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Grooming behaviour has different functions on many species during development and can be observed and affected during periods of stress. By selecting male mice with high (HI) and low (LI) immobility traits in the tail suspension test, a screening for antidepressant drugs, we investigate how these phenotypes associated with grooming behaviour may be influenced by the effects of repeated restraint stress. For this we used the sucrose preference test and the splash test in a novel and a familiar cage performed before and after exposure to 2 days of restraint stress. Animals were submitted to an additional day of restraint stress before the hypothalamus, prefrontal cortex and midbrain extraction for dopamine activity analysis. Corticosterone analysis was made in three distinct moments: without stress (prior first restraint session), immediately after the last restrain, and 1 hr after the last restrain episode. Compared to LI group, HI animals exhibited an increased frequency and decreased time of grooming in the familiar cage. In the novel cage, stress increased frequency and time of grooming of HI animals compared to LI. Corticosterone levels were increased in HI animals after 3 days of stress. Lower hypothalamic dopaminergic activity without stress and decreased hypothalamic dopaminergic activity immediately after stress in HI group were observed. The HI group displayed decreased prefrontal cortex dopaminergic activity and increased activity in the mesolimbic area. We proposed that through the influence of stress the two phenotypes manifested as a resilient (LI) and a not resilient (HI) trait in response to restraint stress.
Assuntos
Dopamina/metabolismo , Asseio Animal/fisiologia , Resiliência Psicológica , Estresse Psicológico/metabolismo , Animais , Corticosterona/sangue , Elevação dos Membros Posteriores , Hipotálamo/metabolismo , Masculino , Mesencéfalo/metabolismo , Camundongos , Córtex Pré-Frontal/metabolismo , Restrição FísicaRESUMO
Objectives: Estrogen and phytoestrogens, mainly isoflavones (SIF) treatment has been suggested to improve mood, behavior, and cognitive function in postmenopausal women. However, there is a lack of information on the mechanism of such treatment on the central nervous system. We used rats to investigate the effects of long-term treatment with commercial isoflavones on behavior, hormones, and brain neurotransmitter levels. Methods: Intact female middle-aged (12 months) rats received 50, 100, and 200â mg/kg/day of commercial isoflavones extract by gavage for 90 days. After treatment, locomotor activity, anxiety-like behavior, spatial memory, estradiol, and neurotransmitter levels were measured. Results: Isoflavones treatment decreased total body weight gain in rats received 100 (P < 0.05) and 200â mg/kg (P < 0.05). There were no differences in locomotor activity or anxiety-like behavior; however, isoflavone treatment improved spatial memory (P < 0.05). Estradiol concentration was increased (P < 0.05) in groups SIF 100 and SIF 200. Glutamate (P < 0.01) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) were increased in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of rats receiving the highest doses and in the hypothalamus in rats that received SIF200 (P < 0.05). Discussion: These findings showed that long-term treatment with commercial isoflavones decreased total body weight gain and facilitated spatial memory performance in rats and this may be involved with the increase in estradiol levels as well as the increase in GABA and glutamate levels in PFC. Furthermore, isoflavones treatment may attenuate age-related cognitive impairment and may therefore be an effective tool to combat this undesirable feature of the natural aging process.
Assuntos
Comportamento Animal/efeitos dos fármacos , Química Encefálica/efeitos dos fármacos , Estradiol/análise , Ácido Glutâmico/análise , Isoflavonas/administração & dosagem , Ácido gama-Aminobutírico/análise , Animais , Ansiedade/prevenção & controle , Ingestão de Alimentos/efeitos dos fármacos , Feminino , Menopausa/efeitos dos fármacos , Atividade Motora/efeitos dos fármacos , Ratos Wistar , Memória Espacial/efeitos dos fármacos , Aumento de Peso/efeitos dos fármacosRESUMO
Objectives: Estrogen and phytoestrogens, mainly isoflavones (SIF) treatment has been suggested to improve mood, behavior, and cognitive function in postmenopausal women. However, there is a lack of information on the mechanism of such treatment on the central nervous system. We used rats to investigate the effects of long-term treatment with commercial isoflavones on behavior, hormones, and brain neurotransmitter levels. Methods: Intact female middle-aged (12 months) rats received 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg/day of commercial isoflavones extract by gavage for 90 days. After treatment, locomotor activity, anxiety-like behavior, spatial memory, estradiol, and neurotransmitter levels were measured. Results: Isoflavones treatment decreased total body weight gain in rats received 100 (P?<?0.05) and 200 mg/kg (P?<?0.05). There were no differences in locomotor activity or anxiety-like behavior; however, isoflavone treatment improved spatial memory (P?<?0.05). Estradiol concentration was increased (P?<?0.05) in groups SIF 100 and SIF 200. Glutamate (P?<?0.01) and ?-aminobutyric acid (GABA) were increased in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of rats receiving the highest doses and in the hypothalamus in rats that received SIF200 (P?<?0.05). Discussion: These findings showed that long-term treatment with commercial isoflavones decreased total body weight gain and facilitated spatial memory performance in rats and this may be involved with the increase in estradiol levels as well as the increase in GABA and glutamate levels in PFC. Furthermore, isoflavones treatment may attenuate age-related cognitive impairment and may therefore be an effective tool to combat this undesirable feature of the natural aging process.
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Varenicline is a drug used for smoking addiction cessation treatment and acts as a partial agonist of nicotinic cholinergic receptors. Recent clinical trial data support use of varenicline for treatment of conditions/addictions that are not related to smoking cessation. Considering the importance of this issue and the need for new studies on its effects, especially on behavior, more studies using animal models are necessary. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of prolonged exposure to varenicline in anxiety-like behavior and memory, as well as in cerebral neurochemistry of rats. Male rats received three different doses of varenicline: 0.03 (therapeutic dose for humans), 0.1 and 0.3?mg/kg orally (gavage) for 30?days. Animal behavior was analyzed through open field, elevated plus maze, light/dark box, social interaction, Barnes maze and novel object recognition tests. Neurotransmitter levels and their metabolites in different brain structures (hippocampus, striatum and frontal cortex) were measured. Results showed that prolonged exposure of rats to varenicline: 1) did not interfere in motor activity, but caused an anxiogenic effect on elevated plus maze, light/dark box and social interaction testes; 2) did not alter memory; and 3) promoted alterations on serotoninergic system in the striatum and frontal cortex. In conclusion, compilation of the data indicates that prolonged exposure of rats to varenicline promoted anxiogenic effects and alteration in serotonergic system, which corroborated behavioral findings.
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The sense of smell allows animals to discriminate a large number of volatile environmental chemicals. Such chemical signaling modulates the behavior of several species that depend on odorant compounds to locate food, recognize territory, predators, and toxic compounds. Olfaction also plays a role in mate choice, mother-infant recognition, and social interaction among members of a group. A key assay to assess the ability to smell odorants is the buried food-seeking test, which checks whether the food-deprived mice can find the food pellet hidden beneath the bedding in the animal's cage. The main parameter observed in this test is the latency to uncover a small piece of chow, cookie, or other pleasant food, hidden beneath a layer of cage bedding, within a limited amount of time. It is understood that food-restricted mice which fail to use odor cues to locate food within a given time period are likely to have deficits in olfactory abilities. Investigators who used the buried food test, or versions of the buried food test, demonstrated that it is possible to evaluate olfactory deficits in different models of murine studies (Alberts and Galef, 1971; Belluscio et al., 1998 ; Luo et al., 2002 ; Li et al., 2013 ). We have recently used this assay to demonstrate that olfactory-specific Ric-8B knock-out mice (a guanine nucleotide exchange factor that interacts with olfactory-specific G-protein) show an impaired sense of smell ( Machado et al., 2017 ). Here we describe the protocol of the buried food-seeking test, as adopted in our assays.
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The objective of the present study was to investigate whether prenatal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration modifies the expression of depressive and non-depressive-like behavior in male and female mice across two generations. The sexual dimorphism of these mice was also examined in the open-field test. Male and female mice of the parental (F0) generation were selected for depressive- or non-depressive-like behavioral profiles using the tail suspension test (TST). Animals with similar profiles were matched for further mating. On gestation day (GD) 15, pregnant F0 mice received LPS (100µg/kg, i.p.) and were allowed to nurture their offspring freely. Adult male and female of the F1 generation were then selected according to behavioral profiles and observed in the open field. Male and female mice of the two behavioral profiles were then mated to obtain the F2 generation. Adults from the F2 generation were also behaviorally phenotyped, and open field behavior was assessed. Male mice that were selected for depressive- and non-depressive-like behaviors and treated or not with LPS in the parental generation exhibited similar proportions of behavioral profiles in both filial lines, but LPS exposure increased the number of depressive-like behavior. An effect of gender was observed in the F1 and F2 generations, in which male mice were more sensitive to the intergenerational effects of LPS in the TST. These data indicate that prenatal LPS exposure on GD15 in the F0 generation influenced the transmission of depressive- and non-depressive-like behavior across filial lines, with sexual dimorphism between phenotypes.
Assuntos
Células-Tronco Adultas/efeitos dos fármacos , Depressão/psicologia , Lipopolissacarídeos/toxicidade , Fenótipo , Efeitos Tardios da Exposição Pré-Natal/psicologia , Caracteres Sexuais , Células-Tronco Adultas/fisiologia , Animais , Depressão/genética , Depressão/patologia , Feminino , Masculino , Camundongos , Atividade Motora/efeitos dos fármacos , Atividade Motora/fisiologia , Gravidez , Efeitos Tardios da Exposição Pré-Natal/induzido quimicamente , Efeitos Tardios da Exposição Pré-Natal/patologiaRESUMO
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are toxins that are exclusively biosynthesized by plants and are commonly present in foods and herbs. PAs are usually associated with poisoning events in livestock and human beings. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the behavioral and neurochemical effects of prenatal exposure to PA integerrimine N-oxide of rats in adulthood. Pregnant Wistar rats received integerrimine N-oxide from the butanolic residue of Senecio brasiliensis by gavage on gestational days 6-20 at doses of 3, 6 and 9 mg/kg. During adulthood of the offspring, the following behavioral tests were performed: open-field, plus-maze, forced swimming, catalepsy and stereotypy. Histological analyses and monoamine levels were measured. Male offspring from dams that were exposed to 9 mg/kg showed an increase in locomotion in the open-field test, an increased frequency of entries and time spent in open arms in elevated plus-maze test, as well as decreased swimming time. In the female offspring from dams that were exposed to 9 mg/kg, there was an increased time of climbing in forced swimming and intensity of stereotyped behavior. The histological study indicates an increase in the number of multinucleated cells in the liver (6 and 9 mg/kg). In neurotransmitter analysis, specifically in the striatum, we observed change in dopamine and serotonin levels in the middle dose. Thus, our results indicate that prenatal exposure to integerrimine N-oxide changed behavior in adulthood and neurotransmitter levels in the striatum. Our results agree with previous studies, which showed that integerrimine N-oxide impaired physical and neurobehavioral development in childhood that can persist until adulthood.
Assuntos
Antineoplásicos Fitogênicos/farmacologia , Comportamento Animal/efeitos dos fármacos , Corpo Estriado/efeitos dos fármacos , Neurotransmissores/metabolismo , Efeitos Tardios da Exposição Pré-Natal , Alcaloides de Pirrolizidina/farmacologia , Fatores Etários , Alanina Transaminase/sangue , Animais , Antineoplásicos Fitogênicos/química , Aspartato Aminotransferases/sangue , Proteínas Sanguíneas/metabolismo , Catalepsia/induzido quimicamente , Corpo Estriado/metabolismo , Relação Dose-Resposta a Droga , Comportamento Exploratório/efeitos dos fármacos , Feminino , Masculino , Gravidez , Efeitos Tardios da Exposição Pré-Natal/induzido quimicamente , Efeitos Tardios da Exposição Pré-Natal/patologia , Efeitos Tardios da Exposição Pré-Natal/fisiopatologia , Alcaloides de Pirrolizidina/química , Ratos , Ratos Wistar , Fatores Sexuais , Comportamento Estereotipado/efeitos dos fármacos , Natação/psicologia , gama-Glutamiltransferase/sangueRESUMO
Sickness behavior is considered part of the specific beneficial adaptive behavioral and neuroimmune changes that occur in individuals in response to infectious/inflammatory processes. However, in dangerous and stressful situations, sickness behavior should be momentarily abrogated to prioritize survival behaviors, such as fight or flight. Taking this assumption into account, we experimentally induced sickness behavior in rats using lipopolysaccharides (LPS), an endotoxin that mimics infection by gram-negative bacteria, and then exposed these rats to a restraint stress challenge. Zinc has been shown to play a regulatory role in the immune and nervous systems. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the effects of zinc treatment on the sickness response of stress-challenged rats. We evaluated 22-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations, open-field behavior, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), corticosterone, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plasma levels. LPS administration induced sickness behavior in rats compared to controls, i.e., decreases in the distance traveled, average velocity, rearing frequency, self-grooming, and number of vocalizations, as well as an increase in the plasma levels of TNF-α, compared with controls after a stressor challenge. LPS also decreased BDNF expression but did not influence anxiety parameters. Zinc treatment was able to prevent sickness behavior in LPS-exposed rats after the stress challenge, restoring exploratory/motor behaviors, communication, and TNF-α levels similar to those of the control group. Thus, zinc treatment appears to be beneficial for sick animals when they are facing risky/stressful situations.
Assuntos
Comportamento de Doença/efeitos dos fármacos , Estresse Fisiológico , Zinco/farmacologia , Animais , Infecções Bacterianas/fisiopatologia , Fator Neurotrófico Derivado do Encéfalo/sangue , Corticosterona/sangue , Locomoção/efeitos dos fármacos , Masculino , Ratos , Ratos Wistar , Fator de Necrose Tumoral alfa/sangueRESUMO
The present study analyzed the transgenerational effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 100 µg/kg) administration on gestational day 18 (GD18) of parental generation on maternal-pups interaction of F1 and F2 generations. Also the long term behavioral effects were observed in male of F2 generation. In F1 generation, the reproductive performance, maternal behavior, maternal aggressive behavior, and general activity in the open field in adulthood were analyzed. In F2 generation, body weight at birth and at weaning, nest odor preference, and general activity in the open field and elevated plus maze in adulthood were assessed. Compared to controls, results showed that in the F1 generation, prenatal LPS exposure (1) increased the latency to full maternal behavior, but all of the females grouped the pups and presented full maternal behavior, (2) reduced the total time boxing and fighting, increased the frequency of retrieving the pups, and increased the number of bites, and (3) did not affect reproductive performance or general activity. In F2 generation, compared with controls, the LPS group exhibited (1) a decrease in body weight at weaning, (2) a decrease in nest odor preference, (3) a decrease in the percentage of time spent in the open arms, a decrease in the percentage of time spent in the center, and an increase in the time spent in the closed arms in the elevated plus maze, and (Huang et al.) no affect behavior in the open field. Prenatal LPS exposure improved maternal care in the F1 generation with regard to nursing and pup survival but did not improve the motivational parameters of maternal behavior likely because of a reduction of maternal stimulation by the pups. In the F2 generation, the reduction of nest odor preference in the pups suggests a less maternal recognition. In adulthood, these rats exhibited increased anxiety-like behavior. These data did not result from motor alterations because rats in both the F1 and F2 generations did not show alterations in open field behavior. This transfer of information across generations likely occurred through nongenetic means because the endotoxin was administered at the end of pregnancy. These results may have implications for clinical therapeutics in human disorders and evolution.
Assuntos
Ansiedade/induzido quimicamente , Comportamento Animal/efeitos dos fármacos , Lipopolissacarídeos/efeitos adversos , Comportamento Materno/efeitos dos fármacos , Exposição Materna/efeitos adversos , Odorantes , Efeitos Tardios da Exposição Pré-Natal/psicologia , Agressão/efeitos dos fármacos , Animais , Peso ao Nascer/efeitos dos fármacos , Feminino , Lactação , Masculino , Aprendizagem em Labirinto/efeitos dos fármacos , Gravidez , Ratos , Reprodução/efeitos dos fármacos , DesmameRESUMO
The present study investigated whether late maternal inflammation disrupts the mother/pup interaction, resulting in long-lasting effects on pup behavior and alterations in biological pathways, thereby programming prepubertal behavior and the pups' inflammatory responses after bacterial endotoxin treatment. Female rats received 100 μg/kg lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or .9% saline solution on gestation day 18. Reproductive performance was observed at birth. On lactation days (LD) 5 and LD 6, respectively, maternal behavior and maternal aggressive behavior were assessed. In pups, maternal odor preference on LD 7, open field behavior on LD 21, and serum tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) levels after LPS challenge on LD 21 were investigated. The results showed that prenatal LPS exposure improved maternal care and reduced maternal aggressive behavior but did not alter maternal reproductive performance. Male offspring exhibited increased body weights at birth and reduced maternal odor preference. Lipopolysaccharide challenge increased the duration of immobility in the open field and induced a slight increase in serum TNF-α levels. Prenatal exposure to LPS during late pregnancy improved maternal care, reduced maternal olfactory preference, and induced TNF-α hyporesponsiveness to a single dose of LPS in pups.(AU)
Assuntos
Animais , Ratos , Lesões Pré-Natais , Lipopolissacarídeos/farmacologia , Reprodução , Comportamento Materno , Percepção OlfatóriaRESUMO
The present study investigated whether late maternal inflammation disrupts the mother/pup interaction, resulting in long-lasting effects on pup behavior and alterations in biological pathways, thereby programming prepubertal behavior and the pups' inflammatory responses after bacterial endotoxin treatment. Female rats received 100 μg/kg lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or .9% saline solution on gestation day 18. Reproductive performance was observed at birth. On lactation days (LD) 5 and LD 6, respectively, maternal behavior and maternal aggressive behavior were assessed. In pups, maternal odor preference on LD 7, open field behavior on LD 21, and serum tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) levels after LPS challenge on LD 21 were investigated. The results showed that prenatal LPS exposure improved maternal care and reduced maternal aggressive behavior but did not alter maternal reproductive performance. Male offspring exhibited increased body weights at birth and reduced maternal odor preference. Lipopolysaccharide challenge increased the duration of immobility in the open field and induced a slight increase in serum TNF-α levels. Prenatal exposure to LPS during late pregnancy improved maternal care, reduced maternal olfactory preference, and induced TNF-α hyporesponsiveness to a single dose of LPS in pups.
Assuntos
Animais , Ratos , Lipopolissacarídeos/farmacologia , Comportamento Materno , Lesões Pré-Natais , Reprodução , Percepção OlfatóriaRESUMO
AIMS: Environmental information received by a mother can induce a phenotype change in her offspring, commonly known as a maternal effect (trans-generational effect). The present work verified the effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which mimics bacterial infection, on maternal care and on the activity of related brain areas in F1 offspring, i.e., female rats that were prenatally exposed to LPS. MAIN METHODS: Pregnant rats received 100µg/kg of LPS intraperitoneally on gestational day (GD) 9.5. Female offspring of the F1 generation were mated to naïve males and were evaluated during their lactation period for open field, maternal and aggressive behaviors. Striatal and hypothalamic dopamine and serotonin levels and turnover were also evaluated. Furthermore, astrocyte protein expression in the nucleus accumbens (NA) was analyzed in F1 females to assess LPS-induced neuroinflammation. KEY FINDINGS: Prenatal LPS did not change open field behavior but impaired both maternal and maternal aggressive behaviors in the F1 generation. LPS exposure also reduced both striatal levels of dopamine and serotonin and its metabolites, but induced no changes in NA astrocyte expression. SIGNIFICANCE: We suggested that the observed impairments in the F1 females were a consequence of a motivational change induced by prenatal LPS, as (1) no changes in motor activity were observed, (2) prenatal LPS-exposure was reported by our group to induce motivational impairments in males, and (3) the existence of a strong connection between striatal dopaminergic activity and motivation-oriented activities. The present findings strongly indicate a maternal effect for prenatal LPS, at least for the F1 generation.
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Comportamento Animal , Dopamina/metabolismo , Comportamento Materno/psicologia , Efeitos Tardios da Exposição Pré-Natal/psicologia , Serotonina/metabolismo , Animais , Infecções Bacterianas/complicações , Corpo Estriado/metabolismo , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Feminino , Hipotálamo/metabolismo , Lipopolissacarídeos/toxicidade , Masculino , Atividade Motora , Núcleo Accumbens/metabolismo , Gravidez , Complicações Infecciosas na Gravidez/fisiopatologia , Efeitos Tardios da Exposição Pré-Natal/etiologia , Ratos , Ratos WistarRESUMO
Objective - To assess, in this preclinical study, the effectiveness of a herbal medicine developed from a group of plants of the genus Ilexin the adjuvant treatment of obesity in rats fed with a high-fat diet. Phytotherapy is becoming increasingly popular both for the results it yields in several pathologies and because they are growing herbal medicine studies showing its effectiveness. Methods - Male and female rats were fed with a high-fat diet for one month. The diet was then replaced by a chow diet. All male and female rats received the PholiaNegra(X´Tract Vetorized)TM or water. The treatment was orally administered twice a day over 30 days. Body weight gain was assessed weekly and, at the end of treatment, the total body weight gain was calculated. A positive control with sibutramine (7.5 mg/kg, twice a day, orally, over 30 day was also included. Results - A significant reduction in weekly body weight gain, as well as in total weight gain, in both male and female rats after the herbal medicine administration. The index of body weight loss showed that PholiaNegra (X´TractVetorized)TM was more effective in reducing body weight in female than in male rats. The sibutramine treatment showed the same profile as PholiaNegra (X´Tract Vetorized)TM treatment. Conclusion - The present data indicate that PholiaNegra (X´Tract Vetorized)TM herbal medicine was effective in decreasing body weight in male and female rats submitted to a high-fat diet, and showed a similar profile to that of sibutramine.
Objetivo - Avaliar, neste estudo pré-clínico, a eficácia de um medicamento desenvolvido a partir de um grupo de plantas do gênero Ilex no tratamento adjuvante da obesidade em ratos alimentados com uma dieta hipercalórica. A fitoterapia está se tornando cada vez mais popular, tanto pelos resultados positivos em diversas doenças e porque estão crescendo estudos de medicina de ervas que mostram a sua eficácia. Métodos - Ratos machos e fêmeas foram alimentados com uma dieta rica em gordura durante um mês. A dieta foi então substituída por uma ração normal do biotério. Todos ratos e ratas foram tratado com PholiaNegra (X´Tract Vetorized)TM ou água. O tratamento foi administrado por via oral, duas vezes por dia durante 30 dias. O ganho de peso corporal foi avaliado semanalmente e, no final do tratamento, o ganho de peso total foi calculado. Como controle positivo empregou-se a sibutramina (7,5 mg/kg, duas vezes por dia, por via oral, durante 30 dias. Resultados - Observou-se redução significativa no ganho de peso corporal semanal, bem como do ganho de peso total, tanto nos ratos machos e fêmeas, após a administração do medicamento à base de plantas. O índice de perda de peso corporal mostrou que Pholia-Negra (X´Tract Vetorized)TM foi mais eficaz na redução do peso corporal nas fêmeas do que em ratos machos. O tratamento com sibutramina mostrou o mesmo perfil obtido com o tratamento com PholiaNegra (X´Tract Vetorized)TM. Conclusão - Os presentes dados indicam que PholiaNegra (X´Tract Vetorized)TM foi eficaz em diminuir o peso corporal em ratos machos e fêmeas submetidos a uma dieta rica em gordura,e mostrou um perfil semelhante ao da sibutramina.
Assuntos
Animais , Fitoterapia/estatística & dados numéricos , Fitoterapia/tendências , Obesidade/diagnóstico , Obesidade/prevenção & controle , Plantas MedicinaisRESUMO
Objective - Nepeta cataria (catnip) is a plant used to treat human diseases and is also found in pet toys. This study was performed to analyze the anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of N. cataria essential oil (NCEO) in female mice. Methods - Phytochemical analyses of NCEO were performed. In addition, female mice treated with the oil were observed in an open for its general activity and to investigate the dose and time responses. The anti-nociceptive effects were evaluated by tail immersion and acetic acid writhing reflex tests.The anti-inflammatory oil properties were investigated by the carrageenan-induced edema test. Results - The results showed that 0.0005 and 0.001 mL/kg i.p. doses of NCEO increased the general activity of female mice, and the 0.0005 mL/kg dose reduced their immobility. Moreover, NCEO (0.0005 mL/kg) has anti-nociceptive properties, as the treated animals exhibited an increased latency of tail withdrawal and reduced acetic acid-induced abdominal constrictions. Furthermore, NCEO (0.0005 mL/kg) presented peripheric anti-inflammatory properties by reducing the induced edema after carrageenan injection. Conclusions - These effects may be due to the nepetalactone trans-trans and trans-cis nepetalactone isomers, which were detected as the predominant active components in the phytochemical analysis. It was suggested that the main effect of NCEO occurs on the central nervous system mechanism of pain.
Objetivo - A Nepeta cataria (catnip) é uma planta utilizada para tratar doenças humanas e também é encontrada em brinquedos de animais de estimação. O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar os efeitos antinociceptivos e anti-inflamatório do óleo essencial de N. cataria (NCEO) em camundongos fêmeas. Métodos - A análise fitoquímica do NCEO foi realizada. Além disso, os animais que foram tratados como óleo e foram observados em um campo aberto para mensurar a sua atividade em geral e investigar a dose e tempo de respostas. Os efeitos antinociceptivos foram avaliados pelos testes de imersão da cauda e reflexo de contorções abdominais causadas pelo ácido acético. As propriedades anti-inflamatórias do óleo foram investigadas pelo teste de edema induzido por carragenina. Resultados - Os resultados mostraram que 0,0005 e 0,001mL/ kg doses ip. de NCEO aumentou a atividade geral de camundongos fêmeas, e dose de 0,0005 mL/kg reduziu sua imobilidade. Além disso, NCEO (0,0005 mL/kg), tem propriedades antinociceptiva, como os animais tratados apresentaram uma maior latência de retirada de cauda e reduziu as contorções abdominais induzidas pelo ácido acético. Além disso, NCEO (0,0005mL/kg) apresentou efeito periférico e propriedades anti-inflamatórias, reduzindo o edema induzido após a injeção de carragenina. Conclusões - Estes efeitos podem ser devido aos isômeros nepetalactone trans-trans e nepetalactone trans-cis, que foram detectados como os componentes ativos predominante na análise fitoquímica. Foi sugerido que o principal efeito da NCEO ocorre no mecanismo do sistema nervoso central da dor.