Relative effectiveness of behavioral versus nonbehavioral child psychotherapy

Some researchers have concluded that, for children and adolescents, behavioral interventions may be more effective than nonbehavioral interventions. Other researchers, however, have proposed artifactual hypotheses for the apparent superiority of behavioral treatments. In this study, one such hypothesis was evaluated: that the apparent superiority of behavioral interventions among children is due to differences in the methodological quality of studies of behavioral and nonbehavioral treatments. Meta-analytic results reported in this article found little support for this hypothesis.

Immunocytochemical localization of calmodulin in PC12 cells and its possible interaction with histones

The subcellular localization of calmodulin, a multi-functional calcium-binding regulatory protein, was examined immunocytochemically in undifferentiated PC12 rat pheochromocytoma cells and cells differentiated with nerve growth factor (NGF) and dibutyryl cyclic AMP. In undifferentiated PC12 cells, diffuse immunostaining for calmodulin was observed in the cytoplasm, and weak, patch-like staining was found in the nucleus. In differentiated cells, intense immunostaining for calmodulin was observed in the cytoplasm, while nuclear immunostaining was still evident. Immunoreactivity for calmodulin was also observed along newly-formed neuritic processes, with strong staining in varicosity-like structures and growth cones. Using double-label immunochemistry, the relative intensity of immunostaining for calmodulin among the nuclei was found to correlate with the relative intensity of immunostaining for histones in the same nuclei. A comparison of a profile of 125I-calmodulin binding in the nuclear fraction from PC12 cells to that of immunoblotting for histones in the same fraction indicated that some of the histones are calmodulin-binding proteins in PC12 cells. These results show that the level and subcellular distribution of calmodulin are altered during the course of nerve cell differentiation and suggest the possibility that histones may function as major nuclear binding proteins for calmodulin.

Effects of psychotherapy with children and adolescents revisited: a meta-analysis of treatment outcome studies

A meta-analysis of child and adolescent psychotherapy outcome research tested previous findings using a new sample of 150 outcome studies and weighted least squares methods. The overall mean effect of therapy was positive and highly significant. Effects were more positive for behavioral than for nonbehavioral treatments, and samples of adolescent girls showed better outcomes than other Age x Gender groups. Paraprofessionals produced larger overall treatment effects than professional therapists or students, but professionals produced larger effects than paraprofessionals in treating overcontrolled problems (e.g., anxiety and depression). Results supported the specificity of treatment effects: Outcomes were stronger for the particular problems targeted in treatment than for problems not targeted. The findings shed new light on previous results and raise significant issues for future study.

Overproduction and physical characterization of SoxR, a [2Fe-2S] protein that governs an oxidative response regulon in Escherichia coli

SoxR protein governs the soxRS (superoxide response) regulon of Escherichia coli by becoming a transcriptional activator when the cells are exposed to compounds that mediate univalent redox reactions, many of which produce superoxide as a by-product. SoxR was overproduced and purified to near homogeneity from a strain bearing an expression vector. It could bind specifically to the soxS operator even in the absence of RNA polymerase. The aerobically purified protein, which is readily autooxidized, could activate the transcription of soxS DNA even without exposure to known inducing agents. SoxR is a globular homodimer. It contains one [2Fe-2S] cluster per polypeptide chain, as demonstrated by optical and EPR spectroscopy combined with stoichiometric analysis of iron content, unpaired-electron-spin density, and reduction by dithionite. The protein is active in its oxidized ([2Fe-2S]2+) state. The presence of a prosthetic group capable of univalent redox reactions may help to explain the activation of the regulon in vivo by compounds that can mediate such reactions.

Continuous infusion of clozapine increases mu and delta opioid receptors and proenkephalin mRNA in mouse brain

The biochemical mechanisms involved in the actions of the atypical antipsychotic clozapine are still unclear. Because elevated levels of enkephalin in certain areas of the central nervous system may be necessary for antipsychotic activity, we have examined the effect of clozapine on certain receptors and mRNA transcripts involved in the opioid peptidergic system. Clozapine was infused continuously into mice for 21 days and the density of mu and delta opioid receptors was measured in the brains by quantitative receptor autoradiography, and the level of proenkephalin mRNA and dopamine D1 and D2 receptor mRNA were measured by in situ hybridization histochemistry. The results showed that continuous infusion of clozapine increased the density of D1 but not D2 receptors. However, it failed to alter the levels of either D1 or D2 dopamine receptor mRNA. By contrast, clozapine increased the density of mu and delta opioid receptors and increased the levels of proenkephalin mRNA. These results indicate that continuous treatment with clozapine increases opioid peptidergic activity in mouse brain and suggest that alteration of peptidergic activity as well as alteration of dopaminergic activity may be involved in its antipsychotic action.

Relative effectiveness of behavioral versus nonbehavioral child psychotherapy

Some researchers have concluded that, for children and adolescents, behavioral interventions may be more effective than nonbehavioral interventions. Other researchers, however, have proposed artifactual hypotheses for the apparent superiority of behavioral treatments. In this study, one such hypothesis was evaluated: that the apparent superiority of behavioral interventions among children is due to differences in the methodological quality of studies of behavioral and nonbehavioral treatments. Meta-analytic results reported in this article found little support for this hypothesis.

A multimethod study of problem behavior among Thai and American children in school: teacher reports versus direct observations

Previous literature describes Thai children as unusually polite, deferent, and behaviorally restrained. Yet, in a recent study employing teacher reports, Thai children were reported to show many more behavior problems than American children. Such a finding may reflect culture-linked differences in the perspective of Thai versus American teachers. To explore this possibility, we used trained observers to conduct direct observations of Thai and American children's school behavior, and we obtained teacher reports on the same children. Observational results were precisely the opposite of previous and present teacher-report findings: Observers reported twice as much problem behavior and off-task behavior in American children as in their Thai age-mates. This pattern may reflect Thai-U.S. differences in teachers' style, societal values and practices, even child temperament. The finding support the value of direct behavior observation in cross-national research on child problems.

Developmental and age-related changes in the D2 dopamine receptor mRNA subtypes in rat brain

The influence of ontogeny and aging on the D2 dopamine receptor mRNA in rat brain were examined using in situ hybridization histochemistry and Northern analysis utilizing oligonucleotide probes complementary to the different D2 mRNA subtypes. At birth, there was a high level of D2 dopamine receptor mRNA in corpus striatum relative to that found in the cerebral cortex and other brain areas. The hybridization signal of striatum (using a probe that hybridizes to both the D2A and D2B mRNA) increased during the first two postnatal weeks, reached a peak at day 16, then declined slightly. The D2A mRNA showed a similar distribution and developmental pattern. Intracisternal injection of 6-hydroxydopamine into neonates did not significantly alter the increase of the D2 dopamine receptor mRNAs, suggesting that neuronal input does not influence the ontogenetic development of this mRNA. In striatum, olfactory tubercule and inferior colliculus, the D2A mRNA declined between 3 and 24 months of age. By contrast, there was an age-related increase in the D2A mRNA in the anterior and intermediate lobes of the pituitary. The mRNA for the D2B dopamine receptor showed very low but nevertheless detectable levels in striatum, olfactory tubercule and pituitary. Like with the D2A mRNA, in 24-month-old rats the D2B mRNA declined in striatum and olfactory tubercule and increased in pituitary. These results show that there are differential tissue-related changes in the mRNAs for the D2 dopamine receptor during both development and aging.

Association of particulate air pollution and acute mortality: involvement of ultrafine particles?

Recent epidemiological studies show an association between particulate air pollution and acute mortality and morbidity down to ambient particle concentrations below 100 micrograms/m3. Whether this association also implies a causality between acute health effects and particle exposure at these low levels is unclear at this time; no mechanism is known that would explain such dramatic effects of low ambient particle concentrations. Based on results of our past and most recent inhalation studies with ultrafine particles in rats, we propose that such particles, that is, particles below approximately 50 nm in diameter, may contribute to the observed increased mortality and morbidity In the past we demonstrated that inhalation of highly insoluble particles of low intrinsic toxicity, such as TiO2, results in significantly increased pulmonary inflammatory responses when their size is in the ultrafine particle range, approximately 20 nm in diameter. However, these effects were not of an acute nature and occurred only after prolonged inhalation exposure of the aggregated ultrafine particles at concentrations in the milligrams per cubic meter range. In contrast, in the course of our most recent studies with thermodegradation products of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) we found that freshly generated PTFE fumes containing singlet ultrafine particles (median diameter 26 nm) were highly toxic to rats at inhaled concentrations of 0.7-1.0 x 10(6) particles/cm3, resulting in acute hemorrhagic pulmonary inflammation and death after 10-30 min of exposure. We also found that work performance of the rats in a running wheel was severely affected by PTFE fume exposure. These results confirm reports from other laboratories of the highly toxic nature of PTFE fumes, which cannot be attributed to gas-phase components of these fumes such as HF, carbonylfluoride, or perfluoroisobutylene, or to reactive radicals. The calculated mass concentration of the inhaled ultrafine PTFE particles in our studies was less than 60 micrograms/m3, a very low value to cause mortality in healthy rats. Aging of the fumes with concomitant aggregation of the ultrafine particles significantly decreases their toxicity. Since ultrafine particles are always present in the urban atmosphere, we suggest that they play a role in causing acute lung injury in sensitive parts of the population.

Characterization of bone marrow after transplantation by means of magnetic resonance

Magnetic resonance (MR) has become a new tool for noninvasive characterization of bone marrow in patients with hematological disorders in the past few years. Experiences gained from 1H MR imaging and spectroscopic investigations in 48 healthy volunteers and more than 130 patients with hematological disorders are reported and interpreted. Twenty-four of the patients underwent bone marrow transplantation (BMT) before the MR examinations. The findings in these studies provided noninvasive characterization and monitoring of vertebral marrow after BMT. Specifically, MR techniques were found to be suitable for studies of different aspects in physiological and pathological alterations of bone marrow: The water content within the marrow can be analyzed by chemical-shift selective-imaging techniques with good spatial resolution. Spectroscopic methods also allow more sensitive quantification of the signal fractions, as well as separate evaluation of the relaxation times of water and lipids. Relaxometry might be useful to characterize the cellular and extracellular portions of water molecules. Furthermore, the distribution of the magnetic field within small-volume elements of vertebral marrow can be measured. The field distribution is influenced by the trabecular density and the composition of the marrow. High amounts of hemosiderin in the marrow result in clearly broadened field distributions, demonstrated by increasing line widths in MR proton spectra. Magnetic resonance techniques can be used to assess not only the cellularity of the bone marrow, but also metabolic alterations in this compartment which result from cytotoxic treatment or immunological processes.

Oligodeoxynucleotide antisense to the D1 dopamine receptor mRNA inhibits D1 dopamine receptor-mediated behaviors in normal mice and in mice lesioned with 6-hydroxydopamine

The effects of intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of a 20-mer phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotide antisense to the D1 dopamine receptor mRNA (D1 antisense) on D1 dopamine receptor-mediated behaviors were studied in normal mice and in mice with unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine-induced lesions of corpus striatum. Treating mice with D1 antisense inhibited grooming behavior induced by the D1 dopamine receptor agonist SKF 38393 [1-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-3 benzazepine-7,8-diol hydrochloride], the reduction in grooming being related to the amount and length of time D1 antisense was given, with significant reductions in grooming behavior observed within 2 days of repeated injections of D1 antisense. Administering D1 antisense also inhibited rotational behavior induced by SKF 38393 in mice with unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine-induced lesions of corpus striatum. This inhibitory effect on rotational behavior could not be overcome by increasing the dose of SKF 38393. Recovery from inhibition of both grooming and rotational behaviors occurred after cessation of D1 antisense treatment. An oligomer with a similar composition of bases but placed in a random sequence failed to alter grooming or rotational behaviors induced by SKF 38393. In contrast to its effects on D1-mediated behaviors, treatment with D1 antisense had no significant inhibitory effect on stereotyped behavior induced by the D2 dopamine receptor agonist quinpirole [trans-(-)-4,4a,5,6,7,8,8a,9-octahydro-5-propyl-1H(or 2H)-pyrazolo- (3,4g)-quinoline dihydrochloride] in normal mice and produced no significant inhibition of rotational behavior induced either by quinpirole or by the muscarinic cholinergic agonist oxotremorine in 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned mice.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Irreversible blockade of D2 dopamine receptors by fluphenazine-N-mustard increases D2 dopamine receptor mRNA and proenkephalin mRNA and decreases D1 dopamine receptor mRNA and mu and delta opioid receptors in rat striatum

The consequences of irreversibly-inhibiting D2 dopaminergic receptors on the expression of D1 and D2 dopamine receptor mRNAs and proenkephalin mRNA and on the levels of mu- and delta-opioid receptors in rat striatum were studied following single or repeated administration of the irreversibly-acting D2 dopamine receptor antagonist, fluphenazine-N-mustard (FNM). The density of dopamine and opioid receptors was determined by receptor autoradiography and the levels of the mRNA for the D1 and D2 dopamine receptors and proenkephalin were measured by in situ hybridization histochemistry. Repeated treatment of rats with FNM for 6 days produced more than 80% inhibition of D2 dopamine receptors but less than 25% inhibition of D1 dopamine receptors. Repeated treatment with FNM also resulted in statistically significant increases in D2 dopamine receptor mRNA but decreases in D1 dopamine receptor mRNA. In contrast, acute treatment with FNM for 3 h had no significant effects on D1 or D2 dopamine receptor mRNAs in striatum. An examination of the effects of FNM on the opioid system showed that repeated treatment with FNM for 6 days produced more than a 2-fold increase in the expression of proenkephalin mRNA in striatum. This was accompanied by significant decreases in mu- and delta-opioid receptors in striatum, mainly by reducing the size of the patch compartment of striatum. Acute treatment with FNM for 3 h produced small increases in proenkephalin mRNA and mu-opioid receptors in striatum but had no significant effects on delta-opioid receptors. These results suggest that persistent inhibition of D2 dopamine receptors differentially regulates the expression of D1 and D2 dopamine receptor mRNA in striatum, and that the magnitude, duration and interval of inhibiting dopaminergic transmission may be important factors in regulating dopamine receptor mRNA expression. These results also suggest that D2 dopamine antagonists indirectly down-regulate opioid receptors by increasing the expression of proenkephalin mRNA, thereby increasing enkephalin which, in turn, decreases opioid receptors in striatum.

Dopamine receptor blockade increases dopamine D2 receptor and glutamic acid decarboxylase mRNAs in mouse substantia nigra

To study the influence of dopaminergic activity on the expression of dopamine D2 receptors and glutamic acid decarboxylase in substantia nigra, mice were treated daily for several days with an irreversibly acting dopamine D1 and dopamine D2 receptor antagonist N-ethoxycarbonyl-2-ethoxy-1,2-dihydroquinoline (EEDQ) or with a selective irreversible D2 dopamine receptor antagonist fluphenazine-N-mustard. Mice were killed 24 h after the last injection. Dopamine D1 and dopamine D2 receptors were determined by receptor autoradiography, and dopamine D1 and dopamine D2 receptor mRNA and glutamic acid decarboxylase mRNA were determined by in situ hybridization histochemistry. The results showed that treatment with EEDQ, which blocked 80% to 85% of the dopamine D2 and dopamine D1 receptors in substantia nigra, increased the levels of dopamine D2 receptor mRNA in substantia nigra by about 27%. Treatment with fluphenazine-N-mustard, which blocked about 85% of the dopamine D2 receptors in substantia nigra but had no significant effect on dopamine D1 receptors, increased the levels of dopamine D2 receptor mRNA by about 34%. There were no detectable levels of dopamine D1 receptors, increased the levels of dopamine D2 receptor mRNA by about 34%. There were no detectable levels of dopamine D1 receptor mRNA in substantia nigra either in control animals or in animals treated with the dopamine receptor antagonists. Glutamic acid decarboxylase mRNA was expressed in several regions of the mid-brain but only that expressed in substantia nigra was altered by treatment with dopamine receptor antagonists.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Double crossover in the human Xp/Yp pseudoautosomal region and its bearing on interference

Most models on crossover and crossover interference have assumed that the intensity of interference depends inversely on the physical distance separating the respective intervals. The possibility, however, also exists that interference depends on genetic rather than on physical distance. As the human pseudoautosomal region (PAR) on Xp/Yp is physically small, yet genetically a hot spot of recombination in male meiosis, studies on the existence of multiple crossover events may be particularly useful in addressing the question of interference. Our results demonstrate for the first time a double crossover during male meiosis in the human PAR on Xp/Yp. The occurrence of a single obligatory recombination event in this region can, therefore, no longer be taken as a dogma. However, double crossover events seem to remain exceptional and, thus, the model originally suggested by Burgoyne remains globally correct. As both recombination events can be localized within a narrow range of physical distance, theories describing interference due to steric hindrance may have to be reconsidered. This finding may, therefore, have general implications for our understanding of the mechanism of positive and negative crossover interference in mammalian genomes and may be interesting especially for linkage mapping where double recombinations in small intervals tend to be considered as genotyping errors.

Low-level chemical sensitivity: a perspective from behavioral toxicology

Low-level chemical sensitivity is hardly a new issue in environmental toxicology. It is, in fact, the focus of risk assessment. The risk assessment process is designed explicitly to estimate the health threats posed by low exposure levels, typically by extrapolating from high experimental or environmental levels. The conventional risk assessment structure, however, was designed primarily around cancer. It is only awkwardly applicable to neurobehavioral toxicants because of the multiplicity of endpoints that have to be considered in evaluating neurotoxicity. At the same time, neurotoxic risk assessment maintains certain advantages over cancer risk assessment because of diminished uncertainties over dose extrapolation. It does not have to depart as far from the range of observable data. The main problem with extending the risk assessment model to issues such as Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) and Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) is the absence of a specific chemical whose concentration can be measured and then manipulated. A prototypical agent, however, such as a volatile organic solvent, might be selected and studied. Beyond the choice of agent, however, is the question of which behavioral criteria are likely to yield the most useful information. Although neuropsychological test batteries provide one source of data, they typically are administered in a setting other than the one allegedly provoking the syndrome. A different approach invokes what might be called a miniature work situation. Here, a test subject is evaluated in a setting that emphasizes sustained performance testing in the presence of target chemicals. Experimental design is another factor to be considered. Two features are especially critical. The most sensitive design, at least for the current stage of knowledge, would probably emphasize consistency of response, and would choose as subjects individuals who claim to be afflicted with low-level sensitivity. Consistency in a single individual may be more informative than significance tests in a large sample. In addition, consistency as a criterion helps overcome the problem that, in any such sample, only a minor proportion of the subjects may truly exhibit such sensitivity. At a later stage, a broader range of subjects might be targeted. Research on behavioral disorders evoked by food additives illustrates the importance of such questions. It also demonstrates that the methods currently used to assess the potential toxicity of many substances, including food additives, typically ignore subtle, and often sensitive, neurobehavioral measures.

Specificity of the comorbidity of aggression and depression in children

A number of investigations have reported that depressive and aggressive behavior are correlated in children. However, this relation actually may represent an association between the more broadband constructs of internalizing and externalizing problems. Three hundred fifty third through sixth graders and their teachers completed measures assessing aggression, anxiety, hyperactivity, and depression. Results of a second-order confirmatory factor analysis suggested that the relation between aggression and depression in fact may represent a more broadband relation between externalizing and internalizing problems. These findings may have implications for understanding of the causal processes underlying the relation between aggression and depression in children, and more generally, for our conceptualization of the nature of the comorbidity of depression and aggression.

D2 dopamine receptor messenger RNA is altered to a greater extent by blockade of glutamate receptors than by blockade of dopamine receptors

To study further the molecular mechanisms by which glutamate and dopamine interact to regulate the functions of the basal ganglia, the effects of persistently inhibiting dopamine receptors and glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors on the density of D1 and D2 dopamine receptors and on the level of their transcripts were examined in mouse brain. To block dopamine receptors, mice were treated with N-ethoxycarbonyl-2-ethoxy-1,2-dihydroquinoline once daily for two and six days, or were treated with fluphenazine-N-mustard once daily for five days. To block N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors, mice were treated with dizocilpine by continuous infusion with osmotic mini-pumps for two and six days. The density of D1 and D2 dopamine receptors was measured by receptor autoradiography, and the level of D1 and D2 dopamine receptor messenger RNA was measured by in situ hybridization histochemistry. The results showed that N-ethoxycarbonyl-2-ethoxy-1,2-dihydroquinoline blocked about 90% of both D1 and D2 dopamine receptors, but had no significant effect on the level of either D1 or D2 dopamine receptor messenger RNA. Fluphenazine-N-mustard, which was as effective as N-ethoxycarbonyl-2-ethoxy-1,2-dihydroquinoline in blocking D2 dopamine receptors but had little effect on D1 dopamine receptors, also had no significant effect on the level of D1 and D2 dopamine receptor messenger RNAs. By contrast, continuously infusing dizocilpine significantly decreased the levels of D2 dopamine receptor messenger RNA in striatum, nucleus accumbens and olfactory tubercle. Dizocilpine also caused small decreases in the density of D2 dopamine receptors, but only in posterior striatum was this decrease statistically significant. Dizocilpine slightly and transiently decreased the levels of D1 dopamine receptor messenger RNA in striatum but had no significant effect on the density of D1 dopamine receptors in any region examined. This study demonstrates that persistent blockade of D1 and D2 dopamine receptors has relatively little effect on the levels of D1 and D2 dopamine receptor messenger RNA, but that blockade of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors produces a rapid and profound decrease in the levels of D2 dopamine receptor messenger RNA and a smaller decrease in the density of D2 dopamine receptors. These results suggest that N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors play an important role in the expression of D2 dopamine receptors in basal ganglia.

De novo synthesis of thymidylate via deoxycytidine in dcd (dCTP deaminase) mutants of Escherichia coli

dcd (dCTP deaminase) mutants of Escherichia coli were reported not to require thymidine for growth even though most of the thymidylate that is synthesized de novo arises from cytosine nucleotides through a pathway involving dCTP deaminase. We found, however, that the fresh introduction of dcd mutations into many strains of E. coli produced a requirement for thymidine for optimum aerobic growth, but the mutants readily reverted to prototrophy via mutations in other genes. One such mutation was in deoA, the gene for deoxyuridine phosphorylase. However, a dcd deo mutant became thymidine dependent once again if a cdd mutation (affecting deoxycytidine deaminase) were introduced. The results indicate that dcd mutants utilize an alternative pathway of TMP synthesis in which deoxycytidine and deoxyuridine are intermediates. A cdd mutation blocks the pathway by preventing the conversion of deoxycytidine to deoxyuridine, whereas a deoA mutation enhances it by sparing deoxyuridine from catabolism. The deoxycytidine must arise from dCTP or dCDP via unknown steps. It is not known to what extent this pathway is utilized in wild-type cells, which, unlike the dcd mutants, do not accumulate dCTP.

Interactions between Sindbis virus RNAs and a 68 amino acid derivative of the viral capsid protein further defines the capsid binding site

In previous studies of encapsidation of Sindbis virus RNA, we identified a 570nt fragment (nt 684-1253) from the 12 kb genome that binds to the viral capsid protein with specificity and is required for packaging of Sindbis virus defective interfering RNAs. We now show that the capsid binding activity resides in a highly structured 132nt fragment (nt 945-1076). We had also demonstrated that a 68 amino acid peptide derived from the capsid protein retained most of the binding activity of the original protein and have now developed an RNA mobility shift assay with this peptide fused to glutathione-S-transferase. We have used this assay in conjunction with the original assay in which the intact capsid protein was immobilized on nitrocellulose to analyze more extensive deletions in the 132-mer. All of the deletions led to a reduction in binding, but the binding of a 5' 67-mer was enhanced by the addition of nonspecific flanking sequences. This result suggests that the stability of a particular structure within the 132nt sequence may be important for capsid recognition.

[The relationship between the acidity of the rumen contents and the proliferation status of the rumen mucosa in cattle]

Two non pregnant, non lactating Jersey cows, fitted with rumen fistulas, were subjected to three feeding periods: high - low - high in energy. At the end of each period biopsies (approximately 1 cm2) were taken from the floor of the dorsal blind sack of the rumen for morphological examination. After in-vivo-isolation of the ventral sack of the rumen a mixture of volatile fatty acids (pH 5) has been infused and the time measured in which the pH value rose from 5 to 7. The ruminal mucosa reacted to the different energy levels of the ration, as expected, by proliferation or regression. With high mucosa the pH of the infused solution rose, at the maximum, 100% faster to pH 7 than with low mucosa. On that way the different absorption capacity of the ruminal mucosa as well as their importance for the regulation of the pH value in the rumen could be demonstrated.

Identification of YAC and cosmid clones encompassing the ZFX-POLA region using irradiation hybrid cell lines

The human Xp21.3-p22.1 region is poorly mapped relative to other X chromosome regions. To target cosmid and YAC clones specifically from Xp21.3-p22.1 for rapid contig construction, a hybridization-based screening approach using irradiation hybrids has been used. Alu-PCR products generated from hybrid lines containing small overlapping fragments from Xp21-p22 were hybridized to an X chromosome cosmid library, and cosmids predicted by their hybridization pattern to map to the region of interest were analyzed by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Hybridization of the cosmids in pools to gridded YAC libraries identified 15 YACs, which were verified and tested for chimerism by FISH. Cosmid content analysis of the YACs defined two contigs, one with 12 YACs covering about 1.5 Mb and one with 3 YACs. Five YACs from the 12-YAC cluster had been previously recognized by DNA polymerase alpha (POLA). ZFX identified a single YAC; hence, the physical linkage of ZFX and POLA was demonstrated within the contig. Four YACs had been isolated previously with ZFX and these extend the contig to 2 Mb. Restriction mapping of several YACs demonstrates that ZFX and POLA are about 700 kb apart, a distance similar to that reported in the mouse between Zfx and Pola. The order of these two loci and two additional loci identified by homologous mouse linking clones was found to be conserved between human and mouse: tel-ZFX-DXCrc57-DXCrc140-POLA-cen. We have shown that YAC contigs can be rapidly constructed from targeted regions without the need for time-consuming YAC end rescue and chromosomal walking.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Organisation of the murine 5-HT3 receptor gene and assignment to human chromosome 11

We have isolated the murine gene encoding the 5-HT3 receptor (5-HT3R), a member of the ligand-gated ion channels, that mediates a variety of physiological effects in central and peripheral neurons. DNA sequence analysis of the 5-HT3R gene revealed its organisation in 9 exons distributed over approximately 12 kbp of DNA. Alternative use of exon 9 splice acceptor sites generated two 5-HT3R variants. The 5-HT3R gene, whose structure is closely related to neuronal and muscle AChR alpha genes, as demonstrated by four common splice junctions, was localised on human chromosome 11.

Dopaminergic and glutamatergic blocking drugs differentially regulate glutamic acid decarboxylase mRNA in mouse brain

Dopaminergic and glutamatergic inputs play an important role in regulating the activity of GABAergic neurons in basal ganglia. To understand more fully the biochemical interactions between these neurotransmitter systems, the effects of blocking dopamine and glutamate (N-methyl-D-aspartate) (NMDA) receptors on the expression of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) mRNA were examined. Persistent blockade of dopamine receptors was achieved by daily injections of EEDQ, a relatively non-selective irreversible D1 and D2 dopamine receptor antagonist, or FNM, a relatively selective irreversible D2 dopamine receptor antagonist. Persistent blockade of NMDA receptors was achieved by continuously infusing dizocilpine (MK-801), a non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist. The levels of GAD mRNA in mouse brain were measured by in situ hybridization histochemistry following treatment with these agents. Repeated administration of EEDQ increased the levels of GAD mRNA in corpus striatum and frontal and parietal cortex; the first significant effects were seen after 4 days of treatment. Treatment with FNM elicited effects similar to those produced by EEDQ, except FNM also significantly increased GAD mRNA in nucleus accumbens. Neither EEDQ nor FNM produced significant effects on GAD mRNA in olfactory tubercle or septum. Infusion of MK-801 produced a rapid and marked decrease in the levels of GAD mRNA in corpus striatum, nucleus accumbens, olfactory tubercle, septum and frontal and parietal cortex; significant changes were seen as early as 2 days of treatment. No significant effects were seen in globus pallidus. Cellular analysis of emulsion autoradiograms from corpus striatum revealed that MK-801 reduced the amount of GAD mRNA in individual cells as well as the proportion of cells expressing high levels of GAD mRNA. These results suggest that dopamine, though its interaction with D2 dopamine receptors, exerts an inhibitory effect on the expression of GAD mRNA, and that glutamate, though its interaction with NMDA receptors, exerts a stimulatory effect on GAD mRNA expression. They show further that the regulation of gene expression by dopamine receptors or NMDA receptors is different in different regions of the brain.

Expression of apolipoprotein A-I in porcine brain endothelium in vitro

Apolipoprotein (apo) A-I is the major protein component of high-density lipoproteins (HDLs), which are responsible for reverse cholesterol transport from peripheral tissues to the liver. A low level of plasma HDL is correlated with susceptibility to atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. Mammalian apo A-I synthesis has been attributed mainly to liver and intestine. Recently, apo A-I expression has been shown in porcine brain capillaries, suggesting an independent lipid metabolism within the brain. In this study, protein synthesis and secretion were investigated in primary cultures of porcine brain microvascular endothelial cells and compared with those in large vessel endothelium. Active protein synthesis in vitro was demonstrated by metabolic labeling. Cerebral endothelial cells were shown to secrete apo A-I into the culture supernatant, whereas aortic endothelial cells were negative for apo A-I expression. Further studies of transcriptional regulation showed that cerebral endothelium was responsive to apo A-I-inducing agents, such as cholesterol, insulin, and retinoic acid, as previously shown in human hepatoma HepG2 cells. Thus, cultures of porcine cerebral endothelial cells may represent a suitable model for physiological studies of apo A-I-regulation with regard to brain lipid metabolism and blood-brain barrier function. To investigate the interspecies conservation of regulatory elements, 178 bp of the 5' flanking region of the porcine apo A-I gene was cloned using PCR techniques. Alignments of the cDNA, of the deduced apo A-I protein sequence, and of the 5' promoter region with the corresponding genomic sequences of different species show a high degree of similarity between the porcine and the primate apo A-I genes, thus indicating a similar function and possibly common regulatory mechanisms in those species. In contrast, the rodent and avian apolipoprotein A-I promoter sequences differed significantly.

Lesions of mouse striatum induced by 6-hydroxydopamine differentially alter the density, rate of synthesis, and level of gene expression of D1 and D2 dopamine receptors

To study the effects of altering dopaminergic input on the levels and rate of synthesis of dopamine receptors, corpora striata of mice were lesioned unilaterally with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), and the densities and levels of the mRNAs for D1 and D2 dopamine receptors were determined. The results showed that 6-OHDA caused significant reductions in D1 dopamine receptors and in D1 dopamine receptor mRNA in dorsolateral and dorsomedial regions of the lesioned striatum. By contrast, 6-OHDA lesions caused significant increases in D2 dopamine receptors and in D2 dopamine receptor mRNA in dorsolateral and ventrolateral regions of the lesioned striatum. To assess the effects of 6-OHDA lesions on the rate of synthesis of D1 and D2 dopamine receptors, the irreversibly acting dopamine receptor antagonist 2-ethoxy-1-ethoxycarbonyl-1,2- dihydroquinoline (EEDQ) was administered, and the rate of recovery of these receptors determined. The lesions decreased the rate of synthesis of D1 dopamine receptors in dorsolateral striatum but increased the rate of synthesis of D2 dopamine receptors in dorsolateral striatum. Correlation of these molecular events with dopaminergic behaviors showed that the rate of recovery from EEDQ-induced cataleptic activity and the recovery from inhibition of quinpirole-induced rotational behavior was more rapid than the recovery of either the D1 or D2 dopamine receptor. These results suggest that dopaminergic denervation differentially affects the rate of synthesis of D1 and D2 dopamine receptors in mouse striatum, and that these alterations in the rates of synthesis of the receptors may be explained by corresponding alterations in the levels of the respective transcripts for these receptors.

In vivo administration of an oligodeoxynucleotide antisense to the D2 dopamine receptor messenger RNA inhibits D2 dopamine receptor-mediated behavior and the expression of D2 dopamine receptors in mouse striatum

A 20-mer phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotide (D2 antisense) to the D2 antisense dopamine receptor messenger RNA (mRNA) was administered i.c.v. to mice with unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesions of the corpus striatum. The mice were then challenged with acute injections of various agents that cause contralateral rotational behavior, and the levels of D1 and D2 dopamine receptors and their respective mRNAs were determined in the corpus striatum. Administering the D2 antisense inhibited rotations induced by the D2 dopamine receptor agonists quinpirole and N-propyl-N-2-thienylethylamine-5-hydroxytetralin but did not block rotations induced by the D1 dopamine receptor agonist 1-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-3 benzazepine-7,8-diol HCl or by the muscarinic cholinergic receptor agonist oxotremorine. The reduction in quinpirole-induced rotational behavior was related to the amount and length of time the D2 antisense was given. Significant reductions in behavior were seen within 1 day of repeated injections of D2 antisense, and almost complete inhibition was seen after 6 days of treatment. Recovery from inhibition occurred by 2 days after cessation of antisense treatment. Repeated treatment with D2 antisense significantly reduced the levels of D2 dopamine receptors and D2 dopamine receptor mRNA, but not the levels of D1 receptors or D1 mRNA, in the dorsolateral area of the lesioned striatum. Treatment with an oligodeoxynucleotide with randomly placed nucleotides did not inhibit quinpirole-induced rotations or alter D2 dopamine receptors or D2 dopamine receptor mRNA in either area of striatum.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Continuously infusing quinpirole decreases Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent phosphorylation in mouse striatum

Continuously administering the D2 dopamine agonist quinpirole to mice for 6 days produces an initial stereotypy that is reduced by 2 h and is absent from 3 h to the 6 day duration of the infusion. In an attempt to determine the biochemical correlates for this down-regulation of stereotypic behavior, the effects of continuously administering quinpirole on a number of biochemical parameters were measured in mouse corpus striatum. After 6 days of infusion with quinpirole, the striata were analyzed for D1 and D2 dopamine receptors, for the activities of several protein phosphorylation reactions which are thought to be involved in receptor activity and for the levels of calmodulin-binding proteins. Quinpirole decreased the D2 receptors in striatum and produced a small but statistically non-significant increase in D1 receptors, resulting in a significant increase in the ratio of D1 to D2 dopamine receptors. An examination of the effects of quinpirole on protein phosphorylation systems showed that the agonist failed to alter the activity of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase or protein kinase C but significantly decreased the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent phosphorylation of striatal membranes. However, this decrease in Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent phosphorylation was not associated with changes in the levels of calmodulin-binding proteins. The results suggest that behavioral down-regulation following the continuous administration of a D2 dopamine agonist is associated with at least two biochemical events: a down-regulation of D2 dopamine receptors and a decrease of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent phosphorylation of striatal membranes.

Antisense oligodeoxynucleotide inhibits D2 dopamine receptor-mediated behavior and D2 messenger RNA

There are several subtypes of dopamine receptors in the central nervous system which mediate the actions of dopamine in producing its diverse motor and behavioral effects. In this study we determined whether an antisense oligodeoxynucleotide directed to the mRNA encoding one of the subtypes of the dopamine receptor can inhibit a specific dopamine-mediated behavior. Accordingly, the effects of a phosphorothioate-modified antisense oligodeoxynucleotide targeted toward the D2 dopamine receptor mRNA (D2 antisense) was studied in mice with unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine-induced lesions of the corpus striatum. Rotational behavior in response to different agents, and the levels of D2 and D1 dopamine receptors and D2 and D1 dopamine receptor mRNAs in corpus striatum were then measured. In control mice, lesioning resulted in a contralateral rotational behavior in response to the D1 dopamine receptor agonist SKF 38393, the D2 dopamine agonist quinpirole, and the muscarinic cholinergic agonist oxotremorine. Lesioning also caused an increase in D2 dopamine receptor mRNA levels in the dorsolateral striatum. Intraventricular injections of the D2 antisense inhibited rotational behavior induced by quinpirole but not that induced by SKF 38393 or that induced by oxotremorine. Repeated administration of the D2 antisense significantly reduced the levels of the D2 dopamine receptor and D2 dopamine receptor mRNA in the dorsolateral but not the dorsomedial striatum. Similar treatment failed to significantly alter the levels of the D1 dopamine receptor or D1 receptor mRNA in dorsolateral or dorsomedial striatum.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Behavioral and emotional problems among Thai and American adolescents: parent reports for ages 12-16

We studied adolescents' behavioral and emotional problems in the United States and in Thailand, a Buddhist country in which, reportedly, aggression is discouraged and self-control, emotional restraint, and social inhibition are encouraged. Standardized parent reports on 118 problems revealed 45 Thai-U.S. differences. Thai adolescents were reported to show more overcontrolled problems (e.g., shyness, compulsivity, inhibition of talking, fearfulness, and constipation) than American adolescents (p < .0001). The two groups did not differ reliably in total undercontrolled problems, but Americans showed higher levels of direct, overt, and interpersonally aggressive undercontrol (e.g., fighting and bullying), whereas Thais showed more indirect and subtle undercontrol that was not interpersonally aggressive (e.g., sulking and sullenness). The findings suggest that different cultures may be linked to different styles of adolescent problem behavior.

Localization of the multiple calmodulin messenger RNAs in differentiated PC12 cells

Calmodulin, a ubiquitous calcium-binding protein which is involved in many biological processes, including cell proliferation and differentiation, has been shown to be encoded by three genes from which five calmodulin messenger RNAs are transcribed. In our previous studies, using the PC12 pheochromocytoma cell line as a model system for neuronal differentiation, all five calmodulin messenger RNAs were found to be present, and treatment with both nerve growth factor and dibutyryl cyclic AMP, which induce neurite outgrowth in these cells, increased the level of calmodulin and differentially increased the levels of the various calmodulin messenger RNAs. In an attempt to uncover the nature of the differential increase in the calmodulin messenger RNAs during neuronal differentiation, we examined here the subcellular distribution of the individual calmodulin messenger RNAs in PC12 cells treated with nerve growth factor and dibutyryl cyclic AMP by in situ hybridization cytochemistry, using radiolabeled oligodeoxynucleotide probes. Using an oligodeoxynucleotide probe which detects all of the calmodulin transcripts, the calmodulin messenger RNAs were found to be distributed throughout the cell bodies of differentiated PC12 cells; significant amounts of calmodulin messenger RNAs were also found in most neurites (approximately 70% of the total number). Using specific probes for the calmodulin messenger RNAs derived from each calmodulin gene, distinct patterns of localization of the different calmodulin messenger RNAs were revealed. The messenger RNAs from calmodulin genes I and II were readily detected in all cell bodies and in about one-half of the neurites. In contrast, a weak signal for the messenger RNAs from calmodulin gene III was associated with cell bodies, while no significant signal was found in neurites. A population distribution analysis of the labeling of individual PC12 cell bodies, as determined by counting autoradiographic grains, revealed differences in the relative abundance of each group of messenger RNAs derived from each of the three calmodulin genes. The order of relative abundance of the messenger RNAs in cell bodies was found to be: calmodulin gene II messenger RNA > calmodulin gene I messenger RNAs >> calmodulin gene III messenger RNAs. An analysis of the labeling density along neurites indicated a similar density of neuritic messenger RNAs from calmodulin gene I and calmodulin gene II, whereas there was no significant signal for the messenger RNAs from calmodulin gene III.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Neurobehavioral toxicity of methanol reflected by operant running

Eleven Long-Evans male rats were trained to respond for food delivery by running in wheels under a Fixed Ratio = FR 20 schedule of reinforcement. Each 360 degrees rotation counted as a single response. Three food pellets were delivered for each reinforcement. The wheels, which provided transverse rods to be gripped by the rats, were specifically designed to reflect motor deficits produced by neurotoxicants. Each animal received two replicates of three different doses of methanol (50% in water): 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 g/kg by gavage. The sequence for each animal was determined by a counterbalanced design. Gavage was followed by admitting the animal to the running wheel compartment 10 min later. Running wheel sessions lasted for 1 hour daily and were conducted 6 days/week. Statistical analyses showed insignificant differences between water and no-treatment control days, indicating no effect of the gavage procedure. However, a dose-effect relationship between methanol dose and responses per session proved statistically significant and linear (p < 0.0001) down to a dose equivalent to 10% of the LD50. In addition, detailed analyses of intervals between successive rotations (IRTs) indicated a displacement of the distribution toward longer intervals (decreased velocities) with increasing dose. The absence of a corresponding rise in the incidence of long pauses suggested that impaired coordination, reduced endurance, or their combination, rather than nonspecific variables, accounted for these results.

Continuous treatment with the D2 dopamine receptor agonist quinpirole decreases D2 dopamine receptors, D2 dopamine receptor messenger RNA and proenkephalin messenger RNA, and increases mu opioid receptors in mouse striatum

Dopamine-mediated behaviors and certain biochemical and molecular events associated with these behaviors were examined following continuous infusion of the D1 dopamine agonist SKF38393 or the D2 dopamine agonist quinpirole into mice for six days. SKF38393 produced a transient grooming behavior while quinpirole initially induced stereotypy, which was followed by an increased locomotor behavior. Continuous infusion of quinpirole caused a significant down-regulation of striatal D2 dopamine receptors without significantly changing the density of D1 receptors. This was accompanied by a decrease in the level of D2 receptor messenger RNA in striatum as measured by Northern analysis. The down-regulation of dopamine receptors was selective for D2 dopamine receptors, since treatment with SKF38393 had no significant effects on either D1 or D2 dopamine receptors, nor did it alter the messenger RNAs for the D1 and D2 receptors. Continuous treatment with quinpirole resulted in a significant increase in striatal mu opioid receptor levels without significant changing delta opioid receptors. This treatment also induced a significant decrease in proenkephalin messenger RNA in striatum. Taken together, these results suggest that the down-regulation of D2 dopamine receptor and D2 receptor messenger RNA is the result of the persistent stimulation of D2 receptors and that the up-regulation of mu opioid receptors may be a compensatory response to a decreased biosynthesis of enkephalin. They suggest further that the biochemical and molecular changes that take place in dopaminergic and enkephalinergic systems following continuous treatment with dopamine agonists may underlie the mechanisms by which certain dopamine-mediated behaviors occur.

Cholinergic lesions of mouse striatum induced by AF64A alter D2 dopaminergic behavior and reduce D2 dopamine receptors and D2 dopamine receptor mRNA

To determine whether dopamine receptors are expressed in acetylcholine-containing neurons intrinsic to the striatum, and to study further the interactions between the dopaminergic and cholinergic systems, the irreversibly acting cholinergic neurotoxin, ethylcholine mustard aziridinium ion (AF64A), was injected unilaterally into the mouse corpus striatum, and rotational behavior induced by dopamine agonists and certain molecular events associated with this lesion were determined 7 days after lesioning. Brains were analyzed for D2 dopamine receptors by autoradiography, using [3H](-)sulpiride as a ligand, and for D2 dopamine receptor mRNA and glutamic acid decarboxylase mRNA by Northern blot analysis, using selective radiolabelled oligonucleotide probes. Choline uptake sites were determined by binding assays using [3H]hemicholinium-3, a selective choline reuptake blocker, as a ligand. Mice with intrastriatal injections of AF64A showed ipsilateral rotational responses to the non-selective dopamine agonist apomorphine and to the D2 dopamine agonists, pergolide and quinpirole, but not to the D1 dopamine agonist SKF 38393. This was associated with a significant reduction in D2 dopamine receptors in the ipsilateral striatum and a significant decrease in the amount of D2 dopamine receptor mRNA. That AF64A produced a relatively selective cholinergic deficit was supported by the evidence showing that AF64A lesions significantly reduced [3H]hemicholinium-3 binding sites but did not alter glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) mRNA. Further, hemicholinium-3, prevented the AF64A-induced changes in rotational behavior. These results suggest that striatal cholinergic interneurons contain D2 dopamine receptors and express the D2 dopamine receptor gene, and that these interneurons are involved in dopamine-mediated rotational behavior.

Irreversible blockade of D2 dopamine receptors by fluphenazine-N-mustard increases glutamic acid decarboxylase mRNA in rat striatum

The influence of dopaminergic activity on the function of GABAergic neurons in striatum was examined by administering rats the irreversible D2 dopamine receptor antagonist, fluphenazine-N-mustard (FNM), and determining the level of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) mRNA in striatum. Rats were given either an acute single injection or chronic daily injections of FNM (20 mumol/kg, i.p.) for 6 days. The level of GAD mRNA in striatum was determined by in situ hybridization histochemistry. The results showed that acute treatment with FNM failed to significantly change striatal GAD mRNA. However, chronic FNM treatment significantly increased in the level of striatal GAD mRNA. These results demonstrate that irreversible blockade of D2 dopamine receptors increases the expression of GAD mRNA in rat striatum.

Parent reports of behavioral and emotional problems among children in Kenya, Thailand, and the United States

The behavioral and emotional problems children develop may differ from one cultural context to another. We explored this possibility, comparing 11-15-year-old Embu children in Kenya, Thai children, African-American children, and Caucasian-American children. Standardized parent reports on 118 problems revealed 62 significant (p < .01) culture effects. Caucasian-Americans were rated particularly high on undercontrolled problems (e.g., arguing, disobedient at home, cruel to others). Embu children were rated particularly high on overcontrolled problems (e.g., fears, feels guilty, somatic concerns), largely because of the numerous somatic problems reported. The findings may relate to the strict emphasis on compliance and obedience among the Embu, as opposed to the greater independence permitted in the United States. But alternative interpretations are discussed as well, including the effects of parent sensitivities and Third World living conditions.

AF64A lesions of mouse striatum result in ipsilateral rotations to D2 dopamine agonists but contralateral rotations to muscarinic cholinergic agonists

Behavioral and anatomical evidence supports an interaction between the dopaminergic and cholinergic systems in regulating certain behavioral conditions and motor functions. In this study, we utilized the cholinotoxin, acetylethylcholine mustard aziridinium ion (AF64A), to lesion the mouse corpus striatum in order to examine the role of cholinergic interneurons in striatum on cholinergic- and dopaminergic-mediated rotational behavior. Mice were unilaterally lesioned with AF64A and then challenged with a variety of dopaminergic and cholinergic agonists and antagonists. The results show that mice with AF64A-induced lesions rotate ipsilaterally to challenge doses of the dopamine agonists, apomorphine and pergolide, but rotate contralaterally to challenge injections of the cholinergic agonist, oxotremorine. The gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) agonist, muscimol, and the M1 agonist, (4-hydroxy-2-butynyl)-1-trimethylammonium m-chlorocarbanilate chloride failed to elicit rotational behavior. The D1 dopamine receptor antagonist, R(+)-7-chloro-8-hydroxy-3-methyl-1-phenyl- 2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-3-benzazepine hydrochloride, inhibited rotations induced by apomorphine at concentrations 10-fold lower than those needed to block the effects of pergolide. However, the D2 dopamine receptor antagonist, sulpiride, blocked pergolide-induced rotations at concentrations about 4-fold lower than those needed to inhibit apomorphine-induced rotational behavior. Atropine blocked oxotremorine-induced contralateral rotations but enhanced apomorphine- and pergolide-induced ipsilateral rotations induced in AF64A-lesioned mice. Atropine was 10 times more effective in blocking oxotremorine-induced rotations than was the M3 antagonist, 4-diphenylacetoxy-N-methyl piperidine methiodide, and was 100 times more potent than the M2 and M1 antagonist, N,N'-bis[6-[[(2- methoxyphenyl)methyl]amino]hexyl]-1,8-octanediamine tetrahydrochloride, or the M1 antagonist, pirenzepine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Cognitions, depressive symptoms, and development in adolescents

This study examined the generalizability of cognitive models of depression to adolescents and explored developmental differences with regard to depressotypic cognitions. Self-reported depressive symptoms and various hypothesized cognitive correlates (e.g., automatic thoughts, attributions, dysfunctional attitudes) were investigated in a sample of 688 adolescents in grades 7 through 12. Measures of normative adolescent cognitions (e.g., egocentrism, self-consciousness) also were included. There was a strong association between negative thinking and depression in adolescents. There was no association between depressogenic thinking and age, nor did the strength of the association between negative cognitions and depression vary from early to middle adolescence. Finally, negative cognitions were associated with self-report measures of both depressive and anxious symptoms.

Differential regulation of release of acetylcholine in the striatum in mice following continuous exposure to selective D1 and D2 dopaminergic agonists

The effect of continuously infusing the selective D1 and D2 dopamine receptor agonists, SKF 38393 and quinpirole, on the release of [3H]acetylcholine from prelabeled striatal slices was investigated. These biochemical parameters were correlated with the behavioral effects of these agonists. Acute injections of SKF 38393 or quinpirole did not affect either K(+)-stimulated or spontaneous release of [3H]acetylcholine. Chronic exposure to quinpirole reduced the K(+)-evoked release of [3H]acetylcholine by 25.7%; long-term treatment with SKF 38393 did not alter the release of [3H]acetylcholine, induced by K+ stimulation. Added in vitro, SKF 38393 increased the release of [3H]acetylcholine from striatal slices. The effect of the D1 dopamine receptor agonist, SKF 38393 was reduced after 7-days of infusion of SKF 38393 but was enhanced by 7-days of infusion of quinpirole. Activation of D2 dopamine receptors with quinpirole or of muscarinic receptors with carbachol induced an inhibition of release of [3H]acetylcholine. Chronic treatment with quinpirole diminished the response to the in vitro addition of quinpirole. The ability of carbachol to inhibit release of acetylcholine was not altered by continuous treatment with either SKF 38393 or quinpirole. Continuous infusion of SKF 38393 produced an initial grooming behavior; this behavior disappeared by 2 hr and remained absent during the 7 days of infusion of SKF 38393. Similarly, continuous administration of quinpirole produced stereotyped behavior, which peaked at 1 hr and disappeared by 4 hr and remained absent for the duration of the infusion. These findings demonstrate that continuous exposure to D1 or D2 agonists caused receptor-selective functional desensitization of D1 or D2 dopamine receptors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)