European journal of pharmacology
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Antidepressant-like activity of folic acid in forced swimming test and in the tail suspension test was demonstrated previously by our group. In this study we investigated the involvement of N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors and l-arginine-nitric oxide (NO)-cyclic guanosine monophosphate pathway in its antidepressant-like effect in the forced swimming test in mice. ⋯ The administration of 7-nitroindazole (25 and 50 mg/kg, i.p., a specific neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) inhibitor) or methylene blue (20 mg/kg, i.p., direct inhibitor of both nitric oxide synthase and soluble guanylate cyclase) in combination with a sub-effective dose of folic acid (1 nmol/site, i.c.v.) reduced the immobility time in the FST as compared with either drug alone. Together the results suggest that the antidepressant-like effect of folic acid in the forced swimming test is dependent on an inhibition of either NMDA receptors or NO and cGMP synthesis.
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We previously reported that gabapentin activates the bulbospinal-spinal noradrenergic-cholinergic pathway to produce analgesia in rats after nerve injury. Also, gabapentin interacts synergistically with a cholinesterase inhibitor donepezil to produce analgesia. Duloxetine, a serotonin/noradrenaline re-uptake inhibitor, has been used for the treatment of neuropathic pain and should amplify the noradrenergic mechanisms recruited by gabapentin. ⋯ Analgesia by the combination of these three drugs was reversed by intrathecal injection either of the alpha(2)-adrenoceptor antagonist idazoxan or by the muscarinic receptor antagonist atropine. These results suggest that the combination of these drugs, which stimulate and augment the bulbospinal-spinal noradrenergic-cholinergic pathway, lowers the dose requirement for each drug to reduce hypersensitivity after nerve injury without sedative effects. The current study provides the rationale for clinical study of the combination of gabapentin, donepezil and duloxetine to treat neuropathic pain.
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Lithium is widely used for the management of neuropsychiatric symptoms in bipolar disorders. A variety of hypotheses have been invoked to explain the mechanism of action of lithium. To determine if lithium exerts direct cardiac protection, in the present study perfused rat heart model was used. ⋯ In our experiment acute and/or chronic administration of lithium before prolonged ischemia offered significant myoprotective effects in terms of infarct size reduction and improved cardiac function against ischemia/reperfusion injury. The effects of lithium pretreatment were prevented by the administration of indomethacin but not L-NAME. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that preconditioning with acute and/or chronic lithium administration improves recovery of the ventricular function and reduces infarct size via cyclooxygenase (COX) pathway in isolated rat heart.