Exposure to 2.45 GHz Radiation Triggers Changes in HSP-70, Glucocorticoid Receptors and GFAP Biomarkers in Rat Brain.

Brain tissue may be especially sensitive to electromagnetic phenomena provoking signs of neural stress in cerebral activity. Fifty-four adult female Sprague-Dawley rats underwent ELISA and immunohistochemistry testing of four relevant anatomical areas of the cerebrum to measure biomarkers indicating induction of heat shock protein 70 (HSP-70), glucocorticoid receptors (GCR) or glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) after single or repeated exposure to 2.45 GHz radiation in the experimental set-up. Neither radiation regime caused tissue heating, so thermal effects can be ruled out. A progressive decrease in GCR and HSP-70 was observed after acute or repeated irradiation in the somatosensory cortex, hypothalamus and hippocampus. In the limbic cortex; however, values for both biomarkers were significantly higher after repeated exposure to irradiation when compared to control animals. GFAP values in brain tissue after irradiation were not significantly different or were even lower than those of nonirradiated animals in all brain regions studied. Our results suggest that repeated exposure to 2.45 GHz elicited GCR/HSP-70 dysregulation in the brain, triggering a state of stress that could decrease tissue anti-inflammatory action without favoring glial proliferation and make the nervous system more vulnerable.

The Effects of Carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) on Emotional Behavior Impairment and Metabolic Disorders Induced by Estrogen Deficiency in Rats.

Carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) contains a wide variety of polyphenols with high antioxidant properties. In this study, we investigated the effects of aqueous extract of carob pods (AECP) on emotional behavior impairments and metabolic disorders in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. Female Wistar rats were assigned to three groups: group 1, control non-OVX rats; group 2, OVX rats; and group 3, OVX rats orally treated with AECP (500 mg/kg) for15 days after ovariectomy. Elevated plus-maze and open-field tests were performed on the 26th and 27th post-ovariectomy days, respectively. Afterwards, the rats were anesthetized and their serums were collected for biochemical analysis. We found that AECP improved emotional behavior impairments revealed by elevated plus-maze and open-field tests in OVX rats. Moreover, ovariectomy significantly increased triglyceride, lactate dehydrogenase, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase levels in the serum. AECP administration significantly reversed ovariectomy-induced biochemical alterations. Thus, we suggest that the AECP may have an anxiolytic-like effect and prevent biochemical disorders associated with menopause or ovariectomy.

Zinc improves clomipramine effects on depressive and locomotor behavior and reverses its oxidative stress in rats.

Depression is a common mental disease affecting a lot of people of all ages around the world. Today, improving the therapeutic effects of currently used antidepressants such as clomipramine and, especially when they are administered at high doses is a topic of interest. The study aims to evaluate the eventual role of zinc (30 mg/Kg) in ameliorating clomipramine (75 mg/Kg) effects on behavior and oxidative stress equilibrium following a 6 day treatment in male Wistar rats. Our main findings showed that zinc improved clomipramine antidepressant and locomotor effects. Moreover, zinc reversed the oxidative stress induced by this drug in the liver. Thus, zinc at 30 mg/Kg may constitute an efficient adjuvant for clomipramine used at a high dose (75 mg/Kg) by boosting its efficacy on behavior and alleviating its negative effects on oxidative balance in liver.

Pistacia lentiscus oil attenuates memory dysfunction and decreases levels of biomarkers of oxidative stress induced by lipopolysaccharide in rats.

Pistacia lentiscus L. is a well-known medicinal plant that has been used for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and hepatoprotective effects. However, the neuroprotective effect of Pistacia lentiscus oil (PLo) of has not been reported. The present study was designed to examine the neuroprotective and hepatoprotective effects of PLo aigainst lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced memory impairment and oxidative damage in rats. Twenty-four adult male Wistar rats were equally divided into three groups. The first group was kept as a control. In the second group, LPS was given at the single dose of 1 mg/kg intraperitoneally (i.p.). In the third group, PLo (3.3 mL/kg; per orally (p.o.)) was administered daily for 15 days, and challenged with LPS (1 mg/kg; i.p. injection two h before behavioral test). Thereafter, memory was assessed using spatial object recognition test. Cholinesterase activity and oxidative stress response were estimated in brain tissues and liver. PLo attenuated LPS-induced memory impairment in spatial object recognition test (p < 0.05). LPS treatment caused significant oxidative damage via induction of lipid peroxidation and reductions antioxidant defense system potency in the brain tissue and liver. Moreover, LPS increased brain activity of acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase activity in the liver. The present results suggest that the beneficial effects of PLo on memory impairment of LPS-treated rats may be due to its protective effects against oxidative stress damage presumably via its antioxidant property.