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Friday. October 18. 1974
University Daily Kansan
Relationship between behavior brain chemistry studied by prof
By ANITA SOLTER Health Reporte
Continuing brain chemistry research might benefit treatment of mental illness, Ralph N. Adams, professor of chemistry, said yesterday.
"Someday it may all fit together. Some fundamental chemistry might be involved in mental illness, which hopefully would benefit patient therapy." he said.
Adams said ascorbic add (vitamin C) might play some role in mental depression.
Certain parts of the brain have high concentrations of ascorbic acid, he said. In guinea pigs, a lack of ascorbate in the brain will lower the level of the norepinephrine
Vitamin C might play some role in mental depression
molecules, which control mood and emotion changes.
Adams said he was the first to link ascorbate with the norepinephrine content of a sample.
He said his research might provide the basis for understanding the brain functions and psychiatry.
Adams has been researching the brain chemistry of small animals for about five years. While on sabbatical leave in 1969 at the University of California at Irvine, he began working with organic electrochemistry to developing new analytical techniques, he said.
Both humans and guinea pigs are species that don't produce ascorbic acid themselves and must rely on dietary sources. They develop scurvy, a disease characterized by the-skin bleeding, and weakened hearts when ascorbic acid is lacking, he said.
"No one yet knows much about ascorbic acid in the human body. It has some value in stress situations, especially in healing and recovery." The biological functioning is relatively obscure."
In Adams' laboratory experiments, guinea pigs were deprived of ascorbic acid in their diets and were brought near the level of scurvy. At that point, the ascorbic acid level in their brains was lowered and the brain chemistry changed, he said.
Similar experiments couldn't be done on humans because they would get very sick before reaching the level necessary to affect brain chemistry, be said.
Adams said increases in dietary intake of ascorbic acid couldn't change human brain function. He said ascorbic acid ingested by humans is eliminated through urine within 24 hours. Also, he said, the human brain has a "blood" system that won't permit entry of dietary ascorbic acid
To obtain behavioral research skills, Adams is a resident in the advanced scholars program of the Meninger School of Psychiatry in Topeka.
Adams said guinea pigs were appropriate to brain chemistry research but were difficult to study.
"I want to know how patients react so as to better aim the lab work." he said.
Human schizophrenic behavior interests Human because it is "completely baffling, aiding, and causing changes in ascorbate and norepinephrine levels in the brain." Autopsies performed on schizophrenics now change in brain biochemistry, he said.
Budget cuts proposed by StudEx
StudEx will pass the recommended fall budget on to the Student Senate next week with only two cuts in the proposed allocations.
The group last night recommended deletion of $915 from the KU Kudo Club's allocation and $360 from the funds for the KU Soccer Club. The cut of $1,275 would reduce the Senate Finance and Auditing budget from $20,718 to $19,443. The fall locations now will be submitted to the Senate for final approval.
The judo club had originally been allocated $1,145, but StudEx reduced the sum because $915 would have been used for travel expenses. Dierck Casselman, chairman of the Committee, said the Senate had recommended not to fund travel by KU sports teams.
StudEx also recommended deletion of $360 from the proposed $440 allocated to the soccer club. The committee again cited a decision by the council that forms for sports clubs wouldn't be funded.
In other action, an election to fill two seats on University Council was placed on the Student Senate agenda by StudEx. The Senate will be filled from Student Senate.
StudEx also approved a contract renewal with the Hilltop Daycare Center for 1975. There were no changes in the contract from last year.
New resolutions introduced to StudEx last night were placed on Student Senate's agenda. Two bills concerning establishment of a conflict of interest policy for Student Senate were referred to the Rights, Responsibilities and Pride Committee.
At Menninger's, Adams is developing a research protocol to analyze body fluids.
"In particular, 'saliva from a schizophrenic will show the concentration of chlorpromazine in the clinician never knows the concentration of chlorpromazine after it is given to the patient because it takes three to four weeks after administration to respond and may take three to four months after medication before the patient has a relapse."
StudEx set the Student Senate meeting for 6:30 p.m., Wednesday.
Adams said saliva tests might be a valuable psychiatric prognostic method. The amount of tranquilizer present would show whether the patient was approaching by the patient could be calmed by the medication of medication and psychotherapy.
He said he foresaw development of a machine for quick and easy saliva analysis, a procedure appropriate for schizophrenics, or impressives or severely depressed patients.
Adams manipulates the brain chemistry of rats and observes their performance in behavioral experiments, such as following a maze and swimming across a bathtub.
the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Health.
At this time, there is no application from three experiments to hurrys. be said.
He conducts his research in a large analytical laboratory and a small behavioral laboratory with 50 to 75 guinea pigs and rats.
Adams has received research funds from
Five graduate, two post-doctorate and three undergraduate students help perform the
Adams said he was the only one in the chemistry department working with
The research findings have resulted in eight or nine publications in national and international journals, he said. It was especially significant that an article by the Meninger Clinic was the first the clinic had printed about biochemistry.
"We are just beginning to develop a reation in this field," he said.
Adams, who was awarded a University of Kansas professorship in 1965, not only conducts research but also teaches graduate courses in chemistry and oversees freshman chemical labs.
He said he set yearly goals of developing specific analytical methods. The research procedure he is developing are as im- patible as research findings themselves, he said.
In four to five years, he said, he hopes for results from all his research projects.
KAVITA, PETER AND ABBY
Westminster Street, B2
P.O.Box 489, Providence, Rhode Island 02903
Tantra Imports, Inc.
Welfare fund use debated
| Make | Daily | Weekly | Week-end Rates | Overtime |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| PINTO | 85.00 plus 6c per mile | 845.00 plus 8c per mile | 85.00 plus 8c per mile | 1.50 per hour |
| MAVERICK | 99.30 plus 9c per mile | 857.50 plus 9c per mile | 84.50 plus 9c per mile | 81.50 per hour |
| LTD | 811.00 plus 11c per mile | 845.00 plus 11c per mile | 88.00 plus 10c per mile | 81.50 per hour |
| MUSTANG TORINO ORANADA BOLCUM | 810.00 plus 10c per mile | 860.00 plus 10c per mile | 88.00 plus 10c per mile | 81.50 per hour |
| STATION WAGON | 812.00 plus 12c per mile | 870.00 plus 12c per mile | 89.00 plus 11c per mile | 81.50 per hour |
An injunction filed Wednesday in Dougss County District Court to prevent the Board of County Commissioners from using welfare funds for other purposes is a test case for other Kansas counties. I. J. Stoneback, commissioner, said yesterday.
Weekend rates from Fri. noon-Mon. noon
Stoneback he said he thought the move by Atty. Gen. Vern Miller's office was politically motivated. Miller is the Democratic candidate for governor.
The legislature placed welfare programs under state control last year, but Douglas County had $130,000 left in its welfare funds. The county's general fund was put in the county's general fund
An opinion last July by the attorney general said the surplus could only be used in emergency cases.
Stoneback said that the county funds were composed entirely of residents' tax money and would be applied for the county board, said he thought they could legally use the money in other areas.
"I expect the county will fight it in court," Stoneback said of the inunction.
The state appropriation of welfare distribution contributed to the drop in county taxes last year of 11 mills, Stoneback said.
Walter Cragan, county board chairman has said that Douglas County was better off than the other counties that already had spent the duplas welfare money for other purposes.
Stoneback said he didn't understand why
the attorney general didn't choose Johnson County for his test case. He said Johnson County had about $600,000 in surplus welfare funds.
Besides commissioners Cragan, Stoneback and Arthur A. Heck, Young and Delibert Mathia, county clerk, were named defendants in the injunction. No hearing date has been set, and the county has 20 days to file a plea in response.
B.B.A./M.B.A.
A Small Sampling of Peace Corps Assignments in '75 . .
Peru—3 volunteers for earthquake rehabilitation;
Nicaragua—10 small business advisors for community development;
E. Caribbean—10 marketing specialists for sm. bus./co-op dev.;
Cameroon—31 bus. mgrs. & tech. ass's for credit unions
PEACE CORPUS IN '75
UNION & BUSINESS PLACEMENT
NOVEMBER 4-8
A Toast To-HAAS IMPORTS Items From All Over The WORLD
(Seniors/Grads—Sign Up for Interviews—Now!)
- Hanging lanterns
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- *Wall murals
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- Rattan chairs, tables
*“Mini” flower pots only [$1.65]
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Only 68 Days
Until Xmas
HAAS IMPORTS!
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Come early for the warm-up!
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