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Biomedical subjects

Y Dwivedi

Publications and source records attributed to Y Dwivedi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Hyperactive phosphoinositide signaling pathway in platelets of depressed patients: effect of desipramine treatment.

There is some evidence to suggest that certain neurotransmitter receptors, such as adrenergic and serotonergic receptors and receptor-linked signaling systems, may be altered in depression. Serotonin(2A) and alpha(2)-adrenergic receptors are linked to the phosphoinositide (PI) signaling system in platelets and brain. To examine if the PI signaling system is altered in depression, we studied thrombin- and sodium fluoride-stimulated inositol phosphate(1) (IP(1)) formation before and during desipramine (DMI) treatment in platelets of depressed patients and normal control subjects. We determined thrombin- and sodium fluoride-stimulated IP(1) formation in platelets obtained from hospitalized depressed patients during a drug-free baseline period and after 6 weeks of DMI treatment, and drug-free non-hospitalized normal control subjects. Depressed subjects were diagnosed according to DSM-IV criteria, and severity of illness was assessed with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. We observed that thrombin-stimulated IP(1) formation in platelets of depressed patients was significantly higher compared with that of normal control subjects. There were no significant differences in sodium fluoride-stimulated IP(1) formation between depressed patients and normal control subjects. We also did not find any significant effect of treatment with DMI on either thrombin- or sodium fluoride-stimulated IP(1) formation in platelets of depressed patients, which continued to be significantly higher after 6 weeks of treatment with DMI, compared with normal control values. Our studies found a hyperactive PI signaling system in platelets of depressed patients. This hyperactive system may be related either to an increased number of thrombin receptors or to a generalized overstimulation of this pathway; however, since we did not observe any differences in sodium fluoride-stimulated IP(1) formation, it appears that, although the sites distal to the receptors may be altered, this abnormality is probably not related to the abnormalities in G proteins.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Reduced activation and expression of ERK1/2 MAP kinase in the post-mortem brain of depressed suicide subjects.

The extracellular regulated kinases (ERK) 1 and ERK2 are members of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase family that play an important role in transducing extracellular signals to the nucleus and have been implicated in a broad spectrum of biological responses. To test the hypothesis that MAP kinases may be involved in depression, we examined the activation of p44/42 MAP kinase and expression of ERK1 and ERK2 in the post-mortem brain tissue obtained from non-psychiatric control subjects (n = 11) and age- and the post-mortem interval-matched depressed suicide subjects (n = 11). We observed that p44/42 MAP kinase activity was significantly decreased in the prefrontal cortical areas (Brodmann's areas 8, 9 and 10) and the hippocampus of depressed suicide subjects without any change in the cerebellum. This decrease was associated with a decrease in mRNA and protein levels of ERK1 and ERK2. In addition, the expression of MAP kinase phosphatase (MKP)2, a 'dual function' ERK1/2 phosphatase, was increased in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. These studies suggest that p44/42 MAP kinases are less activated in the post-mortem brain of depressed suicide subjects and this may be because of reduced expression of ERK1/2 and increased expression of MKP2. Given the role of MAP kinases in various physiological functions and gene expression, alterations in p44/42 MAP kinase activation and expression of ERK1/2 may contribute significantly to the pathophysiology of depressive disorders.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Decrease in reelin and glutamic acid decarboxylase67 (GAD67) expression in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder: a postmortem brain study.

BACKGROUND: Reelin (RELN) is a glycoprotein secreted preferentially by cortical gamma-aminobutyric acid-ergic (GABAergic) interneurons (layers I and II) that binds to integrin receptors located on dendritic spines of pyramidal neurons or on GABAergic interneurons of layers III through V expressing the disabled-1 gene product (DAB1), a cytosolic adaptor protein that mediates RELN action. To replicate earlier findings that RELN and glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD)(67), but not DAB1 expression, are down-regulated in schizophrenic brains, and to verify whether other psychiatric disorders express similar deficits, we analyzed, blind, an entirely new cohort of 60 postmortem brains, including equal numbers of patients matched for schizophrenia, unipolar depression, and bipolar disorder with nonpsychiatric subjects. METHODS: Reelin, GAD(65), GAD(67), DAB1, and neuron-specific-enolase messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and respective proteins were measured with quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or Western blot analyses. Reelin-positive neurons were identified by immunohistochemistry using a monoclonal antibody. RESULTS: Prefrontal cortex and cerebellar expression of RELN mRNA, GAD(67) protein and mRNA, and prefrontal cortex RELN-positive cells was significantly decreased by 30% to 50% in patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder with psychosis, but not in those with unipolar depression without psychosis when compared with nonpsychiatric subjects. Group differences were absent for DAB1,GAD(65) and neuron-specific-enolase expression implying that RELN and GAD(67) down-regulations were unrelated to neuronal damage. Reelin and GAD(67) were also unrelated to postmortem intervals, dose, duration, or presence of antipsychotic medication. CONCLUSIONS: The selective down-regulation of RELN and GAD(67) in prefrontal cortex of patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder who have psychosis is consistent with the hypothesis that these parameters are vulnerability factors in psychosis; this plus the loss of the correlation between these 2 parameters that exists in nonpsychotic subjects support the hypothesis that these changes may be liability factors underlying psychosis.

Activating Transcription Factor 1↗
PubMed2000

Adrenal glucocorticoids modulate [3H]cyclic AMP binding to protein kinase A (PKA), cyclic AMP-dependent PKA activity, and protein levels of selective regulatory and catalytic subunit isoforms of PKA in rat brain.

Alterations in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) function are associated with changes in mood and behavior. Protein kinase A (PKA), on activation, phosphorylates many important intracellular proteins and thereby plays a major role in mediating various physiological functions in brain. We systematically examined the relationship of altered HPA function with PKA modifications in rat brain after administering corticosterone to normal rats and by first adrenalectomizing rats and then simultaneously treating them with different doses of corticosterone. Rats were decapitated on day 1, 4, or 14. Subcutaneously implanted 50- or 100-mg corticosterone pellets in normal rats for 4 or 14 days significantly decreased PKA activity, B(max) of [3H]cyclic AMP binding, and protein levels of selective PKA regulatory (RIalpha, RIIbeta) and catalytic (Catbeta) subunit isoforms in cortex and hippocampus in a dose-dependent manner without any significant changes at day 1; these changes were more pronounced at day 14. However, adrenalectomy caused the opposite changes in these measures at day 4 or 14 in both cortex and hippocampus, and the magnitude of the changes was more pronounced at day 14. Simultaneous treatment with implanted corticosterone at 50- or 100-mg doses in adrenalectomized rats reversed the adrenalectomy-induced increases in PKA measures in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that endogenous glucocorticoid modifies the expression of RIalpha, RIIalpha, and Catbeta subunit isoforms of PKA, as well as the catalytic and regulatory activities of PKA, and that these alterations in PKA may in part explain HPA axis-mediated changes in mood and behavior.

Adrenalectomy↗
PubMed2000

Modifications in the phosphoinositide signaling pathway by adrenal glucocorticoids in rat brain: focus on phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate.

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis has been shown to be involved in mood and behavior. The possibility that adrenal glucocorticoids regulate components of the phosphatidylinositol (PI) signal transduction pathway was investigated. Two different doses of corticosterone (CORT) pellets (50 or 100 mg) were implanted in normal and bilaterally adrenalectomized (ADX) rats, and CORT regulation of the expression of G(q) alpha protein, phospholipase C (PLC) isozymes, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP(3)R) isoforms, and of PI-PLC activity, [(3)H]IP(3) binding to IP(3)Rs, and IP(3) levels were measured in various brain areas after 1 or 14 days. Fourteen days of CORT pellet implantation into normal rats dose dependently decreased PI-PLC activity and selectively the mRNA and protein expression of PLC beta(1) isozyme in cortex and hippocampus. Bilateral ADX caused the opposite changes in these measures, and simultaneous CORT pellet implantation into ADX rats reversed these effects. Furthermore, 14 days of CORT treatment of normal rats increased [(3)H]IP(3) binding to IP(3)Rs and decreased IP(3) levels in cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum, without any changes in expression of IP(3)R-I, IP(3)R-II, or IP(3)R-III isoform. On the other hand, ADX decreased [(3)H]IP(3) binding and increased levels of IP(3), and simultaneous CORT treatment of ADX rats prevented these changes. ADX or CORT treatment had no significant effects on the expression of G(q/11) alpha protein. These results suggest that manipulation of the HPA axis alters various components of the PI signaling pathway in rat brain, which may have physiological relevance to the HPA axis-mediated changes in mood and behavior.

Adrenalectomy↗
PubMed1999

The phenotypic characteristics of heterozygous reeler mouse.

Histological and behavioral traits are associated with reelin (Reln) haplo-insufficiency in heterozygous reeler mouse (rl+/-). These phenotypic traits are an approximately 50% decrease of brain Reln mRNA and Reln protein, an accumulation of nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase (NADPH-d)-positive neurons in subcortical white matter, an age-dependent decrease in prepulse inhibition of startle (PPI), and neophobic behavior on the elevated plus-maze. Possible analogies between these rl+/- phenotypic traits and signs of psychosis vulnerability are discussed.

Aging↗
PubMed1999

Administration of dexamethasone up-regulates protein kinase C activity and the expression of gamma and epsilon protein kinase C isozymes in the rat brain.

Altered hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) function (increased plasma cortisol level) has been shown to be associated with mood and behavior. Protein kinase C (PKC), an important component of the phosphatidyl-inositol signal transduction system, plays a major role in mediating various physiological functions. The present study investigates the effects of acute (single) and repeated (10-day) administrations of 0.5 or 1.0 mg/kg doses of dexamethasone (DEX), a synthetic glucocorticoid, on Bmax and KD of [3H]phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate ([3H]PDBu) binding, PKC activity, and protein expression of PKC isozymes alpha, beta, gamma, delta, and epsilon in the membrane and the cytosolic fractions of rat cortex and hippocampus. It was observed that repeated administration of 1.0 mg/kg DEX for 10 days caused a significant increase in Bmax of [3H]PDBu binding to PKC, in PKC activity, and in expressed protein levels of the gamma and epsilon isozymes in both the cytosolic and the membrane fractions of the cortex and the hippocampus, whereas a lower dose of DEX (0.5 mg/kg for 10 days) caused these changes only in the hippocampus. On the other hand, a single administration of DEX (0.5 or 1.0 mg/kg) had no significant effect on PKC in the cortex or in the hippocampus. These results suggest that alterations in HPA function from repeated administration of glucocorticoids may modulate PKC-mediated functions.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Glucocorticoids stimulate inflammatory 5-lipoxygenase gene expression and protein translocation in the brain.

In the brain, the expression of 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO), the enzyme responsible for the synthesis of inflammatory leukotrienes, increases during aging. Antiinflammatory drugs are currently being evaluated for the treatment of aging-associated neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Although generally considered antiinflammatory, glucocorticoids, whose production also increases during aging, are not particularly effective in this disease. In human monocytes, 5-LO mRNA content increases on exposure to the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone, which prompted us to hypothesize that glucocorticoids might increase 5-LO expression in the brain as well. We treated rats for 10 days either with corticosterone (implanted subcutaneously) or with dexamethasone (injected daily); they were killed on day 10 after pellet implantation or 24 h after the 10th dexamethasone injection. We found increased levels of 5-LO mRNA and protein in hippocampus and cerebellum of glucocorticoid-treated rats; 5-LO-activating protein (FLAP) mRNA content was not affected. Using western immunobloting, we also observed the concurrent translocation of 5-LO protein from cytosol to membrane, an indication of its activation. Thus, glucocorticoid-mediated up-regulation of the neuronal 5-LO pathway may contribute to rendering an aging brain vulnerable to degeneration.

5-Lipoxygenase-Activating Proteins↗
PubMed1999

Repeated administration of dexamethasone increases phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C activity and mRNA and protein expression of the phospholipase C beta 1 isozyme in rat brain.

Altered hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) function has been shown to be associated with changes in mood and behavior. The enzyme phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC), an important component of the PI signal transduction system, plays a major role in mediating various physiological functions. In the present study, we investigated the effects of a single dose and of repeated administration (0.5 or 1.0 mg/kg for 10 days) of dexamethasone (DEX), a synthetic glucocorticoid, on PI-PLC activity and on expression of PLC isozymes (beta1, delta1, and gamma1) in rat brain. Repeated administration of DEX (1.0 mg/kg) caused a significant increase in PI-PLC activity and in protein expression of the PLC beta1 isozyme in both membrane and cytosol fractions of cortex and hippocampus; however, the repeated administration of a smaller dose of DEX (0.5 mg/kg) caused these changes only in hippocampus but not in cortex. The increase in PLC beta1 protein was associated with an increase in its mRNA level, as measured by competitive RT-PCR. A single administration of DEX (0.5 or 1.0 mg/kg) to rats had no significant effects on PI-PLC activity or on the protein expression of PLC isozymes. These results suggest that DEX up-regulates PI-PLC in rat brain, which presumably is due to a selective increase in expression of the PLC beta1 isozyme, and that these changes in PI-PLC may be related to HPA axis-mediated changes in mood and behavior.

Affect↗
PubMed1999

Low phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C activity and expression of phospholipase C beta1 protein in the prefrontal cortex of teenage suicide subjects.

OBJECTIVE: The enzyme phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) is a component of the phosphoinositide signal transduction system. Other components of this system have been found to be abnormal in adults and adolescents who have committed suicide, and so the authors examined whether PI-PLC activity and protein expression of PLC isozymes are abnormal in postmortem brains of teenage suicide subjects. METHOD: PI-PLC activity and protein expression of the PLC beta1, delta1, and gamma1 isozymes were examined in Brodmann's areas 8 and 9 of postmortem brains obtained from 18 teenage suicide subjects and 18 matched comparison subjects. PI-PLC activity was determined by enzymatic assay, and protein expression of the PLC isozymes was determined by the Western blot technique. RESULTS: Compared with the normal subjects, the teenage suicide subjects had significantly lower PI-PLC activity and immunolabeling of the specific PLC beta1 isozyme in both membrane and cytosol fractions of Brodmann's areas 8 and 9 combined (prefrontal cortex). There was also a significant correlation between PI-PLC activity and protein levels of the PLC beta1 isozyme in the brains of the teenage suicide subjects. There was no significant difference in PI-PLC activity or level of PLC beta1 protein between the suicide subjects with a history of mental disorders and those with no history of mental disorders; however, both groups had significantly lower PI-PLC activity and expression of PLC beta1 protein than the normal subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Low PI-PLC activity and expressed levels of the PLC beta1 isozyme in postmortem brains of suicide subjects may have clinical relevance in the pathophysiology of suicidal behavior.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Effects of treatment with haloperidol, chlorpromazine, and clozapine on protein kinase C (PKC) and phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) activity and on mRNA and protein expression of PKC and PLC isozymes in rat brain.

The effects of acute (single) and chronic (21-day) administration of haloperidol (HAL), chlorpromazine (CPZ), or clozapine (CLOZ) on components of the phosphoinositide (PI)-signaling pathway were studied in rat brain. Chronic administration of HAL decreased protein kinase C (PKC) activity and mRNA and protein levels of PKC alpha and epsilon isozymes in both membrane and cytosol fractions of cortex, hippocampus, and striatum. Chronic administration of CPZ, however, decreased PKC activity only in the membrane fraction of cortex, hippocampus, and striatum, and had no effect on the levels of any PKC isozymes. On the other hand, chronic administration of CLOZ decreased PKC activity and mRNA and protein levels of PKC alpha, gamma, and epsilon isozymes in membrane and cytosol fractions of cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum. Studies of the effects on phospholipase C (PLC) revealed that only chronic administration of CPZ significantly decreased PI-PLC activity and mRNA and protein levels of the specific PLC beta(1) isozyme in membrane and cytosol fractions of cortex, hippocampus, cerebellum, and striatum. Acute-treatment data suggest that CPZ or CLOZ had no significant effects on PI-PLC or PKC; however, HAL translocated PKC, as evidenced from increased PKC activity and protein levels of PKC alpha and epsilon isozymes in the membrane fraction and the decrease in these parameters in the cytosol fraction of cortex, hippocampus, and striatum. Our results thus suggest that the interaction of antipsychotic drugs with PKC and PLC may be associated with their mechanisms of action.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

A decrease of reelin expression as a putative vulnerability factor in schizophrenia.

Postmortem prefrontal cortices (PFC) (Brodmann's areas 10 and 46), temporal cortices (Brodmann's area 22), hippocampi, caudate nuclei, and cerebella of schizophrenia patients and their matched nonpsychiatric subjects were compared for reelin (RELN) mRNA and reelin (RELN) protein content. In all of the brain areas studied, RELN and its mRNA were significantly reduced (approximately 50%) in patients with schizophrenia; this decrease was similar in patients affected by undifferentiated or paranoid schizophrenia. To exclude possible artifacts caused by postmortem mRNA degradation, we measured the mRNAs in the same PFC extracts from gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)A receptors alpha1 and alpha5 and nicotinic acetylcholine receptor alpha7 subunits. Whereas the expression of the alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit was normal, that of the alpha1 and alpha5 receptor subunits of GABAA was increased when schizophrenia was present. RELN mRNA was preferentially expressed in GABAergic interneurons of PFC, temporal cortex, hippocampus, and glutamatergic granule cells of cerebellum. A protein putatively functioning as an intracellular target for the signal-transduction cascade triggered by RELN protein released into the extracellular matrix is termed mouse disabled-1 (DAB1) and is expressed at comparable levels in the neuroplasm of the PFC and hippocampal pyramidal neurons, cerebellar Purkinje neurons of schizophrenia patients, and nonpsychiatric subjects; these three types of neurons do not express RELN protein. In the same samples of temporal cortex, we found a decrease in RELN protein of approximately 50% but no changes in DAB1 protein expression. We also observed a large (up to 70%) decrease of GAD67 but only a small decrease of GAD65 protein content. These findings are interpreted within a neurodevelopmental/vulnerability "two-hit" model for the etiology of schizophrenia.

Age of Onset↗
PubMed1998

Quantitation of 5HT2A receptor mRNA in human postmortem brain using competitive RT-PCR.

We describe quantitation of the absolute amounts of 5HT2A receptor mRNA in various areas of human postmortem brain using a very sensitive and specific technique: competitive reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). With this procedure, we were able to show that the highest levels of 5HT2A receptor mRNA are in cerebral cortical areas, i.e., Brodmann's areas 8, 9, 10, 18, 19, 22, 24, and 46, and that intermediate levels occur in the hippocampus, the amygdala, the nucleus accumbens, and the hypothalamus. Very low levels of 5HT2A receptor mRNA were found in the cerebellum, the thalamus, the caudate, and the putamen. Our results confirm the heterogeneous distribution of 5HT2A receptor mRNA in human postmortem brain and suggest that competitive RT-PCR is a highly sensitive and specific procedure for the quantitative measurement of 5HT2A receptor mRNA expression. The study of 5HT2A receptor mRNA in different brain areas will help clarify the regulation of 5HT2A receptors at the transcriptional level in various neuropsychiatric diseases.

Binding, Competitive↗
PubMed1998

Protein kinase C in platelets of depressed patients.

BACKGROUND: We studied the role of protein kinase C (PKC), a major regulatory enzyme and an important component of the phosphoinositide signaling system, in depression. METHODS: PKC was determined using [3H]phorbol dibutyrate (PDBu) as the radioligand in the membranal and cytosolic fractions of platelets obtained from hospitalized drug-free depressed patients during a baseline period and from drug-free normal control subjects. RESULTS: We observed that the [3H]PDBu binding was significantly higher in the cytosolic fraction obtained from platelets of depressed patients compared to normal control subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Our studies indicate increased formation of PKC in platelets of depressed patients. The significance and mechanisms involved in increased PKC in the cytosolic fraction of platelets are unclear, but they suggest that increased PKC may be associated with the pathophysiology of depressive illness.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Elevated [3H]inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate binding sites and expressed inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor protein level in platelets of depressed patients.

Several reports suggest that serotonin2A (5HT2A) receptors and this receptor-mediated phosphatidyl inositol (PI) hydrolysis signal transduction system are altered in platelets of depressed patients. Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (Ins[1,4,5]P3), an important component of the PI signaling system, plays a crucial role in various physiological processes by releasing Ca2+ from intracellular stores after binding with Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptors. To examine the role of Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptors in depression, we determined [3H]Ins(1,4,5)P3 binding sites and expressed protein levels of Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptors in platelets of depressed patients (n=15) and normal control subjects (n=17). We observed that the mean Bmax of [3H]Ins(1,4,5)P3 binding to Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptors was significantly higher in platelets of depressed subjects compared with normal control subjects, whereas there was no significant difference in K(D) between these two groups. The immuno-detectable expressed level of Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptor protein was also significantly increased in depressed patients in contrast to the levels of normal control subjects. Moreover, a significant correlation was observed in Bmax and the protein level of Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptors. The increase in the number of [3H]Ins(1,4,5)P3 binding sites in platelets of depressed subjects appears to be due to an increase in the amount of Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptor proteins. These results suggest that Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptors may be involved in the pathophysiology of depression.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Protein kinase C in the postmortem brain of teenage suicide victims.

Increased serotonin2A (5-HT2A) receptors have been reported in the postmortem brain of suicide victims. To examine if this increase is associated with the dysregulation of postreceptor sites in the signaling cascade, we determined [3H]phorbol dibutyrate (PDBU) binding to protein kinase C (PKC) in postmortem brain samples (Brodmann's areas 8 and 9) obtained from teenage suicide victims and control subjects. [3H]PDBU binding to PKC was determined in membranal and cytosolic fractions. We observed that Bmax of [3H]PDBU binding sites was significantly decreased in both membranal and cytosolic fractions in brain samples from Brodmann's areas 8-9 compared to matched controls. These results thus suggest that PKC may play a role in the pathophysiology of suicidal behavior.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Effects of subchronic administration of antidepressants and anxiolytics on levels of the alpha subunits of G proteins in the rat brain.

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of subchronic administration of psychoactive drugs on the alpha subunits of G proteins in the rat brain, and also to determine if different classes of psychoactive drugs share a common property, i.e., of altering levels of these proteins. For this purpose, we selected the psychoactive drugs desipramine and phenelzine (antidepressants), lithium (antimanic), alprazolam and buspirone (anxiolytics), and metachlorophenylpiperazine (anxiogenic). The levels of alpha subunits of G proteins (Gs, Gi 1/2, Gq/11) expressed in cortical, hippocampal, and cerebellar brain regions were studied by the Western blot technique. We observed that subchronic treatment with lithium significantly decreased, and with phenelzine significantly increased levels of Gi 1/2 alpha protein in the cortex and the hippocampus. On the other hand, buspirone significantly decreased levels of Gi 1/2 alpha protein only in the cerebellum. Other psychoactive drugs, however, namely desipramine, meta-chlorophenylpiperazine, and alprazolam, did not alter levels of Gs, Gi 1/2, or Gq/11 alpha proteins in any of the brain regions studied. Since other studies have shown the involvement of G proteins in the mechanism of action of psychoactive drugs, our results demonstrate that expressed protein levels of the alpha subunit of G proteins are not altered by all the psychoactive drugs.

Animals↗