Estudo da atividade antidepressiva do carvacrol em modelo de depressão induzida pela corticosterona em camundongos

Abstract

Depression is considered a multifactorial disorder, since it has genetic, neurochemical and social aspects. Searching for new compounds with potential antidepressant effect has been constant. In this context, medicinal plants and isolated compounds appear as sources of these molecules. Carvacrol (CVC), a monoterpene that composes essential oils of certain aromatic plants, is one of those substances. The present study investigates the effect of CVC in corticosternoe-induced depression model in mice. Male Swiss mice (20-25g) were used and received CORT 20 mg/kg or saline subcutaneously for 22 days. From the 14th day on the animals were also treated with CVC 6,25 and 12,5 mg/kg, fluvoxamine 50 mg/kg or vehicle via gavage. The behavioral tests performed during the protocol were forced swimming (FST), tail suspension test (TST), open field test (OFT) and elevated plus maze test (EPMT). At the end of the tests, the animals were euthanized and the brain areas hippocampus, prefrontal cortex and striatum were removed in order to assess the parameters of oxidative stress, concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA), nitrite and reduced glutathione (GSH). The present study demonstrated that CORT significantly increased the immobility time of animals in FST and TST, however, CVC managed to significantly reverse the increase in immobility time caused by CORT, suggesting an antidepressant effect. However, the CVC had no effect on locomotor activity in the OFT (crossings, rearing and grooming) demonstrating that there was no change in the locomotor activity of the animals, and therefore, the effect observed in previous tests is related to antidepressant and non-psycho-stimulant action. In addition, it was observed that CVC (6.25 and 12.5 mg / kg) increased the number of entries and the length of stay in the open arms (12.5 mg / kg), in the EPMT, suggesting an anxiolytic effect. Regarding the neurochemical parameters, CORT significantly increased the levels of MDA in the striatum, however the CVC reduced the levels of MDA in the striatum and prefrontal cortex. In addition, CVC increased GSH levels in the evaluated brain areas. Thus, conclude that CVC is a promising molecule, since it was able to increase the antioxidant defense in brain areas, demonstrating that it exerts important modulation of the neurochemical parameters involved in depression.