Psychopharmacology
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Although convergent evidence exists for a role of glutamate in the regulation of anxiety, the involvement of specific glutamate receptor subtypes has yet to be defined. ⋯ These data along with those in the literature suggest that AMPA and/or kainate receptor blockade may be an important component to producing anxiolytic-like effects and may therefore be a target for compounds with efficacy in the therapeutic treatment of anxiety disorders.
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Sildenafil citrate is widely prescribed for erectile dysfunction and acts by inhibiting phosphodiesterase type-5, resulting in accumulation of cyclic-guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) via activation of nitric oxide synthase (NOS). The nitric oxide (NO) system is relevant to the rewarding effects of various drugs of abuse. Several epidemiologic studies indicate that sildenafil is abused in a recreational fashion. ⋯ Sildenafil shows rewarding properties that may involve the NO-cGMP pathway.
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Classical pain tests performed in animals routinely measure evoked nociceptive behaviours. These almost exclusively reflect sensory processing of nociceptive transmission, although a recently described place escape/avoidance paradigm may be used to selectively assess affective pain processing. ⋯ The place escape/avoidance paradigm may enable discrimination between selected drug classes on distinct components of sensory and affective pain processing in rats with neuropathic pain.