5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) inhibits the synthesis and release of dopamine (DA) from rat nigrostriatal DAergic neurons. Dexfenfluramine releases 5-HT from brain 5-HTergic neurons. The present study was undertaken to determine whether dexfenfluramine, through the released 5-HT, modulates the intensity of the behaviours dependent on the functional status of the nigrostriatal DAergic system. The ef...

BACKGROUND Several clinical reports have documented a beneficial effect of the addition of a low dose of risperidone to the ongoing treatment with antidepressants, in particular selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, in the treatment of drug resistant depression. The aim of our study was to understand the mechanism of the clinical efficacy of a combination of fluoxetine (FLU) and risperidone ...

Mouse bladder tumor (MBT-2), derived from a carcinogen-induced transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder, has proven a useful model for study of pathogenesis and prediction of cytotoxic drug sensitivity of human bladder carcinoma. To define optimal conditions for activity of the potent interferon inducer polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid [poly(I) X poly(C)] in this model, studies of dose...

Introduction: We investigated the role of ATP-sensitive potassium channels and L-type calcium channels in morphine-induced hyperalgesia after nociceptive sensitization. Methods: We used a hotplate apparatus to assess pain behavior in male NMRI mice. Nociceptive sensitization was induced by three days injection of morphine and five days of drug free. On day 9 of the schedule, pain behavior te...

A total of 120 purebred Hereford cattle were selected from a herd on a ranch in Argentina that had a severe outbreak of infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK, pinkeye) caused by Moraxella bovis. The animals were separated into six treatment groups: a nonmedicated control group, a group that received oxytetracycline at 300 mg injected intrapalpebrally, and four groups that received tilmico...

Using an animal model of colonic inflammation, the effects of intrathecal (i.t.) diazepam (0.02 mg/kg, 0.08 mg/kg and 0.15 mg/kg) on visceral pain-related behaviors and hyperalgesia associated with colonic inflammation were investigated. In this visceral pain model, acute visceral pain response was induced by intracolonic (i.c.) injection of 0.5 ml of dilute formalin (2%, 5% and 10%) in rats, a...

Introduction: Pharmacological blockage of glial activity has been proved useful for treatment of neuropathic pain by lowering proinflammatory cytokines. The present study is to confirm the effect of post-injury administration of pentoxifylline on chronic constriction injury (CCI)-induced neuropathic pain symptoms_ and improved the efficacy of morphine anti-nociception. Methods: Male Wistar ...

The antidepressant-like effects of N-palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), a putative endocannabinoid, was investigated in mice using the tail suspension test (TST) and the forced swimming test (FST). In TST, PEA (10, 20, and 40 mg/kg) produced a statistically significant reduction in immobility (50, 32, and 34%, respectively, vs. the control group), whereas fluoxetine (20 mg/kg) reduced immobility by 3...