Sâmia Regiane Lourenço Joca

• Abstract

  The need to develop new therapeutic targets for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders is a consensus in the scientific literature. Endocannabinoids (eCBs) and nitric oxide (NO) have been proposed as two of these possible targets. Studies from our group have disclosed the therapeutic potential of drugs that interfere with these two atypical neurotransmitters in anxiety, depressive, p…

  New perspectives in the use of drugs that modify atypical neurotransmitters in the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders, AP.TEM

• Abstract

  Several studies indicate that inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) induces antidepressant-like effects in animal models. Recent evidence from our research group suggest that the inducible isoform of NO synthase (iNOS) plays an important role in regulating the production of NO during exposure to stress, since its pharmacological inhibition or its gene expression (knockout, KO) induces antidepre…

  Molecular mechanisms involved in the behavioral phenotype of iNOS Knockout animals exposed to a test predictive of antidepressant-like effects, AP.R

• Abstract

  In the last 15 years our group has contributed to a better understanding of the role of nitric oxide (NO) and endocannabinoids (eCBs) in physiological and pathophysiological processes of the central nervous system. We showed that manipulations of these atypical neurotransmitters are able to change behavioral and autonomic responses of laboratory animals submitted to animal models of anxie…

  Cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the role of atypical neurotransmitters in neuropsychiatric disorders, AP.TEM

(Only some records are available in English at this moment)

• Abstract

  Depression is a debilitating psychiatric disorder. Antidepressants have limitations on their use, such as the delay of four to six weeks for onset of therapeutic action and inefficiency in 30-45% of patients.Among the substances that present a better therapeutic profile are cannabidiol (CBD), which showed a rapid and sustained antidepressant effect in animal models. The mechanisms respons…

  Investigation of the involvement of the BDNF-TrkB pathway in the mechanism of action of the rapid and sustained antidepressant-like effect induced by canabidiol, BP.DR

• Abstract

  Depression is a recurrent, long-lasting and disabling mental disorder that, despite efforts to comprehend its neurobiology, still lacks sufficiently effective treatments that quickly induces effect. Among the various neurobiological changes inherent to this disorder, a decrease in gabaergic neurotransmission seems to be involved in the etiology of depression. Indeed, treatment with alpraz…

  Involvement of the endocannabinoid system in alprazola-induced antidepressant-like responses in mice, BP.IC

• Abstract

  Several evidence suggests that repeated exposure to cocaine promotes structural and electrophysiological modifications in encephalic mesolimbic pathway, that result in behavioral changes related to abuse. These neural adaptations may be due to modulation of gene expression, which are critically regulated by epigenetic mechanisms. Recently, the influence of these regulatory mechanisms in m…

  Sensitization to cocaine induced by previous exposure to cannabinoids: Involvement of epigenetic mechanisms induced by DNA methylation, BP.PD

(Only some records are available in English at this moment)

• Abstract

  Depression is a debilitating and disabling psychiatric disorder. Dysfunction on pre-frontal cortex (PFC) have been related to depression. Ketamine is an important drug that produces rapid and sustained antidepressant effects, which seems to involve activation of the BDNF-TrkB-mTOR pathway, with subsequent activation of MEK and PI3K, leading to increased synaptogenesis. We have recently sh…

  Investigation of the molecular mechanisms involved in the rapid and sustained antidepressant-like effects induced by Cannabidiol, BE.EP.DR

• Abstract

  Repeated exposure to cocaine promotes structural and electrophysiological changes in the mesolimbic encephalic pathway, which regulates behaviors related to abuse. These complex adaptations in the brain are mediated by dynamic patterns of gene expression that are translated into enduring changes critically regulated by epigenetics mechanisms, including histone acetylation. Indeed, recent …

  Involvement of histone acetylation in modulating vulnerability to the cocaine-effects induced by exposure to cannabinoids during adolescence, BE.EP.PD

• Abstract

  The majority of major depression (MD) is preceded by stressful events. The stress leads to an increase in glutamate release, synthesis and release of nitric oxide (NO) as well as epigenetic changes induced by increased DNA methylation in the promoter regions of genes involved in the pathophysiology of MD. It has been demonstrated that oxidative stress and NO can modulate mediators respons…

  Assessment of the effect of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitors on DNA methylation and the activity and expression of DNA methyltransferases in rat brain cell culture., BE.EP.DR

(Only some records are available in English at this moment)