CHARACTERIZATION OF THE EFFECTS OF A NITRIC OXIDE DONOR IN A SCHIZOPHRENIA ANIMAL MODEL.

• Grant number: 12/21560-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: March 01, 2013
• End date: February 28, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Pharmacology - Neuropsychopharmacology
• Principal Investigator: Vanessa Costhek Abílio
• Grantee: Mariana Cepollaro Diana
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Schizophrenia is a severe and incapacitating mental disorder.The onset occurs in late adolescence / early adulthood. The treatment is conducted with continuous use of antipsychotics. However, these drugs are not able to benefit all patients and can cause devastating side effects. In this context, the investigation on new drugs and therapeutic approaches, not only for the treatment of disease and for its prevention, becomes crucial.Evidence has emerged supporting changes in the nitrergic system associated with the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Furthermore, recent data reveal a striking therapeutic effect of a nitric oxide donor - sodium nitroprusside - in the treatment of refractory patients.Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of treatment with a nitric oxide donor in an animal model of schizophrenia - the SHR strain (spontaneously hypertensive rats). As a first objective, the study will assess the effects of an acute treatment in behavioral changes observed in adulthood, which model symptoms of schizophrenia in this lineage. As a second objective, will be assessed a possible preventive effect of early treatment (during adolescence) on these behavioral changes evaluated in adulthood. Finally, we evaluate neurochemical changes associated with this treatment.The results of this study may in the future provide a better understanding of the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, as well as new drugs and therapeutic strategies to treat this disease, leading to a better quality of life for patients and reducing the suffering of relatives.