Electroencephalographic study of the effect of neurotoxin DSP-4 in iron model of chronic focal epilepsy.

The effect of the noradrenergic neurotoxin N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-ethyl-2-bromobenzylamine (DSP-4) on electroencephalographic activity (EEG) was studied in the model of chronic focal epilepsy induced by intracortical injection of FeCl3 in the rat. EEG activity was recorded from the epileptogenic focus (ipsilateral and contralateral) in chronic experiments before and after DSP-4 treatment. In some experiments EEG activity was also simultaneously recorded from the cortical epileptogenic focus and locus coeruleus before and after DSP-4 treatment to study the effect of iron-induced seizure activity and of DSP-4 on the locus coeruleus electrical activity. The results showed that DSP-4 aggravated the iron-induced epileptiform activity as well as the locus-coeruleus electrical activity. The data also showed that, induction of epilepsy by FeCl3 is accompanied by enhancement of the locus coeruleus electrical activity. Our study demonstrates that DSP-4 intensifies and modifies the epileptic activity in the iron-induced chronic epilepsy model and that the effects of toxin persist for a longer duration.

Cucumber chloroplast trnL(CAA) gene: nucleotide sequence and in vivo expression analysis in etiolated cucumber seedlings treated with benzyladenine and light.

The nucleotide sequence of a 714 bp BamHI-EcoRI fragment of cucumber chloroplast DNA was determined. The fragment contained a gene for tRNA(Leu) together with its flanking regions. The trnL(CAA) gene sequence is about 99% in similarity to broad bean, cauliflower, maize, spinach and tobacco corresponding genes. The relative expression level of the gene was determined by Northern (tRNA) gel blot and Northern (total cellular RNA) slot-blot analyses using the trnL gene probe in 6-day old etiolated cucumber seedlings and the seedlings that had been kept in the dark (dark-grown), treated with benzyladenine (BA) and kept in the dark (BA-treated dark-grown), illuminated (light-grown), and treated with BA and illuminated (BA-treated light-grown), for additional 4, 8 or 12 hr. The trnL transcripts and tRNA(Leu) levels in BA-treated dark-grown seedlings were 5 and 3 times higher, respectively after 4 hr BA treatment, while in the BA treated light-grown seedlings the level of trnL transcripts was only 3 times higher and had no detectable effect on mature tRNA(Leu) when compared to the time-4 hr dark-grown seedlings. However, the level of mature tRNA(Leu) did not show marked changes in the light-grown seedlings, whereas the level of trnL transcripts increases 3 times after 8 hr illumination of dark-grown seedlings. These data indicate that both light and cytokinin can signal changes in plastid tRNA gene expression. The possible regulatory mechanisms for such changes are discussed.

Effects of DSP-4-induced depletion of brain norepinephrine on appetitive and aversive memory retrieval.

This study examined whether depletion of central norepinephrine produces an improved retrieval of aversive memories in the same way as pre-exposure to inescapable footshocks, in rats. Animals conditioned in a T-maze with appetitive (10% sucrose) and aversive (2.0 mA footshock) events were given a single dose of DSP-4 (100, 200 or 400 micrograms/rat) or drug vehicle ICV 24 hr later. The retention performance and activity were assessed 48 hr after the treatment with this neurotoxin. DSP-4 had no effect on open field activities but enhanced latencies to enter both, previously shocked and appetitively reinforced, goalboxes. The data thus, suggest that central administration of DSP-4 does not result in selective enhanced aversive memories. On the contrary, post-trial NE depletion with this neurotoxin might interfere with the retrieval of previously learned association with appetitive stimuli. DSP-4 significantly reduced monoamines, depending upon the brain regions assayed and the doses studied. However, only decreased NE in striatum coincided with the memory changes suggesting that NE innervation to striatum may participate in the retrieval process.

La N-2 cloroetil N-etil-2-bromobencilamina (DSP4) aumenta la liberacion de eH- noradrenalina producida por despolarizacion del terminal nervioso / N-2 chloroethyl N-2-bromobenzylamine (DSP4) increases the 3H- noradrenaline release evoked by nerve despolarization

La administración intraperitoneal del DSP4 en roedores adultos, inhibe la captación de la 3H-NA exógena y reduce el contenido endógeno de NA en el sistema nervioso central y en la captación noradrenérgica desipramina, con el precursor de la NA, la 1-dopa o con inhibidores de la MAO B, previene los efectos neurotóxicos del DSP4. Con el objeto de investigar el mecanismo por el cual DSP4 reduce el contenido endógeno de NA, la liberación del neurotransmisor inducida por despolarización con K+, fue estudiada en cortes de la corteza cerebral de la rata, un tejido sensible a la acción neurotóxica del DSP4. La incubación con DSP4 (10 micromol/1) indujo un aumento de la liberación de NA espontánea y la inducida por estimulación con el K+. En medio libre de Ca++ sólo se incrementó la liberación espontánea. La potenciación de la liberación de NA inducida por el K+ parece estar relacionada con los mecanismos alfa2 adrenérgicos, dado que no se observa aditividad entre la potenciación producida por el antagonista alfa 2 yohimbina y el DSP4. Sin embargo, esta potenciación a través de mecanismos presinápticos no parece estar involucrada en la depleción desarrollada por el neurotóxico, dado que los tratamientos realziados con drogas con afinidad adrenérgicas son ineficaces para previnir la depleción noradrenérgica por el DSP4 en la corteza cerebral. Los resultados obtenidos en el conducto deferente avalan esta hipótesis, dado que en este tejido resistente al efecto deplecionante del DSP4, el compuesto t

Comportamiento "in vitro" del Ascaris suum bajo la acción del albendazol / In vitro behavior of Ascaris suum under the influence of albendazole

Se estudiaron 6 grupos de parásitos Ascaris suum en los cuales se observó, por medio de las técnicas descritas, el comportamiento de los mismos "in vitro" bajo el efecto de diferentes drogas divididas en 6 grupos similares: Un grupo control y los otros 5 agregando las siguientes drogas: Grupo 2: Pamoato de Pirantel Grupo 3: Pirantel Oxantel Grupo 4: Mebendazol Grupo 5 y 6: albendazol en diferentes concentraciones. Los resultados confirman nuestros hallazgos publicados anteriormente con pamoato de pirantel y pirantel oxantel, demostrando el cese de sus movimientos antes de una hora bajo el efecto de esas drogas. Se observa nuevamente con el mebendazol que los parásitos se mantienen activos por más de 24 horas y con un ligero aumento de su actividad al agregarle la drota. Con el albendazol, nueva droga en este estudio, aunque no se observó cambio en su comportamiento, se encontró que la misma no es activa "in vitro" contra este parásito. Se hacen consideraciones que justifican la recomendación de no utilizar indiscrimadamente drogas que se absorven en el intestino ante el peligro potencial de que éstas produzcan migraciones erráticas