Ivabradine reduces baseline and stress-induced increase of heart rate and blood pressure and modulates neuroendocrine stress response in rats depending on stressor intensity.

Ivabradine, a selective inhibitor of the sinoatrial pacemaker, is used in clinical practice to reduce heart rate. However, its potential effect on the neuroendocrine stress response has not been investigated. Therefore, we determined the effect of administering ivabradine to rats on cardiovascular parameters and plasma levels of epinephrine, norepinephrine, and corticosterone.

Stress-induced activation of the sympathoadrenal system is determined by genetic background in rat models of tauopathy.

Stress may accelerate onset of neurodegenerative diseases in vulnerable subjects and, vice versa, neurodegeneration affects the responsiveness to stressors. We investigated the neuroendocrine response to immobilization stress in normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY), spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), and transgenic rats of respective WKY and SHR strains overexpressing human truncated tau protein. Plasma levels of epinephrine, norepinephrine, and corticosterone were determined.

Long-term liquid nutrition intake and development of obesity: differences between young and adult rats.

Objective: Obesity is particularly associated with an increased consumption of palatable fat and sugar dense food and beverages. Therefore, we examined the effect of a normocaloric liquid diet (Fresubin) with increased carbohydrate content (constituting 55% of calories) on development of obesity in different developmental periods in male Wistar rats.

Methods: Fresubin was provided to 3 groups of rats: the first group received Fresubin immediately after weaning (21st day of age) to the end of experiment (150th day of age) for 5 months; the second group was fed with Fresubin from weaning to adulthood (90th day of age) for 3 months; and the third group received Fresubin only in adulthood (from 90th to 150th day of age) for 2 months.