Exploring the kynurenine pathway in mild traumatic brain injury: A longitudinal study.

A potential source of novel biomarkers for mTBI is the kynurenine pathway (KP), a metabolic pathway of tryptophan (Trp), that is up-regulated by neuroinflammation and stress. Considering that metabolites of the KP (kynurenines) are implicated in various neuropsychiatric diseases, exploration of this pathway could potentially bridge the gap between physiological and psychological factors in the recovery process after mTBI. This study, therefore, set out to characterize the KP after mTBI and to examine associations with long-term outcome.

Differential Protective Effect of Zinc and Magnesium for the Hepatic and Renal Toxicity Induced by Acetaminophen and Potentiated with Ciprofloxacin in Rats.

: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence induced by magnesium chloride (MgCl) and zinc gluconate (ZnG) supplementation on liver and kidney injuries experimentally induced with acetaminophen (AAPh) and potentiated by a ciprofloxacin addition in rats. : The experiment was performed on five animal groups: group 1-control, treated for 6 weeks with normal saline, 1 mL/kg; group 2-AAPh, treated for 6 weeks with AAPh, 100 mg/kg/day; group 3-AAPh + C, treated for 6 weeks with AAPh 100 mg/kg/day and ciprofloxacin 50 mg/kg/day, only in the last 14 days of the experiment; group 4-AAPh + C + Mg, with the same treatment as group 3, but in the last 14 days, MgCl 10 mg/ kg/day was added; and group 5-AAPh + C + Zn, with the same treatment as group 3, but in the last 14 days, zinc gluconate (ZnG), 10 mg/kg/day was added. All administrations were performed by oral gavage.

An exploratory study on the association between blood-based biomarkers and subacute neurometabolic changes following mild traumatic brain injury.

Background And Objectives: Blood-based biomarkers and advanced neuroimaging modalities such as magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) or diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) have enhanced our understanding of the pathophysiology of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). However, there is limited published data on how blood biomarkers relate to neuroimaging biomarkers post-mTBI.

Methods: To investigate this, 30 patients with mTBI and 21 healthy controls were enrolled.

Improvement in serum lipids and liver morphology after supplementation of the diet with fish oil is more evident under regular feeding conditions than under high-fat or mixed diets in rats.

Background: Dietary n polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have a role in preventing cardiovascular and hepatic diseases. However, their effects might differ significantly depending on individual dietary patterns. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with ω-3 fatty acids (FA), administered in different schedules, on hepatic and aortic histological structure, lipid profile, and body weight (BW) in male Wistar rats under standard (SD), high-fat diet (HFD) and mixed feeding conditions.

Chromium picolinate reduces morphine-dependence in rats, while increasing brain serotonin levels.

Unlabelled: Chromium is an essential trace element with anti-diabetic and anti-depressant effect; the latter is considered related to chromium properties of increasing brain serotonin. Cr salts were shown to improve some forced swimming-parameters and to induce rewarding effects, which are additive to those of morphine, but Cr effect on addictive processes has not been tested.

Aim: The present study aimed to assess chromium picolinate (CrPi) influence on morphine-dependence in rats.

Experimental Research Showing the Reduction of Naloxone-Place Aversion by Oral Zinc Administration in Rats.

Previous studies showed the attenuation of both morphine-dependence and morphine-place preference by zinc. Conditioned place preference and aversion are experimental models frequently used to test the reward-stimulating, respectively the aversive effects induced by different stimuli or substances. Addictive substances usually induce place preference (exhibit reward-stimulating properties), while their antagonists determine place-avoidance (aversion).

Zinc involvement in opioid addiction and analgesia--should zinc supplementation be recommended for opioid-treated persons?

Introduction: Zinc chelators were shown to facilitate some opioid-withdrawal signs in animals. Zinc deficiency, which affects more than 15% the world's population, is also common among opioid consumers and opioid-treated animals exhibit misbalances of zinc distribution.

Aim: The present study focuses on how zinc ions interfere with opioid dependence/addiction and analgesia, trying to preliminary discuss if zinc supplementation in opioid-users should be recommended in order to reduce the risk of addiction.

Sertraline influence on morphine-induced conditioned place preference in rats.

Unlabelled: Serotonine reuptake inhibitors are an important pharmacological arsenal for treating major depression, a severe disease with poorly understood pathogenic mechanisms. Also, little is known about the action of antidepressants on reward system, the function of which is severely affected in this disorder.

Aim: To assess the influence of sertraline on brain reward system by conditioned place preference technique in rats.

Manganese interactions with dopaminergic system.

Manganese is a trace element with important involvement in the central nervous system functioning. The effects of manganese excess on central dopaminergic system in case of both basal nuclei and reward system are linked to important pathologic states such as Parkinsonism and cognitive impairment. Our data show that Mn2+ reduces the intensity of experimental morphine addiction in rats (manganese chloride unequally decreases several symptoms of opioid withdrawal syndrome - signs such as compulsive mastication, grooming and teeth chattering being particularly affected).

Research on serum and saliva concentration of some bivalent cations in patient with suppurations of the oro-maxillo-facial area.

Unlabelled: Bivalent cations, such as calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper and manganese play important roles in some physiological and pathological processes on the human body.

Aim: To determine possible modifications in serum and saliva concentration of total-Ca2+, total-Mg2+, Zn2+ and Cu2+ in patients with suppurative infections of the oro-maxillo-facial area and eventually their significance for the mentioned pathology.

Material And Method: Study included 47 patients with suppurative infections of the oro-maxillo-facial area, hospitalised during 2006-2008 in the oro-maxillo-facial clinic of "Sfântul Spiridon" Hospital Iaşi and 43 healthy control volunteers.

Magnesium and other bivalent cations influence upon sodium montelukast effect in experimental-induced thermoalgesia.

We tested the influence of magnesium, zinc and copper upon the montelukast (MK, antagonist of cysteinyl leukotriene receptor type 1) effect in experimentally-induced thermoalgesia. We worked on 5 groups of 10 adults, each Wistar rats, that received: group I-control; group II: MK (10 mg/kg) unique administration; group III: MgCl2 (1 mM/kg/day) i.p.

[Zinc involvements in the brain].

Central nervous system (CNS) concentrates almost 10% of total zinc in the human body. Imbalances in zinc concentration are associated with numerous CNS diseases. Zinc deficiency is associated with nervous anorexia, major depression, cognitive impairment, and uncontrolled behavior.