P.1.g. Basic and clinical neuroscience − Neuropharmacology S247

Conclusions: Binge-eating decreased STR D1 receptors with-out altering the size of the DA neuronal pool or rate of DAturnover. Together, these results indicate that binge-eating is as-sociated with decreased dopaminergic signalling via D1 receptorsin STR. There were no neurochemical changes in PFC suggestingthat dopaminergic neurotransmission was unaltered. The HPT isan important regulator of food intake and increased DA turnoversuggests that dopaminergic signalling is also dysregulated in thisregion.

References

[1] Vickers S.P., Heal D.J., Hackett D, Hutson P.H., 2013 Effect of lis-dexamfetamine in a rat model of binge-eating disorder. SfN, Abstract236/03.

[2] Geiger B.M., Haburcak M., Avena N.M., Moyer M.C., Hoebel B.G.,Pothos E.N., 2009 Deficits of mesolimbic dopamine neurotransmissionin rat dietary obesity. Neuroscience 159, 1193–1199.

[3] Johnson P.M., Kenny P.J., 2010 Dopamine D2 receptors in addiction-like rewarddysfunction and compulsive eating in obese rats. Nat Neu-rosci 13, 635–641.

Disclosure statement: This study was funded by Shire Pharmaceuticals,U.K.

P.1.g.075 Effects of Erythrina velutina standardised

extract on amino acid levels in mouse

hippocampus and striatum

S.M.M. Vasconcelos1 °, F.T.S. Rodrigues1, M.M. Juca1,M.H.N. Ramanho Filho2, R.C. Cavalcante2, A.H. Silva3,L.K.A.M. Leal3, O.C. Do Vale4, D.M. Gaspar1,M.C.A. Patrocınio2 1Federal University of Ceara, Department ofPhysiology and Pharmacology, Fortaleza, Brazil; 2Unichristus −Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Fortaleza, Brazil;3Federal University of Ceara, Pharmacy course, Fortaleza,Brazil; 4Federal University of Ceara, Department of Neurology,Fortaleza, Brazil

Purpose: Erythrina velutina is a widely known species belongingto the Erythrina genus, Fabaceae family, Papilionoideae subfamilyand known popularly as mulungu [1]. Erythrina velutina is amedicinal tree that is commonly used in Brazil for the treatmentof several central nervous system disorders. Central effects suchas anticonvulsant, anxiolytic and analgesic effects were alreadydemonstrated in several species belonging to the Erythrina genus,including Erythrina velutina [2,3]. The present work evaluatedthe effect of Erythrina velutina standardized extract (EVSE)administration on the levels of aspartate (ASP), glutamate (GLU),gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glycine (GLY) and taurine(TAU) in the hippocampus (HC) and striatum of mice.

Methods: In each experiment, male Swiss mice weighing(25−30 g) provided by the Animal House of the Federal Univer-sity of Ceara (Brazil) were used. The animals were housed ingroups of 30, into plastic cages with sawdust as beddings, andkept in a room with controlled temperature (23ºC) and a 12-hlight/dark cycle, with food and water ad libitum, except duringthe experiments. The animals were treated in accordance to thecurrent law and the NIH Guide for Care and Use of LaboratoryAnimals. Mice were treated with distilled water (controls) orErythrina velutina standardized extract (5 or 10mg/kg, po) and,an hour later, the animals were sacrificed and dissected brainareas to determination of amino acids for high-performance liquidchromatography (HPLC). Statistical analysis was performed by

ANOVA followed by Student–Newman–Keuls’s post hoc test.Results were considered significant at p< 0.05.

Results: Erythrina velutina standardized extract increased con-centrations of glutamate [EVSE 5: 65.0±1.2 (5) or EVSE 10:69.2±5.6 (6)] only in the hippocampus when compared to thecontrol group [45.0±3.70 (6)]. However, treatment with Ery-thrina velutina standardized extract did not alter the concen-trations of aspartate in this brain area. On the other hand,GABA and TAU concentrations, inhibitory amino acids, wereincreased by Erythrina velutina standardized extract in HC[TAU (EVSE 5: 188.6±13.7; EVSE 10: 199.7±17.5) or GABA(EVSE 5: 259.6±13.9; EVSE 10: 266.7±13.6)] or striatum[TAU (EVSE 5: 222.1±17.4; EVSE 10: 233.8±21.2) or GABA(EVSE 5: 159.4±5.1; EVSE 10: 140.2±10.6)] as compared withthe control group [HC (TAU: 105.5±12.1; GABA: 221.1±13.6)or striatum (TAU: 178.2±10.1; GABA: 91.3±11.7)].

Conclusion: We concluded that Erythrina velutina standard-ized extract stimulates the release of endogenous amino acids,increasing the levels of excitatory (GLU) and inhibitory (TAUand GABA) amino acids in the hippocampus, and only increasedinhibitory amino acids (TAU and GABA) levels in the striatum.Together, these results are of interest, considering that some neu-rodegenerative diseases and seizures are related to the imbalanceof the amino acid levels in the central nervous system suggestinga perspective of a therapeutic use of Erythrina velutina in thesedisorders.

References

[1] Vasconcelos, S.M.M., Oliveira, G.R., Carvalho, M.M., Rodrigues,A.C.P., Silveira, E.R., Fonteles, M.M., Sousa, F.C.C., Viana, G.S.B.2003 Antinociceptive activities of the hydroalcoholic extracts fromErythrina velutina and Erythrina mulungu in mice. Biological &Pharmaceutical Bulletin 26, 946–949.

[2] Carvalho, A.C., Almeida, D.S., Melo, M.G., Cavalcanti, S.C.,Marcal, R.M., 2009 Evidence of the mechanism of action of ErythrinavelutinaWilld (Fabaceae) leaves aqueous extract. Journal of Ethnophar-macology 22, 374–378.

[3] Vasconcelos, S.M.M., Aguiar, C.C.T., Viana, G.S.B. 2013 Erythrinamulungu Mart. ex Benth. e E. velutina Willd. (mulungu). In: GlauceSocorro Barros Viana, Luzia Kalyne Almeida M. Leal e Silvania MariaMendes Vasconcelos. (Org.). Plantas Medicinais da Caatinga: Ativi-dades Biologicas e Potencial Terapeutico. 1ed. Fortaleza: Expressaografica e Editora, p. 227–247.

P.1.g.076 The neuroprotective effect of Erythrinavelutina on cerebral ischemia in mice

F.T.S. Rodrigues1 °, V.C.M. Borella1, A.B. Almeida1,A.S. Monte1, M.R.M. Souza1, M.A. Santos Junior1,P.X.L. Gomes1, A.I.G. Queiroz1, G.C. Souza1, D.S. Macedo1,O.C. Vale1, S.M.M. Vasconcelos1 1Federal University of Ceara,Physiology and Pharmacology Department, Fortaleza, Brazil

Introduction: The decrease in cerebral blood flow below 16mlof blood per 100 g/min fact that the brain occurs in ischemicstroke, is a critical event that results in a series of functional,structural and biochemical culminating in irreversible neuronaldeath changes. Given the difficulty of truly effective drugs in thetreatment of stroke in this study suggest a possible neuroprotectiveeffect of standardized extract of E. velutina since species of thisgenus has shown significant action in the central nervous system.In anticonvulsant action, we observed a possible neuroprotectiveeffect of the extract, which was detected a ratio of suppression ofseizure and consequent cell death [1].