ABSTRACT
ABSTRACTObjetives: Omega-3 (n3) fatty acids have been studied as an option to alleviate the harmful effects of obesity. However, its role in obesity-related behavioral changes is still controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of n3 on behavior and neuroinflammation in obese animals. Methods: Male Wistar rats were divided into four groups: control diet (CT), CT+n3, cafeteria diet (CAF), and CAF+n3. Diet was administered for 13 weeks, and n3 was supplemented during the last 5 weeks. Metabolic and biochemical parameters were evaluated, as well as anxiety-like behaviors. Immunoblots were conducted in the animals' cerebral cortex and hippocampus to assess changes in neuroinflammatory markers.Results: CAF-fed animals showed higher weight gain, visceral adiposity, fasting glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and insulin levels, and n3 improved the lipid profile and restored insulin sensitivity. CAF-fed rats showed anxiety-like behaviors in the open field and light-dark box tasks but not in the contextual aversive conditioning. Omega-3 did not exert any effect on these behaviors. Regarding neuroinflammation, diet and supplementation acted in a region-specific manner. In the hippocampus, CAF reduced claudin-5 expression with no effect of n3, indicating a brain-blood barrier disruption following CAF. Furthermore, in the hippocampus, the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4) were reduced in treated obese animals. However, n3 could not reverse the TLR-4 expression increase in the cerebral cortex.Discussion: Although n3 may protect against some neuroinflammatory manifestations in the hippocampus, it does not seem sufficient to reverse the increase in anxiolytic manifestations caused by CAF.
Subject(s)
Fatty Acids, Omega-3 , Toll-Like Receptor 4 , Rats , Male , Animals , Rats, Wistar , Neuroinflammatory Diseases , Obesity/etiology , Obesity/metabolism , Diet , Fatty Acids, Omega-3/pharmacology , Anxiety/etiology , Anxiety/prevention & control , Dietary SupplementsABSTRACT
The arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are key-organisms for maintenance of plant biodiversity in agroecosystems. There is an increasing interest in changes of the microbiological properties in the rhizosphere by its practical and environmental relevance. This research aimed to evaluate the occurrence of AMF in the establishment of fruits under organic management, and to compare them with an area of native vegetation in semiarid Ceará. Soil samples were collected from 0-10cm layer in June, September and December 2010 in different areas. Number of spores, and diversity of AMF were quantified. The dominance of Glomus spores was confirmed in all the areas.
Os fungos micorrízicos arbusculares (FMA) são microrganismos chave na manutenção da biodiversidade de plantas em agroecossistemas e há o interesse no conhecimento sobre alterações nas propriedades microbiológicas do solo rizosférico pela sua relevância do ponto de vista prático e ecológico. Neste trabalho, objetivou-se avaliar a ocorrência de FMA na rizosfera de fruteiras em formação, sob o manejo orgânico, e compará-la com área de vegetação nativa no semiárido cearense. Amostras de solo foram coletadas da camada de 0-10cm em junho, setembro e dezembro de 2010 em áreas distintas nas linhas de plantio de fruteiras irrigadas. As amostras de solo foram submetidas a análises, em que quantificou-se o número de esporos e diversidade de FMA. A dominância de esporos do gênero Glomus foi confirmada na rizosfera das fruteiras e no solo sem interferência de plantas ou sob vegetação natural.
