Effect of thalidomide in different tumors in rodents.

This study investigated the effects of chronic administration of thalidomide on three different neoplasms of ectodermic origin in rodents: 1) chemically induced tumors of the nervous system of rats by transplacental exposure to ethylnitrosourea; 2) transplanted RPMI-1846 melanoma in hamsters and 3) transplanted C6 glioblastoma in rats. No effects were seen on thalidomide-treated rats on the frequency- and time of tumor development induced by ethylnitrosourea. In contrast, a reduction in tumoral growth and mitotic-index was obtained in animals treated with thalidomide in transplanted tumors, melanoma and glioblastoma, when compared with controls (P < 0.

Systemic DL-kynurenine and probenecid pretreatment attenuates quinolinic acid-induced neurotoxicity in rats.

Kynurenine (KYN) is the precursor of kynurenic acid (KYNA), an endogenous antagonist of the glycine site of the NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptor. Probenecid (PROB), blocks the excretion of KYNA from the extracellular fluid. KYNA antagonizes the toxic action of quinolinic acid (QUIN), an endogenous NMDA receptor agonist.

Dapsone attenuates kainic acid-induced seizures in rats.

We tested the ability of dapsone (4,4'-diamino-diphenyl sulfone) to attenuate kainic acid-induced seizures. We observed that 9.375 and 12.