ubiquinone and nebracetam

Effect of WEB 1881 FU (nebracetam) on hypoxia and ischemia-induced impairment of 2-deoxyglucose (2DG) uptake and CA1 field potentials induced by hypoxia and hypoxia/hypoglycemia (ischemia) in rat brain slices was evaluated and compared to the findings obtained with pentobarbital and idebenone. Hippocampal and cortical slices were exposed to 15-20 min of ischemia, and then these slices were returned to oxygenated and glucose-containing buffer for 6 hr. Ischemia reduced both 30 mM KCl-induced 2DG uptake and CA1 field potentials elicited by the stimulation of Schaffer collaterals in the hippocampus. Pretreatment of nebracetam at 1 mM or pentobarbital at 0.1 mM attenuated a decline of 2DG uptake and CA1 field potentials under the condition of ischemia. In addition, nebracetam and pentobarbital relatively recovered the increase of 2DG uptake in the hippocampus under hypoxia for 45 min. Furthermore, these drugs also attenuated the decline of 2DG uptake induced by 10 mM glutamate for 20 min. However, treatment with idebenone did not recover the deficit of 2DG uptake and CA1 field potential. The present result suggests that nebracetam and pentobarbital exert neuroprotective actions against not only ischemia but also glutamate toxicity.

Topics: Animals; Benzoquinones; Brain Ischemia; Cerebral Cortex; Deoxyglucose; Electrophysiology; Evoked Potentials; Glutamates; Glutamic Acid; Hippocampus; Hypoxia; In Vitro Techniques; Male; Parasympathomimetics; Pentobarbital; Pyrrolidinones; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Ubiquinone

The effects of various nootropic candidates on mescaline-induced head-twitches were studied in mice. The number of head-twitches induced by mescaline (100 mg/kg, s.c.) was significantly reduced by idebenone (32 and 100 mg/kg, i.p.), minaprine (0.32-10 mg/kg, p.o.) and nebracetam (100 mg/kg, p.o.). Cholinesterase inhibitors such as tetrahydroaminoacridine (1 and 10 mg/kg, p.o.), NIK-247 (10 and 18 mg/kg, p.o.) and physostigmine (0.32 mg/kg, i.p.) also suppressed the head-twitch response to mescaline. These results suggest that the direct or indirect cholinergic-activating effects of these drugs may be involved in inhibiting mescaline-induced head-twitches.

Topics: Animals; Antidepressive Agents; Behavior, Animal; Benzoquinones; Cholinesterase Inhibitors; Male; Mescaline; Mice; Mice, Inbred Strains; Psychotropic Drugs; Pyridazines; Pyrrolidinones; Ubiquinone

Effect of WEB 1881 FU on hypoglycemia/hypoxia-induced brain damage in rats was evaluated and compared to findings obtained with idebenone. We used an in vitro model that facilitated the direct monitoring of dopamine release from striatal slices. The response to high K+ stimulation under perfusion of the slices with D-glucose-free Ringer solution (hypoglycemia) decreased at 40 min, and then practically disappeared. WEB 1881 FU at 10(-6) M or idebenone at 10(-6) M significantly protected against impairment of the striatal responses under the conditions of hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemic injury, evidenced by a remarkable neuron loss, necrosis and spongyosis was also ameliorated by these drugs. WEB 1881 FU at 10(-6) M had a protective action against the impairment of striatal responses evoked by NaCN (electron transport inhibitor at site 3) and oligomycin (inhibitor of mitochondrial ATP synthesis), but idebenone at 10(-6) M did not. In light of these observations, the possibility that WEB 1881 FU and idebenone exert neuroprotective actions against hypoglycemic/hypoxic brain injury by activating energy metabolism with different mechanisms from each other has to be considered.

Topics: Animals; Benzoquinones; Brain Diseases; Corpus Striatum; Cyanides; Dopamine; Hypoglycemia; Hypoxia; In Vitro Techniques; Male; Neurons; Oligomycins; Parasympatholytics; Potassium; Pyrrolidinones; Quinones; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Ubiquinone