Inssaf Berkiks
University Ibn Tofail, Morocco
Title: Thymelaea lythroides extract inhibits microglia activation in the adult hippocampus and behavioral alterations induced by early postnatal immune stimulation in male rats
Biography
Biography: Inssaf Berkiks
Abstract
Brain vulnerability to inflammation is high during the early postnatal age and perinatal infection could result in long-lasting neuropsychiatric disorders including autism and schizophrenia, and mood disorders including depression. In the present study we have assessed the efficacy of an extract of the medicinal plant Thymelaea lythroides to counteract hippocampal microglia activation and depressive-like behaviors in adulthood in male rats that were injected with LPS at 14 days of age. The effect of Thymelaea lythroides extract was compared to the effect of minocycline, a molecule known to inhibit microglia activation. Our findings indicate that LPS injected animals showed in adulthood high levels of TNF ï¡ and Iba1 immunoreactivity in the hippocampus and significant depressive-like behavior in forced swimming test and anxiety-like behavior in elevated plus maze test. Thymelaea lythroides extract and minocycline had similar actions in counteracting the effects of perinatal LPS.