Publications by authors named "Severina Cassia Andrade Silva"

Article Synopsis
  • Previous research indicates that being overweight or obese can disrupt brain function during critical developmental phases, but more studies are needed on how immediate overnutrition affects serotonin in the brain.
  • This study investigates how altering serotonin levels with fluoxetine treatment in overnourished rats impacts oxidative stress and inflammatory markers in their brainstem and hypothalamus.
  • Findings suggest that overnutrition in early life leads to harmful changes in brain chemistry, but fluoxetine treatment can counteract some of these negative effects, supporting healthier brain development.
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The state of Maternal Protein Malnutrition (MPM) is associated with several deleterious effects, including inflammatory processes and dysregulation in oxidative balance, which can promote neurodegeneration. On the other hand, it is known that aerobic exercise can promote systemic health benefits, combating numerous chronic diseases. Therefore, we evaluate the effect of aerobic exercise training (AET) on indicators of mitochondrial bioenergetics, oxidative balance, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and neurotrophic factor in the prefrontal cortex of malnourished juvenile Wistar rats.

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Infections during pregnancy are associated with an increased risk of neuropsychiatric disorders with developmental etiologies, such as schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Studies have shown that the animal model of maternal immune activation (MIA) reproduces a wide range of phenotypes relevant to the study of neurodevelopmental disorders. Emerging evidence shows that (R)-ketamine attenuates behavioral, cellular, and molecular changes observed in animal models of neuropsychiatric disorders.

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Poor nutritional quality in the early stages of development is associated with neurological diseases in adulthood. Studies showed that obesity-induced oxidative stress contributes to the genesis of neurological diseases through dysregulation of the brainstem and hypothalamus. Fluoxetine (Fx) is an antidepressant member in the family of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) that can induce positive effects by reducing oxidative damage in brain tissues.

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Background: To evaluate the effects of 8 weeks of Aerobic Physical Training (AET) on the mitochondrial biogenesis and oxidative balance in the Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) of leptin deficiency-induced obese mice (ob/ob mice).

Methods: Then, the mice were submitted to an 8-week protocol of aerobic physical training (AET) at moderate intensity (60% of the maximum running speed). In the oxidative stress, we analyzed Malonaldehyde (MDA) and Carbonyls, the enzymatic activity of Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT) and Glutathione S Transferase (GST), non-enzymatic antioxidant system: reduced glutathione (GSH), and Total thiols.

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It is well known that overnutrition, overweight, and obesity in children can modulate brain mechanisms of plasticity, monoaminergic systems, and mitochondrial function. The immediate effect of overnutrition during the developmental period has not been thoroughly examined in rats until the present. This study sought to evaluate the impact on adult rats of early life overfeeding and fluoxetine treatment from post-natal day 1 (PND1) to post-natal day 21 (PND21) relative to mitochondrial function, oxidative balance, and expression of specific monoaminergic genes in the hippocampus.

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To evaluate whether exercise training mitigates the deleterious effects of undernutrition during the developmental period in juvenile Wistar rats. Pregnant Wistar rats were fed with a diet containing 17 % or 8 % casein during pregnancy and lactation. At 30 days of life, male offspring were divided into 4 groups: Low-Protein non-trained (LS), Low-Protein Trained (LT), Normoprotein non-trained (NS), and Normoprotein Trained (NT).

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Aims: We sought to evaluate the effects of overfeeding during lactation on the feeding behavior and expression of specific regulatory genes in brain areas associated with food intake in 22- and 60-day old male rats.

Methods: We evaluated body weight, food intake of standard and palatable diet, and mRNA expression of dopamine receptor D1 (DDR1), dopamine receptor (DDR2), melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R), the μ-opioid receptor (MOR), neuropeptide Y (NPY), agouti-related protein (AGRP), proopiomelanocortin (POMC), cocaine-and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART), serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) transporter (SERT), 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 1B (5-HT1B), 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 2C receptor (5-HT2C), Clock (CLOK), cryptochrome protein 1 (Cry1) and period circadian protein homolog 2 (Per2) in the striatum, hypothalamus and brainstem of male rats at post-natal days (PND) 22 and 60.

Key Findings: Overfeeding resulted in significantly increased body weight through PND60, and a 2-fold increase in palatable food intake at PND22, but not at PND60.

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Background And Aims: It has been demonstrated that maternal low protein during development induces mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress in the heart. Moderate-intensity exercise in early life, conversely, increases the overall cardiac health. Thus, we hypothesize that moderate-intensity exercise performed during young age could ameliorate the deleterious effect of maternal protein deprivation on cardiac bioenergetics.

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Early weaning is associated with disruption of eating behavior. However, little is known about the mechanisms behind it. 5HT and DA systems are key regulators of homeostatic and hedonic eating behaviors, respectively.

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Aims: We sought to evaluate the effects of maternal protein restriction (LP) on oxidative balance and transcription factors for mitochondrial biogenesis in the hearts of young female rats of both the first (F1) and second (F2) generation.

Main Methods: We evaluated oxidative stress biomarkers (lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation), enzymatic antioxidant defense (activity of superoxide dismutase-SOD, catalase, and glutathione-S-transferase-GST), nonenzymatic antioxidant defense (reduced glutathione-GSH and sulfhydryl groups) and gene expression of AMPK, PGC-1α and TFAM.

Key Findings: Interestingly, lipid peroxidation was decreased (49%, p < 0.

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Overweight and obesity are established factors underpin several metabolic impairments, including the cardiovascular. Although the diversity of factors involved in overweight/obesity-induced cardiovascular diseases, mitochondria has been highlighted due to its role in cardiac metabolism. As obesity can be originated in early postnatal life, the current study evaluates the effects of neonatal overfeeding on the cardiac mitochondrial bioenergetics and oxidative balance in rats that underwent an ischemia-reperfusion insult.

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