Effect of tuftsin on the orientation-exploratory behavior of normal white rats and against a background of pharmacologically induced disorders of the brain biogenic amine system

The application of "hole board" method showed that the endogenic immunostimulator tetrapeptide tuftsin injected intraperitoneally in dose 0.3 mg/kg has a short-time stimulating action on the orienting reaction of rats in 5 min, though in 24 hours it suppresses the registered behavioral indexes. The pharmacological analysis of the above studied phenomenon showed that catecholaminergic and especially dopaminergic brain systems played the leading role in tuftsin effect. Tuftsin can normalize animals' behaviour disturbed by the pharmacological agents, which slightly influence the functioning of the brain dopaminergic system.     

Prevention and correction with nonopiate analog of leu-enkephalin of disorders induced in the liver of newborn white rats by prenatal hypoxia]

The newborn rats after 48 hours after the birth were used in the study. The prenatal hypoxia caused the development of hypotrophy. Index of labeled 3H-thymidine nuclei decreased 1.5 fold, mitotic index decreased 1.4 fold. The content of aberrant figures of mitosis increased 2.6 times. Hexapeptide injection before hypoxia reduced the alterations caused by hypoxia, the data of body and liver weight did not differ from the control level.     

Seasonal changes in the behavioral effects of neuroleptics on white rats

Summarized results of the experiments (conducted in 1981-1984) demonstrate seasonal rhythms of some behavioural effects (catalepsy and depression of locomotor activity) of haloperidol (0.5 mg/kg) and levomepromazine (5 mg/kg) in white rats. In intact rats neuroleptics were more effective in depressing high than low motor activity. Catalepsy induced by single administration of neuroleptics was more pronounced in spring and autumn months. A certain negative correlation exists between seasonal variations of neuroleptic catalepsy and the speed of monoamine (dopamine and serotonin) metabolism in the brain of intact rats.     

Intensity threshold for 60-Hz magnetically induced behavioral changes in rats

Experiments were conducted to further investigate the effect of 60-Hz cyclotron-resonance exposures on rats performing on a multiple FR-DRL schedule. The previously reported temporary loss of DRL baseline response, when measured as a function of A.C. magnetic intensity, was found to have a threshold. Utilizing the component of A.C. magnetic intensity parallel to the D.C. field, we report this threshold as (0.27 +/- 0.10) x 10(-4) Trms.     

Correction by succinic acid of behavioral and physiological parameters of neurosis-like condition in white rats

The neurosis-like state of white rats is accompanied by development of cerebral hypoxia. Negative symptoms of the neurosis-like state (behavioral, anatomic and energy) were decreased by per os administration of succinate (30 mg/kg) during the second half of the neurotization process. Succinate provided chiefly the delayed action on the system arterial tension, on the succinate dehydrogenase and NADH dehydrogenase activity. The effects depended on the propensity of a rat to the catatonic "freezing". The "freezing" was detected by a specific breathing pattern: a short inhale and a long pause. In "freezing" rats succinate corrected the system tension to a greater extent, while in "non-freezing" animals it corrected to a greater extent the succinate and NADH dehydrogenase activities. The positive effect of succinate administration is probably associated with its antihypoxic properties.     

Influence of imidazole on behavioral effects induced by dopaminergic agonists in rats

Imidazole (IMI) (from 18.7 to 300 mg/Kg) i.p. injected in adult rats induced shaking, which was antagonized by both morphine (MOR) and haloperidol (HALO) but not by methysergide (MET). I.p. IMI pretreatment inhibited the penile erections (PE) and stretching and yawning (SY) typically elicited by N-n-propylnorapomorphine (NPA), a well-known CNS dopamine (DA) receptor stimulant, injected either i.p. or i.c.v., whereas it enhanced stereotyped behavior (SB). IMI had similar effects on the same parameters considered when injected before lisuride, an ergot derivative also active as a central DA receptor agonist. In this case not only SB but also and above all aggressiveness were markedly potentiated, both the signs appearing at doses of lisuride which were "per se" ineffective. Aggressiveness, like SB, was not sex linked and was antagonized by HALO and MOR, but not by MET. IMI alone potentiated the fighting induced by electrical shock, an effect which was abolished by HALO pretreatment. Considering the results obtained as a whole it is submitted that IMI antagonizes PE and SY through a selective blockade of a class of DA receptors, presumably DA presynaptic autoinhibitors, thus potentiating SB and aggressiveness, which involve stimulation of DA postsynaptic receptors.     

NO介质在大鼠红藻氨酸诱导癫痫发作中的作用

目的：进一步探讨脑内一氧化氮(NO)介质(NO或NO衍生物)在复杂部分性及全身强直阵挛性癫痫发作中的作用。方法：采用红藻氨酸(KA)诱导大鼠癫痫发作,以NO合酶抑制剂L-硝基精氨酸(L-NNA)或NO前体L-精氨酸(L-Arg)予以预处理,观察其癫痫发作行为及海马结构内NO含量(NO2^-/NO3^-)的变化。结果：给予大鼠惊厥剂量KA(10mg/kg),15min时出现湿狗样抖动(WDS),1～3h出现全身痉挛;经L-NNA(50mg/kg)或L-Arg(40mg/kg)预处理的大鼠,注射相同剂量的KA后,其癫痫行为发生明显变化,L-NNA预处理的大鼠癫痫发作行为明显加重,表现为全身痉挛的潜伏期缩短、时间延长、死亡率提高;L-Arg预处理的大鼠癫痫发作行为减弱,WDS和全身痉挛的潜伏期均延长,发作程度减轻、时间缩短,观察时间内无一例死亡。KA给药后30min海马结构内的NO2^-/NO3^-含量迅速增多,7d时仍持续增高;与NS预处理组相比,经L-Arg预处理的动物,KA给药后3h及3d,其NO2^-/NO3^-浓度升高明显。结论：兴奋诱导性癫痫发作过程中内源性NO介质的变化可能具有重要的抗发作作用。     

cDNA array studies of natural and pharmacologically induced sleep

Sleep and Biological Rhythms -     

Electromagnetic radiation of the terahertz range at the nitric oxide frequency in correction and prophylaxis of functional activity disorders in thrombocytes of white rats under long-term stress

The influence of electromagnetic waves of terahertz range at the frequencies of molecular spectrum o nitric oxide radiation and absorption on functional activity of thrombocytes in white rats under long-term stress has been studied. It has been shown that courses of THzF treatment applied during the stress can prevent and restore disorders in thrombocytes aggregative function. The stress factor does not induce characteristic of stress-reaction disturbances of microcirculation in animals treated with the preventive course of THzF.     

Influence of substance P on the behavioral changes induced by haloperidol in rats

Locomotor activity and grooming behavior of rats were recorded for a period of 30 min following intraventricular injections of substance P(SP) in doses of 0.60 and 2.50 microgram/rat. The lower dose of the peptide significantly increased locomotion for 10 min and time spent grooming for 25 min. The effects of the same two doses of SP on the hypokinesia induced by various pharmacological treatments modifying catecholaminergic systems were then examined. SP did not affect the behavioral depression produced by alpha-methyl-para-tyrosine (250 mg/kg), FLA-63 (25 mg/kg) and phenoxybenzamine (20 mg/kg). However, SP, in dose of 0.60 microgram/rat, systematically reversed the decrease in locomotor activity induced by a relatively small dose of haloperidol, 0.1 mg/kg. The dame dose of the peptide significantly counteracted the rigidity but not the hypokinesia and catalepsy resulting from the previous administration of a higher dose of haloperidol, 3 mg/kg. The results support the hypothesis that SP may exert direct or indirect function in motor behavior, possible via a modulatory action on brain dopaminergic systems.     

Effects of neonatal fluvoxamine administration to white rats and their correction by semax treatment

The aim of this work was to study the delayed effects of chronic neonatal administration of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluvoxamine (FA) to white rat pups and to estimate the possibility to correct these effects by treatment with semax. Fluvoxamine was injected intraperitoneally at a dose of 10 mg/kg from postnatal days 1 to 14, and semax was injected intranasally at a dose of 0.05 mg/kg from postnatal days 15 to 28. It was shown that neonatal FA administration produced a significant delay in animal somatic growth. A loss in body weight was detected both during FA administration and 4–6 weeks after the last injection. Furthermore, FA administration increased the anxiety level and disturbed the learning ability of animals. The negative consequences of neonatal FA administration were largely compensated by Semax.     

Behavioral disorders caused by acute and chronic manganese intoxications of white rats]

Single per oral administration of manganese chloride induced an obvious reversible diminishing of locomotor activity in white rats as well as deterioration of avoidance response to unconditioned and conditioned stimuli, prolongation of the conditioning latency, and a temporary deterioration of learning. Chronic manganese intoxication produced an irreversible learning disability and a slight memory disorders.     

Mepanipyrim,a novel inhibitor of pharmacologically induced Golgi dispersion

Mepanipyrim inhibited retrograde Golgi-to-ER trafficking induced by brefeldin A (BFA), nordihydroguaiaretic acid, clofibrate, and arachidonyltrifluoromethyl ketone in NRK and other types of cells, but did not inhibit anterograde trafficking of Golgi-resident proteins translocated to ER by BFA and newly synthesized VSV-G. However, mepanipyrim did not block the TGN38 dispersion induced by any of these compounds. Mepanipyrim acted on the Golgi, and swollen vesicular Golgi structures were formed and similar structures accumulated during rebuilding of the Golgi after BFA removal. These actions of mepanipyrim were readily reversed after its removal. Mepanipyrim did not stabilize microtubules, but prevented nocodazole-induced fragmentation and dispersion of the Golgi. These results suggest that the mepanipyrim-sensitive molecules participated in stabilizing the Golgi and its anchoring in the perinuclear region, and equally importantly, that the novel action of mepanipyrim may be used as a pharmacological tool for investigating membrane transport, Golgi membrane dynamics, and differentiation of the Golgi from TGN.