Dissociation of the effects of ethanol on memory, anxiety, and motor behavior in mice tested in the plus-maze discriminative avoidance task

Rationale Several studies have shown the amnestic effects of ethanol (ETOH). However, while memory tasks in rodents can be markedly influenced by anxiety-like behavior and motor function, ETOH induces anxiolysis and different effects on locomotion, depending on the dose.Objective Verify the effects of ETOH in mice tested in the plus-maze discriminative avoidance task (PMDAT) concomitantly evaluating memory, anxiety-like behavior, and motor behavior.Methods ETOH acutely or repeatedly treated mice were submitted to the training session in a modified elevated plus-maze with two open and two enclosed arms, aversive stimuli in one of the enclosed arms, and tested 24 h later without aversive stimuli. Learning/memory, locomotion, and anxiety-related behavior were evaluated by aversive arm exploration, number of entries in all the arms and open arms exploration, respectively.Results Acute ETOH: (1) either increased (1.2-1.8 g/kg) or decreased (3.0 g/kg) locomotion; (2) decreased anxiety levels (1.2-3.0 g/kg); and (3) induced learning deficits (1.2-3.0 g/kg) and memory deficits (0.3-3.0 g/kg). After repeated treatment, sensitization and tolerance to hyperlocomotion and anxiolysis induced by 1.8 g/kg ETOH were observed, respectively, and tolerance to the amnestic effect of 0.6 (but not 1.8) g/kg ETOH occurred.Conclusion Neither the anxiolytic nor the locomotor effects of ETOH seem to be related to its amnestic effect in the PMDAT. Additionally, data give support to the effectiveness of the PMDAT in simultaneously evaluating learning, memory, anxiety-like behavior, and motor activity by different parameters. Possible relationships between the behavioral alterations found are discussed.Univ Fed Rio Grande do Norte, Dept Fisiol, BR-59072970 Natal, RN, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Pediat, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Farmacol, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Pediat, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Farmacol, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Early detection of neuropathophysiology using diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in asymptomatic cats with feline immunodeficiency viral infection

HIV infection results in a highly prevalent syndrome of cognitive and motor disorders designated as HIV-associated dementia (HAD). Neurologic dysfunction resembling HAD has been documented in cats infected with strain PPR of the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), whereas another highly pathogenic strain (C36) has not been known to cause neurologic signs. Animals experimentally infected with equivalent doses of FIV-C36 or FIV-PPR, and uninfected controls were evaluated by magnetic resonance diffusion weighted imaging (DWMRI) and spectroscopy (MRS) at 17.5–18 weeks postinfection, as part of a study of viral clade pathogenesis in FIV-infected cats. The goals of the MR imaging portion of the project were to determine whether this methodology was capable of detecting early neuropathophysiology in the absence of outward manifestation of neurological signs and to compare the MR imaging results for the two viral strains expected to have differing degrees of neurologic effects. We hypothesized that there would be increased diffusion, evidenced by the apparent diffusion coefficient as measured by DW-MRI, and altered metabolite ratios measured by MRS, in the brains of FIV-PPRinfected cats relative to C36-infected cats and uninfected controls. Increased apparent diffusion coefficients were seen in the white matter, gray matter, and basal ganglia of both the PPR and C36-infected (asymptomatic) cats. Thalamic MRS metabolite ratios did not differ between groups. The equivalently increased diffusion by DW-MRI suggests similar indirect neurotoxicity mechanisms for the two viral genotypes. DW-MRI is a sensitive tool to detect neuropathophysiological changes in vivo that could be useful during longitudinal studies of FIV

A self-medication hypothesis for increased vulnerability to drug abuse in prenatally restraint stressed rats

Stress-related events that occur in the perinatal period can permanently change brain and behavior of the developing individual and there is increasing evidence that early-life adversity is a contributing factor in the etiology of drug abuse and mood disorders. Neural adaptations resulting from early-life stress may mediate individual differences in novelty responsiveness and in turn contribute to drug abuse vulnerability. Prenatal restraint stress (PRS) in rats is a well-documented model of early stress known to induce long-lasting neurobiological and behavioral alterations including impaired feedback mechanisms of the HPA axis, enhanced novelty seeking, and increased sensitiveness to psychostimulants as well as anxiety/depression-like behavior. Together with the HPA axis, functional alterations of the mesolimbic dopamine system and of the metabotropic glutamate receptors system appear to be involved in the addiction-like profile of PRS rats

Electrochemical Deposition and Dissolution of Alloys and Metal Composites—Fundamental Aspects

It is general experience in materials science that alloys can exhibit qualities that are unobtainable with the parent metals. This is true of electroplated deposits as well. Thus, such properties as hardness, tensile strength, ductility, Young’s modulus, density, corrosion resistance, solderability, wear resistance, and antifriction service may be enhanced. Also, special properties not exhibited by the parent metals can be obtained, such as high magnetic permeability or other desired magnetic and electrical properties, amorphous structure, etc. Alloy plates may be more suitable than the parent metals for subsequent electroplate overlays and conversion chemical treatments