We were interested in how different degrees of enrichment during development would affect adult rats’ behavior and response to dopamine receptor challenge.

Two groups of male Wistar rats (n=11-12) were raised under two different degrees of EE, Le. “”high enriched”" and “”low enriched”" groups. A third group was kept under standard conditions and served as “”non-enriched”" control. As adults, rats were tested for anxiety (elevated plus-maze), for spatial learning (four-arm-baited eight-arm radial maze), and for motivation (breakpoint of the progressive ratio test). Finally, locomotor activity (activity AZD1080 datasheet box)

and sensorimotor gating (prepulse Inhibition (PPI) of the acoustic startle response (ASR)) were tested with and without challenge with the dopamine receptor agonist apomorphine.

The time spent on the open or enclosed arms of the elevated plus-maze did not differ between groups, but the high enriched group showed higher rearing activity on the open arms. The breakpoint did not differ between groups. Learning and memory in the radial maze task only differed on the first few trials, but high enriched rats run faster compared with the other groups. In contrast,

in the activity box enriched groups were less active, but apomorphine had the highest effect. Between groups, no difference In PPI and startle amplitude was found, but in the high and low EE group startle amplitude was enhanced after administration of apomorphine, while the PPI deficit induced by this drug was not different between groups.

Altogether, we found no evidence that different amounts selleck chemicals llc of environmental enrichment without differences In social EE affect rats’ cognitive, emotional or motivational behavior. However, motor activity seems to be enhanced when rats are behaviorally or pharmacologically challenged by dopamine receptor agonists. (C) 2009 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Background Measles persists in Europe despite the incorporation of the

measles vaccine into routine childhood vaccination programmes more than 20 years ago. Our aim was Adenosine triphosphate therefore to review the epidemiology of measles in relation to the goal of elimination by 2010.

Methods National surveillance institutions from 32 European countries submitted data for 2006-07. Data for age-group, diagnosis confirmation, vaccination, hospital treatment, the presence of acute encephalitis as a complication of disease, and death were obtained. 30 countries also supplied data about importation of disease. Clinical, laboratory-confirmed, and epidemiologically linked cases that met the requirements for national surveillance were analysed. Cases were separated by age: younger than 1 year, 1-4 years, 5-9 years, 10-14 years, 15-19 years, and older than 20 years. Countries with indigenous measles incidence per 100000 inhabitants per year of 0, less than 0.1, 0 .