Discontinuation of drug intake in cocaine abusers commonly produces a variety of adverse withdrawal symptoms among which anxiety and depression-related behavior are prevailing during the initial period of abstinence. The aim of this study was to provide further insight into the neurobiological dysregulations that might contribute to these pathological states. Rats were treated with cocaine or s...

Offspring of murine dams chronically fed a protein-restricted diet have an increased risk for metabolic and neurobehavioral disorders. Previously we showed that adult offspring, developmentally exposed to a chronic maternal low-protein (MLP) diet, had lower body and hind-leg muscle weights and decreased liver enzyme serum levels. We conducted energy expenditure, neurobehavioral and circadian rh...

Kisspeptins (Kp) are RF-amide neuropeptide regulators of the reproductive axis that also influence anxiety, locomotion, and metabolism. We aimed to investigate effects intracerebroventricular Kp-8 (an N-terminally truncated octapeptide) treatment in Wistar rats. Elevated plus maze (EPM), computerized open field (OF), marble burying (MB) tests were performed for assessment behavior. Serum LH cor...

Being the first to discover a resource can provide competitive advantage (priority effect), even for an animal that is inferior in aggressive contests. Nicrophorus spp. (burying beetles) are known caching small vertebrate carcass as provision their young, reducing volatile cues available rivals by burying (vertical movement) and altering microbial community. A decomposing carcass, however, leav...

Burying beetles (genus Nicrophorus) provide elaborate parental care to their offspring. Parental beetles defend a small vertebrate carcass, which constitutes the sole food source for the larvae. They also manipulate the carcass in various ways and directly regurgitate pre-digested carrion to the young. The benefits of carcass manipulation and regurgitation have been the subject of a few small-s...

Shared brood care or parenting chores are rare behaviors in insects. While a number of species exhibit biparental care, including wood roaches, passalid beetles, and some bark and dung beetles, only burying beetle males (Nicrophorus orbicollis) participate in all activities, remain with the brood throughout development, and can take over all parenting responsibilities if the female disappears. ...

Occupational exposure to organophosphate (OPs) pesticides is reported to increase in the risk of developing anxiety and depression. Preclinical studies using OP levels, which inhibit acetylcholinesterase activity, support the clinical observations, but little is known of the effects of exposure below this threshold. We examined the effects of low level OP exposure on behaviours and neurochemist...

Sexual segregation outside the mating season is common in vertebrates. This has been shown to arise through resource partitioning in a number of taxa, but never in avian migrants. Western sandpipers (Calidris mauri) are migratory shorebirds that mainly breed in Alaska and overwinter along the coast in western and eastern North America down into South America. Females are slightly larger than ma...

Arsenic pollution in groundwater caused serious environment and health problem world widely. Few are reported for the occurrence and mechanisms of arsenic pollution in deep aquifers, though it is well documented by numerous study for arsenic enrichment in shallow groundwater. In this study, arsenic pollution was found in deep wells for drinking purpose. A total of 112 drinking groundwater sampl...