BR-16A restricts development of electroconvulsive shock-induced retrograde amnesia.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Animals↗
Biomedical subjects
C Andrade
Publications and source records attributed to C Andrade.
Effect of felodipine on cholinergic responses of the colonic smooth muscle of streptozotocin induced diabetic rats.
In streptozotocin induced diabetic rats, irrespective of felodipine treatment (5 mg/kg/day po for 4 weeks), a reduction in contractile response of colonic smooth muscle in vitro was observed. Similarly, in both control and diabetic rats treated with felodipine, contractile response was reduced. However, in felodipine treated diabetic rats there was a significant increase in response to exogenous acetylcholine. It may be of interest to study the effect of felodipine, on gastro-intestinal motility in vivo in diabetic rats, to enable extrapolation of the present results to the effect of felodipine on gastrointestinal complications of diabetes mellitus.
Acetylcholine↗
A comparative study of prescribing pattern at different levels of health care delivery system in Bangalore district.
A study of prescribing pattern in tertiary, primary and urban general practice levels of the Indian health care delivery system was undertaken by analyzing 1810 prescriptions for 3932 drugs. The study evaluated feasibility of data acquisition methods and compared the prescribing frequency of various drug groups and of individual drugs in three commonly used categories. The mean number of drugs per prescription was highest in urban general practice (2.41). The four most frequently prescribed drug groups were antibacterials, vitamins, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and respiratory drugs. The study delineates the differences in prescribing frequency of drug groups and individual drugs across the three levels of health care and the results suggest intervention strategies to promote rational drug therapy.
Delivery of Health Care↗
Herbal pharmacotherapy for the attenuation of electroconvulsive shock-induced anterograde and retrograde amnestic deficits.
BR-16A is an herbal (non-allopathic) medication used in India to enhance cognition. Sixty adult male Sprague Dawley rats received either BR-16A (200 mg/kg/day) or vehicle alone for 16 days. During the first 7 days, the rats were trained in a spatial memory task using the Hebb Williams complex maze. Once a day for the next 2 days, rats in BR-16A and control groups received either true or sham electroconvulsive shock (ECS). During the last 7 days of the study, the rats were reexposed to the maze to assess recall of pre-ECS training and to evaluate further improvement in learning scores. BR-16A-treated rats performed better than controls both before and after ECS. It is concluded that BR-16A facilitates learning and that this effect extends to a protection against ECS-induced anterograde and retrograde amnesia. BR-16A may hence hold promise in the restriction of ECT-induced cognitive compromise. An unexpected observation in this study was that BR-16A attenuated seizure duration; implications and mechanisms are discussed.
Amnesia↗
BR-16A protects against ECS-induced anterograde amnesia.
BR-16A is an herbal (non allopathic) medication used in India to enhance cognition. In experiment 1, 28 Wistar rats received either BR-16A (200 mg/kg/day) or vehicle alone for 3 weeks. During the third week, the rats were tested for learning in the Hebb Williams complex maze. BR-16A-treated rats showed significantly better learning than did controls. Experiment 2 was conducted identically except that during the second week all of 32 rats additionally received six once-daily electroconvulsive shocks (ECS). An advantage for learning was again demonstrated for the BR-16A group. It is concluded that BR-16A facilitates learning, and that this effect extends to a protection against ECS-induced anterograde amnesia. Cognitive deficits induced by electroconvulsive therapy are a major disadvantage of the treatment and, to-date, no drug has been found to offer satisfactory protection against such deficits. It is suggested that BR-16A may hold promise in the containment of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)-induced cognitive compromise.
Amnesia↗
Naltrexone and alcohol dependence: some methodological issues.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Alcoholism↗
Effect of felodipine on myocardial function and cholinergic responses in short term streptozotocin diabetes in rats.
Cardiovascular complications of diabetes mellitus account for 80% of deaths among diabetics. Autonomic neuropathy increases the susceptibility of the diabetic myocardium to arrhythmias. Decreased contractility of diabetic myocardium is associated with intracellular calcium overload. However, the relationship between calcium levels and myocardial cholinergic responses is not known. This study was undertaken to observe the effect of felodipine 5 mg/kg on myocardial function and cholinergic responses of the spontaneously working isolated heart of rats with short term streptozotocin-diabetes. Felodipine was administered (po) for 4 week to rats with streptozotocin-diabetes of 4 week duration. Felodipine did not alter the blood glucose levels. The increased cardio-somatic ratio in diabetic rats was attenuated by felodipine. Diabetic status was associated with decreased coronary flow and felodipine increased coronary flow in diabetic rat hearts both before and after ACh. It may be concluded that felodipine favourably altered the adverse myocardial pathology in experimental diabetes, and this strengthens its use as an antihypertensive in diabetics.
Acetylcholine↗
Correlation of time course of blood cholinesterase activity and toxic manifestations of acute methylparathion in antidote treated rats.
Study was conducted to find out the correlation between red blood cholinesterase (RBC ChE) and plasma butyryl cholinesterase (BuChE) activities and toxic signs of oral methylparathion (MPT) and their recovery pattern with or without atropine treatment in female rats. Enzyme activity was estimated before and after an oral dose of MPT (7.5 mg/kg-1) at various time intervals upto 120 hr. Antidote groups received atropine (10 mg/kg-1, i.p.), either alone or with diazepam (2.5 mg/kg-1, i.p.), at the onset of toxic signs. Inhibition of enzyme activity served as definite index of acute toxicity of MPT. RBC ChE activity correlated with the intensity of toxic signs in no-antidote rats, while in atropine treated groups, there was no correlation. BuChE levels did not correlate with toxic signs in any of the groups except in the fatal group. The resynthesis of both the enzymes was complete in 120 hr study and did not synchronize with the recovery pattern of animals from toxic signs. Compared to BuChE, RBC ChE activity was found to be a more sensitive indicator for the diagnosis of severity of MPT toxicity.
Administration, Oral↗
Relationship between rate of administration of electroconvulsive shocks and rate of learning in rats: implications for the practice of ECT.
Number of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) treatments administered and severity of psychopathology confound the interpretation of clinical studies that address the relationship between the rate of administration of ECT and cognitive morbidity occasioned by the treatment. A preclinical study was therefore conducted to address the issue. Three groups (n = 8/group) of adult male Sprague-Dawley rats received six electroconvulsive shocks (ECS) in daily ECS, 3 ECS/week, and 2 ECS/week schedules; a fourth group (control; n = 8) received only sham ECS. From days 2 to 7 after the conclusion of the ECS/sham ECS course, the rats were monitored for learning on the Hebb-Williams complex maze. The control, 2 ECS/week, and 3 ECS/week groups showed significant learning by days 3, 5, and 7, respectively, while the daily ECS group showed no significant learning during the assessment period. This indicates that even when the cumulative effect of ECS on learning is controlled for, more frequent ECS is associated with slower learning. Extrapolating to clinical settings, it is suggested that wider spacing of ECT may lessen ECT-induced cognitive morbidity.
Animals↗
An exploratory evaluation of ECT in haloperidol-treated DSM-IIIR schizophreniform disorder.
In a double-blind, prospective study, 30 consecutive treatment-naive adult men with first-onset psychosis and DSM-IIIR provisional schizophreniform disorder (without good prognostic features) were randomized into true electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and sham ECT groups. Both groups received haloperidol in a fixed dose of 15 mg at night. The ECT schedule comprised six bilateral, sinusoidal wave treatments administered on alternate days, thrice a week. Weekly ratings for the first 6 weeks showed an absence of significant difference between the groups in the number of patients responding and in the rate of attenuation of psychosis; severity of depression, while less in the true ECT group after the first 3 weeks, did not differ between the groups at any subsequent time point. Clinical ratings were repeated at 6 months, and social functioning was assessed; again, no group differences emerged. It is concluded that ECT does not meaningfully improve response in unselected schizophreniform disorder that is treated with an adequate dose of neuroleptic.
Adolescent↗
ECT-induced anterograde amnesia: can the deficits be minimized?
To date, no pharmacological agent has been confirmed to lessen electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)-induced memory deficits. BR-16A is an herbal preparation, containing various organic extracts, used in India for the enhancement of cognition (among other applications). In the present study, adult male Sprague-Dawley rats received six once-daily electroconvulsive shocks (ECSs). Half the animals were treated with BR-16A (200 mg/kg/day) for 1 week before ECS, during the ECS course, and during the post-ECS learning assessment phase; the remaining animals received vehicle alone. In experiment 1, rats (n = 16/treatment group) were preassessed for learning on days 3 and 5 of exposure to the Hebb-Williams complex maze and were reassessed after comparable exposure to the maze starting from the second day post-ECS. In experiment 2, rats (n = 9/treatment group) were preassessed for number of trials to satisfactory learning and number of wrong arm entries in a T-maze and were reassessed on the second day post-ECS. The learning preassessments were conducted just prior to the commencement of the BR-16A/vehicle treatments. In both experiments, rats receiving BR-16A performed significantly better than controls. It is concluded that BR-16A protects against ECS-induced anterograde amnesia. BR-16A may therefore have scope in minimizing ECT-induced learning deficits.
Amnesia, Retrograde↗
Not significantly different is not the same as significantly similar.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Amitriptyline↗
Effects of ECT-dothiepin combination on learning in rats.
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and antidepressant drugs are each known to impair learning and memory. No information is available on their effects on cognition when used concurrently in the treatment of depression, as is frequent in India. In the present study, therefore, the effects of electro-convulsive shocks (ECS) and dothiepin, separately and in combination, were studied in an animal model employing a complex maze operant learning paradigm. ECS were given on alternate days (3/week) for 2 weeks. Dothiepin (10 mg/kg, ip) was administered once daily for 2 weeks. Learning was assessed on days 2-10 post-treatment ECS produced greater initial impairment in learning while dothiepin produced a more sustained impairment. While impairment was maximum in the combined treatment group, the statistical significances that emerged to proscribed the combination were but weak.
Animals↗
Improved colorimetric method for cholinesterase activity.
A modified colorimetric method for the estimation of cholinesterase activity has been worked out using two different substrates, acetylthiocholine iodide for total cholinesterase and a specific substrate, butyrylthiocholine iodide for pseudocholinesterase in the same sample. This is a modification of the method described by Voss and Sachsse (1970) wherein acetylthiocholine iodide was used for both total and pseudo cholinesterase activities. The pseudocholinesterase obtained with acetylthiocholine iodide was significantly higher (P < 0.0001) than that with butyrylthiocholine iodide either in whole blood or serum samples. Acetylthiocholine iodide while reacting with pseudocholinesterase in serum or plasma samples might also be interacting with the small quantities of acetylcholinesterase present. It is therefore suggested that butyrylthiocholine iodide and acetylthiocholine iodide may be used to determine pseudocholinesterase and total cholinesterase activities respectively. The use of two substrates with a few more alterations in the experimental conditions increased the validity of this simple and rapid colorimetric method.
Acetylthiocholine↗
Effect of felodipine on serum lipid profile in short term streptozotocin-diabetes in rats.
Lipid lowering effect of calcium antagonists is well documented in high fat fed rats and in hypertensive patients. In order to study their effect on lipid profile in experimental diabetes, felodipine 5 mg/kg/day per oral for 4 week was given to rats with streptozotocin-diabetes of 8 week duration. Serum total cholesterol and triglycerides were estimated in non-fasting rats at the end of the study period using Ranbaxy diagnostic kits. Diabetic rats had a significant elevation of both total cholesterol and triglycerides. In diabetic rats felodipine treatment produced a significant reduction of the serum triglycerides while there was no change in the serum total cholesterol. In control rats the drug did not produce any significant alteration in the levels of both total cholesterol and triglycerides.
Animals↗
Delayed effects of acute oral and chronic inhalational exposure to methylparathion on learning and memory in rats.
Impairment of acquisition phase of the learning process was observed in rats even at 3 weeks after single oral exposure to the near-lethal dose of commercial grade methylparathion (MP) followed by atropine resuscitation. Though there was a trend towards memory impairment in this group of animals, memory retention was not significantly affected. Chronic inhalational exposure to MP (one exposure/day for 3 weeks) did not significantly alter learning or memory. No significant alteration in red blood cell or brain acetylcholinesterase levels were observed in either of the two groups. It appears that behavioural effects can persist even 3 weeks after exposure to acute near-lethal doses of the pesticide, as occurs in the clinical situation of suicidal attempts; while repeated exposure to no-observed-effect-level doses as occurs in farm and factory workers, may not be associated with behavioural changes.
Acetylcholinesterase↗
Effect of dothiepin on nociceptive response in diabetic rats.
In alloxan-diabetic rats of 4 wk duration with blood glucose levels of about 300 mg/100 ml, the tail flick reaction time (TFRT) to thermal stimuli was significantly elevated (P less than 0.25), indicating hypoalgesia. Intraperitoneal dothiepin, injections of 25 mg & 50 mg/kg body weight per day did not significantly alter the TFRT, either in control or in diabetic rats, following either acute (one dose), or short term (once a day for five days) administration. It is concluded that at least in the dosage schedule used herein, dothiepin does not influence hypoalgesia of diabetic neuropathy.
Analysis of Variance↗
[Aortocoronary bypass. Intermittent clamping of the aorta versus cardioplegia].
STUDY OBJECTIVE: Cardioplegia is the standard method of myocardial protection during aorto-coronary bypass surgery. However, there are other alternatives which the authors intend to test. DESIGN: Forty consecutive, non-selected cases of coronary artery bypass surgery done with intermittent aortic crossclamping (Group A) are compared with the 40 preceding consecutive cases where cardioplegia was used (Group B). PATIENTS: The mean age of the patients of group A was 57.5 years (range 42-69 years) and that of group B was 57.1 years (range 39-76 years). Patients of group A had an incidence of previous myocardial infarct of 42.5% against 65.0% in group B. Chronic angina led to surgery in 33 cases of group A and in 32 of group B. The remainder (18.8%) had unstable angina. INTERVENTIONS: The mean number of grafts per patient was 2.9 in group A and 3.2 in group B. Internal mammary arteries were used in most patients of both groups, with 61 anastomoses in group A (1.5/patient) and 57 in group B (1.4/patient). The mean ischaemic time per graft was 7.4 min (range 5.5-11 min) in group A and 15.6 min (8.5-22 min) for group B. MAIN RESULTS: Serial analysis of myocardium-specific serum enzymes and the CPK-MB/total CPK ratio has not evidenced perioperative infarction in any patient of either group. Although enzyme levels were slightly higher in group A, the difference has not reached statistical significance. However, the electrocardiograms have shown one perioperative infarct in each group. Vasodilators were generally used in the 2 groups, for a mean of 16.8 hours, while inotropic drugs were required in only 4 cases of group A and 3 of group B. There has been no hospital mortality in either group. CONCLUSIONS: These results, in a series of non selected patients, demonstrate that intermittent crossclamping may be an acceptable alternative method of myocardial protection during aorto-coronary bypass surgery thus made simple, quick and secure.
Adult↗