The Brazilian Toxoplasma gondii strain BRI caused greater inflammation and impairment in anxiogenic behavior in mice, which was reverted by rosuvastatin treatment.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of rosuvastatin treatment on anxiety-related behavior and short- and long-term memory impairment in mice infected with acute RH and BRI strains of Toxoplasma gondii. Balb/C mice were infected intraperitoneally and after 2 h, oral treatment with rosuvastatin (40 mg/kg/day) was initiated for 4 days. Behaviors related to anxiety and locomotion were evaluated in the open field (OF), and short- and long-term memory through the novel object recognition test (NOR).

Cardiovascular Reactivity to a Novel Stressor: Differences on Susceptible and Resilient Rats to Social Defeat Stress.

Prolonged and heightened responses to stress are known factors that influence the development of mood disorders and cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, the coping strategies related to the experience of adverse events, i.e.

Lateral hypothalamus involvement in control of stress response by bed nucleus of the stria terminalis endocannabinoid neurotransmission in male rats.

The endocannabinoid neurotransmission acting via local CB receptor in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) has been implicated in behavioral and physiological responses to emotional stress. However, the neural network related to this control is poorly understood. In this sense, the lateral hypothalamus (LH) is involved in stress responses, and BNST GABAergic neurons densely innervate this hypothalamic nucleus.

Angiotensinergic Neurotransmissions in the Medial Amygdala Nucleus Modulate Behavioral Changes in the Forced Swimming Test Evoked by Acute Restraint Stress in Rats.

We investigated the role of angiotensin II type 1 (AT receptor) and type 2 (AT receptor) and MAS receptors present in the medial amygdaloid nucleus (MeA) in behavioral changes in the forced swimming test (FST) evoked by acute restraint stress in male rats. For this, rats received bilateral microinjection of either the selective AT receptor antagonist losartan, the selective AT receptor antagonist PD123319, the selective MAS receptor antagonist A-779, or vehicle 10 min before a 60 min restraint session. Then, behavior in the FST was evaluated immediately after the restraint (15 min session) and 24 h later (5 min session).

Rosuvastatin revert memory impairment and anxiogenic-like effect in mice infected with the chronic ME-49 strain of Toxoplasma gondii.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of rosuvastatin treatment on memory impairment, and anxiogenic-like effects in mice chronically infected with Toxoplasma gondii. For this, Balb/c mice were infected orally with chronic ME-49 strain of Toxoplasma gondii. Oral treatment with rosuvastatin (40mg/kg/day) started on the 51st day post-infection and was performed daily for 21 days.

CB and CB receptors in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis differently modulate anxiety-like behaviors in rats.

The endocannabinoid system is implicated in anxiety, but the brain sites involved are not completely understood. The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) has been related to anxiety and responses to aversive threats. Besides, endocannabinoid neurotransmission acting via CB receptors was identified in the BNST.

Role of angiotensin receptors in the medial amygdaloid nucleus in autonomic, baroreflex and cardiovascular changes evoked by chronic stress in rats.

This study investigated the role of AT , AT and Mas angiotensinergic receptors within the MeA in autonomic, cardiovascular and baroreflex changes evoked by a 10-day (1  hr daily) repeated restraint stress (RRS) protocol. Analysis of cardiovascular function after the end of the RRS protocol indicated increased values of arterial pressure, without heart rate changes. Arterial pressure increase was not affected by acute MeA treatment after the RRS with either the selective AT receptor antagonist losartan, the selective AT receptor antagonist PD123319 or the selective Mas receptor antagonist A-779.

Angiotensinergic receptors in the medial amygdaloid nucleus differently modulate behavioral responses in the elevated plus-maze and forced swimming test in rats.

The brain renin-angiotensin system (RAS) has been implicated in anxiety and depression disorders, but the specific brain sites involved are poorly understood. The medial amygdaloid nucleus (MeA) is involved in expression of behavioral responses. However, despite evidence of the presence of all angiotensinergic receptors in this amygdaloid nucleus, regulation of anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors by angiotensinergic neurotransmissions within the MeA has never been reported.

Cannabinoid receptor type 1 in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis modulates cardiovascular responses to stress via local N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor/neuronal nitric oxide synthase/soluble guanylate cyclase/protein kinase G signaling.

Background: Endocannabinoid neurotransmission in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis is involved in the control of cardiovascular responses to stress. However, the local mechanisms involved is this regulation are not known.

Aims: The purpose of this study was to assess an interaction of bed nucleus of the stria terminalis endocannabinoid neurotransmission with local nitrergic signaling, as well as to investigate the involvement of local N-methyl-D-aspartate glutamate receptor and nitric oxide signaling in the control of cardiovascular responses to acute restraint stress by bed nucleus of the stria terminalis endocannabinoid neurotransmission in rats.

AT and MAS (but not AT) angiotensinergic receptors in the medial amygdaloid nucleus modulate the baroreflex activity in rats.

The medial amygdaloid nucleus (MeA) is a limbic structure that has been demonstrated to be part of the central circuitry regulating baroreflex function. However, the local neurochemical mechanisms involved in baroreflex control by this forebrain structure is poorly understood. Thus, in the present study, we investigated the specific role of AT, AT, and MAS angiotensinergic receptors within the MeA in baroreflex responses in unanesthetized rats.

The AT1 Receptor Antagonist Losartan Does Not Affect Depressive-Like State and Memory Impairment Evoked by Chronic Stressors in Rats.

The present study investigated the effect of the treatment with the angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT) antagonist losartan in the depressive-like state and memory impairment evoked by exposure to either homotypic (i.e., repeated exposure to the same type of stressor) or heterotypic (i.

Cardiovascular outcomes related to social defeat stress: New insights from resilient and susceptible rats.

Stress exposure is an important risk factor for psychiatric and cardiovascular disorders. Two phenotypes related to coping with stress can be observed in rodents that experience chronic social defeat stress (SDS): susceptible, showing social avoidance and behavioral changes related to depression, and resilient, showing none of these alterations. Moreover, a strong correlation exists between depression and the development of or mortality due to cardiovascular diseases.

Prolonged Exposure to Alcohol Vapor Causes Change in Cardiovascular Function in Female but not in Male Rats.

Background: Alcohol abuse is a health concern worldwide. Studies have associated alcohol abuse with cardiovascular impairments. In this study, we investigated differences in the effects of chronic alcohol vapor exposure on cardiovascular function between male and female rats by using the alcohol vapor chamber method to induce alcohol addiction-like behaviors in rats.

GABA but not GABA receptors in the lateral hypothalamus modulate the tachycardic response to emotional stress in rats.

The lateral hypothalamus (LH) has been described as one of the hypothalamic areas involved in the behavioral and physiological responses triggered by aversive stimuli. Previous studies indicated involvement of the LH in cardiovascular responses to stress. Despite this evidence, the local neurochemical mechanisms involved in LH control of stress responses is still poorly understood.

Influence of pre-existing hypertension on neuroendocrine and cardiovascular changes evoked by chronic stress in female rats.

This study investigated neuroendocrine, autonomic, and cardiovascular changes evoked by daily exposure to the same type of stressor (homotypic) or different aversive stressor stimuli (heterotypic) in 60-days-old female normotensive Wistar rats and female spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Both strains of rats were exposed for 10 consecutive days to either the homotypic stressor repeated restraint stress (RRS) or the heterotypic stressor chronic unpredictable stress (CUS). As expected, SHR had higher baseline blood pressure values and impaired baroreflex activity in relation to normotensive animals.

Sex differences in cardiovascular, neuroendocrine and behavioral changes evoked by chronic stressors in rats.

This study investigated the physiological, somatic and behavioral changes evoked by daily exposure to the same type of stressor (homotypic) or different aversive stressor stimuli (heterotypic) in male and female rats. For this, adult Wistar rats were subjected to a 10days regimen of repeated restraint stress (RRS, homotypic stressor) or chronic variable stress (CVS, heterotypic stressor). Effects evoked by CVS included: (i) adrenal hypertrophy and decreased body weight gain in male animals, (ii) a sympathetically-mediated increase in basal heart rate in males, and (iii) a rise in plasma corticosterone concentration and anxiogenic effects in female animals.

Involvement of Type 1 Angiontensin II Receptor (AT1) in Cardiovascular Changes Induced by Chronic Emotional Stress: Comparison between Homotypic and Heterotypic Stressors.

Consistent evidence has shown an important role of emotional stress in pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, studies in animal models have demonstrated that daily exposure to different stressor (heterotypic stressor) evokes more severe changes than those resulting from repeated exposure to the same aversive stimulus (homotypic stressor), possibly due to the habituation process upon repeated exposure to the same stressor. Despite these pieces of evidence, the mechanisms involved in the stress-evoked cardiovascular dysfunction are poorly understood.

Involvement of endocannabinoid neurotransmission in the bed nucleus of stria terminalis in cardiovascular responses to acute restraint stress in rats.

Background And Purpose: Endocannabinoid signalling has been reported as an important neurochemical mechanism involved in responses to stress. Previous studies provided evidence of endocannabinoid release in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) during aversive stimuli. Nevertheless, a possible involvement of this neurochemical mechanism in stress responses has never been evaluated.