¹H NMR-based metabonomics in brain nucleus accumbens and striatum following repeated cocaine treatment in rats.

Studies have shown a few cerebral metabolites modified by cocaine in brain regions; however, endogenous metabolic profiling has been lacking. Ex vivo (1)H NMR (hydrogen-1 nuclear magnetic resonance) spectroscopy-based metabonomic approach coupled with partial least squares was applied to investigate the changes of cerebral metabolites in nucleus accumbens (NAc) and striatum of rats subjected to cocaine treatment. Our results showed that both single and repeated cocaine treatment can induce significant changes in a couple of cerebral metabolites. The increase of neurotransmitters glutamate and gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) were observed in NAc and striatum from the rats repeatedly treated with cocaine. Creatine and taurine increased in NAc whereas taurine increased and creatine decreased in striatum after repeated cocaine treatment. Elevation of N-acetylaspartate in NAc and striatum and decrease of lactate in striatum were observed, which may reflect the mitochondria dysregulation caused by cocaine; moreover, alterations of choline, phosphocholine and glycerol in NAc and striatum could be related to membrane disruption. Moreover, groups of rats with and without conditioned place preference (CPP) apparatus are presenting difference in metabolites. Collectively, our results provide the first evidence of metabonomic profiling of NAc and striatum in response to cocaine, exhibiting a regionally-specific alteration patterns. We find that repeated cocaine administration leads to significant metabolite alterations, which are involved in neurotransmitter disturbance, oxidative stress, mitochondria dysregulation and membrane disruption in brain.

Cytophotometric DNA analysis on canine stomach carcinogenesis induced by ENNG.

DNA content and nuclear area were measured by microspectrophotometry in gastric carcinogenesis of three adult wolfdogs induced by N-ethyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (ENNG). The mean values and standard deviations of DNA content and nuclear area in normal gastric mucosa were 10.03 +/- 2.30 AU and 28.76 +/- 5.85/microns2; those in atrophic gastritis were 12.04 +/- 3.34 AU and 28.69 +/- 8.02/microns2; in mild dysplasia 13.52 +/- 3.73 AU and 28.23 +/- 8.12/microns2; in moderate dysplasia 20.88 +/- 4.57 AU and 47.58 +/- 10.74/microns2; in severe dysplasia 24.01 +/- 4.48 AU and 56.64 +/- 12.53/microns2; in well-differentiated adenocarcinoma 33.07 +/- 9.38 AU and 72.99 +/- 15.57/microns. These figures were different (P less than 0.01). The nuclear area of gastric carcinoma increased with DNA content (r = 0.73, P less than 0.01). The distribution patterns of DNA content in the histogram showed that diploidy was decreased and polyploidy increased in cancer cells. These findings indicate that DNA ploidy patterns and nuclear area can be useful indices for differentiating carcinoma from precancerous lesions.