This study aims to investigate the protective effect of resveratrol against liver injury in hindlimb unloading rats. Thirty 2-month-old male SD rats were randomly divided into normal group (Control), hindlimb unloading model group (Model), and hindlimb unloading+resveratrol administration group (Model+Res). The Model + Res group was injected intraperitoneally with 30 mg/kg of resveratrol, and the Control and Model groups were injected intraperitoneally with an equal volume of 0.9% NaCl. Liver tissues were collected after 28 days and analyzed for oxidative stress, inflammatory factors, energy metabolism indices, Na ⁺-K ⁺-ATPase and Ca ²⁺-Mg ²⁺-ATPase activity, and morphological changes were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The protein expression levels of Bax, Bcl-2, p-PI3K, PI3K, p-AKT, and AKT were detected by Western blotting. Compared with the Control group, hepatocytes in the Model group showed swelling, abnormal morphology, nuclear consolidation, and cell membrane disruption. Oxidative stress, inflammatory factor levels, hepatic glycogen accumulation, and energy metabolism were increased in the liver tissues of the Model group, while resveratrol treatment significantly reversed these changes. The results of Western blotting showed that resveratrol significantly reduced the expression of Bax and increased the expression levels of Bcl-2, and the proteins of p-PI3K/PI3K and p-AKT/AKT expression levels. It is suggested that 28 days of hindlimb unloading treatment could lead to liver tissue injury in rats, which is manifested as oxidative stress, inflammatory response, energy metabolism disorder and increased apoptosis level, and resveratrol has a certain mitigating effect on this.
Animals ; Resveratrol ; Male ; Liver/pathology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; Hindlimb Suspension ; Oxidative Stress/drug effects* ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism* ; Stilbenes/pharmacology* ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein/metabolism* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/metabolism* ; Apoptosis/drug effects*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of Cu/Zn SOD on reduction of hindlimb muscular atrophy induced by cisplatin in rats. METHODS: Forty-two rats were assigned to three groups; control group, Cisplatin (CDDP) group and cisplatin with Cu/Zn SOD (CDDP-SOD) group. At day 35 hindlimb muscles were dissected. Food intake, activity, withdrawal threshold, muscle weight, and Type I, II fiber cross-sectional area (CSA) of dissected muscles were measured. Relative SOD activity and expression of MHC and phosphorylated Akt, ERK were measured after dissection. RESULTS: Muscle weight and Type I, II fiber CSA of hindlimb muscles in the CDDP group were significantly less than the control group. Muscle weight and Type I, II fiber CSA of hindlimb muscles, food intake, activity, and withdrawal thresholds of the CDDP-SOD group were significantly greater than the CDDP group. There were no significant differences in relative SOD activities of hindlimb muscles between the CDDP-SOD and CDDP groups. MHC expression and phosphorylated Akt, ERK of hindlimb muscles in the CDDP-SOD group were significantly greater than the CDDP group. CONCLUSION: Cu/Zn SOD attenuates hindlimb muscular atrophy induced by cisplatin through increased food intake and activity. Increment of phosphorylated Akt, ERK may relate to attenuation of hindlimb muscular atrophy.
Animals ; Body Weight/drug effects ; Cisplatin/*toxicity ; Disease Models, Animal ; Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases/metabolism ; Hindlimb ; Male ; Muscle, Skeletal/*drug effects/enzymology/metabolism ; Muscular Atrophy/*chemically induced/metabolism/pathology ; Phosphorylation ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Recombinant Proteins/biosynthesis/genetics/pharmacology ; Superoxide Dismutase/genetics/metabolism/pharmacology ; Superoxides/metabolism

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of Yougui Recipe, a kidney-supplementing and yang-activating formula which on the behavioral changes of rat of steroid-induced avascular necrosis of the femoral head (SANFH).

METHODSThirty Wistar rats were involved and were randomly divided into the blank control group (group A), the model group (group B) and the Yougui Recipe group (group C). SANFH models were established by injection of colibacillus endotoxin and prednisolone intramuscularly. Group C was lavaged with Yougui Recipe (10 ml/kg), while group A and group B were lavaged with the same amount of saline. The behavior of catch force, independent activities, the tail suspension, field experiment and water cleans maze experiment were observed after 6 weeks.

RESULTSCompared with Yougui Recipe, rats in model group: catch force and independent activity decreases; the tail suspension activities was less time. In the desert field experiments, the total distance in 10 min movement reduced significantly. In the water maze experiment, incubation period of escape had a long time obviously, total distance of activities reduced.

CONCLUSIONYougui Recipe can relieve the ethologic change of rat model of steroid-induced avascular necrosis of the femoral head.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; toxicity ; Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Femur Head Necrosis ; chemically induced ; psychology ; Hindlimb Suspension ; Male ; Maze Learning ; drug effects ; Motor Activity ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of anorexia and neuropathic pain induced by cisplatin on hindlimb muscles of rats. METHODS: Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into two groups, a cisplatin-treated group (n=10) and a control group (n=10). In the cisplatin-treated group, cisplatin at a dose of 2 mg/kg was injected intraperitoneally two times a week up to a cumulative dose of 20 mg/kg over 5 weeks, and in the control group saline (0.9% NaCl) was injected intraperitoneally at the same dose and duration as the cisplatin-treated group. At 34 days all rats were anesthetized, after which the soleus and plantaris muscles were dissected. Withdrawal threshold, body weight, food intake, activity, muscle weight, Type I and II fiber cross-sectional areas and myofibrillar protein content of the dissected muscles were determined. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the cisplatin-treated group showed significant decreases (p<.05) in withdrawal threshold, activity, food intake, body weight, Type I and II fiber cross-sectional areas, myofibrillar protein content and weight of the soleus and plantaris muscles. CONCLUSION: Muscular atrophy in hindlimb occurs due to anorexia and neuropathic pain induced by the cisplatin treatment.
Animals ; *Anorexia ; Body Weight ; Cisplatin/*toxicity ; Eating ; Hindlimb ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Male ; Motor Activity ; Muscle Fibers, Skeletal/metabolism/pathology ; Muscle Proteins/metabolism ; Muscle, Skeletal/*drug effects/physiology ; Neuralgia/*chemically induced/pathology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Adult rats chronic unpredictable stress model of depression (CUS) was adopted to elucidate the antidepressant pharmacological activity and related neurogenesis protective effect of the total flavonoids extract (licorice flavonoids, LF) from the Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. cultivated locally in Ningxia. The rats were exposed to 9 kinds of unpredictable sequence of stressors and were given flavonoids (300 mg x kg(-1), 100 mg x kg(-1) and 30 mg x kg(-1)) for 28 days. The antidepressant effect was elucidated by open field test, forced swimming test and tail suspension test. The level of serum corticosterone was detected by radioimmunoassay. 5'-Bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling experiments was employed to study the neurogenesis protective activities. The flavonoids can increase the sum of line crosses and number of rears, and decrease the number of fecal boli produced in the open field test of the CUS rats. Also the flavonoids can decrease the immobility time in forced swim test as well as in the tail suspension test. In addition, the flavonoids (300 mg x kg(-1)) can decrease the serum corticosterone level of the CUS rats, and increase the number of the new born BrdU positive progenitor cells at the subgranular zone (SGZ) of dentate gyrus (DG) region in hippocampus. The results demonstrated that the total flavonoids extract from the cultivated Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. could produce the anti-depressive effect on chronic unpredictable stress of depression model rats and its mechanism may be associated with its neurogenesis protective effect.
Animals ; Antidepressive Agents ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Behavior, Animal ; drug effects ; Bromodeoxyuridine ; metabolism ; Corticosterone ; metabolism ; Depression ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Flavonoids ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Glycyrrhiza uralensis ; chemistry ; Hindlimb Suspension ; Hippocampus ; cytology ; metabolism ; Male ; Neurogenesis ; drug effects ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Stress, Psychological ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Swimming

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of erythropoietin (Epo) on both acute and chronic limb ischemia (ALI and CLI) and to evaluate the differences in mechanisms according to the method of Epo administration. Hindlimb ischemia was made in BALB/c mice with femoral artery ligation. The mice were divided into four groups: Group 1 (control, no treatment), Group 2 (ALI, early multiple doses), Group 3 (ALI, early single high dose), Group 4 (CLI, late multiple doses). Blood flow ratio significantly increased in Group 2 in 4 weeks. Expression of pAkt and Erythropoietin receptor were significantly higher in Group 2 on postoperative day (POD) 7. The number of CD31- and vascular endothelial growth factor-positive cells were significantly higher in Group 2 on POD 7 and 56. Group 3 and 4 showed a tendency of higher cell counts than the control. The early sustained Epo was effective in improving blood flow through angiogenesis. In chronic phase, weekly multiple dosing of Epo induced angiogenesis, however, the blood flow ratio did not increase significantly. The results of this study suggest that Epo administration during the acute phase followed by maintenance for several days may be important for increasing blood flow and angiogenesis.
Acute Disease ; Animals ; Chronic Disease ; Erythropoietin/*pharmacology ; Hindlimb/*blood supply ; Ischemia/*metabolism/pathology ; Laser-Doppler Flowmetry ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Neovascularization, Physiologic/drug effects ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism ; Receptors, Erythropoietin/metabolism ; Recombinant Proteins/pharmacology ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/metabolism

OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of polyethylene oxide (PEO) on microcirculation of normal rat hindlimb skeletal muscle.

METHODSSixteen male Wistar rats were anesthetized and equally and randomly divided into PEO group (administered with 10 ppm PEO solution) and control group (administered with equal volume of normal saline). The PEO solution or saline was separately injected through the caudal vein at a constant rate of 5 ml/h for 20 minutes. Using short axis view at right mid thigh region, contrast-enhanced ultrasonography was performed before and after the administration of solution. Electrocardiogram, blood pressure, and central venous pressure were also monitored.

RESULTSIn the PEO group, after the administration of PEO, microcirculation capillary volume increased from (20.78±2.63) dB to (22.40±1.94) dB (P=0.023), red blood cell velocity from (0.27±0.08) s-1 to (0.35±0.13) s-1(P=0.010), and capillary blood flow from (5.65±1.81) dB/s to (7.91±3.28) dB/s (P=0.013). In the control group, there were no significant changes in microcirculation capillary volume, red blood cell velocity, and capillary blood flow (all Pþ0.05) after the injection of normal saline. The changes of heart rates, blood pressures and central venous pressure were not significant after the administration of either PEO or saline (all Pþ0.05).

CONCLUSIONPEO can remarkably increase capillary volume, red blood cell velocity, and capillary blood flow in normal rat hindlimb skeletal muscle.

Animals ; Hindlimb ; blood supply ; Male ; Microcirculation ; drug effects ; Muscle, Skeletal ; blood supply ; Polyethylene Glycols ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

Based on the report of previous clinical study which showed cholinergic receptor antagonist scopolamine had antidepressant activity, this study was to investigate the antidepressant activity of scopolamine and explore its effective dose in mice, and to evaluate the effect of scopolamine on the central nervous system and learning/memory ability at its antidepressant effective dose. Tail suspension test, forced swimming test, step-down passive avoidance test and open field test were used to evaluate its effects on mice. Compared with the vehicle control group, single-dose administration of scopolamine (0.1-0.4 mg x kg(-1), ip) significantly decreased the immobility time (P < 0.01 or P < 0.001) in tail suspension test, and significantly decreased the immobility time (P < 0.001) in forced swimming test, but had no effect on the step-down latency and errors in step-down passive avoidance test. Scopolamine (0.1 and 0.2 mg x kg(-1), ip) had no influence on the locomotor activity in open field test, while at dose of 0.4 mg x kg(-1) significantly increase the locomotor activity. These results showed that scopolamine produced reliable antidepressant effect at doses of 0.1 and 0.2 mg x kg(-1), without impairment on learning and memory, as well as excitory or inhibitory effect on central nervous system in mice.
Animals ; Antidepressive Agents ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Avoidance Learning ; drug effects ; Behavior, Animal ; drug effects ; Cholinergic Antagonists ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Depression ; physiopathology ; prevention & control ; Hindlimb Suspension ; Male ; Memory ; drug effects ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Motor Activity ; drug effects ; Random Allocation ; Scopolamine Hydrobromide ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Swimming

As one of trials on neuroprotection after spinal cord injury, we used pregabalin. After spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats using contusion model, we observed the effect of pregabalin compared to that of the control and the methylprednisolone treated rats. We observed locomotor improvement of paralyzed hindlimb and body weight changes for clinical evaluation and caspase-3, bcl-2, and p38 MAPK expressions using western blotting. On histopathological analysis, we also evaluated reactive proliferation of glial cells. We were able to observe pregabalin's effectiveness as a neuroprotector after SCI in terms of the clinical indicators and the laboratory findings. The caspase-3 and phosphorylated p38 MAPK expressions of the pregabalin group were lower than those of the control group (statistically significant with caspase-3). Bcl-2 showed no significant difference between the control group and the treated groups. On the histopathological analysis, pregabalin treatment demonstrated less proliferation of the microglia and astrocytes. With this animal study, we were able to demonstrate reproducible results of pregabalin's neuroprotection effect. Diminished production of caspase-3 and phosphorylated p38 MAPK and as well as decreased proliferation of astrocytes were seen with the administration of pregabalin. This influence on spinal cord injury might be a possible approach for achieving neuroprotection following central nervous system trauma including spinal cord injury.
Animals ; Apoptosis/drug effects ; Astrocytes/drug effects/pathology ; Blotting, Western ; Body Weight/drug effects ; Caspase 3/genetics ; Cell Proliferation ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Gene Expression ; Hindlimb/drug effects/pathology/physiopathology ; Inflammation ; Male ; Methylprednisolone/therapeutic use ; Microglia/drug effects/pathology ; Motor Activity/drug effects ; Neuroglia/*drug effects/pathology ; Neuroprotective Agents/*therapeutic use ; Paralysis/drug therapy ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/genetics ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spinal Cord Injuries/*drug therapy/pathology ; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid/*analogs & derivatives/therapeutic use ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/genetics

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine effects of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor on muscle weight and myofibrillar protein content of affected and unaffected hindlimb muscles in rats with neuropathic pain induced by unilateral peripheral nerve injury. METHODS: Neuropathic pain was induced by ligation and cutting of the left L5 spinal nerve. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to one of two groups: The NOSI group (n=19) had NOS inhibitor (L-NAME) injections daily for 14 days, and the Vehicle group (n=20) had vehicle injections daily for 14 days. Withdrawal threshold, body weight, food intake and activity were measured every day. At 15 days all rats were anesthetized and soleus, plantaris and gastrocnemius muscles were dissected from hindlimbs. Muscle weight and myofibrillar protein content of the dissected muscles were determined. RESULTS: The NOSI group showed significant increases as compared to the Vehicle group for body weight at 15 days, muscle weight and myofibrillar protein content of the unaffected soleus and gastrocnemius. The NOSI group demonstrated a higher pain threshold than the vehicle group. CONCLUSION: NOSI for 14 days attenuates unaffected soleus and gastrocnemius muscle atrophy in neuropathic pain model.
Animals ; Body Weight/drug effects ; Disease Models, Animal ; Eating/drug effects ; Enzyme Inhibitors/*administration & dosage/pharmacology ; *Hindlimb ; Male ; Muscle Fibers, Skeletal/*drug effects/metabolism ; Muscle Proteins/metabolism ; Muscular Atrophy/drug therapy ; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester/*administration & dosage/pharmacology ; Neuralgia/*etiology ; Nitric Oxide Synthase/*antagonists & inhibitors/metabolism ; *Peripheral Nerve Injuries ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley