Transient postnatal thyroxine treatment leads to variation in transmitter binding site densities in the hippocampus of rats

The publisher regrets that this article is an accidental duplication of an article that has already been published, doi:10.1016/S0304-3940(02)00253-7. The duplicate article has therefore been withdrawn

Kursus der Makroskopischen Anatomie in Magdeburg unter Pandemiebedingungen

Introduction and objectives: The Covid-19 pandemic has created major challenges for university teaching. At the beginning of the summer semester 2020, teaching at the Medical Faculty in Magdeburg was almost completely online. Also the course in macroscopic anatomy had to be replaced by virtual e-learning offers. Methods: Videos and photo presentations of the preparation steps and structures to be displayed were made available online. The reactions of the students showed very quickly that the three-dimensionality, the independent preparation and the haptics of the object to be studied make up a large part of this subject. Results and conclusions: Virtual e-learning offerings are a useful supplement to, but not a substitute for, active dissecting on body donors. By changing the course offerings in compliance with hygiene and distance rules, we were able to offer a classroom course again during the semester, which was expressly welcomed by the students.Einleitung und Zielsetzung: Die Covid-19-Pandemie hat die Lehre in der Universität vor große Herausforderungen gestellt. Der Lehrbetrieb der Medizinischen Fakultät in Magdeburg wurde zu Beginn des Sommersemesters 2020 fast vollständig online durchgeführt. Auch der Kursus der makroskopischen Anatomie musste zunächst durch virtuelle E-Learning Angebote ersetzt werden. Methodik: Videos und Fotopräsentationen der Präparierschritte und darzustellenden Strukturen wurden online zur Verfügung gestellt. Die Reaktionen der Studierenden zeigten sehr schnell, dass die Dreidimensionalität, das selbstständige Präparieren und die Haptik des zu studierenden Objektes dieses Fach zum Großteil ausmachen. Ergebnisse und Schlussfolgerungen: Virtuelle E-Learning Angebote sind eine sinnvolle Ergänzung, aber kein Ersatz für das aktive Präparieren an Körperspendern. Durch Umstellung des Kursangebots unter Einhaltung von Hygiene- und Abstandregeln konnten wir im Laufe des Semesters wieder einen Präsenzkurs anbieten, was von den Studierenden ausdrücklich begrüßt wurde

Neuregulin-1 mutant mice indicate motor and sensory deficits, indeed few references for schizophrenia endophenotype model

Neuregulins (Nrg) are a gene family that binds to tyrosine kinase receptors of the ErbB family. The protein of Nrg1 is to be involved in heart formation, migration of neurons, axonal pathfinding and synaptic function. A relation between Nrg1 and schizophrenia is assumed. Chronic impairment in schizophrenia is characterized by different positive and negative symptoms. Detectable markers of this disease in human and in animal models are activity, social behavior and sensory processing. In this study we compared heterozygous Nrg1 mutant mice in behavior and quantification of dopaminergic and serotoninergic neurons with wild type-like littermates. In the Nrg1 mutant mice the epidermal growth factor-like domain is replaced by the neomycin resistance gene. We found significant differences in locomotor and pain perception behavior. No differences were found in specific schizophrenia social interaction and prepulse inhibition behavior. The number of dopaminergic and serotoninergic neurons did not differ in the investigated regions ventral tegmental area, substantia nigra, periaqueductal grey and raphe nuclei. In conclusion, this analyzed Nrg1 mutant mice model did not serve as a complete schizophrenia model. Particular aspects of schizophrenia disease in locomotor and sensory behavior deficits could represent in this Nrg1 mutant mice. Beside several different models could Nrg1 deficiency represent an endophenotype of schizophrenia disease

Anxiety-related behavior and densities of glutamate, GABAA, acetylcholine and serotonin receptors in the amygdala of seven inbred mouse strains

The amygdala is a brain region involved in the regulation of anxiety-related behavior. The purpose of this study was to correlate anxiety-related behavior of inbred mouse strains (BA//c, BALB/cJ, C3H/HeJ, C57BL/6J, CPB-K, DBA/2J, NMRI) to receptor binding in the amygdala. Binding site densities of receptors (NMDA, AMPA, kainate, GABA(A), serotonin, muscarinergic M-1-M-2) were measured with quantitative receptor autoradiography using tritiated ligands. Measurements of fear-sensitized acoustic startle response (ASR; induced by footshocks), elevated plus maze (EPM) behavior and receptor binding studies showed differences between the strains except for AMPA and muscarinergic M-2 receptors. Factor analysis revealed a Startle Factor with positive loadings of the density of serotonin and kainate receptors, and the amplitudes of the baseline and fear-sensitized ASRs. A second Anxiety-related Factor only correlated with the fear-sensitized ASR and anxiety parameters on the EPM but not receptor densities. There were also two General Activity Factors defined by (negative) correlations with entries to closed arms of the EPM. Because the density of NMDA and muscarinergic M, receptors also correlated negatively with the two factors, these receptors had a positive effect on general activity. In contrast, correlations of GABA(A), serotonin, and kainate receptors had the opposite sign as compared to closed arm entries. It is concluded that hereditary variations in the amygdala, particularly in kainate and serotonin receptors, play a role for the baseline and fear-sensitized ASR, whereas the general activity is influenced by many neurotransmitter receptor systems. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved