Cafeteria Diet Abstinence Induces Depressive Behavior and Disrupts Endocannabinoid Signaling in Dopaminergic Areas: A Preclinical Study.

Background: Alterations of dopamine (DA) transmission in the brain reward system can be associated with an addictive-like state defined as food addiction (FA), common in obese individuals. Subjects affected by FA experience negative feelings when abstinent from their preferred diet and may develop mood disorders, including depression, sustained by alterations in brain DA pathways.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the impact of long-term abstinence from a palatable diet on depressive-like behavior in rats, exploring neurochemical alterations in monoamine and endocannabinoid signaling in DA-enriched brain regions, including ventral tegmental area, dorsolateral striatum, substantia nigra and medial prefrontal cortex.

Hydroxytyrosol Linoleoyl Ether Ameliorates Metabolic-Associated Fatty Liver Disease Symptoms in Obese Zucker Rats.

A main hepatic consequence of obesity is metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), currently treated by improving eating habits and administrating fibrates yet often yielding suboptimal outcomes. Searching for a new therapeutic approach, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy of hydroxytyrosol linoleoyl ether (HTLE), a dual Ppar-α agonist/Cb1 antagonist with inherent antioxidant properties, as an antisteatotic agent. Using lean and obese Zucker rats, they were administrated daily doses of HTLE (3 mg/kg) over a 15-day period, evaluating its safety profile, pharmacokinetics, impact on body weight, hepatic fat content, expression of key enzymes involved in lipogenesis/fatty acid oxidation, and antioxidant capacity.

Sex-based differences in growth-related IGF1 signaling in response to PAPP-A2 deficiency: comparative effects of rhGH, rhIGF1 and rhPAPP-A2 treatments.

Background: Children with pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A2 (PAPP-A2) mutations resulting in low levels of bioactive insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF1) and progressive postnatal growth retardation have improved growth velocity and height following recombinant human (rh)IGF1 treatment. The present study aimed to evaluate whether Pappa2 deficiency and pharmacological manipulation of GH/IGF1 system are associated with sex-specific differences in growth-related signaling pathways.

Methods: Plasma, hypothalamus, pituitary gland and liver of Pappa2 mice of both sexes, showing reduced skeletal growth, and liver of these mice treated with rhGH, rhIGF1 and rhPAPP-A2 from postnatal day (PND) 5 to PND35 were analyzed.

Inhibition of Adult Neurogenesis in Male Mice after Repeated Exposure to Paracetamol Overdose.

Paracetamol, or acetaminophen (N-acetyl-para-aminophenol, APAP), is an analgesic and antipyretic drug that is commonly used worldwide, implicated in numerous intoxications due to overdose, and causes serious liver damage. APAP can cross the blood-brain barrier and affects brain function in numerous ways, including pain signals, temperature regulation, neuroimmune response, and emotional behavior; however, its effect on adult neurogenesis has not been thoroughly investigated. We analyze, in a mouse model of hepatotoxicity, the effect of APAP overdose (750 mg/kg/day) for 3 and 4 consecutive days and after the cessation of APAP administration for 6 and 15 days on cell proliferation and survival in two relevant neurogenic zones: the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus and the hypothalamus.

The Effect of Fat Intake with Increased Omega-6-to-Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Ratio in Animal Models of Early and Late Alzheimer's Disease-like Pathogenesis.

This work aims to clarify the effect of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) intake on the adult brain affected by amyloid pathology. McGill-R-Thy1-APP transgenic (Tg) rat and 5xFAD Tg mouse models that represent earlier or later disease stages were employed. The animals were exposed to a control diet (CD) or an HFD based on corn oil, from young (rats) or adult (mice) ages for 24 or 10 weeks, respectively.