Neal L. Kane

The effects of social isolation on two shock-induced aggressive responses in rats

This experiment investigated the effects of social isolation during development and during adulthood on the topography of the shock-induced aggressive behavior of rats. Rats isolated during development from weaning to adulthood displayed more shock-induced biting than rats housed in groups during that period. Isolation during development did not affect the frequency of the upright boxing behavior, but isolation during adulthood reduced the frequency of the boxing response regardless of rearing conditions during development.

Coronary vascular dysfunction associated with direct current shock injury.

DC shocks for cardioversion and defibrillation cause myocardial injury that may be free radical mediated. To determine if cardiac injury following DC shocks includes impairment of coronary vascular reactivity. 36 dogs (18–32 kg) were anesthetized and a thoracotomy was performed. Either antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD, 15,000 U/kg) plus catalase (55,000 U/kg) or the NO synthase inhibitor NG-nitro- L-arginine (L-NNA, 5 mg/kg) was administered IV prior to sham (no shocks) or DC shock treatment, and the results were compared to dogs which did not receive SOD/catalase or L-NNA. In sham dogs, electrodes cradled the heart, but no shocks were delivered. In shock dogs, three 20 Joule DC shocks were delivered to the epicardium using hand-held paddles. Other dogs were allowed a 3-hour recovery period after the shocks. Epicardial microvessels and conduit rings were studied in vitro. Antagonists were not added to the bath of the study vessel. Internal diameter was measured in microvessels after constriction with endothelin. Tension of conduit arteries was measured after constriction with PGF2α. Responses to acetylcholine (Ach, 10–10—10–4 M), bradykinin (10–14—10–6 M), the calcium ionophore A23187 (A23187, 10–12—10–4 M) or nitroprusside (SNP, 10–10—10–4 M) were measured. Bradykinin, A23187 and SNP dependent dilation was not different between vessels from sham and shocked animals. Dilation to Ach was attenuated in vessels from shocked dogs. Superoxide production probably contributed to the impaired dilation to Ach since treatment with SOD/catalase improved dilation. Treatment with L-NNA also improved vascular function after DC shock. DC shocks cause endothelial dysfunction, as demonstrated by impaired dilation to acetylcholine, in both canine coronary microvascular and conduit arteries. Since pretreatment with either SOD/catalase or L-NNA protects against this damage, a free radical mechanism, possibly involving eNOS, may contribute to endothelial dysfunction.

Influence of PCPA, shock level, and home-cage conditions on shock-induced aggression.

In a series of experiments, the effect of parachlorophenylalanine (PCPA) on shock-induced fighting was assessed rats raised and maintained under either a 12-hr alternating light-dark cycle (LD) or constant light conditions (LL). PCPA increased shock-induced aggression only in LL groups when testing was accomplished using a 2 mA shock; PCPA resulted in increased aggression in groups from the LD condition only when testing was done at 1 mA. A procedure that used castrated and intact cagemates to manipulate home-cage social experience provided evidence for a role for social experience in determining differences between LL and LD reared rats in shock-induced aggression. However, these data also suggested that home-cage social experience was not a factor in the lighting condition influence on the effect of PCPA on shock-induced aggression. Finally, a separate experiment demonstrated that diurnal rhythms in shock-induced aggression were disrupted by handling and vehicle injection in the control procedures, so the possible role of serotonin in diurnal rhythms of aggression behavior could not be assessed.

A computer program that produces line graphs

Description. The program described here can plot line graphs suitable for publication in journal articles. Several computer-generated graphs were used in an article by Kane and Knutson (1976). An example of a line graph produced by the program is shown in Figure 1. As part of each graph, the program prints a legend with labels for the solid and/or dashed lines being plotted. The program can also print a caption underneath the graph. The use of this feature is optional; graphs with or without captions can be produced. The user has flexibility in plotting the X axis and Y axis for each graph, since the user specifies such information as the number of divisions (tick marks) on each axis, the distance between the divisions, the labels for the divisions, and the labels for the axes. Input. The user first provides data that are not specific to any single graph being plotted. These data include: identifying information about the user, such as the users name and identification number; the plotting symbols to be used in representing the data points on the graphs (e.g., triangle, square, or octagon); and the