Sex differences in the effects of pre- and postnatal caffeine exposure on behavior and synaptic proteins in pubescent rats.

Few studies have addressed the effects of caffeine in the puberty and/or adolescence in a sex dependent manner. Considering that caffeine intake has increased in this population, we investigated the behavioral and synaptic proteins changes in pubescent male and female rats after maternal consumption of caffeine. Adult female Wistar rats started to receive water or caffeine (0.

Caffeine exposure during rat brain development causes memory impairment in a sex selective manner that is offset by caffeine consumption throughout life.

Caffeine is the psychostimulant most consumed worldwide. In moderate doses, it affords a beneficial effect in adults and upon aging, but has a deleterious effect during brain development. We now tested if caffeine consumption by rats (0.

Prenatal caffeine intake differently affects synaptic proteins during fetal brain development.

Caffeine is the psychostimulant most consumed worldwide. However, little is known about its effects during fetal brain development. In this study, adult female Wistar rats received caffeine in drinking water (0.

The Janus face of caffeine.

Caffeine is certainly the psychostimulant substance most consumed worldwide. Over the past years, chronic consumption of caffeine has been associated with prevention of cognitive decline associated to aging and mnemonic deficits of brain disorders. While its preventive effects have been reported extensively, the cognitive enhancer properties of caffeine are relatively under debate.

Treadmill running frequency on anxiety and hippocampal adenosine receptors density in adult and middle-aged rats.

Physical exercise protocols have varied widely across studies raising the question of whether there is an optimal intensity, duration and frequency that would produce maximal benefits in attenuating symptoms related to anxiety disorders. Although physical exercise causes modifications in neurotransmission systems, the involvement of neuromodulators such as adenosine has not been investigated after chronic exercise training. Anxiety-related behavior was assessed in the elevated plus-maze in adult and middle-aged rats submitted to 8 weeks of treadmill running 1, 3 or 7 days/week.

Enriched environment effects on behavior, memory and BDNF in low and high exploratory mice.

Environmental enrichment (EE) has been largely used to investigate behavioral modifications and neuroplasticity in the adult brain both in normal and pathological conditions. The interaction between individual behavioral traits with EE responsiveness has not been investigated within the same strain. By using two extremes of CF1 mice that differ by their exploratory behavior in the Open Field (OF) task (Kazlauckas V, 2005), denominated as Low (LE) and High (HE) Exploratory Mice, the present study evaluated if EE during adulthood could modify the putative differences between LE and HE mice on exploratory behavior, memory performance and hippocampal BDNF levels.

Distinctive effects of unpredictable subchronic stress on memory, serum corticosterone and hippocampal BDNF levels in high and low exploratory mice.

Stress affects learning and memory processes and sensitivity to stress greatly varies between individuals. We studied behavioral and neurobiological effects of unpredictable subchronic stress (USCS) in two behavioral extremes of mice from the same strain (CF1) selected by their exploratory behavior of the central arena of an open field. The top and bottom 25% explorers were classified as low exploratory (LE) and high exploratory (HE) mice, respectively.

Blockade of adenosine A(1) receptors prevents methylphenidate-induced impairment of object recognition task in adult mice.

Methylphenidate (MPH) is the preferred treatment used for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Recently, misuse for MPH due to its apparent cognitive enhancer properties has been reported. Adenosine is a neuromodulator known to exert influence on the dopaminergic neurotransmission, which is the main pharmacological target of MPH.

Adenosine A1 receptors are modified by acute treatment with methylphenidate in adult mice.

In recent years misuse of methylphenidate (MPH) has been reported. The main pharmacological target of methylphenidate is the dopaminergic system. Adenosine is a neuromodulator that influences the dopaminergic neurotransmission, but studies on MPH and adenosine are still lacking.

Caffeine prevents disruption of memory consolidation in the inhibitory avoidance and novel object recognition tasks by scopolamine in adult mice.

Caffeine is a psychostimulant with positive effects on cognition. Recent studies have suggested the participation of the cholinergic system in the effects of caffeine on wakefulness. However, there are few studies assessing the contribution of cholinergic system in the cognitive enhancer properties of caffeine.

Caffeine improves adult mice performance in the object recognition task and increases BDNF and TrkB independent on phospho-CREB immunocontent in the hippocampus.

Caffeine is one of the most psychostimulants consumed all over the world that usually presents positive effects on cognition. In this study, effects of caffeine on mice performance in the object recognition task were tested in different intertrial intervals. In addition, it was analyzed the effects of caffeine on brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its receptor, TrkB, immunocontent to try to establish a connection between the behavioral finding and BDNF, one of the neurotrophins strictly involved in memory and learning process.

Diphenyl diselenide exerts anxiolytic-like effect in Wistar rats: putative roles of GABAA and 5HT receptors.

Diphenyl diselenide [(PhSe)2] is an organoselenium compound which presents pharmacological antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive and antidepressant properties. The present study was designed to investigate the anxiolytic effect of (PhSe)2 in rats, employing the elevated plus maze task. The involvement of 5HT and GABA receptors in the anxiolytic-like effect was also evaluated.

Selenium compounds counteract the stimulation of ecto-nucleotidase activities in rat cultured cerebellar granule cells: putative correlation with neuroprotective effects.

Glutamate is the main excitatory neurotransmitter in brain involved in pathophysiology of several brain injuries. In this context, glutamate showed to stimulate ecto-nucleotidase activities in cerebellar granule cells increasing extracellular adenosine levels, an important neuromodulator in the CNS able to prevent cell damage. The organoselenium compounds, such as ebselen and diphenyl diselenide [(PhSe)(2)], display neuroprotective activities mediated at least in part by their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.