Neuroinflammatory Effects of tDCS in Ovariectomized Rats with Chronic Inflammation

Abstract

Introduction: Postmenopausal women are more susceptible to chronic condition such as osteoporosis, arthritis and other inflammatory diseases. Then, we investigated the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) upon biomarkers levels in ovariectomized rats subjected to inflammatory model. Methods: 20 females adult Wistar rats were subjected to ovariectomy and complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA)-induced inflammation model and divided into two groups: OAS and OAT (active tDCS). Fifteen days after, rats were submitted to bimodal tDCS treatment (20min, 0.5mA, 8 days). Rats were killed 24 h after the last session of tDCS, tissue samples (hypothalamus, cerebral cortex and brainstem) were collected, for biomarkers analysis by ELISA. And paws were extracted for histological analysis. Results: tDCS increased hypothalamus TNF-α; IL-1β; IL-10 and NGF levels. Also, tDCS group increased cortical cerebral TNF-α and NGF levels; as well as IL-1β levels in the brainstem. Inflammatory profile was observed in the histology of hindpaws, however, no tDCS effect was observed. Conclusion: bimodal tDCS showed an effect in the inflammatory central axis, with a small effect in the peripheral site evaluated in this current study through the histology.

Keywords

• inflammation
• cytokines
• estrogen
• ovariectomy
• tdcs