Propolis is a resin produced by bees from raw material collected from plants, salivary secretions, and beeswax. New therapeutic properties for the Central Nervous System have emerged. We explored the neurobehavioral and antioxidant effects of an ethanolic extract of yellow propolis (EEYP) rich in triterpenoids, primarily lupeol and β-amyrin. Male Wistar rats, 3 months old, were intraperitoneally treated with Tween 5% (control), EEYP (1, 3, 10, and 30 mg/kg), or diazepam, fluoxetine, and caffeine (positive controls) 30 min before the assays. Animals were submitted to open field, elevated plus maze, forced swimming, and inhibitory avoidance tests. After behavioral tasks, blood samples were collected through intracardiac pathway, to evaluate the oxidative balance. The results obtained in the open field and in the elevated plus maze assay showed spontaneous locomotion preserved and anxiolytic-like activity. In the forced swimming test, EEYP demonstrated antidepressant-like activity. In the inhibitory avoidance test, EEYP showed mnemonic activity at 30 mg/kg. In the evaluation of oxidative biochemistry, the extract reduced the production of nitric oxide and malondialdehyde without changing level of total antioxidant, catalase, and superoxide dismutase, induced by behavioral stress. Our results highlight that EEYP emerges as a promising anxiolytic, antidepressant, mnemonic, and antioxidant natural product.

Mercury is a heavy metal found in organic and inorganic forms that represents an important toxicant with impact on human health. Mercury can be released in the environment by natural phenoms (i.e., volcanic eruptions), industrial products, waste, or anthropogenic actions (i.e., mining activity). Evidence has pointed to mercury exposure inducing neurological damages related to emotional disturbance, such as anxiety, depression, and insomnia. The mechanisms that underlie these emotional disorders remain poorly understood, although an important role of glutamatergic pathways, alterations in HPA axis, and disturbance in activity of monoamines have been suggested. Ethanol (EtOH) is a psychoactive substance consumed worldwide that induces emotional alterations that have been strongly investigated, and shares common pathophysiological mechanisms with mercury. Concomitant mercury and EtOH intoxication occur in several regions of the world, specially by communities that consume seafood and fish as the principal product of nutrition (i.e., Amazon region). Such affront appears to be more deleterious in critical periods of life, such as the prenatal and adolescence period. Thus, this review aimed to discuss the cellular and behavioral changes displayed by the mercury plus EtOH exposure during adolescence, focused on emotional disorders, to answer the question of whether mercury plus EtOH exposure intensifies depression, anxiety, and insomnia observed by the toxicants in isolation.

Ketamine, also called ‘K-powder’ by abusers, an analog of phencyclidine, primarily acts as an antagonist of N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptors, therapeutically used as an anesthetic agent. Ketamine also stimulates the limbic system, inducing hallucinations and dissociative effects. At sub-anesthetic doses, ketamine also displays hallucinatory and dissociative properties, but not loss of consciousness. These behavioral consequences have elicited its recreational use worldwide, mainly at rave parties. Ketamine is generally a drug of choice among teenagers and young adults; however, the harmful consequences of its recreational use on adolescent central nervous systems are poorly explored. Thus, the aim of the present study was to characterize the behavioral and biochemical consequences induced by one binge-like cycle of ketamine during the early withdrawal period in adolescent female rats. Adolescent female Wistar rats (n = 20) received intraperitoneally administered ketamine (10 mg/kg/day) for 3 consecutive days. Twenty-four hours after the last administration of ketamine, animals were submitted to behavioral tests in an open field, elevated plus-maze, and forced swimming test. Then, animals were intranasally anesthetized with 2% isoflurane and euthanized to collect prefrontal cortex and hippocampus to assess lipid peroxidation, antioxidant capacity against peroxyl radicals, reactive oxygen species, reduced glutathione, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels. Our results found that 24 h after recreational ketamine use, emotional behavior disabilities, such as anxiety- and depression-like profiles, were detected. In addition, spontaneous ambulation was reduced. These negative behavioral phenotypes were associated with evidence of oxidative stress on the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus.

A atuação clínica do farmacêutico é imprescindível nas unidades de terapia intensiva neonatal, onde um acompanhamento da farmacoterapia do paciente muitas vezes se faz necessário para que se obtenha êxito no tratamento. Estudos demonstram a influência da atuação do farmacêutico clínico incorporado à equipe multiprofissional da unidade de terapia intensiva neonatal promove melhoria de indicadores clínicos relacionados a farmacoterapia. A construção desses indicadores de saúde é de grande importância até mesmo para estabelecer critérios com o intuito de avaliar os serviços e programar serviços posteriores, assim como desempenham papel relevantes nos critérios de acreditação hospitalar. Sendo assim este estudo avaliou a influência da utilização de indicadores clínicos e relacionados a farmacoterapia nas unidades de terapia intensiva neonatais de um hospital referência em Belém do Pará. Trata-se de um estudo do tipo prospectivo e exploratório com abordagem quantitativa. No presente estudo para determinação da significância estatística utilizou-se o Teste Qui quadrado com correção de Yates para análise do parâmetro de não conformidades dos indicadores clínico. Foram acompanhados 152 pacientes de quatro Unidades de terapia intensiva neonatais, aplicando indicadores clínicos, sendo eles: o número de avaliações, as avaliações de acordo com as classes de medicamentos e as avaliações de acordo com as não conformidades. Destaca-se a importância do acompanhamento farmacoterapêutico influenciando diretamente no custo-benefício da farmacoterapia.

dos quais 30,6% são referentes à dose, 29,2% são interações medicamentosas e 20,4% à via de administração. Conclusões: Assegurar a segurança ao neonato abrange, no geral, o cuidado na prevenção de erros, onde o acompanhamento pelo profissional farmacêutico clínico junto a equipe multiprofissional é de suma importância, garantindo o uso seguro e racional de medicamentos.