ABSTRACT
Bilateral lesions of the ventrolateral caudal periaqueductal gray inhibit lordosis and kyphosis, the postures of female sexual receptivity and maternal nursing that are characterized respectively by dorsoflexion and ventroflexion of the spinal column. These lesions also inhibit the solicitation behaviors that accompany lordosis, but they do not impair retrieval or licking of pups. We tested the hypothesis that reproductive behaviors affected by these lesions are tonically inhibited by activity of the GABA(A) receptor via site-specific manipulations of receptor activity. Rats were bilaterally implanted during pregnancy with guide cannulae aimed at the caudal periaqueductal gray and ovariectomized on day 1 postpartum. Microinfusions (0.25 microl/side) of saline or drug took place on days 5 and 7 postpartum into the dorsolateral column and on days 9 and 11 into the ventrolateral column. Five minutes post-infusion dams were reunited with their pups and their maternal behavior was observed for 30 min. Feminine sexual behaviors were evaluated post-weaning after another set of microinfusions in the ventrolateral caudal periaqueductal gray. Potential facilitation of kyphosis and lordosis was tested with the GABA(A) antagonist bicuculline (15 ng/side) during sub-threshold conditions, i.e., non-suckling pups or sub-threshold ovarian hormone dosages; potential inhibition of these postures was tested with the GABA(A) agonist muscimol (125 ng/side) during optimal conditions, i.e., suckling pups or supra-threshold ovarian hormone treatments. Dorsolateral drug manipulations were ineffective. In the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray bicuculline significantly increased and muscimol significantly decreased kyphosis, lordosis, and sexual solicitations compared with saline. Retrieval and licking of pups were not altered by GABA(A) manipulations. These findings suggest that the reproductive postures of female rats, lordosis and kyphosis, as well as sexual solicitations, are tonically inhibited by the neurotransmitter GABA within the ventrolateral caudal periaqueductal gray in the midbrain. In contrast, retrieval and licking of pups appear to be under separate neurochemical or neuroanatomical control, or both. Further, this tonic inhibition is likely relieved by excitatory somatosensory inputs to this site, from mounting and suckling respectively.
Subject(s)
Animals, Suckling/physiology , Periaqueductal Gray/physiology , Postpartum Period/physiology , Posture/physiology , Receptors, GABA-A/physiology , Sexual Behavior, Animal/physiology , Animals , Animals, Newborn , Female , GABA-A Receptor Agonists , GABA-A Receptor Antagonists , Periaqueductal Gray/drug effects , Postpartum Period/drug effects , Pregnancy , Rats , Rats, Long-Evans , Sexual Behavior, Animal/drug effectsABSTRACT
Delivery of potentially therapeutic drugs to the brain is hindered by the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which restricts the diffusion of drugs from the vasculature to the brain parenchyma. One means of overcoming the BBB is with cellular implants that produce and deliver therapeutic molecules. Polymer encapsulation, or immunoisolation, provides a means of overcoming the BBB to deliver therapeutic molecules directly into the CNS region of interest. Immunoisolation is based on the observation that xenogeneic cells can be protected from host rejection by encapsulating, or surrounding, them within an immunoisolatory, semipermeable membrane. Cells can be enclosed within a selective, semipermeable membrane barrier that admits oxygen and required nutrients and releases bioactive cell secretions, but restricts passage of larger cytotoxic agents from the host immune defense system. The selective membrane eliminates the need for chronic immunosuppression of the host and allows the implanted cells to be obtained from nonhuman sources. In this review, cell immunoisolation for treating CNS diseases is updated from considerations of device configurations, membrane manufacturing and characterization in preclinical models of Alzheimer's and Huntington's disease.
Subject(s)
Cell Transplantation/methods , Central Nervous System Diseases/therapy , Alzheimer Disease/therapy , Animals , Biocompatible Materials , Blood-Brain Barrier/immunology , Brain Tissue Transplantation , Diffusion Chambers, Culture , Disease Models, Animal , Drug Compounding/methods , Fetal Tissue Transplantation , Humans , Huntington Disease/therapy , In Vitro Techniques , Materials Testing , Membranes, Artificial , Transplantation, HeterologousABSTRACT
Previous research suggested that behavioral interventions have been helpful in reducing patients' adverse reactions to cancer chemotherapy. The present study attempted to improve on past research by replicating this finding within the context of a more rigorous methodology. This study attempted to control for the wide range of nuisance variables inherent in research of this nature. It was expected that behavioral treatments would be superior to traditional treatment in reducing symptoms of nausea, emesis, and anxiety related to chemotherapy. The ability to detect differences between traditional and treatment groups with respect to nausea and emesis was limited due to low prevalence rates of these symptoms. Prevalence rates of pre-chemotherapy anxiety were low, but behavioral treatment subjects reported less state anxiety following chemotherapy than traditional treatment subjects. Although no evidence was found for the superiority of one form of behavioral intervention over another, these patients tended to fare better than those without a behavioral intervention.
Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents/adverse effects , Hypnosis , Neoplasms/psychology , Female , Humans , Male , Neoplasms/drug therapyABSTRACT
Forty-three residents of a substance abuse treatment center were randomly assigned to (a) Assertiveness Training with Behavioral Practice (ATBP); (b) Assertiveness Training with Journal (ATJ), or (c) Waiting List Control (WLC). Using the Behavioral Assertiveness Test and the Gambrill-Richey Assertion Inventory, subjects in the ATBP group showed greater gains than the ATJ group on one behavioral measure, while both the ATBP and ATJ groups changed more than the WLC group on the Gambrill-Richey Response Likelihood scale. Behavioral rehearsal (homework compliance) was not consistently related to outcome, calling into question the value of the widespread use of homework assignments in behavioral treatments.
Subject(s)
Alcoholism/rehabilitation , Assertiveness , Behavior Therapy/methods , Substance-Related Disorders/rehabilitation , Adult , Alcoholism/psychology , Arousal , Female , Humans , Male , Patient Compliance , Social Environment , Substance-Related Disorders/psychologySubject(s)
Alcohol Drinking , Alcoholism/therapy , Behavior Therapy/methods , Adult , Alcoholism/psychology , Behavior Therapy/economics , Biofeedback, Psychology , Cost-Benefit Analysis , Data Collection , Electroshock , Ethanol/blood , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Male , Outpatients , Random Allocation , Reinforcement, Social , Research Design , Social BehaviorSubject(s)
Arousal , Hypnosis , Memory , Mental Recall , Affect , Arousal/physiology , Crime , Female , Galvanic Skin Response , Heart Rate , Humans , Male , Motivation , SexSubject(s)
Amnesia/psychology , Biofeedback, Psychology , Electromyography/methods , Hypnosis/methods , Muscle Contraction , Muscle Relaxation , Adult , Female , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
Thirty-two male and female college students participated in six 90-minute leaderless encounter groups in which they received videotape feedback, leader-facilitated videotape feedback, or verbal feedback. Statistical analysis indicated that feedback through a visual medium had no effect on self-concept, role-playing ability, or group coherence. Groups within the experimental conditions were initially different in their ratings on the dependent measures. These differences were maintained throughout the experiment.
