Maternal stress programs accelerated aging of the basal ganglia motor system in offspring.

Early-life stress involved in the programming of stress-related illnesses can have a toxic influence on the functioning of the nigrostriatal motor system during aging. We examined the effects of perinatal stress (PRS) on the neurochemical, electrophysiological, histological, neuroimaging, and behavioral correlates of striatal motor function in adult (4 months of age) and old (21 months of age) male rats. Adult PRS offspring rats showed reduced dopamine (DA) release in the striatum associated with reductions in tyrosine hydroxylase-positive (TH) cells and DA transporter (DAT) levels, with no loss of striatal dopaminergic terminals as assessed by positron emission tomography analysis with fluorine-18-l-dihydroxyphenylalanine.

Medicolegal aspects of donor safety evaluation.

Current Italian statutes concern the safety of organ donors. The law of April 1, 1999 (no. 91), established the fundamental principles for a new structure for organ transplants in Italy and, therefore, for the quality of transplanted organs.