Serum serotonin levels of normal and autistic children

1. Serum serotonin (5HT) was determined in normal and autistic children by high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC-ED), after serum deproteinization. 2. The sample deproteinization was carried out by the addition of 3.4 M HCLO4 to a small volume of the serum, followed by freezing, centrifugation, dilution and injection of sample into the HPLC. 3. Serum 5HT concentration was significantly increased in autistic children (303 +/- 92 ng/ml) (N = 19) when compared to that of normal children (215 +/- 67 ng/ml) (N = 46). The data of normal children analyzed by ANOVA for sex or age showed no difference. 4. The method employed in this study showed high resolution, good sensitivity and can be used for routine determination of serum 5HT in the clinical investigation of hyperserotonemia in autism

Diagnostic restriction fragment patterns of DNA from the four isomorphic species of Anopheles dirus.

Total DNA from isofemale lines of the four isomorphic species of the Anopheles dirus were screened against twenty restriction endonucleases. Seven enzymes (Ava II, Alu I, Bgl II, Hae III, Hinf I, Mbo I and Sau3A I) produced some unique DNA fragments for each of the lines. Seven other enzymes (BamH I, BstN I, Cfo I, EcoR I, Kpn I, Nru I and Pst I) produced unique fragments in two of the lines. The remaining six enzymes (Hha I, Mnl I, Msp I, Nae I, Rsa I and Taq I) gave vague patterns which might result from either biological or technical causes. The results demonstrated that restriction fragment length of the DNA could be used as a means to distinguish isomorphic species of the Anopheles dirus.