Taftsin correction of pharmacologically induced behavioral disorders in white rats

Tetrapeptide tuftsin in doses adapted to its physiological blood concentrations partially normalized locomotor activity and orientation behaviour of rats altered by drugs affecting aminergic brain systems. At the same time tuftsin had no effect when applied after the treatment by dopaminergic drugs (DTC, haloperidol, apomorphine). It can be concluded that the central effect observed in the first minutes after tuftsin administration is mediated through dopaminergic system. Elimination of some drug-induced behavioural disturbances by tuftsin opens new prospects for its therapeutic application.     

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.     

Pox infection in white rats.

2 pox outbreaks among white rats in a breeding colony are described. The infection occurred in 3 different forms: pulmonary, dermal and mixed. Apparently healthy animals appeared to be virus carriers. The virus isolated belonged to the genus Orthopoxvirus of Poxviridae family, and was very close to cowpox virus. It differed from reference strains of cowpox virus in having a lower ceiling temperature and a higher pathogenicity for white rats.     

Effects of sleeve gastrectomy in neonatally streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Background

Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) has emerged recently as a stand-alone bariatric procedure to treat morbid obesity and enhance glucose homeostasis. The aim of the study was to evaluate its effects in neonatally streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats (n-STZ diabetic rats).

Methodology and Principal Findings

To induce diabetes, STZ (90 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally to 2-day-old male pups. When 12 weeks old, diabetic rats were randomized into sleeve operation group (SLG, n = 6) and sham operation group (SOG, n = 6). Body weights were monitored weekly, and daily consumption of water and food were followed for eight consecutive weeks postoperatively. Serum glucose levels were measured periodically at the 4th and 8th week after surgery. Insulin, ghrelin, glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) levels were assayed at the end of the study. Our data showed that SLG rats exhibited significantly lower body weight gain in addition to reduced food and water intakes postoperatively compared to their sham-operation counterparts. However, resolution of diabetes was not observed in our study. Correspondingly, there were no significant differences between SOG rats and SLG rats in glucose metabolism-associated hormones, including insulin, GIP and GLP-1. In contrast, ghrelin level significantly decreased (P<0.01) in SLG group (58.01±3.75 pg/ml) after SG surgery compared to SOG group (76.36±3.51 pg/ml).

Conclusions

These observations strongly suggest that SG is effective in controlling body weight. However, SG did not achieve resolution or improvement of diabetes in n-STZ diabetic rats.