Recent studies have suggested that polymorphisms of the dopamine receptors are associated with therapeutic response to antipsychotics. Thus, we studied the effects AP26113 mw of major polymorphisms of dopamine-related genes on plasma concentration of prolactin. Subjects were 174 schizophrenic patients (68 mates, 106 females) receiving 3 mg twice daily of risperidone for at least 4 weeks. Sample collections were conducted 12 h after the bedtime dosing. Five dopamine-related polymorphisms (Taq1A, -141C ins/del for DRD2, Ser9Gly for DRD3, 48 bp VNTR for DRD4, Val158Met for COMT) were identified. The mean (+/- SD) plasma concentration of prolactin in females was significantly higher than males (54.3 +/- 27.2

ng/ml versus 126.8 +/- 70.2 ng/ml, p<0.001). No dopamine-related polymorphisms differed the plasma concentration of prolactin in males or females. Multiple regression analyses including plasma drug concentration and age revealed that plasma concentration of prolactin correlated with gender (standardized partial correlation coefficients (beta) =0.551, p<0.001) and negatively with age (standardized beta=-0.202, p<0.01). No correlations were found between prolactin LGK-974 mouse concentration and dopamine-related polymorphisms.

These findings suggest that plasma prolactin concentrations in females are much higher than in males but the dopamine-related variants are not predominantly associated with plasma concentration of prolactin. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.”
“Localized mRNA provides spatial and temporal protein expression essential to cell development and physiology. To explore the

mechanisms involved, considerable effort has been spent in establishing new and improved methods for visualizing mRNA. Here, we discuss how these techniques have extended our understanding Elongation factor 2 kinase of intracellular mRNA localization in a variety of organisms. In addition to increased ease and specificity of detection in fixed tissue, in situ hybridization methods now enable examination of mRNA distribution at the ultrastructural level with electron microscopy. Most significantly, methods for following the movement of mRNA in living cells are now in widespread use. These include the introduction of labeled transcripts by microinjection, hybridization based methods using labeled antisense probes and complementary transgenic methods for tagging endogenous mRNAs using bacteriophage components. These technical innovations are now being coupled with super-resolution light microscopy methods and promise to revolutionize our understanding of the dynamics and complexity of the molecular mechanism of mRNA localization.”
“Propofol is a rapidly acting water-insoluble non-barbiturate anesthetic agent that is widely used as an intravenous sedative-hypnotic agent. Anecdotal evidence indicates that propofol may be effective at terminating intractable migraine headache.