PT-31, a putative α2-adrenoceptor agonist, is effective in schizophrenia cognitive symptoms in mice.

Evidence of changes in central noradrenergic activity has been reported in schizophrenic patients and studies indicate that activation of the α2-adrenoceptor improves memory and neuroprotection. In this study, a new imidazolidine derivative 3-(2-chloro-6-fluorobenzyl)-imidazolidine-2,4-dione, PT-31, a putative α2A-adrenoceptor agonist, was evaluated in mouse models predictive of efficacy in the treatment of positive and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia, as well as its ability to promote cerebellar granule cell survival in vitro, in the presence or absence of glutamate (100 µmol/l). PT-31 prevented apomorphine-induced climbing and the ketamine-induced hyperlocomotion, without inducing catalepsy or motor impairment. PT-31 protected against the impairment of prepulse inhibition induced by apomorphine, (±)-DOI, and ketamine. The molecule did not affect mouse short nor long-term memory per se, but it protected against ketamine-induced memory impairment when administered at different stages of the memory process (acquisition, consolidation, and retrieval) in the novel object recognition task. When added to cultured cerebellar granule neurons, PT-31 was not toxic per se and protected neurons from glutamate-induced apoptosis. In conclusion, PT-31 displayed a preclinical pharmacology predictive of neuroprotective effects and efficacy in relieving schizophrenia symptoms, without inducing motor side effects, suggesting that it could represent a molecular scaffold for antipsychotic drug development.

Population Pharmacokinetic Modeling to Describe the Total Plasma and Free Brain Levels of Fluconazole in Healthy and Cryptococcus neoformans Infected Rats: How Does the Infection Impact the Drug's Levels on Biophase?

PURPOSE: The present work aimed to evaluate the influence of experimental meningitis caused by C. neoformans on total plasma and free brain concentrations of fluconazole (FLC) in Wistar rats. METHOD: The infection was induced by the administration of 100 µL of inoculum (1.105 CFU) through the tail vein. Free drug in the brain was assessed by microdialisys (µD). Blood and µD samples were collected at pre-determined time points up to 12 h after intravenous administration of FLC (20 mg/kg) to healthy and infected rats. The concentration-time profiles were analyzed by non-compartmental and population pharmacokinetics approaches. RESULTS: A two-compartmental popPK model was able to simultaneously describe plasma and free drug concentrations in the brain for both groups investigated. Analysis of plasma and µD samples showed a better FLC distribution on the brain of infected than healthy animals (1.04 ± 0.31 vs 0.69 ± 0.14, respectively). The probability of target attainment was calculated by Monte Carlo simulations based on the developed popPK model for 125 mg/kg dose for rats and 400-2000 mg for humans. CONCLUSIONS: FLC showed a limited use in monotherapy to the treatment of criptoccocosis in rats and humans to value of MIC >8 µg/mL.

Denudatin A, a Dimeric Acylphloroglucinol from Hypericum denudatum Presents an Antinociceptive Effect in Mice.

A new dimeric acylphloroglucinol, denudatin A (1), was isolated from the flowering aerials parts of Hypericum denudatum, along with the known phloroglucinols selancin A (2), hyperbrasilol A (3), uliginosin B (4), and isouliginosin B (5). The structure of 1 was elucidated using 1D, 2D NMR, and MS experiments, and by comparison with previously reported data for Hypericum dimeric acylphloroglucinols. Denudatin A (1) and selancin A (2) were administered orally to mice displaying antinociceptive activity in the hot plate test. The compounds did not induce motor impairment in the rotarod apparatus.

Pyridinic analog of the natural product (-)-spectaline as potential adjuvant for the treatment of central nervous system disorders.

Previously we designed a series of pyridinic anticholinesterasic compounds based on molecular hybridization between tacrine and the natural piperidine alkaloid (-)-3-O-acetylspectaline isolated from Senna spectabilis. Based on the information that the cholinergic system has an important role in the treatment of schizophrenia and depression, we herein report the evaluation of a series of pyridinic compounds in animal models for antipsychotic and antidepressant-like activities. Compound 2 decreased the immobility time of mice in the forced swimming test (5 and 10mg/kg p.o.) and prevented the climbing behavior induced by apomorphine (10mg/kg, p.o.), without impairing animals locomotor activity.

Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic modeling of cortical dopamine concentrations after quetiapine lipid core nanocapsules administration to schizophrenia phenotyped rats.

Schizophrenia (SCZ) response to pharmacological treatment is highly variable. Quetiapine (QTP) administered as QTP lipid core nanocapsules (QLNC) has been shown to modulate drug delivery to the brain of SCZ phenotyped rats (SPR). In the present study, we describe the brain concentration-effect relationship after administrations of QTP as a solution or QLNC to SPR and naïve animals. A semimechanistic pharmacokinetic (PK) model describing free QTP concentrations in the brain was linked to a pharmacodynamic (PD) model to correlate the drug kinetics to changes in dopamine (DA) medial prefrontal cortex extracellular concentrations determined by intracerebral microdialysis. Different structural models were investigated to fit DA concentrations after QTP dosing, and the final model describes the synthesis, release, and elimination of DA using a pool compartment. The results show that nanoparticles increase QTP brain concentrations and DA peak after drug dosing to SPR. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that combines microdialysis and PK/PD modeling in a neurodevelopmental model of SCZ to investigate how a nanocarrier can modulate drug PK and PD, contributing to the development of new treatment strategies for SCZ.

Environmental enrichment affects behavioral and pharmacological response to antidepressants in CF1 mice.

It has been described that environmental enrichment (EE) exerts beneficial effects on cognitive and emotional performances, dendritic branching, synaptic density, neurogenesis and modulation of neurotrophic systems and neurotransmitters in rodents. However, the influence of EE on pharmacological and behavioral responses in animal models of psychiatric disorders has not been fully established. In this context, the aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of exposure to EE on mice behavior in the open field test (OFT) and forced swimming tests (FST), as well as the response to antidepressant drugs (fluoxetine 30 mg/kg and bupropion 30 mg/kg, p.o.). CF1 mice were exposed to an enriched housing condition at different developmental stages: from mating to postnatal day (PND) 55 (lifelong enrichment), from mating to PND21 (perinatal enrichment) and from PND21 to PND55 (post-weaning enrichment). At PND58 the male offspring were evaluated in the OFT and FST. BDNF gene expression in the hippocampus was determined through qPCR. Mice exposed to perinatal enrichment remained longer in the peripheral zone of the OFT and performed fewer grooming than mice housed under standard condition, and these effects were independent of drug treatment. Post-weaning and lifelong enrichment increased grooming behavior. Bupropion reduced grooming in all groups except in perinatal enriched. In turn, fluoxetine decreased grooming only in post-weaning enriched group. None of the enriched housing conditions altered the immobility time in the FST, which indicates that EE had no antidepressant-like effect. However, all enriched housing conditions abolished the anti-immobility effect of bupropion. None of the EE protocols affected BDNF hippocampal expression. The main conclusion is that mice behavior in the OFT is sensitive to alterations in the housing environment and depends on the developmental stage of exposure. Bupropion and fluoxetine yielded divergent responses depending on the housing condition, which suggests that EE modulates monoaminergic neurotransmission pathways.

In silico Prediction of ADMET/Drug-likeness Properties of Bioactive Phloroglucinols from Hypericum Genus.

BACKGROUND: Dimeric acylphloroglucinols occurring in species from sections Brathys and Trigynobrathys of the genus Hypericum exhibit acylfilicinic acid and acylphloroglucinol moieties linked by a methylene bridge. However, this chemical feature differs from hyperforin, from H. perforatum (Hypericum section). Some dimeric acylphloroglucinols, such as uliginosin B, display similar pharmacological activities, namely antidepressant and antinociceptive. However, there is no knowledge about the pharmacokinetic profile and no toxicity studies of these compounds in intact mammals. OBJECTIVE: To perform an in silico evaluation of the similarity, pharmacokinetics and toxicity (ADMET) properties of dimeric acylphloroglucinols from species native to Central and South America. METHODS: ADMET prediction of eleven elected phloroglucinols followed by the chemical space evaluation of thirty-five dimeric acylphloroglucinols derivatives labeled according to their prenylation/ geranylation pattern through principal component analysis (PCA). The similarity analysis was performed using the Tanimoto similarity index. ADMET properties were predicted with the opensource software SwissADME and pkCSM-pharmacokinetics. RESULTS: Several compounds showed good human intestinal absorption. However, they may present difficulties in crossing the blood-brain barrier, probably due to the high tPSA values. The predicted toxicity parameters indicated that most compounds have low toxicity. Most non-prenylated phloroglucinols were disposed into Lipinski's rule limits. Uliginosin B, isouliginosin B and japonicin A seem to be druglike compounds. The PCA model explained 77.49% of the total variance, and molecular similarity analyses revealed some expected similarities between isomers and different compounds. CONCLUSION: Dimeric acylphloroglucinols may be promising drug candidates and deserve further pharmacological and medicinal chemistry studies.

Effect of storage time and conditions on the diene valepotriates content of the extract of Valeriana glechomifolia obtained by supercritical carbon dioxide.

INTRODUCTION: Valepotriates (epoxy iridoid esters) represent an important group of constituents that contribute to pharmacological effects for the genus Valeriana. Storage and extraction of valepotriates is a demanding task, as these compounds are thermolabile and unstable: even when decomposition products are not formed, isovaleric acid liberation from the iridoid nucleus originate compounds with less complex substituents. OBJECTIVE: To study the influence of time and storage conditions on the diene valepotriates (valtrate, isovaltrate, acevaltrate, 1-ß-acevaltrate, 1-ß-aceacevaltrate) content of the Valeriana glechomifolia (native to southern Brazil), extract was obtained by supercritical fluid extraction using CO2 as the fluid (SF-CO2). METHODOLOGY: Above-ground and below-ground material of V. glechomifolia was extracted by SF-CO2 (40 °C, 90 bar). The extract was stored under nitrogen atmosphere or solubilised in methanol. Valepotriates stability was accessed during storage at -20 °C over 8 months through reverse-phase HPLC (mobile phase acetonitrile:water 50:50 (v/v); 254 nm). RESULTS: A gradual increase in valtrate levels and decrease in acevaltrate, 1-ß-acevaltrate and 1-ß-aceacevaltrate, concentration were observed from the first month of storage for the dry extract. However, for the methanol solubilised extract these changes occurred only after the third month and were accompanied by reduction in isovaltrate levels and formation of decomposition products. CONCLUSION: SF-CO2 showed high selectivity for valepotriates extraction. This is the first report on valepotriates molecular conversion, which was less accelerated when the extract was stored in methanol, but under this condition degradation products are also present, probably baldrinals, that are not observed in the dry extract.

The anti-immobility effect of hyperoside on the forced swimming test in rats is mediated by the D2-like receptors activation.

The crude extracts of HYPERICUM species native to South Brazil showed analgesic and antidepressant-like effects in rodents. The chemical characterization of these species revealed that they are rich in flavonoids and phloroglucinol derivatives. In the present study a detailed investigation was performed on the activities of hyperoside (HYP), a common flavonoid in the genus HYPERICUM. Hyperoside was obtained from the aerial parts of H. CAPRIFOLIATUM by chromatographic procedures. Mice treated with single doses (10, 20 and 40 mg/kg i.p.) did not present signs of toxicity or weight loss. At 20 and 40 mg/kg i.p. the mice exploratory behavior in the open field test was reduced. At 20 mg/kg i. p. the pentobarbital sleeping time increased, but not the sleeping latency. No activity was found on the hot-plate (10 and 20 mg/kg i.p.) or in the acetic acid-induced writhing test (20 and 40 mg/kg p.o.). Nevertheless, an antidepressant-like effect in the forced swimming test in mice and rats was observed (HYP 10 and 20 mg/kg i.p. in mice; HYP 1.8 mg/kg/day p.o. in rats). The antidepressant-like effect in rats was prevented by the administration of sulpiride (50 mg/kg i.p.) a D2 antagonist. In conclusion, hyperoside was found to present a depressor effect on the central nervous system as well as an antidepressant-like effect in rodents which is, at least in part, mediated by the dopaminergic system.

Post-weaning social isolation impairs purinergic signaling in rat brain.

Early life stressors, such as social isolation (SI), can disrupt brain development contributing to behavioral and neurochemical alterations in adulthood. Purinergic receptors and ectonucleotidases are key regulators of brain development in embryonic and postnatal periods, and they are involved in several psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. The extracellular ATP drives purinergic signaling by activating P2X and P2Y receptors and it is hydrolyzed by ectonucleotidases in adenosine, which activates P1 receptors. The purpose of this study was to investigate if SI, a rodent model used to replicate abnormal behavior relevant to schizophrenia, impacts purinergic signaling. Male Wistar rats were reared from weaning in group-housed or SI conditions for 8 weeks. SI rats exhibited impairment in prepulse inhibition and social interaction. SI presented increased ADP levels in cerebrospinal fluid and ADP hydrolysis in the hippocampus and striatum synaptosomes. Purinergic receptor expressions were upregulated in the prefrontal cortex and downregulated in the hippocampus and striatum. A2A receptors were differentially expressed in SI prefrontal cortex and the striatum, suggesting distinct roles in these brain structures. SI also presented decreased ADP, adenosine, and guanosine levels in the cerebrospinal fluid in response to D-amphetamine. Like patients with schizophrenia, uric acid levels were prominently increased in SI rats after D-amphetamine challenge. We suggest that the SI-induced deficits in prepulse inhibition might be related to the SI-induced changes in purinergic signaling. We provide new evidence that purinergic signaling is markedly affected in a rat model relevant to schizophrenia, pointing out the importance of purinergic system in psychiatry conditions.

The antinociceptive effect of a benzopyran (HP1) isolated from Hypericum polyanthemum in mice hot-plate test is blocked by naloxone.

Several species of the genus Hypericum (Guttiferae) have been used for analgesic purposes all over the world and some of them have demonstrated to possess this effect in rodents. This study describes the antinociceptive effect of the cyclohexane extract from aerial parts of H. polyanthemum (POL) as well as of benzopyrans, 6-isobutyryl-5,7-dimethoxy-2,2-dimethyl-benzopyran (HP1), 7-hydroxy-6-isobutyryl-5-methoxy-2,2-dimethyl-benzopyran (HP2), and 5-hydroxy-6-isobutyryl-7-methoxy-2,2-dimethyl-benzopyran (HP3), which are the main components of POL. The antinociceptive effect was evaluated through hot-plate and writhing tests in mice, and the opioid system involvement was assessed by using naloxone (2.5 mg/kg, s.c.) antagonism. In the hot-plate test, POL (45, 90, 180 mg/kg, p.o) showed a dose-dependent effect, and out of the benzopyrans only HP1 (30, 60, 90 mg/kg, i.p.) was active. Its effect was also dose-dependent, with the maximum reached at 60 mg/kg. HP1 60 mg/kg (p.o.) also inhibited acetic acid-induced writhing in 58%. The pretreatment with naloxone abolished the antinociceptive effect of HP1 60 mg/kg (i.p) in the hot plate. Furthermore, the H. polyanthemum cyclohexane extract and HP1 did not affect the mice performance in the rota-rod apparatus suggesting that at antinociceptive doses they do not present gross neurotoxicity nor induce motor impairment. From these data it is reasonable to assume that the benzopyran HP1 accounts for the H. polyanthemum cyclohexane extract antinociceptive effect, and this effect is, at least in part, mediated by an opioid-like mechanism.

Quantification of neurotransmitters in microdialysate samples following quetiapine dosing to schizophrenia phenotyped rats using a validated LC-MS/MS method.

A versatile method was developed and validated for simultaneous determination of the monoamine neurotransmitters (MNT) dopamine (DA), 3-4-dyhydroxyphenilacetic acid (DOPAC), homovanilic acid (HVA), serotonin (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid (5-HIAA) in rat brain microdialysate samples using high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The method allowed for small sample volume, using positive and negative ionization mode in a single run analysis without any derivatization or cleanup steps. Analytes were quantified at concentrations ranging from 100 ng/mL to 0.05, 10, 0.5, 0.1 or 1 ng/mL (lower limit of quantification, LLOQ) of DA, DOPAC, HVA, 5-HT and 5-HIAA, respectively, showing linearity (r > 0.98), accuracy, and precision (R.S.D ± 15%) according to validation limits accepted by international guidelines. The method was successfully applied for monitoring the concentration changes of MNT in microdialysate samples from medium prefrontal cortex of Wistar rats in a neurodevelopmental model of schizophrenia before and after quetiapine 5 mg/kg i.v. bolus dose administration. No alterations in MNTs were observed in schizophrenia phenotyped rats (SPR) in comparison to the baseline shading a light on the limited response rate to antipsychotic drugs observed in chronic schizophrenic patients.

Quetiapine lipid core nanocapsules restore prepulse inhibition deficits in a neurodevelopmental model of schizophrenia in male and female rats.

Lipid core nanocapsules (LNC) have been extensively studied as a new treatment strategy to improve therapeutic effects of antipsychotic drugs. We investigated the efficacy of quetiapine LNCs (QLNCs) on the poly(i:c) model of schizophrenia in both male and female rats using the pre-pulse inhibition of startle response (PPI) test paradigm after evaluating the outcomes of three different poly(i:c) doses administered to pregnant damns at GD15 on neurodevelopmental outcomes of maternal immune activation (MIA) in adult offspring. QTP solution was not capable of producing a reversal in the sensorimotor gating-disruptive effect caused by the prenatal poly(i:c) exposure. The same dose of QTP given as QLNCs significantly improved PPI-impairment. This is the first study reporting the restoration of the PPI deficits in a neurodevelopmental model of SCZ using LNCs. This is a promising delivery system strategy to improve antipsychotic effects contributing to the development of better SCZ pharmacological treatments.

Pharmacokinetic evaluation of LASSBio-579: an N-phenylpiperazine antipsychotic prototype.

This work aimed to investigate the pharmacokinetics of the N-phenylpiperazine antipsychotic prototype LASSBio-579 and to compare the results with those described for its bioisosteric derivative LASSBio-581. LASSBio-579 was administered to male Wistar rats as a 10 mg kg(-1) intravenous bolus and 30 and 60 mg kg(-1) intraperitoneal and 60 mg kg(-1) oral doses, and plasma concentrations were determined by a validated LC-MS/MS method. Individual plasma concentration-time profiles were evaluated by non-compartmental and compartmental analysis, using WinNonlin. LASSBio-579 plasma protein binding was 93 +/- 4%. After intravenous administration of 10 mg kg(-1), the Vd(ss) (0.6 +/- 0.2 L kg -1) and the t(1/2) (5.2 +/- 1.1 h) determined were smaller than those obtained after extravascular routes, but the CL(tot) (0.23 +/- 0.05 Lh(-1)kg(-1)) was statistically similar (alpha = 0.05). The intraperitoneal and oral bioavailability was around 1.7% and 0.6%, respectively. The plasma profiles obtained after intravenous and intraperitoneal administration of the compound were best fitted to a three-compartment and two-compartment lag-time open model, respectively. Brain tissue showed low penetration (6.3%) and t(1/2) of 1.1 h. Both the limited bioavailability and the lower brain penetration of LASSBio-579, in comparison with the LASSBio-581, suggest that its CNS activity may be due to a high receptor binding affinity or to a specific distribution into brain structures.

Hypericum polyanthemum cyclohexane extract potentiates behavioral effects and neurodegeneration induced by nigral infusions of 6-hydroxydopamine in rats.

INTRODUCTION: Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, hallmark of which is loss of nigral dopaminergic neurons. Since a Hypericum polyanthemum extract inhibits monoamine reuptake and some of its constituents present cytotoxic properties, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of this extract in an animal PD model. METHODS: Adult Wistar rats (110 days old) received 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) infusions into the right medial forebrain bundle. A cyclohexane extract from aerial parts of H. polyanthemum (POL; 90 mg/kg/administration; gavage) was administered in three different regimens. In Regimens 1 and 2, rats received 3 administrations of POL starting 4 or 24 h after 6-OHDA infusion, respectively. In Regimen 3, these administrations were carried out 1 day before any evaluation of ipsilateral rotational activity induced by methylphenidate (MP, 20 mg/kg, i.p.). MP was administered 10, 45, and 85 days after 6-OHDA infusion in all groups. Nigral tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunocontent was evaluated 120 days after 6-OHDA infusion in animals submitted to Regimen 2 only. The effect of POL on apomorphine-induced climbing behavior in non-lesioned adult CF1 mice (60 days old) treated with POL was also evaluated. RESULTS: Regimen 2 increased MP-induced rotational activity and decreased nigral TH levels in 6-OHDA-lesioned rats. Rotational activity was not altered in regimens 1 and 3. In addition, no change in climbing behavior was observed in non-lesioned mice. CONCLUSION: Together, these results indicate that, in 6-OHDA-lesioned rats, a cyclohexane H. polyanthemum extract potentiates neurotoxicity and MP-induced motor asymmetry depending on the time of administration. In the short term, it seems to not act directly on mice dopaminergic receptors.

Plants popularly used for loosing weight purposes in Porto Alegre, South Brazil.

In this study, 14 herbalists (herb sellers) were interviewed about popular use of plants with weight loss purpose in Porto Alegre, a South Brazil city. For all identified species, scientific data were reviewed aiming to establish a correlation between popular use and biological properties. Seventy-eight samples were reported as having weigh loss properties. These samples come from 23 species and Asteraceae encompasses the greatest number of representatives. The greatest number of herbalist's citations was Baccharis articulata. The majority of plants have traditional use in Brazil but none is explicitly cited for loosing weight purposes. The pharmacological data are mainly from animal and in vitro studies and do not straight related to obesity. Only Ilex paraguariensis presents clinical data of efficacy in the treatment of obesity. Seven species present pre-clinical data that indicate a potential role in the control of certain conditions which are associated with obesity, such as hyperlipidemia (Campomanesia xanthocarpa, Cuphea carthagenensis, Cynara scolymus, Hibiscus sabdariffa, Ilex paraguariensis) and high levels of blood glucose (Achyrocline satureioides, Baccharis trimera, Campomanesia xanthocarpa). In conclusion, scientific data found are insufficient to guarantee the efficacy and safety of these plants for treating obesity. However, some of them present activities which could be useful to treat certain obesity comorbidities and deserve further studies.

Uliginosin B, a Possible New Analgesic Drug, Acts by Modulating the Adenosinergic System.

Uliginosin B (ULI) is a natural acylphloroglucinol that has been proposed as a new molecular scaffold for developing analgesic and antidepressant drugs. Its effects seem to be due to its ability to increase monoamines in the synaptic cleft by inhibiting their neuronal uptake without binding to their respective transporters, but its exact mode of action is still unknown. Considering the importance of the purinergic system to pain transmission and its modulation by monoamines availability, the aim of this study was to investigate the involvement of adenosinergic signaling in antinociceptive effect of uliginosin B. The selective adenosine A1 receptor antagonist DPCPX and the selective A2A antagonist ZM 241385 prevented the effect of ULI in the hot-plate test in mice. Pretreatment with inhibitors of adenosine reuptake (dipyridamole) or adenosine deaminase (EHNA) did not affect the ULI effect. On the other hand, its effect was completely prevented by an inhibitor of ecto-5'-nucleotidase (AMPCP). This finding was confirmed ex vivo, whereby ULI treatment increased AMP and ATP hydrolysis in spinal cord and cerebral cortex synaptosomes, respectively. Altogether, these data indicate that activation of A1 and A2A receptors and the modulation of ecto-5'-nucleotidase activity contribute to the antinociceptive effect of ULI.

Pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of a new heterocyclic N-phenylpiperazine derivative (LASSBio-581) in rats.

This work investigated the pharmacokinetics of a new N-phenylpiperazine derivative (LASSBio-581), active on dopaminergic system. LASSBio-581 plasma concentrations were determined in rats after bolus administration of 10mg/kg, i.v., 30 and 60 mg/kg, i.p. and p.o., by HPLC. Individual profiles were evaluated by non-compartmental and compartmental analysis using WinNonlin. Protein binding by ultrafiltration showed free fraction of 29+/-4%. The compound showed linear pharmacokinetics for the extravascular doses investigated. The oral bioavailability ( approximately 25%) was approximately half of the intra-peritoneal one ( approximately 47%). The 60 mg/kg oral dose showed an unusual profile with two peaks (1 and 6h). A two-compartment model better described all plasma profiles. The Vd (0.8+/-0.4l/kg) and the t(1/2) (1.2+/-0.4h) were smaller for i.v. than for the other routes. The CL(tot) was statistically similar for all three administration routes investigated (0.6+/-0.2l/(hkg)) (alpha=0.05). The compound distribution into different organs, evaluated in tissue homogenates after i.v. administration, showed a higher penetration in lungs (51.0%), followed by the brain (39.2%), where the half-life was three times bigger than in the other tissues (1.9h). The compound brain profile agreed with the central nervous system activity determined.

Immobility behavior during the forced swim test correlates with BNDF levels in the frontal cortex, but not with cognitive impairments.

The forced swim test (FST) is widely used to evaluate the antidepressant-like activity of compounds and is sensitive to stimuli that cause depression-like behaviors in rodents. The immobility behavior observed during the test has been considered to represent behavioral despair. In addition, some studies suggest that the FST impairs rats' performance on cognitive tests, but these findings have rarely been explored. Thus, we investigated the effects of the FST on behavioral tests related to neuropsychiatric diseases that involve different cognitive components: novel object recognition (NOR), the object location test (OLT) and prepulse inhibition (PPI). Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in the frontal cortex and hippocampus were evaluated. The rats were forced to swim twice (15-min session followed by a 5-min session 24h later) and underwent cognitive tests 24h after the last swimming exposure. The FST impaired the rats' performance on the OLT and reduced the PPI and acoustic startle responses, whereas the NOR was not affected. The cognitive impairments were not correlated with an immobility behavior profile, but a significant negative correlation between the frontal BDNF levels and immobility behavior was identified. These findings suggest a protective role of BDNF against behavioral despair and demonstrate a deleterious effect of the FST on spatial memory and pre-attentive processes, which point to the FST as a tool to induce cognitive impairments analogous to those observed in depression and in other neuropsychiatric disorders.

Repeated forced swimming impairs prepulse inhibition and alters brain-derived neurotrophic factor and astroglial parameters in rats.

Glutamate perturbations and altered neurotrophin levels have been strongly associated with the neurobiology of neuropsychiatric disorders. Environmental stress is a risk factor for mood disorders, disrupting glutamatergic activity in astrocytes in addition to cognitive behaviours. Despite the negative impact of stress-induced neuropsychiatric disorders on public health, the molecular mechanisms underlying the response of the brain to stress has yet to be fully elucidated. Exposure to repeated swimming has proven useful for evaluating the loss of cognitive function after pharmacological and behavioural interventions, but its effect on glutamate function has yet to be fully explored. In the present study, rats previously exposed to repeated forced swimming were evaluated using the novel object recognition test, object location test and prepulse inhibition (PPI) test. In addition, quantification of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA expression and protein levels, glutamate uptake, glutathione, S100B, GluN1 subunit of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor and calmodulin were evaluated in the frontal cortex and hippocampus after various swimming time points. We found that swimming stress selectively impaired PPI but did not affect memory recognition. Swimming stress altered the frontal cortical and hippocampal BDNF expression and the activity of hippocampal astrocytes by reducing hippocampal glutamate uptake and enhancing glutathione content in a time-dependent manner. In conclusion, these data support the assumption that astrocytes may regulate the activity of brain structures related to cognition in a manner that alters complex behaviours. Moreover, they provide new insight regarding the dynamics immediately after an aversive experience, such as after behavioural despair induction, and suggest that forced swimming can be employed to study altered glutamatergic activity and PPI disruption in rodents.