Biomedical subjects

V Deiss

Publications and source records attributed to V Deiss.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Regional brain variations of cytochrome oxidase activity and motor coordination in Girk2(Wv) (Weaver) mutant mice.

The Girk2(Wv) (weaver) phenotype, caused by a mutated inward rectifying potassium channel, is characterized by degeneration of cerebellar granule cell population as well as midbrain dopamine-containing cells of the nigrostriatal pathway. To investigate the regional brain metabolic consequences of this combined pathology, cytochrome oxidase (CO) activity was measured by histochemistry from brain regions of wild-type and homozygous Girk2(Wv) mutant mice and correlated with motor performances. CO activity of Girk2(Wv) mutants was abnormal in cerebellar cortex, dentate nucleus, and brainstem regions (medial and lateral vestibular nuclei, prepositus, superior colliculus, lateral cuneiform nucleus, and reticular nuclei) implicated in the gaze system. CO activity increased in midbrain dopaminergic regions after correcting for tissue density, regions with severe depletion of tyrosine hydroxylase activity. Forebrain regions were relatively spared in term of CO activity, except for subthalamic nucleus, lateral geniculate nucleus, and cortical eye field. Similarly to the Rora(sg) cerebellar mutant, metabolic alterations in cerebellar and vestibular regions were linearly correlated with poor motor coordination, underlining the sensitivity of these tests to cerebellar dysfunction.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed2005

Emotions generated by meat and other food products in women.

Eating behaviour depends partly on food preference, which is itself determined by different types of emotions. Among the emotions generated by food, disgust with red meat is common in women and can lead to reduced meat consumption. We tested the hypothesis that low meat intake is related to different negative emotions towards meat but does not affect the emotions expressed towards other food categories. Food intake of sixty women was followed throughout each day for 1 week and allowed us to assign women to two groups (low v. high meat-eating women). They were then invited to assess the intensity of twenty-six emotions described by words and induced by thirty food pictures. We determined the number of necessary dimensions to describe the space created by the twenty-six words. The results showed differences in emotions between the low and high meat-eating women. As expected, there were overall differences in the emotions generated by the thirty food pictures. Six clusters of emotions were necessary and sufficient to summarise the emotional space. These dimensions were described by 'disappointment', 'satisfaction', 'guilt', 'doubt', 'amused' and 'indifference'. As expected, the low meat-eating women felt more 'disappointment', 'indifference' and less 'satisfaction' towards meat than did the high meat-eating women. However, the low meat-eating women also stated other negative emotions such as 'doubt' towards some starchy foods. The only foods that they liked more than high meat-eating women were pears and French beans. In conclusion, low meat consumption was associated with specific negative emotions regarding meat and other foods.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Cytochrome oxidase activity in the olfactory system of staggerer mutant mice.

The staggerer mutation is characterized by the disruption of a single recessive gene encoding for the nuclear hormone receptor RORalpha. In addition to the well-studied gene expression in the cerebellum causing massive primary Purkinje cell loss, the RORalpha gene is also expressed in the thalamus and the olfactory bulb. A quantitative histochemical study of cytochrome oxidase activity was performed in staggerer mutants and their respective controls in order to determine whether olfactory bulb neuropathology leads to neuronal metabolic alterations in olfactory and related limbic regions. In the staggerer olfactory bulb, the core and the shell of the glomeruli had lower levels of cytochrome activity, whereas higher levels were found in the external plexiform and granular layers. Other olfactory and limbic regions were unchanged, except for a higher level in the accessory olfactory bulb and a lower level in the most ventral part of the medial orbital cortex. These results are discussed with regard to the olfactory deficits and changes in social interactions previously observed in this mutant.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

Regional brain variations of cytochrome oxidase activity and motor co-ordination in staggerer mutant mice.

A mutant mouse with cerebellar cortical atrophy, staggerer, was examined in tests of motor activity and co-ordination as well as in regional brain metabolism as assessed by cytochrome oxidase activity. Compared with non-ataxic controls, staggerer mutants had inferior performances in the open field, the wooden beam, the wooden edge, and the rotorod tests. An increase in cytochrome oxidase activity in the deep cerebellar nuclei and in some cerebellar efferent regions, such as the lateral vestibular nucleus, the parvicellular red nucleus, and the ventral tegmental area, was found in staggerer mutant mice. Abnormally high cytochrome oxidase activity in the interpositus and the dentate nuclei was linearly correlated with poor performance on the wooden beam and on the rotorod. High cytochrome oxidase activity in the lateral vestibular nucleus was also associated with poor performance on the wooden beam. Moreover, high cytochrome oxidase activity in the fastigial nucleus was associated with poor performance on the wooden beam but with high motor activity in the open field. These results indicate that a lack of innervation of Purkinje cells to the deep cerebellar nuclei is in part the cause of motor co-ordination deficits in staggerer mutant mice.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Discrimination of olfactory sexual cues in staggerer mutant male mice.

Generally, staggerer male mice do not express any preference between oestrous and anoestrous female odours in a choice test situation. The staggerer ability to discriminate between these olfactory sexual cues was evaluated in an habituation-dishabituation paradigm. In this situation it was found that the staggerer mice discriminate between these two odours. The lack of sexual odour preference in staggerer male mice is discussed through hormonal and neurological interpretation.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Olfactory learning abilities in staggerer mutant mice.

Staggerer mutant mice were compared to non-mutant mice in two olfactory learning tasks. It was found that, in spite of a delayed acquisition compared to non-mutants, staggerer mice were able to learn an olfactory habituation task. On the other hand, staggerer presented deficits in an associative olfactory task and, contrary to non-mutants, did not learn this task. Perturbations in olfactory bulbs of staggerer mice could explain their olfactory learning deficits.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Hyposmia for butanol and vanillin in mutant staggerer male mice.

To address the hypothesis that reproductive deficits in male house mice expressing the staggerer mutation are due to chemosensory deficits, we examined behavioral responses to odorants. Two-choice tests (butanol or vanillin vs. amyl acetate odors) were used to determine behavioral thresholds for butanol, an aversive odor, and for vanillin, an attractive odor. Two groups of C57B1/6 male mice (one nonmutant group and one mutant group) were studied using an olfactometer. Different concentrations of butanol were used: from 5.5 x 10(-4) M to 5.5 x 10(-1) M. Vanillin at different concentrations, from 6.6 x 10(-5) M to 6.6 x 10(-2) M, was presented during the tests after a 1-month period of familiarization. Aversive and attractive behavioral thresholds of staggerer mice were higher than those of nonmutant mice. The staggerer mutation induces hyposmia in mice. This olfactory deficit could explain, at least partially, abnormalities in the social and sexual behaviors of staggerer mice.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

[Epidemiology of HIV-1 infection in Bern--application of molecular methods].

Systematic application of molecular techniques for epidemiology may serve as a useful tool in the evaluation of HIV transmission in small populations, and allows for better targeting of prevention programs while complementing classical epidemiological methods and preserving the privacy of individuals. Coded serum samples from 24 randomly chosen patients belonging to the HIV cohort of Berne were investigated by direct assessment of partial env gene sequences. This information was used to construct a preliminary sequence database. Thereafter, nine couples, amongst whom HIV transmission was thought possible, were assessed in a blind and coded fashion. Sequence data demonstrated that the main viral subtype circulating in Berne has the characteristics of the American-European HIV-1 strain (96% amino acid homology). 4 of 9 couples were shown to share viral strains. Other potential couples carried strains with sequence characteristics that did not support the possibility of transmission. These data provide a basis for future epidemiological studies in our community.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed1990

Cloning of the human parvovirus B19 genome and structural analysis of its palindromic termini.

We describe the molecular cloning of the entire 5.6-kb single-stranded DNA genome of the human parvovirus B19 in bacterial plasmids. Stable amplification of the recombinant plasmid DNA was achieved in Escherichia coli JC8111 but not in HB101 cells. Sequence analysis of the cloned DNA shows that the terminal 383 nucleotides at each end of the genome are identical inverted repeats. The distal 365 nucleotides of the repeat represent an imperfect palindrome which presumably folds over to form a hairpin structure. The sequence of the hairpin occurs in two distinct configurations which are related in that one is the inverted complement of the other. Such alternative configurations of the terminal hairpins have been found for all parvoviruses analyzed so far and are referred to as flip and flop.

Base Sequence↗