Search results for "Allocation"
showing 10 items of 538 documents
Neuroprotective action of diazepam at very low and moderate doses in Alzheimer's disease model rats
2018
Abstract Early manifestations of Alzheimer's disease (AD) include neuroinflammation, disrupted neurotransmission and cognitive deficits. Impairment of the GABAergic system is essentially involved in the pathogenesis of AD. Traditionally, agonists of GABAA receptors at doses above 1 mg/kg are known to possess memory impairing effects. However, we have previously found that GABAA receptor GABA site ligand muscimol at very low doses acted contrary – enhanced spatial learning/memory, as well as prevented neuroinflammation and augmented neurotransmission in AD model rats. Therefore, in the present study we focused on the assessment of the effects of non-sedative – very low (0.05 mg/kg) and moder…
Cognitive resource allocation determines the organization of personal networks
2018
Significance The way we organize our social relationships is key to understanding the structure of our society. We propose a quantitative theory to tackle this issue, assuming that our capacity to maintain relationships is limited and that different types of relationships require different investments. The theory accounts for well-documented empirical evidence on personal networks, such that connections are typically arranged in layers of increasing size and decreasing emotional content. More interestingly, it predicts that when the number of available relationships is small, this structure is inverted, having more close relationships than acquaintances. We provide evidence of the existence…
Efficacy of N-acetylcysteine in the prevention of alcohol relapse-like drinking: Study in long-term ethanol-experienced male rats
2021
Alcohol use disorders are chronic and highly relapsing disorders, thus alcoholic patients have a high rate of recidivism for drug use even after long periods of abstinence. The literature points to the potential usefulness of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in the management of several substance use disorders probably due to its capacity to restore brain homeostasis of the glutamate system disrupted in addiction. However, there is little evidence in the case of alcohol. The aim of this study was to explore the potential anti-relapse efficacy of NAC using the alcohol deprivation effect (ADE) model in long-term experienced rats. Two experiments were performed in male Wistar rats to: (a) test the effic…
Neuroligin-2 Expression in the Prefrontal Cortex is Involved in Attention Deficits Induced by Peripubertal Stress
2016
Emerging evidence indicates that attention deficits, which are frequently observed as core symptoms of neuropsychiatric disorders, may be elicited by early life stress. However, the mechanisms mediating these stress effects remain unknown. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) has been implicated in the regulation of attention, including dysfunctions in GABAergic transmission, and it is highly sensitive to stress. Here, we investigated the involvement of neuroligin-2 (NLGN-2), a synaptic cell adhesion molecule involved in the stabilization and maturation of GABAergic synapses, in the PFC in the link between stress and attention deficits. First, we established that exposure of rats to stress during th…
A preclinical study to model taurine pharmokinetics in the undernourished rat
2018
AbstractMalnutrition is a common feature of chronic and acute diseases, often associated with a poor prognosis, including worsening of clinical outcome, owing, among other factors, to dysfunction of the most internal organs and systems affecting the absorption, metabolism and elimination of drugs and nutrients. Taurine is involved in numerous biological processes and is required in increased amounts in response to pathological conditions. The aim of this study was to describe the behaviour of taurine in well-nourished (WN) rats and to analyse the influence of protein–energy undernutrition on the pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters of taurine, using a PK model. Wistar rats were randomly distribu…
Glucagon-like peptide-2 treatment improves glucose dysmetabolism in mice fed a high fat diet
2016
Previous studies suggested that endogenous glucagon-like peptide 2 (GLP-2) is dispensable for the regulation of glucose homeostasis under normal conditions, while it can play a beneficial role in obesity conditions. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether chronic treatment with Gly2-GLP-2, a stable analogue of GLP-2, can have an impact on glycaemic and lipid control in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD), an animal model of human obesity and insulin resistance. HFD mice were treated once a day with Gly2-GLP-2 for 4 weeks. Body weight, food intake, fasting glucose, intraperitoneal glucose tolerance, insulin-induced glucose clearance, glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, β-cel…
Lung injury does not aggravate mechanical ventilation-induced early cerebral inflammation or apoptosis in an animal model.
2018
INTRODUCTION:The acute respiratory distress syndrome is not only associated with a high mortality, but also goes along with cognitive impairment in survivors. The cause for this cognitive impairment is still not clear. One possible mechanism could be cerebral inflammation as result of a "lung-brain-crosstalk". Even mechanical ventilation itself can induce cerebral inflammation. We hypothesized, that an acute lung injury aggravates the cerebral inflammation induced by mechanical ventilation itself and leads to neuronal damage. METHODS:After approval of the institutional and state animal care committee 20 pigs were randomized to one of three groups: lung injury by central venous injection of …
Musculoskeletal fitness and balance in older individuals (65–85 years) and its association with steps per day: a cross sectional study
2015
Background There is limited normative, objective data combining musculoskeletal fitness (MSF), balance and physical activity (PA) among older adults. The aims were therefore to; 1) describe MSF and balance in older Norwegian adults focusing on age- and sex-related differences; 2) investigate the associations among MSF, balance and objectively-assessed PA levels. Methods This was part of a national multicenter study. Participants (65–85 years) were randomly selected from the national population registry. We used ActiGraph GT1M accelerometers to measure PA. Balance and MSF were assessed using: one leg standing (OLS), handgrip strength (HG), static back extension (SBE), sit and reach (SR), bac…
Fatigue and Depressive Symptoms in Older People
2014
Fatigue is considered an important indicator of aging-related declines in health and functional abilities. Previous studies have indicated strong associations between fatigue and depressive symptoms among younger populations and in patient groups with specific diseases. However, it is not known how different measures of fatigue are associated with depressive symptoms among general older populations. The purpose of this study is to describe the prevalence of depressive symptoms among community-dwelling older adults reporting mobility-related or general feelings fatigue. The study population consisted of 75-year-old community-living individuals ( n = 561). Both, mobility-related and general …
L-Carnitine Supplementation and Physical Exercise Restore Age-Associated Decline in Some Mitochondrial Functions in the Rat
2008
In mammals, during the aging process, an atrophy of the muscle fibers, an increase in body fat mass, and a decrease in skeletal muscle oxidative capacities occur. Compounds and activities that interact with lipid oxidative metabolism may be useful in limiting damages that occur in aging muscle. In this study, we evaluated the effect of L-carnitine and physical exercise on several parameters related to muscle physiology. We described that supplementing old rats with L-carnitine at 30 mg/kg body weight for 12 weeks (a) allowed the restoration of L-carnitine level in muscle cells, (b) restored muscle oxidative activity in the soleus, and (c) induced positive changes in body composition: a decr…