A number of investigations have shown that hippocampal sub regions are particularly vulnerable during stressful conditions [1-5]. Cell loss in hippocampus during normal ageing and also in age-related disorders has also been reported [6]. During the exposure to acute or chronic stress and ischemia, cell loss in hippocampus has been demonstrated [7,8]. Exposure to external stressors like heat can...

objective(s): epilepsy is a neurodevelopmental disorder which is strongly influenced by genetic and environmental factors. gestational stress has been shown to be an important factor for affecting seizure susceptibility. the present study was conducted to address whether gestational stress may affect pentylentetrazol (ptz)-induced epileptic behavior in rat offspring in a sex- and age- dependent...

BACKGROUND Androgens and paracrine signaling from mesenchyme/stroma regulate development and disease of the prostate, and gene profiling studies of inductive prostate mesenchyme have identified candidate molecules such as pleiotrophin (Ptn). METHODS Ptn transcripts and protein were localized by in situ and immunohistochemistry and Ptn mRNA was quantitated by Northern blot and qRT-PCR. Ptn fun...

We report here the toxic effects of chlorpyrifos, a broad-spectrum organophosphorous insecticide, on female reproductive function in rat model. We observed significant alterations in the rhythmicity and phasic cellular characteristics of estrous cycle with a concomitant increase in diestrus index in chlorpyrifos treated female rats in a dosedependent manner (5.4 and 8.1 mg/Kg.b.wt./day) compare...

The extent to which membrane-disrupting agents, such as alamethicin, may alter cofactor transport and influence in vitro kinetic measurements of glucuronidation is a major concern regarding the characterization and extrapolation of inter- and intraspecies pharmacokinetics of bisphenol A (BPA). An additional concern is the omission of a BPA intestinal metabolism component in current pharmacokine...

Leptin is an adipocyte-derived hormone that has been implicated to serve as a metabolic signal to the reproductive axis. The role of leptin in pubertal maturation, however, has been a much-debated topic. We have previously reported that leptin serves as a permissive signal to the onset of puberty in the female rat. In an attempt to further understand the mechanics of leptin during pubertal matu...