Efeito do estresse na infância e na fase jovem da vida sobre comportamento tipo depressivo e neuroplasticidade: potencial terapêutico da Centella Asiatica

Abstract

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders and is associated with factors such as childhood stress and lack of social support in early life, often mimicked in animals by maternal deprivation (MD) and social isolation (SI). These models mimic the effects of early life trauma in order to uncover the biological mechanisms involved in depression. Among them, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) stands out, a neurotrophin essential for synaptic plasticity, neurogenesis, and neuronal survival, whose expression is modulated by environmental stimuli and stressful experiences, influencing adaptation to stress and mood regulation. This study aimed to evaluate, in male Wistar rats, the impact of MD in the first days of life associated with SI in the young phase, analyzing depressive-like behaviors and biological changes in the hippocampus. In addition, it investigated the therapeutic potential of the medicinal species Centella asiatica and its active compound, madecassic acid, in comparison with escitalopram. The results showed that the MD and SI protocols were effective in inducing depressive-like behaviors, evidenced by increased immobility time in the forced swim test (FST). The treatments used reversed the increase in immobility time, emphasizing the effect of these treatments on depressive-like behaviors in animals exposed to stress. No change in hippocampal BDNF levels was identified in any of the experimental groups, suggesting that depressive-like behaviors were not modulated by BDNF levels. It is concluded that the combination of MD and SI protocols is a valid model for mimicking depressive-like behaviors and that the treatments used show promising therapeutic potential.