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Biomedical subjects

S F Zornetzer

Publications and source records attributed to S F Zornetzer.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1978

Ethanol dependence in the rat: role of non-specific and limbic regions in the withdrawal reaction.

Chronic bipolar electrodes were implanted in cortical, limbic, diencephalic and mesencephalic regions of the rat. Following recovery from surgery the rats were maintained for 14--26 days on a liquid diet in which 35--42% of total calories were provided by ethanol. Following ethanol withdrawal, electrographic and behavioral monitoring was continued for 8--10 h. The withdrawal of ethanol resulted in the time-dependent appearance of a variety of withdrawal signs including tail arching, ataxia, rigidity, tremor and spontaneous and audiogenic convulsions. These behavioral signs were accompanied by the development of epileptiform abnormalities across wide-spread brain regions. Analysis of preconvulsive spike activity revealed a greater spike frequency in limbic, mesencephalic and non-specific diencephalic regions, as compared to those in cortex and specific diencephalon. Seizure discharge during the tonic-clonic phase of the primary audiogenic convulsion was initiated in the mesencephalon or amygdala, but spread rather extensively to the remainder of the brain. In those instances, however, where multiple convulsions occurred following the audiogenic convulsions, there was a marked decline in spread of seizure discharge to the cortex. These results were interpreted to support the notion that some degree of neuroanatomical specificity exists in the genesis of epileptiform abnormalities during ethanol withdrawal. A comparison of these results with those studying the neural mechanisms underlying other forms of generalized epilepsy was made. It is hypothesized that central pacemaking regions such as medial thalamus or reticular formation may serve to organize isolated epileptiform activity into coherent patterns of paroxysmal activity throughout the brain during the ethanol withdrawal syndrome.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed1975

Ferric ions located in hippocampal subfields of the mouse: effects on behavior.

Using stereotaxic techniques mice were chronically implanted with either stainless steel or platinum-iridium wire probes aimed at the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. Following a recovery period these mice were trained in a single-trial inhibitor avoidance task. Significant performance deficits were found in those animals subsequently shown to have ferric ions (Fe+3) bilaterally located in the dentate gyrus. The presence of Fe+3 in other hippocampal subfields did not result in behavioral deficits. We hypothesize that the Fe+3 are of vascular origin. Two hypotheses are suggested to account for the observed correlation between the presence of Fe+3 bilaterally in the dentate gyrus and the observed behavioral deficit.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Feeling our way in the dark.

The papers by Pontecorvo et al., Kesner and Altman and Normile are considered with regard to their illuminating potential in an area dark and murky with research issues. While each of these papers contributes an interesting perspective and narrow beam of light, the collective darkness dissipated by their work remains small.

Animals↗