Neuropharmacology
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Persistent pains associated with inflammatory and neuropathic states are prevalent and debilitating diseases, which still remain without a safe and adequate treatment. Euphol, an alcohol tetracyclic triterpene, has a wide range of pharmacological properties and is considered to have anti-inflammatory action. Here, we assessed the effects and the underlying mechanisms of action of euphol in preventing inflammatory and neuropathic pain. ⋯ In addition, the pre-treatment with either CB₁R or CB₂R antagonists, as well as the knockdown gene of the CB₁R and CB₂R, significantly reversed the antinociceptive effect of euphol. Interestingly, even in higher doses, euphol did not cause any relevant action in the central nervous system. Considering that few drugs are currently available for the treatment of chronic pain states, the present results provided evidence that euphol constitutes a promising molecule for the management of inflammatory and neuropathic pain states.
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A series of experiments using technologies of gene mutation and silencing as well as chemical biology have demonstrated that spinal D-amino acid oxidase (DAAO) contributes to the development of central sensitization-mediated chronic pain and might be a potential molecular target for the treatment of chronic pain. DAAO inhibitors are now under clinical investigations for the management of chronic neuropathic pain. This study examined the interactions between morphine and the DAAO inhibitor CBIO (5-chloro-benzo[d]isoxazol-3-ol) in pain and analgesia tolerance mainly in the formalin test. ⋯ Bi-daily exposure of CBIO given subcutaneously for 7 days did not produce self-tolerance to analgesia or cross-tolerance to morphine whereas 7-day subcutaneous morphine induced self-tolerance to analgesia but not cross-tolerance to CBIO. More importantly, subcutaneous co-administrations or even single dose of CBIO completely prevented or reversed morphine tolerance to analgesia (exhibited by a single dose or a dose-response curve of morphine) in both formalin-induced acute phase nociception and tonic phase pain. These results, for the first time, identified DAAO as an efficacious molecule mediating morphine tolerance, in addition to clarifying the complex interactions between morphine and DAAO inhibitors probed by CBIO, and provided a pharmacological basis for DAAO inhibitors in combination with morphine to clinically manage pain.
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The hippocampus is involved in both cognitive and emotional processing; these different functions are topographically distributed along its septo-temporal axis, the dorsal (septal) hippocampus being preferentially involved in cognitive processes such as learning and memory while the ventral (temporal) hippocampus participates in emotional regulation and anxiety-related behaviors. Newborn hippocampal neurons become functionally integrated into hippocampal networks and are likely to contribute to hippocampal functions, but whether their regulation and function are homogenous throughout this axis is not clear. Here we investigate changes in cell proliferation and neurogenesis along the septo-temporal axis of the hippocampus induced by the Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress model of depression (UCMS), chronic fluoxetine treatment and enriched environment. ⋯ Environmental enrichment on the other hand increased cell proliferation in both divisions but promoted neurogenesis only in the dorsal hippocampus. These results indicate that environmental factors can differentially regulate neurogenesis in a region-specific manner. This may possibly underlie heterogeneous function of newborn neurons along the septo-temporal axis of the hippocampus and have functional significance as to their implication in stress related disorders and memory processes.
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Many psychiatric disorders emerge after adolescence. Among a variety of predisposing factors, prenatal stress has been thought to cause the symptoms of anxiety disorders. We recently reported that prenatal dexamethasone (DEX) exposure, which mimics some aspects of prenatal stress, induced anxiety-related behaviors in male offspring when they reached adulthood. ⋯ The decrease in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein in the mPFC and dorsal hippocampus was also restored at PW4. Furthermore, administration of the 5-HT(1A)-R full agonist (R)-(+)-8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin from PD2 to 21 also prevented the emergence of behavioral abnormalities in the prenatally DEX-exposed offspring, implicating the involvement of 5-HT(1A)-Rs in the neonatal FLX effect. Collectively, an early pharmacological intervention to normalize serotonergic transmission effectively suppressed the emergence of symptoms induced by prenatal DEX exposure in rats.
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Thalamocortical (TC) neurons provide the major sensory input to the mammalian somatosensory cortex. Decreased activity of these cells may be pivotal in the ability of general anesthetics to induce loss of consciousness and promote sleep (hypnosis). T-type voltage-gated calcium currents (T-currents) have a key function regulating the cellular excitability of TC neurons and previous studies have indicated that volatile general anesthetics may alter the excitability of these neurons. ⋯ This effect was mimicked by a novel selective T-channel blocker 3,5-dichloro-N-[1-(2,2-dimethyl-tetrahydro-pyran-4-ylmethyl)-4-fluoro-piperidin-4-ylmethyl]-benzamide (TTA-P2). In contrast, isoflurane and TTA-P2 had minimal effect on resting membrane potential and cell input resistance. We propose that the clinical properties of isoflurane may at least partly be provided by depression of thalamic T-currents.