title: Valeriana officinalis ameliorates vacuous chewing movements induced by reserpine in rats.
abstract: Oral movements are associated with important neuropathologies as Parkinson's disease and tardive dyskinesia. However, until this time, there has been no known efficacious treatment, without side effects, for these disorders. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the possible preventive effects of V. officinalis, a phytotherapic that has GABAergic and antioxidant properties, in vacuous chewing movements (VCMs) induced by reserpine in rats. Adult male rats were treated with reserpine (1 mg/kg, s.c.) and/or with V. officinalis (in the drinking water, starting 15 days before the administration of the reserpine). VCMs, locomotor activity and oxidative stress measurements were evaluated. Furthermore, we carried out the identification of valeric acid and gallic acid by HPLC in the V. officinalis tincture. Our findings demonstrated that reserpine caused a marked increase on VCMs and the co-treatment with V. officinalis was able to reduce the intensity of VCM. Reserpine did not induce oxidative stress in cerebral structures (cortex, hippocampus, striatum and substantia nigra). However, a significant positive correlation between DCF-oxidation (an estimation of oxidative stress) in the cortex and VCMs (p < 0.05) was observed. Moreover, a negative correlation between Na(+)K(+)-ATPase activity in substantia nigra and the number of VCMs was observed (p < 0.05). In conclusion, V. officinalis had behavioral protective effect against reserpine-induced VCMs in rats; however, the exact mechanisms that contributed to this effect have not been completely understood.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Bioquímica Toxicológica, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil. romaiana@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Romaiana Picada
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Roselei
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fachinetto
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de Souza Prestes
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: Jéssie Haigert
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Sudati
authors.forename: Aline Augusti
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Boligon
authors.forename: Margareth Linde
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Athayde
authors.forename: Vera Maria
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Morsch
authors.forename: João Batista Teixeira
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Rocha
mesh_terms: D018759:Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors / Q000633:toxicity; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004409:Dyskinesia, Drug-Induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D008409:Mastication / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012110:Reserpine / Q000633:toxicity*; D014632:Valerian / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D018759:Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors; D028321:Plant Preparations; D012110:Reserpine