Effects of aging and maternal protein restriction on the muscle fibers morphology and neuromuscular junctions of rats after nutritional recovery

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Expression, purification and characterization of cold shock protein A of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Graphene-based protein biomarker detection

An ability to detect and quantify protein molecules, harbingers of specific pathologies, potentially underpins both early disease diagnosis and an assessment of treatment efficacy. However, the specific detection of a particular protein biomarker in a complex environment is by no means an easy task and requires a progressive improvement in sensor technology. The high surface area, volume, electrical conductance, atomic level thickness and apparent biocompatibility of graphene makes it potentially an exceedingly powerful transducer of biorecognition events; the demands of its application in biosensing, and progress to date are reviewed herein.

Random regression models for milk, fat and protein in Colombian Buffaloes

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

Fibroblast growth factor 17 and bone morphogenetic protein 15 enhance cumulus expansion and improve quality of in vitro-produced embryos in cattle

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

Effects of protein supplementation frequency on physiological responses associated with reproduction in beef cows

The objective of this experiment was to determine if frequency of protein supplementation impacts physiological responses associated with reproduction in beef cows. Fourteen nonpregnant, nonlactating beef cows were ranked by age and BW and allocated to 3 groups. Groups were assigned to a 3 x 3 Latin square design, containing 3 periods of 21 d and the following treatments: 1) soybean meal supplementation daily (D), 2) soybean meal supplementation 3 times/week (3WK), and 3) soybean meal supplementation once/week (1WK). Within each period, cows were assigned to an estrus synchronization protocol: 100 mu g of GnRH + controlled internal drug release device (CIDR) containing 1.38 g of progesterone (P-4) on d 1, 25 mg of PGF(2 alpha) on d 8, and CIDR removal + 100 mu g of GnRH on d 11. Grass-seed straw was offered for ad libitum consumption. Soybean meal was individually supplemented at a daily rate of 1 kg/cow (as-fed basis). Moreover, 3WK was supplemented on d 0, 2, 4, 7, 9, 11, 14, 16, and 18 whereas 1WK was supplemented on d 4, 11, and 18. Blood samples were collected from 0 (before) to 72 h after supplementation on d 11 and 18 and analyzed for plasma urea-N (PUN). Samples collected from 0 to 12 h were also analyzed for plasma glucose, insulin, and P-4 (d 18 only). Uterine flushing fluid was collected concurrently with blood sampling at 28 h for pH evaluation. Liver biopsies were performed concurrently with blood sampling at 0, 4, and 28 h and analyzed for mRNA expression of carbamoyl phosphate synthetase I (CPS-I; h 28) and CYP2C19 and CYP3A4 (h 0 and 4 on d 18). Plasma urea-N concentrations were greater (P < 0.01) for 1WK vs. 3WK from 20 to 72 h and greater (P < 0.01) for 1WK vs. D from 16 to 48 h and at 72 h after supplementation (treatment x hour interaction, P < 0.01). Moreover, PUN concentrations peaked at 28 h after supplementation for 3WK and 1WK (P < 0.01) and were greater (P < 0.01) at this time for 1WK vs. 3WK and D and for 3WK vs. D. Expression of CPS-I was greater (P < 0.01) for 1WK vs. D and 3WK. Uterine flushing pH tended (P <= 0.10) to be greater for 1WK vs. 3WK and D. No treatment effects were detected (P >= 0.15) on expression of CYP2C19 and CYP3A4, plasma glucose, and P-4 concentrations, whereas plasma insulin concentrations were greater (P <= 0.03) in D and 3WK vs. 1WK. Hence, decreasing frequency of protein supplementation did not reduce uterine flushing pH or plasma P-4 concentrations, which are known to impact reproduction in beef cows.

Protein and energy requirements of castrated male Saanen goats

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

Increased cyclooxygenase-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor protein expression is associated with canine prostatic carcionogenesis process

Background: COX-2 is one of the most important prostaglandin involved in urologic cancer and seems to be associated with tumor progression, invasion, and metastasis. In addition, several effects have been reported for VEGF, including inducing angiogenesis, promoting cell migration, and inhibiting apoptosis. COX2 and VEGF up-regulation have been reported in human prostate cancer. Due to the importance of canine natural model for prostate cancer, the aim of this study was to evaluate COX-2 and VEGF protein expression in canine carcinogenic process. Material and Methods: Seventy-four prostatic tissues from dogs were selected to be evaluated for protein expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC), including: 10 normal prostatic tissues, 20 benign prostatic hyperplasias (BPH), 25 proliferative inflammatory atrophies (PIA) and 20 prostatic carcinomas (PCa). COX-2 and VEGF were detected using the monoclonal antibody CX-294 (1:50 dilution, Dako Cytomation and sc-53463 (1:100 dilution, Santa Cruz), respectively. The immunolabelling was performed by a polymer method (Histofine, Nichirei Biosciences). All reaction included negative controls by omitting the primary antibody. The percentage of C-MYC, E-cadherin, and p63- positive cells per lesion was evaluated according to Prowatke et al. (2007). The samples were scored separately according to staining intensity and graded semi-quantitatively as negative, weakly positive (1), moderately positive, and strongly positive. The score was done in one 400 magnification field, considering only the lesion, since this was done in a TMA core of 1 mm. For statistical analyses, the immunostaining classifications were reduced to two categories: negative and positive. The negative category included negative and weakly positive staining. Chi-square or Fisher exact test was used to determine the association between the categorical variables. Results: The COX-2 protein expression was elevated in the cytoplasm of the canine PCa and PIA compared to normal prostate (p=0.002). VEGF protein expression was increased in 94.75% of the PCa and 100% of the PIA compared with to normal prostate (p = 0.001). No difference was found when compared normal prostate with BPH. Conclusions: This study has demonstrated that the carcinogenesis of canine prostatic tissue may be related to gain of COX-2 and VEGF protein expression.

Production of recombinant EMA-1 protein and its application for the diagnosis of Theileria equi using an enzyme immuno assay in horses from São Paulo State, Brazil

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

Protein-energy malnutrition as a consequence of the hospitalization of gastroenterologic patients

The effects of the clinical and dietetics in patient managements on the protein-energy status of hospitalized patients were retrospectively (four yr) investigated in 243 adult (49 +/- 16 yr), male (168) and female (75) patients suffering from chronic liver diseases (42%), intestinal diseases with diarrhea (14%), digestive cancers (11%), chronic pancreatitis (10%), stomach and duodenum diseases (7%), acute pancreatitis (7%), primary protein-energy malnutrition (3%), esophagus diseases (3%), intestinal diseases with constipation 14 (2%) and chronic alcoholism (2%). The protein-energy nutritional status assessed by combinations of anthropometric and blood parameters showed 75% of protein energy malnutrition at the hospital entry mostly (4/5) in severe and moderate grades. The overall average of hospitalization was 20 +/- 15 days being the shortest (13 +/- 5,7 days) for esophagus diseases and the longest (28 +/- 21 days) for the intestinal diseases with diarrhea patients which also received mostly (42%) of the enteral and/or parenteral feedings followed by acute pacreatitis (41%) and digestive cancers (31%) patients. When compared to the entry the protein-energy malnutrition rate at the discharge decreased only 5% despite the increasing of 30% found on the protein-energy intake. The main improvement of the protein-energy nutritional status were attained to those patients showing protein-energy malnutrition milder degrees at the entry which belonged mostly to primary protein-energy malnutrition, acute pancreatitis and intestinal diseases with diarrhea diseases. The later two groups showed protein-energy nutritional status improvement only after the second week of hospitalization. The digestive cancers patients had their protein-energy nutritional status worsened throughout the hospitalization whereas it happened only in the first week for the intestinal diseases with diarrhea and chronic liver diseases patients, improving thereafter up to the discharge. The protein-energy nutritional status improvement found in few patients could be attributed to some complementary factors such as theirs mild degree of protein-energy malnutrition at entry and/or non-invasive propedeutics and/or enteral-parenteral feddings and/or longer hospitalization staying. The institutional causes for the unexpected lack of nutritional responses by the patients were probably the high demand for the few available beds which favour the hospitalization of the most severed patients and the university-teaching pressure for the high rotation of the available beds. Both often resulting in early discharging. In persisting the current physical area and attendance demand one could suggest an aggressive support early at the entry preceding and/or accompanying the more invasive propedeutical procedures.

Acute-phase protein behavior in dairy cattle herd naturally infected with Trypanosoma vivax

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

Changes in malondialdehyde and C-reactive protein concentrations after lifestyle modification are related to different metabolic syndrome-associated pathophysiological processes

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is often accompanied by pro-oxidative and pro-inflammatory processes. Lifestyle modification (LiSM) may act as primary treatment for these processes. This study aimed to elucidate influencing factors on changes of malondialdehyde (MDA) and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations after a LiSM intervention. Sixty subjects (53 yrs, 84% women) clinically approved to attend a 20 weeks LiSM-program were submitted to weekly nutritional counseling and physical activities combining aerobic (3 times/week) and resistance (2 times/week) exercises. Before and after intervention they were assessed for anthropometric, clinical, cardiorespiratory fitness test (CRF) and laboratory markers. Statistical analyses performed were multiple regression analysis and backward stepwise with p<0.05 and R(2) as influence index. LiSM was responsible for elevations in CRF, healthy eating index (HEI), total plasma antioxidant capacity (TAP) and HDL-C along with reductions in waist circumference measures and MetS (47-40%) prevalence. MDA and CRP did not change after LiSM, however, we observed that MDA concentrations were positively influenced (R(2)=0.35) by fasting blood glucose (β=0.64) and HOMA-IR (β=0.58) whereas CRP concentrations were by plasma gamma-glutamyltransferase activity (β=0.54; R(2)=0.29). Pro-oxidant and pro-inflammatory states of MetS can be attenuated after lifestyle modification if glucose metabolism homeostasis were recovered and if liver inflammation were reduced, respectively.

Identificação de genes candidatos à indução do florescimento em cana-de-açúcar em câmara de fotoperíodo

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Fluxo de gases de efeito estufa na implantação de sistema silvipastoril em pastejo com ovinos

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