Avaliação do comportamento de ratas Wistar tratadas durante a gravidez com Hypericum perforatum L. no período pós-natal e de seus descendentes (F1) na fase adulta

Abstract

Gestational depression is a subject of great concern, considering the risks for the recurrence of symptoms and its harmful effects to the mother's and offspring's health. Synthetic antidepressants do not decrease the recurrence of symptoms in the postpartum period, present many side effects, and are not exempt of risks to the fetus. Hypericum perforatum (HP) is a phytopharmacon largely used in the treatment of depression, presents less side effects, does not seem to present teratogenic effects, and its use showed a decrease in the future recurrence of symptoms. On the other hand, its real effects in the future behavior of the mother and in the behavioral development of her offspring when used during pregnancy is not yet known. Therefore, this study evaluated the behavior of rats treated with HP during pregnancy in the postnatal period and of their offspring in their adult phase. Pregnant rats were divided into three treated groups (T1, T2 and T3) and a control group (C) that received, intragastrically, once a day, during the gestational period, HP extract in doses of 36, 72 and 144 mg/kg respectively and distilled water. At ten and 60 days of postnatal life, the rats were submitted to the elevated cross maze test for evaluation of anxiety and to the forced swim and tail suspension tests for evaluation of depression. Their male offspring were divided into four groups, according to the treatment received by the mothers, and evaluated at 90 days of age. They were submitted to the rotarod and barbiturate sleep-induced tests for evaluation of a possible action on the central nervous system (CNS), to the elevated cross maze and hole-board tests for evaluation of anxiety, and to the forced swim and tail suspension tests for evaluation of depression. The rats from groups T2 and T3 displayed less anxious behavior in the elevated cross maze test, and less depressive behavior in the tail suspension and forced swim tests when evaluated 10 and 60 days after the parturition of their offspring and discontinuation of treatment. In the rotarod and barbiturate sleep-induced tests, the offspring of the rats from groups T2 and T3 presented a suggestive performance of the HP action in the CNS, when compared with the offspring of 10 the rats from the control group. In the hole-board and elevated cross maze tests, as well as in the tail suspension and forced swim tests, the animals of these groups displayed less anxious and depressive behavior, respectively. Therefore, the use of HP during pregnancy reduced the depressive and anxiety behavior in Wistar rats in the postnatal period and also in their offspring (F1) when they reached their adult phase.