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Background: Levels of chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and neurotransmitter availability are altered in depressed patients and can be used as biological markers. This study aimed to analyze these markers in female Wistar rats under chronic inflammation induced by E. coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS), treated with aqueous extract of A. gratissima and rutin, the major flavonoid of its extract. Methods: Thirty female Wistar rats under a chronic inflammatory regimen induced by 1 mg/kg i.p. of LPS were divided into six experimental groups: control (1), treated with fluoxetine 5 mg/kg (2), rutin at 50 mg/kg (3) or 100 mg/kg (4), aqueous extract of A. gratissima 100 mg/kg (5), and co-treatment with 50 mg/kg of extract and 10 mg/kg of rutin (6). Treatments were administered by gavage for 15 days. Results: Oxidative damage to proteins and lipids was lower in group 6 compared to group 2. Pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines increased in group 1 but not in group 2, indicating a relationship with depression. Similar effects were observed in the treated groups, showing no significant differences from group 2. Neurotransmitter levels of dopamine and serotonin were low in group 1, and all treatments effectively increased them. Additionally, A. gratissima extract at 100 ppm increased locomotor activity in planarians. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the effectiveness of the LPS induction model in subacute experimental designs and the potential antidepressant effect of the treatments due to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and ability to increase neurotransmitter levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, oxidative stress and antioxidative compounds have been described as potential biomarkers. However, there is no consensus on the most appropriate oxidative and antioxidative biomarkers for patients with Toxoplasma gondii. In the present study, we evaluated the levels of lipid, protein, DNA oxidative damage and antioxidants in samples from patients infected with T. gondii with and without ocular toxoplasmosis. The levels of MDA, TBARS, micronuclei, carbonyl, GSH, vitamin C and vitamin E were measured on samples from 8 patients positive for T. gondii antibodies with ocular toxoplasmosis (OT), 20 patients positive for T. gondii antibodies without ocular toxoplasmosis (non OT), and 12 healthy individuals negative for T. gondii antibodies. The levels of MDA, TBARS, carbonyl and micronuclei were significantly higher in non OT patients, while MDA and TBARS levels were lower in OT patients. In contrast, the antioxidative factors, GSH and vitamin E levels were significantly lower in non OT patients, while vitamin C was lower in non OT and OT patients. Additionally, non OT patients were indicated to be high producers of oxidative markers (TBARS, MDA, micronuclei and carbonyl), while control group was indicated to be high producer of antioxidative markers (GSH, vitamins C and E). However, OT patients were not found as high producers of oxidative nor antioxidative markers. Our results provide a starting point of possible markers to better understand the disease pathogenesis in patients infected with T. gondii. Additional studies are needed to clarify the potential contribution of oxidative and antioxidative markers in these patients population. [Display omitted] • Antioxidant markers were studied in OT and non OT patients • Markers of protein, lipids and DNA oxidative damage were increased in non OT group • Antioxidants system defense was decreased in non OT group • Ascendant signatures of oxidative markers were modified in non OT group [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]