Banca de DEFESA: ALDEMARA INGRID DA SILVA BARBOSA

Uma banca de DEFESA de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : ALDEMARA INGRID DA SILVA BARBOSA
DATE: 25/08/2020
TIME: 14:00
LOCAL: Videoconferência (solicitar link pelo e-mail ppgcb.ufrn@gmail.com)
TITLE:

BLOCKADE OF NOP RECEPTOR ABOLISHES ANXIETY-LIKE BEHAVIOR IN HELPLESS MICE

KEY WORDS:

depression; anxiety; inescapable stress; helpless behavior; nociceptin/orphanin FQ; NOP antagonist

PAGES: 63
BIG AREA: Ciências Biológicas
AREA: Farmacologia
SUBÁREA: Neuropsicofarmacologia
SUMMARY:

Depression and anxiety frequently co-occurs and this has important clinical implications. Nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) is the endogenous agonist of the NOP receptor. Previous studies showed that activation of NOP receptors elicits anxiolytic-like effects, while its blockade promotes consistent antidepressant actions. Of note, NOP antagonists are effective in reversing inescapable electric footshocks-induced depressive-like behaviors, but their effects on stress-induced anxiety are still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of the NOP antagonist SB-612111 (0.1-10 mg/kg) on anxiety-related behaviors in mice exposed to inescapable electric footshock stress. Inescapable electric footshock induced anxiogenic-related behaviors only in helpless mice. In fact, when compared to non stressed mice, helpless, but not non helpless, animals displayed significant reduction in the percentage of time and entries into open arms in the elevated plus-maze test. Diazepam (1 mg/kg) significantly increased the open arms exploration in helpless, non helpless, and non stressed mice. However, the treatment with the NOP antagonist SB-612111 was able to selectively reverse anxiogenic-related behaviors in helpless mice. No significant differences in the spontaneous locomotion were observed in animals treated with diazepam and SB-612111. In conclusion, helpless mice were significantly more anxious than non helpless and non stressed animals. Despite being inactive in non stressed and non helpless mice, the treatment with the NOP antagonist reversed the anxiogenic-like behavior in helpless mice. Ultimately, these findings suggest that NOP antagonists can be useful for treating anxiety in depressive patients.

BANKING MEMBERS:
Presidente - 1720860 - VANESSA DE PAULA SOARES RACHETTI
Externa ao Programa - 2140860 - ROVENA CLARA GALVAO JANUARIO ENGELBERTH
Externo à Instituição - RAMÓN HYPOLITO LIMA - IINN