Pattern of novel object exploration in cynomolgus monkey Macaca fascicularis.

Background: Primates exhibit substantial capacity for behavioral innovation, expanding the diversity of their behavioral repertoires, and benefiting both individual survival and species development in evolution. Novel object exploration is an integral part of behavioral innovation. Thus, qualitative and quantitative analysis of novel object exploration helps to better understand behavioral innovation.

Differential behavior patterns in cynomolgus monkey Macaca fascicularis in home cage in response to human gaze.

Background: Non-human primates, when encountering human beings, show wariness and alertness. These behaviors differ when there is direct human gaze vs. when human averts his gaze.

Chronic alcohol consumption from adolescence to adulthood in mice--hypothalamic gene expression changes in insulin-signaling pathway.

Adolescence is a developmental stage vulnerable to alcohol drinking-related problems, and alcohol exposure during adolescence may lead to long-lasting consequences. The hypothalamus is a key brain region for food and water intake regulation as well as weight control, and is one of the alcohol-sensitive brain regions. However, it is not known what the alcohol effect is on the hypothalamus following adolescent alcohol intake, chronically over adolescent development, at moderate levels.

Chronic alcohol consumption from adolescence-to-adulthood in mice--hypothalamic gene expression changes in the dilated cardiomyopathy signaling pathway.

Background: Adolescence is a developmental stage vulnerable to alcohol drinking-related problems and the onset of alcoholism. Hypothalamus is a key brain region for food and water intake regulation, and is one of the alcohol-sensitive brain regions. However, it is not known what would be the alcohol effect on hypothalamus following adolescent alcohol intake, chronically over the adolescent development, at moderate levels.

A novel method for analyzing genetic association with longitudinal phenotypes.

Knowledge of genes influencing longitudinal patterns may offer information about predicting disease progression. We developed a systematic procedure for testing association between SNP genotypes and longitudinal phenotypes. We evaluated false positive rates and statistical power to localize genes for disease progression.

Maxillary nerve compression in cynomolgus monkey Macaca fascicularis: altered somatic sensation and peripheral nerve firing.

Background: Trigeminal nerve is a major source of the sensory input of the face, and trigeminal neuropathology models have been reported in rodents with injury to branches of the maxillary or mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve. Non-human primates are neuroanatomically more closely related to human than rodents; however, nerve injury studies in non-human primates are limited.

Results: We describe here a nerve injury model of maxillary nerve compression (MNC) in the cynomolgus macaque monkey, Macaca fascicularis, and the initial characterization of the consequences of damage to this trigeminal nerve branch.

Vitamin A depletion alters sensitivity of motor behavior to MK-801 in C57BL/6J mice.

Background: Vitamin A and its derivatives (retinoids) are crucial for the development, maintenance and morphogenesis of the central nervous system (CNS). Although motor impairment has been reported in postnatal vitamin A depletion rodents, the effect of vitamin A depletion on homeostasis maintaining capability in response to external interference is not clear.

Methods: In the current study, we measured the effect of vitamin A depletion on motor ability and pain sensitivity under two different conditions: 1.

Chronic alcohol consumption from adolescence-to-adulthood in mice--effect on growth and social behavior.

Experimentation with alcohol is common during adolescence. However the long-term consequences from moderate alcohol use during adolescence development are not clear. Using a two-bottle free-choice paradigm in the home-cage setting, we studied adolescent mice (4 weeks old) across a 6-week time span of the adolescence-to-adulthood development period.

Low dose MK-801 reduces social investigation in mice.

To characterize MK-801's effect on social behavior in mice, we examined adult male ICR mice for interaction with companion mice (juvenile male). Test mice were injected with either saline or MK-801 (0.1 mg/kg), and were tested 30 min later for their social behavior during a 5-min session.

Age-related differential sensitivity to MK-801-induced locomotion and stereotypy in C57BL/6 mice.

Psychomotor effects elicited by systemic administration of the noncompetitive NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptor antagonist MK-801 (dizocilpine maleate) represent perturbation of glutamatergic pathways, providing an animal model for psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia. Hyperlocomotion and stereotypy are the two main psychomotor behaviors induced by MK-801. This study compared MK-801-induced hyperlocomotion and stereotypy in young (1-month old) and aged mice (12-month old), in order to determine how the aging process may influence these behaviors.

rSac3, a novel Sac domain phosphoinositide phosphatase, promotes neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells.

Sac domain-containing proteins belong to a newly identified family of phosphoinositide phosphatases (the PIPPase family). Despite well-characterized enzymatic activity, the biological functions of this mammalian Sac domain PIPPase family remain largely unknown. We identified a novel Sac domain-containing protein, rat Sac3 (rSac3), which is widely expressed in various tissues and localized to the endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi complex and recycling endosomes.

Effect of GNTI, a kappa opioid receptor antagonist, on MK-801-induced hyperlocomotion and stereotypy in mice.

Aim: To examine the effect of GNTI [5'-guanidinyl-17-(cyclopropylmethyl)-6,7- dehydro-4,5alpha-epoxy-3,14-dihydroxy-6,7-2',3'-indolomorphinan], a selective antagonist for the kappa opioid receptor, in the MK-801 (dizocilpine maleate)-induced behavioral model of psychosis in schizophrenia as a way to explore the involvement of the kappa opioid receptor in modulating psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia.

Methods: Two doses of MK-801 (0.3 mg/kg and 0.

SNAP-25 in hippocampal CA3 region is required for long-term memory formation.

SNAP-25 is a synaptosomal protein of 25 kDa, a key component of synaptic vesicle-docking/fusion machinery, and plays a critical role in exocytosis and neurotransmitter release. We previously reported that SNAP-25 in the hippocampal CA1 region is involved in consolidation of contextual fear memory and water-maze spatial memory (Hou et al. European J Neuroscience, 20: 1593-1603, 2004).

Paradoxical effects of very low dose MK-801.

Systemic injection of the noncompetitive NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptor antagonist MK-801 (dizocilpine maleate) is known to cause increased locomotion and various stereotypic behaviors in rodents. However, the MK-801 dose ranges commonly examined usually begin at tenth of mg/kg and going higher, with the implicit assumption of lower doses being ineffective. We report here that very low dose MK-801, well below the commonly studied doses, exert distinct effects on rodent behaviors.

The negative cell cycle regulator, Tob (transducer of ErbB-2), is involved in motor skill learning.

Tob (transducer of ErbB-2) is a negative cell cycle regulator with anti-proliferative activity in peripheral tissues. Our previous study identified Tob as a protein involved in hippocampus-dependent memory consolidation (M.L.

Identification of a mouse synaptic glycoprotein gene in cultured neurons.

Neuronal differentiation and aging are known to involve many genes, which may also be differentially expressed during these developmental processes. From primary cultured cerebral cortical neurons, we have previously identified various differentially expressed gene transcripts from cultured cortical neurons using the technique of arbitrarily primed PCR (RAP-PCR). Among these transcripts, clone 0-2 was found to have high homology to rat and human synaptic glycoprotein.

Identification of a novel protein for memory regulation in the hippocampus.

Memory formation, maintenance, and retrieval are a dynamic process, reflecting a combined outcome of new memory formation on one hand, and older memory suppression/clearance on the other. Although much knowledge has been gained regarding new memory formation, less is known about the molecular components and processes that serve the function of memory suppression/clearance. Here, we report the identification of a novel protein, termed hippyragranin (HGN), that is expressed in the rat hippocampus and its expression is reduced by hippocampal denervation.

SNAP-25 in hippocampal CA1 region is involved in memory consolidation.

As a synaptosomal protein, SNAP-25 plays a role in a number of neuronal functions including axonal growth, dendrite formation, fusion of synaptic vesicles with membrane and the expression of long-term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampus. Using a learning/memory behavior screening, we identified SNAP-25 as one of the differentially expressed genes in the hippocampus upon behavioral training. The inhibition of SNAP-25 with intracerebroventricular antisense oligonucleotide caused a deficit in long- but not short-term memory for step-down inhibitory avoidance.

Identification and characterization of hmr19 gene encoding a multidrug resistance efflux protein from Streptomyces hygroscopicus subsp. yingchengensis strain 10-22.

The hmr19 gene was cloned from Streptomyces hygroscopicus subsp. yingchengensis strain 10-22, a bacterium strain producing agricultural antibiotics. Sequence similarity comparison indicates that hmr19 gene may encode a predicted protein with 14 putative transmembrane alpha-helical spanners, belonging to the drug:H(+) antiporter-2 family of the major facilitator superfamily.

Bimodal effects of MK-801 on locomotion and stereotypy in C57BL/6 mice.

Rationale: Systemic injection of the non-competitive NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptor antagonist MK-801 (dizocilpine maleate) causes both increased locomotion in rodents and various stereotypic behaviors that are proposed to model certain aspects of schizophrenic symptoms in humans.

Objectives: This study presents a comprehensive characterization of the bimodal effects of MK-801 on locomotion and stereotypy in the C57BL/6 mouse strain, a strain commonly used for genetically modified mice.

Results: We found that it is important to analyze both locomotion and stereotypy in parallel, as MK-801-induced stereotypy results in abnormal movements that are recorded as locomotion by automated beam detection systems.

[Animal models of schizophrenia using different laboratory mouse strains].

Based on the glutamate dysfunction hypothesis for the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, MK801, a noncompetitive antagonist for the NMDA-type of glutamate receptors, was administered to mice by i.p. injection.

The gamma S-crystallin gene is mutated in autosomal recessive cataract in mouse.

We established a recessive cataract model from a spontaneous mutation in the KUNMING outbred mice. Lens opacity appears 11 days after birth. Slit lamp examination reveals that the opacity mainly localizes to the nuclear region of the lens.