The impact of poor fetal growth and chronic hyperpalatable diet exposure in adulthood on hippocampal function and feeding patterns in male rats.

Poor fetal growth affects eating behavior and the mesocorticolimbic system; however, its influence on the hippocampus has been less explored. Brain insulin sensitivity has been linked to developmental plasticity in response to fetal adversity and to cognitive performance following high-fat diet intake. We investigated whether poor fetal growth and exposure to chronic hyperpalatable food in adulthood could influence the recognition of environmental and food cues, eating behavior patterns, and hippocampal insulin signaling. At 60 days of life, we assigned male offspring from a prenatal animal model of 50% food restriction (FR) to receive either a high-fat and -sugar (HFS) diet or standard chow (CON) diet. Behavioral tests were conducted at 140 days, then tissues were collected. HFS groups showed a diminished hippocampal pAkt/Akt ratio. FR-CON and FR-HFS groups had higher levels of suppressor of cytokine signaling 3, compared to control groups. FR groups showed increased exploration of a novel hyperpalatable food, independent of their diet, and HFS groups exhibited overall lower entropy (less random, more predictable eating behavior) when the environment changed. Poor fetal growth and chronic HFS diet in adulthood altered hippocampal insulin signaling and eating patterns, diminishing the flexibility associated with eating behavior in response to extrinsic changes in food availability in the environment.

Relationship between insulin and Netrin-1/DCC guidance cue pathway regulation in the prefrontal cortex of rodents exposed to prenatal dietary restriction.

Fetal restriction (FR) alters insulin sensitivity, but it is unknown how the metabolic profile associated with restriction affects development of the dopamine (DA) system and DA-related behaviors. The Netrin-1/DCC guidance cue system participates in maturation of the mesocorticolimbic DA circuitry. Therefore, our objective was to identify if FR modifies Netrin-1/DCC receptor protein expression in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) at birth and mRNA in adulthood in rodent males. We used cultured HEK293 cells to assess if levels of miR-218, microRNA regulator of DCC, are sensitive to insulin. To assess this, pregnant dams were subjected to a 50% FR diet from gestational day 10 until birth. Medial PFC (mPFC) DCC/Netrin-1 protein expression was measured at P0 at baseline and Dcc/Netrin-1 mRNA levels were quantified in adults 15 min after a saline/insulin injection. miR-218 levels in HEK-293 cells were measured in response to insulin exposure. At P0, Netrin-1 levels are downregulated in FR animals in comparison to controls. In adult rodents, insulin administration results in an increase in Dcc mRNA levels in control but not FR rats. In HEK293 cells, there is a positive correlation between insulin concentration and miR-218 levels. Since miR-218 is a Dcc gene expression regulator and our in vitro results show that insulin regulates miR-218 levels, we suggest that FR-induced changes in insulin sensitivity could be affecting Dcc expression via miR-218, impacting DA system maturation and organization. As fetal adversity is linked to nonadaptive behaviors later in life, this may contribute to early identification of vulnerability to chronic diseases associated with fetal adversity.

Intrauterine growth restriction increases impulsive behavior and is associated with altered dopamine transmission in both medial prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortex in female rats.

Recent studies have implicated a role for impulsivity in the altered eating behaviors and the increased risk for obesity consistently associated with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Changes in dopamine transmission within prefrontal areas are believed to contribute to these adverse outcomes. Here we investigated the impulsive behavior toward a delayed reward and evaluated dopamine levels and its receptors in the medial prefrontal (mPFC) and orbitofrontal (OFC) cortex of female adult rats exposed to IUGR. From day 10 of pregnancy and until birth, Sprague-Dawley dams received either an ad libitum (Adlib) or a 50% food-restricted (FR) diet. At birth, all pups were adopted by Adlib mothers, generating the groups Adlib/Adlib (control) and FR/Adlib (intrauterine growth-restricted). Adult impulsive behavior was evaluated using a Tolerance to Delay of Reward Task. In vivo dopamine responses to sweet food intake were measured by voltammetry, and D1, D2 and DAT levels were accessed by Western Blot. Animals from FR group showed a pronounced aversion to delayed rewards. DA response to sweet food was found to be blunted in the mPFC of FR animals, whereas in the OFC, the DA levels appear to be unaffected by reward consumption. Moreover, FR animals presented reduced D1 receptors in the OFC and a later increase in the mPFC D2 levels. These findings suggest that IUGR female rats are more impulsive and that the associated mechanism involves changes in the dopamine signaling in both the mPFC and OFC.

Maternal and post-natal obesity alters long-term memory and hippocampal molecular signaling of male rat.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether maternal cafeteria ingestion interferes with long-term memory-related behaviors and hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling in the offspring, and if there is a cumulative effect with the exposure to cafeteria diet during the life-course of the pups. Female rats were fed a control (CON, n = 20) or cafeteria diet (CAF, n = 24) from their weaning to weaning of their offspring. After that, their male offspring were divided into 4 groups (CON-CON, n = 36; CON-CAF, n = 38, CAF-CON, n = 46 and CAF-CAF, n = 39) so that all litters ingested CON or CAF, irrespective of maternal diet. At 30 days of age, all groups exposed to cafeteria diet at some stage in life showed a decline in performance on one or both object recognition and inhibitory avoidance tasks. At 120 days, CON-CAF and CAF-CAF groups continued to show memory impairment. There were no significant differences between groups in the hippocampal concentrations of BDNF and cAMP Response Element Binding protein (CREB) in puberty or adulthood, but the concentration of hippocampal Ras-Raf-MEK-mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) was higher in CAF-CAF pubescent offspring when compared to the CON-CON group. These data suggest that maternal diet affects the behavior and the molecular signaling related to long-term memory of the offspring, and that its effects are influenced by postnatal diet.

Prefrontal cortex dysfunction in hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy contributes to executive function impairments in rats: Potential contribution for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

OBJECTIVES: The attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) compromises the quality of life of individuals including adaptation to the social environment. ADHD aetiology includes perinatal conditions such as hypoxic-ischaemic events; preclinical studies have demonstrated attentional deficits and impulsive-hyperactive outcomes after neonatal hypoxic and/or ischaemic intervention, but data are missing to understand this relationship. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate executive function (EF) and impulsivity, and tissue integrity and dopaminergic function in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of rats submitted to hypoxia-ischaemia (HI). METHODS: At postnatal day (PND) 7, male Wistar rats were divided into control (n = 10) and HI groups (n = 11) and the HI procedure was conducted. At PND60, the animals were tested in the attentional set-shifting (ASS) task to EF and in the tolerance to delay of reward for assessment of impulsivity. After, morphological analysis and the dopaminergic system were evaluated in the PFC. RESULTS: Animals subjected to HI had impairments in EF evidenced by a behavioural inflexibility that was correlated to PFC atrophy. Moreover, HI animals presented reduced D2 receptors in the ipsilateral side of ischaemia in the PFC. CONCLUSIONS: Animals submitted to HI presented impaired EF associated with tissue atrophy and dopaminergic disturbance in the PFC.

Contribuições do pensamento de Michel Maffesoli para pesquisa em enfermagem e saúde / Contribuciones del pensamiento de Michel Mmaffesoli para la investigación en enfermería y salud / Contributions of Michel Maffesoli's thinking to research in nursing and health

RESUMO Objetivo: realizar uma análise da produção científica na área da enfermagem e da saúde que adotou o referencial teórico e metodológico de Michel Maffesoli, bem como refletir sobre suas contribuições para a enfermagem e saúde. Método: revisão integrativa da literatura, realizado nas publicações científicas da área da saúde, indexadas na SciELO®, BVS, Scopus®, CINAHL®, PubMed®, Web of Science®. Empregou-se a palavra "Maffesoli", tendo como critérios de inclusão serem artigos completos, originais ou de reflexão, que aplicaram o referencial teórico de Michel Maffesoli na análise ou discussão dos dados, disponíveis nos idiomas português, inglês, espanhol e francês. Resultados: selecionaram-se 30 artigos, sendo grande parte deles com abordagem qualitativa e oriundos da enfermagem. As noções mais presentes nos estudos foram cotidiano, ética da estética, tribo, potência, jogo duplo, pós-modernidade, os quais abordaram o cotidiano nos seus diferentes cenários de cuidado. Expressa-se a importância de estar atento aos aspectos subjetivos do cotidiano, considerando sua complexidade, possibilitando novos e outros modos de estar-junto. Conclusão: o pensamento de Michel Maffesoli contribui para a construção do conhecimento em enfermagem e saúde, indicando caminhos nas dimensões do cuidado, no campo acadêmico e profissional, a partir do cotidiano das pessoas, ressignificando o cuidado que vai para além da técnica, incitando-nos a mudar o olhar e a direção, para que possamos estar em sintonia com as diferentes situações do viver e do conviver, abandonando o des-envolvimento, para nos envolvermos com um cuidado afetivo, aquele que toca, sendo, portanto, efetivo.

RESUMEN Objetivo: realizar un análisis de la producción científica en el área de la Enfermería y de la Salud que adoptó el referencial teórico y metodológico de Michel Maffesoli, así como reflexionar sobre sus contribuciones a la enfermería y salud. Método: revisión integrativa de literatura, a partir de publicaciones científicas del área de la Salud, indexadas en las bases de datos SciELO®, BVS, Scopus®, CINAHL®, PubMed®, Web of Science®. En el presente trabajo se analizaron los resultados obtenidos en el análisis de los resultados obtenidos en el estudio. Se empleó la palabra "Maffesoli", teniendo como criterios de inclusión ser artículos completos, originales o de reflexión, que aplicaron el referencial teórico de Michel Maffesoli en el análisis o discusión de los datos, disponibles en los idiomas portugués, inglés, español y francés. Resultados: se seleccionaron 30 artículos, siendo gran parte de ellos con abordaje cualitativo y oriundos de la enfermería. Las nociones más presentes en los estudios fueron cotidianos, ética de la estética, tribu, potencia, juego doble, posmodernidad, los cuales abordaron lo cotidiano en sus diferentes escenarios de cuidado. Se expresa la importancia de estar atento a los aspectos subjetivos de lo cotidiano, considerando su complejidad, posibilitando nuevos y otros modos de estar-juntos. Conclusión: el pensamiento de Michel Maffesoli contribuye a la construcción del conocimiento en enfermería y salud, indicando caminos en las dimensiones del cuidado, en el campo académico y profesional, a partir del cotidiano de las personas, resignificando el cuidado que va más allá de la técnica, nos cambia la mirada y la dirección, para que podamos estar en sintonía con las diferentes situaciones del vivir y del convivir, abandonando el des-envolvimiento, para involucrarnos con un cuidado afectivo, el que toca, siendo, por lo tanto, efectivo.

ABSTRACT Objective: to analyze the scientific production in nursing and health in which the theoretical and methodological framework of Michel Maffesoli was adopted and reflect on his contributions to Nursing and Health. Method: integrative literature review in the scientific publications in Health indexed in SciELO®, BVS, Scopus®, CINAHL®, PubMed® and Web of Science®. The word "Maffesoli" was used. The inclusion criteria were: complete articles, either original or reflections, in which the theoretical framework of Michel Maffesoli was applied in the analysis or discussion of the data, available in Portuguese, English, Spanish and French. Results: thirty articles were selected, most of which were Nursing articles with a qualitative approach. The most present notions in the studies were daily, ethic of esthetics, tribe, power, double game, postmodernity, which addressed the daily in its different care contexts. The importance of paying attention to the subjective aspects of the daily is highlighted, in view of its complexity, permitting new and other modes of being-together. Conclusion: Michel Maffesoli's thinking contributes to the construction of knowledge in nursing and health, indicating routes in the dimensions of care, in the academic and professional fields, departing from people's daily life, resignifying the care that goes beyond the technique, inciting us to change the look and direction in order to be in tune with the different situations of living and coexisting, giving up the de-involvement to engage in affective care, which touches and is therefore effective.

O quotidiano dos trabalhadores da atenção básica: limites para a promoção da saúde / El día a dia de los trabajadores de la atención primaria: límites para promover la salud / The primary care worker's daily living: limits for health promotion

RESUMO Trata-se de pesquisa qualitativa, exploratória descritiva, com objetivo de compreender os limites do quotidiano para a Promoção da Saúde dos trabalhadores. Participaram da pesquisa 18 trabalhadores de um Centro de Saúde no sul do Brasil. A coleta de dados foi realizada, durante os meses de abril e maio de 2014, por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas, tendo como questão norteadora: "Quais os limites do quotidiano para a promoção da saúde dos trabalhadores que atuam na Atenção Básica?" A análise dos dados foi feita à luz das noções e dos Pressupostos Teóricos e da Sensibilidade de Michel Maffesoli. Como resultado, encontramos algumas dimensões que expressam os limites do quotidiano em seu contexto geral de vida, envolvendo a falta e o excesso. Falta ter tempo e saber administrar o tempo; falta de companheirismo; falta fazer mais exercício e ter mais lazer. Dentre os excessos identificamos: excesso de tarefas diárias; trânsito; trabalho com carga horária excessiva; preguiça; gula. Enfatizamos a importância das reflexões e ações voltadas para a Promoção da Saúde do trabalhador em seu quotidiano, considerando-se no cuidado os limites como possibilidades a serem transfigurados pela potência do ser humano, contribuindo para a criação de ambientes saudáveis.

RESUMEN Es un estudio cualitativo, exploratorio, descriptivo, con el objetivo de comprender los límites de la vida cotidiana para la Promoción de la Salud de los trabajadores. Los participantes fueron 18 trabajadores dn un Centro de Salud en el sur de Brasil. La recolección de datos se llevó a cabo durante los meses de abril y mayo de 2014, a través de entrevistas semiestructuradas, con la pregunta guía: "¿Cuáles son los límites de la vida cotidiana para promover la salud de los trabajadores que trabajan en la Atención Primaria" Análisis de los datos se hizo a la luz de los conceptos y Supuestos Teóricos y de la Sensibilidad de Michel Maffesoli. Como resultado, hemos encontrado algunas dimensiones que expresan los límites diarios en su contexto general de la vida, que implicam la falta y el exceso. Falta de tiempo y saber cómo administrar el tiempo; falta de compañía; falta de más ejercicio y tener más tiempo libre. Entre los excesos identificados: el exceso de tareas diarias; tránsito; trabajar con excesiva carga de trabajo; la pereza; gula. Hacemos hincapié en la importancia de las reflexiones y acciones hacia la promoción de la salud de los trabajadores en su vida diaria, teniendo en cuenta el cuidado de los límites como las posibilidades de ser transfigurados por el poder del ser humano, lo que contribuye a la creación de ambientes saludables.

ABSTRACT This is a qualitative, descriptive, exploratory rsearch, aiming to understand the limits of everyday life for the Health Promotion of workers. The participants were 18 workers at a health center in southern Brazil. Data collection occurred conducted during the months of April and May 2014, through semi-structured interviews, with the guiding question: "What are the limits of everyday life to promote the health of workers who work in primary care?" Analysis data was made in the light of the Sensitvity and Theoretecial Concepts of Michel Maffesoli. As a result, we found some dimensions that express the daily limits in its general context of life, involving the lack and excess. Lack of time and knowledge on how to manage time; lack of companionship; lack of more exercise and leisure. Among the excesses identified: excessive daily tasks; traffic; work with excessive workload; laziness; greediness. We emphasize the importance of reflections and actions towards Health Promotion of workers in their daily lives, considering, during the care, the limits as possibilities for the power of human beings to transfigure, contributing to create healthy environments.

Intrauterine growth restriction increases the preference for palatable foods and affects sensitivity to food rewards in male and female adult rats.

Clinical evidence suggests that intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) can cause persistent changes in the preference for palatable foods. In this study, we compared food preferences, the response to food rewards, and the role of the mesolimbic dopaminergic system in feeding behavior, between IUGR and control rats. Time-mated pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly allocated to a control group (standard chow ad libitum) or a 50% food restriction (FR) group, which received 50% of the control dams׳ habitual intake. These diets were provided from gestation day 10 to the 21st day of lactation. Within 24h of birth, pups were cross-fostered and divided into four groups: Adlib/Adlib, FR/Adlib, FR/FR, Adlib/FR. Standard chow consumption was compared between all groups. Food preferences, conditioned place preference to a palatable diet, and the levels of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) phosphorylation and D2 receptors in the nucleus accumbens were analyzed and compared between the two groups of interest: Adlib/Adlib (control) and FR/Adlib (exposed to growth restriction during the fetal period only). IUGR adult rats had a stronger preference for palatable foods, but showed less conditioned place preference to a palatable diet than controls. D2 receptors levels were lower in IUGR rats. At baseline, TH and pTH levels were higher in FR/Adlib than control males. Measurements taken after exposure to sweet foods revealed higher levels of TH and pTH in FR/Adlib than control females. These data showed that IUGR rats exhibited a preference for palatable foods, potentially due to alterations in their mesolimbic reward pathway. Additionally, the changes observed in the mesolimbic dopaminergic system of IUGR rats proved to be sex-specific. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 1618.

Variations in the neonatal environment modulate adult behavioral and brain responses to palatable food withdrawal in adult female rats.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Early handling alters adult behavioral responses to palatable food and to its withdrawal following a period of chronic exposure. However, the central mechanisms involved in this phenomenon are not known. Since neonatal handling has persistent effects on stress and anxiety responses, we hypothesized that its involvement in the aforementioned association may be associated with differential neuroadaptations in the amygdala during withdrawal periods. METHODS: Litters were randomized into two groups: handled (H, removed from their dam for 10min per day from the first to the tenth postnatal day and placed in an incubator at 32°C) and non-handled (NH). Experiment 1: on PNDs 80-100, females were assigned to receive palatable food+rat chow for 15 or 30 days, and these two groups were compared in terms of palatable food preference, body weight and abdominal fat deposition. In Experiment 2, H and NH rats were exposed to a chronic diet of palatable food+rat chow for 15 days, followed by (a) no withdrawal, (b) 24h withdrawal from palatable food (receiving only rat chow) or (c) 7-day withdrawal from palatable food (receiving only rat chow). Body weight, 10-min rebound palatable food intake, abdominal fat deposition, serum corticosterone as well as TH and pCREB levels in the amygdala were then compared between groups. RESULTS: Experiment 1-chronic exposure to palatable food induces comparable metabolic effects after 15 and 30 days. Experiment 2-neonatal handling is associated with a peculiar response to palatable food withdrawal following chronic exposure for 15 days. Rats exposed to early handling ingested less of this food after a 24h withdrawal period, and displayed increased amygdala TH and pCREB levels. CONCLUSIONS: Variations in the neonatal environment affect both behavioral responses and amygdala neuroadaptation to acute withdrawal from a palatable diet. These findings contribute to the comprehension of the mechanisms that link early life events and altered feeding behavior and related morbidities such as obesity in adulthood.

Contextual fear conditioning in maternal separated rats: the amygdala as a site for alterations.

The first 2 weeks of life are a critical period for neural development in rats. Repeated long-term separation from the dam is considered to be one of the most potent stressors to which rat pups can be exposed, and permanently modifies neurobiological and behavioral parameters. Prolonged periods of maternal separation (MS) usually increase stress reactivity during adulthood, and enhance anxiety-like behavior. The aim of this study was to verify the effects of maternal separation during the neonatal period on memory as well as on biochemical parameters (Na(+), K(+)-ATPase and antioxidant enzymes activities) in the amygdala of adult rats. Females and male Wistar rats were subjected to repeated maternal separation (incubator at 32 °C, 3 h/day) during postnatal days 1-10. At 60 days of age, the subjects were exposed to a Contextual fear conditioning task. One week after the behavioral task, animals were sacrificed and the amygdala was dissected for evaluation of Na(+), K(+)-ATPase and antioxidant enzymes activities. Student-t test showed significant MS effect, causing an increase of freezing time in the three exposures to the aversive context in both sexes. Considering biochemical parameters Student-t test showed significant MS effect causing an increase of Na(+), K(+)-ATPase activity in both sexes. On the other hand, no differences were found among the groups on the antioxidant enzymes activities [superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase (CAT)] in male rats, but in females, we found a significant MS effect, causing an increase of CAT activity and no differences were found among the groups on SOD and GPx activities. Our results suggest a role of early rearing environment in programming fear learning and memory in adulthood. An early stress experience such as maternal separation may increase activity in the amygdala (as pointed by the increased activity of Na(+), K(+)-ATPase), affecting behaviors related to fear in adulthood, and this effect could be task-specific.

Early life stress is associated with anxiety, increased stress responsivity and preference for "comfort foods" in adult female rats.

Chronic stress increases anxiety and encourages intake of palatable foods as "comfort foods". This effect seems to be mediated by altered function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. In the current study, litters of Wistar rats were subjected to limited access to nesting material (Early-Life Stress group - ELS) or standard care (Control group) from postnatal day 2 to 9. In adult life, anxiety was assessed using the novelty-suppressed feeding test (NSFT), and acute stress responsivity by measurement of plasma corticosterone and ACTH levels. Preference for palatable foods was monitored by a computerized system (BioDAQ, Research Diets(®)) in rats receiving only regular chow or given the choice of regular and palatable diet for 30 days. ELS-augmented adulthood anxiety in the NSFT (increased latency to eat in a new environment; decreased chow intake upon return to the home cage) and increased corticosterone (but not ACTH) secretion in response to stress. Despite being lighter and consuming less rat chow, ELS animals ate more palatable foods during chronic exposure compared with controls. During preference testing, controls receiving long-term access to palatable diet exhibited reduced preference for the diet relative to controls exposed to regular chow only, whereas ELS rats demonstrated no such reduction in preference after prolonged palatable diet exposure. The increased preference for palatable foods showed by ELS animals may result from a habit of using this type of food to ameliorate anxiety.

Effect of chronic administration of tamoxifen and/or estradiol on feeding behavior, palatable food and metabolic parameters in ovariectomized rats.

Tamoxifen (TAM) is a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) used in the treatment of breast cancer; however many women complain of weight gain during TAM treatment. The anorectic effects of estradiol (E) and TAM are well known, although the effects of E on the consumption of palatable food are controversial and there is no information regarding the effects of TAM on palatable food consumption. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of chronic treatment with estradiol and/or tamoxifen on feeding behavior in ovariectomized rats exposed to standard chow and palatable foods (Froot Loops® or chocolate). Additionally, parameters such as body weight, uterine weight, lipid profile and plasma glucose were also measured. Wistar rats were ovariectomized (OVX) and subsequently injected (ip.) for 40 days with: E, TAM, E+TAM or vehicle (OVX and SHAM - controls). Behavioral tests were initiated 25 days after the start of treatment. Froot Loops® consumption was evaluated in a novel environment for 3 min. Standard chow intake was evaluated for two days and chocolate intake for 7 days in the home cage in a free choice model (chocolate or standard chow). Rats injected with E, TAM and E+TAM groups showed a reduction in body weight and standard chow intake, compared with control groups. With regard to palatable food intake, the E, TAM and E+TAM groups demonstrated increased consumption of Froot Loops®, compared with the SHAM and OVX groups. In contrast, all groups increased their consumption of chocolate, compared with standard chow; however the E group consumed more chocolate than the OVX, TAM and E+TAM groups. Despite these differences in chocolate consumption, all groups showed the same caloric intake during the chocolate exposure period; however the TAM and E+TAM groups presented decreased body weight. Treatment with estradiol and tamoxifen showed a favorable lipid profile with low levels of TC, LDL, LDL/HDL ratio and lower levels of plasma glucose. The E group presented high levels of TG and HDL, when compared with the TAM and E+TAM groups. Taken together, results suggest that TAM acted in an estrogen-like manner on the majority of parameters analyzed. However, tamoxifen acts in a different manner depending on the type of palatable food and the exposure. In addition, the TAM group demonstrated weight loss, compared with other groups independently of the type of food presented (palatable food or standard chow), showing a low caloric efficiency.

The effect of unpredictable chronic mild stress on depressive-like behavior and on hippocampal A1 and striatal A2A adenosine receptors.

This study examined the effects of two chronic stress regimens upon depressive-like behavior, A(1) and A(2A) adenosine receptor binding and immunocontent. Male rats were subjected to unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) or to chronic restraint stress (CRS) for 40 days. Subsequently, depressive-like behaviors (forced swimming and consumption of sucrose) were evaluated, and A(1) adenosine or A(2A) adenosine receptors were examined in the hippocampus or striatum, respectively. UCMS animals demonstrated depressive-related behaviors (decrease in sucrose consumption and increased immobility in the forced swimming test). This group also presented increased A(1) adenosine receptor binding and immunoreactivity in hippocampus, as well as increased striatal A(2A) adenosine receptor binding in the striatum, without alteration in immunoreactivity. Conversely, the chronic restraint stress group displayed only an increase in A(1) adenosine receptor binding and no alteration in the other parameters evaluated. We suggest that the alteration in adenosine receptors, particularly the upregulation of striatal A(2A) adenosine receptors following UCMS, could be associated with depressive-related behavior.

The influence of early life interventions on olfactory memory related to palatable food, and on oxidative stress parameters and Na+/K+-ATPase activity in the hippocampus and olfactory bulb of female adult rats.

The effects of neonatal handling and the absence of ovarian hormones on the olfactory memory related to a palatable food in adulthood were investigated. Oxidative stress parameters and Na+/K+-ATPase activity in the hippocampus and olfactory bulb of adult pre-puberty ovariectomized female rats handled or not in the neonatal period were also evaluated. Litters were non-handled or handled (10 min/day, days 1-10 after birth). Females from each litter were divided into: OVX (subjected to ovariectomy), sham, and intact. When adults, olfactory memory related to a palatable food (chocolate) was evaluate using the hole-board olfactory task. Additionally, oxidative stress parameters and Na+/K+-ATPase activity were measured in the hippocampus and olfactory bulb. No difference between groups was observed considering olfactory memory evaluation. Neonatal handled rats presented an increase in Na+/K+-ATPase activity in the hippocampus and in the olfactory bulb, compared to non-handled ones. Considering the surgical procedure, there was a decrease in Na+/K+-ATPase and catalase activities in sham and OVX groups, compared to intact animals in the olfactory bulb. We concluded that olfactory memory related to a palatable food in adulthood was not affected by neonatal handling or by pre-puberty surgery, with or without removal of ovaries. The difference observed between groups in catalase and Na+/K+-ATPase activity does not seem to be related to the olfactory memory. Additionally, the increase in Na+/K+-ATPase activity (an enzyme that maintains the neurochemical gradient necessary for neuronal excitability) induced by neonatal handling may be related to neuroplastic changes in the hippocampus and olfactory bulb.