Thirty-seven male Long Evans rats received medial forebrain bundle (MFB) stimulation electrodes and bilateral injection guide cannulae aimed at either the SLEAc or the NAc shell. The rate-frequency paradigm was used to assess drug-induced changes in stimulation reward effectiveness and in response rate following 0.5 mu l infusions of 0.50 mu g of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6-nitro-2, 3-dioxo-benzo[f]quinoxaline-7-sulfonamide (NBQX) (AMPA receptor antagonist), 10.0 mu g of quinpirole (D2 receptor agonist), 0.25 mu g of AMPA (AMPA receptor agonist), 3.0 mu g of eticlopride (D2 receptor antagonist), 0.50

mu g of NBQX with 10.0 mu g of quinpirole, and 0.25 mu g of AMPA with 3.0 mu g of eticlopride. The drugs were injected both ipsi- and contralateral to the stimulation site. AMPA blockade and D2 stimulation synergized to reduce BSR’s reward efficacy when directed Buparlisib at the SLEAc contralateral to the stimulation site whereas changes in reward efficacy were primarily D2-dependent following injections into the ipsilateral SLEAc. When injected into the NAc shell the drugs had only one significant effect on the frequency required to maintain half-maximal responding:

injections of NBQX with quinpirole ipsilateral selleck to the stimulation site increased required frequency significantly more than did injections of saline. Contrary to expectations, stimulating AMPA receptors with and without see more co-blockade of D2 receptors also decreased the stimulation’s reward efficacy, although these effects may reflect general behavioral disruption more than effects

on reward per se. These results indicate a role for the SLEAc in BSR and also suggest that SLEAc neurons ipsi- and contralateral to the stimulated MFB play their roles in BSR through different mechanisms. (C) 2012 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“This study examined the association of plasma homocysteine levels and the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene polymorphism with schizophrenia in the Han population residing in northern China. We detected the MTHFR C677T genotype in 123 schizophrenia patients and compared it with the genotype of 123 controls by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). In addition, by using the cyclophorase method, the plasma homocysteine concentration in 62 schizophrenia patients was determined and then compared with that in 62 controls; these 62 patients and 62 controls were a subset of the 123 patients and 123 controls. We found that the homocysteine levels in the patients were significantly higher than those in the controls. The frequency of homozygosity for the 677T allele of the MTHFR gene was higher in the patient group than in the control group. and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant for both the MTHFR genotype and the frequency of allele homozygosity.