Genome-wide association study of treatment refractory schizophrenia in Han Chinese.

We report the first genome-wide association study of a joint analysis using 795 Han Chinese individuals with treatment-refractory schizophrenia (TRS) and 806 controls. Three loci showed suggestive significant association with TRS were identified. These loci include: rs10218843 (P = 3.

Novel DNA sequence variations of cytochrome P450 genes in the Han Chinese population.

Aim: Cytochrome P450 is an important monooxygenase responsible for the metabolism of a large variety of structurally diverse compounds. The aim of this study was to systematically investigate the DNA sequence variations in 14 cytochrome P450 genes relevant to drug metabolism in the Han Chinese population.

Materials & Methods: We sequenced these 14 genes in 23 subjects and determined the allele frequencies.

FASTSNP: an always up-to-date and extendable service for SNP function analysis and prioritization.

Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) prioritization based on the phenotypic risk is essential for association studies. Assessment of the risk requires access to a variety of heterogeneous biological databases and analytical tools. FASTSNP (function analysis and selection tool for single nucleotide polymorphisms) is a web server that allows users to efficiently identify and prioritize high-risk SNPs according to their phenotypic risks and putative functional effects.

Effects of baicalein on beta-amyloid peptide-(25-35)-induced amnesia in mice.

Baicalein may act on the benzodiazepine binding sites to exert an anxiolytic-like effect in mice. Since many benzodiazepine drugs have amnesic side-effect and baicalein can protect cultured cortical neurons from beta-amyloid peptide-(25-35)-induced toxicity, this study examined the amnesic effect of baicalein and its effects on beta-amyloid peptide-(25-35) (3 nmol/mouse, i.c.

Dimemorfan enhances acetylcholine release from rat hippocampal slices.

Our previous study reported that an antitussive drug, dimemorfan, attenuates cholinergic dysfunction-induced amnesia in mice and acts like a sigma1 receptor agonist. This study further showed that dimemorfan (30 microM), like the putative sigma1 receptor agonist (+)-SKF-10047 (10 microM), significantly enhanced 25 mM KCl-evoked [3H]acetylcholine release from rat hippocampal but not striatal slices, which was antagonized by a sigma1 receptor antagonist haloperidol (0.3 microM).

Anti-amnesic effect of dimemorfan in mice.

(1) Dimemorfan, an antitussive for more than 25 years, has previously been reported to be a relative high-affinity ligand at sigma-1 (sigma(1)) receptor with the K(i) value of 151 nM. (2) To test whether dimemorfan has anti-amnesic effects similar to a sigma(1) receptor agonist, this study examined its effects on scopolamine- and beta-amyloid peptide-(25-35)-induced amnesia in mice. (3) Dimemorfan (10-40 mg kg(-1), i.