Acute effects of orexigenic antipsychotic drugs on lipid and carbohydrate metabolism in rat

This study aims to investigate whether orexigenic antipsychotic drugs may induce dyslipidemia and glucose disturbances in female rats through direct perturbation of metabolically active peripheral tissues, independent of prior weight gain. Methods In the current study, we examined whether a single intraperitoneal injection of clozapine or olanzapine induced metabolic disturbances in adult female outbred Sprague–Dawley rats. Serum glucose and lipid parameters were measured during time-course experiments up to 48 h. Real-time quantitative PCR was used to measure specific transcriptional alterations in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism in adipose tissue depots or in the liver. Results Our results demonstrated that acute administration of clozapine or olanzapine induced a rapid, robust elevation of free fatty acids and glucose in serum, followed by hepatic accumulation of lipids evident after 12–24 h. These metabolic disturbances were associated with biphasic patterns of gluconeogenic and lipid-related gene expression in the liver and in white adipose tissue depots. Conclusion Our results support that clozapine and olanzapine are associated with primary effects on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism associated with transcriptional changes in metabolically active peripheral tissues prior to the development of drug-induced weight gain

Biological activities of essential oils and lipopeptides applied to control plant pests and diseases: a review

Plants are often subject to attack by fungi, nematodes and insects, which generate immense yield losses. Hence, the quest for crop protection solutions is ongoing, concurrent with greater awareness towards the use of synthetic chemicals in agricultural practice. Scientific research has shifted towards the use of natural products, which possess good efficacy and are environment friendly. This review details two classes of natural products. The first one is the plant essential oils with their volatile constituents, which have been proven to possess antifungal, nematicidal and insecticidal activities. The second class is the lipopeptides produced by antagonistic microorganisms. Their biological activities are discussed, as they have been shown effective against plant fungi and pests. Essential oils and lipopeptides have huge potential to be used as biopesticides. The combinatorial approach between essential oils, antagonistic microorganisms and lipopeptides for crop protection is discussed, potentially both can produce a synergistic effect, resulting from their combination against plant fungi, nematodes and pests