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The ethanol extract of aerial parts of Hygrophila difformis (EEHD) was tested for possible pharmacological effects on experimental animals. EEHD significantly potentiated the sleeping time of mice induced by standard hypnotics, viz. pentobarbital sodium, diazepam, and meprobamate in a dose dependent manner. EEHD showed significant analgesic properties as evidenced by the significant reduction in the number of writhes and stretches induced in mice by 1.2% acetic acid solution. It also potentiated analgesia induced by morphine and pethidine in mice. Pretreatment with EEHD caused significant protection against strychnine and leptazol-induced convulsions. The behavioral studies on mice indicate CNS depressant activity of the ethanol extract of H. difformis.

In the last part of this series we have studied the effects of various drugs on ponto-geniculo-occipital (PGO) waves induced by the benzoquinolizine derivative, Ro 4-1284 (PGO(1284)), and by the inhibitor of trypotophan hydroxylase, p-chlorophenylalanine (PGO(PCPA)), and continuously recorder and counted in the lateral geniculate bodies (LGB) of unanaesthetized and immobilizedcats. The major aim of this study was to test the specificity of drug-induced alterations of the PGO wave activity suggested by the previous investigations. Hypnotics-sedatives of different classes had no significant effects in doses that did not markedly alter the electrical background activity in the LGB. A notable exception was gamma-hydroxybutyric acid which increased the density of PGO(1284) and PGO(PCPA). A number of neuroleptics were found inactive; sulpiride surprisingly decreased the density of PGO(1284). Bulbocapnine had a similar effect. Convulsants in subconvulsive doses did not uniformly affect PGO waves; while pentetrazole had no consistent effect, strychnine decreased and picrotoxin increased the density of PGO(1284). High doses of morphine, methadone and meperidine decreased the PGO(1284). Ethanol was inactive even in high doses. Caffeine and mefexamide reduced the density of PGO(1284). Mepiprazol was the most potent depressant of PGO(1284, probably by inhibiting the uptake of 5-HT. Mescaline was a weak depressor of PGO(1284). p-Chloromethamphetamine induced PGO waves in untreated cats less consitently than did PCPA. Amantadine reduced the amplitude of PGO waves due to a central antinicotinic action. The results of this study and of the whole series suggested a tentative scheme of the generation and modulation of PGO waves, in which the hypothetical roles and sites of action of four central neurotransmitters are included.

In 1979 through 1980, electroencephalographic (EEG) responses to an alcohol challenge in 19 year-old sons of alcoholics as well as in sons of nonalcoholic control subjects were examined. The familial risk status of the subjects and greater EEG sensitivity to alcohol were hypothesized to predict the development of alcoholism 10 years later.In 1990 through 1992, diagnostic interviews were completed to ascertain alcohol and other substance use disorders in these subjects and to update their family history.Updated family history of alcoholism predicted the development of substance dependence. Density of alcoholic relatives (the number of alcoholic relatives divided by the number of known relatives) was positively related to the severity of alcohol use disorders in the probands. Contrary to expectation, a greater EEG response at age 19 years was not related to the later development of alcohol dependence. Instead, the opposite was observed: a smaller EEG alpha frequency response to alcohol at age 19 years was related to the development of alcohol dependence and high quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption 10 years later.Lower EEG response to a small dose of alcohol may be associated with the later development of alcohol dependence. This result is based on a small number of subjects and should be interpreted with caution. Although this result is opposite to our 1980 hypothesis, it is consistent with much of the recent literature.

Amitriptyline (up to 75 mg/day), fluoxetine (up to 40 mg/day) and placebo were administered to 12 normal, healthy subjects for a period of 7 days. Subjects received each drug in random order and a minimum of 28 days was left between drug treatments. A battery of physiological, psychomotor and subjective tests was administered before drugs (day 1) and on days 4 and 8. On day 8 a measured dose of alcohol was given and the tests repeated at 1 and 3 h after alcohol. Tests before alcohol showed little effect on physiological or psychomotor activity either between drugs or between drugs and placebo. Subjective ratings did show some differences between drugs and in general amitriptyline was tolerated less well than fluoxetine. There were few differences between drugs after alcohol but with some measures the interaction with amitriptyline was subjective rather than additive or potentiating. This reflected the already substantial effects of amitriptyline alone.

Zingiber officinale Roscoe, commonly known as ginger, is a traditional herb used to treat various disorders. In this study, we evaluated potential pharmacological effects of ethanolic extracts of Z. Officinale with respect to central nervous system (CNS) activity in mice. Role of ethanolic extract of ginger on CNS activity in mice was studied using models of elevated plus maze test, barbiturate-induced sleeping time, tail suspension test, hot-plate and tail-flick test. Ginger extract was administered to mice at single doses of 50 and 200 mg/kg, perorally while diazepam (1 mg/kg), morphine (5 mg/kg) and imipramine (30 mg/kg) intraperitoneally were used as standard drugs. The results showed that the ginger extract at all dose levels significantly exhibited anxiolytic activityincreased the sleeping latency but reduced the sleeping time. Tail suspension test showed that the extract at both the doses was able to induce a significant decrease in the immobility time, similar to imipramine, a recognized antidepressant drug. Tail-flick and hot-plate tests demonstrated antinociceptive property of ginger extract, similar to morphine, a recognized antinociceptive agent. Higher dose level (200 mg/kg) showed better protective effects. Phytochemical screening of ethanolic extract revealed the presence of various phytoconstituents such as phenolic compounds, flavonoids, tannins, anthocyanins, carbohydrates, glycosides, proteins, resins and volatile oils. The possible mechanism by which ginger exhibited the significant beneficial effects on various CNS models in mice could be attributed to its antioxidant potential.

Can sexual activity, alcohol and drug use, violent video games, pornography and other activities, including use of social media, damage adolescent minds? Early high-risk behaviors appear to have significant harmful effects on the brain's development. Evidence suggests that the hormones and neural patterns triggered may lead to addictive, and other high-risk behaviors, social withdrawal, and depression. Compounding these concerns are the immature decision-making processes during adolescence. Fortunately, parents can positively impact the brain development of adolescents as they assist in decision-making, provide structure to the adolescent's environment, and monitor the adolescent's activities.

Mercury (Hg), as one of the priority pollutants and also a hot topic of frontier environmental research in many countries, has been paid higher attention in the world since the middle of the last century. Guizhou Province (at N24 degrees 30'-29 degrees 13', E103 degrees 1'-109 degrees 30', 1 100 m above the sea level, with subtropical humid climate) in southwest China is an important mercury production center. It has been found that the mercury content in most media of aquatics, soil, atmosphere and in biomass of corns, plants and animals, is higher than the national standard. The present study aims to explore the influence of mercury pollution on the health of local citizens.The effect of rice from two mercury polluted experimental plots of Guizhou Province on the expression of c-jun mRNA in rat brain and c-jun protein in cortex, hippocampus and ependyma was observed using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunocytochemical methods.The results showed that the mercury polluted rice induced expression of c-jun mRNA and its protein significantly. Selenium can reduce Hg uptake, an antagonism between selenium and mercury on the expression of c-jun mRNA and c-jun protein.c-jun participates in the toxicity process of brain injury by mercury polluted rice, the expression of c-jun mRNA in brain, and c-jun protein in rat cortex and hippocampus can predict neurotoxicity of mercury polluted rice. People should be advised to be cautious in eating any kind of Hg-polluted foods. To reveal the relationship between c-jun induction and apoptosis, further examinations are required.

A radiotracer technique in combination with lithium injection was used to probe the effects of acute and chronic ethanol administration on poly-phosphoinositide turnover in mouse brain. C57Bl/6J mice were injected intracerebrally with 3H-inositol to label the inositol phospholipids and inositol phosphates in brain. Subsequently, the accumulation of labeled inositol monophosphates was assessed 4 hr after i.p. injection of lithium (6 meq/kg body wt). Using this experimental paradigm, results indicated a significant increase in labeled inositol monophosphates in the chronic ethanol group and a decrease in the same compound in animals after acute ethanol intoxication.

In the view of the fact ethanol increases the blood-brain barrier permeability for thyroxine (T4) during a critical period of postnatal brain development in the rabbit, the influence of ethanol with or without T4 on cerebral RNA and DNA concentration has been investigated. Generally accepted measures of thyroid hormone action on developing neural tissue such as the changes in the nucleic acids, cell density and size and in protein level, dry matter and cholesterol have been used. Ethanol alone caused an increase in RNA concentration and the RNA/DNA ratio. In addition, it tended to alter the brain tissue composition in the same direction as T4 administration, i.e. characteristic for an accelerated development of CNS. The changes provoked by T4 with ethanol were more pronounced when compared to those after T4 only. It is concluded that the action of ethanol might be indirect and presumably results from a greater supply of thyroxine to the brain tissue due to increased permeability of blood-brain barrier for thyroxine.

Percutaneous ethanol sclerotherapy has been reported to be efficacious for head and neck venous malformations. We sought to evaluate the safety and efficacy of percutaneous sclerotherapy by using ethanol for treatment of symptomatic venous malformations of the tongue.Eleven sclerotherapy procedures were performed in seven patients from January 1995 to February 2001. Patient age ranged from 19 months to 57 years (mean age, 32 years). Four patients were male and three were female. Mean follow-up was 36 months. The volume of ethanol used per treatment session ranged from 2 to 32 cc (mean, 16 cc).Sclerotherapy provided significant improvement or resolution of symptoms for all patients. There were no major complications. One patient had a small (3 x 2 cm) area of skin blistering at the injection site. All patients experienced pain and swelling to a variable degree. Sclerotherapy resulted in resolution of symptoms in six of seven patients. Three patients had resolution of symptoms after one procedure. Four patients each underwent two sclerotherapy procedures. One patient who remained symptomatic but improved after undergoing two procedures underwent an anterior glossectomy and is now asymptomatic.Percutaneous ethanol sclerotherapy is a safe and effective method of treating symptomatic venous malformations of the tongue.