Spatial memory impairment is associated with decreased dopamine-β-hydroxylase activity in the brains of rats exposed to manganese chloride.

Chronic exposure to manganese compounds leads to accumulation of the manganese in the basal ganglia and hippocampus. High levels of manganese in these structures lead to oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, imbalance of brain neurotransmitters, and hyperactivation of calpains mediating neurotoxicity and causing motor and cognitive impairment. The purpose of this work was to study the effect of excess manganese chloride intake on rats' spatial memory and on dopamine-β-hydroxylase (DβH) activity under conditions of calpain activity suppression.

Protein Extract of a Probiotic Strain of and Bacterial ClpB Protein Improve Glucose Tolerance in Mice.

A commercial strain of () 4597 bacteria was shown to reduce food intake and promote weight loss, effects possibly induced by the bacterial protein ClpB, an antigen-mimetic of the anorexigenic α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone. A decrease in the basal plasma glucose levels was also observed in overweight fasted humans and mice receiving . However, it is not known whether influences sweet taste preference and whether its protein extract or ClpB are sufficient to increase glucose tolerance; these are the objectives tested in the present study.

Antioxidant system alterations and physiological characteristics of neonatal and juvenile DAT-KO rats.

Dopamine transporter knockout (DAT-KO) rats represent a valuable rodent model for studying the molecular and phenotypical outcomes of the effects of excessive dopamine accumulation in the synaptic cleft and the prolonged action of dopamine on neurons. Animals with DAT deficiency are characterized by hyperactivity, stereotypy, cognitive deficits, and impairments in behavioral and biochemical indicators. Several key pathophysiological mechanisms are known to be common to psychiatric, neurodegenerative, metabolic, and other diseases.

Short- and long-term cognitive and metabolic effects of medium-chain triglyceride supplementation in rats.

Medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) possess neuroprotective properties. However, the long-term metabolic consequences of supplementing a regular diet with cognition-enhancing doses of MCT are largely unknown. We studied the effects of chronic (28 days) supplementation of regular diet with different doses of MCT oil (1, 3, or 6 g/kg/day) or water (control) on working memory (Y-maze), behavior in the Open Field, spatial learning (Morris water maze), and weight of internal organs in male Wistar 2.

Cerebral Blood Flow in Predator Stress-Resilient and -Susceptible Rats and Mechanisms of Resilience.

Stress-induced conditions are associated with impaired cerebral blood flow (CBF) and increased risk of dementia and stroke. However, these conditions do not develop in resilient humans and animals. Here the effects of predator stress (PS, cat urine scent, ten days) on CBF and mechanisms of CBF regulation were compared in PS-susceptible (PSs) and PS-resilient (PSr) rats.

Mechanisms of Susceptibility and Resilience to PTSD: Role of Dopamine Metabolism and BDNF Expression in the Hippocampus.

Susceptibility and resilience to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are recognized, but their mechanisms are not understood. Here, the hexobarbital sleep test (HST) was used to elucidate mechanisms of PTSD resilience or susceptibility. A HST was performed in rats 30 days prior to further experimentation.

Glibenclamide alters serotonin and dopamine levels in the rat striatum and hippocampus, reducing cognitive impairment.

Rationale: Glibenclamide (GD) is a widely used medical drug; therefore, identifying the mechanisms underlying its pleiotropic effects in the central nervous system is urgent.

Objectives: The aim of this work was to determine the ability of GD to modulate serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) and dopamine (DA) transmission and to assess the dose-dependent effect of GD on cognitive function in rats during natural ageing.

Methods: In Experiment 1, rats received 10, 25, or 50 μg/kg GD intraperitoneally for 10 days.

Protective effect of calpain inhibitors against manganese-induced toxicity in rats.

Development of manganism is a major complication of manganese exposure in which neurological dysfunction is linked to accumulation of metal in the brain. Current therapies do not prevent progression of the disease. Therefore, development of effective therapeutic strategies for treatment of manganism is of utmost importance.

Changes in activity of µ- and m-calpains and signs of neuroinflammation in the hippocampus and striatum of rats after single intraperitoneal injection of subseptic dose of endotoxin.

Some mechanisms of neuronal degeneration in endotoxinemia are already well described, but need to be detailed. In this study, we tested the effect of a single intraperitoneal injection of a LPS sub-septic dose (1 mg/kg of animal weight) on calpain activity in the striatum and hippocampus. We showed, that in the hippocampus the day after LPS administration an increase in production of IL-1β and TNF-α mRNA, followed by elevated mRNA expression and activity of µ- and m-calpains without signs of microglia activation is observed.

m-Calpain is released from striatal synaptosomes.

We aimed to investigate whether m-calpain (a Ca2+-dependent neutral cysteine protease) is released from synaptosomes. This research was carry on Wistar male rats and isolated nerve endings - synaptosomes. The synaptosomal integrity was checked by the method of measuring LDH activity.

The relationship between serum interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, interleukin-8, interleukin-10, tumor necrosis factor-α levels and clinical features in essential tremor.

Background: In recent years, there has been discussion that essential tremor (ET) might be a neurodegenerative disease. Indicators of inflammation are considered as possible biomarkers of neurodegeneration. In this connection, the aim of our study was to identify the relationship between serum inflammation markers and clinical features in ET, including the severity of tremor, cognitive decline, depression.

Intranasal exposure of manganese induces neuroinflammation and disrupts dopamine metabolism in the striatum and hippocampus.

Prolonged exposure to manganese (Mn) may lead to toxic effects on the central nervous system (CNS). The mechanisms underlying neuronal death from exposure to Mn are not well understood but undoubtedly involve inflammatory processes. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of long-lasting intranasal Mn exposure in rats focusing on inflammatory processes and catecholamine (dopamine, norepinephrine) levels in the striatum and hippocampus.

Design of enkephalin modifications protected from brain extracellular peptidases providing long-term analgesia.

The main obstacle to the use of many therapeutic peptides in practice is their rapid destruction by extracellular peptidases. Earlier we have found that active in the extracellular medium of mammalian brain exopeptidases are unable to break the bonds formed by β-alanine. We have designed several modified forms of opioid peptide enkephalin (Tyr-Gly-Gly-Phe-Met; Enk) with end βAla: ModEnk1 (βAla-Tyr-Gly-Gly-Phe-Met-βAla), ModEnk2 (βAla-Tyr-Gly-Gly-Phe-NH), ModEnk3 (βAla-Tyr-Gly-Phe-NH).

[Influence of acute and chronic administrations of beta-casomorphins on the maternal motivation in albino rats].

The influence of food-derived opioid peptides beta-casomorphines on the manifestation of nursing albino rats maternal behavior was investigated. It was shown that both acute and chronic (during the postnatal period) administration of beta-casomorphin-7 (Tyr-Pro-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro), the typical representative of this group of peptides, decreases the level of the parental motivation. The effects of beta-casomorphin-7 were naloxone-dependent; N-terminal-reduced analogues had a significantly lesser activity.

[Behavioural effects of beta-casomorphin-7 in its intranasal administration].

Intranasally administrated natural opioid peptide beta-casomorphin-7 (doses 0.001, 0.005, 0.

[The neurotropic activity of food-derived opioid peptides beta-casomorphins].

In the review the history of food-derived opioid peptides beta-casomorphins (beta-cas) discovery is given. The beta-cas formation in gastrointestinal tract during the beta-casein degradation and the following penetration into the blood are described, in the first place in newborn mammals. The attention is focused on neurotropic activity of beta-cas: their influence on the pain sensitivity, locomotion, anxiety and learning of experimental animals.

[Changes in beta-casomorphine-7 effect on behavior of albino rat pups in postnatal development].

The analgetic effect of heptapeptide beta-casomorphine-7 in newborn albino rats (20 mg/kg, i.p.) was recorded already 14 days after birth in the "hot plate" test.