Effects of zinc and paracetamol on depressive-like behavior of rats induced by lipopolysaccharide

• Grant number: 15/02742-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: August 01, 2015
• End date: June 30, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Pharmacology - Neuropsychopharmacology
• Agreement: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal Investigator: Thiago Berti Kirsten
• Grantee: Danilo Cabral
• Host Institution: Vice-Reitoria de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação. Universidade Paulista (UNIP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Depression has presenting high prevalence, high relation with unemployment and suicide, as well as requiring long and expensive treatments. Little is known about the etiology of depression, but it seems to include genetic, psychological and pharmacological factors. One hypothesis that has been considered in the genesis of depression is from immune/inflammatory activations. For example, many depressed patients exhibit a chronic increase of pro-inflammatory cytokines levels, and changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). In this sense, many drugs that interfere with the neuroimmune system have been tested for the depression treatment. Zinc and paracetamol interfere with the immune system, as well as have shown beneficial effects in depression treatment, when administered concurrently to subeffective antidepressants doses. Thus, the objective of this study is to treat rats with zinc and/or paracetamol in an attempt to prevent/ameliorate experimentally induced depressive-like effects, in this case without antidepressants administration. We will induce depressive-like behavior in adult Wistar rats by repeated administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS, Gram-negative bacteria endotoxin). Rats will receive zinc and/or paracetamol for three consecutive days. First we will evaluate if the sickness behavior induced by LPS will cease, assessing open-field general activity and body weight. We will evaluate anxiety levels by light-dark box test. The depressive-like behavior will be evaluated by the forced swim test. We will also evaluate plasma levels of biomarkers linked to depression, such as BDNF, adrenocorticotropic hormone and tumor necrosis factor alpha, as well as brain analysis (frontal cortex, striatum and midbrain) by immunohistochemistry technique to study neuroinflammation markers (glial protein fibrillary acidic) and dopaminergic system (tyrosine hydroxylase). (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

BONDAN, EDUARDO F.. Zinc, but not paracetamol, prevents depressive-like behavior and sickness behavior, and inhibits interferon-gamma and astrogliosis in rats. BRAIN BEHAVIOR AND IMMUNITY, v. 87, p. 489-497, JUL 2020. (15/02742-0)