Kent State athletic department receives $1.2 million gift | View Clip
09/25/2009
Crain's Cleveland Business
's Athletic Department has received a $1.2 million gift from one of its employees, who also is an inductee of the Varsity K Athletic Hall of Fame.The donation from Judy Devine will create the Judith K. Devine Athletic Equity Endowment, which will make sure female athletes at Kent State are given the same access, provision and opportunity in all facets of their intercollegiate athletic experience as male athletes, Ms. Devine said.Once that standard of equity is met, the endowment is designed to help ensure the long-term well being of all athletes by supplementing the athletics scholarship fund for all sports, she added.Ms. Devine started at Kent State in 1969 as a graduate student. Over the next 31 years, she held multiple positions within the athletic department, including first head coach of the women's basketball team, assistant director of athletics and associate athletic director. She retired in 2000. Print E-mail Going to the content you requested in
(CUDC) Gund ups gift to aid business $4 million sends message to donors
09/25/2009
Plain Dealer
A regional development fund facing financial uncertainty will receive a $4 million boost from the George Gund Foundation over the next three years.
That's the largest chunk Gund has ever committed to the Fund for Our Economic Future, which has funneled about $48 million into a six-year effort to build business across 16 counties.
The grant is somewhat of a surprise. Gund is among foundations that watched investment portfolios plummet in the stock market swoon. Recipients, like the Fund, expect philanthropic giving to drop.
But David Abbott, executive director of Gund, said his trustees board wanted to send a message to other Fund supporters that their money is sorely needed.
"In these times, the work of the fund is more important than ever," said Abbott, who also chairs the Fund's board. "If we don't have a strong regional economy, everybody and everything suffers."
Gund gave about $3 million in each of the Fund's three-year cycles of money raising.
The Fund will have raised some $30 million in the three years ending next February. Fund officials don't expect to raise that much in the three years after that because of the struggling economy.
That's why Gund's big, early commitment is important, said Brad Whitehead, the Fund's president.
"I think it reflects that the model we're pursuing is working," Whitehead said, "and philanthropy's willingness to dig down and step up."
More than 70 percent of the Fund's money goes to six nonprofit groups whose mission is building and attracting business in the region - NorTech, BioEnterprise, JumpStart, Minority Business Accelerator 2.5+, MAGNET (a manufacturing advocacy group) and Team NEO.
The six groups, to varying degrees, also receive state and private-sector funds "that are under pressure," Whitehead said.
The grant was among 50 totaling $5.6 million that Gund announced Thursday. Other grants include:
$100,000 to the Cleveland Heights-University Heights School District for the First Ring Superintendents Collaborative, a group of 15 school districts.
$80,000 to the Cleveland Housing Network for its work stabilizing neighborhoods.
$75,000 to the Kent State University Foundation for the Cleveland Urban Design Collective's work on Re-Imagining a More Sustainable Cleveland.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: tbreckenridge@plaind.com, 216-999-4695
Copyright © 2009 The Plain Dealer. All Rights Reserved. Used by NewsBank with Permission.
(CUDC) Spanning East to West with art and music
09/25/2009
Plain Dealer
PREVIEW
What: The Bridge Project, an art and performance event produced by Ingenuityfest in partnership with Kent State University Urban Design Collaborative, the Flats Oxbow Neighborhood Corp., Cleveland Public Art and All Go Signs.
Where: Detroit-Superior Bridge Lower Level, 2433 Superior Viaduct. East Side entrances are above the RTA waterfront line stop in the Flats near West Ninth Street. West Side entrances are inside Massimo da Milano restaurant (1400 West 25th St.) and the Cuyahoga County Engineer's Office parking lot on the viaduct.
When: 4 p.m.-midnight today, and noon-midnight Saturday.
Parking: Tower City Ampitheater parking lot (351 Canal Road), Network Parking (1717 Columbus Road, 707 Frankfort Ave., and 1365 West Ninth St.) and Ampco Parking (2000 Sycamore St.). West of the river, park in the Cuyahoga County Engineer's Office lot in front of the lower level's entrance, and on-street parking on Superior Viaduct.
Contact: Clevelandbridgeproject.com.
Ingenuityfest is printing up a new invitation, this time to a late-summer shindig suspended in midair.
The Bridge Project, happening this weekend, brings life to the abandoned lower level of the Detroit-Superior Bridge.
The curious will stroll along the mile-long span, sampling video installations, roots music, drumming, juggling and more. It will feel as if you're exploring catacombs under a lost city, but actually you're high enough to gaze over the Flats, downtown and the industrial valley.
"The space itself is really the main attraction," said James Levin, The Bridge Project co-producer and Ingenuityfest artistic director.
The Detroit-Superior Bridge opened in 1917 with an upper deck for vehicles and pedestrians, and a lower deck for streetcars. Passenger stations were situated on either end of the bridge. When streetcars were phased out during the 1950s, the subway level was left deserted and off-limits except for public tours.
The Bridge Project promises two nights of eclectic, energetic and innovative art, with different rosters each night. Among the highlights are filmmaker Tom Jarmusch's premiere of "Sometime City" (both nights), the St. Ignatius Circus Company (4 p.m. Saturday) and Ray McNiece performing roots music and poetry (4 p.m. Saturday).
Michael Christoff, co-organizer of PechaKucha Night Cleveland (pronounced "peh-chak-chah") explained its performance thusly: Presenters get 20 slides and 20 seconds for a talk on design and architecture.
"It forces you to be more concise," Christoff said. PechaKucha Night Cleveland, which is the local chapter of an international movement, will perform at 8:20 p.m. tonight.
Two local opera companies will offer samplings. Opera Circle will present a preview of Vincenzo Bellini's opera based on the story of Romeo and Juliet, at 7 p.m. Saturday.
Opera Per Tutti – the name means "opera for all" – will claim a tunnel near the bridge's west side for "Boheme Under the Bridge," or selections from the opera.
It's a perfect opportunity for those unfamiliar with opera to take a small sample of the artform, said Opera Per Tutti general director Andrea Anelli. The opera company performs at 7 p.m. tonight only.
About 5,000 people are expected at the first Bridge Project, which is funded by Ingenuityfest's $10,000 innovations grant from the Ohio Arts Council and $500 from the Center for Community Solutions, an organization that helps community leaders identify challenges facing Greater Cleveland. Levin hopes the Bridge Project will become an annual event.
Both Ingenuityfest and the Bridge Project are about bringing life to Cleveland's forgotten spaces.
"We like to see [the bridge] open as a community resource," Levin said. "It's one of the real unknown and unused treasures of the city."
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: jwashington@plaind.com, 216-999-4539
Copyright © 2009 The Plain Dealer. All Rights Reserved. Used by NewsBank with Permission.
(CUDC) Arts festival lights up lower level of the Detroit-Superior Bridge | View Clip
09/26/2009
Cleveland.com (Plain Dealer - Online)
Entertainment Impact, Fall Arts, Visit Cleveland »
By Julie Washington, The Plain Dealer
CLEVELAND -- In the first few hours of the Bridge Project, the haunting tones of a cello filled the air, silver and red shiny stalactites swayed from a ceiling, and riders pedaling a seven-person circular bicycle whooped and giggled as they swished past surprised pedestrians.
The Bridge Project
What: An art and performance event.
Where: Detroit-Superior Bridge Lower Level, 2433 Superior Viaduct. East- side entrances are above the RTA Waterfront line stop in the Flats near West Ninth Street. West-side entrances are Massimo da Milano restaurant and the Cuyahoga County Engineer parking lots on the Viaduct.
When: Noon to midnight today.
Parking: Tower City Ampitheater parking lot (351 Canal Road), Network Parking (1717 Columbus Road, 707 Frankfort Ave., and 1365 West 9th St.) and Ampco Parking (2000 Sycamore St.) West of the river; there is limited parking in the lot just west of the county engineer's garage (2433 Superior Viaduct) and on-street parking on Superior Viaduct.
Contact: www.clevelandbridgeproject.com
"Yeah, it's very bizarre," laughed Kevin James, 38, of Cleveland, about the cycle with too many seats and pedals. "We've almost been run down by it three times."
The very idea of having an arts festival on an abandoned bridge could be called bizarre. But when the lower level of the Detroit-Superior Bridge in Cleveland bloomed with color and sound Friday, the first night of the Bridge Project, it seemed perfectly natural.
The event was produced by Ingenuityfest in partnership with Kent State University Urban Design Collaborative, the Flats Oxbow Neighborhood Corp., Cleveland Public Art and All Go Signs. It runs noon to midnight today.
James Levin, the Bridge Project co-producer and Ingenuityfest co-founder, said he expected about 5,000 people over two days.
"It shows signs of being a terrific event," Levin said as things ramped up Friday afternoon. "People are in awe of being in this space."
The lower level, with its concrete pillars, brick floor and shadowy alcoves, was like an art installation itself. The views from the arch overlooking the city were beautiful, even though glimpsing the Cuyahoga River through cracks in the floor made some stomachs queasy. The bridge, which used to carry streetcars, is usually closed to the public.
Performance spaces and art installations were placed on both ends of the span. "36 Views of a Bridge" by Alexander Boxerbaum showed short films taken at various Cleveland locations that related to the concept of bridges. An interactive touch-screen map invited participants to preview the shorts, then "vote" for them, thus changing the order of the clips shown on the large screen.
"I've always been on the cusp between art and technology," said Boxerbaum, 29, a graduate student in mechanical engineering at Case Western Reserve University. "James Levin has given me a great opportunity to explore that."
Akron filmmaker Ted Sikora, 41, thought the bridge was the perfect spot for a DVD release party for his locally produced film, "Hero Tomorrow." He displayed pages of a tie-in comic book and planned to hold a cast and crew reunion today.
Tell a joke on videotape, and artist Jared Bendis will pay you a nickel. The jokes will become a database of community humor hosted on his Web site, sillyservices.com. "Why should I be the one to tell all the jokes?" asked Bendis, 37, the creative director of new media at CWRU.
Bendis was part of past Ingenuityfests and was eager to work with Levin again.
"James says there will be art under the bridge, I come to the bridge," Bendis said.
(Athletics) Gift to School | View Clip
09/26/2009
Akron Beacon Journal - Online, The
KENT STATE
Gift to school
KENT: A former longtime member of the Kent State athletic department and 2003 inductee into the Varsity K Hall of Fame has donated $1.2 million to the university.
Judy Devine's pledge will fund the Judith K. Devine Athletic Equity Endowment. It is the third-largest gift in the history of Kent State athletics.
The goal of the endowment is to ensure equity in access and opportunity and to supplement scholarships, the school said in a statement announcing the gift.
Last fall, Devine also contributed to the expansion of Kent State's Academic Resource Center and permanently endowed the athletic academic honors dinner. That brings her total contributions to more than $1.4 million, the university said.
Devine retired as associate athletic director in 2000 after 31 years in the department.
(KSU Trumbull) Different worlds intersect in Kent-Trumbull production (Nadon) | View Clip
09/25/2009
Tribune Chronicle
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WHAT: Kent-Trumbull
Theatre - ''For Every Man, Woman and Child''
WHEN: 8 p.m.
Friday, Saturday and Oct. 2-3 and 3 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Oct. 4.
WHERE: Kent State University Trumbull Campus, 4314 Mahoning Ave. N.W., Champion
HOW MUCH: $10 for adults, $8 for students and senior citizens and $6 for Kent students and children ages 12 and younger. For reservations or more information,
call 330-675-8887.
Other shows in the 2009-10 season are:
l Oct. 27 - Rhythm in Shoes, a Dayton-based troupe rooted in traditional forms of American music and dance: swing, tap, hoedowns and clogging.
l Dec. 9 - Three Men & a Maestro, a mix of music and a bit of comedy with pianist Brian Gurl leading a program featuring such musical styles as pop, jazz, ethnic, classical, bluegrass and Broadway show tunes as well as ventriloquism and impressions of such entertainers as Jack Benny and Liberace.
l Feb. 18, 2010 - Angelo Babbaro, a Youngstown native who performs the music of Frank Sinatra. He will be joined by vocalist Jackie Popovec and backed by the Carmen Mico Orchestra.
l March 22, 2010 - Five By Design, which returns to the Warren Civic Music schedule with its show ''Radio Days,'' a nostalgic look at the music and the radio shows of the 1940s.
l April 21, 2010 - A flashback to the disco era with Stayin' Alive, a tribute to the Bee Gees, and ABBAmania, a tribute to the pop hits of the Swedish vocal group ABBA.
The title of Kent-Trumbull Theatre's opening production is ''For Every Man, Woman and Child.''
A more appropriate title might be ''Intersections.''
''The whole experience has been about intersections - between medieval and contemporary plays and the styles and traditions of each, between the deaf and hearing worlds, between male and female,'' according to Daniel-Raymond Nadon, coordinator of theater at Kent State University Trumbull Campus.
There's also the intersection of multiple disciplines at the college that are coming together to stage the play.
The addition of a sign language major on campus increased the number the number of deaf students at the school, Nadon said and, ''We were looking for a way to make it a welcoming environment for those students.''
In conversations with professors Nancy Resh, who teaches sign language, and Carol Robinson, who studies deaf literature, they decided to collaborate on a production of ''For Every Man, Woman and Child'' by acclaimed deaf playwright Willy Conley.
Nadon normally handles directing chores alone, but all three professors receive directing credit on the production that starts a two-weekend run on Friday.
Based on the medieval play ''Everyman,'' Conley's script uses a comic style to tell how the gods and goddesses of the various religions prepare ''Everyone' for the afterlife.
Originally, the plan was for Resh to work with the sign language elements, Nadon to handle the staging and Robinson (who also is a medieval specialist) to work with the actors on the text.
''But we've managed to blur those boundaries,'' Nadon said. ''Carol has been helping with the staging and I'm looking at the text.''
Staging the play creates some unique challenges, further complicated by plans to take the show to New York next month for the 24th International Conference on Medievalism at Sienna College. Nadon and technical director/scenic designer Robert Katkowsky had to create the Kent-Trumbull set knowing that it would have to something that could be transported and simply assembled.
And while any cast has to work in sync, for this production speaking and signing actors must work in tandem to create many of the characters.
However, the one element Nadon expected to be the biggest hurdle - communication - has been relatively easy.
''The hearing actors are so interested in communicating, they've learned a lot of sign language,'' Nadon said. ''And the deaf actors very accommodating in helping to teach the signing. A lot of the communication problems we thought we'd have initially have ironed themselves out.''
The cast features Jenna Cintavey, Kurt Cullison, Rhiannon Namish, Joe Toto, Cleric Costes, Joao Ciuba, Kayla Donaldson, Christine Fowler, Tiffany Mulloy, Haley Jane Otto, Christiana Ozimek, Daniel Parsons, Patricia Rogan, Kurtis Showers, Katie Starling, Victoria Van Horn, Dorothy A. Voyda, Pamela Young and Thomas Young.
In addition to the theater's regular performances, a special 3 p.m. matinee is set for Saturday, and proceeds will be used to offset the travel costs for the cast and crew for the performance at Sienna College. An Ohio Deaf Leaders forum is planned after the performance, and Conley will sign copies of his new anthology of plays.
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(KSU E. Liverpool) AREA BRIEFS: KSU offers entrepreneurship orientation | View Clip
09/26/2009
East Liverpool Review
EAST LIVERPOOL Kent State University, Workforce Development is sponsoring Entrepreneurship, Inc., a two-hour orientation that provides information which can help you to follow the steps to provide a better opportunity for success. The program will be presented by the Small Business Development Center, which is located at the Tuscarawas Campus of Kent State University.
The presentation will be held from 1-3 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15 at the East Liverpool Motor Lodge. The fee is $20 per person, which includes the textbook. If a partnership is planned, one $20 fee will be charged for the partners.
Call Lisa McNicol, Workforce Development, East Liverpool Campus at 330-382-7427 to register.
BIG SHOT IN THE ARM FOR KENT STATE'S ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT.
09/25/2009
Live on 5 - WEWS-TV
WE WILL KEEP THE WET WEATHER AWAY. AS YOU LOOK FARTHER WEST THERE YOU SEE SHOWER, MAYBE A FEW THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH KENTUCKY. ALL THAT PRESSING TOWARDS US WILL MAKE FOR A WET SATURDAY. HOW MUCH RAIN WE CAN EXPECT COMING UP IN A FEW MINUTES. ALICIA. THANK YOU. WE ALL KNOW ISSUE 3 THE PLAN TO PUT A CASINO IN OHIO'S FOUR MAJOR CITIES. IT IS A HOT BUTTON ISSUE. DAN GILBERT IS AMONG THOSE BEHIND THE PUSH TO BRING THOSE TO THE STATE. TODAY GILBERT RELEASED THIS RENDERING OF WHAT A CASINO ALONG THE EAST BANK OF CLEVELAND FLATS COULD LOOK LIKE. IF IT BECOMES REALITY HE SAYS HE WILL WORK WITH THE CITY AND COUNTY ON ACTUAL DESIGN. BIG SHOT IN THE ARM FOR KENT STATE'S ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT. A LONG TIME MEMBER OF THE DEPARTMENT JUST MADE A $1. 2 MILLION BEQUEST. THE MONEY WILL FUND AN ENDOWMENT FOR FUTURE ATHLETES. CLEVELAND CITY COUNCILMAN ZACH REED AT THE STATE CAPITAL TALKING ABOUT THE BAN ON TEXTING WHILE DRIVING. HE SPONSORED CLEVELAND'S BILL. OHIO LAWMAKERS ARE CONSIDERING A SIMILAR BILL TO BAN TEXTING AND DRIVING ACROSS THE STATE. TIPS ON GETTING YOUR GARDEN READY FOR THE NEXT YEAR AND HOW TO KEEP BAMBI AWAY FROM YOUR BLOOMS. THERE IS A NEW NEIGHBOR MOVING TO WAS TERYLENE. A PREMIER. WHY RANDYQUAID IS DEALING WITH REAL LIFE DRAMA MAP OVERNIGHT LOW 50s. SHOWERS MOVING IN AFTER MIDNIGHT INTO TOMORROW MORNING. PLANS OUTSIDE TONIGHT, HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL GAMES YOU WILL BE DRY.
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY FOUNDER TO SPEAK AT KENT STATE UNIVERSITY
09/26/2009
Federal News Service
KENT, Ohio, Sept. 25 -- Kent State University issued the following news release:
Clive Rainey, a founder of Habitat for Humanity International, will speak at Kent State University on Thursday, Oct. 15, at 7 p.m. in Room 306 of the Kent Student Center. Rainey will share his experience with volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, an organization that has built more than 300,000 houses around the world, providing more than 1.5 million people in 3,000 communities with safe, decent and affordable shelter. The event is free and open to the public.
Rainey first joined Habitat for Humanity International in April 1977 as the organization's first volunteer. He served as chair on a family selection committee for a Christian community called Koinonia. There, Rainey introduced the concept of "sweat equity," which focuses on building quality homes in partnership with families in need.
"I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community, and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can," Rainey said. "I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake."
Melissa Martie, public relations committee chair for Habitat for Humanity of Portage County, said the speaking engagement is a good opportunity for Rainey to connect with the Kent State community.
Rainey's other contributions to the growth and expansion of Habitat for Humanity International include housing projects in Kinshasa, Zaire and northern Uganda. Rainey currently promotes the benefits of getting involved with Habitat for Humanity and its 21st Century Housing Challenge through speaking engagements.
For more information on this event, contact Ann Gosky at agosky@kent.edu or Melissa Martie at publicrelations@habitatofportage.org. For more information on Habitat for Humanity, visit www.habitat.org.For more information please contact: Sarabjit Jagirdar, Email:- htsyndication@hindustantimes.com.
Copyright © 2009 US Fed News (HT Syndication)
(Theatre) GREEN VISITING DIRECTOR SERIES PRESENTS DIVISIVE AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL PLAY
09/26/2009
Federal News Service
KENT, Ohio, Sept. 25 -- Kent State University issued the following news release:
Kent State University's School of Theatre and Dance opens its 2009/10 season with the Roe Green Visiting Director Series production of 14, an autobiographical play about a controversial reparative therapy experiment that took place at Brigham Young University in the 1970s. The director, John Cameron, who earned his M.A. and then his Ph.D. from Kent in 1986. Cameron was a subject in the experiment and has written about the harrowing experience from his own perspective. Cameron currently serves as the head of acting at the University of Iowa.
The production of 14 will run Oct. 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 2009, at 8 p.m. and Oct. 11 and 18, 2009, at 2 p.m. in Wright-Curtis Theatre in the Music and Speech Center, 1325 Theatre Drive in Kent. Tickets are available by calling 330-627-2497 weekdays from noon to 5 p.m. or online at www.theatre.kent.edu. Adults are $16; seniors, KSU alumni, staff and faculty $12; and students $8. Groups of 10 or more are $7 per person. The box office accepts Visa, MasterCard and Discover.In the mid-70's, 14 gay men were the subjects of a "reparative therapy" experiment at Brigham Young University which used electro-shock aversion therapy in an attempt to alter their sexual preference. Set in the year 2000, 14 mirrors writer/director Cameron's real-life experiences through fictional character Ron Sorenson who finds himself facing his a sometimes dark and other times humorous past. Based on a true story, this production is not appropriate for students under 18.
"It's a story about something that happened that shouldn't have happened and how the ramifications of that event spread themselves across a lifetime, says Cameron, who came out of the closet at Kent State in the mid-80's.
Before working at The University of Iowa, he was a member of the theatre faculty at Stony Brook University on Long Island for 10 years where he served as director of the Living/Learning Center for the Arts and director of graduate studies for the Department of Theatre Arts. He trained with Sanford Meisner and has performed on stage in Europe, Central America, Australia and in various regional theatres throughout the United States, and in television and film. He is also a director and playwright. He has directed extensively for the academic and professional stage and television, and his plays have been produced at a variety of academic and professional theatres.For more information please contact: Sarabjit Jagirdar, Email:- htsyndication@hindustantimes.com.
Copyright © 2009 US Fed News (HT Syndication)
(Psychology) Study data from Kent State University update understanding of schizophrenia (Aakre)
09/26/2009
Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week
"Many studies have found that people experiencing persecutory delusions have a marked tendency to use external-personal attributions when establishing the causes of negative events. Although nonclinical populations also tend to attribute negative events to external causes, those causes are typically believed to be universal in nature, rather than personal," scientists in the United States report (see also ).
"The central goal of the present study was to investigate whether individuals with remitted persecutory delusions would display this external-personal bias regarding negative events, in comparison to remitted patients whose delusions were not paranoid in nature and to nonpsychiatric controls. currently paranoid patients were significantly more likely than all other groups, including the remitted paranoid group, to use external-personal attributions in negative events," wrote J.M. Aakre and colleagues, Kent State University.
The researchers concluded: "Interestingly, all patient groups also were found to be significantly more likely than the controls to use internal-personal and internal-universal attributions when explaining negative events."
Aakre and colleagues published their study in Schizophrenia Bulletin (Attributional Style in Delusional Patients: A Comparison of Remitted Paranoid, Remitted Nonparanoid, and Current Paranoid Patients With Nonpsychiatric Controls. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 2009;35(5):994-1002).
For additional information, contact J.M. Aakre, Kent State University, Dept. of Psychology, Kent, OH 44240, USA.
The publisher's contact information for the journal Schizophrenia Bulletin is: Oxford University Press, Great Clarendon St., Oxford OX2 6DP, England.
Copyright © 2009 Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week via NewsRx.com
(Biology) Reports outline life sciences research from Kent State University (Soler)
09/28/2009
Proteomics Weekly
"Two isoforms of phosphoprotein phosphatase 1, PPP1CC1 and PPP1CC2, are translated from alternatively spliced transcripts of a single gene, Ppp1cc, and differ only at their extreme C-termini. While PPP1CC1 expression is almost ubiquitous, PPP1CC2 is largely restricted to testicular germ cells and mature spermatozoa," scientists in the United States report (see also ).
"Targeted deletion of Ppp1cc leads to sterility of -/- males due to a combination of gross structural defects in developing spermatids resulting in apoptosis and faulty spermiation. Because PPP1CC2 is the only PP1 isoform that demonstrates high-level expression in wild-type meiotic and postmeiotic male germ cells, we have tested whether its loss in Ppp1cc-/- males is largely responsible for manifestation of this phenotype by expressing PPP1CC2 transgenically in the testis of Ppp1cc-/- mice (rescue mice). Herein, we demonstrate that PPP1CC2 expression in the Ppp1cc-/- testis is antiapoptotic, thus reestablishing spermatid development and spermiation. However, because aberrant flagellar morphogenesis is incompletely ameliorated, rescue males remain infertile," wrote D.C. Soler and colleagues, Kent State University.
The researchers concluded: "Because these results suggest that expression of PPP1CC2 in developing germ cells is essential but insufficient for normal spermatogenesis to occur, appropriate spatial and temporal expression of both PPP1CC isoforms in the testis during spermatogenesis appears to be necessary to produce structurally normal fertility-competent spermatozoa."
Soler and colleagues published their study in Biology of Reproduction (Expression of Transgenic PPP1CC2 in the Testis of Ppp1cc-Null Mice Rescues Spermatid Viability and Spermiation but Does Not Restore Normal Sperm Tail Ultrastructure, Sperm Motility, or Fertility. Biology of Reproduction, 2009;81(2):343-352).
For more information, contact S. Vijayaraghavan, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA.
Publisher contact information for the journal Biology of Reproduction is: Society Study Reproduction, 1603 Monroe St., Madison, WI 53711-2021, USA.
Copyright © 2009 Proteomics Weekly via NewsRx.com
(Biology) Reports outline life sciences research from Kent State University (Soler)
09/28/2009
NewsRx.com
"Two isoforms of phosphoprotein phosphatase 1, PPP1CC1 and PPP1CC2, are translated from alternatively spliced transcripts of a single gene, Ppp1cc, and differ only at their extreme C-termini. While PPP1CC1 expression is almost ubiquitous, PPP1CC2 is largely restricted to testicular germ cells and mature spermatozoa," scientists in the United States report (see also ).
"Targeted deletion of Ppp1cc leads to sterility of -/- males due to a combination of gross structural defects in developing spermatids resulting in apoptosis and faulty spermiation. Because PPP1CC2 is the only PP1 isoform that demonstrates high-level expression in wild-type meiotic and postmeiotic male germ cells, we have tested whether its loss in Ppp1cc-/- males is largely responsible for manifestation of this phenotype by expressing PPP1CC2 transgenically in the testis of Ppp1cc-/- mice (rescue mice). Herein, we demonstrate that PPP1CC2 expression in the Ppp1cc-/- testis is antiapoptotic, thus reestablishing spermatid development and spermiation. However, because aberrant flagellar morphogenesis is incompletely ameliorated, rescue males remain infertile," wrote D.C. Soler and colleagues, Kent State University.
The researchers concluded: "Because these results suggest that expression of PPP1CC2 in developing germ cells is essential but insufficient for normal spermatogenesis to occur, appropriate spatial and temporal expression of both PPP1CC isoforms in the testis during spermatogenesis appears to be necessary to produce structurally normal fertility-competent spermatozoa."
Soler and colleagues published their study in Biology of Reproduction (Expression of Transgenic PPP1CC2 in the Testis of Ppp1cc-Null Mice Rescues Spermatid Viability and Spermiation but Does Not Restore Normal Sperm Tail Ultrastructure, Sperm Motility, or Fertility. Biology of Reproduction, 2009;81(2):343-352).
For more information, contact S. Vijayaraghavan, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA.
Publisher contact information for the journal Biology of Reproduction is: Society Study Reproduction, 1603 Monroe St., Madison, WI 53711-2021, USA.
Copyright © 2009 Health & Medicine Week via NewsRx.com
(Biology) Reports outline life sciences research from Kent State University (Soler)
09/28/2009
OBGYN & Reproduction Week
"Two isoforms of phosphoprotein phosphatase 1, PPP1CC1 and PPP1CC2, are translated from alternatively spliced transcripts of a single gene, Ppp1cc, and differ only at their extreme C-termini. While PPP1CC1 expression is almost ubiquitous, PPP1CC2 is largely restricted to testicular germ cells and mature spermatozoa," scientists in the United States report (see also ).
"Targeted deletion of Ppp1cc leads to sterility of -/- males due to a combination of gross structural defects in developing spermatids resulting in apoptosis and faulty spermiation. Because PPP1CC2 is the only PP1 isoform that demonstrates high-level expression in wild-type meiotic and postmeiotic male germ cells, we have tested whether its loss in Ppp1cc-/- males is largely responsible for manifestation of this phenotype by expressing PPP1CC2 transgenically in the testis of Ppp1cc-/- mice (rescue mice). Herein, we demonstrate that PPP1CC2 expression in the Ppp1cc-/- testis is antiapoptotic, thus reestablishing spermatid development and spermiation. However, because aberrant flagellar morphogenesis is incompletely ameliorated, rescue males remain infertile," wrote D.C. Soler and colleagues, Kent State University.
The researchers concluded: "Because these results suggest that expression of PPP1CC2 in developing germ cells is essential but insufficient for normal spermatogenesis to occur, appropriate spatial and temporal expression of both PPP1CC isoforms in the testis during spermatogenesis appears to be necessary to produce structurally normal fertility-competent spermatozoa."
Soler and colleagues published their study in Biology of Reproduction (Expression of Transgenic PPP1CC2 in the Testis of Ppp1cc-Null Mice Rescues Spermatid Viability and Spermiation but Does Not Restore Normal Sperm Tail Ultrastructure, Sperm Motility, or Fertility. Biology of Reproduction, 2009;81(2):343-352).
For more information, contact S. Vijayaraghavan, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA.
Publisher contact information for the journal Biology of Reproduction is: Society Study Reproduction, 1603 Monroe St., Madison, WI 53711-2021, USA.
Copyright © 2009 OBGYN & Reproduction Week via NewsRx.com
(Psychology) How alcohol blunts the ability of hamsters to 'rise and shine' (Ruby, Glass)
09/28/2009
NewsRx.com
Chronic alcohol consumption blunts the biological clock's ability to synchronize daily activities to light, disrupts natural activity patterns and continues to affect the body's clock (circadian rhythm), even days after the drinking ends, according to a new study with hamsters (see also ).
The study describes the changes that drinking can produce on the body's master clock and how it affects behavior. The research provides a way to study human alcoholism using an animal model, said researcher Christina L. Ruby.
The study "Chronic ethanol attenuates circadian photic phase resetting and alters nocturnal activity patterns in the hamster" appears in the American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. Christina L. Ruby, Allison J. Brager, Marc A. DePaul, and J. David Glass, all of Kent State University, and Rebecca A. Prosser of the University of Tennessee, conducted the study. The American Physiological Society published the research.
Batteries not included Alcohol consumption affects the master clock, located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) section of the brain. This clock controls the circadian cycle, a roughly 24-hour cycle, which regulates sleeping and waking, as well as the timing of a variety of other physiological functions, such as hormonal secretions, appetite, digestion, activity levels and body temperature. The SCN synchronizes physiological functions so that they occur at the proper times and keeps these functions synchronized with daylight. Disruption of the clock dramatically increases the risks of developing cancer, heart disease, and depression, among other health problems.
The researchers used hamsters to find out how alcohol affects circadian rhythms. Although hamsters are nocturnal, light synchronizes their clocks, just as with humans. The animals were divided into three groups, differing only on what they drank. The control group received water only. A second group received water containing 10% alcohol and the third group received water containing 20% alcohol. Hamsters, when given a choice, prefer alcohol, which they metabolize quickly.
The animals drank as much as they wanted and lived in an environment that provided 14 hours of light and 10 hours of darkness each day.
Sleeping in The researchers recorded the activity levels of the three groups throughout the day. Late in the dark cycle, about three hours before the nocturnal animals would normally be settling in to sleep, the researchers put on a low-level light for 30 minutes. The light was similar to the dim light of dawn. At another time, the groups received a brighter light, akin to the light in an office building. Hamsters exposed to the light late in their active cycle will normally settle down to sleep at the same time, but will wake up earlier. In effect, the light pushes their circadian clock forward.
In addition, the researchers tracked how long it takes alcohol to travel to the master clock in the brain. They also took regular readings of subcutaneous alcohol levels, which are akin to blood alcohol levels. In the final phase of the experiment, the hamsters that received alcohol were switched to regular water to examine the effects of withdrawal.
The study found that:
The hamsters that drank alcohol had the hardest time shifting their rhythms after exposure to the dim light, and the more alcohol they drank, the harder it was to adjust. Exposure to dim light caused the water-only hamsters to wake up 72 minutes earlier than they normally would. The 10% alcohol group woke up 30 minutes earlier and the 20% alcohol group woke up only 18 minutes earlier. Exposure to bright light helped the alcohol-consuming hamsters to wake up sooner, greatly reducing the difference in wake up times among the groups. The control animals woke up 102 minutes earlier compared to the 20% alcohol group that woke up 84 minutes earlier. Total time spent active during the 24-hour period was the same for all three groups. However, the hamsters that consumed alcohol had fewer bouts of activity that lasted longer than the water-consuming controls. The control group had more bouts of activity over the course of the day. When the hamsters were withdrawn from alcohol for 2-3 days and then exposed to the same light treatment again, they woke up much earlier than the animals that had drunk only water. The hamsters that were withdrawn from alcohol woke up 126 minutes sooner compared to the water drinking controls, who advanced 66 minutes. This exaggerated response persisted even up to three days later, when the experiment ended. The hamsters drank the most heavily shortly after the beginning of the dark cycle, when they would naturally be most active. A peak in alcohol reached the suprachiasmatic nucleus in the brain 20 minutes later.
Human applications? The researchers aim to apply the research to people, who also show circadian disruptions from drinking. Specifically, the study suggests the following:
People who drink alcohol, particularly late into the night, may not respond to important light cues to keep their biological clocks in synch with daylight over the next 24 hours. Even low levels of alcohol may impair the response to light cues, said Ruby. After the first 24 hours, the circadian cycle continues to be affected, even without further consumption of alcohol. Exposure to bright light in the morning may reduce the disruption of alcohol to the biological clock. Chronic drinking continues to affect the biological clock even after withdrawal from alcohol. The hamsters withdrawn from alcohol woke up much earlier in response to light than they normally would, just like people who are trying to stop drinking. Getting a person's circadian rhythm back in line after quitting may be why staying abstinent is so difficult. Chronic drinking may affect activity patterns, making drinkers less active at times of the day when they should be active and more active when they should not be, such as late at night.
Copyright © 2009 Health & Medicine Week via NewsRx.com
(Psychology) How alcohol blunts the ability of hamsters to 'rise and shine' (Ruby, Glass)
09/28/2009
Mental Health Weekly Digest
Chronic alcohol consumption blunts the biological clock's ability to synchronize daily activities to light, disrupts natural activity patterns and continues to affect the body's clock (circadian rhythm), even days after the drinking ends, according to a new study with hamsters (see also ).
The study describes the changes that drinking can produce on the body's master clock and how it affects behavior. The research provides a way to study human alcoholism using an animal model, said researcher Christina L. Ruby.
The study "Chronic ethanol attenuates circadian photic phase resetting and alters nocturnal activity patterns in the hamster" appears in the American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. Christina L. Ruby, Allison J. Brager, Marc A. DePaul, and J. David Glass, all of Kent State University, and Rebecca A. Prosser of the University of Tennessee, conducted the study. The American Physiological Society published the research.
Batteries not included Alcohol consumption affects the master clock, located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) section of the brain. This clock controls the circadian cycle, a roughly 24-hour cycle, which regulates sleeping and waking, as well as the timing of a variety of other physiological functions, such as hormonal secretions, appetite, digestion, activity levels and body temperature. The SCN synchronizes physiological functions so that they occur at the proper times and keeps these functions synchronized with daylight. Disruption of the clock dramatically increases the risks of developing cancer, heart disease, and depression, among other health problems.
The researchers used hamsters to find out how alcohol affects circadian rhythms. Although hamsters are nocturnal, light synchronizes their clocks, just as with humans. The animals were divided into three groups, differing only on what they drank. The control group received water only. A second group received water containing 10% alcohol and the third group received water containing 20% alcohol. Hamsters, when given a choice, prefer alcohol, which they metabolize quickly.
The animals drank as much as they wanted and lived in an environment that provided 14 hours of light and 10 hours of darkness each day.
Sleeping in The researchers recorded the activity levels of the three groups throughout the day. Late in the dark cycle, about three hours before the nocturnal animals would normally be settling in to sleep, the researchers put on a low-level light for 30 minutes. The light was similar to the dim light of dawn. At another time, the groups received a brighter light, akin to the light in an office building. Hamsters exposed to the light late in their active cycle will normally settle down to sleep at the same time, but will wake up earlier. In effect, the light pushes their circadian clock forward.
In addition, the researchers tracked how long it takes alcohol to travel to the master clock in the brain. They also took regular readings of subcutaneous alcohol levels, which are akin to blood alcohol levels. In the final phase of the experiment, the hamsters that received alcohol were switched to regular water to examine the effects of withdrawal.
The study found that:
The hamsters that drank alcohol had the hardest time shifting their rhythms after exposure to the dim light, and the more alcohol they drank, the harder it was to adjust. Exposure to dim light caused the water-only hamsters to wake up 72 minutes earlier than they normally would. The 10% alcohol group woke up 30 minutes earlier and the 20% alcohol group woke up only 18 minutes earlier. Exposure to bright light helped the alcohol-consuming hamsters to wake up sooner, greatly reducing the difference in wake up times among the groups. The control animals woke up 102 minutes earlier compared to the 20% alcohol group that woke up 84 minutes earlier. Total time spent active during the 24-hour period was the same for all three groups. However, the hamsters that consumed alcohol had fewer bouts of activity that lasted longer than the water-consuming controls. The control group had more bouts of activity over the course of the day. When the hamsters were withdrawn from alcohol for 2-3 days and then exposed to the same light treatment again, they woke up much earlier than the animals that had drunk only water. The hamsters that were withdrawn from alcohol woke up 126 minutes sooner compared to the water drinking controls, who advanced 66 minutes. This exaggerated response persisted even up to three days later, when the experiment ended. The hamsters drank the most heavily shortly after the beginning of the dark cycle, when they would naturally be most active. A peak in alcohol reached the suprachiasmatic nucleus in the brain 20 minutes later.
Human applications? The researchers aim to apply the research to people, who also show circadian disruptions from drinking. Specifically, the study suggests the following:
People who drink alcohol, particularly late into the night, may not respond to important light cues to keep their biological clocks in synch with daylight over the next 24 hours. Even low levels of alcohol may impair the response to light cues, said Ruby. After the first 24 hours, the circadian cycle continues to be affected, even without further consumption of alcohol. Exposure to bright light in the morning may reduce the disruption of alcohol to the biological clock. Chronic drinking continues to affect the biological clock even after withdrawal from alcohol. The hamsters withdrawn from alcohol woke up much earlier in response to light than they normally would, just like people who are trying to stop drinking. Getting a person's circadian rhythm back in line after quitting may be why staying abstinent is so difficult. Chronic drinking may affect activity patterns, making drinkers less active at times of the day when they should be active and more active when they should not be, such as late at night.
Copyright © 2009 Mental Health Weekly Digest via NewsRx.com
(Psychology) How alcohol blunts the ability of hamsters to 'rise and shine' (Ruby, Glass)
09/28/2009
Clinical Oncology Week
Chronic alcohol consumption blunts the biological clock's ability to synchronize daily activities to light, disrupts natural activity patterns and continues to affect the body's clock (circadian rhythm), even days after the drinking ends, according to a new study with hamsters (see also ).
The study describes the changes that drinking can produce on the body's master clock and how it affects behavior. The research provides a way to study human alcoholism using an animal model, said researcher Christina L. Ruby.
The study "Chronic ethanol attenuates circadian photic phase resetting and alters nocturnal activity patterns in the hamster" appears in the American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. Christina L. Ruby, Allison J. Brager, Marc A. DePaul, and J. David Glass, all of Kent State University, and Rebecca A. Prosser of the University of Tennessee, conducted the study. The American Physiological Society published the research.
Batteries not included Alcohol consumption affects the master clock, located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) section of the brain. This clock controls the circadian cycle, a roughly 24-hour cycle, which regulates sleeping and waking, as well as the timing of a variety of other physiological functions, such as hormonal secretions, appetite, digestion, activity levels and body temperature. The SCN synchronizes physiological functions so that they occur at the proper times and keeps these functions synchronized with daylight. Disruption of the clock dramatically increases the risks of developing cancer, heart disease, and depression, among other health problems.
The researchers used hamsters to find out how alcohol affects circadian rhythms. Although hamsters are nocturnal, light synchronizes their clocks, just as with humans. The animals were divided into three groups, differing only on what they drank. The control group received water only. A second group received water containing 10% alcohol and the third group received water containing 20% alcohol. Hamsters, when given a choice, prefer alcohol, which they metabolize quickly.
The animals drank as much as they wanted and lived in an environment that provided 14 hours of light and 10 hours of darkness each day.
Sleeping in The researchers recorded the activity levels of the three groups throughout the day. Late in the dark cycle, about three hours before the nocturnal animals would normally be settling in to sleep, the researchers put on a low-level light for 30 minutes. The light was similar to the dim light of dawn. At another time, the groups received a brighter light, akin to the light in an office building. Hamsters exposed to the light late in their active cycle will normally settle down to sleep at the same time, but will wake up earlier. In effect, the light pushes their circadian clock forward.
In addition, the researchers tracked how long it takes alcohol to travel to the master clock in the brain. They also took regular readings of subcutaneous alcohol levels, which are akin to blood alcohol levels. In the final phase of the experiment, the hamsters that received alcohol were switched to regular water to examine the effects of withdrawal.
The study found that:
The hamsters that drank alcohol had the hardest time shifting their rhythms after exposure to the dim light, and the more alcohol they drank, the harder it was to adjust. Exposure to dim light caused the water-only hamsters to wake up 72 minutes earlier than they normally would. The 10% alcohol group woke up 30 minutes earlier and the 20% alcohol group woke up only 18 minutes earlier. Exposure to bright light helped the alcohol-consuming hamsters to wake up sooner, greatly reducing the difference in wake up times among the groups. The control animals woke up 102 minutes earlier compared to the 20% alcohol group that woke up 84 minutes earlier. Total time spent active during the 24-hour period was the same for all three groups. However, the hamsters that consumed alcohol had fewer bouts of activity that lasted longer than the water-consuming controls. The control group had more bouts of activity over the course of the day. When the hamsters were withdrawn from alcohol for 2-3 days and then exposed to the same light treatment again, they woke up much earlier than the animals that had drunk only water. The hamsters that were withdrawn from alcohol woke up 126 minutes sooner compared to the water drinking controls, who advanced 66 minutes. This exaggerated response persisted even up to three days later, when the experiment ended. The hamsters drank the most heavily shortly after the beginning of the dark cycle, when they would naturally be most active. A peak in alcohol reached the suprachiasmatic nucleus in the brain 20 minutes later.
Human applications? The researchers aim to apply the research to people, who also show circadian disruptions from drinking. Specifically, the study suggests the following:
People who drink alcohol, particularly late into the night, may not respond to important light cues to keep their biological clocks in synch with daylight over the next 24 hours. Even low levels of alcohol may impair the response to light cues, said Ruby. After the first 24 hours, the circadian cycle continues to be affected, even without further consumption of alcohol. Exposure to bright light in the morning may reduce the disruption of alcohol to the biological clock. Chronic drinking continues to affect the biological clock even after withdrawal from alcohol. The hamsters withdrawn from alcohol woke up much earlier in response to light than they normally would, just like people who are trying to stop drinking. Getting a person's circadian rhythm back in line after quitting may be why staying abstinent is so difficult. Chronic drinking may affect activity patterns, making drinkers less active at times of the day when they should be active and more active when they should not be, such as late at night.
Copyright © 2009 Clinical Oncology Week via NewsRx.com
(Psychology) How alcohol blunts the ability of hamsters to 'rise and shine' (Ruby, Glass)
09/28/2009
Gastroenterology Week
Chronic alcohol consumption blunts the biological clock's ability to synchronize daily activities to light, disrupts natural activity patterns and continues to affect the body's clock (circadian rhythm), even days after the drinking ends, according to a new study with hamsters (see also ).
The study describes the changes that drinking can produce on the body's master clock and how it affects behavior. The research provides a way to study human alcoholism using an animal model, said researcher Christina L. Ruby.
The study "Chronic ethanol attenuates circadian photic phase resetting and alters nocturnal activity patterns in the hamster" appears in the American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. Christina L. Ruby, Allison J. Brager, Marc A. DePaul, and J. David Glass, all of Kent State University, and Rebecca A. Prosser of the University of Tennessee, conducted the study. The American Physiological Society published the research.
Batteries not included Alcohol consumption affects the master clock, located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) section of the brain. This clock controls the circadian cycle, a roughly 24-hour cycle, which regulates sleeping and waking, as well as the timing of a variety of other physiological functions, such as hormonal secretions, appetite, digestion, activity levels and body temperature. The SCN synchronizes physiological functions so that they occur at the proper times and keeps these functions synchronized with daylight. Disruption of the clock dramatically increases the risks of developing cancer, heart disease, and depression, among other health problems.
The researchers used hamsters to find out how alcohol affects circadian rhythms. Although hamsters are nocturnal, light synchronizes their clocks, just as with humans. The animals were divided into three groups, differing only on what they drank. The control group received water only. A second group received water containing 10% alcohol and the third group received water containing 20% alcohol. Hamsters, when given a choice, prefer alcohol, which they metabolize quickly.
The animals drank as much as they wanted and lived in an environment that provided 14 hours of light and 10 hours of darkness each day.
Sleeping in The researchers recorded the activity levels of the three groups throughout the day. Late in the dark cycle, about three hours before the nocturnal animals would normally be settling in to sleep, the researchers put on a low-level light for 30 minutes. The light was similar to the dim light of dawn. At another time, the groups received a brighter light, akin to the light in an office building. Hamsters exposed to the light late in their active cycle will normally settle down to sleep at the same time, but will wake up earlier. In effect, the light pushes their circadian clock forward.
In addition, the researchers tracked how long it takes alcohol to travel to the master clock in the brain. They also took regular readings of subcutaneous alcohol levels, which are akin to blood alcohol levels. In the final phase of the experiment, the hamsters that received alcohol were switched to regular water to examine the effects of withdrawal.
The study found that:
The hamsters that drank alcohol had the hardest time shifting their rhythms after exposure to the dim light, and the more alcohol they drank, the harder it was to adjust. Exposure to dim light caused the water-only hamsters to wake up 72 minutes earlier than they normally would. The 10% alcohol group woke up 30 minutes earlier and the 20% alcohol group woke up only 18 minutes earlier. Exposure to bright light helped the alcohol-consuming hamsters to wake up sooner, greatly reducing the difference in wake up times among the groups. The control animals woke up 102 minutes earlier compared to the 20% alcohol group that woke up 84 minutes earlier. Total time spent active during the 24-hour period was the same for all three groups. However, the hamsters that consumed alcohol had fewer bouts of activity that lasted longer than the water-consuming controls. The control group had more bouts of activity over the course of the day. When the hamsters were withdrawn from alcohol for 2-3 days and then exposed to the same light treatment again, they woke up much earlier than the animals that had drunk only water. The hamsters that were withdrawn from alcohol woke up 126 minutes sooner compared to the water drinking controls, who advanced 66 minutes. This exaggerated response persisted even up to three days later, when the experiment ended. The hamsters drank the most heavily shortly after the beginning of the dark cycle, when they would naturally be most active. A peak in alcohol reached the suprachiasmatic nucleus in the brain 20 minutes later.
Human applications? The researchers aim to apply the research to people, who also show circadian disruptions from drinking. Specifically, the study suggests the following:
People who drink alcohol, particularly late into the night, may not respond to important light cues to keep their biological clocks in synch with daylight over the next 24 hours. Even low levels of alcohol may impair the response to light cues, said Ruby. After the first 24 hours, the circadian cycle continues to be affected, even without further consumption of alcohol. Exposure to bright light in the morning may reduce the disruption of alcohol to the biological clock. Chronic drinking continues to affect the biological clock even after withdrawal from alcohol. The hamsters withdrawn from alcohol woke up much earlier in response to light than they normally would, just like people who are trying to stop drinking. Getting a person's circadian rhythm back in line after quitting may be why staying abstinent is so difficult. Chronic drinking may affect activity patterns, making drinkers less active at times of the day when they should be active and more active when they should not be, such as late at night.
Copyright © 2009 Gastroenterology Week via NewsRx.com
(Psychology) How alcohol blunts the ability of hamsters to 'rise and shine' (Ruby, Glass)
09/28/2009
NewsRx.com
2009 SEP 28 - () -- Chronic alcohol consumption blunts the biological clock's ability to synchronize daily activities to light, disrupts natural activity patterns and continues to affect the body's clock (circadian rhythm), even days after the drinking ends, according to a new study with hamsters (see also ).
The study describes the changes that drinking can produce on the body's master clock and how it affects behavior. The research provides a way to study human alcoholism using an animal model, said researcher Christina L. Ruby.
The study "Chronic ethanol attenuates circadian photic phase resetting and alters nocturnal activity patterns in the hamster" appears in the American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. Christina L. Ruby, Allison J. Brager, Marc A. DePaul, and J. David Glass, all of Kent State University, and Rebecca A. Prosser of the University of Tennessee, conducted the study. The American Physiological Society published the research.
Batteries not included Alcohol consumption affects the master clock, located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) section of the brain. This clock controls the circadian cycle, a roughly 24-hour cycle, which regulates sleeping and waking, as well as the timing of a variety of other physiological functions, such as hormonal secretions, appetite, digestion, activity levels and body temperature. The SCN synchronizes physiological functions so that they occur at the proper times and keeps these functions synchronized with daylight. Disruption of the clock dramatically increases the risks of developing cancer, heart disease, and depression, among other health problems.
The researchers used hamsters to find out how alcohol affects circadian rhythms. Although hamsters are nocturnal, light synchronizes their clocks, just as with humans. The animals were divided into three groups, differing only on what they drank. The control group received water only. A second group received water containing 10% alcohol and the third group received water containing 20% alcohol. Hamsters, when given a choice, prefer alcohol, which they metabolize quickly.
The animals drank as much as they wanted and lived in an environment that provided 14 hours of light and 10 hours of darkness each day.
Sleeping in The researchers recorded the activity levels of the three groups throughout the day. Late in the dark cycle, about three hours before the nocturnal animals would normally be settling in to sleep, the researchers put on a low-level light for 30 minutes. The light was similar to the dim light of dawn. At another time, the groups received a brighter light, akin to the light in an office building. Hamsters exposed to the light late in their active cycle will normally settle down to sleep at the same time, but will wake up earlier. In effect, the light pushes their circadian clock forward.
In addition, the researchers tracked how long it takes alcohol to travel to the master clock in the brain. They also took regular readings of subcutaneous alcohol levels, which are akin to blood alcohol levels. In the final phase of the experiment, the hamsters that received alcohol were switched to regular water to examine the effects of withdrawal.
The study found that:
The hamsters that drank alcohol had the hardest time shifting their rhythms after exposure to the dim light, and the more alcohol they drank, the harder it was to adjust. Exposure to dim light caused the water-only hamsters to wake up 72 minutes earlier than they normally would. The 10% alcohol group woke up 30 minutes earlier and the 20% alcohol group woke up only 18 minutes earlier. Exposure to bright light helped the alcohol-consuming hamsters to wake up sooner, greatly reducing the difference in wake up times among the groups. The control animals woke up 102 minutes earlier compared to the 20% alcohol group that woke up 84 minutes earlier. Total time spent active during the 24-hour period was the same for all three groups. However, the hamsters that consumed alcohol had fewer bouts of activity that lasted longer than the water-consuming controls. The control group had more bouts of activity over the course of the day. When the hamsters were withdrawn from alcohol for 2-3 days and then exposed to the same light treatment again, they woke up much earlier than the animals that had drunk only water. The hamsters that were withdrawn from alcohol woke up 126 minutes sooner compared to the water drinking controls, who advanced 66 minutes. This exaggerated response persisted even up to three days later, when the experiment ended. The hamsters drank the most heavily shortly after the beginning of the dark cycle, when they would naturally be most active. A peak in alcohol reached the suprachiasmatic nucleus in the brain 20 minutes later.
Human applications? The researchers aim to apply the research to people, who also show circadian disruptions from drinking. Specifically, the study suggests the following:
People who drink alcohol, particularly late into the night, may not respond to important light cues to keep their biological clocks in synch with daylight over the next 24 hours. Even low levels of alcohol may impair the response to light cues, said Ruby. After the first 24 hours, the circadian cycle continues to be affected, even without further consumption of alcohol. Exposure to bright light in the morning may reduce the disruption of alcohol to the biological clock. Chronic drinking continues to affect the biological clock even after withdrawal from alcohol. The hamsters withdrawn from alcohol woke up much earlier in response to light than they normally would, just like people who are trying to stop drinking. Getting a person's circadian rhythm back in line after quitting may be why staying abstinent is so difficult. Chronic drinking may affect activity patterns, making drinkers less active at times of the day when they should be active and more active when they should not be, such as late at night.
Copyright © 2009 Health & Medicine Week via NewsRx.com
