ABSTRACT
The basolateral amygdala has been implicated in the regulation of food intake besides the hypothalamic centres. In the present study, we hypothesized that the Orexin B, a polypeptide identified in the lateral hypothalamic region, may be involved in the modification of the functions the of amygdaloid centres. We therefore studied the effect of infusion of Orexin B and its antagonist (TCS-OX2-29) into Basolateral amygdala to study the feeding behaviour. Materials and methods: Adult male Wistar albino rats were selected and grouped into control, sham operated control and experimental groups (n=6 each) Orexin was infused in two doses (3 nmol/μl, 30 nmol/ μl) and TCS-OX2-29(10 μg/μl) was infused in another group. Sequential Food intake and water intake were measured at 1, 2, 4, 6, 12 hours and intake for the day was also recorded in all groups and the results (mean±SEM) were statistically analyzed by Kruskal Wali’s test and p<0.05 was considered significant. Results: The food intake and water intake were significantly increased (p<0.01) in the high dose group though the increase in the low dose treated animals was less. Injection of Orexin B antagonist decreased the food and water intake significantly. Discussion and conclusion: The results suggest that Orexin plays a role in the modulation of feeding behaviour. In the lower doses it did not show significant effect. At higher doses, the effect was marked. The role of orexin in ingestive behaviour is further confirmed by the action of antagonist infusion, which resulted decrease in the feeding activities.
ABSTRACT
Objectives: The present study evaluated the beneficial effects of omega 3 PUFA present in fish oil on neurosensorial impairments, namely learning, memory and anxiety in Streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats. The brain homogenate was analysed for oxidative status following Omega 3 PUFA treatment. Methods: Male, Wistar rats of 2-3 months old were divided into non diabetic controls, diabetic control, & fish oil treated diabetic rats (n=6). Diabetes was induced by injection of STZ (48 mg/kg, ip). Animals were treated orally for 30 days with a dose in each group of 0.5 g/kg/day of fish oil. All experiments were conducted after ethical committee clearance was obtained. Results: Memory and exploratory behavior were improved (p<0.01) in fish oil treated rats as compared with diabetic rats. A significant (p<0.001) decrease in MDA and a significant increase (p<0.001) in total antioxidant level (TAO) were observed in fish oil treated rats. Conclusion : Omega 3 PUFA present in fish oil could be used an adjuvant therapy for treatment and prevention of neurosensorial impairment in diabetes mellitus.
ABSTRACT
Prenatal exposure to alcohol can affect both prenatal and postnatal neurogenesis in the developing brain and impair brain function in their early life. Aim: Our study was aimed to assess the effect of prenatal alcoholic exposure on memory retention and exploratory behavior in young adult rats. We also studied the effect of maternal alcohol intake on pup quality, mortality rate and post natal weight gain of the pups during their weaning period. Methods: Female rats were divided into control and alcohol fed group. Rats in alcoholic group were orally fed (force feeding) with 30% alcohol at a dose of 5g/kg /day. Treatment was started 14 days before mating, continued throughout their gestation period and weaning period. Control group was administrated with equivalent volume of water. Offspring from each group were divided into male and female group. Birth weight, crown-rump length, litter size were taken from the day of delivery, whereas cognitive function test were done from 75th day of post natal life. Statistics: Data obtained from the tests were analyzed by applying independent T test. Results: Single dose of 5g/kg/day maternal ethanol treatment decreased the memory retention (p=0.003), decreased the weight gain during weaning period (p=0.000), increased the locomotor activities (p=0.05) and increased the mortality rate of pups during weaning period. No significant change was observed in the pup quality between control mother and alcoholic mother. Conclusion: The present study showed that maternal alcohol consumption could affect mortality rate of the pups and their post natal weight gain during weaning period. It also affects their cognitive behaviour and locomotor activities in their later life.