ABSTRACT
We report a case of catalepsy associated with thalamic hemorrhage. A 72 year-old hypertensive woman had acute onset of right-sided weakness and speech disturbances. She was on anticoagulants because of aortic valve replacement. When postures were imposed, the patient maintained the left upper limb raised for several minutes, even in uncomfortable or bizarre positions. A CT scan of the head revealed a left thalamic hemorrhage. Cataleptic postures have been reported in few cases with acute stroke
Subject(s)
Humans , Female , Aged , Catalepsy/etiology , Cerebral Hemorrhage/complications , Thalamic Diseases/complications , Catalepsy , Cerebral Hemorrhage , Lateral Ventricles , Lateral Ventricles/physiopathology , Putamen , Putamen/physiopathology , Thalamic Diseases , Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methodsABSTRACT
Catalepsy induced by neuroleptics in rats can be modified by 5-hydroxytryptaminergic (5-HTergic) manipulation. For example, buspirone (BUS) and other central 5-HT1A receptor ligands reduce neuroleptic-induced catalepsy (NIC). The dorsal (DRN) and median (MRN) raphe nuclei are reported to be important sources of 5-HTergic projections to the basal ganglia, the site of action of neuroleptics in producing NIC. A previous study showed that lesion of DRN did not affect NIC or the anticataleptic effect of BUS. The present study was designed to evaluate the participation of MRN in NIC and in the anti-NIC effect of BUS. Twenty-four male Wistar rats (N = 6/group) weighing 220-250 g were used. Electrolytic lesion of MRN was carried out in anesthetized rats along with sham operations (electrode inserted but no current applied). Ten days later, the rats were injected with BUS (5 mg/kg, ip) or saline (1 ml, ip). Catalepsy was induced 20 min later with haloperidol (H; 1 mg/kg, ip) and measured at 30-min intervals by means of a bar test. The Costall per cent Naylor method of scoring (range 0-5 points) was used. Saline-injected MRN-lesioned rats displayed significantly lower catalepsy scores than sham-lesioned rats (1.5 +/- 0.2 vs 3.8 +/- 0.3 at 90 min after H). In sham-lesioned rats, BUS significantly reduced the catalepsy scores in comparison with saline-treated animals (1.3 +/- 0.2 vs 3.8 +/- 0.3 at 90 min after H). However, BUS was not able to further reduce NIC in the MRN-lesioned animals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Subject(s)
Animals , Male , Rats , Antipsychotic Agents/pharmacology , Buspirone/pharmacology , Catalepsy/etiology , Raphe Nuclei/physiology , Antipsychotic Agents/antagonists & inhibitors , Catalepsy/drug therapy , Serotonin/pharmacologyABSTRACT
The effect of restraint stress (1, 2 and 4 hr) on cannabis-induced catalepsy, was investigated in rats. Restraint stress produced a time-related-potentiation of the cataleptic effect of a sub-cataleptic dose of cannabis. Stress (4 hr)-induced potentiation of cannabis catalepsy was attenuated after pretreatment of the animals with drugs known to decrease central 5-HT and prostaglandin activity, but was unaffected by metyrapone, an inhibitor of endogenous corticoid synthesis. The results suggest the involvement of 5-HT and prostaglandins in restraint stress-cannabis interaction. The results have been discussed in the light of earlier investigations, from this laboratory, indicating increased rat brain 5-HT and prostaglandin activity, following restraint stress, and possible 5-HT mediation in central effects of prostaglandins. It is suggested that restraint stress first enhances rat brain prostaglandins, which in its proposed role as the first mediator' of stress, activates the serotonergic system in this species. This prostaglandin 5-HT link, thus mediates the observed potentiating effect of restraint stress on cannabis catalepsy.