Publications by authors named "Bianca W Aguiar"

Aims: To measure the variation in Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances (TBARS) and interleukin (IL) levels in crack-cocaine dependent adolescents after 21days of abstinence, comparing to levels found in a group of healthy controls.

Design: Cross-sectional nested on a short follow-up study.

Setting: Two inpatient treatment units for adolescents, and a low-income neighborhood.

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Introduction:: Transsexualism (ICD-10) is a condition characterized by a strong and persistent dissociation with one's assigned gender. Sex reassignment surgery (SRS) and hormone therapy provide a means of allowing transsexual individuals to feel more congruent with their gender and have played a major role in treatment over the past 70 years. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) appears to play a key role in recovery from acute surgical trauma and environmentally mediated vulnerability to psychopathology.

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Serum inflammatory markers have been studied in adults with anxiety and depression, but little is known about cytokine levels in young adolescents with emotional disorders. The objective of this study is to compare serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) between adolescents with internalizing disorders and adolescents from the same community without internalizing disorders. A total of 134 non-medicated subjects (n=76 with internalizing disorders) were recruited from a larger sample of 2457 individuals.

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The exposition to traumatic events related to urban violence is epidemic in Brazil, with rate of 80% in the general population, and is becoming a major cause of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The objective of the study was to compare serum levels of pro-inflammatory interleukin-6 (IL-6) and anti-inflammatory interleukin-10 (IL-10) in PTSD and resilient individuals. We hypothesized that resilient individuals present an attenuated pro-inflammatory and enhanced anti-inflammatory state.

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Research on Parkinson's disease (PD) and drug development is hampered by the lack of suitable human in vitro models that simply and accurately recreate the disease conditions. To counteract this, many attempts to differentiate cell lines, such as the human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma, into dopaminergic neurons have been undertaken since they are easier to cultivate when compared with other cellular models. Here, we characterized neuronal features discriminating undifferentiated and retinoic acid (RA)-differentiated SH-SYSY cells and described significant differences between these cell models in 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) cytotoxicity.

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Pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD) is a serious mental disorder that affects the development and emotional growth of affected patients. The brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is recognized as one of the possible markers of the framework and its evolution. Abnormalities in BDNF signaling in the hippocampus could explain the cognitive decline seen in patients with TB.

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Objective: Mental disorders and early trauma are highly prevalent in female inmates. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays an important role in learning, memory processes, and mood regulation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between serum BDNF levels and mental disorders among imprisoned women as compared with age- and education-matched controls.

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The objective of this study is to investigate if a polymorphism in the NR3C2 gene moderates the association between childhood trauma on serum levels of brain derived neurothrophic factor (sBDNF). sBDNF was used here as a general marker of alteration in brain function. This is a community cross sectional study comprising 90 adolescents (54 with anxiety disorders).

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Exposure to stressful events early in life may have permanent deleterious consequences on nervous system function and increase the susceptibility to psychiatric conditions later in life. Maternal deprivation, commonly used as a source of neonatal stress, impairs memory in adult rats and reduces hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels. Inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukins (IL) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) have been shown to be increased in the peripheral blood of patients with psychiatric disorders.

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Rationale: An important goal of addiction research is to discover neurobiological markers that could predict the severity of addiction and help to determine appropriate treatment. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) are being related to cerebral plasticity and impairment caused by substance abuse.

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate alteration of TBARS and BDNF levels among crack cocaine users during early drug withdrawal and its relationship to severity of drug use.

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Objective: In the present study, we aimed to examine the effects of repeated D-amphetamine (AMPH) exposure, a well-accepted animal model of acute mania in bipolar disorder (BD), and histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors on locomotor behavior and HDAC activity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of rats. Moreover, we aimed to assess brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein and mRNA levels in these samples.

Methods: We treated adult male Wistar rats with 2 mg/kg AMPH or saline intraperitoneally for 14 days.

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Recent reports suggest that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) could be a biomarker for relapse, drug craving and withdrawal severity. In particular, elevated BDNF levels among former cocaine users have been associated with higher rates of relapse in 90 d. However, no data are available on BDNF levels at baseline and during crack cocaine withdrawal.

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Early stress can cause metabolic disorders in adulthood. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) deficiency has also been linked to the development of metabolic disorders. The aim of this study was to assess whether an early stressful event such as maternal separation interacts with the nutritional availability of n-3 PUFAs during the life course on metabolic aspects.

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The exposure to adverse events early in life may affect brain development. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) deficiency has been linked to the development of mood and anxiety disorders. The aim of this study was to examine the interaction between variations in the early environment (handling or maternal separation) and the chronic exposure to a nutritional n-3 PUFA deficiency on locomotor activity, sucrose preference, forced swimming test and on serum and hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels.

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Background: A growing body of evidence has shown an association between diabetes and depression, as well a role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in diabetes and depression. The present study was designed to evaluate the behavioural and molecular effects of the anti-depressant imipramine in diabetic rats.

Methods: To this aim, after induction of diabetes by alloxan (150 mg/kg), Wistar rats were treated with imipramine (30 mg/kg) once a day for 14 days and then subjected to behavioural tests.

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Emergence of depressive symptoms in schizophrenia results in a deteriorating course and poor prognosis. Schizophrenia and depressive disorder are both associated with low levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and with a longstanding low grade inflammatory state. The objective of this study is to analyze the relationship between these serum biomarkers and depressive and psychotic symptoms in schizophrenic patients.

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