Brain Serotonin,Carbohydrate-Craving,Obesity and Depression

Serotonin-releasing brain neurons are unique in that the amount of neurotransmitter they release is normally controlled by food intake: Carbohydrate consumption-acting via insulin secretion and the “plasma tryptophan ratio” - increases serotonin release; protein intake lacks this effect. This ability of neurons to couple neuronal signaling properties to food consumption is a link in the feedback mechanism that normally keeps carbohydrate and protein intakes more or less constant. However, serotonin release is also involved in such functions as sleep onset, pain sensitivity, blood pressure regulation, and control of the mood. Hence many patients learn to overeat carbohydrates (particularly snack foods, like potato chips or pastries, which are rich in carbohydrates and fats) to make themselves feel better. This tendency to use certain foods as though they were drugs is a frequent cause of weight gain, an d can also be seen in patients who become fat when exposed to stress, or in women with premenstrual syndrome, or in patients with “winter depression,” or in people who are attempting to give up smoking. (Nicotine, like dietary carbohydrates, increases brain serotonin secretion; nicotine withdraw al has the opposite effect.) It also occurs in patients with normal-weight bulimia. Dexfenfluramine constitutes a highly effective treatment for such patients. In addition to producing its general satiety-promoting effect, it specifically reduces their overconsumption of carbohydrate-rich (or carbohydrate-and fat-rich)foods.     

Increased plasma corticosterone levels in bovine growth hormone (bGH) transgenic mice: Effects of ACTH,GH and IGF-I onin vitro adrenal corticosterone production

Previous work from our laboratory provided evidence for increased plasma corticosterone levels in mice transgenic for human and bovine growth hormone (GH). Corticosterone was elevated in both sexes, under both basal and ether-induced stress conditions. The objectives of the present study were to investigate thein vitro adrenal sensitivity to ACTH, GH and/or IGF-I in normal and bGH transgenic mice, to examine plasma corticosterone levels at different times of the day, and to determine plasma levels of ACTH in these animals. For the measurement of plasma corticosterone and ACTH levels, transgenic and normal siblings were housed 2 per cage and decapitated simultaneously within 20 seconds of the first disturbance of the cage. The corticosterone production byin vitro adrenal incubations did not differ between adrenals from normal and transgenic mice at the basal level or in the presence of different doses of ACTH. Growth hormone or IGF-I did not have any effect on corticosterone productionin vitro when given alone, and did not modify the effects of ACTH on the accumulation of corticosterone in the media. Plasma corticosterone concentrations were higher in transgenic than in normal animals in both morning and evening. Plasma concentrations of ACTH in animals killed in the morning were sharply increased in transgenic males as compared with their normal siblings. The results indicate that increased circulating levels of corticosterone in transgenic mice are not due to a potentiation of ACTH actions by GH or IGF-I, but rather to a chronic increase in plasma ACTH levels. The increase in ACTH is presumably a reflection of GH actions in the hypothalamic-pituitary system.     

Large-scale production of mouse phenotypes: the search for animal models for inherited diseases in humans

This paper is aimed principally at bioinformaticians and biologists as an introduction to recent advances in mouse mutagenesis, concentrating on genome-wide screens utilising the powerful mutagen N-ethyl-N-nitroso-urea (ENU). It contains a brief background to the underlying genetics as well as details of the practical aspects of organisation and data capture for such projects.     

EMMA--the European mouse mutant archive.

The European Mouse Mutant Archive (EMMA) offers the worldwide scientific community a free archiving service for its mutant mouse lines and access to a wide range of disease models and other research tools. EMMA is currently comprised of seven partners who operate as the primary mouse repository in Europe. EMMA' s primary objectives are to establish and manage a unified repository for maintaining mouse mutations and to make them available to the scientific community. In addition to these core services, the consortium can generate germ-free (axenic) mice for its customers and also hosts courses in cryopreservation. EMMA is a founder member of the Federation of International Mouse Resources (FIMRe). The EMMA network is funded by the participating institutes, national research programmes and the European Commission Research Infrastructures Programme.     

Chromosomal localization of the chicken and mammalian orthologues of the orphan phosphatase PHOSPHO1 gene

PHOSPHO1 is a recently identified phosphatase expressed at high levels in the chicken growth plate and which may be involved in generating inorganic phosphate for skeletal matrix mineralization. Using a degenerate RT-PCR approach a fragment of human PHOSPHO1 was cloned. This enabled the identification of the human orthologue on HSA17q21, and the mouse orthologue on a region of MMU11 that exhibits conservation of synteny with HSA17q21. Chicken PHOSPHO1 was mapped by SSCP analysis to position 44 cM on GGA27, adjacent to the HOXB@ (44 cM) and COL1A1 (36 cM) loci. Comparison of genes on GGA27 with their orthologues on the preliminary draft of the human genome identifies regions of conserved synteny equivalent to 25 Mb on HSA17q21.2-23.3 and approximately 20 Mb on GGA27 in which the gene order appears to be conserved. Mapping of the PHOSPHO1 genes to regions of HSA17q21.3, MMU11 and GGA27 that exhibit conservation of synteny provides strong evidence that they are orthologous.     

木豆素对慢性不可预见温和应激小鼠的抗抑郁作用

目的观察木豆素于抗抑郁方面的作用,并初步探讨其可能的作用机制。方法采用小鼠慢性不可预见温和应激模型(chronic unpredictable mild stress,CUMS),进行糖水偏好实验评价经木豆素处理的小鼠的快感缺失情况,采用酶联免疫吸附测定法测定小鼠血清皮质酮的含量,采用LC-MS/MS法检测小鼠皮层和海马中多种神经递质的含量。结果木豆素可以逆转CUMS引起的糖水偏爱指数降低和血清皮质酮水平升高。并且与正常组相比,模型组小鼠皮层和海马中相关神经递质的含量发生了显著的改变,而木豆素给药对于CUMS小鼠体内相关神经递质具有明显的调节作用。结论木豆素可能通过降低血清皮质酮水平和调节脑内神经递质来实现抗抑郁作用。     

High-fat-diet impaired mitochondrial function of cumulus cells but improved the efficiency of parthenogenetic embryonic quality in mice

Global human health has been compromised by high-fat diets. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between a high-fat diet and parthenogenetic embryo quality. Mice fed a high-fat or a normal diet was used as treated or control groups, respectively. Estradiol (E₂), total cholesterol (TC) and total triglyceride (TG) were detected by Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA). Cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were collected from the mice in the treated and control groups. The ultrastructure of COCs, the expression level of genes involved in mitochondrial and nuclear functions in cumulus cells and oocytes quality were evaluated with transmission electron microscopy, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and artificial parthenogenesis, respectively. The results showed that the efficiency of parthenogenetic embryonic development in vitro was significantly higher in the treated group than in the control group (p?p?P450 arom were higher in the treated group than the control group (p?p?相似文献