Influence of zinc supplementation on imipramine effect in a chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) model in rats.

Zinc is an endogenous modulator of neuronal activity and may play an important role in the pathogenesis of depression. Recent studies have shown that zinc exhibits antidepressant-like activity in some models of depression in rodents. Our previous studies have shown that the footshock-induced fighting behavior was reduced in the rats subjected to chronic unpredictable stress (CUS). This test is used as the new experimental model of depression. Various antidepressant drugs given repeatedly prevented this kind of behavioral depression. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of prolonged treatment with zinc hydroaspartate and to examine if zinc supplementation could modulate the imipramine effect in CUS model of behavioral depression in rats. The experiments were carried out on male Wistar rats. Chronic stress (persisting for 16 days) was induced by the modified method described by Katz et al. Zinc hydroaspartate at the dose of 30 mg/kg/day or 15 mg/kg/day and imipramine at the dose of 5 mg/kg/day were administered once daily for 14 days. Imipramine was given (ip) 1 h before every stress session and zinc hydroaspartate (ip) l h before the antidepressant. The footshock-induced fighting behavior test was performed 48 h after the last session of the chronic stress. It was demonstrated that in chronically stressed rats the number of fighting attacks was significantly reduced (by about 75%). Zinc hydroaspartate at the dose of 30 mg/kg/day, given alone, prevented the deficit in fighting behavior in chronically stressed rats. Neither imipramine at the dose of 5 mg/kg/day nor zinc hydroaspartate (15 mg/kg/day) administered alone changed the intensity of fighting behavior in chronically stressed rats. However, when imipramine was given at the same dose in the rats pretreated with zinc hydroaspartate (15 mg/kg/day) the deficit of fighting behavior was not observed. The present results indicate that zinc similarly to antidepressants protects the rats against the CUS-induced behavioral depression. Moreover, our findings suggest that zinc supplementation could potentiate the antidepressant effect of imipramine.

Influence of dizocilpine (MK-801) on neurotoxic effect of dexamethasone: behavioral and histological studies.

Elevated levels of endogenous glucocorticoids (GCs) or prolonged treatment with high doses of dexamethasone (DEX) or other GCs preparations are frequently associated with psychosis as well as cognitive deficits, such as the impairment of memory and learning. GCs potentiate stress or ischemia-induced accumulation of excitatory amino acids in the extracellular space of hippocampus. The antagonism of glutamate receptors may potentially improve safety profile of therapy with GCs. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of dizocilpine maleate (MK-801), non-competitive NMDA glutamate receptor antagonist, on neurotoxic effect of the prolonged treatment with the high dose of DEX. The results showed that DEX (120 mg/kg/day for 7 days) impaired the long-term memory and the motor coordination, reduced the body weight and induced the lethality of mice. The morphological and ultrastructural study have confirmed damage to hippocampal neurons especially in the CA3 region after the prolonged treatment with DEX alone. Damaged pyramidal neurons showed robust changes in the shape of the nucleus and cytoplasm condensation. MK-801 alone (at non-toxic dose of 0.3 mg/kg/day), changed neither the behavior of mice nor morphology of the hippocampal neurons. However, it did not prevent the neurotoxic effects of DEX. On the contrary, it intensified DEX-induced neurotoxicity.

[Pulmonary complications in patient with ulcerative colitis, treated with 5-aminosalicylic preparations]. / Powiklania pucne u chorego z wrzodziejacym zapaleniem jelita grubego, leczonego preparatami kwasu 5-aminosalicylowego.

Pulmonary complications in patients with ulcerative colitis treated with 5-aminosalicylic acid are infrequent adverse events. The authors present a 35-year-old man, taking sulfasalazine and mesalazine in whom pulmonary abnormalities resembling tuberculosis were observed during several months of therapy. Withdrawal of mesalazine resulted in complete resolution of lung injury. Patient is doing well on maintenance treatment with immunosuppressants

Effect of NMDA receptor antagonists on behavioral impairment induced by chronic treatment with dexamethasone.

Severe and prolonged stress but also long-term treatment with glucocorticoids (GCs) have been described to cause brain damage (especially hippocampal and striatal neurons) in humans as well as in animals. GCs potentiate stress or ischemia-induced accumulation of excitatory amino acids (EAA) in the extracellular space of the hippocampus. It was shown that EAA play a major role in various neurologic disorders with cognitive dysfunction. Many authors suggested the neuroprotective effect of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptor antagonists in some acute or chronic neurodegenerative diseases. On the other hand, many NMDAreceptor antagonists produce highly undesirable side-effects at the doses within their putative therapeutic range. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the behavioral effects (memory performance, motor coordination, lethality and body weight) of MK-801 or memantine (MEMAN, non-competitive NMDAreceptor antagonists) (at the doses of 25 and 50 microg/kg/day or 2.5 and 5.0 mg/kg/day, respectively) on neurotoxicity induced by dexamethasone (DEX) administered chronically at the doses of 40 or 80 mg/kg/day in mice. It was shown that prolonged treatment (for 10 days) with DEX at the dose of 80 mg/kg/day (but not at 40 mg/kg/day) significantly decreased the retention time in the memory task in mice and impaired the motor coordination in "chimney" test. Neither MK-801 nor MEMAN (at the both doses used) were able to counteract the behavioral impairment induced by DEX administration. Moreover, the potentiation of the body weight reduction and lethality induced by DEX were noted in mice co-treated with MK-801 or MEMAN. The above findings suggest that MK-801 or MEMAN at the doses used have no neuroprotective effect. On the contrary, both NMDA receptor antagonists potentiate the toxicity of DEX given chronically.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of short-term smoking cessation treatment in patients of the Pulmonary Department, Medical University of Lublin.

From August to December 2001 antinicotine program was performed in the Pulmonary Department of the Medical University of Lublin in order to achieve smoking cessation of hospitalized patients, their families and other people coming to the ambulatory during the "open door" days. The usefulness of the smoker's registration in a specialist ambulatory and effectiveness of specialist advice was analyzed. Three hundred ninety persons were examined and given advice. One hundred thirty-four patients (34.4%) were included in the study during hospitalization, 256 (65.5%) during open door action and from patients' families. Fifty-eight (14.9%) persons had Zyban prescribed, 23 (5.9%) nicotine replacement medications. 183 persons came for control visit (46.9%). One hundred and one subjects resist nonsmoking within the month after first visit. In all of them CO concentration in the expired air was normal. This made patients' declaration more objective. Consciousness of tobacco smoking harmfulness and activities taken to quit smoking seem to rise among the Lublin region population. Accessibility of spirometric tests in the screening diagnosis of COPD, one of the main tobacco-related diseases, rises as well. A specialist plays the main role in motivating the patient to smoking cessation. He shows the patient benefits of such an activity during diagnostic and therapeutic process, keeps essential control and supports psychologically. The family doctor has to play a similar role. There is considerable relative effectiveness of short-term antinicotine treatment. Hospitalization favors resisting smoking, especially when the hospital is a tobacco smoke free zone.