Biology and biometric characteristics of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) reared on different host plants with regard to diet.

BACKGROUND: The fall armyworm (FAW) Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), native to the Americas, is a new invasive pest that was reported in India for the first time in May 2018. Being polyphagous, FAW can infest several different hosts and increase its population all year round. In this context, the present study was conducted under laboratory conditions to evaluate the biological parameters of FAW on four different hosts, Zea mays (maize), Gossypium hirsutum (cotton), Ricinus communis (castor) and Brassica oleracea var. botrytis (cauliflower), and a semi-synthetic diet. RESULTS: The shortest life cycle of 32.8 ± 0.52 days in males and 34.1 ± 0.43 days in females was observed on maize. Semi-synthetic diet was superior in terms of higher mean fecundity (1324.6 ± 61.21 eggs), larval weight (503 ± 0.02 mg), pupal weight (263 ± 0.01 mg) and adult female weight (128 ± 0.0 mg) compared with natural hosts. Cotton was the least preferred host with a longer life cycle of 49.5 ± 0.50 days. Head capsule width and length were measured and the growth rate was validated using Dyar's rule. The mean width and length of the head capsule of first-instar larvae of FAW on different hosts was 0.35 ± 0.00 mm. The maximum width (2.76 ± 0.03 mm) and length (2.31 ± 0.03 mm) were observed in sixth-instar larvae grown on diet. CONCLUSION: The results of this study will be instrumental in understanding and formulating management strategies for FAW.

Course of late-life depression with alcoholism following combination therapy.

OBJECTIVE: The comorbidity of alcoholism and depression increases the complexity of treatment and is associated with severe disability and morbidity. However, long-term treatment algorithms have been understudied. METHOD: This study examined the natural course of 74 depressed alcoholics over 6 to 12 months following a 12-week acute-phase trial of sertraline (Zoloft), naltrexone (Revia), and compliance enhancement therapy. Subjects were monitored for long-term outcomes based on their acute-phase trial response. RESULTS: Fifty-four subjects followed up at 6 months, and 50 subjects remained at the 12-month visit. Full responders at the end of the 12-week acute-phase trial sustained better overall outcomes (6 months: chi2=19.9, 4 df, p=.001; 12 months: chi2=11.7, 4 df, p=.020) and better drinking and depression outcomes, as compared with partial responders and nonresponders over a 6-month and 12-month period. CONCLUSIONS: Initial full responders sustain better overall treatment outcomes at 6 and 12 months, compared with partial responders and nonresponders. The defined outcome categories incorporate meaningful and practical measures of severity and can help predict treatment outcomes in clinical practice, thereby allowing timely interventions. Future studies should focus on maintenance strategies for full responders and treatment adaptations for partial responders and nonresponders.

Polymorphism in the serotonin transporter gene and moderators of prolactin response to meta-chlorophenylpiperazine in African-American cocaine abusers and controls.

Serotonin (5-HT) function is altered in several psychiatric disorders, including cocaine dependence (CD), and its role in impulsive-aggressive behaviors has been widely studied. However, the relationship between psychopathological and behavioral dimensions and mechanisms of 5-HT alterations remains unclear. We investigated the relationship of a polymorphism in the 5' promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) with prolactin (PRL) response to meta-chlorophenylpiperazine (m-CPP) in a sample of 68 African-American individuals, 35 CD subjects and 33 controls. We also examined whether measures of impulsivity, hostility and sensation seeking influenced the relationship between the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism and PRL response to m-CPP in this sample. Individuals with the SS genotype showed significantly heightened PRL response to the challenge compared with the LL and LS genotypes. No influence of gender or substance abuse condition was observed. Hostility was associated with blunted PRL response in the total sample. Cocaine abuse was the most significant moderator of DeltaPRL (peak PRL-baseline PRL), and the interaction of genetic, behavioral and psychopathological measures helped predict most of the observed DeltaPRL (62.5%). Although these results need replication, variation in the 5-HTTLPR gene appears to influence measures of 5-HT function and interact with disease state and personality dimensions to account for 5-HT disturbances in African-American populations.

Relationship of disinhibition and aggression to blunted prolactin response to meta-chlorophenylpiperazine in cocaine-dependent patients.

RATIONALE: Considerable evidence indicates that serotonergic (5-HT) mechanisms may mediate central effects of cocaine, and disinhibition and aggression. OBJECTIVE: We investigated whether prolactin (PRL) response to meta-chlorophenylpiperazine (m-CPP), a mixed 5-HT agonist/antagonist, differed between abstinent cocaine-dependent patients and controls and whether m-CPP challenge responses were related to measures of disinhibition and aggression. METHODS: Thirty-five cocaine-dependent African-American subjects who were abstinent for at least 2 weeks and 33 African-American controls underwent assessments of disinhibition and aggression and a challenge with 0.5 mg/kg of oral m-CPP. RESULTS: The PRL response to m-CPP was compared between cocaine patients and controls and between subgroups categorized high or low based on disinhibition and aggression measures. Hierarchical regressions were used to determine whether behavioral measures predicted deltaPRL (peak PRL-baseline PRL). The PRL response to m-CPP was significantly diminished in cocaine patients compared to controls. The blunting was more robust in cocaine patients with high disinhibition and aggression. Among cocaine patients, the high-disinhibition subgroup showed greater blunting than the low-disinhibition subgroup and there was a trend for the high-aggression subgroup to be more blunted than the low-aggression subgroup. The subgroups of controls did not differ from each other. A combination of disinhibition and aggression measures significantly predicted deltaPRL in cocaine patients. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that cocaine-dependent patients show disturbances in postsynaptic 5-HT function during early abstinence. It appears that the 5-HT disturbances are more pronounced in the subgroup of cocaine patients with high disinhibition and aggression.

Differences in peripheral noradrenergic function among actively drinking and abstinent alcohol-dependent individuals.

We examined whether excessive alcohol consumption was related to changes in plasma levels of noradrenaline (NA) and whether these changes recover following abstinence. We also explored whether there were differences in NA levels between Type I and Type II alcoholics and controls during active drinking and abstinence. Plasma concentrations of NA were determined in (1) 27 Caucasian men with alcohol dependence who were regularly drinking (active drinkers) within 24 hours of hospitalization, (2) 29 Caucasian alcohol-dependent men who were in remission (abstinent for a minimum of three months), and (3) 28 race- and gender-matched healthy controls. NA concentrations were significantly higher in actively drinking alcohol-dependent subjects compared to those in remission and controls. While Type I and Type II alcoholic individuals differed across clinical measures, NA levels were similar in the two subtypes. Both subtypes showed an elevation in NA levels during active drinking compared to controls, but NA levels did not differ between the two subtypes and controls during remission. The findings indicate that chronic exposure to alcohol may lead to disturbances in NA activity that may manifest in early abstinence. However, the changes in NA activity appears to normalize after a longer period of abstinence. Alterations in NA activity do not seem to be specific for Type I or Type II subtypes of alcoholism.

Relationship between serotonin transporter gene polymorphisms and platelet serotonin transporter sites among African-American cocaine-dependent individuals and healthy volunteers.

Alterations in the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) have been implicated in a variety of psychiatric disorders including cocaine dependence. A polymorphism in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) appears to influence the expression of 5-HTT in human cell lines. We investigated whether 5-HTTLPR variants were related to differences in measures of platelet 5-HTT sites in cocaine-dependent patients and healthy volunteers (controls). Polymerase chain reaction-based genotyping of a 44 base pair insertion/deletion polymorphism in 5-HTTLPR was performed in 138 cocaine-dependent African-American subjects and 60 African-American controls. This yielded a short (S) and a long (L) allele. Platelet 5-HTT sites were measured using the tritiated paroxetine binding assay. Relationships of 5-HTTLPR genotypes with Bmax (density of serotonin transporter) and Kd (affinity constant) were examined. Bmax values were significantly lower in cocaine-dependent patients (640 +/- 233) than controls (906 +/- 225) (P < 0.001); however, 5-HTTLPR genotype distributions or allele frequencies did not differ between the two groups. There were no significant differences in Bmax between the three genotypes among cocaine-dependent patients (LL = 690 +/- 246, LS = 620 +/- 235, SS = 587 +/- 183; P = 0.14) or controls (LL = 909 +/- 233, LS = 938 +/- 279, SS = 866 +/- 143; P = 0.65). All three genotypes in cocaine-dependent patients showed comparable reductions in Bmax from the corresponding genotypes in controls. Demographic variables, severity of substance use or depression were unrelated to Bmax or 5-HTTLPR genotypes. Although platelet 5-HTT densities are reduced in patients with cocaine dependence compared with healthy volunteers, these genotypic variations in the serotonin transporter do not seem to influence levels of platelet 5-HTT in cocaine-dependent patients or healthy volunteers.

Changes in plasma noradrenaline and serotonin levels and craving during alcohol withdrawal.

AIMS: Despite substantial preclinical evidence that supports the involvement of noradrenergic (NA) and serotonergic (5-HT) mechanisms in alcohol withdrawal, human data remain inconsistent. We examined whether plasma levels of NA and 5-HT were altered during alcohol withdrawal and whether these measures were related to craving. We also explored whether alterations in NA and 5-HT activity differ between type I and type II alcohol-dependent patients during withdrawal. METHODS: Plasma measurements of NA and 5-HT and assessments of craving were performed longitudinally in 26 Caucasian alcohol-dependent men who were hospitalized for detoxification, at baseline (day 0), and on the 1st, 7th and 14th days of withdrawal. These measures were compared with NA and 5-HT levels obtained in 28 controls. RESULTS: During withdrawal, NA levels declined significantly from day 1 through day 14, whereas 5-HT levels and craving declined significantly from day 0 through day 14. The NA levels on days 0 and 1 of withdrawal were significantly higher than those in controls; however, by day 7 the NA levels were similar to the control values. In contrast, the 5-HT levels on day 0 of withdrawal resembled control values; however, the 5-HT concentrations on days 1, 7 and 14 were significantly lower than those in controls. There were no significant correlations between NA and 5-HT levels or between craving and the biological measures during withdrawal. Type I and type II patients did not differ in NA or 5-HT levels during withdrawal. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that both plasma NA and 5-HT levels change during withdrawal; however, the pattern of change is different for the two measures. Also, while alterations in NA activity appear to normalize by late withdrawal, 5-HT changes seem to be more persistent. Neither craving nor subtypes of alcoholism seem to be related to alterations in NA or 5-HT during withdrawal.

Differences in platelet serotonin transporter sites between African-American tobacco smokers and non-smokers.

RATIONALE: The serotonin transporter (5HTT) regulates the magnitude and duration of serotonergic neurotransmission. Although nicotine and other constituents of tobacco smoke may influence serotonin turnover among animals, few studies have examined whether smoking is associated with alteration in 5HTT in humans. OBJECTIVE: We investigated whether tobacco smokers and non-smokers differed in platelet tritiated paroxetine binding, a measure of 5HTT sites, and whether severity of nicotine dependence (ND) was related to 5HTT measures. METHODS: Tritiated paroxetine binding sites on platelets were assayed in 26 African-American smokers and 30 non-smokers. Severity of smoking was assessed using the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND). Relationships between FTND scores and maximum number of transporter sites (B(max)) and affinity constant (K(d)) of paroxetine binding were determined. RESULTS: B(max) values showed a significant negative correlation with FTND scores (rho=-0.28, P<0.01). Notably, smokers with higher ND had significantly lower B(max) compared to those with lower ND and non-smokers; the latter two groups did not differ in B(max) ( F=3.92, P<0.05). Smokers scored higher on impulsivity than non-smokers, however, behavioral variables did not influence the relationship of smoking with B(max). Age, gender and K(d) values were not associated with smoking or B(max). CONCLUSIONS: Smoking, in particular higher nicotine dependence, appears to be correlated with decreased density of platelet 5HTT sites in African-Americans. The nature of the relationship and whether similar changes occur in the brain merit further investigation.

Relationship between tobacco smoking and positive and negative symptoms in schizophrenia.

In an attempt to understand the reasons behind the high prevalence of tobacco smoking in patients with schizophrenia, the study examined whether specific symptoms of schizophrenia were associated with smoking. Standardized assessments of nicotine dependence (Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence) and psychopathology (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale) were performed on 87 inpatients with schizophrenia. Nearly 76% of patients were nicotine dependent. Significant positive correlations were found between Fagerstrom scores and the total negative symptom score and scores on the negative symptom subscales of blunted affect, social withdrawal, difficulty in abstract thinking, and stereotyped thinking. Fagerstrom scores were also significantly associated with impairment in attention, orientation, thinking, and impulse control. Positive symptoms were not significantly associated with smoking. A combination of negative symptoms, duration of illness, and alcohol use optimally predicted smoking in the sample. Neurobiological mechanisms could possibly underlie some of our findings and require further investigation.