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Showing papers by "University of Cagliari published in 1985"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In unanesthetized rats the intravenous administration of low doses of ethanol produced a dose-dependent increase in the firing rate of dopaminergic neurons in the Ventral Tegmental Area, suggesting that they might be involved in the reinforcing properties of the drug.

772 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results indicate that ethanol might inhibit the firing of PR neurons through a GABAergic mechanism, and since PR neurons are thought to exert an inhibitory control on nigral dopaminergic neurons, it is suggested that the depression of the activity of such inhibitory interneurons may be responsible for ethanol-induced stimulation of dopamine activity.

159 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results demonstrate that SCH 23390 is potently cataleptogenic and that the catalepsy it produces has a pharmacologic profile typical of that produced by potent and specific D-2 antagonists.

151 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors proposed another equation derived from Eyring's but explicitly containing the term τo, which is derived from the parabolic equation of Portland cement pastes.

112 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Chronic treatment with SCH 23390 increased the density of [3H]SCH 23390 binding sites in striatal membrane preparations but failed to change the apparent KD of the ligand for its binding sites, suggesting chronic blockade of D-1 receptor sites by SCH 233 90 can lead to an increase in their total number.

96 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Data on microgeographic population structure on four neighbouring villages of Sardinia island (Italy) are presented and discussed and the effect of climate change on population structure is discussed.
Abstract: Data on microgeographic population structure on four neighbouring villages of Sardinia island (Italy) are presented and discussed. Two villages are located in the lowlands where malaria from Plasmodium falciparum was endemic until the eradication of paludism. The other two villages are located in the highlands and they were malaria-free because of the altitude. Census data, inbreeding, migration matrices and surname distributions have been collected. The genetic differentiation of the four villages, tested for 31 genetic polymorphisms (106 alleles), is only in part compatible with migration rates inferred from demographic data. The possible adaptive nature of some genetic markers with respect to malarial resistance is discussed. Ambiguous results from population genetics quantitative methods do not support definite answers.

87 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is concluded that by preventing the excitatory response to apomorphine SCH 23390 discloses the existence of a population of D-2 receptors mediating sedation and sleep.

80 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined personal attitudes toward a variety of beliefs: a shortened form of the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS), administered to the patients upon their admission to the hospital (test), upon their release (retest), and again 1 year after their discharge (follow-up), the latter obtained with 30 of the original sample.
Abstract: Sixty depressed inpatients were treated exclusively with antidepressant medication and released at the resolution of their major depressive episodes. These individuals were studied over a 4-year period using a questionnaire that examined personal attitudes toward a variety of beliefs: a shortened form of the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS). The DAS was administered to the patients upon their admission to the hospital (test), upon their release (retest), and again 1 year after their discharge (follow-up)—the latter obtained with 30 of the original sample. The psychiatrists filled out Hamilton's Rating Scale for Depression (HRS-D) on the same occasions. In this way, it was possible to examine the correlation between changes in depressive symptomatology and cognitive processes—specifically, the extent and nature of changed and unchanged client beliefs during the pharmacological intervention. The depressed group was compared with a homogeneous control group that filled out the DAS at the same times. Although many of the 37 beliefs examined had undergone significant change by the end of each client's depressive episode, 5 beliefs appeared to be quite resistant to change, persisting even 1 year after discharge. These specific beliefs may be differentially important in the cognitive organization of people prone to major depressive episodes.

60 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The data indicate that chronic opiate abuse leads to a hypoadrenalism which could be the result of morphine-induced changes at the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis of heroin addicts.

54 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In 2 children with IGHD and all 4 with CGD, basal growth hormone (GH) and somatomedin-C levels were increased, pituitary GH response to challenges with a synthetic pancreatic GH releasing factor and clonidine was enhanced, and linear growth was stimulated.

54 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The failure of SCH 23390 to block the apomorphine effect indicates that DA autoreceptors can be pharmacologically differentiated form postsynaptic DA receptors.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is reported that the intracellular mechanism by which neurotensin stimulates prolactin release involves an increase in Ca2+ uptake by pituitary cells rather than an effect on adenylate cyclase system.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Hepatocyte nodules showed a striking increase in their capacity for synthesizing cholesterol, in comparison to surrounding and control tissues, and an enhancement in the activity of the pentose phosphate pathway, as indicated by increased activity of glucose-6-ph phosphate dehydrogenase and of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogensase, and a concomitant decrease of glucose -6- phosphatase.
Abstract: The endogenous synthesis of cholesterol in hepatocyte nodules, induced in male Wistar rats, by a single dose of the hepatocarcinogen diethylnitrosamine followed by a selection procedure, was investigated and was compared with that in surrounding and control tissue. In addition, the activity of enzymes related to carbohydrate metabolism (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, glucose-6-phosphatase and pyruvate kinase), was measured. Hepatocyte nodules showed a striking increase in their capacity for synthesizing cholesterol, in comparison to surrounding and control tissues, and an enhancement in the activity of the pentose phosphate pathway, as indicated by increased activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, and a concomitant decrease of glucose-6-phosphatase. The stimulation of cholesterol synthesis and of the pentose phosphate pathway was associated with increased incorporation of labelled thymidine into DNA. These data indicate that, among other metabolic disturbances, enhancement of cholesterol synthesis and of the pentose phosphate pathway, is accompanied by an increased proliferative capacity of hepatocyte nodules.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Investigation of whether restriction endonucleases produce bands on human chromosomes by extracting DNA, using staining methods which are stoichiometric for DNA finds DNA loss from chromosomes due to digestion by restriction enzymes may in some cases be uniform, although a G-banding pattern is visible after Giemsa staining.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It appears that the dopaminergic nigrostriatal system is not essential in the expression of the contraversive turning behavior produced by intranigral injections of endogenous opiates or morphine and that opiates might produce dopamine-like effects indirectly, through the inhibition of nigral non-dopaminergic output neurons.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A saturable, specific, high‐affinity binding site for [3H] 1 ‐methyl‐4‐phenyl‐1,2,3,6‐tetrahydropyridine was found in rat brain homogenates and it is suggested that this binding site may correspond to monoamine oxidase.
Abstract: A saturable, specific, high-affinity binding site for [3H]1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine was found in rat brain homogenates. The CNS regional distribution, the subcellular fractionation, and the displacement by pargyline, clorgyline, and deprenyl suggest that this binding site may correspond to monoamine oxidase. 1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine inhibited the oxidative deamination of dopamine, both in vivo and in vitro. Striatal levels of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid were significantly reduced shortly after intravenous administration, and returned to normal values after a few hours. The in vitro formation of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid from dopamine was inhibited by concentrations of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine comparable to those of pargyline.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The working hypothesis is that an endogenous ligand for BZ recognition sites, possessing beta-carboline-like properties, is released during foot shock stress.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is concluded that blockade of postsynaptic D1 receptors results in the stimulation of SN-DA neurons, but this effect fails to activate TH and DA synthesis unless presynaptic DA autoreceptors are blocked.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The findings are in agreement with the results obtained in the four subgroups a posteriori selected on the basis of FPA levels: alpha 2 AP in subgroups with high FPA was significantly different from controls while it did not differ in sub groups with normal FPA.


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the photoconductivity as a function of light intensity over a maximum of 12 orders of magnitude was investigated at excitation energies corresponding to definite extrinsic transitions in the CdIn.
Abstract: At excitation energies corresponding to definite extrinsic transitions in ${\mathrm{CdIn}}_{2}$${\mathrm{S}}_{4}$, the photoconductivity is investigated as a function of light intensity over a maximum of 12 orders of magnitude ${(10}^{16}$ to ${10}^{28}$ photons/${\mathrm{m}}^{2}$ sec). For certain wavelength ranges a photoconductivity plateau is observed at high excitation intensities. This saturation effect is attributed to a saturation of high density levels within the gap at high light intensities.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The hypothesis that the long-lasting proconflict effect of chronic FG 7142 administration is the consequence of a persistent down-regulation of the GABAergic transmission is discussed.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results support the view that a decrease in GABA transmission plays a role in ethanol withdrawal symptoms and suggest that progabide may be tested as a possible treatment of ethanol withdrawal syndrome in man.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This study in drug-free parkinsonian patients demonstrated that terguride is able to improve the neurological symptoms similar to DA agonists, but without their typical side effects.
Abstract: Terguride, a mixed agonist-antagonist of central dopamine receptors, was administered to eight patients with Parkinson's Disease. The clinical symptomatology of all patients improved significantly. The maximum neurological effect of terguride was noted at the highest daily dose (1.2 mg) after 21 days of treatment in all subjects, with a statistically significant average of 50.6% neurological improvement on the Webster scale in respect to admission. All single scores of the Webster scale decreased significantly: swing of the arms, facial expression, bradikinesia, rigidity and gait, particularly. No significant adverse reactions were observed during treatment. Our study in drug-free parkinsonian patients demonstrated that terguride is able to improve the neurological symptoms similar to DA agonists, but without their typical side effects.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Ovarial infection by symbiotic bacteroids and the formation of bacteriocytes were studied in Blattella germanica, and their infection occurs when the symbionts specifically migrate from the embryonic epineural sinus toward these cells.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In NIH mice, both parasites stimulated a strong response by day 8 of infection and activity had returned to control levels by day 11, and in B10G mice, T. spiralis elicited an earlier peak response than T. pseudospiralis (day 12), but in both, activity returned to Control level by day 21.

Journal ArticleDOI
01 Jan 1985-Peptides
TL;DR: A new 28 amino acid peptide, isolated from the venom of the bumblebee Megabombus pennsylvanicus, has been characterized and has been named bumblebees mast cell degranulating (MCD) peptide due to its ability to degranulate rat peritoneal mast cells, and its resemblance to the bee venom MCD peptide.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The structural and functional properties of hemocyanin from the lobster Palinurus elephas indicate that this protein is similar to that of Panulirus interruptus, as expected on the basis of the phylogenetic relatedness of the two species.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The livers of streptozotocin-induced diabetic and fasted rats showed a decreased cholesterol synthesis measured by in vitro incorporation of [2-14C]acetate, and an increase of glucose-6-phosphatase (G- 6-Pase) was observed consistently in diabetic as well as in fasted animals.

Journal ArticleDOI
G. Alfano1, P. Carbini1, M. Carta1, R. Ciccu1, C. Del Fa1, R Peretti1, A. Zucca1 
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors discuss some beneficiation problems to the solution of which electrostatic separation can give substantial contribution, which can be successfully applied for the separation of potassium salts, the recovery of heavy minerals contained in marine placers and the treatment of complex industrial ores.