Valerian treatment during the postpartum period alters breast milk composition and impairs long-term memory in female rat offspring.

Maternal anxiety symptoms in the perinatal period might have long-term health effects on both the mother and the developing child. Valerian is a phytotherapeutic agent that is widely used for the treatment of anxiety. This study investigated the effects of valerian treatment in postpartum rats on maternal care, toxicity, and milk composition. Postnatal development, memory, and anxiety behavior in the offspring were also assessed. Postpartum Wistar rats received the valerian (500, 1000, or 2000 mg·kg-1·day-1) by oral gavage. Clinical and biochemical toxicity was evaluated with commercial kits. Maternal behavior was observed daily. Milk composition was analyzed by colorimetric methods. Physical and neuromotor tests were used to analyze postnatal development. Anxiolytic activity was assessed by the elevated plus maze, and memory was evaluated by the step-down inhibitory avoidance task. Maternal toxicity and care behavior were not altered by the treatment, while only the highest dose promoted a significant increase of lactose, and the doses 1000 and 2000 mg·kg-1·day-1 promoted a reduction of protein contents in milk. Postnatal development was similar in all offspring. Adult offspring did not display altered anxiety behavior, while long-term memory was impaired in the female adult offspring by maternal treatment with 1000 mg·kg-1·day-1. These results suggested that high doses of valerian had significant effects on important maternal milk components and can cause long-term alterations of offspring memory; thus, treatment with high doses of valerian is not safe for breastfeeding Wistar rat mothers.

Valerian treatment during the postpartum period alters breast milk composition and impairs long-term memory in female rat offspring

Maternal anxiety symptoms in the perinatal period might have long-term health effects on both the mother and the developing child. Valerian is a phytotherapeutic agent that is widely used for the treatment of anxiety. This study investigated the effects of valerian treatment in postpartum rats on maternal care, toxicity, and milk composition. Postnatal development, memory, and anxiety behavior in the offspring were also assessed. Postpartum Wistar rats received the valerian (500, 1000, or 2000 mg·kg-1·day-1) by oral gavage. Clinical and biochemical toxicity was evaluated with commercial kits. Maternal behavior was observed daily. Milk composition was analyzed by colorimetric methods. Physical and neuromotor tests were used to analyze postnatal development. Anxiolytic activity was assessed by the elevated plus maze, and memory was evaluated by the step-down inhibitory avoidance task. Maternal toxicity and care behavior were not altered by the treatment, while only the highest dose promoted a significant increase of lactose, and the doses 1000 and 2000 mg·kg-1·day-1 promoted a reduction of protein contents in milk. Postnatal development was similar in all offspring. Adult offspring did not display altered anxiety behavior, while long-term memory was impaired in the female adult offspring by maternal treatment with 1000 mg·kg-1·day-1. These results suggested that high doses of valerian had significant effects on important maternal milk components and can cause long-term alterations of offspring memory; thus, treatment with high doses of valerian is not safe for breastfeeding Wistar rat mothers.

Effect of postnatal overfeeding on the male and female Wistar rat reproductive parameters.

Overweight/obesity has become a worldwide epidemic, and factors such as a sedentary lifestyle and inadequate eating habits directly contribute to the development of this condition. Studies indicate that rapid weight gain at critical development stages, such as the lactation period, is associated with the development of obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes in the long term. In addition to metabolic changes during adulthood, overweight/obesity may influence reproductive function of the population. In this context, the present study aimed to evaluate postnatal overfeeding effects on male and female Wistar rat reproductive parameters. Postnatal overfeeding was induced by applying the litter reduction method for both sexes. Forty animals were used, divided into four groups: two with normal litters (NL♂ and NL♀) and two with small litters (SL♂ and SL♀). The males were euthanized at 90 days of age, on the same date the females were mated. Females were also euthanized after the 20-day gestation. Metabolic and reproductive variables were analyzed. Regarding males, SL animals showed increased body weight, adiposity, and decreased relative weight of the seminal vesicle, prostate, and epididymis as well as changes in the ITT and OGTT glycemic tests. Concerning females, SL animals presented increased body weight, relative perigonadal fat weight, glucose intolerance as well as modify the vaginal opening and increased weight of female pup. The litter reduction method was efficient in leading to metabolic and reproductive alterations in male and female Wistar rat.

Childhood obesity: a (re) programming disease?

The aim of our article was to review the current literature on the effects of metabolic (re) programming on childhood obesity. PubMed/MEDLINE was the data source used to track the studies. Descriptors applied: children obesity, epigenetic, metabolic programming, exercise and nutrition. The focus was to analyze and discuss the international findings on the theme. The gathering of the papers was performed between June and August 2014. The search of articles with the descriptors used found 33.054 studies. In all, 5.709 studies were selected by crossing chosen keywords. Among these, after careful reading of the titles, 712 papers were considered potential as references. After applying inclusion/exclusion criteria, 50 studies were selected from 132 eligible abstracts. Most studies linked the development and treatment of obesity from epigenetically stimulated metabolic programming during the early stages of pregnancy and life. This review provides theoretical basis to the understanding that the programmed development of childhood obesity may be linked to early exposure to environmental factors, such as (nutrition and regular practice of exercise) and stimulus can epigenetically alter the modulation of the obesogenic metabolic behavior during pregnancy and the developmental stages of children and/or postpone the pathophysiologic disease stage to adulthood.

Evidences of osteoporosis improvement in Wistar rats treated with Ginkgo biloba extract: a histomorphometric study of mandible and femur.

This study was aimed at investigating the anti-osteoporotic effects of the extract of Ginkgo biloba (EGb) in glucocorticoid-induced-osteoporosis. A significant reduction was observed in the percentage of the bone of the osteoporosis group in both the mandible and femur. The EGb group treated with 28 and 56 mg/Kg showed a significant increase in the percentage of trabecular bone (PTB) of the femur. The percentage of the alveolar bone of the mandible (PAB) had a significant increase with all doses of EGb. The treatment with EGb significantly reversed the loss of the PAB of the mandible and of the PTB of the femur.

Desenvolvimento embrionário em ratas tratadas com Hypericum perforatum durante o período de implantação / Embryo development in rats treated with Hypericum perforatum during the implantation period

O hipérico (Hypericum perforatum) é utilizado no tratamento alternativo da depressão, enfermidade que tem atingido mulheres, tanto no pós-parto quanto durante a gestação. Existem poucas informações sobre estudos experimentais quanto à toxicidade reprodutiva do hipérico. O presente trabalho tem por objetivo avaliar seu potencial embriotóxico. Ratas Wistar prenhes foram tratadas com 36 ou 360 mg/kg de extrato seco de Jarsin, por gavagem nos dias 5 e 7 pós-inseminação. Animais do grupo controle receberam 0,5 mL de água destilada pela mesma via e dias. Após eutanásia no 15(0) dia, as seguintes variáveis foram analisadas: peso corporal materno e fetal, consumo de ração, sinais clínicos de toxicidade, peso de ovários e placentas, número de corpos lúteos, de reabsorções, de fetos vivos e de fetos mortos e proporção de implantação e de reabsorção. Não foram observadas diferenças significativas em nenhuma dessas variáveis, levando a concluir que no modelo experimental utilizado, o Hypericum perforatum não parece apresentar toxicidade para a mãe, não interfere na implantação do blastocisto e nem parece ser tóxico para o embrião.

Hypericum perforatum is used as an alternative treatment of depression, which is a disease that has been affecting women during post-partum or gestation. There is little information in experimental studies regarding the reproductive toxicity of hiperic. The present paper aims at assessing Hypericum perforatum's embryotoxic potential. Pregnant Wistar rats were treated with 36 or 360 mg/kg body weight of Jarsin dried extract, via oral gavage on days 5 and 7 post-insemination. Animals from the control group received 0.5 mL of distilled water through the same via and days. The animals were killed on the 15th day and the following variables were analyzed: maternal and fetal body weight, food intake, clinical signs of toxicity, weight of ovaries and placenta, number of corpora lutea, resorptions, live and dead fetuses, and the proportion of implantation and resorption. No significant differences were observed in any of these variables, leading to the conclusion that in the experimental model used, Hypericum perforatum does not seem to be toxic to the mother, does not interfere with blastocyst implantation nor does it seem to be toxic to the embryo.

Toxicology of Lapachol in rats: embryolethality.

Lapachol is a naphtoquinone with therapeutic potential against enterovirus, Chagas disease and is also used as an antimalarial and antiinflamatory agent. In order to study teratogenic potential of Lapachol, pregnant Wistar rats were treated with 0.5 ml of distilled water (control group); 0.5 ml of hydroalcoholic solution (vehicle group) and 10 mg of Lapachol in 0.5 ml of hydroalcoholic solution (treated group) by oral gavage from the 8th to the 12th day of pregnancy. The following variables were observed: maternal body weight on days 1, 6, l5 and 21 and food intake on days 2, 6, 15 and 21 of pregnancy. The number of live and dead fetuses and the sites of resorptions were counted. The ovaries were weighed and the corpora lutea were counted. Data were analyzed by ANOVA-one way, Dunnett test and the chi square test. Significance level test alpha = 0.05. Results have shown that mothers were unaffected but there were a 99.2% of fetus mortality, indicative of a strong abortifacient effect of Lapachol in rats.

Absence of interceptive effect in rats treated with Solanum lycocarpum (St. Hil).

The interceptive effect of the powder of Solanum lycocarpum (St. Hil) (Solanaceae) fruit, used as a hypoglycemic agent by diabetic patients in Minas Gerais state (Brazil), was evaluated to observe possible effects upon zygote and pre-embryo transport in rats, since it contains solamargine and solasonine from which a 3beta-acetoxipregna-5,16-dien-20-one is obtained as well as an alkaloid with stereospecific configuration to the synthesis of steroid hormones. Inseminated rats received an aqueous suspension of 100 mg of the lobeira powder/kg of body weight, by oral gavage, from the 1st to the 4th day of pregnancy. A control group received 5 mL of distilled water in the same schedule. The pregnant rats were weighed at the beginning of treatment and on sacrifice day. Animals were killed on the 5th day of pregnancy. The oviducts and uterine horns were removed and flushed with saline solution to count expanded blastocysts. It was concluded that administration of lobeira did not cause maternal toxicity, alteration of the pre-embryo transport or reduction of the number of expanded blastocysts.

Toxicology of Lapachol in rats: embryolethality

Lapachol is a naphtoquinone with therapeutic potential against enterovirus, Chagas disease and is also used as an antimalarial and antiinflamatory agent. In order to study teratogenic potential of Lapachol, pregnant Wistar rats were treated with 0.5 ml of distilled water (control group); 0.5 ml of hydroalcoholic solution (vehicle group) and 10 mg of Lapachol in 0.5 ml of hydroalcoholic solution (treated group) by oral gavage from the 8th to the 12th day of pregnancy. The following variables were observed: maternal body weight on days 1, 6, l5 and 21 and food intake on days 2, 6, 15 and 21 of pregnancy. The number of live and dead fetuses and the sites of resorptions were counted. The ovaries were weighed and the corpora lutea were counted. Data were analyzed by ANOVA-one way, Dunnett test and the chi square test. Significance level test alpha = 0.05. Results have shown that mothers were unaffected but there were a 99.2 percent of fetus mortality, indicative of a strong abortifacient effect of Lapachol in rats

Desenvolvimento pré-embrionário em ratas tratadas com oxcarbazepina nos quatro primeiros dias após a inseminaçäo / Pre-embryo development in rats treated with oxcarbazepine in the first four days after insemination

A oxcarbazepina é uma droga antiepiléptica de alta eficácia e poucos efeitos colaterais, mas pouco estudada quanto a seus efeitos durante a gestaçäo humana e animal. OBJETIVO: Verificar se a administraçäo de oxcarbazepine em ratas, nos quatro primeiros dias após a inseminaçäo, altera a viabilidade ou o desenvolvimento do pré-embriäo. MÉTODOS: Ratas Wistar foram tratadas com 20 ou 200 mg de oxcarbazepina/ Kg de peso corporal, via gástrica, nos dias 1, 2, 3, ou 4 a partir da inseminaçäo ou, consecutivamente, do 1º ao 4º. Os pré-embriões foram coletados no quinto dia, visando verificar a quantidade e o desenvolvimento até a fase de blastocisto expandido. O peso corporal materno e sinais como pelos eriçados e alteraçäo de atividade locomotora foram anotados para verificar indícios de toxicidade materna. Número de corpos lúteos e peso de ovários foram anotados com vistas à capacidade reprodutiva do animal. RESULTADOS: Näo ocorreram perdas de pesos corporais maternos e nenhuma alteraçäo física indicativa de desconforto para as ratas. Peso de ovários e número de corpos lúteos näo diferiram entre tratados e controles. O número médio de pré-embrioes por mäes, o índice de perdas embrionárias, a proporçäo de blastocistos expandidos com relaçäo ao total de pré-embriões e a média de blastocistos expandidos/mäe, näo diferiram entre tratados e controles. CONCLUSÇO: A oxcarbazepina administrada em ratas, seguindo o esquema terapêutico mencionado, näo apresentou efeito tóxico sobre a mäe e näo alterou o desenvolvimento do pré-embriäo

[Pre-embryo development in rats treated with oxcarbazepine in the first four days after insemination]. / Desenvolvimento pré-embrionário em ratas tratadas com oxcarbazepina nos quatro primeiros dias após a inseminação.

UNLABELLED: Oxcarbazepine is a highly efficacious antiepileptic drug which has very few side effects and has been poorly investigated as to its effects during human and animal gestation. PURPOSE: To verify if the administration of oxcapazepine to female rats in the first four days after fertilization alters the viability or development of the pre-embryo. METHODS: Wistar rats were treated with 20 or 200mg oxcarbazepine/Kg body weight by oral gavage, 1,2,3,or 4 days after insemination or, consecutively, from the first to de fourth day aiming at very fine the amount and the development up to the expanded blastocyst stage. Maternal body weight and signs such as hair bristling and alteration of the locomotion activity were observed in order to verify any signs of maternal toxicity. A number of corpora lutea and ovaries weight were noted for the analysis of the animal reproductive capacity. RESULTS: Neither maternal body weight losses nor any physical alteration indicative of discomfort to the rats was observed. Ovaries weight and number of corpora lutea did not differ between treated and control animals. The average of pre-embryos per mother, the index of embryonic losses, the proportion of expanded blastocysts in relation to the total number of pre-embryos and the average of expanded blastocyst/mother did not differ between treated and control animals. CONCLUSIONS: The data indicate that oxcarbazepine administered to female rats following the therapeutic procedure mentioned above, did not show any toxic effect on the mother and did not alter the pre-embryo development.

Interceptive effect of Lapachol in rats.

Lapachol is a naphtoquinone with therapeutic potential against Chagas disease and is also used as an antimalarial agent. To study the reproductive toxicity potential of Lapachol, pregnant Wistar rats were treated with 0.5 mL of distilled water (control group), 0.5 mL of hydroalcoholic solution (vehicle group), or 20 mg of Lapachol in 0.5 mL of hydroalcoholic solution (treated group) by oral gavage from the 8th to the 12th day of pregnancy. The following variables were observed: maternal body weight on days 1, 6, 15, and 21; food intake on days 2, 6, 15, and 21 of pregnancy. The number of live and dead fetuses and the sites of resorptions were counted. The ovaries were weighed and the corpora lutea were counted. Data were analyzed by ANOVA one-way Dunnett test and chi 2 test. Results showed that mothers were uneffected but there was 100% fetal/embryo mortality, indicative of a strong interceptive effect of Lapachol in rats.

Reproduction and maintenance of two species of marmoset in captivity.

Marmoset monkeys are an useful model to biological human experiments and their development in captivity has been carried out in different environment and feeding conditions. This work presents the development of Callithrix jacchus jacchus and Callithrix jacchus penicillata in captivity at the vivarium of the Centro de Biologia da Reprodução. Couples of marmosets, obtained with the help of the Forest Institute, were kept in an environment where the temperature was around 22-24 degrees C, with 10 hs of light per day and fed on a diet of dog chow pellets, bananas, eggs, carrots, Farinha Láctea (Nestlé) and milk. Comparing the number of newborns/delivery, interbirth delivery, and some other indicators, it was concluded that the development of Callithrix jacchus jacchus is compatible with other colonies cited in the literature. The development of Callithrix jacchus penicillata, on which no report has been found, is similar to that of Callithrix jacchus jacchus.

Effects of Dalbergia subcymosa Ducke decoction on rats and their offspring during pregnancy.

In order to evaluate Dalbergia subcymosa Ducke stem bark decoction for possible embryo-fetotoxicity effects and disturbance of postnatal development of pups, female rats were treated on days 6-15 of pregnancy with either the decoction (40 mg/rat) or distilled water (0.5 ml/rat), by gastric intubation. Half of the animals were killed on day 20 and the other half was allowed to deliver. Maternal, fetal and newborn studies suggest absence of embryo-fetotoxicity and no disturbance of postnatal development of the pups indicating that the beverage may be safe for human use as an anti-inflammatory.

Screening for reproductive toxicity in rats for a decoction of Himathanthus sucuuba stem bark.

In order to evaluate the toxic potential of a Himathanthus sucuuba stem bark decoction, pregnant rats were treated from day 6 to day 15 of pregnancy with the decoction (40 mg per rat, twice a day) or distilled water (1.0 ml, twice a day) by gastric intubation. Half of the animals were killed on day 20 of pregnancy with the other half allowed to deliver. Maternal and fetal data suggest low reproductive toxicity and teratogenic potentiality and suggest that the beverage may be safe for human use in the treatment of gastritis and haemorrhoids.

Embryo lethality of Stryphnodendron polliphyllum M. in rats.

To study the effect of Stryphnodendron polliphyllum M. upon implantation, the seeds and empty pods of this plant were given to pregnant rats, on the 5th and 6th days of gestation. The animals were sacrificed on the 14th day of pregnancy and implantation and resorption indices were studied. The results show definite embryo lethality when pregnant animals were given only the seed of this plant.

[Fetal macrosomy in alloxanized rats (author's transl)]. / Macrossomia em fetos de ratas aloxanizadas.

The aim of this work was to observe the starting of fetal macrosomy during the gestation of the diabetic rat and whether the sex of the fetuses has any influence on it. Lesions were produced in the B cells of the pancreas by the administration of alloxan on the 4th gestation day. The length and weight of the fetuses were not altered by this treatment before the 14th day of pregnancy, suggesting that fetal macrosomy should occur after this day.