A weight loss protocol and owners participation in the treatment of canine obesity

O sucesso de um programa de perda de peso para animais de estimação depende da colaboração do proprietário. A adesão deste é fundamental para a correta instituição do manejo alimentar do paciente. Este trabalho teve por objetivo comparar a efetividade de um programa de perda de peso em dois grupos de cães, um mantido sob condições experimentais e outro com seus proprietários. Empregou-se a mesma ração hipocalórica para todos os animais. A quantidade fornecida foi restrita a 60% da necessidade energética de manutenção estimada para o peso corporal meta, definido como o peso autal reduzido em 15%. Os animais foram acompanhados durante 90 dias. Por meio de um questionário padronizado, estudou-se a percepção dos proprietários quanto à obesidade e seu tratamento. Verificou-se que o protocolo e a dieta empregados foram eficazes. Os animais controle apresentaram uma perda de peso média de 1,39% por semana. Os cães de proprietário perderam, em média, 0,75% do peso vivo por semana, resultado estatisticamente menor (P<0,05), o que sugere uma indisponibilidade dos mesmos em cumprir rigorosamente o tratamento. Mesmo com esta perda de peso modesta, foi perceptível a satisfação dos proprietários com os resultados obtidos. O uso de questionários demonstrou ser uma ferramenta importante na investigação das causas e no acompanhamento do tratamento da obesidade canina.

Assessment of field fertility and several in vitro sperm characteristics following the use of different Angus sires in a timed-AI program with suckled Nelore cows

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Stretching Exercise Program Improves Gait in the Elderly

Background: Ageing is characterized by a number of physical changes that contribute to a decline in the ability to perform daily tasks. Stretching has been proposed to reduce hip flexion contracture and increase hip and pelvis range of motion, thus improving gait performance. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether a supervised stretching program designed to improve the range of motion of the lower limbs alters gait kinematics in older adults. Methods: Twenty healthy older adult women (65.9 +/- 4.2 years old and BMI 24.9 +/- 3.5) were divided into 2 groups. The experimental group undertook 12 sessions of stretching exercises, whereas the control group did not engage in any physical activity. Gait performance was assessed at the beginning of the experiment and after the 4-week intervention period. Results: Those in the experimental group showed increased step length, higher velocity and reduced double support time after training. In addition, participants involved in the stretching program showed greater anterior and lateral pelvis tilt and also greater rotation (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Based on our results, we can suggest that a supervised stretching program is effective to alter a number of gait variables. Moreover, after the stretching protocol, aged participants displayed gait parameters which were similar to those reported in young healthy adults. Therefore, stretching can be used as an effective means to improve range of motion and reverse some age-related changes that influence gait performance. Copyright (C) 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel

Dentistry for babies: A preventive protocol

The objectives of this program were to educate the parents in the importance of preventive care and to establish protocols for oral health treatment and maintenance that reflected the oral disease risk of the infant. Since its inception, more than 1,000 infants have been enrolled in the program and compliance has been excellent.

Prevention of hypertension in patients with pre-hypertension: Protocol for the PREVER-prevention trial

Background: Blood pressure (BP) within pre-hypertensive levels confers higher cardiovascular risk and is an intermediate stage for full hypertension, which develops in an annual rate of 7 out of 100 individuals with 40 to 50 years of age. Non-drug interventions to prevent hypertension have had low effectiveness. In individuals with previous cardiovascular disease or diabetes, the use of BP-lowering agents reduces the incidence of major cardiovascular events. In the absence of higher baseline risk, the use of BP agents reduces the incidence of hypertension. The PREVER-prevention trial aims to investigate the efficacy, safety and feasibility of a population-based intervention to prevent the incidence of hypertension and the development of target-organ damage.Methods: This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, with participants aged 30 to 70 years, with pre-hypertension. The trial arms will be chlorthalidone 12.5 mg plus amiloride 2.5 mg or identical placebo. The primary outcomes will be the incidence of hypertension, adverse events and development or worsening of microalbuminuria and of left ventricular hypertrophy in the EKG. The secondary outcomes will be fatal or non-fatal cardiovascular events: myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, evidence of new sub-clinical atherosclerosis, and sudden death. The study will last 18 months. The sample size was calculated on the basis of an incidence of hypertension of 14% in the control group, a size effect of 40%, power of 85% and P alpha of 5%, resulting in 625 participants per group. The project was approved by the Ethics committee of each participating institution.Discussion: The early use of blood pressure-lowering drugs, particularly diuretics, which act on the main mechanism of blood pressure rising with age, may prevent cardiovascular events and the incidence of hypertension in individuals with hypertension. If this intervention shows to be effective and safe in a population-based perspective, it could be the basis for an innovative public health program to prevent hypertension in Brazil.Trial Registration: Clinical Trials NCT00970931. © 2011 Fuchs et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Increasing length of an estradiol and progesterone timed artificial insemination protocol decreases pregnancy losses in lactating dairy cows

Our hypothesis was that increasing the length of an estradiol and progesterone (P4) timed artificial insemination (TAI) protocol would improve pregnancy per artificial insemination (P/AI). Lactating Holstein cows (n = 759) yielding 31 +/- 0.30 kg of milk/d with a detectable corpus luteum (CL) at d - 11 were randomly assigned to receive TAI (d 0) following 1 of 2 treatments: (8d) d - 10 controlled internal drug release (CIDR) and 2.0 mg of estradiol benzoate, d - 3 = PGF(2 alpha) (25 mg of dinoprost tromethamine), d - 2 = CIDR removal and 1.0 mg of estradiol cypionate, d 0 = TAI; or (9d) d - 11 = CIDR and estradiol benzoate, d -4 = PGF(2 alpha), d -2 CIDR removal and estradiol cypionate, d 0 TAI. Cows were considered to have their estrous cycle synchronized in response to the protocol by the absence of a CL at artificial insemination (d 0) and presence of a CL on d 7. Pregnancy diagnoses were performed on d 32 and 60. The ovulatory follicle diameter at TAI (d 0) did not differ between treatments (14.7 +/- 0.39 vs. 15.0 +/- 0.40 mm for 8 and 9 d, respectively). The 9d cows tended to have greater P4 concentrations on d 7 in synchronized cows (3.14 +/- 0.18 ng/mL) than the 8d cows (3.05 +/- 0.18 ng/mL). Although the P/AI at d 32 [45 (175/385) vs. 43.9% (166/374) for 8d and 9d, respectively] and 60 [38.1 (150/385) vs. 40.4% (154/374) for 8d and 9d, respectively] was not different, the 9d cows had lower pregnancy losses [7.6% (12/166)] than 8d cows [14.7% (25/175)]. The cows in the 9d program were more likely to be detected in estrus [72.0% (269/374)] compared with 8d cows [62% (240/385)]. Expression of estrus improved synchronization [97.4 (489/501) vs. 81% (202/248)], P4 concentrations at d 7 (3.22 +/- 0.16 vs. 2.77 +/- 0.17 ng/mL), P/AI at d 32 [51.2 (252/489) vs. 39.4% (81/202)], P/AI at d 60 [46.3 (230/489) vs. 31.1% (66/202)], and decreased pregnancy loss [9.3 (22/252) vs. 19.8% (15/81)] compared with cows that did not show estrus, respectively. Cows not detected in estrus with small (<11 mm) or large follicles (>17 mm) had greater pregnancy loss; however, in cows detected in estrus, no effect of follicle diameter on pregnancy loss was observed. In conclusion, increasing the length of the protocol for TAI increased the percentage of cows detected in estrus and decreased pregnancy loss.

Monitoring muscle damage markers during a four-week downhill walking exercise program

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Assessment of in vitro sperm characteristics and their importance in the prediction of conception rate in a bovine timed-AI program

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Chromium or L-carnitine supplementation during an aerobic conditioning program mildly modified the energy metabolism biomarker response in Mangalarga Marchador fillies

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Long-term multimodal exercise program enhances mobility of patients with Parkinson's disease

Objective. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a long-period multimodal exercise program on balance, mobility and clinical status of patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Methods. Thirty-three PD patients were assigned into two groups: a training group (TG—n = 22; aged 67.23 ± 8.39 years) and a control group (CG—n = 9; aged 71.56 ± 8.50 years). The TG patients were enrolled in a 6-month multimodal exercise program. This program was designed to improve physical capacity components and to reduce PD impairments. Balance and mobility were assessed immediately before and after the training protocol using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), the “Timed up and go” (TUG), and the Posture Locomotion Test (PLM). Also, clinical variables were assessed (disease stage and impairments). Results. The TG showed an improvement in the TUG (P = 0.006) while CG were not influenced by the 6-months period. Both groups showed no differences for BBS and PLM and for their disease impairments—assessed through the Unified Parkinson’s disease Scale. Conclusions. Long-term multimodal exercise programs are able to improve mobility of patients with Parkinson’s disease and therefore should be used on clinical day life.

Efficiency and costless of a long-term physical exercise program to nom-medicated hypertensive males

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)