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The effects of interrupted synthesis of serotonin (5-HT) and immobilization stress applied to pregnant Wistar rats on behavioral measures of pain sensitivity in the formalin test were studied in their offspring at age 90 days. Prenatal 5-HT depletion decreased pain sensitivity in one third of rats and produced no significant change in the remainder. However, the latter showed a clear tendency to an increase in the interphase interval in females and a decrease in males. Prenatal stress increased pain sensitivity in 50% of rats with prenatal 5-HT deficiency and decreased pain sensitivity in the remainder. Increases in pain sensitivity were also seen in control rats (with prenatal injections of physiological saline), though to a significantly lesser extent than in animals with prenatal 5-HT depletion. The latter showed gender differences in the effects of prenatal stress on pain sensitivity. The present data provide evidence that prenatal 5-HT depletion has long-term effects on the functional activity of the nociceptive system and the important role of 5-HT in mediating the effects of prenatal stress on pain sensitivity in the formalin test.

Serum samples were collected from children suffering from psychotic forms of autistic disorders – childhood autism (F84.02) and atypical childhood psychosis (F84.11) – and measures of innate and acquired immunity were assessed, i.e., leukocyte elastase activity, α1-proteinase inhibitor, C-reactive protein, and antibodies to nerve growth factor and myelin basic protein. Activation of innate immunity (increases in acute-phase inflammatory protein levels and activities) were seen in childhood psychosis. In more severe mental disorders such as atypical endogenous childhood psychoses, activation of both innate and acquired immunity was seen (increases in anti-neuroantigen antibody levels). A correlation between immunological and clinical measures was seen, which provided grounds for suggesting the involvement of innate and acquired immunity in the development of autistic and cognitive impairments in these children.

Chronic oral administration of the selective AMPA receptor blocker IEM-1676 and the combined NMDA and AMPA receptor blocker IEM-1913 decreased the severity of convulsions kindled by corasol (pentylenetetrazole) and also the number of rats with full kindling by 20–40% more than the standard antiepileptic sodium valproate and the selective NMDA receptor blocker memantine. IEM-1913 and IEM-1676 induced anticonvulsant effects over wide dose ranges, of 0.03–1 and 3–40 mg/kg, respectively, while memantine and sodium valproate were effective only in narrow dose ranges, of 12–20 and 100–200 mg/kg, respectively. Sodium valproate, memantine, and IEM-1676 had low therapeutic indexes (TD50/ED50), of 1.7, 2.0, and 8.0, respectively, evidencing the high chronic toxicity and low safety of these agents. IEM-1913 had a therapeutic index of 1600, which is evidence of low toxicity and high safety in the chronic use of IEM-1913. Thus, the selective blockade of AMPA receptors induced by IEM-1676 is sufficient to achieve a maximum anticonvulsant effect in rats with corasol kindling, though only combined blockade of NMDA and AMPA receptors provide both the maximal anticonvulsant activity and the safety of using IEM-1913 over a wide range of effective doses.

Loss of functional activity after strokes occupies the leading position among the main causes of disability in the adult population throughout the world. Particular attention is currently paid to poststroke cognitive disorders. Construction of rehabilitation programs increasingly employs approaches based on multimodal treatments, which allows comprehensive coverage of the whole spectrum of ongoing neurological deficits in patients and provides the opportunity for more effective restoration of functional activity after stroke.

Placing of receptive females in the sector of a cage separated by a partition preventing physical contact but allowing sight and olfaction induced increases in blood testosterone levels in male mice. The selective agonist of 5-HT1A receptors 8-OH-DPAT (0.1 mg/kg) and the mixed 5-HT1A/1B receptor agonist eltoprazine (3.0 and 10.0 mg/kg) blocked the activatory effect of presentation of females on the hypothalamo-hypophyseal-testicular complex (HHTC) in males, while the 5-HT1A receptor antagonist p-MPPI (0.2 mg/kg) prevented the inhibitory effects of 8-OH-DPAT and eltoprazine. The 5-HT1B receptor agonist CGS-12066A (1.0 and 2.0 mg/kg) had no effect, while the mixed 5-HT1B/2C agonist TFMPP (5.0 mg/kg) blocked the increase in blood testosterone in males in response to presentation of females. The 5-HT2A receptor antagonist ketanserin (1.0 and 2.0 mg/kg) prevented the increase in testosterone induced by the presence of females. The 5-HT3 receptor antagonist ondansetron (0.05 and 0.1 mg/kg) increased the initial plasma testosterone level but blocked activation of the HHTC induced by the presence of receptive females. These results led to the conclusion that 5-HT receptors are involved in controlling the sexual activation of males. Different types and even subtypes of the same type of 5-HT receptor had different effects, both inhibitory and activatory, on activation of the HHTC by receptive females. Blockade of HHTC activation induced by the presence of females appears to involve 5-HT1A and 5-HT2C receptors, while activation involves 5-HT2A and 5-HT3 receptors.

An increase in corticofugal plasticity was demonstrated in adult rats after unilateral ablation of the sensorimotor cortex accompanied by intramuscular administration of low concentrations of BT-melanin solution. The result was acceleration of the process of compensatory recovery in the central nervous system, this being supported by the rapid recovery of a previously acquired operant conditioned reflex and movement of the paralyzed limb as compared with control animals. It is suggested that compensation of the motor deficit arising after ablation of the sensorimotor cortex is mediated by the ability of the two major motor systems of the brain — the corticospinal and the corticorubrospinal — to exhibit mutual substitution of their functions. This phenomenon of the functional switching of descending influences also occurred in rats of the control group not exposed to BT-melanin. However, the difference between the recovery times of the operant conditioned reflex and limb movement in the control and experimental groups provided evidence of an apparent acceleration in these processes as a result of BT-melanin. These results suggest that low concentrations of BT-melanin may have applied uses.