Editorial: The Behavioural Pharmacology of Cannabinoids
No abstract available (Source: Behavioural Pharmacology)
Source: Behavioural Pharmacology - March 20, 2022 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Editorial Source Type: research
Blockade of the GABAB receptor suppressed alcohol self-administration in rats: an effect similar to that produced by GABAB receptor activation
Literature data suggest that activation and blockade of the GABAB receptor may produce similar effects on several reward-related behaviours. Accordingly, the present study was designed to investigate whether treatment with the GABAB receptor antagonist, SCH 50911, reproduced the suppressing effect of the GABAB receptor agonist, baclofen, and several positive allosteric modulators of the GABAB receptor on operant oral alcohol self-administration in rats. To this end, Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) rats were trained to lever-respond for alcohol (15% v/v) under the fixed ratio (FR) 4 (FR4) schedule of reinforcement. Once l...
Source: Behavioural Pharmacology - January 16, 2022 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Research Reports Source Type: research
The effects of subchronic agmatine on passive avoidance memory, anxiety-like behavior and hippocampal Akt/GSK-3β in mice
This study aimed to assess the dose–response effect of subchronic agmatine on passive avoidance memory and anxiety-like parameters of elevated plus maze in adult intact mice. Furthermore, considering the roles of Akt/GSK-3β signaling pathway in memory and Alzheimer’s disease, the hippocampal contents of phosphorylated and total forms of Akt and GSK-3β proteins were determined using the western blot technique. Agmatine was administered intraperitoneally at the doses of 10, 20, 30, 40 and 80 mg/kg/daily to adult male NMRI mice for 10 days after which the behavioral assessments were performed. Upon completion of the pas...
Source: Behavioural Pharmacology - January 16, 2022 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Research Reports Source Type: research
Effects of the psychoactive compounds in green tea on risky decision-making
Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and caffeine are the two primary compounds found in green tea. While EGCG has anxiolytic and anti-inflammatory effects, its acute effects on cognition are not well understood. Furthermore, despite widespread green tea consumption, little is known about how EGCG and caffeine co-administration impacts behavior. Here, we investigated the effects of multiple doses of either EGCG or caffeine on a rat model of risk-taking. This was assessed using the risky decision-making task (RDT), in which rats choose between a small, well-tolerated reward and a large reward with escalating risk of mild foots...
Source: Behavioural Pharmacology - January 16, 2022 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Research Reports Source Type: research
Gait analysis as a robust pain behavioural endpoint in the chronic phase of the monoiodoacetate-induced knee joint pain in the rat
This study evaluated the robustness of gait analysis as a pain behavioural endpoint in the chronic phase of this model, in comparison with mechanical hyperalgesia in the injected (ipsilateral) joint and development of mechanical allodynia in the ipsilateral hind paws. Groups of Sprague–Dawley rats received a single intraarticular injection of monoiodoacetate at 0.5, 1, 2 or 3 mg or vehicle (saline) into the left (ipsilateral) knee joint. An additional group of rats were not injected (naïve group). The pain behavioural methods used were gait analysis, measurement of pressure algometry thresholds in the ipsilateral knee j...
Source: Behavioural Pharmacology - January 16, 2022 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Research Reports Source Type: research
Isobolographic analysis of antinociceptive effect of ketorolac, indomethacin, and paracetamol after simultaneous peripheral local and systemic administration
This study was designed to characterize the type of interaction (subadditive, additive, or synergistic) after simultaneous administration by two different routes (intraperitoneal plus peripheral local) of the same nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) ketorolac and indomethacin or paracetamol. The antinociceptive effects of locally or intraperitoneally delivery of NSAIDs or paracetamol, and the simultaneous administration by the two routes at fixed-dose ratio combination were evaluated using the formalin test. Pain-related behavior was quantified as the number of flinches of the injected paw. Isobolographic analysis...
Source: Behavioural Pharmacology - January 16, 2022 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Research Reports Source Type: research
TRPV1 blockers as potential new treatments for psychiatric disorders
The transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 channel (TRPV1) is responsible for decoding physical and chemical stimuli. TRPV1 is activated by capsaicin (a compound from chili peppers), heat (above 43°C) and acid environment, playing a major role in pain, inflammation and body temperature. Molecular and histological studies have suggested TRPV1 expression in specific brain regions, where it can be activated primarily by the endocannabinoid anandamide, fostering studies on its potential role in psychiatric disorders. TRPV1 blockers are effective in various animal models predictive of anxiolytic and antipanic activities, in ...
Source: Behavioural Pharmacology - January 16, 2022 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Review Source Type: research
Announcement of two special issues: behavioural pharmacology of synaptopathies and psychedelic drugs
No abstract available (Source: Behavioural Pharmacology)
Source: Behavioural Pharmacology - January 16, 2022 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Announcement Source Type: research
Phencynonate hydrochloride exerts antidepressant effects by regulating the dendritic spine density and altering glutamate receptor expression
Phencynonate hydrochloride (PCH) is a drug that crosses the blood–brain barrier. Cellular experiments confirmed that PCH protects against glutamate toxicity and causes only weak central inhibition and limited side effects. As shown in our previous studies, PCH alleviates depression-like behaviours induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). Here we administered PCH at three different doses (4, 8 and 16 mg/kg) to male rats for two continuous days after CUMS and conducted behavioural tests to assess the dose-dependent antidepressant effects of PCH and its effects on the neuroplasticity in the hippocampus and med...
Source: Behavioural Pharmacology - November 19, 2021 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Research Reports Source Type: research
Discriminative stimulus properties of the 5-HT1A receptor biased agonists NLX-101 and F13714, in rats trained to discriminate 8-OH-DPAT from saline
NLX-101 and F13714 are selective, full efficacy, biased agonists of the serotonin (5-HT1A) receptor. NLX-101 preferentially activates cortical postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptors, whereas F13714 preferentially activates raphe nuclei presynaptic 5-HT1A receptors. We compared NLX-101 and F13714 for their efficacy and potency to substitute for the discriminative cue produced by the prototypical, nonbiased 5-HT1A receptor agonist 8-OH-DPAT (racemate). Male and female Sprague–Dawley rats were trained to discriminate 8-OH-DPAT (0.1 mg/kg i.p., 20 min pretreatment) from saline using a classical two-lever drug-discrimination procedu...
Source: Behavioural Pharmacology - November 19, 2021 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Research Reports Source Type: research
Investigation of the anti-inflammatory effects of stigmasterol in mice: insight into its mechanism of action
Stigmasterol is a phytosterol that presents pharmacologic properties. However, its anti-inflammatory mechanism and antinociceptive effect are not yet elucidated. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities of stigmasterol and its mechanism of action in mice. The antinociceptive activity was assessed by the acetic acid-induced writhing test, formalin test, and hot plate test. The anti-inflammatory activity was investigated by carrageenan-induced peritonitis and paw edema induced by arachidonic acid. The involvement of glucocorticoid receptors in the mechanism of stigmast...
Source: Behavioural Pharmacology - November 19, 2021 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Research Reports Source Type: research
No antinociceptive synergy between morphine and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol in male and female rats with persistent inflammatory pain
Studies have demonstrated antinociceptive synergy between morphine and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in animals, but whether such synergy occurs against all types of pain and in humans is unclear. Because a majority of chronic pain patients are women, and sex differences in morphine and THC potencies have been observed in rodents, the present study examined sex-specific effects of morphine and THC given alone and in combination, in rats with persistent inflammatory pain. On day 1, baseline mechanical and thermal response thresholds, hindpaw weight-bearing, locomotor activity, and hindpaw thickness were determined. Inf...
Source: Behavioural Pharmacology - November 19, 2021 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Research Reports Source Type: research
Fenofibrate ameliorates olanzapine’s side effects without altering its central effect: emphasis on FGF-21–adiponectin axis
The present work was designed to investigate whether fenofibrate could ameliorate olanzapine deleterious effect on insulin resistance via its effect on fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF-21)–adiponectin axis without affecting olanzapine antipsychotic effect in postweaning socially isolated reared female rats. Treatment with olanzapine (6 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) or fenofibrate (100 mg/kg, orally) have been started 5 weeks after isolation, then behavioral tests, hippocampal content of neurotransmitters, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were assessed. Moreover, insulin resistance, lipid profile, FGF-21, ad...
Source: Behavioural Pharmacology - November 19, 2021 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Research Reports Source Type: research
Astaxanthin engages the l-arginine/NO/cGMP/KATP channel signaling pathway toward antinociceptive effects
One of the main functions of the sensory system in our body is to maintain somatosensory homeostasis. Recent reports have led to a significant advance in our understanding of pain signaling mechanisms; however, the exact mechanisms of pain transmission have remained unclear. There is an urgent need to reveal the precise signaling mediators of pain to provide alternative therapeutic agents with more efficacy and fewer side effects. Accordingly, although the anti-inflammatory, antioxidative and anti-neuropathic effects of astaxanthin (AST) have been previously highlighted, its peripheral antinociceptive mechanisms are not fu...
Source: Behavioural Pharmacology - November 19, 2021 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Research Reports Source Type: research
Antidepressant activity of Riparin A in murine model
Depression and anxiety are common neuropsychiatric disorders that usually appear as comorbidities. The development of new drugs is crucial for safer and more effective clinical management of both disorders. Riparin A is a synthetic chemical analog of riparins that naturally occur in several medicinal plants. Marked pharmacological effects such as anxiolytic and antidepressant properties characterize this class of compounds. However, little is known about the potential anxiolytic and antidepressant effects of Riparin A. In this work, we showed that, unlike other riparins, Riparin A exerts only a very mild anxiolytic-like ef...
Source: Behavioural Pharmacology - September 19, 2021 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Research Articles Source Type: research
