Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist prevents l-arginine induced immune dysfunction independent of gonadal steroids: Relates with a decline in elevated thymus and brain nitric oxide levels.

The present study was carried out to find out the effect of leuprolide, a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor agonist, on l-arginine induced immunosuppression, and relates with brain and thymus levels of nitric oxide (NO). Further, the effect of leuprolide was studied in sham operated, ovariectomized and castrated mice to understand the role of sex steroids in l-arginine induced immunosuppression. Treatment with l-arginine (250, 500, 1000 mg/kg/i.

Immunohistochemical evidence for the involvement of gonadotropin releasing hormone in neuroleptic and cataleptic effects of haloperidol in mice.

Blockade of dopamine D2 receptor by haloperidol is attributed for neuroleptic and cataleptic effects; and also for the release of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) from the hypothalamus. GnRH agonist is reported to exhibit similar behavioural effects as that of haloperidol, and pre-treatment with GnRH antagonist is shown to attenuate the effects of haloperidol, suggesting a possibility that GnRH might mediate the effects of haloperidol. To substantiate such possibility, the influence of haloperidol on GnRH immunoreactivity (GnRH-ir) in the brain was studied in vehicle/antide pre-treated mice by peroxidase-antiperoxidase method.

A possible role of endogenous central corticotrophin releasing factor in lipopolysaccharide induced thymic involution and cell apoptosis: effect of peripheral injection of corticotrophin releasing factor.

The aim of the study was to investigate the role of endogenous peripheral and central corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) following lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge on thymic involution and apoptosis. Administration of LPS (100 μg/mouse, ip) led to thymic involution, to a decrease of CD4+CD8+ thymocyte subset, and to fragmentation of thymic DNA. Pretreatment of LPS challenged mice with intracerebroventricular α-helical CRF (a CRF antagonist) attenuated the effect of LPS however, intraventricular administered α-helical CRF failed to affect LPS response on thymus.

Behavioral in-effectiveness of high frequency electromagnetic field in mice.

The present investigation was carried out with an objective to study the influence of high frequency electromagnetic field (HF-EMF) on anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression-like behavior. For exposure to HF-EMF, non-magnetic material was used to fabricate the housing. Mice were exposed to HF-EMF (2.

Paracetamol potentiates the antidepressant-like and anticompulsive-like effects of fluoxetine.

Recent studies suggest the possible involvement of serotonergic and endocannabinoid systems in analgesic, anxiolytic, and anticonvulsant-like actions of paracetamol. Considering the fact that these systems play intricate roles in affective disorders, we investigated the effects of paracetamol in depression-like and compulsion-like behavior. Swiss mice (20-22 g) were subjected to forced swim, tail suspension, or marble-burying tests after an injection of paracetamol either alone or in the presence of AM251 (a CB1 antagonist), fenclonine (pCPA: a 5-HT synthesis inhibitor), AM404 (anandamide uptake inhibitor) or fluoxetine.