This study aimed to examine effects between alcohol and frustration in regard to graffiti. Forty-two subjects, 21 men and 21 women were randomly assigned in equal numbers to each of the three experimental groups, namely a Control group, an Alcohol group, and an Alcohol + Frustration group (alcohol dose: 1 ml 100% alcohol/kg body weight). For the purposes of this experiment, a test (AET) was constructed that provided scores of "scrawling-graffiti" (i.e., the amount of scrawling on pictures), "destruction", "aggression", and "sexuality". An elaboration test and a test measuring the "dispositional optimism" were also applied. The primary results indicated that (a) the Alcohol + Frustration group scored significantly higher on scrawling-graffiti compared to the Control group, (b) female subjects performed graffiti-scrawling to a greater extent than male subjects in all three groups, (c) women scored significantly higher on elaboration as compared to men. These results were interpreted as supporting the hypothesis that alcohol intake by itself is unlikely to induce destructive behavior unless accompanied by a "provocative" factor (e.g. frustration) that precipitates the putative expressions of aggressiveness.

Functional changes induced by neonatal cerebral 6-hydroxydopamine treatment: effects of dose levels on behavioral parameters

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated neonatally with either of three different doses of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA): 50 micrograms i.c., 75 micrograms i.c., or 2 x 100 micrograms i.c.v., 30 min after a subcutaneous injection of desipramine (DMI, 25 mg/kg), in order to obtain selective lesions of mesencephalic dopamine (DA) neurons to different extents. From juvenile ages onwards, rats in each dose condition were tested for spontaneous motor activity and exploration in an openfield/holeboard setting measuring ambulation, rearing and head-dips. Between 77 and 78 days, the animals were tested in a modified, enclosed radial arm maze, followed 1 week later by tests in the circular swim maze. Finally, motor activity was tested in automated activity test chambers. In the openfield/holeboard setting, hyperactivity was seen for both rearing and ambulation in rats administered 50 micrograms 6-OHDA, whereas the 75 micrograms and 2 x 100 micrograms groups showed hyperactivity for ambulation, but hypoactivity for rearing and head-dips. All three dose groups demonstrated a retardation of learning in the radial arm maze. The 75 and 2 x 100 micrograms groups, but not the 50 micrograms group, showed impairments of acquisition in the swim maze. In the activity test chambers locomotion and rearing behavior varied as a function of 6-OHDA dose, being negatively and positively, respectively, related to DA concentration in striatum. These results show that the extent of the neonatal DA lesion determines both changes in motor- and exploratory activity as well as the occurrence and severity of acquisition impairment in spatial learning tasks.

Effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on activity and learning in Sprague-Dawley rats

Nulliparous pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to ethanol via a liquid diet technique (FAE, fetal alcohol exposure) or administered a fixed amount of control diet from gestational day 11 to day 21. The offspring, at 2-3 months of age, were studied in tests of mechanically monitored motor activity and learning acquisition in an automatized testing cage requiring an instrumental discriminative response, where the ability to learn and relearn correlations of a light signal to water presentation was monitored. A significantly reduced activity (i.e. ramp mounting behaviour) in a novel situation was obtained in the FAE group compared to controls. The initial disruption of ramp mounting behaviour could reflect alterations in either habituation to a novel test situation, altered neophobia, or some retardation in associating these responses with the outcome of water-availability. Adult FAE rats (six months of age) showed a tendency towards a lowered acquisition performance (p = 0.06) when tested in a circular Morris-type swim maze, but no detectable differences were shown in a motor activity test chamber situation.

Alpha-phenyl-tert-butyl-nitrone (PBN) reverses age-related maze learning performance and motor activity deficits in C57 BL/6 mice

Two experiments were performed to study the effects of age and repeated administration of alpha-phenyl-tert-butyl-nitrone (PBN), the free radical spin-trapping agent, upon spontaneous motor activity levels and radial arm maze performance in normal young (3 month old) and normal aged (15 month old) C57 BI/6 mice. In Experiment 1, the aged mice were found to show reduced locomotor and rearing behaviour in comparison with the young mice. In the radial eight-arm maze learning task, the aged mice performed at a comparable level to the young mice during the first learning trial (Day 1) but made significantly more errors and showed longer total latencies during the second trial presented 24h later. In Experiment 2, the aged and young mice were subchronically administered either PBN at a dose of 50mg/kg, s.c. over 12 days, or saline. Spontaneous motor activity was tested 72h after the last injection. 36h later the first test trial in the radial arm maze was presented; this was followed after a further 24h by the second test trial. Subchronic treatment with PBN increased locomotion counts in the aged (15 month old) mice during the 60min test period, but decreased rearing during the first 30min of the test period. In the radial arm maze, the performance deficit shown during the second test trial by the aged mice was abolished by repeated PBN administration; both the number of errors and the latencies to all eight pellets were significantly reduced in the aged mice that received PBN. PBN did not exert any effects upon the performance of the young mice. These results, considered in conjunction with other studies using gerbils or rats, implicate the involvement of free radical species in the deterioration of function in the aged C57 BI/6 mouse.

Prenatal coexposure to metallic mercury vapour and methylmercury produce interactive behavioural changes in adult rats

Pregnant rats were 1) administered methyl mercury (MeHg) by gavage, 2 mg/kg/day during days 6-9 of gestation, 2) exposed by inhalation to metallic mercury (Hg degrees) vapour (1.8 mg/m3 air for 1.5 h per day) during gestation days 14-19, 3) exposed to both MeHg by gavage and Hg degrees vapour by inhalation (MeHg + Hg degrees), or 4) were given combined vehicle administration for each of the two treatments (control). The inhalation regimen corresponded to an approximate dose of 0.1 mg Hg degrees/kg/day. Clinical observations and developmental markers up to weaning showed no differences between any of the groups. Testing of behavioural function was performed between 4 and 5 months of age and included spontaneous motor activity, spatial learning in a circular bath, and instrumental maze learning for food reward. Offspring of dams exposed to Hg degrees showed hyperactivity in the motor activity test chambers over all three parameters: locomotion, rearing and total activity; this effect was potentiated in the animals of the MeHg + Hg degrees group. In the swim maze test, the MeHg + Hg degrees and Hg degrees groups evidenced longer latencies to reach a submerged platform, which they had learned to mount the day before, compared to either the control or MeHg groups. In the modified, enclosed radial arm maze, both the MeHg + Hg degrees and Hg degrees groups showed more ambulations and rearings in the activity test prior to the learning test. During the learning trial, the same groups (i.e., MeHg + Hg degrees and Hg degrees) showed longer latencies and made more errors in acquiring all eight pellets. Generally, the results indicate that prenatal exposure to Hg degrees causes alterations to both spontaneous and learned behaviours, suggesting some deficit in adaptive functions. Coexposure to MeHg, which by itself did not alter these functions at the dose given in this study, served to significantly aggravate the changes.

Synergistic interactions between COMT-/MAO-inhibitors and L-Dopa in MPTP-treated mice

Four experiments were performed to investigate the anti-akinesia effects of combining a sub-threshold dose (5 mg/kg, s.c.) of L-Dopa with different doses and combinations of COMT and MAO inhibitors upon the hypokinesia observed in MPTP-treated mice. Ro 40-7592 (1 and 3 mg/kg, s.c.), a novel COMT inhibitor, 60 min before L-Dopa reinstated both locomotion and rearing during a 2-hr interval after L-Dopa in MPTP mice; control mice were unaffected. The combination of Ro 40-7592 (3 mg/kg, s.c.) and pargyline (5 mg/kg, s.c.), a MAO inhibitor, with L-Dopa produced increases in both the peak effect and duration of action indicating a distinct potentiation of the effects of Ro 40-7592 by pargyline. L-Deprenyl, a MAOB inhibitor, together with L-Dopa, restored locomotion and rearing behaviour at all three doses applied (1, 3 and 10 mg/kg, s.c.); in control mice, motor activity was stimulated at the higher doses (3 and 10 mg/kg, s.c.), independent of L-Dopa administration. Combining L-Deprenyl (3 mg/kg, s.c.) with Ro 40-7592 (3 mg/kg, s.c.) one hr before L-Dopa to MPTP mice potentiated the restorative effects of each compound by itself, although no increase in peak effect was obtained. In the control mice, L-Deprenyl plus Ro 40-7592 or L-Deprenyl, by itself, stimulated motor activity following injection of L-Dopa. Marked dopamine (DA) depletions in the striatum of MPTP-treated mice were evident. The present results demonstrate that the effects of the COMT/MAO inhibitors in combination, and in conjunction with L-Dopa (at a dose that was without effect by itself), were well in excess of a summation of their individual effects. It was concluded therefore that a synergism of the restorative, anti-akinesic action of these compounds in MPTP-treated mice could offer a broader therapeutic spectrum in the treatment of Parkinson's disorder.

Effect of the competitive NMDA antagonist, CGP 40 116, and a low dose of l-Dopa on the motor activity deficit of MPTP-treated mice

Three experiments were performed to investigate the effects of combining the active D-stereoisomer of CGP 37 849, i.e. the glutamatergic antagonist, CGP 40 116, with l-dopa, in mice that had undergone treatment with the neurotoxin, MPTP. In the first experiment, the decreased motor activity in MPTP-treated mice was alleviated by the administration of a low dose of l-dopa (5mg/kg, s.c.) together with a low dose of CGP 40 116 (30µg/kg). This dose was inactive in the control (saline-treated) mice. The highest dose of CGP 40 116 used (3000µg/kg) stimulated activity in the control mice. In Experiment 2, the inactive L-stereoisomer, i.e., CGP 40 117, was found to be inactive at doses (3 and 30µg/kg) effective with CGP 40 116. The effects of CGP 40 116 and l-dopa on the 24-h activity of mice tested under either day-night or night-day conditions, were more marked and longer lasting in the night-day condition. Taken together, the results from all three experiments show that CGP 40 116 in a dose range of 1-30µg/kg in combination with l-dopa (5mg/kg, s.c.) alleviated the reduced motor activity in MPTP-treated mice whereas higher doses of CGP 40 116 (100, 300, or 3000µg/kg) or lower doses (0.1 and 0.3µg/kg) were without effect. These experiments are interpreted as support for current views on glutamatergic-dopaminergic interactions in Parkinsonism and offer further evidence for the MPTP mouse model of the disease.

Synergistic interactions between NMDA-antagonists and L-dopa on activity in MPTP-treated mice

Four experiments were performed to investigate whether or not coadministration of NMDA-antagonists potentiate the effect of an ineffective dose of L-Dopa on motor activity in hypoactive MPTP-treated mice. Motor activity was measured in an automated system recording both locomotion (horizontal) and rearing (vertical) activity. L-Dopa alone, at doses of 10 and 20 mg/kg, but not 5 mg/kg, expressed an anti-akinesia effect in MPTP-treated mice. The non-competitive NMDA-antagonist MK-801 (0.03, 0.1, and 0.3 mg/kg) increased by itself both locomotion (0.1 and 0.3 mg/kg) and rearing (0.03 mg/kg) in control (saline-treated) mice whereas no effect was seen in the MPTP-treated mice. Combined with 5 mg/kg L-Dopa, MK-801 (0.1 mg/kg) increased locomotion in MPTP-treated mice. There was no interaction seen between L-Dopa and MK 801 in the control mice. CGP40116 and CGP40117, the active D- and the inactive L-stereoisomer of the competitive NMDA-inhibitor CGP37849, respectively, were also administered together with 5 mg/kg L-Dopa. Both doses (0.003 and 0.03 mg/kg) of CGP40116 in contrast to CGP40117, produced anti-akinesia effect in MPTP-treated mice. CGP40116 (0.0001 to 0.1 mg/kg) together with 5 mg/kg L-Dopa did not affect behaviour in control mice but produced (0.01 mg/kg CGP40116 and 5 mg/kg L-Dopa) in the MPTP-treated mice an anti-akinesia effect. Our findings indicate that the non-competitive NMDA-antagonist MK-801, at doses with reported side-effects, only increase locomotion while rearing remained unaltered in MPTP-treated mice when combined with 5 mg/kg L-Dopa. Only the active stereoisomer CGP40116 in contrast to CG40117, at doses far below reported side-effects, dose-dependently modulated the anti-akinesia effect of a subthreshold dose of L-Dopa. Such data thus support the notion that this behavioural modulation was regulated via NMDA-receptors. The synergism between L-Dopa and the competitive NMDA-antagonist CGP40116 has a potential in treatment of Parkinson's disease to reduce the side-effects of doses of L-Dopa that are used today.

Effects of D1 and D2 agonists on spontaneous motor activity in MPTP treated mice

Two experiment were performed to study the effect of combining bromocriptine with SKF 38393 (SKF), or vice/versa, upon parameters of spontaneous motor activity in MPTP treated and saline (control) treated mice. Treatment with MPTP (2 x 40 mg/kg, subcutaneously) induced a hypoactive condition compared with saline treated mice. Bromocriptine (10 mg/kg, subcutaneously), administered to MPTP mice 2 hr, but not 1 or 4 hr, after SKF (6 mg/kg, subcutaneously) caused a marked increase in locomotion and rearing behaviour. The administration of bromocriptine (10 mg/kg, subcutaneously) 4 hr before SKF (6 mg/kg, subcutaneously) elevated all three parameters of spontaneous activity in the MPTP treated mice, independent of the injection of SKF. Bromocriptine injection 1 or 2 hr before SKF decreased locomotion in both MPTP and control mice. Neurochemical analysis confirmed the dopamine depletion in the MPTP treated mice. These results are discussed in terms of the reliability of the MPTP model of parkinsonism in mice and the dopamine D1/D2 receptor hypersensitivity following denervation with the neurotoxin.

MPTP-induced behavioural and biochemical deficits: a parametric analysis

Two experiments were performed to study the parametric effects of long-term administration of the neurotoxin, 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), as a functional model of parkinsonism in mice. The behavioural deficits induced by different doses of MPTP (5, 10, 20, 30 or 40 mg/kg, s.c., each injected on two occasions) at a 3-week or a 3-month treatment-testing interval were evidenced by significant reductions of spontaneous motor activity, from the 10 mg/kg dosages upwards at the 3-week interval and from 30-40 mg/kg at the 3-month interval. Significant dopamine (DA) reductions in the mouse striatum were obtained at these dose levels and intervals. The behavioural deficit of the 40 mg/kg dose (injected on two occasions) and tested at the 3-, 6-, 12-, 24- and 40-week intervals (separate as well as repeated testing groups) indicated marked and relatively comparable reductions of all three parameters of motor activity, locomotion, rearing and total activity. DA depletions were severe at all five test intervals. These results offer functional and neurochemical evidence that MPTP treatment produces permanent damage to the nigrostriatal motor system in mice.

Effects of typical and atypical antipsychotic drugs on two-way active avoidance. Relationship to DA receptor blocking profile

The dose-dependent and time-dependent effects of the novel antipsychotic compound remoxipride, as well as the reference compounds chlorpromazine, clozapine, haloperidol, pimozide and sulpiride upon the retention of two-way active avoidance (conditioned avoidance responses, CARs) were studied in male rats. The dose-dependent effects of remoxipride as well as haloperidol and chlorpromazine on the acquisition of CARs were also studied. The acquisition and retention of CARs were tested in shuttleboxes using a 1.0-mA shock intensity and a 10-stone signal (1000 Hz). All the compounds studied, including remoxipride, caused a dose-dependent impairment of acquisition and retention of CARs. The effect of remoxipride on CAR acquisition correlated with remoxipride's effectiveness to block the hyperactivity induced by the dopamine (DA) agonist apomorphine. Unlike chlorpromazine and haloperidol, the potency of remoxipride and clozapine for antagonising CAR retention was found at dose levels much lower than those producing cataleptic effects or blocking apomorphine-induced stereotypies. Based on the DA receptor blocking profile and the relative effectiveness to block CAR it is concluded that the mechanism(s) by which clozapine and remoxipride affect CAR differ from typical neuroleptic drugs. This difference may reflect an action upon different subtypes of functionally coupled DA D2 receptors.

A new operant discrimination test procedure for resident rats

An automated method for testing visual discrimination with water reinforcement using a modified residential Y-maze is described. The visual stimulus is presented above one of two water holes. Rats have been tested with different lengths of water periods and different intervals between the periods. During the 10 days of testing, overall activity decreased. Activity on the initial days was low during daytime, with few drinking attempts. Discrimination learning acquisition was measured as the increase in the percentage of water periods with drinking attempts in which the first attempt occurred on the correct side, and/or as the increase in the number of correct drinking attempts as a percentage of all drinking attempts. Acquisition was observed both when light indicated water and when it indicated no water. This test model may offer a useful method for standardized measurement of left/right, light on/off discriminations.

Behavioural effects of prenatal metallic mercury inhalation exposure in rats

The effects of administration by inhalation of metallic mercury vapour (Hg0) to pregnant rats, approximately corresponding to doses of 0.2 mg Hg0/kg/day (high dose) or 0.07 mg Hg0/kg/day (low dose), on the developmental and behavioural repertoire of the offspring were studied. Exposure occurred during days 11-14 plus 17-20 of gestation. The dose levels were selected so as not to induce maternal toxicity. Maturation variables such as surface righting, negative geotaxis, pinna unfolding, and tooth eruption revealed no differences between Hg0-treated offspring and controls. Tests of spontaneous motor activity showed that the Hg0-treated offspring were hypoactive at 3 months of age but hyperactive at 14 months. In spatial learning tasks the prenatally exposed offspring showed retarded acquisition in the radial arm maze but no differences in circular swim maze. A simple test of learning, habituation to a novel environment (activity chambers), indicated a reduced ability to adapt. These data suggest that prenatal exposure to Hg0 vapour results in similar behaviour changes in the offspring as reported for methylmercury.

Effects of maternal dietary supplementation with selenite on the postnatal development of rat offspring exposed to methyl mercury in utero

Female Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a control standard diet or a selenite (Se) supplemented diet (1.3 p.p.m. Se) for 8 weeks before mating and during gestation and lactation. Blood glutathione peroxidase activity (GSH-Px) was measured as a biomarker of Se in dames. After mating, the females from two dietary groups were divided into three subgroups (6 groups with 10 animals in each) given 0 (vehicle), 2 or 6 mg/kg methyl mercury (MeHg) by gavage on days 6-9 of gestation. Day 2 post parturition all litters were standardized to 6 pups per litter and remaining pups were used for determination of blood and brain total Hg contents. Behavioural testing was performed at two months of age. The results of the study showed that supplementing the diet with Se partly antagonized some adverse effects of the MeHg such as hypoactivity especially in the high MeHg dose group. There were no changes in physical development or body weight except a tendency to decreased body weight in offspring of mothers exposed to 6 mg Hg/kg. The GSH-Px activity was significantly increased in animals fed on Se supplemented diet. The dietary Se supplementation resulted in considerably increased concentrations of mercury in the blood of the offspring despite milder signs of CNS toxicity and no increase in brain concentrations of mercury.

Behavioural effects of neonatal metallic mercury exposure in rats

The effect of neonatal exposure of rats to mercury vapour (Hg0), at the concentration 0.05 mg/m3, 1 h (low dose) or 4 h (high dose), on the behaviour in adulthood were studied. Exposure occurred on days 11-17 (the period of rapid brain growth). Tests for spontaneous motor activity were performed at the ages of 2 and 4 months. Rats exposed to the high dose Hg0 showed a marked increase in variables locomotion and total activity but a decrease for rearing when tested at 2 months of age. At 4 months of age these rats showed a marked hypoactivity with respect to all three variables. Rats exposed to the low dose showed no significant differences at 2 months compared to controls. However, at the age of 4 months the same pattern (increase in variables locomotion and total activity but a decrease for rearing) already noticed in the high dose group at 2 months was observed. In the spatial learning tasks applied, the radial arm maze and circular swim maze, neonatally exposed pups showed a retarded acquisition to the former, while there was no difference compared to controls in the latter. These data indicate that neonatal exposure to mercury vapour results in similar behaviour changes as reported from offspring prenatally exposed to mercury vapour or methylmercury. Furthermore, exposure for 1 week to concentrations around Swedish threshold values (TLV) for 1 or 4 h resulted in dose and age-related behavioural changes.

5-Hydroxytryptamine1A receptor agonists in animal models of depression and anxiety

The effects of different doses of buspirone, 3-dipropyl-amino-5-hydrochromar (NDO 008) and 8-hydroxydipropyl-aminotetralin (8-OH-DPAT) (administered intraperitoneally) were studied in tests of anxiolytic and antidepressant action in rats. These tests included the elavated plus maze test, the forced swim test, stress-induced suppression of open-field behavior, and the differential-reinforcement-of-low-rates-of-behaviour-72 sec (DRL 72 s) test. Buspirone (0.125 mg/kg) and NDO 008 (1.0 to 2.0 mg/kg) produced anxiolytic activity in the elevated plus maze, whereas 8-OH-DPAT did not in the doses employed. All three compounds increased activity in the forced swim test, although buspirone did so at a lower dose than NDO 008 and 8-OH-DPAT. In the stress-induced suppression test of open field activity all three compounds induced an antidepressant-like effect at different doses dependent on whether footshock (stressor) was presented 24 hr before or just prior to the open-field test. All three compounds even caused some reduction of activity in the non-shocked rats. 8-OH-DPAT (1.0 mg/kg) produced a significant and reliable increase in the Reinforcement/Response rate quotient in the DRL 72s test. These diverse results may provide an indication of potential clinical efficacy of the 5-HT1A agonists in the treatment of anxiety and depression.

Nerve growth factor (NGF) in rat brain following long-term barbital treatment: relation to convulsions and cognitive function

Nerve growth factor (NGF) protein has been implicated in alterations of cognitive function either following brain damage, selective lesions or aging. Groups of rats were given long-term (48 weeks) oral barbital treatment or tap water and following an extended period of abstinence (14 weeks) were tested for spatial learning ability in the Morris swim maze. Following the maze test, they were sacrificed and the NGF content of hippocampal and cortical brain regions were analyzed. Barbital treated rats were divided into convulsing and non-convulsing groups. It was found that there was a slight, significant increase (12%) in NGF content of the hippocampus in convulsing rats. Correlations between maze learning performance, brain weight and NGF in the cortex indicated a significant negative relationship between (a) performance and brain weight on day 1 of testing and (b) NGF content and performance on day 2. These data indicate some involvement of NGF in functions derived from a considerably different animal model to those applied previously.

Purposive behaviour in cognition and perception: considerations of awareness in memory

The responses to the original article by Rönnberg (1990a) provoked interesting and thoughtful points of view that are covered by Gärling (1990), Hjelmquist (1990), Montgomery (1991), and Runeson (1990). These articles do not merely present a different outlook but also provide concepts that are certainly worthy of consideration and add more substance to the general topic under discussion. The purpose of this commentary is to seek an understanding of the ideas presented by the above authors within a synthesis of our views of current conceptualizations in cognition and perception. Each of the original criteria (Rönnberg, 1990a) will be treated in turn.

Effects of prenatal exposure to tributyltin and trihexyltin on behaviour in rats

The effects of prenatal administration of tributyltin (1 and 5 mg/kg) and trihexyltin (5 mg/kg) upon the development and behavioural repertoire of rats were studied. The dose levels were selected so as not to induce maternal toxicity. No consistent delay upon occurrence of various maturation markers of the organotin-treated offspring was seen. As adults the tributyltin-treated offspring showed considerable hyperactivity following the initial habituation whereas the trihexyltin-treated offspring showed hyperactivity to a lesser degree. In the spatial learning tasks applied, the radial arm maze and the circular swim maze, tributyltin-treated rats demonstrated a clearly retarded aquisition of the radial arm maze task whereas trihexyltin-treated rats performed as well as the control rats; no differences were obtained in the swim maze task. The tributyltin-treated offspring showed a drastic potentiation of d-amphetamine-induced hyperactivity, whereas trihexyltin treatment induced only a marginal increase.

Ketanserin and mianserin treatment reverses hyperactivity in neonatally dopamine-lesioned rats

Selective brain dopamine (DA) depletions in rats, induced by neonatal intracisternal administration of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA; 75 μg), caused spontaneous hyperactivity at the adult stage as measured using determinations of locomotion, rearing and total activity. Treatment with ketanserin (0.5 or 1.0 mg/kg, s.c.) reversed the hyperactivity in 6-OHDA-treated animals during a 90-min period following injection, although only the low dose of ketanserin reduced rearings. In control animals ketanserin treatment did not affect the locomotion or total activity counts, while the high dose of ketanserin increased rearings. Following treatment with mianserin (0.5 or 1.0 mg/kg, s.c.), a similar effect was seen; however, it was longer-lasting and mianserin treatment increased activity in controls. Regional analysis of monoamine levels demonstrated a marked reduction of basal forebrain DA levels, while in striatum an increase in serotonin (5-HT) concentration was seen following the 6-OHDA treatment. The results indicate that drugs with a high affinity to 5-HT(2) binding sites can influence the hyperactivity seen in neonatally DA-lesioned rats. This effect might be related to inhibition of 5-HT pathways directly involved in regulation of motor activity or due to alterations in the interaction between the DA and 5-HT systems as a consequence of the early DA lesion.

Learning deficits in aged rats pretreated chronically with barbital and tested late in abstinence: alleviation by tetrahydroaminoacridine

Physostigmine and tetrahydroaminoacridine (THA) have been reported to improve cognitive function in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Two experiments were conducted to examine the effects of these anticholinesterase agents on learning in aged rats pretreated chronically with barbital. In the first experiment animals received barbital in their drinking water for 46 weeks. Controls were given only water. On days 100-104 of abstinence, when the animals were 20 months old, acquisition of the Morris maze task was initiated after treatment with physostigmine. It was found that physostigmine improved learning of the maze task in control but not barbital treated rats. In the second experiment animals received barbital solution or water as in experiment one. On days 100-103 of abstinence they were injected with THA before being tested in the Morris water maze. It was found that THA improved learning in both barbital treated and control rats. These results corroborate clinical findings of improved cognitive function following treatment with THA, and suggest that the therapeutic effects of THA may be mediated by mechanisms distinct from cholinesterase inhibition. Furthermore chronic barbital treatment could be used as a model to study cognitive disturbances in experimental animals.

Chronic neurochemical and behavioral changes in MPTP-lesioned C57BL/6 mice: a model for Parkinson's disease

The long-term effect of the parkinsonism inducing neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) on pre- and postsynaptic structures of the nigrostriatal and mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system in adult C57BL/6 mice (2 x 40 mg/kg s.c.) was investigated using neurochemical and behavioral methods. It was found that MPTP induced a severe depletion of striatal DA levels (-80%) that persists for 4 weeks after treatment, with less severe effects in nucleus accumbens (-36%) and the olfactory tubercle (-52%). These depletions are associated with decreased tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity as determined in vivo and increased turnover of DA. MPTP treatment did not induce any change in the DA2-receptor as determined by [3H]spiperone binding or by two different behavioral tests, i.e. apomorphine-induced climbing and apomorphine-induced stereotypies. No significant weight loss during 4 weeks after MPTP was found. The spontaneous motor activity in these mice was profoundly and persistently depressed (-66%) as a result of the MPTP-induced DA denervation and the motor deficit was completely reversed by L-DOPA treatment. We suggest that MPTP-treated C57BL/6 mice may serve as a suitable model for Parkinson's disease.

MPTP-induced hypoactivity in mice: reversal by L-dopa

Three experiments were performed to study the subchronic effects of treatment with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP, 2 x 40 mg/kg subcutaneously two weeks before testing) in C57 BL/6 mice upon spontaneous motor activity and the reversal of the long-term behavioural changes by acute treatment with L-Dopa. Mice treated with MPTP showed a drastic reduction of striatal dopamine levels (-88%) associated with reductions of all three parameters of spontaneous motor activity, i.e. locomotion, rearing and total activity, during both the initial, exploratory, stage (first 90 min), and later stages of the 3- or 4-hr test periods. L-Dopa (5-80 mg/kg subcutaneously) injected 60 min. after the start of testing dose-dependently improved all three parameters studied in MPTP treated mice with 10 mg/kg being the lowest dose causing a significant effect, while doses above 20 mg/kg caused hyperactivity. During the initial period, rearing activity in MPTP mice was to a variable degree suppressed by the L-Dopa treatment (20-80 mg/kg); these reductions were followed by enormous increases in motor activity by the 40 mg/kg (locomotion) and 80 mg/kg (total activity) L-Dopa groups. Both the degree and duration of the L-Dopa-induced hypoactivity for locomotor behaviour increased dose-dependently in control mice. No suppressive effects of L-Dopa were obtained for total activity in control mice, although the 80 mg/kg L-Dopa doses evoked hyperactivity for up to 90 min. following treatment for both locomotion and total activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)