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Biomedical subjects

G E McClearn

Publications and source records attributed to G E McClearn.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

A cross-ethnic comparison of reasons given for using alcohol, not using alcohol or ceasing to use alcohol.

In a study that included six different racial-ethnic groups in Hawaii, the reasons given by drinkers for drinking, abstainers for not drinking and former drinkers for ceasing to drink were assessed. Although there were group differences in frequencies of endorsement of given reasons for drinking, for not drinking or for ceasing to drink, the findings of similarity were most impressive. Drinkers, abstainers and former drinkers were similar across racial-ethnic groups in their proportions of endorsement of given reasons for drinking, abstaining or ceasing to use alcohol. Although reasons for drinking varied across racial-ethnic groups, they varied much more across groups that differed in alcohol consumption independent of ethnicity, with all reasons for drinking being more often endorsed as consumption increased. In addition, the citation of more pathological reasons for drinking was associated with a greater number of drinking problems.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Swedish early separated twins: identification and characterization.

A sample of twins separated early in life has been identified in the Swedish Twin Registry. When the registry was compiled in 1961 (old cohort) and 1973 (young cohort), one or both members of 961 pairs indicated that they were separated by the age of 10. In May 1979, both members of 698 pairs were alive and were sent a questionnaire concerning the circumstances of separation. Items included reasons and timing of separation, biological relatedness of rearing parents, degree of contact after separation (including whether they lived in the same area, attended the same school, or lived together again), rough measures of selective placement, and current frequency of contact. An attempt was then made to categorize the pairs based on degree of separation. A total of 257 pairs met the criteria: rearing parents of one twin biologically unrelated to rearing parents of the cotwin, twins not living together again after separation, and contact after separation a few times a year or less. As much as 50% were separated by their first birthday, and 80% by the age of five. Various data from the twin registry are presented describing the entire sample of early separated twins as compared to a matched sample of twins reared together.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Factor structure of common drug usage.

The correlated usage of commonly employed, legal drugs was examined in a sample of 377 American and 908 Swedish adults. Measures of alcohol, tranquilizer, sleeping pill, and coffee or tea consumption were submitted to a principal components factor analysis with Varimax rotation. The resultant three factors were characterized by (1) heavy drinking in general and beer consumption specifically (ALCFAC), (2) the use of tranquilizers and sleeping medications (TSFAC) and (3) the consumption of coffee and tea (CTFAC). Factor structure profiles for ALCFAC and TSFAC were more stable than CTFAC across nationalities, sexes, and cohorts. Profiles for Swedish smokers and never-smokers were very similar; for Americans, however, profiles for never-smokers were more similar to Swedish profiles than to those of American smokers. Factor scores were computed to examine the relationship between tobacco use and levels of the factors by means of analysis of variance. In Swedes, ALCFAC and CTFAC levels varied with smoking status, whereas ALCFAC and TSFAC levels with smoking status in Americans.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed1983

Selective breeding for a multivariate index of ethanol dependence in mice: results from the first five generations.

Starting with a population of genetically heterogeneous mice (HS/lbg), selection for a multivariate index of the ethanol withdrawal syndrome has been initiated. The study uses within-litter selection to minimize inbreeding and includes replicate high, low, and control lines. After five generations, results indicate that selection is proceeding successfully. There is evidence of asymmetry in the selection, i.e., selection is proceeding more rapidly for signs of severe withdrawal than for mild withdrawal signs. The realized heritability after five generations of within-family selection is approximately 0.15. These selected lines should eventually prove useful in determining some of the underlying genetic, physiological, and biochemical mechanisms involved in ethanol dependence.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed1982

Central and peripheral nervous system complications.

Symptomatic neuropathy is a common manifestation of diabetes mellitus, and sensory, motor, or autonomic symptoms occur in approximately 10% of all diabetic patients. Animal models may be useful to study the metabolic and electrophysiologic abnormalities peculiar to diabetic neuropathy. Genetic animal models, including the Chinese hamster, ob/ob mouse, db/db mouse, BB-wistar rat, and SSDR rat or chemically induced or nutritional models of diabetes mellitus provide the potential to use animals to study human neuropathy; however, to date, few characteristics of human diabetic neuropathy have been clearly demonstrated in any of these animal models. Better characterization of the neuropathy of existing animal models with emphasis on evaluation over long periods of time is recommended. These studies should include a cross-disciplinary approach using biochemical, electrophysiologic and morphologic techniques. Specific future approaches to study diabetic neuropathy using chemical models is outlined in this chapter.

Alloxan↗
PubMed1982

Selective breeding in mice for severity of the ethanol withdrawal syndrome.

Starting with a foundation population of 200 genetically heterogeneous mice (HS/Ibg), selective breeding has been initiated for a multivariate index of the ethanol withdrawal syndrome. This paper discusses the advantages of using multivariate indices to define pharmacological concepts. The seven variables included in our multivariate index are described. Because five of the seven variables showed a significant sex difference, separate principal component analyses were performed to establish selection indices appropriate for each sex. The study employs within-family mating to minimize inbreeding and includes replicate high, low, and control lines. These selectively bred lines should eventually provide a useful animal model for studying physiological and neurological mechanisms that may be involved in the ethanol withdrawal syndrome.

Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium↗
PubMed1981

Neurobiological and genetic aspects of the etiology of alcoholism.

In contrast to humans, most animals will not voluntarily consume alcohol to the point of intoxication nor to the point of development of tolerance and physical dependence. Since there is good evidence for a genetic component to human alcoholism, we explore the possibility that the presence of alcohol in the environment during human evolution has contributed to this difference in behavior from that observed in lower animals. We then review the biologic basis for genetic influences on various aspects of alcohol-related behaviors in both humans and lower animals. Thus, the evidence for genetic influences on rate of alcohol metabolism, preference, central nervous system depressant effects. tolerance, and dependence are briefly reviewed. The technique of selective breeding for alcohol-related behavior is described and compared to the process of natural selection that may be occurring in the human population.

Acetaldehyde↗
PubMed1981

Ethanol consumption: selective breeding in mice.

From a foundation stock of HS/Ibg mice, mass selection has yielded high-ethanol acceptance (HEA) and low-ethanol acceptance (LEA) lines with distributions which show little overlap in the 10th generation. Divergence has been systematic and the estimate of the realized heritability after 10 generations of selective breeding is 0.21 +/- 0.04. Low to moderate correlations among three methods of measuring alcohol consumption, including the one on which selection was based, were shown in an F2 generation derived from C57BL/Ibg and C3H/Ibg mice.

Alcohol Drinking↗