Abstract Drugs used in the treatment of depression can cross the placenta giving rise to questions regarding the effects these drugs exert on the fetus. Hypericum perforatum L., Hypericaceae, is a natural product used to treat depression. However, information about its toxicity and the occurrence of alterations in the central nervous system development of the offspring is scarce. This work assessed the behavior of adult male rats born from mothers treated with Hypericum extract during gestation and analyzed the fluorescence of the extract in different organs of mothers and fetuses. Male pups were divided into three treated groups, corresponding to the administration of the Hypericum extract to mothers at the dose levels of 36 mg/kg, 72 mg/kg and 144 mg/kg, and one control group in which the mothers received distilled water. At 90 days of age, the offspring underwent the following tests: rotarod, pentobarbital-induced sleep time, elevated plus maze, hole-board and forced swimming test. The observed fluorescence indicated the presence of the extract in all tissues analyzed. The obtained results suggest lasting changes in the performances displayed in the CNS, depression and anxiety tests, indicating that the use of Hypericum during gestation could interfere with the behavioral development of the offspring reducing anxiety and depression when they become adults. We suggest that these alterations are associated with the reprogramming of the brain regions related to changes in emotional reactivity.

RESUMO Cabassous tatouay Desmarest, 1804 é considerada espécie rara no sul da América do Sul, apresentando registros escassos e imprecisos para o Rio Grande do Sul. O presente estudo descreve 40 localidades de ocorrência de C. tatouay e apresenta de um mapa de distribuição geográfica potencial, gerado por Modelagem Ecológica de Nicho. A modelagem de nicho sugere uma associação da espécie com áreas de matriz campestre, incluindo o Pampa e os Campos de Cima da Serra, associados à Mata Atlântica. Este estudo contribui para o melhor conhecimento do tatu-de-rabo-mole no Sul do Brasil e fornece dados-chave para sua conservação.

ABSTRACT Cabossous tatouay Desmarest, 1804 is considered a rare species in southern South America, and Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, records of the species are scarce and inaccurate. This study reports 40 localities for C. tatouay, and provides a map of the species' potential distribution using ecological niche modeling (ENM). The ENM indicated that in this region C. tatouay is associated with open grasslands, including the areas of "Pampas" and the open fields in the highlands of the Atlantic Forest. This study contributes to the information about the greater naked-tailed armadillo in southern Brazil, and provides data key to its future conservation.

Gestational depression is detrimental to the health of the mother and the offspring and contributes to the appearance of depressive and anxiety symptoms during the postnatal period. Traditional antidepressants have undesirable side effects when utilised during gestation, but Hypericum perforatum has been characterised as an efficient and safe antidepressant that prevents the recurrence of symptoms. This study verified the effects of Hypericum perforatumon the behaviour of Wistar rats that were treated during gestation and evaluated 10 and 60 days post-treatment. Pregnant Wistar rats were divided into four groups of ten animals each: one control group that received distilled water and three treatment groups that were treated orally with 36, 72 or 144 mg/kg Hypericum perforatumextract. At 10 and 60 days after parturition and post-treatment, the rats were submitted to the holeboard, the tail suspension, and the forced swim tests. The animals treated with 144 mg/kg Hypericum perforatumexhibited greater head-dipping activity in the hole-board test and reduced immobility in the tail suspension and forced swim tests, suggesting less anxiety and depression 10 and 60 days post-treatment.The results indicated that treating rats with Hypericum perforatumduring the gestational period decreased depressive behaviour and anxiety 10 and 60 days post-treatment.

O Lapachol é uma naftoquinona com potencial terapêutico contra enterovírus, doença de Chagas e como antimalárico. Para estudar o potencial embriotóxico do Lapachol, ratas originalmente Wistar, grávidas, foram tratadas com 0,5 ml de água destilada (grupo controle); 0,5 ml de solução hidroalcoólica (grupo veículo) e 10 mg de Lapachol em 0,5 ml de solução hidroalcoólica (grupo tratado) por gavage, do 8º ao 12º dia de gestação. As seguintes variáveis foram observadas: peso corporal materno nos dias 1, 6, 15 e 21, consumo de ração nos dias 2, 6, 15 e 21 de gestação. O número de fetos vivos e mortos e os locais de reabsorção foram contados. Os ovários foram pesados e os corpos lúteos, contados. Os dados foram analisados por ANOVA "one way", teste de Dunnet e Qui-quadrado. O nível de significância dos testes foi alfa = 0,05. Os resultados mostram que as mães não foram afetadas, mas ocorreram 99,2% de mortes fetais, o que indica um potente efeito embriotóxico do Lapachol para o rato.

Lapachol is a naphtoquinone with therapeutic potential against enterovirus, Chagas disease and is also used as an antimalarial and antiinflamatory agent. In order to study teratogenic potential of Lapachol, pregnant Wistar rats were treated with 0.5 ml of distilled water (control group); 0.5 ml of hydroalcoholic solution (vehicle group) and 10 mg of Lapachol in 0.5 ml of hydroalcoholic solution (treated group) by oral gavage from the 8th to the 12th day of pregnancy. The following variables were observed: maternal body weight on days 1, 6, l5 and 21 and food intake on days 2, 6, 15 and 21 of pregnancy. The number of live and dead fetuses and the sites of resorptions were counted. The ovaries were weighed and the corpora lutea were counted. Data were analyzed by ANOVA-one way, Dunnett test and the chi square test. Significance level test alpha = 0.05. Results have shown that mothers were unaffected but there were a 99.2% of fetus mortality, indicative of a strong abortifacient effect of Lapachol in rats.

A oxcarbazepina é uma droga antiepiléptica de alta eficácia e poucos efeitos colaterais, mas pouco estudada quanto a seus efeitos durante a gestação humana e animal. OBJETIVO: Verificar se a administração de oxcarbazepine em ratas, nos quatro primeiros dias após a inseminação, altera a viabilidade ou o desenvolvimento do pré-embrião. MÉTODOS: Ratas Wistar foram tratadas com 20 ou 200 mg de oxcarbazepina/ Kg de peso corporal, via gástrica, nos dias 1, 2, 3, ou 4 a partir da inseminação ou, consecutivamente, do 1º ao 4º. Os pré-embriões foram coletados no quinto dia, visando verificar a quantidade e o desenvolvimento até a fase de blastocisto expandido. O peso corporal materno e sinais como pelos eriçados e alteração de atividade locomotora foram anotados para verificar indícios de toxicidade materna. Número de corpos lúteos e peso de ovários foram anotados com vistas à capacidade reprodutiva do animal. RESULTADOS: Não ocorreram perdas de pesos corporais maternos e nenhuma alteração física indicativa de desconforto para as ratas. Peso de ovários e número de corpos lúteos não diferiram entre tratados e controles. O número médio de pré-embriões por mães, o índice de perdas embrionárias, a proporção de blastocistos expandidos com relação ao total de pré-embriões e a média de blastocistos expandidos/mãe, não diferiram entre tratados e controles. CONCLUSÃO: A oxcarbazepina administrada em ratas, seguindo o esquema terapêutico mencionado, não apresentou efeito tóxico sobre a mãe e não alterou o desenvolvimento do pré-embrião.

Oxcarbazepine is a highly efficcacious antiepileptic drug which has very few side effects and has been poorly investigated as to its effects during human and animal gestation. PURPOSE: To verify if the administration of oxcapazepine to female rats in the first four days ofter fertilization alters the viability or development of the pre-embryo. METHODS: Wistar rats were treated with 20 or 200mg oxcarbazepine/Kg body weight by oral gavage, 1,2,3,or 4 days after insemination or, consecutively, from the first to de fourth day aiming at veryfing the amount and the development up to the expanded blastocyst stage. Maternal body weight and signs such as hair bristling and alteration of the locomotion activity were observed in order to verify any signs of maternal toxicity. A number of corpora lutea and ovaries weight were noted for the analysis of the animal reproductive capacity. RESULTS: Neither maternal body weight losses nor any physical alteration indicative of discomfort to the rats was observed. Ovaries weight and number of corpora lutea did not differ between treated and control animals. The average of pre-embryos per mother, the index of embryonic losses, the proportion of expanded blastocysts in relation to the total number of pre-embryos and the average of expanded blastocyst/mother did not differ between treated and control animals. CONCLUSIONS: The data indicate that oxcarbazepine administered to female rats following the therapeutic procedure mentioned above, did not show any toxic effect on the mother and did not alter the pre-embryo development.