Energy substrate metabolism among habitually violent alcoholic offenders having antisocial personality disorder.

A large proportion of violent offences in Western countries are attributable to antisocial personality disorder (APD). Several studies have shown abnormal lipid, carbohydrate and low cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) monoamine metabolite levels in habitually violent alcoholic offenders with APD, but it is not clear how these biochemical abnormalities are related to each other in this disorder. We aimed to study energy substrate metabolism among habitually violent offenders with APD.

Genetic and other contributions to alcohol intake in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta).

Background: The etiology of alcoholism and alcohol abuse, like many other complex diseases, is heterogeneous and multifactorial. Numerous studies demonstrate a genetic contribution to variation in the expression of alcohol-related disorders in humans. Over the past decade, nonhuman primates have emerged as a valuable model for some aspects of human alcohol abuse because of their phylogenetic proximity to humans.

Maternal absence and stability of individual differences in CSF 5-HIAA concentrations in rhesus monkey infants.

Objective: Early life events often lead to deficits in CNS serotonin function, which underlie a number of reoccurring psychopathological disorders. Studies using rhesus macaques have demonstrated that early maternal deprivation reduces CNS serotonin turnover, as measured by cisternal CSF 5-HIAA concentrations. In addition, individual differences in CSF 5-HIAA remain stable from the first year of life through adulthood.

Comparison of G-protein selectivity of human 5-HT2C and 5-HT1A receptors.

We compared the ability of human 5-HT2C and 5-HT1A receptors to couple to selected G proteins expressed in insect Sf9 cells through simultaneous infection with recombinant baculoviruses. We also examined the coupling of G proteins to these same receptors in membranes derived from the Sf9 cells using in situ reconstitution with purified G proteins. Our data show that unoccupied 5-HT2C and 5-HT1A receptors can attain an activated conformation that is stabilized by interaction with specific G proteins.

Modification of human 5-HT(2C) receptor function by Cys23Ser, an abundant, naturally occurring amino-acid substitution.

A human serotonin (5-HT)(2C) receptor gene polymorphism leads to the substitution of cysteine for serine at codon 23 (Cys23Ser); the frequency of the Ser23 allele in unrelated Caucasians is approximately 0.13. In the present study, we assessed whether Cys23Ser could affect receptor function.