Chemical characterization, assessment of acute oral toxicity, and antinociceptive potential of the methanolic extract of (Arruda) Schott leaves from Brazil.

Background: (Arruda) Schott is popularly known as "aninga," "aningaçu," "aningaíba," and "aninga-do-igapó." Compresses and plasters made from the leaves of this medicinal plant are used to treat abscesses, tumors, and pain caused by stingray stings.

Aim Of The Study: This study aimed to chemically characterize the methanolic extract of leaves (MEMLL), as well as to verify their acute oral toxicity and antinociceptive potential.

Lateral parabrachial afferent areas and serotonin mechanisms activated by volume expansion.

Recent evidence has shown that the serotonergic mechanism of the lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPBN) participates in the regulation of renal and hormonal responses to isotonic blood volume expansion (BVE). We investigated the BVE-induced Fos activation along forebrain and hindbrain nuclei and particularly within the serotonergic clusters of the raphé system that directly project to the LPBN. We also examined whether there are changes in the concentration of serotonin (5HT) within the raphé nucleus in response to the same stimulus.

Estradiol reduces cumulative mercury and associated disturbances in the hypothalamus-pituitary axis of ovariectomized rats.

The aim of this research was to verify the incidence of endocrine dysfunction associated with mercury intoxication in the hypothalamus-pituitary reproductive system of normally cycling or castrated female rats and the possible protective action of estrogen replacement therapy. We found no differences in the frequency of estrus cycle stages (diestrus I, diestrus II, proestrus, and estrus) in normally cycling female rats during 54 days of daily oral administration of 0.004, 0.