The influence of pre-experimental experience on social discrimination in rats (Rattus norvegicus)

The authors used laboratory rats (Rattus norvegicus) of known relatedness and contrasting familiarity to assess the potential effect of preexperimental social experience on subsequent social recognition. The authors used the habituation-discrimination technique, which assumes that multiple exposures to a social stimulus (e.g., soiled bedding) ensure a subject discriminates between the habituation stimulus and a novel stimulus when both are introduced simultaneously. The authors observed a strong discrimination if the subjects had different amounts of preexperimental experience with the donors of the 2 stimuli but a weak discrimination if the subjects had either equal amounts of preexperimental experience or no experience with the stimuli. Preexperimental social experience does, therefore, appear to influence decision making in subsequent social discriminations. Implications for recognition and memory research are discussed

ВИВЧЕННЯ МОРФОЛОГО-АНАТОМІЧНОЇ БУДОВИ БРУНЬОК ВІЛЬХИ КЛЕЙКОЇ ALNUS GLUTINOSA (L.) Gaertn.

The aim of the work. Research of the morphological and anatomical structure of black alder buds. Materials and methods. The pharmacopoeial methods of analysis investigated the morphological and anatomical structure of 5 series of buds of black alder of ordinary domestic harvest. Morphological features were studied at no less than 15 samples of raw materials of each series. The anatomical structure was studied at no less than 15 samples of raw materials of each series. Results and Discussion. The measurements of the buds and covering margins (morphometric parameters) made it possible to set the boundaries of the length and diameter of the bud and the length and width of the covering margins. The morphological description of black alder buds with the definition of diagnostic features is made (the size, shape and color of the buds and the covering bracts). The anatomical structure of the black alder buds was investigated. The main diagnostic features were identified: the shape of the cells of the epidermis of the bracts and the porosity of their shells, the types and topography of the thrichoms of the bracts, the presence of essential oil glands. Conclusions. Features of the morphological and anatomical structure of 5 series of adhesive alder buds of various harvesting regions have been established. Morphometric indices were determined, limits for the length and diameter of the buds and ophthalmic bracts were established. The criteria for the morphological description were selected and a morphological description of the sticky alder buds was created with the definition of diagnostic signs. The study of the anatomical structure of sticky alder buds made it possible to identify the diagnostic features of raw materials. The obtained results can become the basis for the development of the sections “Identification A” and “Identification B” of the draft monograph on the sticky alder buds as a promising type of medicinal plant material.Мета роботи – дослідити морфолого-анатомічну будову бруньок вільхи клейкої Аlnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn. Матеріали і методи. За допомогою фармакопейних методів аналізу дослідили морфологічну та анатомічну будову 5 серій бруньок вільхи клейкої вітчизняних регіонів заготівлі. Морфологічні особливості вивчали не менш ніж на 15 зразках сировини кожної серії. Для дослідження анатомічної будови, виготовляли не менш ніж 15 препаратів сировини кожної серії. Результати й обговорення. Проведені виміри бруньок та криючих брактей (морфометричні показники) дозволили встановити граничні межі довжини та діаметру власне бруньки та довжини і ширини криючих брактей. Складений морфологічний опис бруньок вільхи клейкої з визначенням діагностичних ознак (форма, колір, характер поверхні криючих брактей). Дослідили анатомічну будову бруньок вільхи клейкої. Виділили основні діагностичні риси: форма клітин епідерми брактей та пористість їхніх оболонок, типи та топографія трихом брактей, наявність ефіроолійних залозок. Висновки. Встановлено особливості морфолого-анатомічної будови 5 серій бруньок вільхи клейкої різних регіонів заготівлі. Визначено морфометричні показники, встановлено граничні межі довжини та діаметру бруньки та криючих брактей. Обрано критерії морфологічного опису та створено морфологічний опис бруньок вільхи клейкої із визначенням діагностичних ознак. Дослідження анатомічної будови бруньок вільхи клейкої дозволило виділити діагностичні риси сировини. Отриманні результати можуть стати основою для розробки розділів «Ідентифікація А» та «Ідентифікація В» проекту монографії на бруньки вільхи клейкої як перспективного виду лікарської рослинної сировини

Memantine reduces consumption of highly palatable food in a rat model of binge eating

Excessive consumption of highly palatable food has been linked to the development of eating disorders and obesity, and can be modeled in non-food-deprived rats by offering them a limited (2-h daily) access to an optional dietary fat. Since the glutamatergic system has recently emerged as a viable target for binge-eating medication development, we compared the effects of subchronic treatment with glutamatergic receptor antagonists to the effects of a reference appetite-suppressing agent sibutramine on highly palatable food (lard) and normal chow intake. In three separate experiments, the consumption of a standard laboratory chow and lard were measured during 12 days of medication treatment and for 6 days afterwards. Generalized estimating equations analysis demonstrated that sibutramine (7.5 mg/kg, PO) significantly decreased lard consumption, with a concurrent increase in chow consumption. Sibutramine effects disappeared after treatment discontinuation. The NMDA receptor antagonist memantine (5 mg/kg, IP) significantly decreased lard consumption and increased chow consumption, comparable to effects of sibutramine; however, memantine’s effects persisted after treatment discontinuation. The effects of the mGluR5 antagonist MTEP (7.5 mg/kg, IP) on food consumption were in the same direction as seen with memantine, but the observed differences were not significant. In an additional control experiment, sibutramine and memantine reduced unlimited (24 h) chow intake during the treatment phase. Present results provide evidence that glutamatergic neurotransmission might be involved in the regulation of excessive consumption of highly palatable foods, and suggest that NMDA receptor may be an attractive target for developing obesity and disordered eating pharmacotherapies

Cognitive-enhancing effects of angiotensin IV

Angiotensin IV is a derivative of the potent vasoconstrictor angiotensin II and it has been shown to enhance acquisition, consolidation and recall in animal models of learning and memory when administered centrally or peripherally. Whether changes in angiotensin IV activity underlie the cognitive effects of those cardiovascular drugs designed to disrupt the peripheral renin-angiotensin system in humans remains undetermined, but angiotensin IV appears to be a worthy candidate for consideration in drug development programmes. The mechanism of action of angiotensin IV is still debated, although its AT4 receptor has been convincingly identified as being insulin-regulated amino peptidase, which is also known as oxytocinase and placental leucine aminopeptidase. It is speculated that angiotensin IV may interact with insulin-regulated amino peptidase to enhance neuronal glucose uptake, prevent metabolism of other neuroactive peptides, induce changes in extracellular matrix molecules, or induce release of acetylcholine and/or dopamine. All of these things may be responsible for the beneficial effects on cognition, but none of them are yet proven. Importantly, strain differences in murine responses to angiotensin IV suggest that some individuals may benefit from drugs targeted to the AT4 receptor whilst others may be refractory. At present it thus appears that those individuals with the poorest baseline cognition may receive greatest benefit, but possible genetic differences in responses to angiotensin IV cannot be ruled-out

Memantine increases NMDA receptor level in the prefrontal cortex but fails to reverse apomorphine-induced conditioned place preference in rats

Studies have shown that inflammation and neurodegeneration may accompany the development of addiction to apomorphine and that the glutamate NMDA receptor antagonist, memantine, may be neuroprotective. The similarity between apomorphine and dopamine with regard to their chemical, pharmacological and toxicological properties provided a basis for investigating the mechanism of action of the former agent. In this study, we investigated whether memantine would suppress apomorphine-seeking behavior in rats subjected to apomorphine-induced place preference conditioning, through modulation of NMDA receptors in the prefrontal cortex. Repeated apomorphine (1 mg/kg) treatment induced conditioned place preference (CPP) and had no significant effect on NMDA receptor levels in the prefrontal cortex. Prior treatment with memantine (5 mg/kg or 10 mg/kg) increased the levels of NMDA receptors in the prefrontal cortex but did not suppress CPP induced by apomorphine. These data give further support to the addictive effect of apomorphine and demonstrate that blockade of NMDA receptors by memantine is unable to suppress apomorphine-seeking behavior

Surfactant protein D inhibits HIV-1 infection of target cells via interference with gp120-CD4 interaction and modulates pro-inflammatory cytokine production

© 2014 Pandit et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.Surfactant Protein SP-D, a member of the collectin family, is a pattern recognition protein, secreted by mucosal epithelial cells and has an important role in innate immunity against various pathogens. In this study, we confirm that native human SP-D and a recombinant fragment of human SP-D (rhSP-D) bind to gp120 of HIV-1 and significantly inhibit viral replication in vitro in a calcium and dose-dependent manner. We show, for the first time, that SP-D and rhSP-D act as potent inhibitors of HIV-1 entry in to target cells and block the interaction between CD4 and gp120 in a dose-dependent manner. The rhSP-D-mediated inhibition of viral replication was examined using three clinical isolates of HIV-1 and three target cells: Jurkat T cells, U937 monocytic cells and PBMCs. HIV-1 induced cytokine storm in the three target cells was significantly suppressed by rhSP-D. Phosphorylation of key kinases p38, Erk1/2 and AKT, which contribute to HIV-1 induced immune activation, was significantly reduced in vitro in the presence of rhSP-D. Notably, anti-HIV-1 activity of rhSP-D was retained in the presence of biological fluids such as cervico-vaginal lavage and seminal plasma. Our study illustrates the multi-faceted role of human SPD against HIV-1 and potential of rhSP-D for immunotherapy to inhibit viral entry and immune activation in acute HIV infection. © 2014 Pandit et al.The work (Project no. 2011-16850) was supported by Medical Innovation Fund of Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi, India (www.icmr.nic.in/)

Impact of stress on the eating behavior of students of the Ural state medical

The purpose of the study is an analysis and evaluation of the diet of students during the session to identify the impact of stress on their diet.Цель исследования – анализ и оценка рациона у студентов во время сессии для выявления влияния стресса на их питание и разработки рекомендаций по его улучшению

A complex interaction between glycine/NMDA receptors and serotonergic/noradrenergic antidepressants in the forced swim test in mice

Both clinical and preclinical studies demonstrate the antidepressant activity of the functional NMDA receptor antagonists. In this study, we assessed the effects of two glycine/NMDA receptor ligands, namely L-701,324 (antagonist) and d-cycloserine (a partial agonist) on the action of antidepressant drugs with different pharmacological profiles in the forced swim test in mice. Swim sessions were conducted by placing mice individually in glass cylinders filled with warmed water for 6 min. The duration of behavioral immobility during the last 4 min of the test was evaluated. The locomotor activity of mice was measured with photoresistor actimeters. L-701,324 and d-cycloserine given with reboxetine (administered in subeffective doses) did not change the behavior of animals in the forced swim test. A potentiating effect was seen when both tested glycine site ligands were given concomitantly with imipramine or fluoxetine in this test. The lesion of noradrenaline nerve terminals produced by DSP-4 neither altered the baseline activity nor influenced the antidepressant-like action of L-701,324 or d-cycloserine. The depletion of serotonin by p-CPA did not alter baseline activity in the forced swim test. However, it completely antagonized the antidepressant-like action produced by L-701,324 and d-cycloserine. Moreover, the antidepressant-like effects of imipramine, fluoxetine and reboxetine were abolished by d-serine, a full agonist of glycine/NMDA receptors. The present study demonstrates that glycine/NMDA receptor functional antagonists enhance the antidepressant-like action of serotonin, but not noradrenaline-based antidepressants and such their activity seems to depend on serotonin rather than noradrenaline pathway