TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF MORUS ALBA LEAVES EXTRACT ON SLEEP AND ANXIETY IN RAT MODELS

Objectives: The objectives of the study were to study the effect of Morus alba leaves extract (MAE) on sleep by phenobarbitone-induced sleeping time and the antianxiety effect by elevated plus maze apparatus model in rats. Methods: In this study, the effect of MAE on sleep was evaluated by the phenobarbitone-induced sleeping time of rats. The onset and the duration of sleep were recorded in minutes. The antianxiety effect was evaluated by the elevated plus maze apparatus model in rats. During 5 min test period, the number of entries into the open arm and closed arm and time spent in the open arm and closed arm were recorded in seconds. Results: MAE at the dose 200 and 400 mg/kg, highly significantly (p<0.001) decreased the onset of phenobarbitone-induced sleeping time. The duration of sleeping time was increased significantly (p<0.01) for 200 mg/kg and highly significantly (p<0.001) for 400 mg/kg as compared to the control group. M. alba has significant antianxiety activity in comparison with control in a dose-dependent manner. M. alba in a dose of 200 mg showed significant (p<0.01) and 400 mg/kg treated groups showed highly significant (p<0.001) anxiolytic activity by increasing the mean time spent in open arms as compared to control but less significant with standard (diazepam). Conclusion: Results indicate that the MAE has a significant dose-dependent effect on phenobarbitone- induced sleeping time and antianxiety effect in the elevated plus maze test

Treatment of neuromyelitis optica: state-of-the-art and emerging therapies.

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an autoimmune disease of the CNS that is characterized by inflammatory demyelinating lesions in the spinal cord and optic nerve, potentially leading to paralysis and blindness. NMO can usually be distinguished from multiple sclerosis (MS) on the basis of seropositivity for IgG antibodies against the astrocytic water channel aquaporin-4 (AQP4). Differentiation from MS is crucial, because some MS treatments can exacerbate NMO. NMO pathogenesis involves AQP4-IgG antibody binding to astrocytic AQP4, which causes complement-dependent cytotoxicity and secondary inflammation with granulocyte and macrophage infiltration, blood-brain barrier disruption and oligodendrocyte injury. Current NMO treatments include general immunosuppressive agents, B-cell depletion, and plasma exchange. Therapeutic strategies targeting complement proteins, the IL-6 receptor, neutrophils, eosinophils and CD19--all initially developed for other indications--are under clinical evaluation for repurposing for NMO. Therapies in the preclinical phase include AQP4-blocking antibodies and AQP4-IgG enzymatic inactivation. Additional, albeit currently theoretical, treatment options include reduction of AQP4 expression, disruption of AQP4 orthogonal arrays, enhancement of complement inhibitor expression, restoration of the blood-brain barrier, and induction of immune tolerance. Despite the many therapeutic options in NMO, no controlled clinical trials in patients with this condition have been conducted to date

Venomics: A new paradigm for natural products-based drug discovery

The remarkable potency and pharmacological diversity of animal venoms has made them an increasingly valuable source of lead molecules for drug and insecticide discovery. Nevertheless, most of the chemical diversity encoded within these venoms remains uncharacterized, despite decades of research, in part because of the small quantities of venom available. However, recent advances in the miniaturization of bioassays and improvements in the sensitivity of mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy have allowed unprecedented access to the molecular diversity of animal venoms. Here, we discuss these technological developments in the context of establishing a high-throughput pipeline for venoms-based drug discovery. © Springer-Verlag 201