Pramipexole and tolcapone alleviate thermal and mechanical nociception in naive rats.

Introduction: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is а neurodegenerative disorder characterized mainly by its motor symptoms. The non-motor symptoms including pain are increasingly recognized in the last few decades. Existing evidence suggests that the dopaminergic neurotransmission has an essential role in pain control.Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate the antinociceptive effect of dopaminergic drugs pramipexole and tolcapone against chemical and thermal stimuli in naive rats.Materials and methods: Male Wistar rats divided into 8 groups (n=8): saline; diclofenac 25 mg/kg body weight (bw) (positive control); pramipexole 0.5; 1 and 3 mg/kg bw; tolacapone 5; 15 and 30 mg/kg bw. Paw pressure and plantar tests were performed. Paw withdrawal pressure and latent time were measured. Statistical analysis was done by SPSS 19.Results: In the paw pressure test, pramipexole, in a dose of 1 and 3 mg/kg bw and tolcapone in a dose of 30 mg/kg bw, increased significantly the latency at 1, 2, and 3 hours compared to saline (p<0.05). In the plantar test, only the highest dose of pramipexole reached significance at 3 hours compared to the control rats (p<0.05). In contrast to pramipexole the three experimental groups with tolcapone markedly increased the latent time at 1 and 3 hours compared to saline (p<0.05).Conclusions: Pramipexole and tolcapone reduce mechanical and thermal nociception in naïve rats by enhancing dopaminergic neurotransmission at both spinal and supraspinal levels. In addition, tolcapone stimulates noradrenergic mediation which may contribute to its antinociceptive effect

Immunomodulatory properties of cholecalciferol in rats with experimentally induced inflammation

The study aimed to investigate anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects of cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) in rats with complete Freund’s adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation. In the first experiment, rats were treated with cholecalciferol 14 days before or from the day of induction of arthritis. In the second set-up, animals received cholecalciferol for 14 days which was followed by LPS injection. TNF (tumour necrosis factor)-alpha, IL (interleukin)-1β, TGF (transforming growth factor)-β1 levels were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Cholecalciferol treatment reduced paw oedema and ankle joint diameter in AIA. Significantly lower IL-1β concentrations were found in cholecalciferol-treated arthritic rats. In LPS-challenged rats, cholecalciferol markedly lowered serum TNF-α, whereas an elevation in IL-1β concentrations was observed. Cholecalciferol slightly increased TGF-β1 serum concentration in arthritic rats and non-significantly reduced its level in LPS-challenged animals. Our findings showed that cholecalciferol exerts immunomodulatory properties which probably contribute to its anti-inflammatory effect

Anti-inflammatory and in vitro antioxidant activities of Satureja montana dry extract

Introduction: Many chronic somatic and psychiatric diseases are associated with oxidative stress and inflammation, both of which have detrimental effects on human health. Aim: To investigate the in vitro antioxidant and in vivo immunomodulatory activities of Satureja montana dry extract. Material and methods: The in vitro antioxidant activity of Satureja montana dry extract was assessed using ORAC, HORAC, and electrochemical methods. Immunomodulatory activity was evaluated in acute and chronic stress models by measuring the serum levels of cytokines TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β in a cohort of 112 male 8-week-old Wistar rats. The rats were randomly divided into 7 groups for each of both stress models and then subjected to ELISA analysis (14 groups with 8 rats in each group). The rodents were gavaged with a dry extract of Satureja montana (250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg), rosmarinic acid (15 mg/kg), and carvacrol (500 mg/kg) for 14 days and 60 days, respectively. Results: We demonstrated that, for all employed in vitro methods, the dried extract of Satureja montana exhibited considerable antioxidant activity. Satureja montana did not significantly lower serum concentrations of TNF-α, IL-6, or IL-1β in either stress model as compared to the positive saline control group. On the other hand, in the acute stress model, a dose of 250 mg/kg of Satureja montana significantly decreased IL-6 in comparison to carvacrol and significantly reduced TNF-α and IL-6 in comparison to rosmarinic acid. Conclusion: Although Satureja montana dry extract has significant antioxidant activity in vitro, its influence on systemic inflammation is still unknown. Future research will look into how it affects serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines

Anti-inflammatory and in vitro antioxidant activities of Satureja montana dry extract

Introduction: Many chronic somatic and psychiatric diseases are associated with oxidative stress and inflammation, both of which have detrimental effects on human health. Aim: To investigate the in vitro antioxidant and in vivo immunomodulatory activities of Satureja montana dry extract. Material and methods: The in vitro antioxidant activity of Satureja montana dry extract was assessed using ORAC, HORAC, and electrochemical methods. Immunomodulatory activity was evaluated in acute and chronic stress models by measuring the serum levels of cytokines TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β in a cohort of 112 male 8-week-old Wistar rats. The rats were randomly divided into 7 groups for each of both stress models and then subjected to ELISA analysis (14 groups with 8 rats in each group). The rodents were gavaged with a dry extract of Satureja montana (250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg), rosmarinic acid (15 mg/kg), and carvacrol (500 mg/kg) for 14 days and 60 days, respectively. Results: We demonstrated that, for all employed in vitro methods, the dried extract of Satureja montana exhibited considerable antioxidant activity. Satureja montana did not significantly lower serum concentrations of TNF-α, IL-6, or IL-1β in either stress model as compared to the positive saline control group. On the other hand, in the acute stress model, a dose of 250 mg/kg of Satureja montana significantly decreased IL-6 in comparison to carvacrol and significantly reduced TNF-α and IL-6 in comparison to rosmarinic acid. Conclusion: Although Satureja montana dry extract has significant antioxidant activity in vitro, its influence on systemic inflammation is still unknown. Future research will look into how it affects serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines