Intracerebroventricular injection of recombinant human interferon-2alpha (100-500 U/rat) decreased the mean effective dose of corasol inducing clonic convulsions in 50% kindled Wistar rats. This effect was more pronounced in delayed periods of kindling and was accompanied by enhancement of epileptiform signs on EEG.

Kindling-syndrome was modeled in male Wistar rats using repeated corazole administration (25-30 mg/kg intraperitoneally). The effects of pentoxifylline (25 and 100 mg/kg intraperitoneally) and diazepam (0.05 and 1 mg/kg intraperitoneally) were studied in 3 weeks after kindling development under conditions of acute observation on the model of penicillin-induced foci in cerebral cortex. An anticonvulsant effect of combined treatment with diazepam and pentoxifylline in the doses, ineffective if administered separately (0.05 and 25 mg/kg intraperitoneally), was demonstrated.

Acute experiments were performed on rats to produce a model of chronic epileptic activity--pharmacological kindling by repeated doses of picrotoxin (1.0-1.2 mg/kg, i.p.). During the early period following kindling (24 h from the last dose of epileptogen), animals showed decreases in measures of investigative behavior as measured in an open field test, along with reductions in sexual and feeding behavior. The severity of these impairments had decreased by two weeks from the last picrotoxin dose. Both treatment with L-DOPA (100 mg/kg, i.p.) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (20 impulses with induction, peak 1.5 T) were accompanied by increases in measures of investigative, sexual, and feeding behavior in the animals, suggesting that mechanism of action of transcranial magnetic stimulation in relation to kindling-induced behavioral abnormalities is mediated by activation of the dopaminergic system of the brain.

The development of tolerance in rats by repeated intraperitoneal injection of 0.5 mg/kg diazepam increased the sensitivity of the frontal cortex to the epileptogenic effect of NMDA and kainic acid. The median effective dose of NMDA was shown to decrease under these conditions. Intracerebroventricular injection of NMDA in these doses induced clonic seizures and tonic extension of the forelimbs.

The aim of the study is to assess the impact of latent iron deficiency on students' cognitive abilities. Material and methods. The study was conducted during 2018-2021 at the Department of Hygiene and Medical Ecology of Odessa National Medical University. A survey of 188 medical students aged 18-20 was conducted using a screening survey. Estimation of the qualitative content of iron compounds in the diet was performed by a calculation method using the USDA / FDA database. Persons with probable iron deficiency were examined for hemoglobin, erythrocytes, hematocrit (general clinical blood test) and serum ferritin. Additionally, the cognitive abilities of people with latent iron deficiency were assessed using MoSA, TMT, GPB, Schulte tables and TAS-20. As a control, 30 students aged 18-20 years who showed no signs of latent or overt iron deficiency were interviewed. Statistical processing was performed by methods of variance and correlation anamnesis using the software Statistica 13.0 (TIBCO, USA). Results. When evaluating diets, probable iron deficiency was identified in 69 (36.7%) students surveyed. A significant number of students reported signs of iron deficiency, namely general weakness (27 or 14.4%), increased fatigue (30 cases or 15.9%), pale skin and mucous membranes (6 or 3.2%), drowsiness (8 or 4.3%), dry mouth (11 or 5.9%), brittle hair (4 or 2.1%), bleeding gums (3 or 1.6%). In isolated cases, hyposmia, dysgeusia and dysphagia have occurred. Probable iron deficiency was found at the previous stage of the study in 29 (15.4%) patients, they subsequently underwent verifying laboratory tests. In the analysis of the obtained data, the diagnosis of mild iron deficiency anemia was confirmed in 2 (6.9%) girls. Latent iron deficiency was identified in 16 (55.2%) students, among whom girls predominated (10 people or 62.5%). Subsequent studies have shown that a significant number of students with latent iron deficiency showed moderate signs of decreased cognition. Conclusions: 1. The frequency of latent iron deficiency in the surveyed contingent was 8.5%, with an absolute predominance of girls (62.5%). 2. Latent iron deficiency in student youth can be manifested by cognitive impairment, and therefore affect academic performance. 3. The most pronounced correlation was found for ferritin content and severity of alexithymia (r = -0.61).