Felinos domésticos e bem-estar : explorando os mecanismos de ação de alopáticos e alternativos na manifestação de estresse através de uma abordagem de bioinformática

Abstract

The popularity of cats as pets is rapidly increasing worldwide, including in Brazil, which already records a growth that surpasses that of dogs. In view of this, feline medicine has evolved and gained prominence, seeking to understand the needs and particularities of these animals. Studies have been conducted to analyze the impact of stress on the health of cats, and numerous pieces of evidence indicate that this factor has profound effects on the behavior and well-being of individuals of this species. Identifying and analyzing the main causes and clinical and behavioral changes caused by acute and chronic stress, as well as the most commonly used treatments in feline patients, makes it possible to better understand the challenges faced by these animals and offer more adequate care to promote their quality of life. Given this scenario, a research was undertaken to conduct a systematic review of the main clinical and behavioral changes caused by acute and chronic stress in domestic cats, as well as to investigate the most commonly used treatments. Relevant clinical cases observed at the researcher's veterinary clinic were selected and correlated with existing literature and analyzed through statistical tests, such as Fisher's exact test and Pearson's chi-square test. Based on this, protein-protein interaction networks were also developed, allowing to identify relationships between the studied proteins and their correlation with stress in cats. The results obtained through significant p-values suggest that stress may be a relevant factor in the clinical and behavioral conditions of cats. It was observed that proteins with a greater number of interactions, known as protein hubs, play important roles in different metabolic or cell signaling pathways. Through the use of PPI network analysis tools, such as STRING, it was possible to visualize the complex network of interactions between stress-related proteins in cats, providing valuable information about the organization of molecular mechanisms associated with stress. It was found that the identification of potential treatments, especially alternative ones, requires more scientific research to prove their effectiveness and safety in felines. This perspective paves the way for future studies that may investigate and contribute to the development of more specific and targeted therapeutic approaches to the well-being of stress-affected cats. [resumo fornecido pelo autor]