Articles: wistar-rats.
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Methotrexate (MTX) is an agent used in the treatment of many neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases and is known to cause oxidative damage in normal tissues. Curcumin (Cur) is a natural polyphenol compound with powerful antioxidant and antiapoptotic effects. In this study we investigate the effects of Cur on MTX-induced ovarian damage. ⋯ Cur pretreatment prior to MTX administration may be an effective option in preserving the ovarian follicle pool by regulating P53 and PARP-1 expressions with its antioxidant effect.
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Due to the increasing prevalence of depressive and anxiety disorders in youth, a growing interest in the endocannabinoid system (ECS) as a potential alternative target point for treatment arised. This study aimed to investigate whether chronic administration of escitalopram reverses behavioral changes induced by maternal separation in male adolescent Wistar rats and explore the corresponding neurochemical changes in the ECS. The pups were separated from their dams for 360 min daily from postnatal day (PND) 2 until PND 15. ⋯ Escitalopram reversed anxiety-like behavior and attenuated signs of despair behavior. The escitalopram administration has been followed by a decrease in the studied genes expression in the amygdala, the hypothalamus, and the hippocampus, what might suggest that the endocannabinoid system is involved in the mechanism of its action in adolescents. However Western blot analysis did not indicate significant alterations in the protein levels, so more detailed studies are needed to verify this hypothesis.
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Corticosteroid signaling plays a critical role in modulating the neural systems underlying reward and addiction, but the specific contributions of glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) and mineralocorticoid receptors (MRs) in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) to opioid reward and dopaminergic plasticity remain unclear. Here, we investigated the effects of intra-mPFC injection of corticosteroid receptor ligand (corticosterone; CORT), glucocorticoid receptor antagonist (RU38486; RU), and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (spironolactone; SP) on morphine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) and dopamine transporter (DAT) expression in the mPFC. Adult male Wistar rats received intra-mPFC injections of CORT, RU, SP, or their respective vehicles prior to morphine CPP conditioning. ⋯ These findings demonstrate that corticosteroid receptor signaling within the mPFC modulates the rewarding properties of morphine and morphine-induced dopaminergic plasticity. This preclinical study suggests that targeting GRs and MRs in the mPFC could be a possible therapeutic approach for treating opioid addiction. By targeting these receptors, it may be possible to reduce opioid reward and counteract the neuroadaptations in dopamine systems associated with addiction.
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Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg · Feb 2025
Cannabidiol protects lung against inflammation and apoptosis in a rat model of blunt chest trauma via Bax/Bcl-2/Cas-9 signaling pathway.
This study aimed to investigate the hypothesis that cannabidiol (CBD), with known anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects, would reduce the severity of acute lung injury in pulmonary contusion following blunt chest trauma. ⋯ CBD reduces lung damage in lung contusions caused by blunt chest trauma through its anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic effects. More detailed studies investigating other important intracellular pathways are needed.
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The present study investigated the involvement of hippocampal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in the anti-allodynic effect of ketamine/morphine on neuropathic pain in adult male Wistar rats. Morphine or ketamine administration decreased the percentage of maximum possible effect (MPE%), indicating an analgesic effect. The most significant decrease occurred with a 5 mg/kg dose of morphine (average MPE% = 98), while a 0.5 mg/kg dose of ketamine resulted in a high response (average MPE% = 91), using decision trees as a machine learning tool. ⋯ Each 0.1 mg/kg increase in ketamine dose, when combined with morphine (3 mg/kg), led to a 30.85 higher average MPE%. A tenfold impact of increasing mecamylamine dosage on MPE% was observed when paired with morphine. Thus, hippocampal nAChRs play a significant role in mediating the anti-allodynic effect of ketamine and morphine in neuropathic pain.