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The effect of psilocybin on memory consolidation in rats
Chona, Kembe ; Olejníková, Lucie (advisor) ; Petrásek, Tomáš (referee)
Psychedelics are currently being researched due to their long-lasting antidepressant, anxiolytic and neuroplasticity inducing actions. The mechanism by which they induce these effects remains poorly understood. Here, we decided to investigate a relatively unexplored possibility. A potential interaction of psilocybin administration and sleep and their combined effects on memory consolidation. Memory formation in animals and humans is greatly influenced by sleep manipulation which led us to assess the possibility with spatial memory tasks. We hypothesized that acute psilocybin administration after learning may have a beneficial influence on memory consolidation in rats. To determine whether an interaction with sleep exists we also subjected the rats to combinations of psilocybin and control vehicle with normal sleep and sleep deprivation. Our data did not suggest such an interaction exists. Secondly, we tried to find out if psilocybin and sleep manipulation leads to changes in neuroplasticity-related events. A process that could very likely be the basis of such a proposed beneficial effect. For this purpose, we analysed the expression of the immediate-early gene Arc and the immature neuron marker doublecortin in the rat hippocampus. Doublecortin's expression was not influenced by any of the factors....
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Methadone and its usage in treatment of opioid drug addiction
Chona, Kembe ; Svoboda, Petr (advisor) ; Hejnová, Lucie (referee)
Methadone, a synthetic opioid created in the 1940s is a potent mu opioid receptor agonist. Opioid receptors form a sub-group of the GPCR super-family. Their most significant role is the inhibition of neural pathways by regulating the activity of ionic channels and effector proteins. µ-opioid receptors are the site of action of heroin, methadone and other classical opioid agonists. Due to the opioid receptors distribution in both the central nervous system and peripheral tissues, methadone affects a wide variety of functions in the organism. Methadone induces many of the effects of classical opioids including analgesia, respiratory suppression, sedation, euphoria. While originally being developed as an analgesic it had soon shown potential for other therapeutic methods. Methadone maintenance therapy was introduced in 1963, by professor Vincent P. Dole and his team. It quickly became clear that methadone substitution therapy is indeed very effective and shows the highest ability to retain patients. Thanks to its high oral bioavailability, higher intrinsic efficacy and long terminal half-life methadone is the first choice drug for opioid substitution therapy. Methadone, used in appropriate doses produces only mild adverse effects and has the ability to normalize physiological homeostasis disrupted by...
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