Physiology and Pharmacology
Volume:20 Issue: 4, Dec 2016

α-amylase is a major form of amylase found in humans and other mammals. It is the special key enzyme involved in carbohydrates breakdown. Inhibition of this enzyme could be used in treatment of diabetes. In this study, the effect of ten Iranian macrolichens on alpha amylase were tested.
Different concentrations of the extracts (25, 50 and 75 mg/ml) were incubated with enzyme substrate solution and activities of enzyme were measured and acarbose was used as the positive control. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) and gradient-elution high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were used to determine the phytochemical compounds of the extracts.
The extracts showed a dose dependent inhibitory effect on amylase as Usnea articulata> Ramalina pollinaria> R. hyrcana > Cladonia rei> Flavoparmelia caperata> Parmotrema chinense> Punctelia subrudecta> P. borreri> Hyperphyscia adglutinata> Peltigera praetextata. The highest inhibition of amylase was 60% at extract concentrationa 75 mg/ml in U. articulata. TLC and HPLC for this species proved the presence of the compounds as usnic acid, fumarprotocetraric acid and protocetraric acid.
This study showed that, macrolichens have inhibitory properties against α-amylase and determination of the type of enzyme inhibition by these macrolichen extracts could be provided by successful use of macrolichen chemicals as drug targets.

Current study examined the possible role of the central nucleus of amygdala (CeA) transient inactivation on the metabolic and hormonal disturbances induced by acute electro foot shock stress in female rats. Considering the differences between female and male in responses to stress, this study attempts to reveal possible mechanisms underlying these differences.
Uni- or bilateral CeA nucleus cannulation of female Wistar rats (W: 200±20 g) was preformed seven days before stress induction. Lidocaine hydrochloride (2%) administered five minutes before electro foot shock. Food and water intake, time of delaying the onset of eating, plasma glucose, corticosterone, estradiol and progesterone were measured after stress termination.
Stress caused an increase in food intake and time of delaying the onset of eating whereas had no effect on the water intake. In addition, plasma glucose, corticosterone and progesterone concentrations were increased. The CeA inactivation in the right and left sides results in reduced water intake and increased delay times to eating. However, bilaterally inactivation of the CeA results in reducing time that elapsed before eating. Lidocaine administration in the both sides of nucleus had no effect on food intake. Transient inactivation of the bilateral sides of CeA augmented the stress effect on the plasma glucose and estradiol but had no significant effect on the corticosterone and progesterone hormones.
It could be concluded that inhibition of the CeA by lidocaine modulate certain metabolic and hormonal responses to acute stress in female rats. The CeA influence seems to be asymmetrical.

Stress is associated with neurological and cognitive disorders. It has been suggested that doxepin, in addition to its influence on the content of neurotransmitters, has probable neuroprotective effects as well. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of doxepin on synaptic plasticity and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene expression in the rat hippocampus following repeated restraint stress.
Male Wistar rats were divided into the control, the stress and the stress-doxepin 1 and 5 mg/kg groups. Stress was induced 6 hours/day for 21 days. Rats received daily ip injection of doxepin before induction of stress. Long-term potentiation (LTP) was induced in hippocampal dentate gyrus following stimulation of perforant pathway and then field excitatory postsynaptic potential was evaluated. Hippocampal gene expression of BDNF was measured by Real-Time PCR.
Stress impaired LTP induction, but both doses of doxepin prevented those damages. Stress significantly decreased the expression of BDNF gene, but doxepin in both doses, increased it significantly.
The present results suggested that doxepin can prevented the harmful effects of stress on synaptic plasticity which may be related to changes in BDNF gene expression.

G-proteins have an important role in the cell signaling of numerous receptors. The situation of G-proteins in health and disease and their critical role in the development of diabetic side effects is an interested scientific field. Here, the changes in the expression of G-protein subunits (Gαi, Gαs and Gβ) were evaluated in hyperglycemic situation of PC12 cells as a cellular model for the induction of diabetic side effect.
Rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells were grown in normal or high-glucose (4X normal glucose) medium. Cell viability was determined by MTT assay and the generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) studied using fluorescence spectrophotometry. RT-PCR and immunobloting were performed to evaluate the expression of specific G-protein subunits in the levels of mRNA and protein, respectively.
In high glucose condition (100 mM glucose for 48h), the cell viability was significantly decreased and intracellular ROS increased. In addition, Gαi expression level was significantly decreased in hyperglycemic PC12 cells. However, the levels of Gαs and Gβ mRNAs and their proteins were not altered in high glucose-treated cells.
The results demonstrate that deregulation or disruption in the signaling of Gai coupled receptors can be occurred in hyperglycemic condition.

Ischemic stroke is a serious neurological disease and a leading cause of death and severe disability in the world. A key component of the Mediterranean diet is olive oil, which contains compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. In this regard, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of olive oil on the ischemic damages and the inflammatory pathway of TNFR1/NF-кB in various regions of the rat brain.
In this experimental research 58 male Wistar rats were totally divided into six groups including sham, control (intact), control (middle cerebral artery occlusion, MCAO), and treatments. The intact group received distilled water, while the treatment groups received different doses (0.25, 0.50, and 0.75 ml/kg) of olive oil by gastric gavage for 30 days. Two hours after the last gavage, the rats were subjected to 60 min MCAO surgery. Twenty four hours later, the neurologic defects scores, infarct volume (in total, cortex and striatum of hemisphere) and the inflammatory factors protein expression were evaluated separately. Data were analyzed by kruskal-wallis and two-way ANOVA tests.
The olive oil 0.75 ml/kg-received group displayed a significant reduction in the infarct volume, the neurological scores and the inflammatory factors protein level in comparison to the control group. Moreover, this significant difference was observed in the cortex and striatum.
The present results demonstrated that the neuroprotective effects of the olive oil could improve ischemic injuries. It seems that its positive impacts are partly attributed to anti-inflammatory effects of the olive oil.

Abusing drugs such as morphine continues to be a serious medical and social problem. Defining a habit that increases the devastating effect such as compulsive use and craving is necessary.
This experiment was designed in four groups 1) group-housed (GH) 2) isolation 3) group-housed morphine-treated (GHMT) (4) isolated-housed morphine-treated (IHMT). Rats were received morphine (0.75 mg/rat/day) for three weeks for inducing morphine dependence. BrdU (50 mg/kg/day) injection begins from the first day of the experiment and lasted for 21 days for assessing neurogenesis. At the end of experiment sensitization with open field, copper in serum with an atomic spectrophotometer, taste disturbance for bitter (potassium chloride, KCl) and sour (citrate), mood disturbance with tail suspension test, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in CSF with Elisa, malondialdehyde (MDA) in serum with thiobarbituric acid (TBA) and neurogenesis with BrdU staining were assessed.
Copper was higher in GHMT rats. Sensitization was higher in IHMT rats. Citrate and KCl consumption were higher in IHMT rats. Time of immobility was higher in IHMT rats. BrdU-positive cells and BDNF were lower in IHMT rats. MDA increased in IHMT rats.
Avoiding isolation in a period of morphine injection decreases behaviors that favor morphine abuse. Also avoiding isolation increases neurogenesis that has a positive effect on rewarding center.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that kisspeptin, a peptide from the KISS1 gene, plays an important role in regulating the secretion of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH). Also, there is some evidence suggesting that kisspeptin can interact with other neuropeptides for the control of the reproductive axis. In the present study, we have investigated the effect of central administration of either kisspeptin or neuropeptide Y (NPY) or both on the mean plasma testosterone concentration in male rats.
In this experimental study, 66 male Wistar rats were allocated into 11 groups (n=6 per group) receiving saline, kisspeptin (1 nmol), P234 (kisspeptin receptor antagonist, 1 nmol), NPY (2.3 nmol), BIBP3226 (NPY receptor antagonist, 7.8 nmol) or co-administration of them via intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection at 9:00-9:30 A.M. Blood samples were collected at 30 and 60 min following the injections for hormone assay. The serum testosterone concentration was measured using rat testosterone kit and the method of radioimmunoassay.
Kisspeptin or NPY injection significantly increased the mean serum testosterone concentration compared to saline at 30 and 60 min postinjection (P Based upon the results, NPY may modulate the testosterone secretion indirectly via the kisspeptin signaling system.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrinological pathologies in women during their reproductive years with ovulatory dysfunction, abdominal obesity, hyperandrogenism and insulin resistance. The aim of the present research was to evaluate the total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidant status (TOS), free testosterone, ovarian morphology and estrous cyclicity in the estradiol valerate (EV)-induced PCOS rat model and the effect of treadmill and running wheel exercises on these parameters.
Fifty female Wistar rats were randomly selected (220 ± 20 g). They had every 2 to 3 consecutive estrous cycles during 12 to 14 days. The first two groups were divided into control (n=10) and polycystic (n=40) that were induced PCOS by EV injection after 60 days. The polycystic groups were divided into three groups (n=10 in each group) PCOS, experiment group with treadmill exercise (running for 28 m/min at 60 min/day) and experiment group with running wheel exercise (running daily for 4 hours) for 8 weeks.
The PCOS rats had significantly higher testosterone, TOS and lower TAC than control. Eight weeks of treadmill and running wheel exercise significantly increased serum levels of TAC (just for treadmill exercise) and decreased level of TOS and T (just for treadmill exercise) in EV-induced PCOS rats compared to PCOS group. Ovarian morphology and estrous cycle was almost normalized in the PCOS exercise (treadmill and running wheel) groups.
The present study demonstrate EV-induced PCOS in rats is associated with an increased oxidative stress and this increase can be returned to normal levels by exercise.

The use of lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r) has decreased morbidity and mortality due to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); however its use could be impaired by hepatotoxicity. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate the effects of melatonin (MT) and alpha lipoic acid (ALA) on LPV/r-induced hepatotoxicity in male albino rats.
Rats were divided into groups and treated with MT (10 mg/kg/day), ALA (10 mg/kg/day) and LPV/r (22.9/5.71, 45.6/11.4 and 91.2/22.9 mg/kg/day) for 60 days respectively. Rats were pretreated with MT (10 mg/kg), ALA (10 mg/kg) and combined doses of ALA and MT prior to treatment with LPV/r (22.9/5.71, 45.6/11.4 and 91.2/22.9 mg/kg/day) for 60 days. Rats were sacrificed and serum was collected and evaluated for liver enzymes. The liver was harvested and evaluated for malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH) and catalase (CAT) levels.
Significant (P Results of this study showed that MT and ALA could be used for the treatment of LPV/r associated hepatotoxicity.