In the present investigation, in vivo microdialysis was used to measure the concentration of estrogen in the parabrachial nucleus (PBN) and plasma of male and ovariectomized female Sprague-Dawley rats supplemented with either estrogen (OVX-E(2)) or saline (OVX-S) following visceral afferent activati...

The steroid hormone 17 beta-estradiol and its respective receptors have been found in several cardiovascular nuclei in the central nervous system including the parabrachial nucleus. In a previous study, we provided evidence that 17 beta-estradiol attenuated an outward potassium conductance in parabr...

The steroid hormone 17beta-estradiol and its respective receptors have been found in several cardiovascular nuclei in the central nervous system including the parabrachial nucleus. In a previous study, we provided evidence that 17beta-estradiol attenuated an outward potassium conductance in parabrac...

Evidence is increasingly accumulating in support of a role for the steroid hormone 17beta-estradiol to modify neuronal functions in the mammalian CNS, especially in autonomic centers. In addition to its well known slowly developing and long lasting actions (genomic), estrogen can also rapidly modula...

Evidence is increasingly accumulating in support of a role for the steroid hormone 17 beta-estradiol to modify neuronal functions in the mammalian CNS, especially in autonomic centers. In addition to its well known slowly developing and long lasting actions (genomic), estrogen can also rapidly modul...

The following experiments examine the role of estrogen as a central modulator of autonomic tone and baroreflex sensitivity in the female rat. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were ovariectomized and then supplemented daily for 7 days with a fixed dose of estrogen (5 microg/kg; sc) to produce a stable leve...

Current in vitro models of stroke involve applying oxygen-glucose deprived (OGD) media over an entire brain slice or plate of cultured neurons. Thus, these models fail to mimic the focal nature of stroke as observed clinically and with in vivo rodent models of stroke. Our aim was to develop a novel ...

We have developed a novel rodent animal model of reperfusion injury following stroke. In this model, blood flow through the middle cerebral artery (MCA) is temporarily occluded by placing gentle pressure on sutures behind the artery along three separate branches. The sutures remain in place for a pe...

Berberis vulgaris fruit (barberry) is known for its antiarrhythmic and sedative effects in Iranian traditional medicine. The effects of crude aqueous extract of barberry on rat arterial blood pressure and the contractile responses of isolated rat aortic rings and mesenteric bed to phenylephrine were...

Among the many benefits of long-term hormone replacement therapy to postmenopausal women is a significant reduction in risk for and progression of cardiovascular disease. However, long-term estrogen replacement therapy has been associated with several undesirable, and likely dose-dependent, side-eff...

OBJECTIVE: The primary objectives were to evaluate the current usage of anti-microbial agents in the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) of Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) in Doha, State of Qatar and to correlate this with: a) the infectious disease pattern, b) the isolated microorganisms and their s...

The present study was designed to determine a dose-response relationship between apocynin and infarct volume as well as to provide a possible molecular mechanism mediating this effect. We tested the hypothesis that apocynin protects against cell death following stroke and reperfusion injury. Apocyni...

The role of estrogen in central autonomic nuclei was examined in ovariectomized female Sprague-Dawley rats supplemented daily for 7 days with either estrogen (5 microg/kg; sc) or saline (0.9%; sc). Animals were subsequently anaesthetized with sodium thiobutabarbital (Inactin; 100 mg/kg; ip) and inst...

Abstract:  Genetic polymorphisms in enzymes controlling the formation and disposition of estrogens and their metabolites have been shown to influence breast cancer risk. Environmental and lifestyle factors may interact with estrogen metabolism polymorphisms to influence breast cancer risk. We...

Lipoic acid (LA) is a naturally occurring compound and dietary supplement with powerful antioxidant properties. Although LA is neuroprotective in models of stroke, little is known about the cellular mechanisms by which it confers protection during the early stages of ischemia. Here, using a rat mode...

The current investigation examines the significance of estrogen in central cardiovascular regulatory nuclei in modulating autonomic tone and baroreceptor reflex function. Experiments were done in anaesthetized male Sprague-Dawley rats. Changes in autonomic tone were assessed by monitoring vagal and ...

The following experiments were conducted to determine if peripherally administered estrogen has an effect on central autonomic tone and whether this change in tone results in an alteration in cardiovascular reflex control. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were anesthetized with thiobutabarbitol sodium (50 m...

Cholecystokinin and neurotensin are present in fibres innervating the parabrachial nucleus and have previously been shown to modulate the flow of visceral afferent information through the parabrachial nucleus to the cortex in the rat. This study examined the effects of cholecystokinin and neurotensi...

Apocynin is a well-known NADPH-oxidase inhibitor currently being investigated for its potential therapeutic use in patients with cardiovascular disease, such as occlusive stroke. However, the use of apocynin as a potential neuroprotective agent has come under criticism due to a narrow experimental t...

Substance P (SP) and cocaine employ similar mechanisms to modify excitatory synaptic transmission in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a region implicated in substance abuse. Here we explored, using NAc slices, whether SP effects on these synaptic responses were altered in rats that have been sensitized ...

In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that selective activation of estrogen receptor subtypes (ERalpha and ERbeta) would be neuroprotective following ischemia and/or ischemia-reperfusion, as well as prevent the associated autonomic dysfunction. The selective ERalpha agonist, PPT, when admin...

The current investigation examined the role of estrogen in the insular cortex (IC) under both normal and ischemic conditions. Experiments were done in anaesthetized male Sprague-Dawley rats. The effect of systemic 17beta-estradiol (estrogen) administration on levels of amino acids and of endogenous ...

The current investigation examines the effect of acute and chronic estrogen administration on baroreflex sensitivity and autonomic tone following 2 h of vagal afferent stimulation in ovariectomized female rats. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were ovariectomized and supplemented daily for 7 days with eit...