Impact of treatment with Acromia pulp oil aculeata (bocaiúva) in mice subjected to acute social defeat: the modulation of behaviors related to the extinction of aversive memory, anxiety-like behavior and anhedonia.

Author(s)

Odaias Pereira de Almeida Filho

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB/SDI)
• Defense date: 2023-11-28

Examining board members

Carolina Demarchi Munhoz; Eliana Hiromi Akamine; Leonardo Resstel Barbosa Moraes; Leandro Antero da Silva

• Advisor: Carolina Demarchi Munhoz; Susana Elisa Moreno

Abstract

During daily life, stressful stimuli can lead to consequences such as mood and behavior disorders, such as anxiety and depression. The World Health Organization encourages research on neurobiological mechanisms and pharmacological interventions to address this issue. Phytotherapy, especially in Brazil, is a promising option for study due to its rich and underexplored biome, as well as the accessibility and low cost of derived compounds. An example of potential phytotherapy is Acromia aculeata due to its anti inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Thus, the main objective of this work is to evaluate the effect of acute administration of bocaiuva pulp oil (BPO) on the modulation of anxious behavior, memory extinction deficit, anhedonia, and changes in the antioxidant system induced by acute social defeat stress in male C57Bl/6 mice. For this purpose, male C57Bl/6 mice (n=40) were equally allocated into four distinct groups: an untreated group, a group subjected to acute stress protocol, a group treated with Acromia aculeata pulp oil (BPO), and a group exposed to both treatment and stress with BPO. The mice were treated for three consecutive days with BPO (15mg/kg), via gavage, and subjected to acute social defeat stress (SD). 72 hours after SD, the animals were subjected, in this order, to the elevated plus maze to measure anxious behavior, sound and context conditioning to measure the acquisition, consolidation, and extinction of aversive memory, and the splash test to measure anhedonia. Peripheral blood samples were obtained at three different times (baseline, post-treatment, and conclusion of the protocol after behavioral tests) to analyze the populations of leukocytes, erythrocytes, and platelets. In addition, the antioxidant capacity of the extract in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of the animals was evaluated using the DPPH and ABTS methodologies, and the antioxidant system was assessed by quantifying reduced glutathione and hydrogen peroxide. The collected data were statistically evaluated using two- or three-way ANOVA, with a significance level set at P < 0.05. Project approval was obtained from the Animal Ethics Committee (3979091121). No statistically significant differences were observed among the experimental groups in all behavioral tests conducted, and no statistically significant differences were observed in the antioxidant system in vitro. Furthermore, no toxicity of the treatment was detected when evaluating the results on the hematopoietic system of the mice. Therefore, it is possible to conclude that the acute social defeat stress protocol, BPO treatment, and the interaction of these factors are not capable of inducing anxious behavior, memory extinction deficit, anhedonia, and modulation of the antioxidant system in vivo. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 20/15353-0 - Impact of treatment with oil pulp of Acromia aculeata (bocaiúva) in mice: modulation of behaviors related to aversive memory extinction
• Grantee: Odaias Pereira de Almeida Filho
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master