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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

Effects Of Stress, Acute Alcohol Treatment, Or Both On Pre-Pulse Inhibition In High- And Low-Alcohol Preferring Mice, Matthew S. Powers, Julia Chester Jan 2014

Effects Of Stress, Acute Alcohol Treatment, Or Both On Pre-Pulse Inhibition In High- And Low-Alcohol Preferring Mice, Matthew S. Powers, Julia Chester

Department of Psychological Sciences Faculty Publications

Pre-pulse inhibition of the acoustic startle reflex (PPI) is a measure of sensorimotor gating frequently used to assess information processing in both humans and rodents. Both alcohol and stress exposure can modulate PPI, making it possible to assess how stress and alcohol interact to influence information processing. Humans with an increased genetic risk for alcoholism are more reactive to stressful situations compared to those without a family history, and alcohol may have stress-dampening effects for those with high genetic risk. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of stress, acute alcohol exposure, or both on PPI …


Relation Between Corticosterone And Fear-Related Behavior In Mice Selectively Bred For High Or Low Alcohol Preference, Julia Chester, Aaron M. Kirchhoff, Gustavo D. Barrenha Jan 2013

Relation Between Corticosterone And Fear-Related Behavior In Mice Selectively Bred For High Or Low Alcohol Preference, Julia Chester, Aaron M. Kirchhoff, Gustavo D. Barrenha

Department of Psychological Sciences Faculty Publications

Blunted cortisol responses to stress or trauma have been linked with genetic (familial) risk for both alcoholism and post-traumatic stress-disorder (PTSD). Mouse lines selectively bred for high (HAP) or low (LAP) alcohol preference may be a relevant model of genetic risk for co-morbid alcoholism and PTSD in humans. HAP mice show greater fear-potentiated startle (FPS), a model used to study PTSD, than LAP mice. The relation between corticosterone (CORT) and FPS behavior was explored in four experiments. Naïve male and female HAP2 and LAP2 mice received fear-conditioning or control treatments and CORT levels were measured before and immediately after fear-conditioning …


Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Containing Α6 Subunits Contribute To Alcohol Reward-Related Behaviors, Matthew S. Powers, H. J. Broderick, Ryan M. Drenan, Julia Chester Jan 2013

Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Containing Α6 Subunits Contribute To Alcohol Reward-Related Behaviors, Matthew S. Powers, H. J. Broderick, Ryan M. Drenan, Julia Chester

Department of Psychological Sciences Faculty Publications

Evidence is emerging that neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in the mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system are involved in mediating the reinforcing effects of alcohol. Midbrain DA neurons express high levels of α6 subunit-containing nAChRs that modulate DA transmission, implicating their involvement in reward-related behaviors. The present study assessed the role of α6-containing nAChRs in modulating alcohol reward using transgenic mice expressing mutant, hypersensitive α6 nAChR subunits (α6L9′S mice). α6L9′S mice and littermate controls were tested in three well-established models of alcohol reward: 24-hr two-bottle choice drinking, drinking in the dark (DID), and conditioned place preference (CPP). Confocal microscopy and patch-clamp …


Effects Of Cross-Fostering On Alcohol Preference And Correlated Responses To Selection In High- And Low-Alcohol Preferring Mice, G. D. Barrenha, Julia Chester Jan 2012

Effects Of Cross-Fostering On Alcohol Preference And Correlated Responses To Selection In High- And Low-Alcohol Preferring Mice, G. D. Barrenha, Julia Chester

Department of Psychological Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Selectively bred rodent lines are valuable tools for investigating gene x environment interactions related to risk for alcoholism in humans. Early maternal environment is one particular factor known for critically influencing neural, hormonal, and behavioral outcomes in adulthood. Cross-fostering is a procedure that may be used to explore the role of genotype-dependent maternal influences on phenotypic variability in adulthood. The purpose of these experiments was to examine the effects of cross-fostering on free-choice alcohol drinking and correlated responses to selection for alcohol preference in mice selectively bred for high- (HAP2) and low- (LAP2) alcohol preference. Methods: Mice were assigned …


Effects Of Alcohol On The Acquisition And Expression Of Fear Potentiated Startle In Mouse Lines Selectively Bred For High And Low Alcohol Preference, Gustavo D. Barrenha, Laran E. Coon, Julia Chester Jan 2011

Effects Of Alcohol On The Acquisition And Expression Of Fear Potentiated Startle In Mouse Lines Selectively Bred For High And Low Alcohol Preference, Gustavo D. Barrenha, Laran E. Coon, Julia Chester

Department of Psychological Sciences Faculty Publications

Rationale: Anxiety disorders and alcohol-use disorders frequently co-occur in humans perhaps because alcohol relieves anxiety. Studies in humans and rats indicate that alcohol may have greater anxiolytic effects in organisms with increased genetic propensity for high alcohol consumption. Objectives and Methods: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of moderate doses of alcohol (0.5, 1.0, 1.5 g/kg) on the acquisition and expression of anxiety-related behavior using a fear-potentiated startle (FPS) procedure. Experiments were conducted in two replicate pairs of mouse lines selectively bred for high- (HAP1 and HAP2) and low- (LAP1 and LAP2) alcohol preference; these lines …


Pentylenetetrazol Produces A State-Dependent Conditioned Place Aversion To Alcohol Withdrawal In Mice, Julia Chester, Laran E. Coon Jan 2010

Pentylenetetrazol Produces A State-Dependent Conditioned Place Aversion To Alcohol Withdrawal In Mice, Julia Chester, Laran E. Coon

Department of Psychological Sciences Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to determine if aversive effects of alcohol withdrawal could be detected in mice using the place conditioning procedure and whether the GABAA receptor antagonist, pentylenetetrazol (PTZ), would increase the aversive effects of alcohol withdrawal and increase the probability of detecting conditioned place aversion. Subjects were alcohol-naïve mice from a specific line selectively bred for low alcohol preference (LAP1; n=91) and were assigned to three groups: alcohol withdrawal, PTZ alone, and PTZ + alcohol withdrawal. On four trials, mice received either a 4.0 g/kg intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of alcohol (alcohol withdrawal, PTZ + alcohol withdrawal …


Effects Of The Novel Endocannabinoid Uptake Inhibitor, Ly2183240, On Fear-Potentiated Startle And Alcohol-Seeking Behaviors In Mice Selectively Bred For High Alcohol Preference, Matthew S. Powers, G. D. Barrenha, N. S. Mlinac, Eric L. Barker, Julia Chester Jan 2010

Effects Of The Novel Endocannabinoid Uptake Inhibitor, Ly2183240, On Fear-Potentiated Startle And Alcohol-Seeking Behaviors In Mice Selectively Bred For High Alcohol Preference, Matthew S. Powers, G. D. Barrenha, N. S. Mlinac, Eric L. Barker, Julia Chester

Department of Psychological Sciences Faculty Publications

Rationale Alcohol-use disorders often occur together with anxiety disorders in humans which may be partly due to common inherited genetic factors. Evidence suggests that the endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of individuals with anxiety and/or alcohol-use disorders. Objectives The present study assessed the effects of a novel endocannabinoid uptake inhibitor, LY2183240, on anxiety- and alcohol-seeking behaviors in a unique animal model that may represent increased genetic risk to develop co-morbid anxiety and alcohol-use disorders in humans. Mice selectively bred for high alcohol preference (HAP) show greater fear-potentiated startle (FPS) than mice selectively bred for …


Comparison Of The Enantiomers Of (±)-Doxanthrine, A High Efficacy Full Dopamine D1 Receptor Agonist, And A Reversal Of Enantioselectivity At D1 Versus Alpha2c Adrenergic Receptors, Julie A. Przybyla, Juan P. Cueva, Benjamin R. Chemel, K. Joseph Hsu, David J. Riese Ii, John D. Mccorvy, Julia Chester, David E. Nichols, Val J. Watts Jan 2009

Comparison Of The Enantiomers Of (±)-Doxanthrine, A High Efficacy Full Dopamine D1 Receptor Agonist, And A Reversal Of Enantioselectivity At D1 Versus Alpha2c Adrenergic Receptors, Julie A. Przybyla, Juan P. Cueva, Benjamin R. Chemel, K. Joseph Hsu, David J. Riese Ii, John D. Mccorvy, Julia Chester, David E. Nichols, Val J. Watts

Department of Psychological Sciences Faculty Publications

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative condition involving the death of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. Dopamine D1 receptor agonists are potential alternative treatments to current therapies that employ L-DOPA, a dopamine precursor. We evaluated the pharmacological profiles of the enantiomers of a novel dopamine D1 receptor full agonist, doxanthrine (DOX) at D1 and α2C adrenergic receptors. (+)-DOX displayed greater potency and intrinsic activity than (-)-DOX in porcine striatal tissue and in a heterologous D1 receptor expression system. Studies in MCF7 cells, which express an endogenous human dopamine D1-like receptor, revealed that (-)-DOX was a weak partial agonist/antagonist that reduced …


Acoustic Startle At Baseline And During Acute Alcohol Withdrawal In Replicate Mouse Lines Selectively Bred For High Or Low Alcohol Preference, Julia Chester, Gustavo D. Barrenha Jan 2007

Acoustic Startle At Baseline And During Acute Alcohol Withdrawal In Replicate Mouse Lines Selectively Bred For High Or Low Alcohol Preference, Julia Chester, Gustavo D. Barrenha

Department of Psychological Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Previous data in both rat and mouse genetic models suggest that there is a genetic relationship between acute alcohol withdrawal responses and innate alcohol drinking behavior. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether acute alcohol withdrawal responses, as measured by acoustic startle and prepulse inhibition (PPI) of acoustic startle, may be genetically related to innate differences in alcohol preference in two mouse lines selectively bred for high (HAP1 and HAP2) or low (LAP1 and LAP2) alcohol preference. Line differences in startle responses at baseline, prior to alcohol or saline treatment, were also measured. Methods: Alcohol-naive, male …