Rat Model News and Research

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Viral infection in utero associated with behavioral abnormalities in offspring

Male and female rats whose mother experienced a simulated viral infection during pregnancy behave abnormally, consistent with behavioural alterations in autism or schizophrenia, research by the University of Saskatchewan shows.

2 May 2019

Exploring novel strategies to heal damage after a heart attack

For people who survive a heart attack, the days immediately following the event are critical for their longevity and long-term healing of the heart's tissue.

24 Apr 2019

Oxytocin blocks excess drinking in alcohol-dependent rats

The neuropeptide oxytocin blocks enhanced drinking in alcohol-dependent rats, according to a study published April 16 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology led by Drs. Tunstall, Koob and Vendruscolo of the National Institutes of Health, and Drs. Kirson and Roberto of The Scripps Research Institute.

17 Apr 2019

Coagulation factor VIIa prevents bleeds in hemophilia animal models

Hematology researchers have further refined how a treatment currently used on an urgent basis to control bleeding in hemophilia patients holds promise as a preventive treatment as well.

16 Apr 2019

Study: Pathogenetic downregulation of adenosine linked to restless leg syndrome

Researchers have identified a common mechanism implicating adenosine in the cause of restless leg syndrome symptoms — the periodic limb movements characteristic of RLS and the state of enhanced arousal that both disrupt sleep.

4 Apr 2019

Simplifying Gene Expression Analysis in Neuroscience Research

In this interview, Kevin Gamber introduces the Neuroscience panel of the NanoString service for gene expression analysis from Canopy Biosciences.

From Canopy Biosciences 3 Apr 2019

Piece of puzzle unlocked in what drives alcohol addiction

Researchers at the Scripps Research Institute have made an important discovery that may help to explain the neural mechanism that drives alcohol consumption in cases of addiction.

19 Mar 2019

Scientists identify brain circuit responsible for cocaine-seeking behavior during relapse

Approximately 1.5 million Americans use cocaine in a given year, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Many are repeat users. Unfortunately, there are currently no FDA-approved medicinal treatments for cocaine addiction.

19 Mar 2019

Scientists reverse alcohol-seeking behavior in rats with flip of a switch

Scientists at Scripps Research have found that they can reverse the desire to drink in alcohol-dependent rats--with the flip of a switch.

19 Mar 2019

Menstrual cycle may influence addiction risk in women, suggests study

Menstrual cycle may influence addiction risk in women, according to a new study in Biological Psychiatry by researchers at the National Institute on Drug Abuse and University of Maryland School of Medicine.

5 Mar 2019

Change in genome of Caucasians could explain higher rates of esophageal cancer

A change in the genome of Caucasians could explain much-higher rates of the most common type of esophageal cancer in this population, a new study finds.

21 Dec 2018

Study reveals possible link between hysterectomy and brain function

A new preclinical study has shown that in the short term, some types of memory are affected following a hysterectomy.

7 Dec 2018

Combining toxic herbicide with sugar-binding proteins may trigger Parkinsonism

Combining low doses of a toxic herbicide with sugar-binding proteins called lectins may trigger Parkinsonism -- symptoms typical of Parkinson's disease like body tremors and slowing of body motions -- after the toxin travels from the stomach to the brain.

4 Dec 2018

Transgenic rat model may provide new insights into cerebral amyloid angiopathy

In a report in The American Journal of Pathology investigators describe the generation of a successful novel transgenic rat model that accumulates amyloid specifically in brain blood vessels and strongly mimics many of the associated detrimental changes that are observed in humans - a condition known as cerebral amyloid angiopathy, which is also commonly observed in Alzheimer disease.

13 Nov 2018

Mild exposure to single blast can induce meaningful pathogenic effects, study shows

As many as 300,000 United States service members deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001 have suffered traumatic brain injury due to explosions. The vast majority of these blast-induced traumatic brain injuries, or bTBIs, were classified as mild.

12 Nov 2018

Scripps researchers successfully test potential new smoking-cessation treatment in rodents

Scientists at Scripps Research have successfully tested a potential new smoking-cessation treatment in rodents.

19 Oct 2018

Estrogen may protect against heart failure-related depression

Estrogen may protect against heart failure-related depression by preventing the production of inflammation-causing chemicals in the brain. The study is published ahead of print in the American Journal of Physiology - Heart and Circulatory Physiology.

9 Aug 2018

Researchers use guide RNAs to improve base editing system

Researchers have used guide RNAs to improve the adenine base editing (ABE) system, used by scientists to alter genetic codes in animal models of disease.

1 Aug 2018

Stabilizing dysfunctional endothelial cells reverses cellular dysfunction in rat model of SVD

Researchers have discovered that stabilizing dysfunctional endothelial cells with approved drugs reverses cellular dysfunction in a rat model of cerebral small vessel disease, hinting towards a new therapeutic approach for the treatment of vascular dementia.

5 Jul 2018

Study suggests new approach for treating alcohol use disorder

Activation of a receptor with no known function in the brain reduces excessive alcohol use and the pain of withdrawal, according to preclinical research in male rats. The study, published in eNeuro, suggests a new approach towards the treatment of alcohol use disorder.

26 Jun 2018