http://repub.eur.nl/res/aut/40984/ List of Publications en http://repub.eur.nl/static-eur/img/logo.png http://repub.eur.nl http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/28374/ 2010-05-01T00:00:00Z A few months ago, the controversial debate on connection between genetic variants and antisocial behaviour gained renewed prominence after the sentence of an Italian judge who decided to further reduce the prison sentence of a person convicted of murder by 1 year-from 9 to 8 years-because he was found to be a carrier of a few genetic variants thought to be associated with a predisposition to aggressiveness. We discuss the social implication of this view, the lack of evidence of the clinical utility of this test, and in particular the risks of offering susceptibility testing in the context of legal proceedings. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/31869/ 1997-07-14T00:00:00Z It has been suggested that the late hypotensive response to serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) in vagosympathectomized rats is mediated by '5-HT1-like' receptors since this effect is mimicked by 5-carboxamidotryptamine (5-CT), is not modified by cyproheptadine, ketanserin or MDL 72222, but it is blocked by met hysergide. The present study was set out to reanalyze this suggestion in terms of the classification schemes proposed in 1994 and 1996 by the NC-IUPHAR subcommittee on the classification and nomenclature of 5-HT receptors. I.v. bolus injections of 5-CT (0.01-0.3 μg · kg-1), 5-HT (1-30 μg · kg-1) and 5-methoxytryptamine (5-MeO-T; 1-30 μg · kg-1) produced dose-dependent hypotensive responses with a rank order of agonist potency: 5-CT >> 5-HT ≤ 5-methoxytryptamine with sumatriptan (30-1000 μg · kg-1) inactive. The depressor responses to 5-HT and 5-CT were not attenuated by i.v. GR127935 (300-3000 μg · kg-1) or equivalent volumes of saline. In contrast, lisuride, methiothepin, mesulergine, metergoline and clozapine dose-dependently antagonized the responses to 5-HT and 5-CT; the rank order of apparent pA2values against 5-HT and 5-CT, respectively, was: lisuride (7.7; 7.8) > methiothepin (6.8; 7.0) ≤ mesulergine (6.4; 6.6) > clozapine (5.7; 5.8); metergoline displayed variable potencies (5.6; 6.4). Except for lisuride, which also affected isoprenaline-induced hypotension, the antagonism by the other drugs was selective. Based upon the above rank order of agonist potency, the blockade by a series of drugs showing high affinity for the cloned 5-ht7receptor and the lack of blockade by GR127935, our results indicate that the 5-HT receptor mediating hypotension in vagosympathectomized rats is operationally similar to other putative 5-ht7receptors mediating vascular and non-vascular responses (e.g. relaxation of the rabbit femoral vein, canine coronary and external carotid arteries and guinea-pig ileum as well as feline tachycardia).