Altered feeding responses in mice with targeted disruption of the dopamine-3 receptor gene

Dopamine signaling has been implicated in the control of food intake and body weight. In particular, dopamine is important in the control of meal size and number and is thought to mediate the response to metabolic deprivation states. In the present experiments, the authors assessed the role of the dopamine-3 receptor (D3R) in the feeding responses to 2-deoxy-D-glucose, mercaptoacetate, and peripheral insulin. All 3 compounds increased food intake in wild-type mice, but the hyperphagic responses were blunted in D3R-/- mice. In other experiments, D3R-/- mice were hyperresponsive to the administration of amylin and leptin relative to wild-type mice. These results support the hypothesis that D3Rs chronically inhibit the effects of adiposity hormones, thereby contributing to a net anabolic state.     

Novel vectors for the expression of antibody molecules using variable regions generated by polymerase chain reaction.

A new family of vectors has been produced which facilitates the cloning and expression of immunoglobulin variable regions cloned by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The vectors are designed to express the cloned variable regions joined to human constant regions and take advantage of priming in the leader sequence so that no amino acid changes will be introduced into the mature antibody molecule. Both the heavy chain and light chain vectors utilize a murine VH promoter provided with an EcoRV restriction site so that the amplified variable regions can be directly cloned into a functional promoter. For the heavy chain an NheI restriction site has been generated at the first two amino acids of CH1 and the cloned leader and variable region are fused directly to the CH1 domain of the constant region. When the leader and variable regions of the light chain were fused directly to C kappa, no expression was observed. Therefore the light chain expression vector was designed with a SalI restriction site for cloning into a splice junction 3' of the variable region; VL then is joined to C kappa by splicing. Both vectors direct the expression of functional, fully assembled immunoglobulin molecules with the expected molecular weight. Use of redundant oligomers to prime the PCR permits the cloning and expression of recombinant antibodies without any prior information as to their sequence and makes it possible to rapidly generate recombinant antibodies from any monoclonal antibody producing cell line.     

ECS produced disruption or facilitation of discriminated active avoidance performance in rats

Two experiments investigated the effect of electroconvulsive shock on the performance of a one-way active avoidance response. In the first experiment it was found that if the response was learned under scopolamine, ECS given prior to relearning failed to produce a deficit. The second experiment demonstrated that ECS facilitated relearning of a response trained to a low criterion level while it disrupted performance of a response trained to a strict criterion. These results support other indications that Deutsch's memory model has predictive value for proactive effects of ECS on relearning (retrieval).     

Comparison of Frontal EMG Biofeedback and Several Types of Relaxation Instructions in Reducing Multiple Indices of Arousal

During the training phase, 96 subjects were given one of four types of relaxation instructions (single instructions, repeated instructions, relaxation training, no instructions) and in addition either did or did not receive frontal EMG biofeedback training. Results indicated that each of the instructions and biofeedback procedures were equally effective in reducing frontal EMG, but that none of these procedures had any effect on subjective anxiety or autonomic indices of arousal (pulse rate, skin temperature, and finger pulse volume). During the generalization/stress phase, subjects were threatened with electric shock and were told to apply the relaxation techniques they learned during the training phase even though no additional instructions and/ or biofeedback training would be provided. To assess the effectiveness of the shock manipulation, a no-threat control group was included. Results indicated that: a) the shock manipulation was effective in increasing arousal, b) previous instructions and/or biofeedback were equally effective in reducing frontal EMG levels, but that c) only relaxation training was consistently effective in reducing subjective and autonomic indices of arousal. These findings: a) suggest that in stressful situations, relaxation training may be more effective than either EMG biofeedback or simple relaxation instructions in producing a general relaxation effect as opposed to a specific EMG effect; and b) indicate the importance of assessing the effectiveness of relaxation procedures during stressful situations during which subjects’ levels of arousal are elevated above resting baseline levels.     

大、中学生对文化维度的知觉

目的:考察大、中学生对文化维度的知觉的情况和发展趋势。方法:用Trandis编制的个人主义-集体主义量表(Individualism-Collectivism Scale)对1760名大、中学生进行测量。结果:大、中学生对文化维度的知觉存在年龄效应;随着年龄增加,对集体主义维度的知觉从42.05%下降到27.40%,而对个人主义维度的知觉从5.01%上升到18.58%;水平维度的知觉从47.06%下降到40.71%;垂直维度的知觉从4.14%上升到6.19%。结论:大、中学生对文化维度的知觉的差异主要表现在个人主义和集体主义的维度,水平维度和垂直维度有轻微的波动。     

Molecular genetics of PKU in Eastern Europe: A nonsense mutation associated with haplotype 4 of the phenylalanine hydroxylase gene

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a genetic disorder secondary to a deficiency of hepatic phenyalanine hydroxylase (PAH). Several mutations in thePAH gene have recently been reported, and linkage disequilibrium was observed between RFLP haplotypes and specific mutations. A new molecular lesion has been identified in exon 7 of thePAH gene in a Hungarian PKU patient by direct sequencing of PCR-amplified DNA. The C-to-T transition causes the substitution of Arg²⁴³ to a termination codon, and the mutant allele is associated with haplotype 4 of thePAH gene. The mutation is present in two of nine mutant haplotype 4 alleles among Eastern Europeans and is not present among Western Europeans and Asians. The rarity of this mutant allele and its restricted geographic distribution suggest that the mutational event occurred recently on a normal haplotype 4 background in Eastern Europe.