Respostas comportamentais de nocicepção e ansiedade em duas linhagens de ratos, lewis e SHR, contrastantes para a ansiedade: envolvimento da substância P e dos receptores NK1

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Ciências Biológicas. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Farmacologia.A ansiedade, ao mesmo tempo em que é influenciada por fatores genéticos, pode modular a reatividade à dor. As linhagens isogênicas de ratos Lewis (LEW) e espontaneamente hipertensos (SHR), exibem altos e baixos níveis de ansiedade. O presente estudo investigou a reatividade nociceptiva de ratos LEW e SHR de ambos os sexos no teste da formalina e os efeitos da injeção central de SP sobre estas respostas. Além disso, investigou-se os efeitos de um antagonista de receptores NK1, o NKP608, nestas duas linhagens no labirinto em cruz elevado (LCE) e no teste do campo aberto (TCA). Os resultados indicaram que ratos LEW de ambos os sexos exibiram uma maior reatividade nociceptiva comparados a ratos SHR. A administração central de SP causou um aumento significativo dos comportamentos nociceptivos somente em ratos LEW machos. Todas as doses de NKP608 produziram efeitos do tipo ansiolítico, similar aqueles do CDZ, em ratos SHR machos testados no TCA, mas não no LCE. Por outro lado, este composto teve um efeito ansiolítico parcial para LEW machos (e, em um menor grau, para fêmeas SHR) no LCE, mas não no TCA. Fêmeas LEW não foram afetadas após os tratamentos. Estes resultados sugerem que os níveis basais de ansiedade dos ratos LEW e SHR podem estar associados às diferenças na nocicepção. Estes resultados também sugerem que os efeitos da SP sobre a nocicepção e do NKP608 sobre a ansiedade são linhagem-, sexo- e teste-dependentes e demonstram que as linhagens LEW e SHR constituem um modelo genético útil, não só para estudos comportamentais ligados à ansiedade, mas também para o estudo da dor e, talvez, da relação desta com fatores psicológicos

Uma abordagem farmacogenética para o estudo de reações de defesa e dependência de drogas em ratos

Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Ciênicas Biológicas. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Farmacologi

Two inbred rat strains contrasting for anxiety-related behaviors show similar levels of defensive responses to cat odor

Rodents are known to display fear-related responses when exposed to the odor of natural predators, such as cats, even when they are totally naïve to these stimuli. Based on that, a behavioral test in which rats are exposed to cat odor has been developed and proposed to model some forms of anxiety. The objective of the present study was thus to compare the LEW (Lewis) and SHR (spontaneously hypertensive rats) inbred rat strains, which display genetic differences in other classical models of anxiety, in the cat odor test. As expected, cat odor produced an increase in fear-related behaviors. However, no clear differences were found between the two strains tested. These results suggest that the type of stress experienced by LEW and SHR strains exposed to cat odor is different from that elicited by exposure to classical models of anxiety such as the elevated plus-maze, black/white box and open-field tests

Increased sensitivity to cocaine-induced analgesia in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats (SHR)

This study examined the analgesic effect of cocaine in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats (SHR), which are considered a suitable model for the study of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and in Wistar (WIS) rats of both sexes using the hot-plate test. In addition, we tested whether habituation to the unheated hot-plate apparatus, that "normalizes" the basal hypoalgesic phenotype of SHR, alters the subsequent cocaine-induced analgesia (CIA) in this strain. SHR of both sexes were hypoalgesic compared to WIS rats in the hot-plate test and showed higher sensitivity to CIA. Habituation to the unheated hot-plate reduced the basal nociceptive latency of SHR, suggesting cognitive/emotional modulation of pain in this strain, but did not alter the magnitude of CIA. The present study shows increased sensitivity to CIA in SHR, which may be related to abnormalities in the mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic system. Further studies using SHR strain may reveal new information on the neurobiological mechanisms underlying ADHD and its co-morbidity with drug addiction

A QTL on rat chromosome 7 modulates prepulse inhibition, a neuro-behavioral trait of ADHD, in a Lewis x SHR intercross

BACKGROUND: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a complex neuropsychiatric disorder with a substantial genetic component. The Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats (SHR), considered as a good animal model of ADHD, also show less anxiety-like behaviors than Lewis (LEW) rats. The use of these inbred rat strains led us to the mapping of two quantitative trait loci (QTL), named Ofil1 (on chromosome 4) and Ofil2 (on chromosome 7), related to locomotion in the central and aversive area of an open field. Herein, we examined whether LEW and SHR rats differ in the acoustic startle reflex, a test used to study the neurobiology of anxiety, and in the prepulse inhibition of the startle response, which is known to be impaired in ADHD patients. The effect of the two aforementioned loci on these behavioral responses was also studied. METHODS: For this latter purpose, rats deriving from an F2 intercross between the LEW and SHR strains were selected according to their genotype at markers flanking the QTLs and bred to obtain lines of rats homozygous LEW/LEW or SHR/SHR for each of the two loci, thus generating 4 genotypic combinations. RESULTS: The SHR rats displayed decreased startle and prepulse inhibition levels when compared to LEW rats. Ofil2 affected prepulse inhibition in female rats only. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the LEW and SHR strains are appropriate for studying mechanisms of sensorimotor gating and indicate that the locus Ofil2 on rat chromosome 7 contain genes controlling prepulse inhibition, a neuro-behavioral trait of ADHD

PARCHMENT PRESENCE AND TREATMENT WITH VITAMINS ON THE EMERGENCE OF COFFEE SEEDLINGS

The seedling production of is a stage of great importance for several crops. The seeds of the coffee tree present germination difficulties due to the physical barrier imposed by the parchment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of parchment presence and pre-sowing treatment with vitamins on the emergence of coffee seedlings. The experimental design was completely randomized, in a 2x4 factorial design (parchment presence x types of vitamins), in four replicates with 15 seeds per plot. Vitamins concentration was 100 mg l-1 of thiamine, 100 mg l-1 niacin, 50 mg l-1 thiamine + 50 mg l-1 niacin and a control treatment. The evaluations were performed weekly, with the emerged seedlings being counted until the 76th day after sowing. The emergence percentage was obtained after the 146th day after sowing, counting the number of normal seedlings obtained. The parchment removal increases the speed and the emergence percentage of the coffee seedlings. The treatment with vitamin did not influenced the emergence characteristics of the coffee tree

Mechanisms of Alcohol Addiction: Bridging Human and Animal Studies

Aim: The purpose of this brief narrative review is to address the complexities and benefits of extending animal alcohol addiction research to the human domain, emphasizing Allostasis and Incentive Sensitization, two models that inform many pre-clinical and clinical studies. Methods: The work reviewed includes a range of approaches, including: a) animal and human studies that target the biology of craving and compulsive consumption; b) human investigations that utilize alcohol self-administration and alcohol challenge paradigms, in some cases across 10 years; c) questionnaires that document changes in the positive and negative reinforcing effects of alcohol with increasing severity of addiction; and d) genomic structural equation modeling based on data from animal and human studies. Results: Several general themes emerge from specific study findings. First, positive reinforcement is characteristic of early stage addiction and sometimes diminishes with increasing severity, consistent with both Allostasis and Incentive Sensitization. Second, evidence is less consistent for the predominance of negative reinforcement in later stages of addiction, a key tenant of Allostasis. Finally, there are important individual differences in motivation to drink at a given point in time as well as person-specific change patterns across time. Conclusions: Key constructs of addiction, like stage and reinforcement, are by necessity operationalized differently in animal and human studies. Similarly, testing the validity of addiction models requires different strategies by the two research domains. Although such differences are challenging, they are not insurmountable, and there is much to be gained in understanding and treating addiction by combining pre-clinical and clinical approaches.Fil: Kramer, John. University of Iowa; Estados UnidosFil: Dick, Danielle M.. University of Virginia; Estados UnidosFil: King, Andrea. University of Chicago; Estados UnidosFil: Ray, Lara A.. University of California at Los Angeles; Estados UnidosFil: Sher, Kenneth J.. University of Missouri; Estados UnidosFil: Vena, Ashley. University of Chicago; Estados UnidosFil: Vendruscolo, Leandro F.. National Institutes of Health; Estados UnidosFil: Acion, Laura. University of Iowa; Estados Unidos. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Calculo. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Calculo; Argentin

INFLUÊNCIA DA COMPACTAÇÃO DO SOLO NO CRESCIMENTO DE MILHO (ZEA MAYS L.) EM LATOSSOLO VERMELHO-AMARELO

A compactação do solo constitui um fator limitante ao crescimento e desenvolvimento vegetativo, reduzindo a produtividade agrícola. Neste contexto, objetivou-se com o presente trabalho, avaliar as alterações morfológicas na cultura do milho (Zea mays L.), em Latossolo Vermelho-Amarelo distrófico sob diferentes níveis e em profundidades de compactação. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado, em parcelas subdividas no tempo, disposto em um esquema fatorial 2 x 2 + 1, sendo duas densidades do solo (1,5 e 1,7 g cm-3), duas profundidades da camada compactada (0 - 3 cm e 8 - 11 cm) e um controle com densidade natural do solo (1,3 g cm-3), com três repetições. Foram cultivados o milho híbrido AG 1051 em colunas, durante o período de 31 dias. Durante o período experimental, foram avaliados: a área foliar total (AFT), o número de folhas (NF), o diâmetro do caule (DC), comprimento do caule (CC), volume radicular (VR), massa seca foliar (MSF), do caule (MSC) e das raízes (MSR), a taxa de crescimento absoluto (TCA) e relativo (TCR). De acordo com os resultados obtidos, o aumento da densidade do solo promoveu alterações morfológicas no diâmetro do caule (DC), e no volume da raiz (VR), e, consequentemente, na massa seca da raiz (MSR) e massa seca total (MST). A compactação na camada superficial é mais prejudicial ao crescimento da cultura, do que na camada subsuperficial

LA SOBRECARGA Y DESÁNIMO EN LOS CUIDADORES DE ADULTOS \ud MAYORES

A finalidade deste estudo foi descrever a sobrecarga e o desconforto emocional dos cuidadores de idosos. Estudo \ud epidemiológico e transversal conduzido em 2009 com 124 cuidadores residentes na comunidade de Ribeirão Preto-SP, por meio dos \ud instrumentos: Escala de Sobrecarga de Zarit e Self-Reporting Questionaire (SRQ-20) para o cuidador. A análise dos dados foi realizada \ud no aplicativo SPSS, 15.0, de forma descritiva, univariada (tabelas de frequência) e bivariada (tabelas de contingência para variáveis \ud qualitativas). Os cuidadores, 85,6% do sexo feminino, média de 56,5 anos, utilizaram, em média, 12,4 horas diárias para o cuidar e 57,6% \ud dos cuidadores apresentaram de leve a moderada sobrecarga. Dependência funcional do idoso, sexo do cuidador e tempo em horas \ud para o cuidado, foram preditores da sobrecarga (p<0,05). Encontrou-se, também, que a sobrecarga é fator de risco para desconforto \ud emocional (p<0,05). Cabe aos enfermeiros utilizarem protocolos de avaliação, com base nos fatores de risco, para prevenir a sobrecarga.This epidemiological and cross-sectional study describes the burdens and emotional distress observed among caregivers of elderly people. It was carried out in 2009 with 124 caregivers living in the city of Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brazil, using the following instruments: the Zarit Burden Scale and the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20) for caregivers. Data analysis was carried out in the SPSS, version 15.0, using descriptive, univariate (frequency tables) and bivariate (contingency tables for qualitative variables) statistics. Among the caregivers, 85.6% were women, with an average age of 56.5 years, spent an average of 12.4 hours daily with care, and 57.6% of them had mild to moderate burdens. Multiple linear regressions revealed that older adults' functional dependence and caregivers' gender and time spent weekly providing daily care were predictors of being burdened (p&lt;0.05). Burden is also a risk factor for emotional distress (p&lt;0.05). It is important for nurses to use protocols based on risk factors to evaluate caregivers in order to prevent burdens from developing.La finalidad del estudio fue describir la sobrecarga y desánimo de los cuidadores de adultos mayores. Estudio epidemiológico \ud y transversal realizado en el 2009 con 124 cuidadores que viven en la ciudad de Ribeirão Preto, SP, por medio de los instrumentos \ud de: Escala de Sobrecarga de Zarit y Self-Reporting Questionaire (SQR-20) para el cuidador. El análisis de los datos fue ejecutado en el \ud sistema SPSS, 15.0, de forma descriptiva, univariada (tablas de frecuencia) y bivariada (las tablas de contingencia para las variables \ud cualitativas). Con respecto a los cuidadores, 85,6% fueron del sexo femenino, con edad promedio de 56,5 años, utilizaron en promedio \ud 12,4 horas diarias para el cuidado de los adultos mayores y 57,6% de los cuidadores presentaron de una leve a moderada sobrecarga. \ud La dependencia funcional del adulto mayor, sexo del cuidador y el número de horas para el cuidado fueron factores predictivos de \ud sobrecarga (p<0,05). Se encontró que la sobrecarga es el factor de riesgo para el desánimo (p<0,05). Compete a los enfermeros utilizar \ud protocolos de evaluación, con base en los factores de riesgo, para prevenir la sobrecarga en el cuidador

LA SOBRECARGA Y DESÁNIMO EN LOS CUIDADORES DE ADULTOS \ud MAYORES

A finalidade deste estudo foi descrever a sobrecarga e o desconforto emocional dos cuidadores de idosos. Estudo \ud epidemiológico e transversal conduzido em 2009 com 124 cuidadores residentes na comunidade de Ribeirão Preto-SP, por meio dos \ud instrumentos: Escala de Sobrecarga de Zarit e Self-Reporting Questionaire (SRQ-20) para o cuidador. A análise dos dados foi realizada \ud no aplicativo SPSS, 15.0, de forma descritiva, univariada (tabelas de frequência) e bivariada (tabelas de contingência para variáveis \ud qualitativas). Os cuidadores, 85,6% do sexo feminino, média de 56,5 anos, utilizaram, em média, 12,4 horas diárias para o cuidar e 57,6% \ud dos cuidadores apresentaram de leve a moderada sobrecarga. Dependência funcional do idoso, sexo do cuidador e tempo em horas \ud para o cuidado, foram preditores da sobrecarga (p<0,05). Encontrou-se, também, que a sobrecarga é fator de risco para desconforto \ud emocional (p<0,05). Cabe aos enfermeiros utilizarem protocolos de avaliação, com base nos fatores de risco, para prevenir a sobrecarga.This epidemiological and cross-sectional study describes the burdens and emotional distress observed among caregivers of elderly people. It was carried out in 2009 with 124 caregivers living in the city of Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brazil, using the following instruments: the Zarit Burden Scale and the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20) for caregivers. Data analysis was carried out in the SPSS, version 15.0, using descriptive, univariate (frequency tables) and bivariate (contingency tables for qualitative variables) statistics. Among the caregivers, 85.6% were women, with an average age of 56.5 years, spent an average of 12.4 hours daily with care, and 57.6% of them had mild to moderate burdens. Multiple linear regressions revealed that older adults' functional dependence and caregivers' gender and time spent weekly providing daily care were predictors of being burdened (p&lt;0.05). Burden is also a risk factor for emotional distress (p&lt;0.05). It is important for nurses to use protocols based on risk factors to evaluate caregivers in order to prevent burdens from developing.La finalidad del estudio fue describir la sobrecarga y desánimo de los cuidadores de adultos mayores. Estudio epidemiológico \ud y transversal realizado en el 2009 con 124 cuidadores que viven en la ciudad de Ribeirão Preto, SP, por medio de los instrumentos \ud de: Escala de Sobrecarga de Zarit y Self-Reporting Questionaire (SQR-20) para el cuidador. El análisis de los datos fue ejecutado en el \ud sistema SPSS, 15.0, de forma descriptiva, univariada (tablas de frecuencia) y bivariada (las tablas de contingencia para las variables \ud cualitativas). Con respecto a los cuidadores, 85,6% fueron del sexo femenino, con edad promedio de 56,5 años, utilizaron en promedio \ud 12,4 horas diarias para el cuidado de los adultos mayores y 57,6% de los cuidadores presentaron de una leve a moderada sobrecarga. \ud La dependencia funcional del adulto mayor, sexo del cuidador y el número de horas para el cuidado fueron factores predictivos de \ud sobrecarga (p<0,05). Se encontró que la sobrecarga es el factor de riesgo para el desánimo (p<0,05). Compete a los enfermeros utilizar \ud protocolos de evaluación, con base en los factores de riesgo, para prevenir la sobrecarga en el cuidador