Characterization of Nicotine-Induced Desensitization of Evoked Dopamine Release from Rat Striatal Synaptosomes

Abstract: Nicotine has been shown to stimulate neurotransmitter release from brain tissue by acting on presynaptic receptors. In this study, the ability of nicotine pretreatment to produce functional desensitization was investigated in rat striatal synaptosomes in which the release of [³H]dopamine was measured with an in vitro superfusion system. Pretreatment of synaptosomes with low concentrations of l -nicotine resulted in a decrease in the ability of a subsequent nicotine challenge to evoke [³H]dopamine release. The IC₅₀ for nicotine-induced desensitization was found to be 12 n M with a maximum inhibition of >90% at 300 n M . Nicotine pretreatment did not affect the release evoked by amphetamine, veratridine, or 15 m M K⁺. The onset of nicotine-induced desensitization occurred with a t _1/2 of 43 s at 30 n M nicotine. The temperature dependence of onset yielded a Q10 of 1.2.Recovery from desensitization was slower ( t _1/2 = 4.33 min), and both the onset and recovery appeared to follow a single first-order process. Several intermittent schedules of nicotine treatment were found to be effective at inducing and maintaining desensitization. The results of this study show that nonstimulating concentrations of nicotine can produce a complete functional desensitization of subsequent nicotine-induced neurotransmitter release.     

Variation in age at puberty in monkeys.

5 female and 3 male patas monkeys and 6 female and 3 male talapoin monkeys matured in a captive breeding colony. Age at puberty is given, and some variation discussed. The talapoin, a very small monkey, becomes adult at 4 1/2 years for females, 1 or 2 years later for males. The patas, a rather large monkey, becomes adult at 2 1/2 years, for females, and 1 or 2 years later for males. Both these ages for puberty differ from data for the rhesus monkey which has been accepted as generalizable to all Old World monkeys. Possible causes of differences between species in average age at puberty are discussed, including nutrition, environmental inconstancy, and relative size of infant and mother. It is suggested that age at first conception, a biologically more relevant index than menarche, should be considered as a potentially important adaptive variable when describing primate species.     

Implementation of evidence-based practice for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo: DIZZTINCT– A study protocol for an exploratory stepped-wedge randomized trial

Background

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the most common peripheral vestibular disorder, and accounts for 8% of individuals with moderate or severe dizziness. BPPV patients experience substantial inconveniences and disabilities during symptomatic periods. BPPV therapeutic processes – the Dix-Hallpike Test (DHT) and the Canalith Repositioning Maneuver (CRM) – have an evidence base that is at the clinical practice guideline level. The most commonly used CRM is the modified Epley maneuver. The DHT is the gold standard test for BPPV and the CRM is supported by numerous randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews. Despite this, BPPV care processes are underutilized.

Methods/design

This is a stepped-wedge, randomized clinical trial of a multi-faceted educational and care-process-based intervention designed to improve the guideline-concordant care of patients with BPPV presenting to the emergency department (ED) with dizziness. The unit of randomization and target of intervention is the hospital. After an initial observation period, the six hospitals will undergo the intervention in five waves (two closely integrated hospitals will be paired). The order will be randomized. The primary endpoint is measured at the individual patient level, and is the presence of documentation of either the Dix-Hallpike Test or CRM. The secondary endpoints are referral to a health care provider qualified to treat dizziness for CRM and 90-day stroke rates following an ED dizziness visit. Formative evaluations are also performed to monitor and identify potential and actual influences on the progress and effectiveness of the implementation efforts.

Discussion

If this study safely increases documentation of the DHT/CRM, this will be an important step in implementing the use of these evidenced-based processes of care. Positive results will support conducting larger-scale follow-up studies that assess patient outcomes. The data collection also enables evaluation of potential and actual influences on the progress and effectiveness of the implementation efforts.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT02809599. The record was first available to the public on 22 June 2016 prior to the enrollment of the first patients in October 2016.

     

Dynamical facilitation of the ideal free distribution in nonideal populations

The ideal free distribution (IFD) requires that individuals can accurately perceive density‐dependent habitat quality, while failure to discern quality differences below a given perception threshold results in distributions approaching spatial uniformity. Here, we investigate the role of population growth in restoring a nonideal population to the IFD. We place a simple model of discrete patch choice under limits to the resolution by which patch quality is perceived and include population growth driven by that underlying quality. Our model follows the population's distribution through both breeding and dispersal seasons when perception limits differ in their likely influence. We demonstrate that populations of perception limited movers can approximate an IFD provided sufficient population growth; however, the emergent IFD would be temporally inconstant and correspond to reproductive events. The time to emergence of the IFD during breeding is shorter under exponential growth than under logistic growth. The IFD during early colonization of a community persists longer when more patches are available to individuals. As the population matures and dispersal becomes increasingly random, there is an oscillation in the observance of IFD, with peaks most closely approximating the IFD occurring immediately after reproductive events, and higher reproductive rates producing distributions closer to the IFD.     

Replication slippage may cause parallel evolution in the secondary structures of mitochondrial transfer RNAs

Presence of the dihydrouridine (D) stem in the mitochondrial cysteine tRNA is unusually variable among lepidosaurian reptiles. Phylogenetic and comparative analyses of cysteine tRNA gene sequences identify eight parallel losses of the D-stem, resulting in D-arm replacement loops. Sampling within the monophyletic Acrodonta provides no evidence for reversal. Slipped-strand mispairing of noncontiguous repeated sequences during replication or direct replication slippage can explain repeats observed within cysteine tRNAs that contain a D-arm replacement loop. These two mechanisms involving replication slippage can account for the loss of the cysteine tRNA D-stem in several lepidosaurian lineages, and may represent general mechanisms by which the secondary structures of mitochondrial tRNAs are altered.      

Herbivory on a chemically defended plant as a predation deterrent in Hyalella azteca

SUMMARY 1. We investigated whether a population of the freshwater amphipod, Hyalella azteca , which consumed plants with defensive secondary compounds, reduced predation as reported for terrestrial and marine systems.
2. Field observations in Montezuma Well, U.S.A., indicated a strong association between the emergent macrophyte, Berula erecta and H . azteca . We hypothesised that this geographically isolated population of sedentary amphipods was able to consume roots of the chemically defended B . erecta as a deterrent against predation. Berula erecta is in the family Apiaceae, which commonly produce coumarins that deter herbivory in terrestrial systems.
3.  Hyalella azteca consumed roots of B . erecta at a significantly greater rate than alternative macrophyte substrata in Montezuma Well. Additionally, H . azteca moulted at a significantly higher rate when consuming B . erecta compared with a diet of periphyton.
4. Two insect predators ( Telebasis salva and Belostoma bakeri ) with different feeding strategies were used to assess the effects of a B . erecta diet on predation rates in the laboratory and in Montezuma Well. Hyalella azteca was preyed on at a significantly lower rate by both predators when given a strict diet of B . erecta roots compared with a diet of periphyton.
5. This is the first experimental evidence that predation on a freshwater herbivore, H . azteca , was reduced when it consumed a chemically defended plant.     

Lipid transformations in greening and senescing leaf tissue

Analyses were made of chlorophyll a and b and fatty acids (18:3, 18:2, 18:1, 18:0, 16:2, 16:1, and 16:0) of greening and senescing leaf tissue. Those dark-grown tissues given a prior treatment of red, far red, or red followed by far red light showed similar increases in chlorophylls and linolenate (18:3) when exposed to continuous white light. In contrast, green barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) leaves placed in the dark lost chlorophylls and fatty acids, especially 18:3. Senescing cocklebur (Xanthium strumarium L.) leaf tissue showed a decline in chlorophyll and fatty acids, especially again 18:3. Abscisic acid, but not sucrose, accelerated these senescent changes. Radioactive acetate incorporation into the galacto-lipids and phospholipids of senescing cocklebur leaf tissue increased and then the radioactivity of the lipids decreased in senescent tissues.