The pedunculopontine nucleus is a part of the reticular activating system, and is active during waking and REM sleep. Previous results showed that all PPN cells tested fired maximally at gamma frequencies when depolarized. This intrinsic membrane property was shown to be mediated by high-threshold N- and P/Q-type Ca(2+) channels. Recent studies show that the PPN contains three independent popul...

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were tested for wheelrunning following repeated injections of caffeine or distilled water after varying amounts of experience with caffeine and wheelrunning. Rats experienced with caffeine in combination with wheelrunning ran significantly more than rats experienced only with caffeine or wheelrunning alone. Results suggest that caffeine's stimulant effects are greater w...

New features of actual choice behavior and effortful information processing in rats were demonstrated in an eight-arm radial maze through modifications of a matching-to-sample task. Two attempts were allowed for a squad of hooded Sprague-Dawley rats (n=7) for finding a reward in a testing phase of the task. The results showed flexibility and sooner learning to matching rule on the second testin...

Several personality/temperament traits have been linked to health outcomes in humans and animals but underlying physiological mechanisms for these differential outcomes are minimally understood. In this paper, we compared the strength of a behavioral trait (behavioral inhibition) and an associated physiological trait (glucocorticoid production) in predicting life span. In addition, we examined ...

1. Apomorphine is known to both elicit stereotypy and to support behavioral self administration. The present report examined a possible contribution of stereotypy to self administration. 2. Non-contingent intraperitoneal injection of apomorphine in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats immediately prior to their placement in an experimental chamber significantly elevated barpressing above operant rate...

BACKGROUND Curcumin can reduce the severity of seizures induced by kainate acid (KA), but the role of curcumin in amygdaloid kindled models is still unknown. This study aimed to explore the effect of curcumin on the development of kindling in amygdaloid kindled rats. METHODS With an amygdaloid kindled Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat model and an electrophysiological method, different doses of curcumi...

PURPOSE To investigate whether topically administered hemostatic agents ankaferd blood stopper and microporous polysaccharide hemospheres can decrease epidural fibrosis after laminectomy in rats. METHODS Eighteen adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were equally and randomly divided into three groups. In the treatment groups, ankaferd blood stopper and microporous polysaccharide hemospheres topical...

In the present study, we analyzed the effects of enriched, social and isolated experiences on vermal Purkinje cell of the rat, together with anxiety-like behavior in the elevated-plus maze. Sprague-Dawley male rats were randomly submitted to either enriched, social, or isolated environments during the early postweaning period (postnatal days 22-32) and were then behaviorally evaluated in the el...

Ninety male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to 1:1-h light-dark (LD1:1) cycles for 50-90 days, and then they were released into constant darkness (DD). During LD1:1 cycles, behavioral rhythms were gradually disintegrated, and circadian rhythms of locomotor activity, drinking, and urine 6-sulfatoxymelatonin excretion were eventually abolished. After release into DD, 44 (49%) rats showed arrhyth...