The influence of gender on 'tissue at risk' in acute stroke: A diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging study in a rat model of focal cerebral ischaemia.

This is the first study to assess the influence of sex on the evolution of ischaemic injury and penumbra. Permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion was induced in male (n = 9) and female (n = 10) Sprague-Dawley rats. Diffusion-weighted imaging was acquired over 4 h and infarct determined from T2 images at 24 h post-permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion.

Noninvasive MRI measurement of CBF: evaluating an arterial spin labelling sequence with 99mTc-HMPAO CBF autoradiography in a rat stroke model.

Arterial spin labelling (ASL) is increasingly available for noninvasive cerebral blood flow (CBF) measurement in stroke research. Here, a pseudo-continuous ASL technique (pCASL) was evaluated against (99m)Tc-D, L-hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime ((99m)Tc-HMPAO) autoradiography in a rat stroke model. The (99m)Tc-HMPAO was injected (intravenously, 225 MBq) during pCASL acquisition.

Influence of 100% and 40% oxygen on penumbral blood flow, oxygen level, and T2*-weighted MRI in a rat stroke model.

Accurate imaging of the ischemic penumbra is a prerequisite for acute clinical stroke research. T(2)(*) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) combined with an oxygen challenge (OC) is being developed to detect penumbra based on changes in blood deoxyhemoglobin. However, inducing OC with 100% O(2) induces sinus artefacts on human scans and influences cerebral blood flow (CBF), which can affect T(2)(*) signal.

Dopamine and oxytocin interactions underlying behaviors: potential contributions to behavioral disorders.

Dopamine is an important neuromodulator that exerts widespread effects on the central nervous system (CNS) function. Disruption in dopaminergic neurotransmission can have profound effects on mood and behavior and as such is known to be implicated in various neuropsychiatric behavioral disorders including autism and depression. The subsequent effects on other neurocircuitries due to dysregulated dopamine function have yet to be fully explored.

Interactions between dopamine and oxytocin in the control of sexual behaviour.

Dopamine and oxytocin are two key neuromodulators involved in reproductive behaviours, such as mating and maternal care. Much evidence underlies their separate roles in such behaviours, but particularly in sexual behaviour. It is generally believed that central dopaminergic and oxytocinergic systems work together to regulate the expression of penile erection, but relatively little is known regarding how they interact.