Rilevanza clinica delle interazioni farmacologiche di tipo farmacocinetico [Clinical significance of pharmacokinetic interactions]

The correct realization of a pharmacological therapy needs the individuation of the most appropriate drugs for the treatment of the patient's disease. However, even the most effective, and potent and appropriate drugs cannot assure the therapeutic success, if that compound does not reach the site of action. This result can be obtained only if the physician knows the factors that regulate thepharmacokinetic parameters of the used drugs, i.e. absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, that regulate the onset velocity, the duration and the intensity of the drug effects. In the lost years, pharmacological interactions, i.e. the possibility that co-administered drugs interfere with each ot…

Effects of pre- and postnatal exposure to 5-methoxytryptamine and early handling on an object-place association learning task in adolescent rat offspring.

A reduction in 5-HT1A receptor response enhances learning and memory performance in rats. Pre- and postnatal treatment with 5-methoxytryptamine (5MT), a non-selective serotonergic agonist, and early handling, reduce the number of 5-HT1A receptors in neonatal and pre-pubertal rat progeny. The aim of this study was to investigate in adolescent male rats the consequences of pre- and postnatal treatment with 5MT and its interaction with early handling on an object-place association learning task, the "Can test", a motivated, non-aversive, spatial/object discrimination task. Results show that a single daily injection of 5MT from gestational days 12 to 21 (1 mg/kg s.c.) and from postnatal days 2 …

Long-lasting handling affects behavioural reactivity in adult rats of both sexes prenatally exposed to diazepam

Environmental stressors can substantially affect the adaptive response of rats to novelty in a sexually dimorphic manner. Gender-related differences are also observed in neurochemical and behavioural patterns of adult rats following prenatal exposure to diazepam (DZ). In the present study the behavioural reactivity to novelty is investigated in open field (OF) and in acoustic startle reflex (ASR) tests, in non handled (NH), short-lasting handled (SLH) and long-lasting handled (LLH) adult male and female rats prenatally exposed to DZ. A single daily s.c. injection of DZ (1.5 mg/kg) over gestation days 14-20 decreases GABA/BDZ receptor function in both sexes, as shown by the decreased electro…

Effects of 8-OH-DPAT on open field performance of young and aged rats prenatally exposed to diazepam: a tool to rveal 5-HT1a receptor function

Central GABAergic and serotoninergic systems interact with one another and are implicated in controlling different behaviours. A gentle early long-lasting handling can prevent the deficits in locomotion and exploration in open field (O.F.) in 3-month-old male rats prenatally exposed to diazepam (DZ). Purpose of this study was to extend the research to older handled rats prenatally exposed to DZ and to assess the activity of 5-HT1A receptors (Rs), evaluating the performance in O.F. at 3 and 18 months of age following 8-OH-DPAT administration. A single daily s.c. injection of DZ (1.5 mg/kg) from gestation day 14 to gestation day 20 induced in aged, but not in young rats, a decrease in total d…

The neurosteroids sulphate PREGS and DHEAS exert a facilitative role on learning performance in adult male rats

Farmacologia Generale

Behavioural stress reactivity in handling naive and handling-habituated adult male rats prenatally exposed to different benzodiazepine receptor agonists

Prenatal exposure to diazepam and alprazolam, but not to zolpidem, affects behavioural stress reactivity in handling-naïve and handling-habituated adult male rat progeny.

A gentle long-lasting handling produces persistent neurochemical and behavioural changes and attenuates the impairment in the behavioural reactivity to novelty induced by the prenatal exposure to diazepam (DZ) in adult male rat progeny. This study investigated the consequences of a late prenatal treatment with three GABA/BDZ R agonists (DZ) alprazolam (ALP) and zolpidem (ZOLP)), on different stress-related behavioural patterns, in non-handled (NH), short-lasting handled (SLH) and long-lasting handled (LLH) adult male rats exposed to forced swim test (FST), acoustic startle reflex (ASR) and Vogel test (VT). The effects on motor activity were evaluated in the open field and in the Skinner box…

Effects of 8-OH-DPAT on open field performance of young and aged rats prenatally exposed to diazepam: a tool to reveal 5-HT1A receptor function

Central GABAergic and serotoninergic systems interact with one another and are implicated in controlling different behaviours. A gentle early long-lasting handling can prevent the deficits in locomotion and exploration in open field (O.F.) in 3-month-old male rats prenatally exposed to diazepam (DZ). Purpose of this study was to extend the research to older handled rats prenatally exposed to DZ and to assess the activity of 5-HT1A receptors (Rs), evaluating the performance in O.F. at 3 and 18 months of age following 8-OH-DPAT administration. A single daily s.c. injection of DZ (1.5 mg/kg) from gestation day 14 to gestation day 20 induced in aged, but not in young rats, a decrease in total d…

Effects of a single intense prenatal stress on emotionality and learning performance in adolescent male rat progeny.Influence of a daily short-term maternal separation.

Chronic perinatal treatment with 5-methoxytryptamine reduces depressive-like behaviour induced by forced swim in mature male rats

Gender-related effects on emotionality, learning and memory performance in adult rats. 33° Congresso Società Italiana Farmacologia.

Single intense prenatal stress can differently affect emotional behavior according to the nature of the task. Influence of metyrapone

I disturbi d'ansia: meccanismi neurobiologici ed approccio terapeutico

Effect of Acetaldehyde on CRF release form incubated hypothalamic explants

In the past, Acetaldehyde (ACD), the main metabolite of ethanol (ETOH), was mainly studied for its toxic and adverse effects (1). However, recently, ACD was reported to determine behavioural and neurochemical effects, following ETOH assumption in rodents (2, 3). Indeed, ACD enhances dopamine levels in nucleus accumbens, stimulates beta-endorphin release from hypothalamic cells, mediating alcohol reinforcing effects (4). Since little is known about the effects of ACD on other central neuropeptides, in this research we aimed to investigate ACD influence on hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) release. In order to ascertain this hypothesis, different doses of ACD (1, 10, 3x10 micr…

Perinatal exposure to 5-methoxytryptamine, behavioural-stress reactivity and functional response of 5-HT1A receptors in the adolescent rat.

Abstract Serotonin is involved in a wide range of physiological and patho-physiological mechanisms. In particular, 5-HT1A receptors are proposed to mediate stress-adaptation. The aim of this research was to investigate in adolescent rats: first, the consequences of perinatal exposure to 5-metoxytryptamine (5MT), a 5-HT1/5-HT2 serotonergic agonist, on behavioural-stress reactivity in elevated plus maze, open field and forced swim tests; secondly, whether the behavioural effects induced by perinatal exposure to 5MT on open field and forced swim tests were affected by the selective 5-HT1A receptor agonist LY 228729, a compound able to elicit a characteristic set of motor behaviours on these ex…

Corrigendum to “Effects of 8-OH-DPAT on open field performance of young and aged rats prenatally exposed to diazepam: a tool to reveal 5-HT1A receptor function”

La psicofarmacologia nei bambini in età scolare e pre-scolare