Prolonged exposure of rats to varenicline increases anxiety and alters serotonergic system, but has no effect on memory

Autor(es):Mostrar menos -

Zaccarelli-Magalhaes, Julia ^[1] ; Sandini, Thaisa Meira ^{[2, 3]} ; de Abreu, Gabriel Ramos ^{[1, 4]} ; Petrocelli, Bianca Maria ^[4] ; Moreira, Natalia ^[1] ; Reis-Silva, Thiago Moirinho ^[5] ; Lebrun, Ivo ^[6] ; Florio, Jorge Camilo ^[1] ; Ricci, Esther Lopes ^[4] ; Fukushima, Andre Rinaldi ^{[1, 7]} ; Waziry, Paula A. Faria ^[8] ; Spinosa, Helenice de Souza ^[1]

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Sch Vet Med & Anim Sci, Dept Pathol, Grad Program Expt & Comparat Pathol, Av Prof Dr Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, BR-05508270 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Sch Pharmaceut Sci, Grad Program Toxicol & Toxicol Anal, Av Prof Dr Lineu Prestes 580, BR-05508000 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[3] Univ Saskatchewan, Dept Anat Physiol & Pharmacol, 105 Adm Pl, Saskatoon, SK - Canada

^[4] Presbiterian Mackenzie Univ, Hlth Sci Inst, Rua Consolacao 930, BR-01302907 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[5] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Neurosci, Inst Psychol, Av Prof Dr Melo de Morais 1721, BR-05508030 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[6] Butantan Inst, Lab Biochem & Biophys, BR-05503900 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[7] Sao Bentos Coll, Largo Sao Bento S-No, BR-01029010 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[8] Nova Southeastern Univ, Kiran C Patel Coll Osteopath Med, 3200 S Univ Dr, Ft Lauderdale, FL 33328 - USA

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior; v. 181, p. 1-8, JUN 2019.
• Citações Web of Science: 0

Resumo

Varenicline is a drug used for smoking addiction cessation treatment and acts as a partial agonist of nicotinic cholinergic receptors. Recent clinical trial data support use of varenicline for treatment of conditions/addictions that are not related to smoking cessation. Considering the importance of this issue and the need for new studies on its effects, especially on behavior, more studies using animal models are necessary. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of prolonged exposure to varenicline in anxiety-like behavior and memory, as well as in cerebral neurochemistry of rats. Male rats received three different doses of varenicline: 0.03 (therapeutic dose for humans), 0.1 and 0.3 mg/kg orally (gavage) for 30 days. Animal behavior was analyzed through open field, elevated plus maze, light/dark box, social interaction, Barnes maze and novel object recognition tests. Neurotransmitter levels and their metabolites in different brain structures (hippocampus, striatum and frontal cortex) were measured. Results showed that prolonged exposure of rats to varenicline: 1) did not interfere in motor activity, but caused an anxiogenic effect on elevated plus maze, light/dark box and social interaction testes; 2) did not alter memory; and 3) promoted alterations on serotoninergic system in the striatum and frontal cortex. In conclusion, compilation of the data indicates that prolonged exposure of rats to varenicline promoted anxiogenic effects and alteration in serotonergic system, which corroborated behavioral findings. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 15/05049-3 - Exposição prolongada de ratos a vareniclina: avaliações comportamental, de neurotransmissores cerebrais, bioquímica e anatomopatológica
• Beneficiário: Julia Zaccarelli Magalhães
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Mestrado