الفهرس 
Cardiac SurgeryOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
ABSTRACT
Objectives: Schizophrenia is a chronic mental illness presented by cognitive deficits that precede its positive and negative symptoms. Dysregulation of sonic hedgehog (Shh)-pathway contributes to its pathophysiology. Shh has a role in neurogenesis as it regulates proliferation and survival of neural cells. In this study, effects of the anti-psychotics Amisulpride and/or Aripiprazole on the Shh-pathway and its relation to cognitive functions and neurogenesis in a rat model of schizophrenia were tested.
Methods: 60 male Wistar rats were allocated into the following groups: control, socially isolated, amisulpride and/or aripiprazole-treated groups. Rats were then subjected to behavioural, biochemical, and histopathological tests to assess the impact of these drugs on Shh-pathway.
Key findings: Cognitive-dysfunction was evidenced in socially isolated group in novel object, three-chamber, and Morris water maze tests, associated by disorganised Shh-pathway proteins levels concentrations, increased glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-stained astrocytes. Treated groups favourably reversed these changes evidenced by increased Shh, transmembrane patched-1 and smoothened, glioma-associated-oncogene (GLI)-1 levels, dopamine-1 receptors and brain derived neurotrophic factor, and decreased GLI-3 protein, GFAP immune reaction in astrocytes and inflammatory markers compared to socially isolated group.
Conclusion: Amisulpride and/or aripiprazole have a favourable role in turning on Shh-pathway with subsequent beneficial cognitive and neurogenesis effects.