Estimation of typical food portion sizes for children of different ages in Great Britain.

It is often the case in dietary assessment that it is not practicable to weigh individual intakes of foods eaten. The aim of the work described was to estimate typical food portion weights for children of different ages. Using the data available from the British National Diet and Nutrition Surveys of children aged 1 1/2-4 1/2 years (1992-1993) and young people aged 4-18 years (1997), descriptive statistics were obtained, and predicted weights were calculated by linear, quadratic and exponential regression for each age group.

Inhibition of restraint-induced neuroendocrine and serotonergic responses by buspirone in rats.

The effects of buspirone (0.5 mg/kg) on the neuroendocrine and serotonergic responses to stress were monitored in rats. Exposure to 2-h of restraint stress increased circulating levels of corticosterone, noradrenaline and glucose.

Dopamine and serotonin neurotransmission in the reinforcing effects of alcohol and apomorphine.

Objective: To determine the role of dopamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT; serotonin) in the reinforcing effects of alcohol and apomorphine.

Design: Experimental study.

Place And Duration Of Study: Department of Biochemistry, University of Karachi from September to November 2004.

Differences in the effects of haloperidol and clozapine on brain serotonin and dopamine metabolism and on tests related to extrapyramidal functions in rats.

Background: An important goal of current neuroleptic research is to develop antipsychotic compounds with a low incidence of extrapyramidal side effects (EPS). Clozapine, the first of the atypical antipsychotics to be proven effective in treatment-resistant schizophrenia, is reported to produce less EPS than typical neuroleptics, such as haloperidol.

Material/methods: The present study compares the neurochemical profiles of clozapine and haloperidol in rats.

Pre- and postsynaptic responses to 1-(1-naphthylpiperazine) following adaptation to stress in rats.

In view of a role of pre- and postsynaptic serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) receptors in adaptation to stress, effects of 1-(1-naphthylpiperazine) (1-NP) were compared in unrestrained and repeatedly restrained adapted rats. In the first part of the study, effects of various doses (1.0-15 mg/kg ip) of 1-NP were monitored on brain 5-HT metabolism (presynaptic response) and on the activity (postsynaptic response) of rats in an activity cage to which the rats were habituated before the drug administration.