Publications by authors named "Iracema Andrade"

Since Ginkgo biloba extract (GbE) was reported to improve the hypothalamic serotonergic system of ovariectomized (OVX) rats, the present study aimed to verify the GbE effects on hippocampal oxidative stress, inflammation, and levels of the serotonin transporter (5-HTT), and both the serotonin (5-HT, 5-HT) and leptin receptors of OVX rats. Two-month-old female Wistar rats had their ovaries surgically removed (OVX) or not (SHAM). After 60 days, OVX rats were gavaged daily with GbE 500 mg kg (OVX+GbE), while SHAM and OVX groups received saline 0.

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While several pieces of evidence link obesity and mood disorders in menopause, the mechanisms involved are not yet fully understood. We have previously demonstrated that Ginkgo biloba extract (GbE) both attenuated diet-induced obesity of male rats and restored serotonin-induced hypophagia in ovariectomized female rats. The present study aimed at exploring whether GbE treatment ameliorates ovariectomy-related obesity and anxious/depressive-like behaviours.

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Purpose: The metabolic benefits of the Mediterranean diet have been largely attributed to its olive oil content. Whether the ingested fat amount is relevant to these effects is not clear. We thus compared the effects of high-fat and normal-fat intake of extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) on the liver proteome.

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Menopause-induced changes may include increased incidence of both depression/anxiety and obesity. We hypothesized that behavioral changes that may develop after ovarian failure could be related to neurochemical and metabolic aspects affected by this condition and that high-fat intake may influence these associations. The present study investigated in rats the effects of ovariectomy, either alone or combined with high-fat diets enriched with either lard or fish-oil, on metabolic, behavioral and monoaminergic statuses, and on gene expression of neuropeptides and receptors involved in energy balance and mood regulation.

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Menopause is associated with increased risk to develop obesity but the mechanisms involved are not fully understood. We have shown that extract (GbE) improved diet-induced obesity. Since GbE might be effective in the treatment of obesity related to menopause, avoiding the side effects of hormone replacement therapy, we investigated the effect of GbE on hypothalamic systems controlling energy homeostasis.

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Background: The increased prevalence of asthma and allergic diseases in westernized societies has been associated with increased intake of diets rich in n-6 fatty acids (FAs) and poor in n-3 FAs. This study aimed to analyze the prophylactic effects of treatment with a soybean oil-rich diet (rich in n-6) or fish oil (rich in n-3) in an allergic airway inflammation model on lung inflammation score, leukocyte migration, T-helper cell (Th)-2 (interleukin [IL]-4, IL-5) and Th1 (interferon [IFN]-γ, tumor necrosis factor-α) cytokines, lipoxin A4, nitric oxide, bradykinin, and corticosterone levels in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) or lungs.

Methods: Male Wistar rats fed with soybean oil- or fish oil-rich diet or standard rat chow were sensitized twice with ovalbumin-alumen and challenged twice with ovalbumin aerosol.

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Due to the high incidence and severity of obesity and its related disorders, it is highly desirable to develop new strategies to treat or even to prevent its development. We have previously described that Ginkgo biloba extract (GbE) improved insulin resistance and reduced body weight gain of obese rats. In the present study we aimed to evaluate the effect of GbE on both inflammatory cascade and insulin signaling in retroperitoneal fat depot of diet-induced obese rats.

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Background: Brain glucose sensing may contribute to energy homeostasis control. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) participates in the hedonic component of feeding control. As high-fat diets may disrupt energy homeostasis, we evaluated in male Wistar rats whether intake of high-fat fish-oil diet modified cortical glucose extracellular levels and the feeding induced by intracerebroventricular glucose or PFC glucoprivation.

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IL-1β-induced anorexia may depend on interactions of the cytokine with neuropeptides and neurotransmitters of the central nervous system control of energy balance and serotonin is likely to be one catabolic mediator targeted by IL-1β. In the complex interplay involved in feeding modulation, nitric oxide has been ascribed a stimulatory action, which could be of significance in counteracting IL-1β effects.The present study aims to explore the participation of the nitric oxide and the serotonin systems on the central mechanisms induced by IL-1β and the relevance of their putative interactions to IL-1β hypophagia in normal rats.

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Background & Aims: The importance of route of administration of omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) (oral vs intravenous (iv)) is not clear. We determined the relative concentrations of fatty acids in plasma phosphatidylcholine (PC), red blood cells (RBC), white blood cells (WBC) and several tissues after short-term oral or iv administration of soybean oil (SO) or fish oil (FO).

Methods: Wistar rats (n = 6/group) received saline, FO, or SO by gavage or saline, FO based-lipid emulsion (FLE), or SO based-lipid emulsion (SLE) iv.

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Whether leptin targets the hypothalamic serotonergic system to inhibit food intake is not established. We examined the effect of a short-term i.c.

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Hypothalamic serotonin inhibits food intake and stimulates energy expenditure. High-fat feeding is obesogenic, but the role of polyunsaturated fats is not well understood. This study examined the influence of different high-PUFA diets on serotonin-induced hypophagia, hypothalamic serotonin turnover, and hypothalamic protein levels of serotonin transporter (ST), and SR-1B and SR-2C receptors.

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We used c-Fos immunoreactivity to estimate neuronal activation in hypothalamic feeding-regulatory areas of 3-month-old rats fed control or oil-enriched diets (soy or fish) since weaning. While no diet effect was observed in c-Fos immunoreactivity of 24-h fasted animals, the acute response to refeeding was modified by both hyperlipidic diets but with different patterns. Upon refeeding, control-diet rats had significantly increased c-Fos immunoreactivity only in the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVH, 142%).

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We have previously shown that adult female rats exposed to intra-uterine malnutrition were normophagic, although obese and resistant to insulin-induced hypophagia. The present study aimed at examining aspects of another important catabolic component of energy homeostasis control, the hypothalamic serotonergic function, which inhibits feeding and stimulates energy expenditure. Pregnant dams were fed ad libitum or were restricted to 50 % of ad libitum intake during the first 2 weeks of pregnancy.

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In the present study, newborn male Wistar rats were injected, subcutaneously, five times, every other day, with monosodium glutamate (MSG, 4 g/kg bw) or saline (as control, C), during the neonatal period. MSG animals developed destruction of the arcuate nuclei (ARC) with absence of NPY-immunoreactive cell bodies, which impaired both the food intake (baseline) and the 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2DG) glucoprivic feeding response. Increases in the immunoreactivity of corticotropin-releasing hormone-cell bodies in the paraventricular nuclei might have developed to compensate for the atrophy of the pituitary in MSG-treated rats.

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Serotonin-induced anorexia has long been recognized as an important part of the CNS mechanisms controlling energy balance. More recently, interleukin-1beta and nitric oxide have been suggested to influence this control, possibly through modulation of hypothalamic serotonin. The present work aimed at investigating the interaction of these systems.

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