Pharmacol Rep
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Paroxysmal sleep disorders in children are important from both pathophysiological and clinical point of view. Correct diagnosis is crucial for further management. The aim of the present study was to identify peripheral markers of paroxysmal sleep disorders in children, which could improve diagnostics of these disorders. We compared serum levels of several putative biomarkers of neurological disorders, such as S100B protein, neuron specific enolase (NSE), orexin A, adiponectin, and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) in pediatric patients suffering from sleep disturbances with those who additionally to parasomnia revealed also epilepsy. ⋯ Out of the five putative biomarkers measured, blood concentration of S100B and orexin A may be helpful in differentiating parasomnic pediatric patients with and without epilepsy.
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Restraint stress (RS) markedly increases interleukin 1-β (IL-1β) generation in brain structures involved in hypothalamic-pituitary adrenocortical (HPA) axis regulation. The IL-1β-induced transient stimulation of HPA axis activity was parallel in time and magnitude to respective changes in regulation of HPA activity. In the present experiment the expression of neuron al and inducible nitric oxide synthase (nNOS and iNOS) were investigated in prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and hypothalamus in response to acute restraint stress in control and prior repeatedly restrained rats. ⋯ These results indicate that during restraint stress nNOS regulate formation of low amount of NO and the high-output generation of NO is effected by inducible isoform of nitric oxide synthase. Prior repeated stress significantly enhances the homotypic stress-induced nNOS and iNOS responses.
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Comparative Study
Synergistic interaction of pregabalin with the synthetic cannabinoid WIN 55,212-2 mesylate in the hot-plate test in mice: an isobolographic analysis.
The aim of the study was to determine the type of interaction between pregabalin (a 3(rd)-generation antiepileptic drug) and WIN 55,212-2 mesylate (WIN - a highly potent non-selective cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptor agonist) administered in combination at a fixed ratio of 1:1, in the acute thermal pain model (hot-plate test) in mice. ⋯ Isobolographic analysis demonstrated that the combination of WIN with pregabalin at a fixed ratio of 1:1 exerted synergistic interaction in the mouse model of acute thermal pain. If the results from this study could be adapted to clinical settings, the combination of WIN with pregabalin might be beneficial for pain relief in humans.
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Immediate early gene (IEG) induction elicited by drugs of abuse may contribute to development of plastic changes in the brain responsible for drug-induced behavioral changes leading to addiction. The aim of the present study was to characterize the changes in IEG expression in the striatum and nucleus accumbens produced by an acute or chronic administration of morphine. ⋯ Our data indicate that morphine up-regulates many IEG in the mouse striatum at a strikingly delayed time-point and that these changes are genotype-dependent. They also suggest inter-strain differences in the development of striatal neuroadaptations to chronic morphine treatment.
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Statins are considered to be safe, well tolerated and the most efficient drugs for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia, one of the main risk factor for atherosclerosis, and therefore they are frequently prescribed medications. The most severe adverse effect of statins is myotoxicity, in the form of myopathy, myalgia, myositis or rhabdomyolysis. Clinical trials commonly define statin toxicity as myalgia or muscle weakness with creatine kinase (CK) levels greater than 10 times the normal upper limit. ⋯ This review focuses on a number of them. The prevention of statin-related myopathy involves using the lowest statin dose required to achieve therapeutic goals and avoiding polytherapy with drugs known to increase systemic exposure and myopathy risk. Currently, the only effective treatment of statin-induced myopathy is the discontinuation of statin use in patients affected by muscle aches, pains and elevated CK levels.