The essential oil of Myrtus communis L. (Myrtaceae) and its compounds have been popularly used in numerous health disorders, including insomnia and nervous conditions, but their effects on central nervous system (CNS) have not been explored yet. We evaluated the anxiolytic-like effects and possible action mechanism of (-)-myrtenol (MYR), a monoterpenoid alcohol present in essential oil of M. co...

Grooming behavior has been reported to be a response to novelty and other stressors. However, studies that sought to identify anxiety-related measures in the elevated plus-maze have not found grooming as a reliable index. Grooming has been implied with dearousal after a stressful experience. In the present work, a detailed investigation of this behavior was performed in a test with a longer dur...

The influence of the blockade of group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) by AIDA [(RS)-1-aminoindan-1,5-dicarboxylic acid] on some behavioral effects was tested in control groups of rats and in rats that underwent short-term hypoxia. We used the following methods: the open field test, the passive avoidance test and the elevated "plus" maze test. In rats without hypoxia, AIDA (100 nmol...

The influence of the blockade of group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (I mGluRs) by AIDA on some behavioral effects of rats pretreated with baclofen, an agonist of GABA-B receptor, was investigated using behavioral tests: the open field, the passive avoidance response and the elevated "plus" maze. Baclofen, applied intraperitoneally (ip) at a dose of 0.25 mg/kg, increased the number of cros...

Objective: The present study was undertaken to evaluate the possible analgesic, neuropharmacological, anti-diarrheal, and cytotoxic activities of the ethanol extract of leaves of Solanum sisymbriifolium Lam. (Family: Solanaceae). Materials and Methods: The analgesic activity was measured by acetic acid-induced writhing inhibition test. The neuropharmacological activities were evaluated using ho...

OBJECTIVE To investigate whether lithium modifies open-field and elevated plus maze behavior, and brain phospho-glycogen synthase kinase 3 (P-GSK3beta) expression in Fmr1 knockout mice. METHODS One hundred and eighty FVB mice, including knockout and wild type, with an age of 30 days were used. An open-field and elevated plus maze was utilized to test behavior, while western blot was used to m...

The behavioral activity of 2-methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)-pyridine (MPEP), a selective antagonist of metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 (mGluR5), was assesed in control groups of rats and in rats that underwent short-term hypoxia. MPEP applied intravenously (iv) at the dose of 1 mg/kg was tested using the open field test, the passive avoidance test and the elevated "plus" maze test. MPEP sig...

Neuroleptics are widely prescribed drugs for the treatment of schizophrenia and related psychiatric disorders. Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a late complication of prolonged neuroleptic treatment. Despite much research, the pathogenesis of TD remains elusive. It may be caused by loss of dopaminergic cells, due to free radicals as a product of high synaptic dopamine levels. Tardive dyskinesia has b...

Neuroleptics are widely prescribed drugs for the treatment of schizophrenia and related psychiatric disorders. Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a late complication of prolonged neuroleptic treatment. Despite much research, the pathogenesis of TD remains elusive. It may be caused by loss of dopaminergic cells, due to free radicals as a product of high synaptic dopamine levels. Tardive dyskinesia has b...