Quercetin prevents insulin dysfunction in hypertensive animals.

Angiotensin II induced increase in hypertension enhances oxidative stress and compromises insulin action and pancreatic function. Quercetin-rich foods are beneficial for hypertensive and diabetic animals owing to their antioxidant function. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant effects of quercetin in hypertensive rats on insulin action, signaling, and secretion. Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups: sham, hypertensive rats (H), and hypertensive rats supplemented with quercetin (HQ). After three months of initial hypertension, quercetin was administered at 50 mg/kg/day for 30 days. Our results indicate that hypertension and serum lipid peroxidation levels were reduced by quercetin supplementation. We observed increased insulin sensitivity in adipose tissue, corroborating the insulin tolerance test, HOMA index, and improvements in lipid profile. Despite normal insulin secretion at 2.8 and 20 mM of glucose, animals treated with quercetin exhibited increased number of islets per section; increased protein expression of muscarinic receptor type 3, VEGF, and catalase in islets; and hepatic mRNA levels of Ide were normalized. In conclusion, supplementation with quercetin improved insulin action and prevented pancreatic and metabolic dysfunction.

Associações entre emoções morais e criatividade em universitários / Associations between moral emotions and creativity in college students / Las asociaciones entre las emociones morales y la creatividad en universidad

Por definição, as emoções morais ajudam as pessoas a diferenciarem características morais, motivando o comportamento, e revelam os valores morais e a preocupação consigo mesmo e com os outros. O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar relações entre emoções morais e criatividade em universitários. Participaram 88 alunos que cursavam o ensino superior em uma Universidade particular do interior de São Paulo, de ambos os sexos e com idades entre 18 e 54 anos. Foram administradas a EEM (Escala de Emoções Morais) e o Teste de Criação de Metáforas. As análises revelaram não haver diferenças significativas entre essas medidas entre sexos ou idades, tanto para o EEM, como para o Teste de Criação de Metáforas, sugerindo que independentemente da idade ou sexo, as pessoas tendem a manifestar as emoções avaliadas e a produzir metáforas da mesma maneira. Identificou-se uma correlação significativa e negativa entre a variável Categoria Metafórica e o fator Culpa. Faz-se necessário reforçar que as emoções avaliadas são específicas, o que provavelmente resultou em discrepâncias com os resultados obtidos.(AU)

Moral emotions help people to differentiate moral characteristics, motivating the behavior and reveal the moral values and concern with oneself and with others. The aim of this study was to analyse relationships between moral emotions and creativity in college. The participants were 88 students attending higher education at a private university in the state of São Paulo, of both sexes and aged between 18 and 54 years. Were administered to EEM (Moral Emotions Scale) and the Test Creation Metaphors. The analysis revealed no significant differences between these measures between sexes or ages, for both the EEM and for the Test Creation Metaphors, suggesting that regardless of age or sex, people tend to express emotions and evaluated produce the same metaphors manner. It was identified a significant and negative correlation between the variable and the factor Category Metaphorical Guilt. It is necessary to emphasize that the specific emotions are assessed, which probably resulted in differences with the results obtained.(AU)

Las emociones morales ayudan a las personas a diferenciar las características morales, motivar el comportamiento y revelan los valores morales y la preocupación con uno mismo y con los demás. El objetivo de este estudio es analizar las relaciones entre las emociones morales y la creatividad en la universidad. Los participantes fueron 88 estudiantes matriculados en la educación superior en una universidad privada en el estado de São Paulo, de ambos sexos y de edades comprendidas entre 18 y 54 años fueron estudiados. Se administraron a EEM (Emociones morales escala) y la Prueba de creación Metáfora. Los análisis no revelaron diferencias significativas entre estas medidas entre los sexos o edades, tanto para la EEM, en cuanto a la prueba de creación de metáforas, lo que sugiere que, independientemente de la edad o el sexo, las personas tienden a expresar emociones y evaluados para producir las mismas metáforas manera. Se identificó una correlación significativa y negativa entre la variable Categoría metafórico y el factor de culpabilidad. Es necesario fortalecer las emociones evaluadas son específicos, lo que probablemente dio lugar a discrepancias con los resultados.(AU)

Associações entre emoções morais e criatividade em universitários / Associations between moral emotions and creativity in college students / Las asociaciones entre las emociones morales y la creatividad en universidad

Por definição, as emoções morais ajudam as pessoas a diferenciarem características morais, motivando o comportamento, e revelam os valores morais e a preocupação consigo mesmo e com os outros. O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar relações entre emoções morais e criatividade em universitários. Participaram 88 alunos que cursavam o ensino superior em uma Universidade particular do interior de São Paulo, de ambos os sexos e com idades entre 18 e 54 anos. Foram administradas a EEM (Escala de Emoções Morais) e o Teste de Criação de Metáforas. As análises revelaram não haver diferenças significativas entre essas medidas entre sexos ou idades, tanto para o EEM, como para o Teste de Criação de Metáforas, sugerindo que independentemente da idade ou sexo, as pessoas tendem a manifestar as emoções avaliadas e a produzir metáforas da mesma maneira. Identificou-se uma correlação significativa e negativa entre a variável Categoria Metafórica e o fator Culpa. Faz-se necessário reforçar que as emoções avaliadas são específicas, o que provavelmente resultou em discrepâncias com os resultados obtidos.

Moral emotions help people to differentiate moral characteristics, motivating the behavior and reveal the moral values and concern with oneself and with others. The aim of this study was to analyse relationships between moral emotions and creativity in college. The participants were 88 students attending higher education at a private university in the state of São Paulo, of both sexes and aged between 18 and 54 years. Were administered to EEM (Moral Emotions Scale) and the Test Creation Metaphors. The analysis revealed no significant differences between these measures between sexes or ages, for both the EEM and for the Test Creation Metaphors, suggesting that regardless of age or sex, people tend to express emotions and evaluated produce the same metaphors manner. It was identified a significant and negative correlation between the variable and the factor Category Metaphorical Guilt. It is necessary to emphasize that the specific emotions are assessed, which probably resulted in differences with the results obtained.

Las emociones morales ayudan a las personas a diferenciar las características morales, motivar el comportamiento y revelan los valores morales y la preocupación con uno mismo y con los demás. El objetivo de este estudio es analizar las relaciones entre las emociones morales y la creatividad en la universidad. Los participantes fueron 88 estudiantes matriculados en la educación superior en una universidad privada en el estado de São Paulo, de ambos sexos y de edades comprendidas entre 18 y 54 años fueron estudiados. Se administraron a EEM (Emociones morales escala) y la Prueba de creación Metáfora. Los análisis no revelaron diferencias significativas entre estas medidas entre los sexos o edades, tanto para la EEM, en cuanto a la prueba de creación de metáforas, lo que sugiere que, independientemente de la edad o el sexo, las personas tienden a expresar emociones y evaluados para producir las mismas metáforas manera. Se identificó una correlación significativa y negativa entre la variable Categoría metafórico y el factor de culpabilidad. Es necesario fortalecer las emociones evaluadas son específicos, lo que probablemente dio lugar a discrepancias con los resultados.

GABA/benzodiazepine receptors in the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus regulate both anxiety and panic-related defensive responses in the elevated T-maze.

It has been shown that facilitation of GABA-mediated neurotransmission in the medial nucleus of the amygdala and the dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG) inhibits the escape, but not the inhibitory avoidance response generated in the elevated T-maze test of anxiety (ETM). These defensive behaviors have been associated with panic and generalized anxiety, respectively. Previous evidence indicates that the dorsomedial part of the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMHdm), which is interconnected with these two brain areas, is also part of the neurobiological substrate controlling escape behavior. In the present study, we investigated in male Wistar rats whether the intra-VMHdm injection of GABA-modulating drugs differently affect the two defensive tasks measured in the ETM. The results showed that the microinjection of the benzodiazepine (BZD) receptor agonist midazolam (10, 20 and 40 nmol), the GABA(A) receptor agonist muscimol (2, 4 and 8 nmol) or the GABA(B) receptor agonist baclofen (2, 4 and 8 nmol) impaired inhibitory avoidance and escape performance, an anxiolytic and panicolytic-like effect, respectively. On the other hand, local administration of the BZD inverse agonist FG 7142 (20, 40 and 80 pmol) facilitated both behaviors, suggesting anxiogenic and panicogenic-like effects. These results were not due to motor alterations, since the drugs did not affect exploratory behavior in an open field. The data suggest that GABA(A)/BZD and GABA(B) receptors within the VMHdm are involved not only in the control of panic-related, but also of anxiety-related behaviors.

Panicolytic-like effect induced by the stimulation of GABAA and GABAB receptors in the dorsal periaqueductal grey of rats.

Activation of GABA(A) and benzodiazepine receptors within the dorsal periaqueductal grey inhibits the escape behaviour evoked by the electrical stimulation of this midbrain area, a defensive reaction that has been related to panic. Nevertheless, there is no evidence indicating whether the same antiaversive effect is also observed in escape responses evoked by species-specific threatening stimuli. In the present study, male Wistar rats were injected intra-dorsal periaqueductal grey with the benzodiazepine receptor agonist midazolam (10, 20 and 40 nmol), the GABA(A) receptor agonist muscimol (2, 4 and 8 nmol), the GABA(B) receptor agonist baclofen (2, 4 and 8 nmol), or with the benzodiazepine inverse agonist FG 7142 (20, 40 and 80 pmol) and tested in an ethologically-based animal model of anxiety, the elevated T-maze. Besides escape, this test also allows the measurement of inhibitory avoidance which has been related to generalised anxiety disorder. Midazolam, muscimol and baclofen impaired escape, a panicolytic-like effect, without altering inhibitory avoidance. FG 7142, on the other hand, facilitated both avoidance and escape reactions, suggesting an anxiogenic and panicogenic-like effect, respectively. The data suggest that GABA(A)/benzodiazepine and GABA(B) receptors within the dorsal periaqueductal grey are involved in the control of escape behaviour and that a failure in this regulatory mechanism may be of importance in panic disorder.

The dorsal raphe nucleus exerts opposed control on generalized anxiety and panic-related defensive responses in rats.

It has been proposed that the ascending dorsal raphe (DR)-serotonergic (5-HT) pathway facilitates conditioned avoidance responses to potential or distal threat, while the DR-periventricular 5-HT pathway inhibits unconditioned flight reactions to proximal danger. Dysfunction on these pathways would be, respectively, related to generalized anxiety (GAD) and panic disorder (PD). To investigate this hypothesis, we microinjected into the rat DR the benzodiazepine inverse receptor agonist FG 7142, the 5-HT(1A) receptor agonist 8-OH-DPAT or the GABA(A) receptor agonist muscimol. Animals were evaluated in the elevated T-maze (ETM) and light/dark transition test. These models generate defensive responses that have been related to GAD and PD. Experiments were also conducted in the ETM 14 days after the selective lesion of DR serotonergic neurons by 5,7-dihydroxytriptamine (DHT). In all cases, rats were pre-exposed to one of the open arms of the ETM 1 day before testing. The results showed that FG 7142 facilitated inhibitory avoidance, an anxiogenic effect, while impairing one-way escape, an anxiolytic effect. 8-OH-DPAT, muscimol, and 5,7-DHT-induced lesions acted in the opposite direction, impairing inhibitory avoidance while facilitating one-way escape from the open arm. In the light/dark transition, 8-OH-DPAT and muscimol increased the time spent in the lighted compartment, an anxiolytic effect. The data supports the view that distinct DR-5-HT pathways regulate neural mechanisms underlying GAD and PD.