In an independent experiment, mice of the same groups of age were injected with 4 g/kg ethanol and ethanol-induced sedation was quantified with the loss of righting reflex procedure.

In male and female mice, AZD6738 purchase the stimulant effects of ethanol gradually decreased, whereas its sedative effects increased with age. When the sedation was statistically controlled using a covariance analysis, the differences between adult and juvenile mice in the locomotor stimulation were significantly reduced.

From weaning to early adulthood, the acute stimulant and sedative effects of ethanol show gradual changes that are similar in male and female mice. Although the initial tolerance to the sedative effects

of ethanol contributes to the changes in ethanol-induced locomotor activity, young mice also show a higher sensitivity to the stimulant effects Staurosporine mw of ethanol.”
“The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) has been implicated in modulating anxiety. However, it is unknown whether excitatory or inhibitory neurotransmission in the infralimbic (IL) subregion of the mPFC underlies the pathology of anxiety-related behavior. To address this issue, we infused the GABA(A) receptor (GABA(A)R) antagonist bicuculline to temporarily activate the IL cortex. IL cortex activation decreased the time spent in the center area in the open field test, decreased exploration of the open-arms in the

elevated plus maze test, and increased the latency to bite food in the novelty-suppressed feeding test. These findings substantiate the GABAergic system’s role in anxiety-related behaviors. IL cortex inactivation with the AMPA receptor (AMPAR) antagonist CNQX produced opposite, anxiolytic effects. However, infusion of the NMDA receptor (NMDAR) antagonist AP5 into the IL cortex had no significant effect. Additionally, we did not observe motor activity deficits or appetite deficits following inhibition of GABAergic or glutamatergic neurotransmission. Interestingly, we found parallel and corresponding electrophysiological

changes in anxious mice; compared to mice with relatively low anxiety, the relatively high anxiety mice exhibited smaller evoked inhibitory postsynaptic currents (eIPSCs) and larger AMPA-mediated evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents (eEPSCs) in pyramidal PAK5 neurons in the IL cortex. The changes of eIPSCs and eEPSCs were due to presynaptic mechanisms. Our results suggest that imbalances of neurotransmission in the IL cortex may cause a net increase in excitatory inputs onto pyramidal neurons, which may underlie the pathogenic mechanism of anxiety disorders. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Neuropathic pain is associated with significant co-morbidities, including depression, which impact considerably on the overall patient experience. Pain co-morbidity symptoms are rarely assessed in animal models of neuropathic pain.