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Biomedical subjects

R Andreatini

Publications and source records attributed to R Andreatini.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1994

Effect of valepotriates on the behavior of rats in the elevated plus-maze during diazepam withdrawal.

The effect of a mixture of valepotriates on the elevated plus-maze performance of diazepam withdrawn rats was evaluated. The rats were chronically (28 days) treated with diazepam (doses increased up to 5.0 mg/kg) and then treated with control solution for 3 days to induce a withdrawal syndrome. Chronically vehicle-treated rats were used as control. The abstinent animals treated with vehicle showed a significant decrease in the percentage of time spent in the open arms when compared with the control animals. Diazepam and valerian 12.0 mg/kg reversed this anxiogenic effect. Valerian 6.0 mg/kg did not show any difference in relation to the others group.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1994

The effect of corticosterone in rats submitted to the elevated plus-maze and to to pentylenetetrazol-induced convulsions.

1. In order to examine the effects of corticosterone in the anxiety response, the effect of acute, subchronic and chronic corticosterone (CORT) administration were studied using two animal models to study anxiolytic effects of drugs: the elevated plus-maze and the blockade of pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced clonic convulsion. 2. The results obtained with the plus-maze showed an increase in the percentage of open arm entries and time spent in the open arms after acute treatment with the CORT. These results may be interpreted as an anxiolytic effect of corticosterone. Three days of vehicle treatment followed by an acute CORT administration, produced results that should also indicate anxiolytic effect of the corticosteroid. No effect was seen after 14 days of vehicle treatment followed by an acute CORT injection. Subchronic or chronic CORT treatment did not produce results different from controls. CORT treatment did not affect the PTZ-induced clonic convulsion. 3. In conclusion these results suggest that the acute anxiolytic effect observed in the elevated plus-maze did not occur after repeated CORT administration or mild stressors. Moreover they also suggest that the anxiolytic effect did not involve GABA mechanisms.

Administration, Cutaneous↗
PubMed1994

Alcohol dependence criteria in DSM-III-R: presence of symptoms according to degree of severity.

According to DSM-III-R a positive diagnosis of alcohol dependence requires the presence of at least three of nine symptoms of a core dependence syndrome. In this study the presence of the nine symptoms according to degree of the severity of dependence is examined in 99 patients (mild, n = 23; moderate, n = 26; and severe, n = 50). It is shown that although the cut-off point for a positive diagnosis of dependence is the presence of "any three" out of nine DSM-III-R criteria, specific symptoms ("excessive drinking", "desire or efforts to control drinking", and "drinking despite major problems") have a high probability of occurrence across the dependence severity range (mild, moderate or severe). Conversely, other symptoms appear prominently only in the more severe cases ("much time devoted to alcohol", "important activities given up", and "drinking to relieve withdrawal"). The results suggest that in the DSM-III-R criteria for alcohol dependence some symptoms are more frequently associated with the diagnosis, while other symptoms are associated with severity of the alcohol dependence disorder.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Evidence against the involvement of ACTH/CRF release or corticosteroid receptors in the anxiolytic effect of corticosterone.

The present study was designed to evaluate the role of ACTH and/or CRF release and corticosteroid receptors (glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid) in the anxiolytic effect of corticosterone (CORT). Costicosteroid receptor mediation was evaluated using a dose-response analysis of the effect of CORT and by the action of dexamethasone (DEX), which binds to glucocorticoid receptors but not to mineralocorticoid receptors. DEX administration also permits indirect evaluation of the effect of ACTH/CRF release on the anxiolytic effect of CORT. Male Wistar rats (3 months old) weighing 250-350 g were treated sc with vehicle (N = 38), CORT 1.25 (N = 18), 2.5 (N = 13) and 5.0 (N = 24) mg/kg, or DEX 5.0 (N = 19) and 10.0 (N = 17) mg/kg and tested in the elevated plus-maze 2 h later. The group that received the highest dose of CORT (5.0 mg/kg) showed a significant increase in percent open arm entries (38 +/- 2.6, mean +/- SEM) as well as in percent time spent in open arms (27 +/- 4.0) when compared with the vehicle-treated rats (24.3 +/- 2.8 and 12.4 +/- 1.9, respectively; both P < 0.05). There were no other significant differences among groups in the two parameters tested or in total arm entries. These data corroborate previous findings of the anxiolytic effect of CORT and suggest that inhibition of ACTH/CRF release and corticosteroid receptors do not play a major role in the anxiolytic effect of CORT.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Prolonged treatment with carbamazepine increases the stimulatory effects of ethanol in mice.

Carbamazepine (CBZ) has been used in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal (AW). However, cases of induction of euphoric feelings when mixed with alcohol have been reported. We verified whether CBZ could potentiate ethanol stimulatory effects in animals. Two groups of mice were injected with saline (group I) or 2 g/kg ethanol (group II) IP, for 20 days. On the next day, each group was divided into two subgroups that received either a single dose of CBZ (10 mg/kg) or vehicle IP, followed, 30 min later, by saline or ethanol injection. Locomotor activity was measured. Acute CBZ did not change locomotor activity of ethanol-treated mice. Treatment with CBZ or vehicle continued for 6 days. Finally, on the 28th day, 30 min after the last CBZ or vehicle injection, an ethanol challenge was given to group II and a saline injection to group I. The results showed a significant potentiation of ethanol stimulatory effects by chronic CBZ treatment. Data indicated that CBZ should be cautiously administered to alcohol-dependent patients.

Analysis of Variance↗