Morphologic and biomechanical changes of thoracic and abdominal aorta in a rat model of cigarette smoke exposure

Background: Smoking is the most relevant environmental factor that affects the development of aortic aneurysm. Smokers have elevated levels of elastase activity in the arterial wall, which leads to weakening of the aorta. The aim of this study was to verify whether cigarette smoke exposure itself is capable of altering the aortic wall. Methods: Forty-eight Wistar rats were divided into 2-, 4-, and 6-month experimental periods and into 2 groups: smokers (submitted to smoke exposure at a rate of 40 cigarettes/day) and nonsmokers. At the end of the experimental periods, the aortas were removed and cross-sectioned to obtain histologic specimens for light microscopic and morphometric analyses. The remaining longitudinal segments were stretched to rupture and mechanical parameters were determined. Results: A degenerative process (i.e., a reduction in elastic fibers, the loss of lamellar arrangement, and a reduction of smooth muscle cells) was observed, and this effect was proportional in intensity to the period of tobacco exposure. We observed a progressive reduction in the yield point of the thoracic aorta over time (P < 0.05). There was a decrease in stiffness (P < 0.05) and in failure load (P < 0.05) at 6 months in the abdominal aorta of rats in the smoking group. Conclusions: Chronic exposure to tobacco smoke can affect the mechanical properties of the aorta and can also provoke substantial structural changes of the arterial wall. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Estimation of spontaneous blinking main sequence in normal subjects and patients with Graves' upper eyelid retraction

Purpose. We quantified the main sequence of spontaneous blinks in normal subjects and Graves' disease patients with upper eyelid retraction using a nonlinear and two linear models, and examined the variability of the main sequence estimated with standard linear regression for 10-minute periods of time. Methods. A total of 20 normal subjects and 12 patients had their spontaneous blinking measured with the magnetic search coil technique when watching a video during one hour. The main sequence was estimated with a power-law function, and with standard and trough the origin linear regressions. Repeated measurements ANOVA was used to test the mean sequence stability of 10-minute bins measured with standard linear regression. Results. In 95% of the sample the correlation coefficients of the main sequence ranged from 0.60 to 0.94. Homoscedasticity of the peak velocity was not verified in 20% of the subjects and 25% of the patients. The power-law function provided the best main sequence fitting for subjects and patients. The mean sequence of 10-minute bins measured with standard linear regression did not differ from the one-hour period value. For the entire period of observation and the slope obtained by standard linear regression, the main sequence of the patients was reduced significantly compared to the normal subjects. Conclusions. Standard linear regression is a valid and stable approximation for estimating the main sequence of spontaneous blinking. However, the basic assumptions of the linear regression model should be examined on an individual basis. The maximum velocity of large blinks is slower in Graves' disease patients than in normal subjects. © 2013 The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Inc.

High-sucrose effect on bone structure, hardness and biomechanics in an obesity model using Wistar male rats

Introduction: Excessive consumption of sugar-sweetened beverage is positively related to overweight. Despite the epidemic of childhood obesity, body mass can have a positive or negative effect on bone health. Material and methods: Wistar rats 8 weeks olds were randomly assigned to consume water (Control group, n = 10), sucrose 30% (HS group, n = 10) and water + sucrose 30% (WHS group, n = 14) for 8 weeks. All animals received standard laboratory chow ad libitum. Femur measurements included microhardness, bone mineral density (BMD) by DXA, mechanical compression test and microcomputed tomography (microCT) analysis. Results: We observed significant difference in final body weight in HS and WHS groups, significant increase in triacylglycerol/fructosamine in HS and WHS groups, significantly high BMD in WHS group, increased periosteal/endosteal cortical microhardness in WHS group. Compared with control, microCT parameters evidenced lower amount of connected trabecular bone, decreased bone volume, lower trabecular number with high trabecular separation in distal epiphysis in WHS animals. Conclusion: High-sucrose consumption causes obesity induced by a liquid diet with negative effects on cancellous bone.

Simultaneous activity of male and female gonads in intersex hermit crabs

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

Third eyelid gland protrusion in dogs: an experimental model proposal

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Effects of a probiotic soy product and physical exercise on formation of pre-neoplastic lesions in rat colons in a short-term model of carcinogenic

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

Maternal separation stress in male mice: long-term increases in alcohol intake

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Rat model of depending prostaglandin renal state: Effect of ketoprofen

Introduction .The renal prostaglandins (PGs), vasodilators, preserve kidney function during increased activity of the renin-angiotensin system or renal sympathetic nerves (renal PG-dependent state [RPGD]). Ketoprofen (Ket) inhibits cyclooxygenase and, therefore, the synthesis of PGs. The aim of this study was to determine, in the rat, the action of Ket in the renal histology and function in a RPGD state (stress of anesthesia and hemorrhage). Material and Methods . Twenty male Wistar rats, anesthetized with sodium pentobarbital, were randomly divided into two groups: G1-control ( n = 10) and G2-Ket ( n = 10) submitted to arterial hemorrhage of 30% of volemia (estimated as 6% of body weight) three times (10% each 10 min), 65 min after anesthesia. G2 animals received Ket, 1.5 mg. kg -1 , venously, 5 min after anesthesia and 60 min before the first hemorrhage moment (first moment of the study [M1]). Medium arterial pressure (MAP), rectal temperature (T), and heart rate were monitored. G1 and G2 received para-aminohippurate sodium (PAH) and iothalamate sodium (IOT) solutions during the entire experimental time in order to determine clearance of PAH (effective renal plasma flow [ERPF]) and clearance of IOT (glomerular filtration rate [GFR]) without urine collection (determination of blood concentrations of PAH and IOT through the high-performance liquid chromatography), filtration fraction (FF), and renal vascular resistance (RVR). The animals were sacrificed in M3, 30 min after the third hemorrhage (M2) moment, and the kidneys and blood collected during the hemorrhage periods were utilized for histological study and determinations of hematocrit (Ht), serum creatinine (S Cr ), ERPF, GFR, FF, and RVR, respectively. Results . There were significant reductions of MAP, T, and Ht and a significant increase of S Cr . During the experiment, ERPF and GFR did not change, but ERPF was always higher in G1 than in G2. Ket did not alter FF, which increased in G1 over the duration of experiment. The Ket group had significantly higher RVR than the control group. The histology verified that both G1 and G2 were similar for tubular dilation and necrosis, but they were significantly different for tubular degeneration: G1 > G2. Conclusion . The changes observed in kidney histology probably were determined by hemorrhage and hypotension. Ket inhibited the synthesis of PGs and diminished tubular degeneration.

Short- and long-term reproductive effects of prenatal and lactational growth restriction caused by maternal diabetes in male rats

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

Glutamate-induced obesity leads to decreased sperm reserves and acceleration of transit time in the epididymis of adult male rats

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Chronic ethanol intake promotes double gluthatione S-transferase transforming growth factor-alpha-positive hepatocellular lesions in male Wistar rats

The chronic ethanol intake influence on the gluthatione S-transferase (GST-P) and transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-alpha) expression in remodeling/persistent preneoplastic lesions (PNLs) was evaluated in the resistant hepatocyte model. Male Wistar rats were allocated into five groups: G1, non-treated, fed water and chow ad libitum; G2, non-treated and pair-fed chow (restricted to match that of G3 group) and a maltodextrin (MD) solution in tap water (matched ethanol-derived calories); G3, fed 5% ethanol in drinking water and chow ad libitum; G4, diethylnitrosamine (DEN, 200 mg/kg, body weight) plus 200 parts per million of 2-acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF) for 3 weeks and pair-fed chow (restricted to match that of G5 group) and an MD solution in tap water (matched ethanol-derived calories); G5, DEN/2-AAF treatment, fed ethanol 5% and chow ad libitum. All animals were subjected to 70% partial hepatectomy at week 3 and sacrificed at weeks 12 or 22, respectively. Liver samples were collected for histological analysis or immunohistochemical expression of GST-P, TGF-alpha and proliferating cell nuclear antigen or zymography for matrix metalloproteinases-2 and -9. At the end of ethanol treatment, there was a significant increase in the percentage of liver area occupied by persistent GST-P-positive PNLs, the number of TGF-alpha-positive PNLs and the development of liver tumors in ethanol-fed and DEN/2-AAF-treated groups (G5 versus G4, P < 0.001). In addition, ethanol feeding led to a significant increase in cell proliferation mainly in remodeling and persistent PNLs with immunoreactivity for TGF-alpha at week 22 (P < 0.001). Gelatinase activities were not altered by ethanol treatment. The results demonstrated that ethanol enhances the selective growth of PNL with double expression of TGF-alpha and GST-P markers.

Amitriptyline aggravates the fibrosis process in a rat model of infravesical obstruction

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Development of a rabbit's urethral sphincter deficiency animal model for anatomical-functional evaluation

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

Cold Renal Ischemia: Comparison of Efficacy Between Two Techniques of Cooling, in a Swine Model

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