Effects of Jugular Vein Occlusion on Cardiovascular Parameters in Horses During Exercise on a Treadmill

The purpose of the present investigation was to examine the effects of unilateral and bilateral jugular vein occlusion by temporary surgical ligature on the heart rate and arterial and venous blood pressure in sedentary horses during progressive treadmill exercise. Six horses performed three exercise tests (ET). ET1, considered the control, was performed in horses without jugular occlusions. ET2 and ET3 were performed with unilateral and bilateral occlusion by temporary surgical ligature of the jugular veins, respectively. Heart rate, arterial pressure, and pressure of the occluded jugular vein were evaluated. Clinically, the horses presented apathy, head edema, congested mucous membranes, increased capillary refill time, and dysphagia. These signs were observed with the unilateral jugular vein occlusion and became more evident with the bilateral occlusion. Comparing ETs, no differences were observed in heart rate. However, jugular occlusions promoted a decrease in the mean arterial pressure and a severe increase in jugular pressure. Head edema caused by the jugular vein occlusion in the horses could interfere with the autonomic cardiovascular regulation of arterial blood pressure during exercise, likely leading to an impairment of tissue perfusion. Jugular occlusion, even unilateral, also causes severe head venous congestion, leading to venous hypertension that was aggravated by exercise, which could risk development of cerebral edema and neurological damage. The present results obtained from sedentary horses are preliminary data that lead us to suggest that sport horses presenting jugular occlusive thrombophlebitis, even unilateral, may be prevented from performing athletic activities. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Extensive impact of saturated fatty acids on metabolic and cardiovascular profile in rats with diet-induced obesity: A canonical analysis

Background: Although hypercaloric interventions are associated with nutritional, endocrine, metabolic, and cardiovascular disorders in obesity experiments, a rational distinction between the effects of excess adiposity and the individual roles of dietary macronutrients in relation to these disturbances has not previously been studied. This investigation analyzed the correlation between ingested macronutrients (including sucrose and saturated and unsaturated fatty acids) plus body adiposity and metabolic, hormonal, and cardiovascular effects in rats with diet-induced obesity. Methods: Normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats were submitted to Control (CD; 3.2 Kcal/g) and Hypercaloric (HD; 4.6 Kcal/g) diets for 20 weeks followed by nutritional evaluation involving body weight and adiposity measurement. Metabolic and hormonal parameters included glycemia, insulin, insulin resistance, and leptin. Cardiovascular analysis included systolic blood pressure profile, echocardiography, morphometric study of myocardial morphology, and myosin heavy chain (MHC) protein expression. Canonical correlation analysis was used to evaluate the relationships between dietary macronutrients plus adiposity and metabolic, hormonal, and cardiovascular parameters. Results: Although final group body weights did not differ, HD presented higher adiposity than CD. Diet induced hyperglycemia while insulin and leptin levels remained unchanged. In a cardiovascular context, systolic blood pressure increased with time only in HD. Additionally, in vivo echocardiography revealed cardiac hypertrophy and improved systolic performance in HD compared to CD; and while cardiomyocyte size was unchanged by diet, nuclear volume and collagen interstitial fraction both increased in HD. Also HD exhibited higher relative β-MHC content and β/α-MHC ratio than their Control counterparts. Importantly, body adiposity was weakly associated with cardiovascular effects, as saturated fatty acid intake was directly associated with most cardiac remodeling measurements while unsaturated lipid consumption was inversely correlated with these effects. Conclusion: Hypercaloric diet was associated with glycemic metabolism and systolic blood pressure disorders and cardiac remodeling. These effects directly and inversely correlated with saturated and unsaturated lipid consumption, respectively. © 2013 Oliveira Junior et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

A role for histamine in cardiovascular regulation in late stage embryos of the red-footed tortoise, Chelonoidis carbonaria Spix, 1824

A chorioallantoic membrane artery in embryos of the red-footed tortoise, Chelonoidis carbonaria was occlusively cannulated for measurement of blood pressure and injection of drugs. Two age groups of embryos in the final 10 % of incubation were categorized by the ratio of embryonic body to yolk mass. All embryos first received cholinergic and β-adrenergic blockade. This revealed that β-adrenergic control was established in both groups whereas cholinergic control was only established in the older group immediately prior to hatching. The study then progressed as two series. Series one was conducted in a subset of embryos treated with histamine before or after injection of ranitidine, the antagonist of H2 receptors. Injection of histamine caused an initial phasic hypertension which recovered, followed by a longer lasting hypertensive response accompanied by a tachycardia. Injection of the H2 receptor antagonist ranitidine itself caused a hypotensive tachycardia with subsequent recovery of heart rate. Ranitidine also abolished the cardiac effects of histamine injection while leaving the initial hypertensive response intact. In series, two embryos were injected with histamine after injection of diphenhydramine, the antagonist to H1 receptors. This abolished the whole of the pressor response to histamine injection but left the tachycardic response intact. These data indicate that histamine acts as a non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic factor, regulating the cardiovascular system of developing reptilian embryos and that its overall effects are mediated via both H1 and H2 receptor types. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Different tools for estimating cardiovascular risk in Brazilian postmenopausal women

Objective: To compare estimation of cardiovascular risk using the Framinghan Risk Score (FRS) and the presence of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) in postmenopausal women to prevent primary cardiovascular disease (CVD). Methods: This cross-sectional study included 497 Brazilian women (aged 45 years and amenorrhea >12months). Cardiovascular risk was calculated using the FRS that includes age, total cholesterol, HDL, systolic blood pressure and smoking status. Women showing three or more of the following criteria were diagnosed with MetS: waist circumference (WC) >88cm, blood pressure 130/85mmHg, triglycerides 150mg/dl, HDL<50mg/dl and glucose 100mg/dl. For statistical analysis, the Chi-square, Fisher's exact, and logistic regression (odds ratio-OR) were used. Results: The mean age was 55.3±7.0 years and time since menopause 7.2±5.9 years. Based on FRS, 72.4% of women were classified as low-risk, 16.5% moderate risk and 11.1% a high-risk. MetS was identified in 40% of the women, and 46.2% were considered of moderate risk for CVD, while 84.9% of those without MetS were classified as low-risk (p<0.001). The risk for CVD increased significantly with age at menopause (OR1.10; 95% CI, 1.04-1.17), time since menopause (OR1.13; 95% CI, 1.08-1.18), elevated triglycerides (OR1.03; 95% CI, 1.0-1.10) and presence of MetS (OR1.72; 95% CI 1.48-1.84). Conclusions: By using only FRS to estimate cardiovascular risk, a substantial number of postmenopausal women showing evidence of MetS were not identified, even though women with MetS are at higher risk of CVD. © 2013 Informa UK Ltd.

Does hyperglycemia in pregnancy change fetal kidney growth?: a longitudinal prospective study

PURPOSE: To measure fetal renal volume in normoglycemic and hyperglycemic pregnancies. METHODS: A longitudinal prospective study was conducted and included 92 hyperglycemic and 339 normoglycemic pregnant women attended at the prenatal service of a hospital from Rio de Janeiro State. Ultrasound examinations were performed to estimate gestational age at baseline and the kidney volume was estimated using the prolate ellipsoid volume equation. RESULTS: Fetal kidney volume growth between normoglycemic and hyperglycemic pregnancies are significantly different. The fetal kidney volume growth in pregnancy is positively correlated with gestational age explained by these predictor equations, by group: normal renal volume = exp (6.186+0.09×gestational week); hyperglycemic renal volume = exp (6.978+0.071×gestational week) and an excessive growth pattern for hyperglycemic pregnancies may be established according to gestational age. CONCLUSION: This is important for early detection of abnormalities in pregnancy, particularly in diabetic mothers.

Effect of exercise on the maternal outcome in pregnancy of spontaneously hypertensive rats

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Mannose-binding lectin gene polymorphism and risk factors for cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Le(a-b-) phenotype: potential risk factor for infection by the RH strain of Toxoplasma gondii in pregnancy

The Lewis histo-blood group system is characterized by the expression of the Lea and Le(b) antigens in the gastrointestinal tract, whose synthesis results in interactions between alpha 2-L-fucosyltransferase (FUTII) and alpha 3/4-L-fucosyltransferase (FUTIII) enzymes coded by the FUT2 (19q. 13.3) and FUT3 (19p13.3) genes. FUTII and FUTIII fucosylate the type 1 oligosaccharide precursor (Gal beta 1 -> 3NAcGlc beta 1 -> 3-R) at distinct positions to form H type 1 (Fuc alpha 1. 2Gal beta 1. 3NAcGlc beta 1 -> 3-R) and Le(a) (Gal beta 1 -> 3[Fuc alpha 1 -> 4] NAcGlc beta 1 -> 3-R) antigens, respectively. The fucosylation of H type 1 antigens by FUTIII results in the Leb antigen (Fuc alpha 1. 2Gal beta 1. 3[Fuca1. 4] NAcGlc beta 1. 3-R). Thus, the presence of the FUTII and FUTIII enzymes leads to the expression of the Le(a+b+) phenotype, while the presence of only FUTIII allows the expression of the Le(a+b-) phenotype. The absence of the FUTIII enzyme leads to the expression of the Le(a-b-) phenotype, independent of the presence or absence of FUTII. Point mutations in FUT2 and FUT3 genes change the activity of these enzymes, impair the synthesis of Le(a) and Le(b) antigens, and contribute to the variability of Lewis phenotypes in the gastrointestinal tract. Toxoplasma gondii, an apicomplexan parasite that infects a large proportion of the world's population, utilizes the gastrointestinal tract as an infection route and seems to adhere to glycosylated molecules to invade human cells. These apparently independent events may be related. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that there is an association between the Lewis histo-blood group system and infection by T. gondii. Two hundred and nine serum samples collected from pregnant women were submitted to screening tests to detect anti-T. gondii antibodies, employing the indirect hemagglutination method. ELISA was utilized to identify IgG class anti-T. gondii antibodies specific for the RH strain. A hundred and ninety-five samples with concordant results for both methods were selected to form two groups: seropositive (G1) and seronegative (G2). The G428A mutation of the FUT2 gene, and T202C and C314T of the FUT3 gene, which allow inference of the gastrointestinal tract Lewis phenotypes, were identified using PCR-RFLP and PCR-SSP methods, respectively. Among the 195 samples selected, 116 (59.5%) were seropositive and 79 (40.5%) were seronegative. In G1, 68 (58.6%) were classified as Le(a+b+), 30 (25.9%) as Le(a+b-), and 18 (15.5%) as Le(a-b-), and in G2, 67 (84.8%) were classified as Le(a+b+), 12 (15.2%) as Le(a+b-), and 0 (0%) as Le(a-b-) (P < 0.0001). The Le(a-b-) phenotype is associated with a high risk of RH strain T. gondii infection when compared with the Le(a+b+) [P = 0.0001; OR = 36,460; 95%CI = 2.152-617,680] and Le(a+b-) phenotypes [P = 0.0118; OR = 15,165; 95%CI = 0.8463-271,710]. The Le(a+b-) phenotype showed a higher risk compared to the Le(a+b+) phenotype [P = 0.0206; OR = 2463; 95%CI = 2463-5214]. The results suggest that the Le(a-b-) phenotype is strongly associated with a greater risk of infection by the RH strain of T. gondii compared to the other phenotypes. It is possible that the absence of fucosylation of the type 1 oligosaccharide precursor as well as the variations in the structures of the Le(a) and Le(b) antigens influence susceptibility to infection by this parasite.

Doppler ultrasound in pregnancy assessment in bitches - literature review

Doppler ultrasound enables the assessment of blood flow in real time and has been widely used to aid in pregnancy diagnosis and monitoring in dogs and cats. This technique has a diferencial when compared with the B-mode ultrasound, as it allows the evaluation of vascular hemodynamic characteristics, while the two-dimensional ultrasound allows the diagnosis of pregnancy and fetal viability. Thus, the objective of this review is to describe how circulation is characterized in the uterine and fetal arteries in bitches during pregnancy using Doppler ultrasonography.

The study of cardiovascular risk in adolescents - ERICA: rationale, design and sample characteristics of a national survey examining cardiovascular risk factor profile in Brazilian adolescents

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Interleukin 10 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in pregnancy: aspects of interest in clinical obstetrics

The purpose of this study was to review the literature regarding the action of the cytokines interleukin 10 (IL-10) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in pregnancy and to emphasize the factors that are of interest to clinical obstetrics. The literature highlights several actions of IL-10 and TNF-α during pregnancy. The actions of these cytokines seem to be antagonistic and dependent on the balance between them, which is orchestrated by the specific immunosuppressive action of IL-10. TNF-α has a characteristic inflammatory action, and it is an additional diabetogenic factor in pregnancy. The loss of the control of the production of these cytokines, with increase of TNF-α, is related to the risk for developing obstetric complications, particularly recurrent fetal loss, gestational diabetes mellitus, hypertensive syndromes, and fetal growth restriction. However, study results are controversial and are not clearly defined. These issues are attributed to the heterogeneity of the studies, particularly regarding their sample sizes and sources, the evaluation methods, and the multiplicity of factors and conditions that influence cytokine production. These questions are fundamental and should be addressed in future investigations to obtain more consistent results that can be applied to obstetric practice.

Medicinal plants in pregnancy and lactation: perception of the health risk and practical educational group in Araraquara, São Paulo State, Brazil

The use of medicinal plants among pregnant women and lactating is a common practice in diverse countries. However, many medicinal plants are contraindicated during pregnancy and lactating, due to various adverse effects, such as teratogenic, embryotoxic and abortive effects, exposing these women, their fetus and babies to health unknown risks. Thus, the purpose of this commentary, was to analyze the perception about the use of medicinal plants by pregnant women and lactating registered in the "baby on board" NGO, Araraquara, São Paulo state, Brazil, between 2010 at 2013. The group was constituted by 48 women, between the first and last trimester of pregnancy or whilst breastfeeding. Information was collected during group meetings by oral interview, using a questionnaire, as script. The nature of the study was a qualitative analysis. The results were based on reports about the use of medicinal plants by pregnant women during group meetings: use, indication of use, knowledge about risks. All participants received written and oral information about the study and they gave a written informed consent. The use of medicinal plants is a reality among pregnant and lactating women of the "baby on board" NGO. They reported that they feel that "natural" products are not harmful for their health. The primary information sources for the majority of women about medicinal plants during pregnancy are family, neighbors and herbalists. The plants most cited (in popular name in Brazil) were: senna, chamomile, boldo, lemon balm, lemon grass. They were used mainly for: nausea, heartburn, indigestion, flatulence, intestinal and abdominal pain, anxiety, intestinal constipation and low milk production. The pregnant and lactating women lacked knowledge about the health risks of the use of medicinal plants and herbal medicines in pregnancy and lactation. They also reported difficulties in clarifying some questions about the use of medicinal plants with their doctors. The results of the present study showed that educative actions about the rational use of medicinal plants in pregnancy and breastfeeding could be part of the operating protocols to promote the maternal and child health programs in Araraquara. Thus, our results also suggest the importance of creating institutionalized places, to the implementation of continued education programs about rational use of medicinal plants in pregnancy and lactation. These targeted programs are not only for health professionals, but also for community members, pregnant women and breastfeeding. Our results pointed out the importance of guidance of doctors and healthcare professionals on the scientific studies about medicinal plants and herbal medicines and the risk/benefit of using herbs during pregnancy. Finally, it is noted the importance of the health professionals to inform women of childbearing on risks to their health, as well as on possibilities of utilization of herbs during fertile period, giving special attention to the potential risk of self-medication.