Published in Neuropharmacology
Although the mechanisms underlying the anti-seizure effects of the high-fat ketogenic diet (KD) remain unclear, a long-standing question has been whether ketone bodies (i.e., β-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate and acetone), either alone or in combination, contribute mechanistically. The traditional belief has been that while ketone bodies reflect enha...
Published in Neuropharmacology
Major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder are highly prevalent and disabling conditions. Cognition is considered a core domain of their psychopathology and a principle mediator of psychosocial impairment, disproportionately accounting for overall illness-associated costs. There are few interventions with replicated evidence of efficacy in trea...
Published in Neuropharmacology
Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most severe neurodegenerative diseases with unknown pathogenesis and currently unsuccessful therapies. Recently, neuroprotection via sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P)-dependent signalling has become a promising target for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders. Our previous study demonstrated down-regulation...
Published in Neuropharmacology
Alcoholism and psychiatric disorders like depression and anxiety are often comorbid. Although the mechanisms underlying this comorbidity are unclear, emerging evidence suggests that maladaptation of the glial glutamate transporter GLT-1 may play a role. Findings from animal and human studies have linked aversive states, including those related to d...
Published in Neuropharmacology
Understanding how tobacco product flavor additives, such as flavorants in electronic cigarettes, influence smoking behavior and addiction is critical for informing public health policy decisions regarding tobacco product regulation. Here, we developed a combined intraoral (i.o.) and intravenous (i.v.) self-administration paradigm in rats to determi...
Published in Neuropharmacology
Serotonin 5-HT2A receptor is widely distributed in the central nervous system and plays an important role in sensorimotor function, emotion regulation, motivation, executive control, learning and memory. We investigated its role in rat maternal behavior, a naturalistic behavior encompassing many psychological functions that the 5-HT2A receptor is i...
Published in Neuropharmacology
The interaction between NMDA receptors and μ-opioid receptors in primary afferent terminals was studied by using NMDA to induce substance P release, measured as neurokinin 1 receptor internalization. In rat spinal cord slices, the μ-opioid receptor agonists morphine, DAMGO and endomorphin-2 inhibited NMDA-induced substance P release, whereas the an...
Published in Neuropharmacology
S,R(+/-)-3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (SR-MDMA) is an amphetamine derivative with prosocial and putative therapeutic effects. Ongoing clinical trials are investigating it as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other conditions. However, its potential for adverse effects such as hyperthermia and neurotoxicity may limit its...
Published in Neuropharmacology
Neuronal apoptosis is considered to be a crucial therapeutic target against early brain injury (EBI) after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Emerging evidence indicates that Exendin-4 (Ex-4), a glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonist, plays a neuroprotective role in cerebrovascular disease. This study was conducted in order to verify the neu...
Published in Neuropharmacology
Downregulation of the astroglial glutamate transporter GLT-1 is observed in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) following administration of multiple drugs of abuse. The decrease in GLT-1 protein expression following cocaine self-administration is dependent on both the amount of cocaine self-administered and the length of withdrawal, with longer access to c...
