Comparative study for elucidating the effect of swimming and immobilization stresses on some metabolic aspects in brain of male rats

The effect of swimming end immobilization stresses either single or repeated form on some metabolic aspects in brain of rats was studied. Rats subjected to single swimming or immobilization stress showed significant decreases in their brain glucose, gIycogen, pyruvate contents and ATP/ADP ratio with a significant accumulation in lactate content. beside these changes a marked increase in brain Na+. K+ -ATPase activity with a moderate increase in mitochondrial hexokinaso activity were also demonstrated. In plasma of these rats a significant increase in its corticosterone and glucose contents was demonstrated. By comparing the changes produced by both types of single stress, It is evidenced that those occurring after single swimming are more obvious than those after single immobilization. On the other hand, on repeated immobilization. insignificant changes in all the measured parameters were observed. However, on repeated swimming the biochemical alterations were characterized by hypoglycaemia. increased brain glucose, ATP/ADP ratio and mitochondrial hexokinase activity as well as a significant decrease of brain Na+. K+ -ATPase activity. In the light of these results, it can be concluded that a single swimming may be the most suitable model of stress for studying the effect of brain modulators

possible alternations in rat liver, plasma and spleen phospholipids following whole-body gamma-irradiation

Plasma, lier and spleen phospholipids [lysophosphatidylcholine, sphingomyelin, phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine] of female rats were determined at one, 3, 7 and 14 day after whole-body iradiation at 6 Gy. Hepatic lysophosphalidylcholine in irradiated groups was only decreased after 7 and 14 days below the control values. Plasma lysophosphatidylcholine, on the other hand, showed initially an increase on 1st and 3rd day with a subsequent drop on 7th day postirradiation. Then, it increased at the end of observation period, even though, it was still significantly lower than the preirradiated values. Meanwhile, spleen lysophosphatidylcholine was moderately affected in irradiated groups. Hepatic sphingomyelins were increased in response to -irradiation after 3-14 days. This was accompanied by a progressive decrease in their level in plasma in plasma 7 and 14 days postirradiation. In spleen, their level was markedly dropped after 14 days. The most prominent effect of -irradiation was noted on cholne-containing phospholipids. Plasma and liver phosphatidylcholines were markedly increased on the 1st and 3rd day postirradiation. They diminished thereafter, they wewre still markedly high in the iver and became low in the plasma at the end of observation as compared to control values. In spleen, their level was increased after 7 days and markedly decreased thereafter. In liver, -irradiation resulted in significant increases inphosphatidylethanolamine similar to those exhibited by phosphatidylcholine throughout the postexposure. On the contrary, significant decreases were noted in plasma and spleen at the end of observation. In both plasma, liver and spleen, total phospholipids in irradiated animals exhibited similar changes to those given by phosphatidylcholines. Possible explanations of these findings are discussed

Interaction of tranylcypromine with bezafibrate on some aspects of lipids metabolism, in rats

Total phospholipids, total cholesterol, free fatty acids [FFA] as well as triglycerides in both plasma and liver of male rats were estimated for assessment of lipid metabolism. Concurrent administration of tranylcypromine along with bezafibrate intensified the bezafibrate- induced reduction in plasma and live phospholipids at the end of the first week. Meanwhile, tranylcypromine completely abolished the hypocholesterolemic effect of bezafibrate after 7 and 14 days of their administration. On the other hand, the lowering effect of bezafibrate on plasma FFA was not affected by concomitant administration of tranylcypromine. However, hepatic FFA were markedly elevated in response to combined therapy, contrary to the reduction in their level in response to bezafibrate alone. In the meantime, the hypotriglyceridemic effect of bezafibrate was diminished by the end of 7 days and completely abolished by the end of 14-day treatment on concurrent administration of tranylcypromine

Effect of diclofenac sodium and pirprofen on some metabolic aspects of adrenocortical function in arthritic rats

The effect of adjuvant arthritis and its treatment with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, diclofenac sodium and pirprofen in certain metabolic aspects of adrenocortical function in rats was studied. Results revealed that adjuvant arthritis in rats caused a moderate but significant decrease in plasma corticosterone. Such a decrease in plasma corticosterone was accompanied by a decrease in adrenocortical function as indicated by the increase in adrenal cholesterol, ascorbic acid and glycogen contents. Treatment of arthritic rats with daily oral doses of either diclofenac sodium [2 mg/kg of body weight] or pirprofen [6 mg/kg of body weight] for 2 weeks produced significant increase in the level of plasma corticosterone without change in the adrenocortical function

Effect of praziquantel treatment on serum protein pattern serum ceruloplasmin and blood glutathione in healthy and schistosoma mansoni-infected mice

The effect of praziquantel treatment on serum protein pattern, serum ceruloplasmin and blood reduced glutathione [GSH] content was investigated in healthy and schistosome-infected mice. Schistosoma mansoni infection in mice resulted in a moderate decrease in serum total protein accompanied by a significant decrease in albumin fraction and alpha 1 globulins with insignificant increase in B and Y globulins. Moreover, the results indicated that infection caused a marked decrease in both serum ceruloplasmin level and blood GSH content. Treatment of the infected mice with praziquantel [2 x 500 mg/Kg] improved the deranged serum protein pattern and restored the blood GSH content to normal level. However, such a treatment slightly improved the lowered level of serum ceruloplasmin in infected animals. Praziquantel given to normal mice did not affect any of these findings are discussed

Prophylactic properties of gamma-irradiated verapamil and propranolol against experimentally induced myocardial infarction in rats

An experimental model of myocardial infarction has been reproduced in rats by S.C. injection of isoproterenol [85 mg/kg] for two days. The prophylactic properties of verapamil and propranolol before and after gamma-irradiation against this model of myocardial necrosis were investigated. Pretreatment with verapamil or irradiated verapamil significantly reduced the myocardial damage, the enzymes LDH and CK leakage and the increase in plasma creatinine. However, verapamil and its irradiated form did not affect isoproterenol-induced elevation of plasma creatine, FFA as well as cardiac NE content. On the other hand, injection of propranolol or irradiated propranolol prior to isoproterenol significantly reduced the myocardial necrosis, the enzymes LDH and CK leakage and the plasma creatinine. Meanwhile, the elevated levels of plasma FFA and cardiac NE content arising from isoproterenol injection were normalized and reduced respectively by propranolol and irradiated propranolol pretreatment. The present study revealed that irradiation of verapamil and propranolol at dose level of 25 KGy did not change their prophylactic properties against isoproterenol-induced myocardial necrosis as compared to non-irradiated drugs