in persian traditional medicine is believed that camphor (a crystalline ketone obtained from cinnamomum camphora) is a suppressor of sexual behaviors. this study examined the central effects of camphor on sexual hormones (lh, fsh and testosterone) and gnrh plasma levels in male rat. male wistar rats weighing 250-260gr were selected and divided into control (no treatment), sham (icv injection of...

Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) resulting from asphyxia in the peripartum period is the most common cause of neonatal brain damage and can result in significant neurologic sequelae, including cerebral palsy. Currently therapeutic hypothermia is the only accepted treatment in addition to supportive care for infants with HIE, however, many additional neuroprotective therapies have been inve...

Introduction: : It seems that Valeriana officinalis (valerian) extract through gamma-amino-butyric acid A (GABAA) receptor possesses analgesic effect. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of muscimol and picrotoxin on pain sensitivity in male rats pretreated with valerian extract using the formalin test. Methods: Thirty-five male rats weighing 200-250g in standard temp...

Recent studies have indicated that 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) contributes to the fall in cerebral blood flow (CBF) after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), but the factors that stimulate the production of 20-HETE are unknown. This study examines the role of vasoactive factors released by clotting blood vs. the scavenging of nitric oxide (NO) by hemoglobin (Hb) in the fall in CBF afte...

Growing evidence suggests that insulin interacts with both orexigenic and anorexigenic peptides in the brain for the control of feeding behavior in mammals. However, the action of central insulin in chicks has not yet been identified. In the present study, we investigated the effects of central injection of insulin on feeding behavior in chicks. Intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of i...

Dietary and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Na(+) may act through brain amiloride-sensitive, Phe-Met-Arg-Phe-NH(2) (FMRFamide)-gated Na(+) channels (FaNaChs) to cause sympathoexcitation and hypertension. We hypothesized that FaNaChs cause sympathoexcitation via the activation of brain "ouabain" and the brain renin-angiotensin system. In conscious Wistar rats, intracerebroventricular (ICV) infusion of...

Leptin administration inhibits diencephalic nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity and increases brain serotonin (5-HT) metabolism in mice. We evaluated food intake, body-weight gain, diencephalic NOS activity, and diencephalic content of tryptophan (TRP), 5-HT, hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), and 5-HIAA/5-HT ratio after intracerebroventricular (ICV) or intraperitoneal (IP) leptin injection in...

Intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of streptozotocin (STZ) in rats is followed by long-term and progressive deficits in learning, memory, and cognitive performance which is somewhat similar to sporadic Alzheimer’s disease (SAD). Epidemiological studies suggest that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) could delay or slow the clinical expression of SAD. Therefore, the benefi...

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the involvement of central angiotensin II (ANG II) and ANG II type 1 (AT(1)) receptors in systemic release of arginine vasopressin (AVP) and blood pressure regulation during endotoxemia. LPS (150 microg/kg) was injected intravenously 30 min after intracerebroventricular (icv) losartan (50 microg), an AT(1) receptor antagonist, or subcutaneous (sc) capto...

Introduction: Finding herbs with promising effects to prevent or postpone Alzheimer Disease (AD) is highly demanded. The present study aimed at clarifying plausible effects and related mechanism(s) of Zataria Multiflora Essential Oil (ZMEO) against memory impairment in a rat model of the AD. Methods: Forty male adult rats were categorized into four groups and treated as follows: 1. The Negativ...