Iranian Traditional Medicine (ITM) describes a kind of dementia with similar signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). It explains the pathology of dementia with cold intemperament of the brain, which means that the brain is colder than its healthy form. ITM strategy for treatment of dementia is to heat the brain up by medical “hot” herbs. Nepeta menthoides (NM) is one of these “hot” herb...

This study was performed to determine the effect of forced swimming on the vascular responsiveness of the rat superior mesenteric artery to phenylephrine, focusing on the involvement of locally produced substances. Repeated but not single sessions of forced swimming exercise reduced the vasoconstrictor potency of phenylephrine in the studied arteries, regardless of the presence of intact endoth...

In six tufted ducks there was a linear relationship between heart rate and oxygen consumption when swimming at different velocities. Mean oxygen consumption at mean duration of voluntary dives was 3*5 times resting and not significantly different from that at maximum sustainable swimming speed. Contrary to an earlier report (Prange & Schmidt-Nielsen, 1970), leg beat frequency increased with inc...

BACKGROUND Danzhi Xiaoyao Powder is used for regulating qi and blood, soothing liver-qi stagnation and adjusting the function of internal organs in the clinical. The objective of this paper was to study the antidepressant effect of Danzhi Xiaoyao Powder. METHODS Experimental animals were grouped and given different doses of xiaoyao powder and Fluoxetine Hydrochloride tablets respectively. Mou...

Objective: Rosa damascena mill L (R. damascena) is a medicinal plant mostly known in the world for its perfume. It also has beneficial effects on stress, tension and depression. In this experiment antidepressant effect of ethanolic extract of R. damascena by forced swimming test (FST) was evaluated. Material and Methods: Animals received ethanolic extract (15, 60 and 90 mg/kg, i.p), imipramine...

BACKGROUND Chaihu Guizhi has the effects of treating exogenous wind-cold; alternating episodes of chills and fever; noisy nose and retching; strong headache; chest and rib-side pain, and fullness, in clinical practice, it can also be used for the treatment of depression. The objective of this paper was to study the anti-depressant effect of Chaihu Guizhi decoction and its mechanism. MATERIALS...

We studied the effects of desipramine, alprazolam, muscimol and dizocilpine (MK-801) (alone or associated with desipramine) in the forced swimming test in rats after long-lasting termination of chronic exposure to vehicle and pentylenetetrazol. Sensitisation with pentylenetetrazol was ineffective in changing immobility time in the forced swimming test compared to vehicle treatment; pentylenetet...

Recent preclinical data have suggested that glutamate NMDA receptor may be involved in the mechanism of action of antidepressant treatments. Functional antagonists of the NMDA receptor complex exhibit an antidepressant-like effect in animal tests that predict antidepressant activity and in animal models of depression. Zinc, a very potent inhibitor of the NMDA receptor, is active in the forced s...

The influence of dosing time on the anti-immobility effect of antidepressants and mechanisms underlying this phenomenon were investigated in mice. In the forced swimming test (FST), the immobility time of mice treated with amitriptyline (15 mg/kg) and fluvoxamine (30 mg/kg) showed a significant 24-h rhythm. The anti-immobility effect of fluvoxamine in FST was potent at the early part of the dar...

Objectives: The aim of the study is to evaluate antidepressant activity ethanolic extract leaves Moringa oleifera L. (EEMO) on albino mice. Methods: anti-depressant was evaluated using forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension (TST). Healthy mice were individually swim inside a vertical glass cylinder. Climbing, swimming, immobility tested recorded. In TST, suspended string held by metal s...