Peptidergic mechanisms of hypothermia-induced seizures in rats during early ontogenesis

Arginine-vasopressin reduced the tonic-clonic seizures' latency as well as the duration of the seizures brain-stem generalisation on the 3rd and 5th postpartum days in rats. The reduced latency was also observed after the PACAP38 low doses administration, whereas higher doses diminished and then enhanced the threshold of generalised hyperthermia-induced seizures on the 3rd and 5th days and the 7th and 9th days, resp. The arginine-vasopressin-treated animals had a dramatically enhanced duration of the tonic-clonic seizures up to the epileptic status on the 9th postpartum day. The findings suggest the PACAP involvement in mechanisms of experimental febrile seizures through its effect upon arginine-vasopressin neurosecretion.     

Pharmacological study of cholinergic mechanisms of compensatory ovarian hypertrophy in rats.

Treatment of hemicastrated adult female rats with nicotine increased the compensatory ovarian hypertrophy (COH) while central n-cholinolytic IEM-506 decreased COH and prevented the estrogen-induced suppression of COH. Administration of L-DOPA abolished the effect of IEM-506, and disulfiram blocked gonadotropic action of nicotine. Elevation of the dose of arecoline decreased COH and the sensitivity of hypothalamo-gonadotropic complex to estrogen suppression. Treatment of rats with L-DOPA and disulfiram abolished the late effect of arecoline. Central m-cholinolytic metamizyl decreased COH, potentiated the effect of estrogen and prevented the gonadotropic effect of L-DOPA. The regulatory role of m-cholinergic systems in noradrenaline mediation of gonadotropic function and n-cholinergic system in dopamine ones are suggested.     

Pharmacological studies on serotonin-mediated behaviour

1. Administration to rats of a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (for example tranylcypromine: Tcp) followed by L-tryptophan increases the rate of synthesis and release of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and results in a series of behavioural changes, some of which can be recorded on activity meters or scored. Various putative 5-HT agonists and the releasing drugs, fenfluramine and p-chloroamphetamine, also produce these changes. 2. A supersensitive behavioural response was produced by specific lesioning or p-chlorophenylalanine pretreatment and lesioning and sectioning experiments suggested several of the behaviours to be either hind-brain or spinally mediated. 3. A role for dopamine and GABA in the behaviour was demonstrated, but depletion of brain noradrenaline by specific lesioning or administration of disulfiram did not influence the behavioural changes. 4. The behaviour produced by administration of Tcp/L-tryptophan or 5-methoxy N,N-dimethyl tryptamine was inhibited by the suggested 5-HT antagonists, methysergide, methergoline and (--)-propranolol, but not by cinanserin, mianserin and cyproheptadine, other putative antagonists. In contrast, all the antagonists inhibited the behaviour when it was produced by injection of the agonist, quipazine. 5. The possible reasons for these differences is discussed in the light of the receptor binding characteristics of the drugs and the possible existence of different 5-HT receptor populations.     

'Non-synaptic' mechanisms in seizures and epileptogenesis

The role of 'non-synaptic' mechanisms (i.e. those mechanisms that are independent of active chemical synpases) in the synchronization of neuronal activity during seizures and their possible contribution to chronic epileptogenesis are summarized. These 'non-synaptic' mechanisms include electrotonic coupling through gap junctions, electrical field effects (i.e. ephaptic transmission), and ionic interactions (e.g. increases in the extracellular concentration of K(+)). Several lines of evidence indicate that granule cells and pyramidal cells of the hippocampus, and probably other cortical neurons, can generate synchronized electrical activity after active chemical synaptic transmission has been blocked. This synchronized activity is sensitive to alterations in the size of the extracellular space, thus suggesting that electrical field effects and ionic mechanisms contribute to this synchronized activity. Recent studies also indicate that 'non-synaptic' synchronization is quite prominent early in development. Electrophysiological data from hippocampal and neocortical slices have led to a re-interpretation of the fast prepotentials (i.e. partial spikes) recorded in cortical pyramidal cells, suggesting that they may not be due to dendritic spike generation. Improvement in freeze-fracture ultrastructural techniques have led to a re-assessment of previous data on gap junctions in the nervous system and opened new approaches to the quantitative analysis and characterization of gap junctions on glia and neurons. Finally, new methods of dye/tracer coupling have the potential to provide a more rigorous basis for evaluating gap junctions and electrotonic communication between neurons in the mammalian central nervous system. Therefore, recent data continue to suggest that gap junctions and electrotonic coupling play an important role in neural integration, although additional studies using new techniques will be needed to address some of the controversial issues that have arisen over the last several decades.     

Pharmacological studies of smooth muscle from Dahl salt-sensitive and salt-resistant rats

The pharmacological properties of various isolated smooth muscle preparations from the Dahl strain of hypertensive rats were studied. The Dahl salt-sensitive (DS) rat was allowed to develop hypertension by increasing the dietary sodium from 0.4 to 4.0 or 8.0%. The Dahl salt-resistant (DR) rat remained normotensive on the same diet. The preparations studied were the thoracic aorta, tail artery, portal vein, anococcygeus, and the perfused mesenteric bed. The noradrenaline mean effective doses (ED50) either in the absence or presence of cocaine, were similar for tissues obtained from hypertensive DS or normotensive DR. The reactivities of the isolated perfused mesenteric preparation to noradrenaline, serotonin, and phenylephrine were similar in DS and DR. The ED50 for the relaxing effects of papaverine in noradrenaline-precontracted aorta was similar for tissues from DS and DR and the profile for the washout of noradrenaline-precontracted aorta with Krebs (with or without papaverine) was also similar in DS and DR. The results of this study were compared with similar studies performed using other models of hypertension. It is concluded that vascular changes are unlikely to play a major role in the etiology of hypertension in the Dahl rat model of essential hypertension.     

Attenuating effects of melatonin on pilocarpine-induced seizures in rats

Daily melatonin (10-50 mg/kg, i.p.) treatment at 08.30 h or 17.00 h for 1 week of female rats (2-months-old) increased the latency to the appearance of the first convulsion in the pilocarpine-induced seizure model. Other behavior parameters remained unaltered. The anticonvulsant effect of melatonin seemed to be more intense at the light-dark transition. Moreover, the effect of repeated melatonin treatment was also age-related, since it showed a lower threshold in 2-month-old than in 21-day-old rats, and the acute treatment was not efficient. [3H]N-methylscopolamine binding was unaltered in the hippocampus and striatum of adult rats after the association of melatonin and pilocarpine. While muscarinic binding was unaltered in adult rats, it increased in the hippocampus of young rats in the presence of melatonin (50 mg/kg) and pilocarpine, and did not change in the striatum. Melatonin partially recovered [3H]GABA binding in the hippocampus in the presence of pilocarpine-induced seizures, and intensified pilocarpine effects in the striatum of adult rats.     

Antiepileptic effects of ghrelin on pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures in rats

It is well known that neuropeptide Y (NPY) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) exert antiepileptic effects in animal models. It has recently been shown that ghrelin neurons increase the activities of GABA and NPY in the brain. Therefore it can be said that ghrelin is an antiepileptic agent. In this study we aimed to investigate the antiepileptic effect of ghrelin in an acute experimental epilepsy model in pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) injected rats. Adult male Wistar albino rats were divided into a control group and four experimental groups with seven rats in each group. In order to generate epileptic seizures, PTZ (50mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally. The experimental groups received intraperitoneal injections of ghrelin at doses of 20, 40, 60 and 80microg/kg 30min before PTZ injection. After PTZ injection, the latencies were separated into three components: first myoclonic jerk, generalized clonic seizures and tonic generalized extension. The injection of 50mg/kg PTZ-induced epileptic seizures in the control group. The onset times of the three characteristic behavioral changes were significantly delayed and the duration of tonic generalized extension was diminished by dose-dependent ghrelin administration. Our results demonstrated that ghrelin suppresses the onset time of PTZ-induced seizures. In the light of our current knowledge, it seems that ghrelin may be considered as an antiepileptic drug.     

Pharmacological regulation of opioidergic antinociceptive mechanisms]

Naloxone-depending potentiation of morphine antinociception by some non-opioidergic compounds between different classes of drugs was found in experiments on mice using nociceptive stimuli of different modality. This potentiation can or cannot be bound with elevation of sensitivity of opioid receptors, release of endogenous opioids or destruction of blood-brain barrier function mor morphine peripheral administration. This potentiation named as "release of functional reserve of opioid antinociceptive response" can or cannot be accompanied by an increase of breathing function depression. Taking into account the data of literature about the dissociation of analgetic positive-supporting morphine effects and also the capability of some compounds to lower the narcogenic opiates potential, the supposition about the real possibility of creating combined drugs is made.     

Models of epileptic seizures in immature rats

Models of basic types of epileptic seizures are elaborated not only in adult but also in immature rodents. It is important because at least half of human epilepsies starts during infancy and childhood. This paper presents a review of chemically and electrically induced models of generalized convulsive and nonconvulsive (absence) seizures as well as models of partial simple (neocortical) and complex (limbic) seizures in immature rats. These models can also serve as a tool for study the development of central nervous system and motor abilities because the level of maturation is reflected in seizure semiology. Age-dependent models of epileptic seizures (absences and flexion seizures) are discussed. Models of seizures in immature animals should be used for testing of potential antiepileptic drugs.