Prospective Follow-Up of Adolescents With and at Risk for Depression: Protocol and Methods of the Identifying Depression Early in Adolescence Risk Stratified Cohort Longitudinal Assessments.

Objective: To present the protocol and methods for the prospective longitudinal assessments-including clinical and digital phenotyping approaches-of the Identifying Depression Early in Adolescence Risk Stratified Cohort (IDEA-RiSCo) study, which comprises Brazilian adolescents stratified at baseline by risk of developing depression or presence of depression. Method: Of 7,720 screened adolescents aged 14 to 16 years, we recruited 150 participants (75 boys, 75 girls) based on a composite risk score: 50 with low risk for developing depression (LR), 50 with high risk for developing depression (HR), and 50 with an active untreated major depressive episode (MDD). Three annual follow-up assessments were conducted, involving clinical measures (parent- and adolescent-reported questionnaires and psychiatrist assessments), active and passive data sensing via smartphones, and neurobiological measures (neuroimaging and biological material samples). Retention rates were 96% (Wave 1), 94% (Wave 2), and 88% (Wave 3), with no significant differences by sex or group (p > .05). Participants highlighted their familiarity with the research team and assessment process as a motivator for sustained engagement. Discussion: This protocol relied on novel aspects, such as the use of a WhatsApp bot, which is particularly pertinent for low- to-middle-income countries, and the collection of information from diverse sources in a longitudinal design, encompassing clinical data, self-reports, parental reports, Global Positioning System (GPS) data, and ecological momentary assessments. The study engaged adolescents over an extensive period and demonstrated the feasibility of conducting a prospective follow-up study with a risk-enriched cohort of adolescents in a middle-income country, integrating mobile technology with traditional methodologies to enhance longitudinal data collection.

This article details the study protocol and methods used in the longitudinal assessment of 150 Brazilian teenagers with depression and at risk for depression as part of the Identifying Depression Early in Adolescence Risk Stratified Cohort (IDEA-RiSCo). Over 3 years, the authors collected clinical and digital data using innovative mobile technology, including a WhatsApp bot. Most adolescents participated in all the study phases, showing feasibility of prospective follow-up in a middle-income country. This approach allowed for a deeper understanding of depression in young populations, particularly in areas where mental health research is scarce.

Energy drinks and alcohol in a binge drinking protocol in Wistar rats: Male and female behavioral and reproductive effects.

The consumption of energy drinks is common among adolescents and young adults. The possible effects (mainly behavioral and reproductive) of ingestion in this population remain unknown. For this reason, this study aimed to evaluate the behavioral and reproductive effects of energy drinks and their main constituents (caffeine and taurine), as well as their combinations with alcohol, via a binge drinking protocol in male and female Wistar rats during puberty. In this study, 100 male and 100 female rats were treated with a binge drinking protocol 3 days a week over 4 weeks from postnatal day (PND) 28 to PND 60, which included 10 mL/kg by oral gavage of distilled water, energy drink, caffeine (3.2 mg/kg), taurine (40 mg/kg), and their combinations with alcohol (2 g/kg). The animals were evaluated by behavioral tests from PND 56 to PND 60 (open field, plus maze and object recognition) and reproductive parameters (estrous cycle regularity, weight of sexual organs, oocyte quality, spermatid and sperm count, sperm morphology and testosterone level). Locomotor activity was increased in females in the groups combined with alcohol (except alcohol + caffeine) and in the caffeine group. Long-term memory was increased in males in the caffeine and taurine groups even when combined with alcohol. The combination of energy drinks and alcohol did not have significant effects on the reproductive parameters of either sex of rats during puberty. We concluded that energy drinks (and their main constituents) and alcohol combinations did not cause alterations in reproductive profiles, and locomotor activity and long-term memory were increased in females and males, respectively.

Oral administration of oleuropein and olive leaf extract has cardioprotective effects in rodents: A systematic review.

Oleuropein is a polyphenol found in olive trees that has shown beneficial effects in animal studies and potentially in human health, although few studies have been performed to confirm this hypothesis in the latter population. Previous studies related its antioxidant activity to cardioprotective effects and showed a positive correlation between dose and response. We thus aimed to assess the cardioprotective effect of oleuropein and olive leaf extract in animal experiments. A literature search was conducted in June 2020 in the PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases. The descriptors "oleuropein" and "oleuropein aglycone" identified 12 articles for qualitative synthesis. Risk of bias was assessed by SYRCLE's RoB tool for animal studies. The results demonstrate evidence of a positive association between the administration of oleuropein and olive leaf extract and improvement in outcomes in hypertension, heart failure, myocardial infarction. renal hypertension and diabetes. This review presents a positive effect of oleuropein and olive leaf extract administration on cardiovascular parameters in animal studies.

Imidacloprid-based commercial pesticide causes behavioral, biochemical, and hematological impairments in Wistar rats.

Imidacloprid (IMI) is a neonicotinoid insecticide employed worldwide for crop protection. IMI's mode of action occurs through the agonism of postsynaptic nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), with high specificity for insect nAChRs although there are reports of mammals' toxicity. Studies on IMI's neurotoxicity are not conclusive; therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the subchronic toxic effects of an IMI based commercial pesticide on rats. Adult male Wistar rats received an IMI suspension via the oral route at doses of 1.5, 5, and 15 mg/kg for 45 consecutive days. IMI caused an increase in rearing and time spent at the periphery in the locomotor activity test and a decrease in time spent to finish the OX maze task (p < 0.05; ANOVA/Bonferroni). In blood, there was a decrease in mean corpuscular hemoglobin and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (p < 0.05; ANOVA/Bonferroni) and an increase in serum butyrylcholinesterase activity (p < 0.001; ANOVA/Bonferroni). Therefore, subchronic administration of an IMI-based-pesticide caused behavioral and systemic impairments in rats.

Levamisole, a cocaine cutting agent, induces acute and subchronic systemic alterations in Wistar rats.

The use of the anthelmintic levamisole as a cocaine adulterant has been increasing worldwide. Complications caused by this association include systemic vasculitis, agranulocytosis, neutropenia, tissue necrosis, pulmonary hemorrhage, and renal injury. Data about toxicity of levamisole are scarce, therefore the aim of this study was to evaluate the acute and subchronic toxic effects of levamisole in rats. Male Wistar rats received saline or levamisole by intraperitoneal route at the doses of 12, 24 and 36 mg/kg in the acute toxicity test; and at 3, 6 and 12 mg/kg in the subchronic toxicity test. Toxicity was evaluated using behavioral, cognitive, renal, hematological, biochemical and histopathological parameters. Acute administration of levamisole caused behavioral and histopathological alterations. Subchronic administration caused behavioral, cognitive and hematological alterations (p < 0.0001 and p < 0.05, respectively), impairment of liver and kidney functions (p < 0.05), and changes of antioxidant defenses (p ≤ 0.0001). Both administrations produced toxic effects of clinical relevance, which make levamisole a dangerous cutting agent. Furthermore, the knowledge of these effects can contribute to the correct diagnosis and treatment of cocaine dependents with unusual systemic alterations.

Energy drink and alcohol combination leads to kidney and liver alterations in rats.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the acute toxicity of the association of energy drink and alcohol in male Wistar rats. Animals were treated by oral gavage with 10 ml/kg distilled water (control); 10 ml/kg energy drink (ED10); 3.2 mg/kg caffeine + 40 mg/kg taurine; 2 g/kg alcohol 20%; 2 g/kg alcohol 20% + ED10; and 2 g/kg alcohol 20% + 3.2 mg/kg caffeine + 40 mg/kg taurine. Behavioral alterations were observed for 6 h after treatment. Animals presented significant differences in the frequency of rearing, ambulation, grooming, wakefulness and tachypnea along time. Caffeine + taurine increased the levels of TBARS and total thiols in kidneys. ED10 increased lipoperoxidation in liver. The association of ED10 + alcohol induced nephrotoxicity observed by the increase of urinary N-acetyl-ß-d-glucosaminidase (NAG) activity. Histopathological analysis showed the presence of congestion and hydropic and hyaline degenerations in the livers of ED10 + alcohol treated rats, and hemorrhage in the liver of alcohol + caffeine + taurine group. In kidneys, hyaline degeneration was observed in ED10; ED10 + alcohol; caffeine + taurine; and alcohol + caffeine + taurine. Hemorrhage was present in the kidneys of all groups. The combination of energy drinks and alcohol is not safe for the consumers. Therefore, precautionary measures should be disseminated among risk populations, especially the teenagers.