[A study of combination treatment with nacom (levodopa + carbodope) and citicoline in the model of Parkinson disease in rats]. / Éffektivnost' kombinirovannogo primeneniia levodopy i karbidopy s tsitikolinom pri éksperimental'noi modeli bolezni Parkinsona.

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of the combined use of citicoline (neipilept) and levodopa/carbidopa (nakom) in the rotenone model of Parkinson's disease in rats. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Rotenone was administrated during 14 days in dose 2 mg/kg/day subcutaneously. The duration of treatment was 7 days, intragastrically. Alteration of locomotor behavior components, muscular rigidity in resistance to passive flexion in the ankle joint and signs of extrapyramidal disorders were assessed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Combined therapy led to the decrease in muscle rigidity (the decrease of gibbosity in resistance to passive flexion in the ankle joint). There was a decrease in oligokinesia that emerged in higher vertical and horizontal locomotor activity of experimental animals, decrease in the time of head turning during climbing down the pole and total time of climbing down the pole. The combination of drugs had a more pronounced therapeutic effect on extrapyramidal disorders compared to monotherapy.

[EXPERIMENTAL MODELS OF ALCOHOLIC NEUROPATHY IN RATS.]

The aim of this work was to study the behavioral and histopathomorphological signs of peripheral neuropathy development in male Wistar rats on the model of alcoholic neuropathy. Chronic consumption of ethanol solution with concentration increasing from 7.47 to 26.2% (w/w) resulted in neuropathy (allodynia) de- velopment after 8 weeks of chronic alcohol administration. The behavioral signs of allodynia became significant on the 8th week and were retained up to the end of experiment (15 weeks of ethanol administration). The reference drug gabapentin effectively reduced the manifestation of allodinia. Histological exami- nation of sciatic nerve preparations from animals killed after ethanol consumption for 5, 10 and 15 weeks revealed the development of histopathomorphological pattern with increasing duration of chronic alcoholization. At the initial stage, the morphological basis of observed behavioral manifestations was provided by excess lipid deposition in peri/epineurium of nerve specimens). The further increase in treatment duration (up to 10 and 15 weeks) was associated with demye- lination and development of inflammation of the sciatic nerve. This experimental model allows one to investigate the efficacy of new neuroprotective and ana- lgesic substances - potential drugs for both prevention and management of neuropathy.

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TWO EXPERIMENTAL MODELS OF CHRONIC ARTHRITIS IN RATS.

This work was aimed at comparative analysis of the two experimental models of chronic arthritis induced in rats by the administration of (i) complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) and (ii) carrageenan. The clinical and histological signs of pathology were assessed using a categorical rating system. It is established that the administration of CFA leads to the development of pathology closely resembling rheumatoid arthritis. In contrast, the administration of c.arrageenan promotes chronic inflammatory arthritis without autoimmune component. The results can serve a basis for selecting a methodological approach to assess the effectiveness of drugs with anti-rheumatoid, anti-inflammatory, and/or immunomodulatory properties.

[Effect of the unilateral activation of brain hemispheres on visceral pain sensitivity in BALB/c mice]. / Vliianie unilateral'noi inaktivatsii bol'shikh polusharii golovnogo mozga na uroven' vistseral'noi bolevoi chuvstvitel'nosti myshei linii BALB/c.

A hemispheric asymmetry of the visceral pain sensitivity control was revealed in the BALB/c mice: animals with the left hemisphere inactivation did not differ from sham-operated control mice in respect to the pain response parameters. A right hemisphere inactivation reduced or suppressed the pain response. This suggests that the right hemisphere domineers in the visceral pain control.