0000000000365200
AUTHOR
Gian Marco Leggio
Effects Of COOH-terminal tripeptide alpha-MSH (11-13) on corneal epithelial wound healing:role of nitric oxide
It is known that alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) may exert anti-inflammatory effects and facilitate reparative processes in different tissues. The effective message sequence of alpha-MSH resides in the COOH-terminal tripeptide alpha-MSH(11-13). This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of topical administration of the COOH-terminal tripeptide sequence of alpha-MSH (alpha-MSH(11-13), KPV) on corneal epithelial wound healing in rabbits and the possible role of nitric oxide (NO) in these effects. The whole corneal epithelium was denuded in both eyes by mechanical abrasion. The area of the corneal epithelial defect was stained with fluorescein, photographed, and then…
A novel arousal-based individual screening reveals susceptibility and resilience to PTSD-like phenotypes in mice
Translational animal models for studying post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are valuable for elucidating the poorly understood neurobiology of this neuropsychiatric disorder. These models should encompass crucial features, including persistence of PTSD-like phenotypes triggered after exposure to a single traumatic event, trauma susceptibility/resilience and predictive validity. Here we propose a novel arousal-based individual screening (AIS) model that recapitulates all these features. The AIS model was designed by coupling the traumatization (24 h restraint) of C57BL/6 J mice with a novel individual screening. This screening consists of z-normalization of post-trauma changes in startle …
Dopaminergic-GABAergic interplay and alcohol binge drinking
© 2019 Elsevier Ltd The dopamine D 3 receptor (D 3 R), in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), plays an important role in alcohol reward mechanisms. The major neuronal type within the NAc is the GABAergic medium spiny neuron (MSN), whose activity is regulated by dopaminergic inputs. We previously reported that genetic deletion or pharmacological blockade of D 3 R increases GABA A α6 subunit in the ventral striatum. Here we tested the hypothesis that D 3 R-dependent changes in GABA A α6 subunit in the NAc affect voluntary alcohol intake, by influencing the inhibitory transmission of MSNs. We performed in vivo and ex vivo experiments in D 3 R knockout (D 3 R −/− ) mice and wild type littermates (D 3 …
Hemin, an inducer of heme oxygenase-1, lowers intraocular pressure in rabbits.
Carbon monoxide (CO) generated from heme may induce vasodilation and exert cyto-protective properties in the eye. This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of hemin, a potent inducer of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), on models of ocular hypertension in rabbits.Ocular hypertension was induced by injecting alpha-chymotrypsin in both eyes under local anesthesia. Only rabbits with an intraocular pressure (IOP) of 25 mmHg or more were used. The dose-response study of the hemin effect on IOP was made by an intravenous injection of the drug (50, 75, and 100 mg/kg) and subsequent IOP monitoring every 6 h. A separate set of animals was pretreated with the HO-1 inhibitor, zinc protoporphyrin-IX …