Assessment of the influence of cilostazol on learning-memory and motor co-ordination by rodent models

Dementia is a set of symptoms that include worsening of the routine of cognitive tasks, learning, reproducibility, and gait disturbances beyond typical aging. Activated c AMP can produce anti-apoptosis activity, neuroprotective activity, motor improvement, and cognitive enhancement activity. Cilostazol can increase c AMP levels, so this study aimed to evaluate the influence of cilostazol on learning-memory and motor coordination by rodent models. The rats were divided into 5 and 6 groups with 6 rats in each to test the hypothesis respectively. Before MES seizure induction the rats were trained for conditioned avoidance response for 14 days and the best one was selected for assessment. The performance of intervention treated groups to determine the memory retention effect was measured by applying a fixed number of shocks. The intervention treated groups were tested for motor coordination performance by rotarod test (4-45 RPM accelerating speed for 5 min) after 30 and 60 min. The latency time of each rat falls off from the rod for the first time was noted. The results were presented as Mean ± SD, tested by ordinary two way ANOVA followed by Tukey's multiple comparisons test. Cilostazol 100 mg/kg p.o demonstrated a significant memory enhancement activity in the conditioned avoidance response technique. Cilostazol 20mg/kg i.p alone and along with diazepam 2 mg/kg demonstrated a significant motor coordination performance in both sessions. The present study concludes that cilostazol has improved the learning & memory and motor coordination performances.

The antipsychotic activity of alcoholic extract of Withania coagulans fruits in Swiss albino mice

Background: Schizophrenia is one of the most distressing central nervous system (CNS) disorders. It is described by positive, negative and cognitive symptoms. These symptoms can be controlled by the antipsychotic medicines. The numerous antipsychotic medications used today are not lacking the adverse drug reactions. The Withania coagulans a susceptible species, is not explored much for its CNS effects except in late seventies. Therefore, it was thought worthwhile to investigate anti-psychotic activities of alcoholic extract of Withania coagulans fruits. The objective of the present study was to assess the antipsychotic activity of alcoholic extract of Withania coagulans fruits in Swiss albino mice by Cook’s Pole Climb Apparatus for conditioned avoidance response (CAR)Methods: Cook’s Pole Climb Apparatus for conditioned avoidance response was used for assessing the antipsychotic activity of the alcoholic extract of 200mg/kg, 500mg/kg and 1000mg/kg doses of Withania coagulans fruits.Results: There was statistically (p-value >0.05) no significant association between any of the 200mg/kg, 500mg/kg and 1000mg/kg doses of the alcoholic extracts of Withania coagulans fruits with antipsychotic activity in Swiss albino mice.Conclusions: Withania coagulans fruits alcoholic extract did not demonstrate antipsychotic activity in Swiss albino mice under standard conditions.

Reinforcement attenuation as a behavioral technique to suppress conditioned avoidance response in rats: A comparative study with olanzapine

Background: Antipsychotic treatment is effective in the treatment of psychosis, although it also brings with it some unwanted side effects and is associated with low compliance. Finding a non-pharmacological alternative for antipsychotic treatment is highly desirable. Aims: This preclinical study examined the ‘antipsychotic’ efficacy of such a behavioral technique using a conditioned avoidance response model. This technique, termed reinforcement attenuation (RA), is to administer a brief footshock (0.1–2.0 s, 0.8 mA) at the end of each trial regardless of whether a well-trained rat makes an avoidance response or not. Results: RA achieved the same avoidance suppressing effect as olanzapine (an atypical antipsychotic drug), including both acute suppression and sensitized suppression of avoidance response in well-trained Sprague–Dawley adult male rats. Interestingly, the RA-induced sensitization (an enhanced disruption of avoidance responding) enhanced subsequent olanzapine sensitivity, whereas the olanzapine (1.0 mg/kg)-induced sensitization had little impact on later RA treatment. When RA and olanzapine (0.5 mg/kg, subcutaneously) were used together, the RA-induced sensitization was still detectable in the RA challenge test, although its magnitude was reduced by olanzapine. Finally, we showed that the RA-induced sensitization in avoidance suppression persisted from adolescence into adulthood, long after such a treatment was terminated. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that the RA is functionally equivalent (if not superior) to antipsychotic treatment in the avoidance suppression effect (both acute and sensitization effects) in both adolescent and adult animals. Behavioral therapies that specifically target the reinforcer of psychotic thoughts might be a viable strategy for the treatment of psychosis.

The study of effects of inhibition of the renin angiotensin system on memory in rats

Background: The existence of an independent renin angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS) has been well-established and is known to modulate various pathological processes such as neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration, and neural injury, in addition to the RAAS in the cardiovascular system.Methods: Eighteen Wistar rats were divided into 3 study groups (n=6; Losartan, Ramipril, Normal Saline), trained on the Cook’s Pole climbing apparatus till the conditioned avoidance response (CAR) rate was 100%. The retention of CAR was tested each week for 4 consecutive weeks. The number of times that the animal successfully avoided the shock, and the time taken for this avoidance were measured and compared with placebo (Normal Saline). The values have been expressed as Mean±Standard Deviation (SD). A p-value of less than 0.05 has been considered as significant.Results: The retention of the conditioned avoidance response in the group receiving study drugs was significantly more than the placebo group. However, there was no show significant difference between Losartan and Ramipril in the rate of retention, or the time taken for avoidance.Conclusions: In this study, Ramipril and Losartan have a beneficial effect on learning and memory as compared to plcebo.