A jabuticaba-sabará (Plinia jaboticaba (Vell.) Berg) é uma fruta nativa da Mata Atlântica que possui alto teor de antocianinas, proantocianidinas e elagitaninos, fenólicos associados com diversos benefícios à saúde. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de dois extratos ricos em compostos fenólicos da jabuticaba-sabará sobre a massa corporal e o metabolismo da glicose e dos lipídios de camundongos alimentados com dieta rica em lipídios e sacarose (HLS). Foram utilizados 40 camundongos machos C57BL/6J com oito semanas de idade e alimentados com ração padrão para camundongos ou dieta HLS durante oito semanas. Os animais foram divididos aleatoriamente em quatro grupos de dez. Os dois primeiros grupos receberam, respectivamente, ração padrão para camundongos ou dieta HLS e água ad libitum, sendo denominados, nesta ordem, grupo controle (Ct) e grupo HF. Os dois últimos grupos foram alimentados com dieta HLS recebendo, por gavagem, os extratos ricos em compostos fenólicos, sendo denominados grupo C18 e PA, respectivamente. Para o grupo C18 foi administrado o extrato obtido por extração em fase sólida (EFS) em colunas de octadecilsilano (C18), possuindo maior concentração de taninos. O grupo PA recebeu o extrato obtido por EFS em colunas de poliamida (PA), resultando em um extrato com menor concentração de taninos em relação ao extrato C18. A dose de fenólicos administrada aos animais foi de 50 mg equivalentes de ácido gálico (EAG)/kg de massa corporal para ambos os grupos. Na sexta semana foi realizado o teste de tolerância à insulina (ITT) e, na sétima, o teste oral de tolerância à glicose (OGTT). Além da massa corporal, os animais foram também avaliados quanto a glicemia, insulinemia e perfil lipídico (colesterol total, HDL, LDL e triacilgliceróis). Os grupos suplementados apresentaram menor ganho de massa dos tecidos adiposos brancos em comparação ao grupo HF (43% para o grupo C18 e 28% para o grupo PA). Além disto, ambos os extratos atenuaram os níveis de glicose e o extrato C18 melhorou os níveis de insulina plasmática, colesterol total e triacilgliceróis hepáticos. Portanto, extratos ricos em compostos fenólicos da jabuticaba-sabará foram eficientes na prevenção do ganho de massa corporal, evitando o crescimento excessivo dos tecidos adiposos brancos, de altos níveis de glicose, insulina, colesterol total e triacilgliceróis hepáticos em camundongos alimentados com dieta rica em lipídios e sacarose. / Sabará jaboticaba is a Brazilian Atlantic Forest fruit rich in anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins and ellagitannins, phenolic compounds that have been associated to several benefits to health. This work aimed to evaluate the effect of the administration of two phenolic-rich extracts from Sabará jaboticaba on body weight gain and on glucose and lipid metabolism of high-fat-sucrose-fed mice. Forty 8-week old male C57BL/6J mice were fed a low-fat chow diet or a high fat, high-sucrose (HFHS) diet for 8 weeks. The animals were randomly divided into four groups of ten mice each. The first two groups received, respectively, a low-fat chow diet or a HFHS diet and water ad libitum and were nominated, in order, control (Ct) and HF group. The last two groups were fed a HFHS diet and received by gavage the phenolic-rich extracts, being respectively nominated C18 and PA group. The C18 group received an extract obtained by solid phase extraction (SPE) in octadecylsilane (C18) column, therefore the most concentrated in tannins. The PA group received an extract obtained by SPE in polyamide (PA) column, therefore less concentrated in tannins. The dose of phenolics administered to animals was of 50 mg acid gallic equivalent (GAE)/kg body weight, for both groups. The insulin tolerance test (ITT) was performed in the sixth week and the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in the seventh week. In addition, the animals were assessed for glycaemia, insulinemia and lipid profile (total-, HDL-, LDL-cholesterol and triacylglycerols). The supplemented groups had lower white adipose tissue gain than HF group (43% for the C18 group and 28% for the PA group). In addition, both extracts attenuated hyperglycemia and the C18 extract improved the plasmatic insulin levels, total cholesterol and hepatic triacylglycerol content. Thus, phenolic-rich extracts from Sabará jaboticaba were effective in preventing body weight gain, avoiding the overgrowth of white adipose tissues, and high levels of glucose, insulin, total cholesterol and hepatic triacylglycerols in HFHS-fed C57BL/6J mice.

A jabuticaba-sabará (Plinia jaboticaba (Vell.) Berg) é uma fruta nativa da Mata Atlântica que possui alto teor de antocianinas, proantocianidinas e elagitaninos, fenólicos associados com diversos benefícios à saúde. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de dois extratos ricos em compostos fenólicos da jabuticaba-sabará sobre a massa corporal e o metabolismo da glicose e dos lipídios de camundongos alimentados com dieta rica em lipídios e sacarose (HLS). Foram utilizados 40 camundongos machos C57BL/6J com oito semanas de idade e alimentados com ração padrão para camundongos ou dieta HLS durante oito semanas. Os animais foram divididos aleatoriamente em quatro grupos de dez. Os dois primeiros grupos receberam, respectivamente, ração padrão para camundongos ou dieta HLS e água ad libitum, sendo denominados, nesta ordem, grupo controle (Ct) e grupo HF. Os dois últimos grupos foram alimentados com dieta HLS recebendo, por gavagem, os extratos ricos em compostos fenólicos, sendo denominados grupo C18 e PA, respectivamente. Para o grupo C18 foi administrado o extrato obtido por extração em fase sólida (EFS) em colunas de octadecilsilano (C18), possuindo maior concentração de taninos. O grupo PA recebeu o extrato obtido por EFS em colunas de poliamida (PA), resultando em um extrato com menor concentração de taninos em relação ao extrato C18. A dose de fenólicos administrada aos animais foi de 50 mg equivalentes de ácido gálico (EAG)/kg de massa corporal para ambos os grupos. Na sexta semana foi realizado o teste de tolerância à insulina (ITT) e, na sétima, o teste oral de tolerância à glicose (OGTT). Além da massa corporal, os animais foram também avaliados quanto a glicemia, insulinemia e perfil lipídico (colesterol total, HDL, LDL e triacilgliceróis). Os grupos suplementados apresentaram menor ganho de massa dos tecidos adiposos brancos em comparação ao grupo HF (43% para o grupo C18 e 28% para o grupo PA). Além disto, ambos os extratos atenuaram os níveis de glicose e o extrato C18 melhorou os níveis de insulina plasmática, colesterol total e triacilgliceróis hepáticos. Portanto, extratos ricos em compostos fenólicos da jabuticaba-sabará foram eficientes na prevenção do ganho de massa corporal, evitando o crescimento excessivo dos tecidos adiposos brancos, de altos níveis de glicose, insulina, colesterol total e triacilgliceróis hepáticos em camundongos alimentados com dieta rica em lipídios e sacarose. / Sabará jaboticaba is a Brazilian Atlantic Forest fruit rich in anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins and ellagitannins, phenolic compounds that have been associated to several benefits to health. This work aimed to evaluate the effect of the administration of two phenolic-rich extracts from Sabará jaboticaba on body weight gain and on glucose and lipid metabolism of high-fat-sucrose-fed mice. Forty 8-week old male C57BL/6J mice were fed a low-fat chow diet or a high fat, high-sucrose (HFHS) diet for 8 weeks. The animals were randomly divided into four groups of ten mice each. The first two groups received, respectively, a low-fat chow diet or a HFHS diet and water ad libitum and were nominated, in order, control (Ct) and HF group. The last two groups were fed a HFHS diet and received by gavage the phenolic-rich extracts, being respectively nominated C18 and PA group. The C18 group received an extract obtained by solid phase extraction (SPE) in octadecylsilane (C18) column, therefore the most concentrated in tannins. The PA group received an extract obtained by SPE in polyamide (PA) column, therefore less concentrated in tannins. The dose of phenolics administered to animals was of 50 mg acid gallic equivalent (GAE)/kg body weight, for both groups. The insulin tolerance test (ITT) was performed in the sixth week and the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in the seventh week. In addition, the animals were assessed for glycaemia, insulinemia and lipid profile (total-, HDL-, LDL-cholesterol and triacylglycerols). The supplemented groups had lower white adipose tissue gain than HF group (43% for the C18 group and 28% for the PA group). In addition, both extracts attenuated hyperglycemia and the C18 extract improved the plasmatic insulin levels, total cholesterol and hepatic triacylglycerol content. Thus, phenolic-rich extracts from Sabará jaboticaba were effective in preventing body weight gain, avoiding the overgrowth of white adipose tissues, and high levels of glucose, insulin, total cholesterol and hepatic triacylglycerols in HFHS-fed C57BL/6J mice.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) labels children with physical, mental and behavioral deficits exposed to alcohol in utero. Current research indicates that timing of alcohol exposure of the embryo/fetus is a critical determinant of the behavioral deficits associated with FAS. This study represents a model for binge drinking, in which C57BL mouse embryos were exposed to alcohol during 2 separate critical periods of brain development, gestational day (GD) 7 or 8. As adults, the offspring were tested to determine if loco-motor activity and emotional reaction to a novel environment had been affected. Significant differences due to treatment and sex were noted for both the number of urinations (p=.005 and .001, respectively) and fecal boli (p=.011 and .001, respectively). These results suggest that the quantity of alcohol exposure in utero on the developing brain as in this binge-drinking model is critical in terms of adverse effects on behavioral outcome for the offspring.

No description available.

Ph.D. / Behavioral Neuroscience / The purpose of the research described in this dissertation was to determine the neural circuits involved with baseline ethanol consumption and increases in ethanol consumption seen in our animal model of ethanol dependency (further described below). The brain region of focus was the central extended amygdala (cEA) since this region has been shown to be involved in baseline consumption and self-administration of ethanol in rats (Hyytia & Koob, 1995; Eiler et al., 2002) and the changes in ethanol consumption induced by chronic intermittent ethanol vapor exposure seen in rats and mice (Funk et al., 2006; Finn et al., 2007). To determine if the cEA is involved in these behavioral phenotypes, the components of the cEA were lesioned separately. These components included the lateral posterior portion of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNSTLP), the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) and the nucleus accumbens shell (NAc shell). Chapter 2 illustrates that lesions of the BNSTLP decreased baseline ethanol consumption in a 2 hr limited access procedure, but not in a continuous access procedure. Chapter 3 and chapter 4 illustrate that the CeA and NAc shell are involved in baseline ethanol consumption in a limited access procedure, since lesions of these nuclei decreased ethanol consumption. To determine if these nuclei were involved in increases in ethanol consumption, a murine model of ethanol dependency was used. In this procedure C57BL/6J (B6) mice are first acclimated to a limited access two-bottle choice preference procedure. The access period begins 3 hrs into the dark-cycle and continues for 2 hrs. Once acclimated, mice undergo chronic exposure to and intermittent withdrawal from ethanol vapor. Results from chapter 4 indicate that intermittent vapor exposure, as opposed to continuous ethanol vapor exposure, optimizes the increased ethanol x consumption response. As indicated in chapter 2, 3, and 4, lesions of these three components of the cEA did not block the intermittent ethanol vapor induced increase in ethanol consumption. In chapter 4, to determine the brain regions that activate in response to increases in ethanol consumption, a c-fos immunoreactivity study was carried out. The results suggest that the NAc shell and NAc core are the two main brain regions that activate as a result of ethanol consumption specifically in the mice that have been exposed to the intermittent ethanol vapor exposure that show the increase in ethanol consumption. Thus the results suggest that while the NAc shell activates in response to heightened levels of ethanol consumption, it is not necessary to see this increase in ethanol consumption. Overall, the results from these three chapters suggest that while the components of the cEA are involved in baseline ethanol consumption, and are responsive to changes in ethanol consumption (as was the case with the NAc shell), they are not necessary to see the ethanol vapor induced increase in ethanol consumption. These results have implications for understanding the neural circuitry involved in ethanol dependence.

No description available.