Publications-Posters

The corollaries of the obesity epidemic that plagues developed societies are malnutrition and resulting biochemical imbalances. Low levels of essential n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) have been linked to neuropsychiatric diseases, but the underlying synaptic alterations are mostly unknown. We found that lifelong n-3 PUFAs dietary insufficiency specifically ablates long-term synaptic depression mediated by endocannabinoids in the prelimbic prefrontal cortex and accumbens. In n-3-deficient mice, presynaptic cannabinoid CB(1) receptors (CB(1)Rs) normally responding to endocannabinoids were uncoupled from their effector

In a previous clinical study, a probiotic formulation (PF) consisting of Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 and Bifidobacterium longum R0175 (PF) decreased stress-induced gastrointestinal discomfort. Emerging evidence of a role for gut microbiota on central nervous system functions therefore suggests that oral intake of probiotics may have beneficial consequences on mood and psychological distress. The aim of the present study was to investigate the anxiolytic-like activity of PF in rats, and its possible effects on anxiety, depression, stress and coping strategies in

Le bupropion, ou amphébutamone, est antidépresseur atypique désormais indiqué dans l’aide au sevrage tabagique, situation à haut risque de manifestations psychiques aiguës. Structurellement proche de l’amphétamine et des monoamines endogènes, dopamine et noradrénaline, dont il inhibe la recapture, le bupropion serait également un antagoniste non-compétitif des récepteurs nicotiniques. Nous avons récemment rapporté le cas d’une patiente schizoaffective ayant développé deux épisodes psychotiques aigus consécutifs dans les suites d’une mise sous bupropion. Nous avons donc conduit une recherche bibliographique visant à

Animal models of anxious disorders found in humans, such as panic disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder, usually include spontaneous and conditioned fear that triggers escape and avoidance behaviors. The development of a panic disorder model with a learned component should increase knowledge of mechanisms involved in anxiety disorders. In our ethological model of extreme anxiety in the rat, forced apnea was combined with cold water vaporization in an inescapable situation. Based on the reactions of vehicle controls, behaviors involved in

Human opiorphin QRFSR-peptide protects enkephalins from degradation by human neutral endopeptidase (hNEP) and aminopeptidase-N (hAP-N) and inhibits pain perception in a behavioral model of mechanical acute pain (1). Here, using two other pain rat models, the tail-flick and the formalin tests, we assess the potency and duration of the antinociceptive action of opiorphin with reference to morphine. The occurrence of adverse effects with emphasis on the side-effect profile at equi-analgesic doses was compared. We demonstrate that opiorphin elicits minimal adverse

Human opiorphin protects enkephalins from degradation by human neutral endopeptidase and aminopeptidase-N and inhibits pain perception in various behavioral rodent models of pain via endogenous enkephalin-related activation of opioidergic pathways. In addition to pain control, endogenous opioid pathways are also implicated in the modulation of emotion-related behaviors. Thus, we explored the dose-dependent motivational responses induced by opiorphin using the forced swim test, the standard rat model of depression. In addition, to further understand the endogenous events triggered by opiorphin, we

The acquisition of a conditioned response to a stimulus when it is paired with a reinforcer is retarded if the stimulus has previously been repeatedly pre-exposed in the absence of the reinforcer. This effect, called latent inhibition, has previously been found to be insensitive to lesions of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in rats. Using an on-baseline conditioned emotional response procedure, which is especially sensitive to small variations in the absolute magnitude of latent inhibition, we found increased latent inhibition

Dehydrated extract of the prickly pear fruit Opuntia ficus indica, Cacti-Nea, was evaluated for its chronic diuretic and antioxidant effects in Wistar rats. Cacti-Nea was orally administered daily for seven days at the dose of 240 mg/kg/day. A positive group was orally treated with hydrochlorothiazide at the dose of 10 mg/kg/day and a control group with vehicle. Daily measurements of body weight, urine volume, and concentration of sodium, potassium and uric acid in urine were performed for each rat. At

A new animal model of travelers' diarrhea has been developed by infecting rats orally with a strain of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli in order to assess the efficacy of three probiotic formulations for the prevention of travelers' diarrhea. Five groups of six rats were given daily (by oral gavage) either a placebo (negative and positive control groups), the suspension of bacterial probiotics called FF1, the yeast probiotic Saccharomyces boulardii, or a combination of both, called Protecflor(TM). After 14 days of treatment,

In the last ten years, cocoa and bitter chocolate with a high content of cocoa have received much attention due to their significant polyphenol contents, and thus, have been recognized as significant sources of phytochemicals with healthful effects. Increasing evidence from experimental preclinical and clinical studies using cocoa polyphenols extracts or dark chocolate suggest an important role for these high-flavanol-containing products in various human pathologies. In fact, cocoa's polyphenols are susceptible to induce stimulant, relaxant, euphoriant, tonic and antidepressant effects.