PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

A Fleischmann

Publications and source records attributed to A Fleischmann.

28 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Effects of non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonists on reproductive and motor behaviors in female rats.

MK-801 and dextrorphan, selective non-competitive antagonists at N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, were used to evaluate the effect of NMDA receptor blockade on sexual and motor behaviors in female rats. Ovariectomized rats were treated with estradiol benzoate (EB) for 48 or 72 h followed by progesterone (P) 3.5-4 h before testing the animals for sexual receptivity. After testing for estrous responsiveness, the effect of NMDA antagonists on several motor behaviors was also assessed. Lordosis frequency and intensity were inhibited in animals that received 0.5 mg/kg MK-801 30 min before EB; the same dose of MK-801 was relatively ineffective when administered 24 h after EB. In neither case did MK-801-treated females differ from controls when motor behaviors were assessed after mating tests. When 30 mg/kg dextrorphan, a short-acting NMDA antagonist, was administered 15 min before P, sexual behavior was not blocked. However, both 0.05 mg/kg MK-801 and 30 mg/kg dextrorphan suppressed ongoing female sexual behavior within 30 min in animals made receptive with EB and P. These deficits in sexual behavior were associated with changes in motor performance. MK-801 (0.1 mg/kg) and dextrorphan (30 mg/kg) abolished movement in the vertical dimension (e.g. jumping and rearing). By contrast, the drugs increased movement in the longitudinal (locomotion) and lateral (circling) dimensions. At 0.2 mg/kg, MK-801 blocked movement in both the vertical and longitudinal dimensions; however, it failed to block circling. Only at 0.4 mg/kg did MK-801 inhibit lateral movements and righting reflexes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Ovarian steroids increase veratridine-induced release of amino acid neurotransmitters in preoptic area synaptosomes.

In vivo treatment of ovariectomized rats with estradiol benzoate plus progesterone, but not with either steroid alone, produced a large increase in veratridine-induced release of radiolabeled glutamate and newly synthesized GABA from preoptic area synaptosomes in vitro. Neither basal nor KCl-evoked release of amino acids was altered. Thus gonadal steroids appear to be involved in the control of amino acid neurotransmitter release in a brain region of importance for regulation of female reproductive physiology and behavior.

Animals↗

Clip-induced analgesia: noxious neck pinch suppresses spinal and mesencephalic neural responses to noxious peripheral stimulation.

Pinch of the nape of the neck, of mice, with a serrated clip, produces immobility and lack of responsiveness to noxious stimulation. In this study we attempted to determine whether clip application produces true blockade of nociception, independent of its immobilizing effect, and examined the level of the neuroaxis at which such an effect takes place. To this end nociception was measured using indices not requiring a motor response. Neck pinch eliminated the elevation of heart rate induced by noxious pinch of the tail without affecting heart rate by itself providing evidence for its analgesic effect. Direct evidence that neck pinch suppresses the transmission of noxious information is also provided. Neck pinch inhibits neural activity evoked by noxious peripheral stimulation while exerting minimal effects on the effects of nonnoxious stimuli. Thus, sensory evoked activity in the periaqueductal gray area, elicited by noxious electrical stimulation, but not innocuous stimuli, is inhibited by neck pinch. Similarly, neck pinch inhibits the response of spinal cord neurons to noxious but not nonnoxious stimulation. It, therefore, appears that neck pinch produces true analgesia by activating supraspinal systems which in turn acts to inhibit the transmission of nociception both at spinal and supraspinal levels.

Analgesia↗

Different endogenous analgesia systems are activated by noxious stimulation of different body regions.

Noxious pinch of the neck and the base of the tail can produce equipotent analgesia as measured by the tail flick method. However, noxious stimulation of the neck can suppress pain responsiveness both at the site of stimulation and at sites remote from the stimulated area while noxious stimulation of the tail produces analgesia only at sites remote from the stimulated area. Thus, neck pinched animals are immobile and completely unresponsive to the noxious pinch whereas pinch to the base of the tail, which results in tail flick suppression, causes vocalization and well organized biting behavior directed at the pinched area. The analgesia elicited by noxious stimulation applied to both body regions is eliminated by spinalization, the administration of intermediate doses of barbiturates (30 and 45 mg/kg) and transection at the midcollicular, but not more rostral, brain level. Concurrent with the elimination of the analgesic effect of noxious pinch on tail flick is the emergence of responses to noxious neck pinch with vocalization and intense motor reactions now elicited by noxious stimulation of the nape of the neck. These results indicate that different analgesic systems are activated by noxious tail and neck pinch both requiring the integrity of mesencephalic structures for their normal function. Furthermore, these systems can be distinguished by their ability to produce recurrent, inhibitory, supraspinal effects on nociceptive information originating at different body regions.

Analgesia↗

Clip-induced analgesia and immobility in the mouse: pharmacological characterization.

A pinch to the nape of the neck of mice, by application of a noxious clip, produces analgesia and immobility. Because both opiate and dopaminergic systems are usually implicated in analgesia and immobility, the pharmacological profile of clip-induced effects was compared to those elicited by the dopamine antagonist haloperidol, and by morphine. In addition, the effects of a series of pharmacological agents on clip-induced effects was examined. Haloperidol, but not morphine, produced immobility similar to that seen after application of the clip to the neck. Application of clip completely inhibited righting in all tests utilized. Haloperidol inhibited righting in all tests, except for inversion from a supine position. Righting from this position could also be inhibited in mice treated with haloperidol when a mild pinch, ineffective in a naive animal, was applied. Clip-induced immobility, but not analgesia, was reversed by amphetamine. Administration of the cholinergic antagonist scopolamine, but not methylscopolamine, reversed both the analgesia and immobility. Pinch-induced analgesia was as marked as that elicited by morphine but could not be reversed by the opiate antagonist naloxone. It is proposed that pinch-induced immobility is mediated by both dopaminergic and cholinergic systems. Additional unidentified systems are also involved. Analgesia, induced by a noxious pinch, can be dissociated pharmacologically from the immobilizing effect, is non-opiate in nature, and involves activation of central cholinergic synapses.

Analgesia↗

Clip induced analgesia and immobility in the mouse: activation by different sensory modalities.

In the present study we have attempted to characterize, in mice, a situation which appears to simulate real life predation and elicits simultaneous analgesia and immobility. We utilized pinch produced by clip application to various regions of the body and examined its effect on responsiveness to noxious stimuli and motor behavior. Intense noxious clip was applied to the nape of the neck, back and base of the tail. The area most effective for the elicitation of both clip induced analgesia and immobility was the nape of the neck while tail pinch resulted in analgesia but not immobility. Evidence is provided that different systems are responsible for clip induced immobility and analgesia. Temporal dissociation of clip induced analgesia and immobility could be demonstrated with continuous clip application for 30 min showing a different time course for the analgesic and immobilizing effects. Different stimuli were effective in eliciting clip induced analgesia and immobility with noxious stimuli essential for the induction of clip induced analgesia and innocuous stimuli sufficient for clip induced immobility. Thus, low analgesic doses of local anesthetics injected into the nape of the neck prevented noxious clip from inducing analgesia but immobility was still evident. In contrast, nonnoxious pinch to the nape of the neck elicited immobility but not analgesia and clip induced immobility could still be induced after the administration of high doses of morphine which completely blocked responses to noxious stimuli. These results demonstrate that in a situation resembling natural predation both analgesia and immobility are produced concurrently but that these behavioral phenomena can be elicited differentially and may be mediated by different independent systems.

Afferent Pathways↗

High-energy resolution X-ray, gamma and electron spectroscopy with cryogenic detectors.

Cryogenic detectors offer remarkably better energy resolutions than those achievable with conventional semiconductor or scintillation detectors. With the additional asset of a detection efficiency close to unity for low-energy X-ray photons and electrons, these detectors have the potential to perform X-ray, gamma and electron spectroscopy of a hitherto unknown quality, in particular at low energies. Two types of cryogenic detectors are described and the results of prototype detectors are presented.

Calorimetry↗

Spontaneous dissection of common iliac artery. A case report.

Spontaneous dissection of the iliac artery is very rare but known as a complication of high-energy traumatic injuries and has been reported in connection with pregnancy, collagen diseases, and alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency. The authors report a 42-year-old man with an acute dissection of the common iliac artery during exercise. Groin pain and claudication were the early symptoms. Computerized angiotomography was diagnostic. Operative iliac artery reconstruction was performed. A prerelease control computed tomography examination showed a dissection of the distal aorta and left iliac artery. To their knowledge, the combination of the 2 dissections has not been previously published.

Acute Disease↗

A dedicated animal model for mechanical thrombectomy in acute stroke.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have focused on mechanical thrombectomy as a means to reduce the time required for revascularization and increase the revascularization rate in acute stroke. To date no systematic evaluation has been made of the different mechanical devices in this novel and fast-developing field of endovascular interventions. To facilitate such evaluations, we developed a specific in vivo model for mechanical thrombectomy that allows visualization of dislocation or fragmentation of the thrombus during angiographic manipulation. METHODS: Angiography and embolization with a preformed thrombus was performed in 8 swine. The thrombus was generated by mixing 25 IU bovine thrombin and 10 mL autologous blood. For visualization during angiography, 1 g barium sulfate was added. RESULTS: The preformed thrombus exhibited mechanical stability, reproducibility, and high radiographic absorption, providing excellent visibility during angiography. The setting allowed selective embolization of targeted vessels without thrombus fragmentation. Despite the application of barium sulfate no local or systemic reaction occurred. Histologic evaluation revealed no intimal damage caused by the thrombus or contrast agent washout. CONCLUSION: The model presented here allows selective and reliable thromboembolization of vessels that reproduce the anatomic and hemodynamic situation in acute cerebrovascular stroke. It permits visualization of the thrombus during angiography and intervention, providing unique insight into the behavior of both thrombus and device, which is potentially useful in the development and evaluation of mechanical clot retrieval in acute cerebrovascular stroke.

Acute Disease↗