Saint Louis University

About: Saint Louis University is a education organization based out in St Louis, Missouri, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Health care. The organization has 18927 authors who have published 34895 publications receiving 1267475 citations. The organization is also known as: SLU & St. Louis University.

Common genetic vulnerability for pathological gambling and alcohol dependence in men

Abstract: Background In comparison with alcohol dependence (AD), relatively little is known about the causes of pathological gambling (PG). Given the high rate of comorbidity between PG and AD, knowledge about the causes of AD may be applied to understanding those of PG. Methods Subjects were adult male twin pairs from the Vietnam Era Twin Registry. Lifetime histories of PG and AD were assessed by structured psychiatric telephone interview. The validity of a continuum of PG liability was tested to determine whether the causes of subclinical PG, or problem gambling, are quantitatively or qualitatively distinct from those of DSM-III-R PG disorder. Genetic model-fitting methods were used to quantify the extent to which the genetic and environmental risk for PG could be explained by the risk for AD. Results Tests of the continuity model of PG were all consistent with the hypothesis that subclinical PG and DSM-III-R PG disorder have many, perhaps all, of the same risk factors and thus differ quantitatively rather than qualitatively. Depending on the PG definition, between 12% and 20% of the genetic variation and between 3% and 8% of the nonshared environmental variation in the risk for PG were accounted for by the risk for AD. Conclusions Subclinical PG, or problem gambling, may be a milder form of PG, rather than an etiologically distinct syndrome. Risk for AD accounts for a significant but modest proportion of the genetic and environmental risk for subclinical PG and DSM-III-R PG disorder.

Two transpallidal pathways originating in the rat nucleus accumbens.

Abstract: The striatopallidal projection originating in the nucleus accumbens was investigated by using anterograde transport of PHA-L in combination with peptide immunohistochemistry in order to localize the injection sites and transported lectin with respect to neurochemically defined subterritories in the nucleus accumbens and subcommissural ventral pallidum. The results reported here supplement our previous observations, which indicated that the subcommissural ventral pallidum of the rat comprises two immunohistochemically defined subterritories (Zahm and Heimer, '88: J. Comp. Neurol., 272:516-535) which give rise to dichotomous downstream projection systems (Zahm, '89: Neuroscience, 30:33-50). The present data indicate that the neurotensin immunoreactivity-rich ventromedial district of ventral pallidum receives its accumbal input almost exclusively from the shell district of the nucleus accumbens. The accumbal core, alternatively, projects to the dorsolateral ventral pallidal subterritory that lacks appreciable neurotensin immunoreactivity and in many other respects more resembles the adjoining striatopallidal components of the caudate-putamen. In addition to direct topographic relationships in the frontal plane among the accumbal injection sites and ventral pallidal terminations, it was observed that more caudally placed core injections resulted in patches of striatopallidal terminations that were more caudally located in ventral pallidum. Shell injections, in contrast, produced columns of terminations that extended continuously from the rostralmost level that they appeared to the caudal end of ventromedial ventral pallidum. The accumbal shell, its exclusive projection to the ventromedial subterritory in the subcommissural ventral pallidum, and the previously reported, almost exclusive projection of that pallidal subdistrict to the mesencephalic ventral tegmental area are discussed in terms of a number of other neurochemical and hodological features that serve to distinguish them sufficiently to suggest that they represent a uniquely specialized part of the basal ganglia.

Hepatitis C virus core protein cooperates with ras and transforms primary rat embryo fibroblasts to tumorigenic phenotype.

Abstract: We have previously demonstrated that hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein regulates cellular protooncogenes at the transcriptional level; this observation implicates core protein in the alteration of normal hepatocyte growth. In the present study, the transforming potential of the HCV core gene was investigated by using primary rat embryo fibroblast (REF) cells which were transfected with or without cooperative oncogenes. Integration of the HCV core gene resulted in expression of the viral protein in REF stable transformants. REF cells cotransfected with HCV core and H-ras genes became transformed and exhibited rapid proliferation, anchor-independent growth, and tumor formation in athymic nude mice. Results from these studies suggest that the core protein plays an important role in the regulation of HCV-infected cell growth and in the transformation to tumorigenic phenotype. These observations suggest a possible mechanism for this viral protein in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma in HCV-infected humans.

Shaping the context of health: a review of environmental and policy approaches in the prevention of chronic diseases.

Abstract: ■ Abstract Given the growing attention on how environmental and policy interventions can affect chronic disease burden, our objectives are to describe (a) effective and promising interventions to address tobacco use, physical activity, and healthy eating and (b) lessons learned from the literature and practice experience in applying environmental and policy approaches. A total of 17 interventions were reviewed, organized across 3 domains affecting the physical environment/access, economic environment, and communication environment. Many of these interventions are effective. Several lessons are important to consider, such as the need to start with environmental and policy approaches, intervene comprehensively and across multiple levels, make use of economic evaluations, make better use of existing analytic tools, understand the politics and local context, address health disparities, and conduct sound policy research.