Hydroalcoholic Extract of Rabbiteye Blueberry (Vaccinium ashei) Leaves Mitigates Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress Model Inducing Depressive-Like Behavior in Rats.

Several studies reported that rabbiteye blueberry (Vaccinium ashei Reade) leaves present promising biological properties. To the best of our knowledge, no study investigated the possible application of their hydroalcoholic extract for treating mood disorders. Herein, we evaluated if the hydroalcoholic extract of rabbiteye blueberry (Vaccinium ashei Reade) leaves (HEV) promotes an antidepressant-like effect in rodents using chronic experimental approaches. The effect of repeated administration of HEV (50 mg/kg, p.o.) on the immobility time was assessed in the forced swimming test (FST) in an unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) model. Repeated treatment with HEV reversed the depressive-like behavior induced by UCMS by reducing the immobility time. Besides, the exposure to HEV caused no changes in relative organ weights in rats submitted to UCMS. The results indicated that HEV administration presented antidepressant-like action devoid of toxic effects. Thus, it is possible to suggest its potential as a safe and accessible therapeutic tool in the management of depression and other related mood disorders.

p,p'-Methoxyl-diphenyl diselenide-loaded polymeric nanocapsules as a novel approach to inflammatory pain treatment: Behavioral, biochemistry and molecular evidence.

The current study investigated the effect of organoselenium compound p,p'-methoxyl-diphenyl diselenide [(OMePhSe)2], free or incorporated into nanocapsules, on behavioral, biochemical and molecular alterations in an inflammatory pain model induced by complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). Male Swiss mice received an intraplantar injection of CFA in the hindpaw and 24 h later they were treated via the intragastric route with a single (OMePhSe)2 administration, in its free form (dissolved in canola oil) or (OMePhSe)2 NC. The anti-hypernociceptive time- and dose-response curves were carried out using the von Frey hair test. Biochemical and histological parameters were determined in samples of injected paws and those of cerebral contralateral cortex were collected to determine immuno content of inflammatory proteins. Both (OMePhSe)2 forms reduced the hypernociception induced by CFA as well as attenuated the altered parameters of the inflammatory process in the paw (paw edema, myeloperoxidase and histological). However, the (OMePhSe)2 NC had a more prolonged anti-hypernociceptive action (7h) at a lower dose (10mg/kg) and superior effects on the paw alterations than the free compound form (4h and 25mg/kg). Furthermore, independent of the (OMePhSe)2 form, its administration decreased the MAPKs pathway activation (JNK;ERK1,2; p38) as well as iNOS, COX-2, Nf-κB and IL-1ß protein contents in the cerebral contralateral cortex that were increased by paw CFA injection. Therefore, (OMePhSe)2 NC had superior anti-inflammatory action, which possibly occurs by the inflammatory protein content modulation and also attenuates paw biochemical and histological inflammatory alterations induced by CFA injection.

Pain-depression dyad induced by reserpine is relieved by p,p'-methoxyl-diphenyl diselenide in rats.

Depression and pain comorbidity represent a neuropsychiatric condition with substantial socioeconomic impact to society. The commonly used antidepressants and analgesics to treat this comorbidity have shown restricted clinical efficacy. In this way, the aim of this study was to investigate the behavioral, biochemical and neurochemical effects of a p,p'-methoxyl-diphenyl diselenide (OMePhSe)2 supplemented diet on pain-depression dyad induced by reserpine in rats. Adult Wistar rats were fed with 10mg (MeOPhSe)2 per kg of rat chow supplemented diet for 30 days. Pain-depression dyad was induced by daily subcutaneous reserpine injection (0.5mg/kg for three consecutive days) from 22 to 24 day of (MeOPhSe)2 supplementation. The results showed that the reserpine injected rats had behavior phenotypes typical of depression-pain dyad and the (MeOPhSe)2-supplemented diet protected against these modifications. Furthermore, the (MeOPhSe)2 dietary supplementation was effective against the increase in the prefrontal cortical MDA levels caused by reserpine. (MeOPhSe)2-supplemented diet triggered a per se augmentation of Nrf-2 levels. The [3H] serotonin uptake, [3H] glutamate uptake and release and MAO activity were not altered in the prefrontal cortices of rats from any experimental group. Therefore, the results indicate that protective effects of a (MeOPhSe)2-supplemented diet can be mediated, at least in part, by its antioxidant property.

Antiviral Action of Diphenyl Diselenide on Herpes Simplex Virus 2 Infection in Female BALB/c Mice.

Diphenyl diselenide, (PhSe)2 , is an organoselenium compound with pharmacological actions mostly related to antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The study investigated its antiviral and virucidal actions against herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) infection in vitro and in a vaginal infection model in mice. The plaque reduction assay indicated that (PhSe)2 showed virucidal and antiviral actions reducing infectivity in 70.8% and 47%, respectively. The antiviral action of (PhSe)2 against HSV-2 vaginal infection was performed by infecting mice (10(5) PFU/ml(-1) ) at day 6. The treatment with (PhSe)2 (5 mg/kg/day, intragastric [i.g.]) followed 5 days before and for more 5 days after infection. The extravaginal lesion score was evaluated from days 6 to 10. At day 11, animals were killed, and histological evaluation, determination of viral load, and TNF-α and IFN-γ levels were performed in supernatants of homogenized vaginal tissue. The levels of reactive species (RS), protein carbonyl, non-protein thiols (NPSH), nitrate/nitrite (NOx), and malondialdehyde (MDA), and the activities of myeloperoxidase (MPO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and glutathione reductase (GR) were determined. (PhSe)2 reduced the histological damage, extravaginal lesion scores, the viral load of vaginal tissue, and the activity of MPO, but increased the levels of TNF-α, IFN-γ. (PhSe)2 attenuated the increase of RS, MDA, NOx levels and the activity of GR caused by infection. (PhSe)2 also attenuated the reduction of NPSH content and the inhibition of CAT, SOD, and GPx activities. The antiviral action of (PhSe)2 against HSV-2 infection was related to its immunomodulatory, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. J. Cell. Biochem. 117: 1638-1648, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Caffeine and diphenyl diselenide improve long-term memory impaired in middle-aged rats.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of diphenyl diselenide (PhSe)2 supplemented diet (10ppm) associated to the administration of caffeine (15mg/kg; i.g.) for 30days on the novel object recognition memory in middle-aged rats. The present findings showed that (PhSe)2-supplemented diet enhanced short-term memory, but not long-term memory, of middle-aged rats in the novel object recognition task. The (PhSe)2 supplemented diet associated with caffeine administration improved long-term memory, but did not alter short-term memory, impaired in middle-aged rats. Daily caffeine administration to middle-aged rats had no effect on the memory tasks. Diet supplemented with (PhSe)2 plus caffeine administration increased the number of crossings and rearings reduced in middle-aged rats. Caffeine administration plus (PhSe)2 diets were effective in increasing the number of rearings and crossings, respectively, in middle-aged rats, [(3)H] glutamate uptake was reduced in hippocampal slices of rats from (PhSe)2 and caffeine plus (PhSe)2 groups. In addition, animals supplemented with (PhSe)2 showed an increase in the pCREB/CREB ratio whereas pAkt/Akt ratio was not modified. These results suggest that the effects of (PhSe)2 on the short-term memory may be related to its ability to decrease the uptake of glutamate, influencing the increase of CREB phosphorylation. (PhSe)2-supplemented diet associated to the administration of caffeine improved long-term memory impaired in middle-aged rats, an effect independent of CREB and Akt phosphorylation.