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Case Reports 2009; 30(1): 22-24 PubMed PMID: 19300386 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2:complications, Exercise Therapy:methods, Humans, Male, Motor Activity:physiology, Obesity:complications, Time Factors, Treatment Outcome,.   

: The case history of a 44-year-old, severely obese Caucasian man with serious decompensation of diabetes and subsequent withdrawal of high-dose insulin is reported. Insulin was withdrawn after 5 years of continuous therapy and the patient was treated for 6 months with diet, individualized physical therapy and oral antidiabetic drugs from the group of insulin sensitizers. Six months later, oral antidiabetics were discontinued for low blood glucose levels, and the treatment was limited to therapeutic life style changes. After insulin withdrawal, the patient's condition markedly improved: he showed better diabetes control, decrease in insulin resistance, weight loss, reduced BMI, reduced waist circumference, sagittal abdominal diameter and body fat, increased fitness level, normalized blood pressure and decreased heart rate at rest....

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Journal Article 2009; 30(4): 511-514 PubMed PMID: 20010499 Citation  Keywords:  Adrenocorticotropic Hormone:blood, Animals, Blood Glucose:drug effects, Cholinergic Fibers:drug effects, Cholinesterase Inhibitors:pharmacology, Hippocampus:cytology, Male, Microinjections, Motor Activity, Neostigmine:pharmacology, Neural Pathways, Rats, .   

OBJECTIVE: In our previous study, a lesion in the lateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNSTL) was found to significantly attenuate the elevation of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in plasma during microinjectin of neostigmine, an inhibitor of acetylcholine esterase, into the rat hippocampus. The current study was designed to examine the role of the BNSTL in regulation of blood glucose elevation induced by hippocampal neostigmine injection.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ibotenic acid (15 microg/microl) was stereotaxically bilaterally injected into the BNSTL of rats. Two weeks after the injections, neostigmine methylsulfate (sigma, 5 x 10-8 mol) was microinjected into the rat hippocampus in a volume of 1 microl for 1 min using a CMA/100 microinjection pump. Plasma ACTH and glucose concentrations were examined using radioimmunoassay and immobilized enzyme casing/H2O2 method techniques, respectively.

RESULTS: Compared with sham-operated control rats, rats with BNSTL lesions produced by ibotenic acid showed significantly attenuated the elevations of plasma ACTH evoked by the microinjection of neostigmine into the hippocampus. However, no significant difference of blood glucose in response to the injection was observed between the BNSTL-lesioned rats and controls.

CONCLUSION: The results of the present study indicate that the BNSTL plays a role in ACTH regulation and not in blood glucose regulation when the hippocampal cholinergic system is activated....

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Journal Article 2009; 30(3): 335-342 PubMed PMID: 19855356 Citation  Keywords:  Analysis of Variance, Animals, Behavior, Animal:drug effects, Bornanes:pharmacology, Dose-Response Relationship, Drug, Grooming:drug effects, Hormone Antagonists:pharmacology, Male, Motor Activity:drug effects, Oxytocics:administration & dosage, Oxytocin:.   

OBJECTIVES: Oxytocin (OXY) in addition to peripheral actions has many central regulatory functions which can be studied on animal models. In the present study we examined in rats, which behavioral actions of OXY and long-acting carba-analog of OXY carbetocin (CBT) in the open-field can be inhibited by OXY-receptor antagonists. Our interest focused on the behavioral patterns considered indicative of anxiety-related behavior. To determine what is the participation of OXY receptor on OXY and CBT induced behavioral changes, we used two peptide and one nonpeptide OXY antagonists differing in selectivity for OXY receptor.

METHODS: OXY, CBT as well as OXY antagonists were injected intraperitoneally, and spontaneous behavior (horizontal and vertical activity, grooming) of Wistar rats was observed in the circular open-field arena 60 min after application of drugs; in some experiments testing was performed without treatment few days after drug administration.

RESULTS: OXY at the dose 0.05 mg/kg increased locomotion indicating anxiety attenuation, but 1.0 mg/kg reduced both locomotion and rearing. CBT in the dose range 0.1-3.0 mg/kg either did not change or increased horizontal activity. The increase in exploration after both peptides persisted for several days. A marked difference in the behavioral effects of the two peptides was grooming enhancement induced by OXY compared with the absence of this effect after CBT. The increase of the activity induced by OXY and CBT indicating anxiolytic-like action was blocked by OXY antagonists. However, the reduction of exploration induced by 1.0 mg dose of OXY was only partially reversed. The OXY induced enhanced grooming was completely antagonized by all used antagonists.

CONCLUSIONS: Behavioral effects of OXY and its antagonists after their i.p. application indicate that they penetrate blood brain barrier. The diversity in potency of OXY antagonists to inhibit grooming and other behaviors induced by OXY suggests that receptors participating in these behaviors may differ in brain localization, receptor conformation and/or in the utilized signaling pathways....

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Journal Article 2009; 30(2): 215-220 PubMed PMID: 19675513 Citation  Keywords:  Acetic Acid, Adrenergic alpha-Agonists:pharmacology, Analgesics, Non-Narcotic:pharmacology, Analysis of Variance, Animals, Dose-Response Relationship, Drug, Drug Synergism, Ibuprofen:pharmacology, Male, Mice, Motor Activity:drug effects, Oxazoles:pharmaco.   

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to ascertain whether rilmenidine, a second generation imidazoline-alpha-2-adrenoreceptor agonist, is able to increase analgesic effects of ibuprofen in the writhing test in mice. Experimental studies combining these agents have not yet been published.

METHODS: An acetic acid (0.7%) solution was injected into the peritoneal cavity and the number of writhes was counted. The influence on locomotor performance was tested using the rotarod test.

RESULTS: Rilmenidine, ibuprofen, and rilmenidine-ibuprofen fixed-ratio combinations produced dose-dependent antinociceptive effects. ED50 values were estimated for the individual drugs and an isobologram was constructed. The derived theoretical additive ED50 value for the rilmenidine-ibuprofen combination was 34.00 +/- 9.39 mg/kg. This value was significantly greater than the observed ED50 value which was 18.07 +/- 5.41 mg/kg, indicating a synergistic interaction. Rilmenidine did not impair motor coordination, as measured by the rotarod test, at antinociceptive and higher doses.

CONCLUSIONS: The present results suggest that rilmenidine enhances the analgesic activity of ibuprofen. If rilmenidine produces antinociception in humans, then the synergistic antinociception of rilmenidine with ibuprofen could offer therapeutic advantage for clinical treatment of pain....

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Comparative Study 2008; 29(6): 917-923 PubMed PMID: 19112412 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Behavior, Animal:drug effects, Dose-Response Relationship, Drug, Drug Administration Schedule, Drug Interactions, Exploratory Behavior:drug effects, Male, Motor Activity:drug effects, Neuropeptides:administration & dosage, Neuroprotective Agents:.   

OBJECTIVES: On the animal model of trimethyltin (TMT) induced behavioral deficits the effect of chronic treatment with spirocyclic dipeptide cyclo/alanyl-l-amino-l-cyclopentane-carbonyl (alaptide, AL) was evaluated in adult male rats.

METHODS: Changes in the spontaneous behavioral repertoire were investigated in the open-field test on Day 21 (Session 1) and Day 28 (Session 2) after a single oral TMT administration.

RESULTS: In Experiment 1, rats given the highest TMT dose (7.5 mg/kg) exhibited significantly increased total number of behavioral patterns, the floor sniffing being the most frequent pattern. While the medium TMT dose (5 mg/kg) had a similar effect only in Session 1, the lowest TMT dose (2.5 mg/kg) was entirely ineffective. In Experiment 2, an explicit beneficial influence of both AL doses (5 and 10 mg/kg) given for 10 days before and 10 days after TMT (7.5 mg/kg) on the spontaneous behavior repertoire was observed in both Session 1 and Session 2. The total number of patterns and the time spent in individual patterns of AL+TMT treated animals did not differ from the controls and those given AL alone.

CONCLUSION: We conclude that sufficiently long AL treatment interfered with deleterious effects of TMT and forestalled changes in the structure and timing of spontaneous behavioral patterns. Thus, AL can be designated as a substance having "neuroprotective" effects....

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Evaluation Studies 2008; 29(1): 151-158 PubMed PMID: 18283252 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Female, Gait Disorders, Neurologic:classification, Humans, Hypokinesia:classification, Male, Middle Aged, Motor Activity:physiology, Muscle Rigidity:classification, Parkinson Disease:classification, Reproducibility of Resul.   

: The dimensionality and reliability of the Motor Section of the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS III) was studied with non-parametric Mokken scale analysis. UPDRS measures were obtained on 147 patients with PD (96 men, 51 women, mean age 61, range 35-80 yrs). Mokken scale analysis revealed a four-dimensional structure of the UPDRS III. Left-sided bradykinesia and rigidity appeared to co-occur with axial signs, gait disturbance, and speech/hypomimia, whereas right-sided bradykinesia and rigidity formed a second scale. Two further small scales were found consisting of right- and left-sided tremor. Results from the scale analysis reveal that all four subscales are strong. The reliability of the two tremor scales is low because they only contain three and four items, respectively....

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Journal Article 2007; 28(6): 781-788 PubMed PMID: 18063949 Citation  Keywords:  Analysis of Variance, Animals, Behavior, Animal:drug effects, Dose-Response Relationship, Drug, Exploratory Behavior:drug effects, Female, Hallucinogens:pharmacology, Male, Motor Activity:drug effects, N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine:pharmacology, .   

: 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy) is a widely abused drug that impairs behavioral, emotional and cognitive functions in humans and animals. The aim of this study was to evaluate MDMA effects on the spontaneous behavioral repertoire of rats with a focus on the gender differences. MDMA was given subcutaneously in a single dose of 2.5, 5 and 10 mg/kg and the spontaneous behavior of male and female rats was studied using the open field test. Behavioral patterns (locomotion, rearing, floor-sniffing, air-sniffing, grooming, immobility and stereotypy) were registered in two sessions - 30 and 60 min following MDMA administration; each session lasting 5 min. We found that MDMA totally disrupted the structure and timing of spontaneous behavioral patterns in both genders; no evident differences were measured between either of the sessions. MDMA irrespective of the dosage produced hyperlocomotion, excessive floor-sniffing and almost absolute suppression of grooming and immobility. A biphasic effect of MDMA was found in rearing. Gender differences were present namely in rearing and sniffing stereotypy. This study also confirms that behavioral experiments should focus on more behavioral elements than only on e.g. locomotion and that the observer-based approach still gives the most reliable results....

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Journal Article 2007; 28(6): 846-853 PubMed PMID: 18063939 Citation  Keywords:  Analysis of Variance, Animals, Chronic Disease, Circadian Rhythm:physiology, Corticosterone:blood, Disease Models, Animal, Exploratory Behavior:physiology, Male, Mice, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Motor Activity, Oxytocin:blood, Photoperiod, Stress, Physiological:.   

: Experiments were performed in C57BL/6J male mice to determine 1) light/dark effects of acute and chronic shaker stress on open field behavioral patterns and 2) light/dark effects of chronic stress on plasma corticosterone and oxytocin. Shaker stress was applied acutely (15 min) or chronically (3 or 7 days). Mice were tested in the open field in the light or dark phase of the circadian cycle. For the endocrine study, mice were exposed to 3 days of intermittent shaker stress and sacrificed after the last stress event (09:00 or 19:00 h). Acute or chronic shaker stress had no significant effects on intensity of motor activity and rearing of mice tested under either light condition. Mice tested in the dark phase had higher motor activity and exhibited lower anxiety-like behavior as expressed by central zone activities and had higher emotionality as expressed by increased defecation. Chronic stress increased corticosterone with a greater absolute increase in the dark period. However, the percentage stress-induced increase was not different between the day and night periods. The oxytocin response to stress was observed only during the light phase with no change seen at dark phase. These results show that there is a marked difference in the light/dark pituitary stress response with no alteration in stress induced behavioral changes. They also suggest that there are circadian interactions in the endocrine stress axis that are without consequences for open field behavior....

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