Protective effect of Myrcia pubipetala Miq. against the alterations in oxidative stress parameters in an animal model of depression induced by corticosterone.

Depression is a debilitating disorder in humans that significantly affects quality of life. As such, alternative therapies are highly sought after by patients seeking treatment for depression. Experimentally, the chronic administration of corticosterone (CORT) in rodents has been reported to promote depressive-like behaviors. Herein, animals received saline or CORT for 21 days and, during the last 7 days, they were treated with the crude hydroalcoholic extract (CHE) of Myrcia pubipetala Miq (50, 100 or 150 mg/Kg), or vehicle (distilled water), by oral route. After 24 h, animals were subjected to the open field (OFT) and forced swimming tests (FST), and then sacrificed for the removal of the hippocampus and cerebral cortex for biochemical analysis. Results showed enhanced catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, as well as an elevated formation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), in the cerebral cortex of CORT-treated mice. The chronic administration of the CHE (100 and 150 mg/Kg) reduced TBARS and the increased total sulfhydryl content, and also reversed the increase in TBARS induced by CORT. In the hippocampus, CORT increased CAT and SOD activities and reduced glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) (C) activity, while Myrcia pubipetala Miq. CHE (100 and 150 mg/Kg) increased GSH-Px activity when administered alone and reversed decreased GSH-Px (100 and 150 mg/Kg) activity when given during CORT administration. Neither CORT administration nor CHE treatment significantly altered the immobility time of the animals in FST and no changes were observed in the locomotor activity of the animals in the OFT. Findings indicate that the CHE of Myrcia pubipetala Miq. exerts antioxidant effects in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of mice induced to depression by CORT. Since phenolic compounds are reported to have antioxidant effects in this species, the effects of the CHE may be, at least in part, mediated by the presence of these compounds in Myrcia extract.

Prevalência do uso de substâncias derivadas do tabaco por estudantes de medicina de uma universidade de Santa Catarina / Prevalence of tobacco use by medicine students at a university of Santa Catarina

Objetivos: Identificar a prevalência e a frequência do uso de substâncias derivadas do tabaco em estudantes de medicina de uma universidade pública de Santa Catarina e identificar os fatores de risco relacionados. Métodos: Estudo observacional transversal com abordagem quantitativa sobre drogas de abuso em estudantes de medicina. Utilizou-se questionários para identificar a prevalência e a frequência do uso de substâncias derivadas do tabaco, assim como sexo, idade, semestre do curso e doenças psiquiátricas diagnosticadas. Os dados foram tabulados em Excel 2016 e a análise estatística foi realizada por meio do programa Epi Info 7.2. Resultados: Encontrou-se uma prevalência de 29,10% de uso de tabaco nos últimos 3 meses. A população masculina que fumava era de 46,30% e a feminina 19,37%, sendo o sexo masculino o principal fator de risco levantado pelo estudo. Outro fator de risco foi estar nas fases mais iniciais do curso, nas quais o uso era de 35,54% em comparação a fases mais avançadas com uso em somente 24,72% dos acadêmicos. Também houve correlação entre tabagismo e depressão. Conclusões: Pôde-se perceber que o tabagismo em estudantes de medicina é maior do que na população em geral, também é maior o uso por estudantes de medicina da região sul do Brasil em comparação com outras regiões. Identificou-se dois fatores de risco importantes para tabagismo na nossa universidade, que são sexo masculino e pertencer a fases mais iniciais do curso.

Objectives: To identify the prevalence and frequency of the use of tobacco-derived substances in medical students at a public university in Santa Catarina and to identify the related risk factors. Methods: Cross-sectional observational study with a quantitative approach on drugs of abuse in medical students. Questionnaires were used to identify the prevalence and frequency of use of substances derived from tobacco, as well as sex, age, semester of the medical school and diagnosed psychiatric diseases. The data were tabulated in Excel 2016 and a statistical analysis was performed using the Epi Info 7.2 program. Results: The prevalence of tobacco consumption in the last 3 months was 29.10%. The male population who smoked was 46.30% and the female 19.37%, with the male gender being the main risk factor appointed by the study. Another risk factor was being in the earlier semesters of the medical school, in which the usage was 35.54% compared to more advanced semesters, with only 24.72%. There was also a correlation between smoking and depression. Conclusions: Smoking in medical students is more prevalent than the population in general. It is also more used by medical students in the southern region of Brazil when compared to other regions. Two important risk factors for smoking at our university were identified: male gender and belonging to the earlier semesters of the medical school.