The activation of α1-adrenoceptors is implicated in the antidepressant-like effect of creatine in the tail suspension test

AbstractThe antidepressant-like activity of creatine in the tail suspension test (TST) was demonstrated previously by our group. In this study we investigated the involvement of the noradrenergic system in the antidepressant-like effect of creatine in the mouse TST. In the first set of experiments, creatine administered by i.c.v. route (1μg/site) decreased the immobility time in the TST, suggesting the central effect of this compound. The anti-immobility effect of peripheral administration of creatine (1mg/kg, p.o.) was prevented by the pretreatment of mice with α-methyl-p-tyrosine (100mg/kg, i.p., inhibitor of tyrosine hydroxylase), prazosin (1mg/kg, i.p., α1-adrenoceptor antagonist), but not by yohimbine (1mg/kg, i.p., α2-adrenoceptor antagonist). Creatine (0.01mg/kg, subeffective dose) in combination with subeffective doses of amitriptyline (1mg/kg, p.o., tricyclic antidepressant), imipramine (0.1mg/kg, p.o., tricyclic antidepressant), reboxetine (2mg/kg, p.o., selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor) or phenylephrine (0.4μg/site, i.c.v., α1-adrenoceptor agonist) reduced the immobility time in the TST as compared with either drug alone. These results indicate that the antidepressant-like effect of creatine is likely mediated by an activation of α1-adrenoceptor and that creatine produces synergistic effects in the TST with antidepressants that modulate noradrenaline transporter, suggesting that an improvement in the response to the antidepressant therapy may occur when creatine is combined with these antidepressants. Furthermore, the synergistic effect of creatine (0.01mg/kg, p.o.) and reboxetine (2mg/kg, p.o.) combination was abolished by the α1-adrenoceptor antagonist prazosin, indicating that the antidepressant-like effect of combined therapy is likely mediated by an activation of α1-adrenoceptor

Raman spectroscopy vs voltammetry: a voltammetric approach to elucidate different chemicals in a range of pharmaceutical tablets.

Over the years, Electroanalysis has been widely applied to elucidate redox behavior of novel molecules. The selectivity and low cost are spotlight features in pharmacopeial methods of identification, that can be reached by voltammetric approaches. In this work, differential pulse voltammetric (DPV) profile and the slope of the linear regression obtained from calibration graphs along with the scan study are proposed as new perspective of identification assays. With the proposed methodology we were able to identify the similarities among DPV profile and the slopes obtained for each tablet. In addition, this new technology was successfully employed to identify the following chemicals: Paracetamol (PAR), Promethazine (PMZ), Diclofenac (DIC), Piroxicam (PRX), Indomethacin (IND) and Cyclobenzaprine (CBP) in pharmaceutical assays using Pencil Graphite Electrodes. Furthermore, our new methodology was effectively compared to Raman Spectroscopy for the analysis of the range of chemicals in the pharmaceutical assays

On the reliability of a simple method for scoring phenotypes to estimate heritability: A case study with pupal color in Heliconius erato phyllis, Fabricius 1775 (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae)

In this paper, two methods for assessing the degree of melanization of pupal exuviae from the butterfly Heliconius erato phyllis, Fabricius 1775 (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Heliconiini) are compared. In the first method, which was qualitative, the exuviae were classified by scoring the degree of melanization, whereas in the second method, which was quantitative, the exuviae were classified by optical density followed by analysis with appropriate software. The heritability (h2) of the degree of melanization was estimated by regression and analysis of variance. The estimates of h 2 were similar with both methods, indicating that the qualitative method could be particularly suitable for field work. The low estimates obtained for heritability may have resulted from the small sample size (n = 7-18 broods, including the parents) or from the allocation-priority hypothesis in which pupal color would be a lower priority trait compared to morphological traits and adequate larval development

Search for the standard model Higgs boson decaying into two photons in pp collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV

A search for a Higgs boson decaying into two photons is described. The analysis is performed using a dataset recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC from pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV, which corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 4.8 inverse femtobarns. Limits are set on the cross section of the standard model Higgs boson decaying to two photons. The expected exclusion limit at 95% confidence level is between 1.4 and 2.4 times the standard model cross section in the mass range between 110 and 150 GeV. The analysis of the data excludes, at 95% confidence level, the standard model Higgs boson decaying into two photons in the mass range 128 to 132 GeV. The largest excess of events above the expected standard model background is observed for a Higgs boson mass hypothesis of 124 GeV with a local significance of 3.1 sigma. The global significance of observing an excess with a local significance greater than 3.1 sigma anywhere in the search range 110-150 GeV is estimated to be 1.8 sigma. More data are required to ascertain the origin of this excess.Comment: Submitted to Physics Letters

Measurement of isolated photon production in pp and PbPb collisions at sqrt(sNN) = 2.76 TeV

Isolated photon production is measured in proton-proton and lead-lead collisions at nucleon-nucleon centre-of-mass energies of 2.76 TeV in the pseudorapidity range |eta|<1.44 and transverse energies ET between 20 and 80 GeV with the CMS detector at the LHC. The measured ET spectra are found to be in good agreement with next-to-leading-order perturbative QCD predictions. The ratio of PbPb to pp isolated photon ET-differential yields, scaled by the number of incoherent nucleon-nucleon collisions, is consistent with unity for all PbPb reaction centralities.Comment: Submitted to Physics Letters