Blockade of nucleus accumbens 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptors prevents the expression of cocaine-induced behavioral and neurochemical sensitization in rats

The serotonin 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptors regulate the capacity of acute cocaine to augment behavior and monoamine levels within the nucleus accumbens (NAC), a brain region involved in cocaine’s addictive and psychotogenic properties. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that NAC 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptor activation is involved in the expression of cocaine-induced neuroplasticity following protracted withdrawal from a sensitizing repeated cocaine regimen (days 1 and 7, 15 mg/kg; days 2–6, 30 mg/kg, i.p.). The effects of intra-NAC infusions of the 5-HT2A antagonist R-(+)-α-(2,3-dimethoxyphenyl)-1-[2-(4-fluorophenylethyl)]-4-piperidine methanol (MDL 100907; 0, 50, 100, 500 nM) or the 5-HT2C antagonist [6-chloro-5-methyl-1-(6-(2-methylpiridin-3-yloxy)pyridine-3-yl carbamoyl] inodoline dihydrochloride (SB 242084; 0, 50, 100, 500 nM) were first assessed upon the expression of locomotor activity elicited by a 15-mg/kg cocaine challenge injection administered at 3-week withdrawal. A follow-up in vivo microdialysis experiment then compared the effects of the local perfusion of 0, 50, or 100 nM of each antagonist upon cocaine-induced dopamine and glutamate sensitization in the NAC. Although neither MDL 100907 nor SB 242084 altered acute cocaine-induced locomotion, SB 242084 reduced acute cocaine-elevated NAC dopamine and glutamate levels. Intra-NAC perfusion with either compound blocked the expression of cocaine-induced locomotor and glutamate sensitization, but only MDL 100907 pretreatment prevented the expression of cocaine-induced dopamine sensitization. These data provide the first evidence that NAC 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptors are critical for the expression of cocaine-induced neuroplasticity following protracted withdrawal, which has relevance for their therapeutic utility in the treatment of addiction

Futebol feminino: um produto anexo: documentário sobre o futebol feminino

Trabalho de projeto apresentado à Escola Superior de Comunicação Social como parte dos requisitos para obtenção de grau de mestre em Audiovisual e Multimédia.“Futebol não é para meninas”. Essa é a primeira frase, narrada por um homem, de um vídeo para uma campanha de apoio ao futebol feminino realizada pela Federação Portuguesa de Futebol. Parece uma frase datada do tempo em que as mulheres ainda não tinham sequer o direito ao voto, mas é acompanhada por imagens de mulheres que são capazes de marcar golos. Contraditório? É como tem sido o desenvolvimento do futebol feminino. Essa disparidade pôde ser observada ao longo de 2017. No mesmo ano, a Seleção Nacional principal de futebol feminino português marcou presença, pela primeira vez, na fase final do Campeonato Europeu, realizado em julho. Entretanto, apesar da vitória conquistada, seis meses antes uma notícia no Diário de Notícias afirmava que em Portugal havia apenas seis jogadoras com o estatuto profissional. O objetivo então passa pela realização de um documentário que pretende apresentar as problemáticas encontradas que acabam por dificultar a profissionalização de jogadoras no futebol feminino. Focando-se no contexto português, o presente trabalho busca ainda contextualizar a história do futebol feminino em Portugal. Além disso, o documentário realizado quer transmitir, pelas palavras das próprias jogadoras, as barreiras que tiveram que enfrentar e ultrapassar, dentro e fora de campo, para fazer do futebol uma carreira. As perguntas que o documentário procura responder surgem aquando da publicação da campanha “Responde em Campo”, realizada pela Federação Portuguesa de Futebol. Por isso, a vertente dos media e da comunicação neste contexto não é deixada de lado. Afinal, o futebol feminino é apenas um anexo do desporto rei?ABSTRACT: “Football is not for girls”. Those are the first words, said by a man, in a video as part of a campaign done by the Portuguese Football Federation to support women’s football. It looks like a phrase dating back to the time when women still did not even have the right to vote, however it is followed by images of women who are able to score goals. Paradoxical? This is how the development of women’s football has been. This disparity could be observed throughout 2017. In the same year, the National Women’s Football Team was qualified, for the first time, to be in the final phase of the European Championship, held in July. However, despite this achievement, six months earlier a news in the newspaper “Diário de Notícias” stated that in Portugal there were only six players with a professional status. The goal, then, is to produce a documentary that aims to present the problems encountered that end up hindering the professionalization of female football players. Focusing on the portuguese context, the current work done also seeks to contextualize the history of women’s football in Portugal. In addition, the documentary wants to convey, in the words of the players themselves, the barriers they had to face and overcome, on and off the field, to make football as a career. The questions that the documentary seeks to answer appear in the publication of the campaign “Responde em Campo”, conducted by the Portuguese Football Federation. Therefore, the media and communication aspect in this context is not left out. After all, is women’s football just a by-product of the king of sport?N/

Blockade of nucleus accumbens 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptors prevents the expression of cocaine-induced behavioral and neurochemical sensitization in rats

The serotonin 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptors regulate the capacity of acute cocaine to augment behavior and monoamine levels within the nucleus accumbens (NAC), a brain region involved in cocaine’s addictive and psychotogenic properties. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that NAC 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptor activation is involved in the expression of cocaine-induced neuroplasticity following protracted withdrawal from a sensitizing repeated cocaine regimen (days 1 and 7, 15 mg/kg; days 2–6, 30 mg/kg, i.p.). The effects of intra-NAC infusions of the 5-HT2A antagonist R-(+)-α-(2,3-dimethoxyphenyl)-1-[2-(4-fluorophenylethyl)]-4-piperidine methanol (MDL 100907; 0, 50, 100, 500 nM) or the 5-HT2C antagonist [6-chloro-5-methyl-1-(6-(2-methylpiridin-3-yloxy)pyridine-3-yl carbamoyl] inodoline dihydrochloride (SB 242084; 0, 50, 100, 500 nM) were first assessed upon the expression of locomotor activity elicited by a 15-mg/kg cocaine challenge injection administered at 3-week withdrawal. A follow-up in vivo microdialysis experiment then compared the effects of the local perfusion of 0, 50, or 100 nM of each antagonist upon cocaine-induced dopamine and glutamate sensitization in the NAC. Although neither MDL 100907 nor SB 242084 altered acute cocaine-induced locomotion, SB 242084 reduced acute cocaine-elevated NAC dopamine and glutamate levels. Intra-NAC perfusion with either compound blocked the expression of cocaine-induced locomotor and glutamate sensitization, but only MDL 100907 pretreatment prevented the expression of cocaine-induced dopamine sensitization. These data provide the first evidence that NAC 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptors are critical for the expression of cocaine-induced neuroplasticity following protracted withdrawal, which has relevance for their therapeutic utility in the treatment of addiction