scholarly journals Acupuncture Attenuates Anxiety-Like Behavior by Normalizing Amygdaloid Catecholamines during Ethanol Withdrawal in Rats

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zheng Lin Zhao ◽  
Guang Wen Zhao ◽  
Hou Zhong Li ◽  
Xu Dong Yang ◽  
Yi Yan Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Endocrine System ◽  
Plasma Corticosterone ◽  
Ethanol Withdrawal ◽  
Central Nucleus ◽  
Nucleus Accumbens Shell ◽  
Chromatography Analysis ◽  
Plus Maze ◽  
Endocrine Parameters ◽  
Ethanol Withdrawal Syndrome

Previously, we demonstrated acupuncture at acupoint HT7 (Shen-Men) attenuated ethanol withdrawal syndrome by normalizing the dopamine release in nucleus accumbens shell. In the present study, we investigated the effect of acupuncture on anxiety-like behavior in rats and its relevant mechanism by studying neuro-endocrine parameters during ethanol withdrawal. Rats were treated with 3 g kg−1day−1of ethanol (20%, w/v) or saline by intraperitoneal injections for 28 days. The rats undergoing ethanol withdrawal exhibited anxiety-like behavior 72 h after the last dose of ethanol characterized by the decrease of time spent in the open arms of the elevated plus maze compared with the saline-treated rats (P <.05). Radioimmunoassay exhibited there were notably increased concentrations of plasma corticosterone in ethanol-withdrawn rats compared with saline-treated rats (P< .05). Additionally, high performance liquid chromatography analysis also showed the levels of norepinephrine and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy-phenylglycol were markedly increased while the levels of dopamine and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid were significantly decreased in the central nucleus of the amygdala of ethanol-withdrawn rats compared with saline-treated rats (P< .01). Acupuncture groups were treated with acupuncture at acupoint HT7 or PC6 (Nei-Guan). Acupuncture at HT7 but not PC6 greatly attenuated the anxiety-like behavior during ethanol withdrawal as evidenced by significant increases in the percentage of time spent in open arms (P< .05). In the meantime, acupuncture at HT7 also markedly inhibited the alterations of neuro-endocrine parameters induced by ethanol withdrawal (P< .05). These results suggest that acupuncture may attenuate anxiety-like behavior during ethanol withdrawal through regulation of neuro-endocrine system.

scholarly journals Manual Acupuncture at PC6 Ameliorates Acute Restraint Stress-Induced Anxiety in Rats by Normalizing Amygdaloid Noradrenergic Response

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
ZhengLin Zhao ◽  
Sang Chan Kim ◽  
HongFeng Liu ◽  
Jie Zhang ◽  
YuHua Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Restraint Stress ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Plasma Corticosterone ◽  
Ethanol Withdrawal ◽  
Central Nucleus ◽  
Male Rats ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Acute Restraint Stress ◽  
Plus Maze ◽  
Polymerase Chain

Acupuncture improves ethanol withdrawal-induced anxiety in rats in an acupoint-dependent manner. Thus, the present study investigated the effects of acupuncture on acute restraint stress- (ARS-) induced anxiety. Male rats were exposed to ARS for 3 h followed by acupuncture at either PC6 (Neiguan), HT7 (Shenmen), or a nonacupoint (tail) once a day for three consecutive days. Five minutes after the third acupuncture treatment, anxiety-like behavior was evaluated in an elevated plus maze (EPM). Additionally, plasma corticosterone (CORT) levels were measured by radioimmunoassay and the concentrations of norepinephrine (NE) and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy-phenylglycol (MHPG) in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography. Acupuncture at PC6, but not HT7 or a nonacupoint, attenuated anxiety-like behavior, but this attenuation was abolished by a postacupunctural intra-CeA infusion of NE. Acupuncture at PC6 also reduced the oversecretion of plasma CORT and inhibited increases in amygdaloid NE and MHPG induced by ARS. Further, Western blot analyses and real-time polymerase chain reaction assays revealed that acupuncture at PC6 prevented ARS-induced enhancements in the protein and mRNA expressions of tyrosine hydroxylase in the CeA. These results suggest that acupuncture performed specifically at acupoint PC6 reduces ARS-induced anxiety-like behavior by dampening amygdaloid noradrenergic responses.

scholarly journals Aqueous Extract of Semen Ziziphi Spinosae Exerts Anxiolytic Effects during Nicotine Withdrawal via Improvement of Amygdaloid CRF/CRF1R Signaling

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Changhong Gu ◽  
ZhengLin Zhao ◽  
Xiaodong Zhu ◽  
Tong Wu ◽  
Bong Hyo Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Aqueous Extract ◽  
Elevated Plus Maze ◽  
Plasma Corticosterone ◽  
Nicotine Withdrawal ◽  
Corticotropin Releasing Factor ◽  
Central Nucleus ◽  
Male Rats ◽  
General Anxiety ◽  
Plus Maze

Anxiety during nicotine withdrawal (NicW) is a key risk factor for smoking relapse. Semen Ziziphi Spinosae (SZS), which is a prototypical hypnotic-sedative herb in Oriental medicine, has been clinically used to treat insomnia and general anxiety disorders for thousands of years. Thus, the present study evaluated the effects of the aqueous extract of SZS (AESZS) on NicW-induced anxiety in male rats that received subcutaneous administrations of nicotine (Nic) (0.4 mg/kg, twice a day) for 7 d followed by 4 d of withdrawal. During NicW, the rats received four intragastric treatments of AESZS (60 mg/kg/d or 180 mg/kg/d). AESZS dose-dependently attenuated NicW-induced anxiety-like behaviors in the elevated plus maze (EPM) tests and 180 mg/kg/d AESZS inhibited NicW-induced increases in plasma corticosterone. Additionally, the protein and mRNA expressions of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and CRF type 1 receptor (CRF1R) increased in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) during NicW, but these changes were suppressed by 180 mg/kg/d AESZS. A post-AESZS infusion of CRF into the CeA abolished the attenuation of anxiety by AESZS and 180 mg/kg/d AESZS suppressed NicW-induced increases in norepinephrine and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy-phenylglycol levels in the CeA. The present results suggest that AESZS ameliorated NicW-induced anxiety via improvements in CRF/CRF1R and noradrenergic signaling in the CeA.

Responses to catecholamines in perfused livers of hypothalamic-lesioned rats

1993 ◽  
Vol 265 (1) ◽  
pp. R117-R123
Author(s):  
Y. Matsui ◽  
H. Ishibashi ◽  
K. Kimura ◽  
M. Shiota ◽  
M. Ohta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Glucose Production ◽  
Ventromedial Hypothalamus ◽  
Plasma Corticosterone ◽  
Beta Agonist ◽  
Male Rats ◽  
Plasma Epinephrine ◽  
Chromatography Analysis ◽  
And Control ◽  
Alpha Agonist

The responses of hepatic glycogenolysis to catecholamines in ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH)-lesioned male rats were examined in perfused livers. Seven days after bilateral electrical lesioning of the VMH, the livers were perfused. Isoproterenol, a beta-agonist, stimulated greater glucose production in VMH-lesioned rats than in controls (32.8 vs. 5.6 mumol glucose.h-1.g liver-1), while responses to phenylephrine, an alpha-agonist, decreased significantly compared with controls (44.4 vs. 69.8 mumol glucose.h-1.g liver-1). There were no significant differences in responses of livers to glucagon and vasopressin between control and VMH-lesioned rats. Adrenodemedullation showed the same effect on beta-responses as lesions in the VMH, but no effect on alpha-responses. Plasma epinephrine levels were not detectable with the high-performance liquid chromatography analysis in VMH-lesioned rats. The periodicity of plasma corticosterone levels was observed in both VMH-lesioned and control rats, although daytime increases in plasma corticosterone were blocked by VMH lesions. These results suggest that the lesions in the VMH cause changes in the levels of adrenergic receptor and that the increase in beta-responses is caused mostly by the reduction of plasma epinephrine.

scholarly journals In Vitro Propagation, Huperzine A Content and Antioxidant Activity of Three Genotypic Huperzia serrata

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1112
Author(s):  
Yan Yang ◽  
Liangfang Dai ◽  
Decai Wu ◽  
Limin Dong ◽  
Yisheng Tu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antioxidant Activity ◽  
High Performance ◽  
In Vitro Propagation ◽  
Huperzine A ◽  
Induction Medium ◽  
Naphthalene Acetic Acid ◽  
Regeneration Rate ◽  
Huperzia Serrata ◽  
Chromatography Analysis

Huperzia serrata is a traditional herb and endangered Chinese medicinal material, which has attracted much attention due to its production of Huperzine A (HupA). In vitro propagation of H. serrata is considered a new way to relieve the resource pressure of H. serrata. In this study, three different genotypic wild H. serrata were used for in vitro propagation. Then, the antioxidant activity and the content of HupA in the regenerated H. serrata were investigated. The results showed the survival rate of the explant was increased to 25.37% when using multiple sterilization processes. The best induction medium for H. serrata was the Schenk and Hildebrandt (SH) medium supplemented with 0.5 mg·L−1 Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and 0.1 mg·L−1 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), where the regeneration rate of the explant was to 57.04%. The best proliferation medium was the SH medium with NAA (1.0 mg·L−1), as the biomass of in vitro tissue increased 164.17 ± 0.41 times. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis showed that the in vitro culture of three genotypes could produce HupA and the content of HupA was 53.90–87.17 µg·g−1. The antioxidant experiment showed that the methanol extract of in vitro H. serrata had higher antioxidant activity than that of wild H. serrata. This study provides a reliable in vitro H. serrata culture protocol and laid an important foundation for the antioxidant capacity of the thallus and the content of HupA.

scholarly journals Abnormal physiological properties and altered cell wall composition in Streptococcus pneumoniae grown in the presence of clavulanic acid.

1997 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 504-510 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Severin ◽  
E Severina ◽  
A Tomasz
Keyword(s):  
Streptococcus Pneumoniae ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Biochemical Properties ◽  
Beta Lactam ◽  
Chromatography Analysis ◽  
Peptide Composition ◽  
Increased Sensitivity ◽  
Altered Cell ◽  
Quantitative Changes

Subinhibitory concentrations of clavulanate caused premature induction of stationary-phase autolysis, sensitization to lysozyme, and reductions in the MICs of deoxycholate and penicillin for Streptococcus pneumoniae. In the range of clavulanate concentrations producing these effects, this beta-lactam compound was selectively bound to PBP 3. Cell walls isolated from pneumococci grown in the presence of clavulanate showed increased sensitivity to the hydrolytic action of purified pneumococcal autolysin in vitro. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis of the peptidoglycan isolated from the clavulanate-grown cells showed major qualitative and quantitative changes in stem peptide composition, the most striking feature of which was the accumulation of peptide species carrying intact D-alanyl-D-alanine residues at the carboxy termini. The altered biological and biochemical properties of the clavulanate-grown pneumococci appear to be the consequences of suppressed D,D-carboxypeptidase activity.

scholarly journals Effects of test experience, closed-arm wall color, and illumination level on behavior and plasma corticosterone response in an elevated plus maze in male C57BL/6J mice: a challenge against conventional interpretation of the test

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hirotaka Shoji ◽  
Tsuyoshi Miyakawa
Keyword(s):  
Elevated Plus Maze ◽  
Plasma Corticosterone ◽  
Illumination Level ◽  
Test Battery ◽  
Lower Percentage ◽  
Behavioral Tests ◽  
Elevated Plus Maze Test ◽  
Maze Test ◽  
Plus Maze ◽  
Corticosterone Response

AbstractThe elevated plus maze test is a widely used test for assessing anxiety-like behavior and screening novel therapeutic agents in rodents. Previous studies have shown that a variety of internal factors and procedural variables can influence elevated plus maze behavior. Although some studies have suggested a link between behavior and plasma corticosterone levels, the relationships between them remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of experience with a battery of behavioral tests, the wall color of the closed arms, and illumination level on the behavior and plasma corticosterone responses in the elevated plus maze in male C57BL/6J mice. Mice were either subjected to a series of behavioral tests, including assessments of general health and neurological function, a light/dark transition test, and an open field test, or left undisturbed until the start of the elevated plus maze test. The mice with and without test battery experience were allowed to freely explore the elevated plus maze. The other two independent groups of naïve mice were tested in mazes with closed arms with different wall colors (clear, transparent blue, white, and black) or different illumination levels (5, 100, and 800 lx). Immediately after the test, blood was collected to measure plasma corticosterone concentrations. Mice with test battery experience showed a lower percentage of open arm time and entries and, somewhat paradoxically, had lower plasma corticosterone levels than the mice with no test battery experience. Mice tested in the maze with closed arms with clear walls exhibited higher open arm exploration than mice tested in the maze with closed arms with black walls, while there were no significant differences in plasma corticosterone levels between the different wall color conditions. Illumination levels had no significant effects on any measure. Our results indicate that experience with other behavioral tests and different physical features of the maze affect elevated plus maze behaviors. Increased open arm time and entries are conventionally interpreted as decreased anxiety-like behavior, while other possible interpretations are considered: open arm exploration may reflect heightened anxiety and panic-like reaction to a novel situation under certain conditions. With the possibility of different interpretations, the present findings highlight the need to carefully consider the test conditions in designing experiments and drawing conclusions from the behavioral outcomes in the elevated plus maze test in C57BL/6J mice.

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