Benefits of exercise training in the treatment of heart failure: study with a control group

OBJECTIVE: Exercise training programs have been proposed as adjuncts to treatment of heart failure. The effects of a 3-month-exercise-training-program with 3 exercise sessions per week were assessed in patients with stable systolic chronic heart failure. METHODS: We studied 24 patients with final left ventricle diastolic diameter of 70±10mm and left ventricular ejection fraction of 37±4%. Mean age was 52±16 years. Twelve patients were assigned to an exercise training group (G1), and 12 patients were assigned to a control group (G2). Patients underwent treadmill testing, before and after exercise training, to assess distance walked, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and double product. RESULTS: In G2 group, before and after 3 months, we observed, respectively distance walked, 623±553 and 561± 460m (ns); peak heart rate, 142±23 and 146± 33b/min (ns); systolic blood pressure, 154±36 and 164±26 mmHg (ns); and double product, 22211± 6454 and 24293±7373 (ns). In G1 group, before and after exercise, we observed: distance walked, 615±394 and 970± 537m (p<0.003) peak heart rate, 143±24 and 143±29b/min (ns); systolic blood pressure, 136±33 and 133±24 mmHg (ns); and double product, 19907± 7323 and 19115±5776, respectively. Comparing the groups, a significant difference existed regarding the variation in the double product, and in distance walked. CONCLUSION: Exercise training programs in patients with heart failure can bring about an improvement in physical capacity.

Effects of Ischemic Postconditioning on the Hemodynamic Parameters and Heart Nitric Oxide Levels of Hypothyroid Rats

Background: Ischemic postconditioning (IPost) is a method of protecting the heart against ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. However, the effectiveness of IPost in cases of ischemic heart disease accompanied by co-morbidities such as hypothyroidism remains unclear. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of IPost on myocardial IR injury in hypothyroid male rats. Methods: Propylthiouracil in drinking water (500 mg/L) was administered to male rats for 21 days to induce hypothyroidism. The hearts from control and hypothyroid rats were perfused in a Langendorff apparatus and exposed to 30 min of global ischemia, followed by 120 min of reperfusion. IPost was induced immediately following ischemia. Results: Hypothyroidism and IPost significantly improved the left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP) and peak rates of positive and negative changes in left ventricular pressure (±dp/dt) during reperfusion in control rats (p < 0.05). However, IPost had no add-on effect on the recovery of LVDP and ±dp/dt in hypothyroid rats. Furthermore, hypothyroidism significantly decreased the basal NO metabolite (NOx) levels of the serum (72.5 ± 4.2 vs. 102.8 ± 3.7 μmol/L; p < 0.05) and heart (7.9 ± 1.6 vs. 18.8 ± 3.2 μmol/L; p < 0.05). Heart NOx concentration in the hypothyroid groups did not change after IR and IPost, whereas these were significantly (p < 0.05) higher and lower after IR and IPost, respectively, in the control groups. Conclusion: Hypothyroidism protects the heart from IR injury, which may be due to a decrease in basal nitric oxide (NO) levels in the serum and heart and a decrease in NO after IR. IPost did not decrease the NO level and did not provide further cardioprotection in the hypothyroid group.

Insulin Resistance, Dyslipidemia and Cardiovascular Changes in a Group of Obese Children

Introduction: Obesity-related comorbidities are present in young obese children, providing a platform for early adult cardiovascular disorders. Objectives: To compare and correlate markers of adiposity to metabolic disturbances, vascular and cardiac morphology in a European pediatric obese cohort. Methods: We carried out an observational and transversal analysis in a cohort consisting of 121 obese children of both sexes, between the ages of 6 and 17 years. The control group consisted of 40 children with normal body mass index within the same age range. Markers of adiposity, plasma lipids and lipoproteins, homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance, common carotid artery intima-media thickness and left ventricular diameters were analyzed. Results: There were statistically significant differences between the control and obese groups for the variables analyzed, all higher in the obese group, except for age, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and adiponectin, higher in the control group. In the obese group, body mass index was directly correlated to left ventricular mass (r=0.542; p=0.001), the homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (r=0.378; p=<0.001) and mean common carotid artery intima-media thickness (r=0.378; p=<0.001). In that same group, insulin resistance was present in 38.1%, 12.5% had a combined dyslipidemic pattern, and eccentric hypertrophy was the most common left ventricular geometric pattern. Conclusions: These results suggest that these markers may be used in clinical practice to stratify cardiovascular risk, as well as to assess the impact of weight control programs.

The small species of Belostoma (Heteroptera, Belostomatidae): I. Key to species groups and a revision of the denticolle group

A key to species groups of the genus Belostoma Latreille, 1807, using new taxonomic characters are presented as well as the revision of the four species included in the denticolle group: B. denticolle Montandon, 1903, and three new species: B. orbiculatum from eastern Argentina and southern Brazil, B. retusum from eastern Argentina and B. amazonum from northern Brazil which are described and illustrated.

Effect of bird density on the decision to join a group in the Sicalis flaveola pelzeni (Passeriformes, Emberizidae)

A change in bird density within a captive flock of Sicalis flaveola pelzeni (Sclater, 1872) affected the decision to join a group. Ruling out inter-individual differences and maintaining constant the size of a food patch, birds were found to fly more often to the food source and spend a longer time in its environs when kept in greater groups.

Three new andean species of Drosophila (Diptera, Drosophilidae) of the mesophragmatica group

Three new species of mesophragmatica group, Drosophila amaguana, Drosophila shyri and Drosophila ruminahuii from Pasochoa Forest Reserve, northern Ecuadorian Andes, are described. The two subgroups currently composing the mesophragmatica group are renamed as the mesophragmatica subgroup to which the first two species have been added, and the viracochi subgroup to which the latter species has been added. These subgroups are defined based on the direction of the basal scutellar setae, which are divergent in the species of the former subgroup and convergent in the latter.

First record of Chaunus achavali (Anura, Bufonidae) from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, with a key for the identification of the species in the Chaunus marinus group

The bufonid toad Chaunus achavali, a recently described species known only from Uruguay, is recorded for Brazil. This species is morphologically similar to C. ictericus and C. arenarum, and several individuals were labeled in Brazilian scientific collections under these taxa. A lectotype of C. arenarum is designated. Additional field notes on C. achavali and a key for the identification of the species in the Chaunus marinus group are presented.

Two new species of Drosophila belonging to the canalinea group (Diptera, rosophilidae)

Drosophila piratininga sp. nov. and Drosophila sampa sp. nov., belonging to the canalinea group of the subgenus Drosophila, are described based mostly on wild-caught specimens collected at a forest reserve of the Cidade Universitária "Armando de Salles Oliveira", an urban remnant of the montane Atlantic Forest located at west São Paulo city, state of São Paulo, Brazil. The two species are readily distinguished from each other mostly by having different wing patterns: the main crossveins being remarkably clouded in the first one and unclouded in the latter. Illustrations of terminalia are also provided.

Revalidation of Acanthagrion cuyabae (Odonata, Coenagrionidae) and description of the female, with a key to the Brazilian species of the viridescens group

Acanthagrion cuyabae Calvert, 1909 was described based on a male from State of Mato Grosso, Brazil. The female of this species was described based on morphological characters of four individuals collected in copula from State of Mato Grosso do Sul, and three other specimens of same locality. Acanthagrion cuyabae is here revalidated based on morphological characters of the female. Illustrated keys to the groups of Acanthagrion Selys, 1876 and species of the viridescens group occurring in Brazil are provided.

Another color morph of Sporophila Seedeater from the capuchinos group (Aves, Emberizidae)

The genus Sporophila (Cabanis, 1844) unites about 30 species of small seedeaters that predominantly inhabit open or semi-open areas in the Neotropical region. The taxonomy of this group is based on morphological studies from collected male specimens. The dynamic spatial and temporal variation in the male plumage and lack of knowledge of their vocalizations make it difficult to properly diagnose some species even today, so these two aspects account for the existing taxonomic dilemmas involving Sporophila. During a four-year field study, we investigated the natural history of a breeding population of Sporophila melanogaster (Pelzeln, 1870). This is an endemic species in Brazil, which reproduces in the high-altitude grasslands of the Atlantic Forest biome. We found four male specimens with clearly diagnosable plumage, distinct from the typical form of the species. Here we describe this previously unreported plumage form. Based on the evaluation of habitat use, vocalization, and reproductive behavior, we tested two hypotheses regarding its taxonomic status. We concluded that this is another case of an intra-specific color morph within the seedeaters of the "capuchinos" group.

Two new Neotropical species of Drosophila peruensis species group (Diptera, Drosophilidae)

The Drosophila peruensis species group was recently proposed and includes four taxa: D. atalaia Vilela & Sene, 1982, D. boraceia Vilela & Val, 2004, D. pauliceia Ratcov & Vilela, 2007, and D. peruensis Wheeler, 1959. All these species have most of setae or setulae of mesonotum arinsing from dark spots, wings with crossveins darker (except in D. atalaia) and hypandrium squared-shaped mostly fused to gonopods. Here, we describe two new species, Drosophila itacorubi sp. nov. and Drosophila paraitacorubi sp. nov., belonging to this species group. The male genitalia of these species are figured. An identification key to the D. peruensis species group is provided.

Neodrassex, a new genus of the Leptodrassex group (Araneae, Gnaphosidae) from South America

The new genus Neodrassex is proposed to include two new species of Gnaphosidae from Brazil. Neodrassex aureus sp. nov. is described from Amazonas, Paraná and Rio Grande do Sul states, and N. iguatemi sp. nov. is described from Paraná state. Neodrassex gen. nov. is characterized by small size, pale coloration, large anterior median eyes surrounded by black pigmentation, absence of a dorsal abdominal scutum in males and by the cheliceral dentition with 2-3 teeth on the promargin and 2-4 on the retromargin. The new genus is tentatively placed at the Leptodrassex group.

First records of Freshwater Bivalves of Ilha Grande National Park, Paraná, Brazil

The Ilha Grande National Park, Paraná, Brazil, is located in the Upper Paraná River and has characteristics typical of a floodplains. This protected area includes lagoons connected and disconnected to the Paraná River, although the latter also connect during periods of high water level, thus composing a heterogeneous group of lacustrine environments. The enormous potential the flora and fauna diversities are still little known to the region, as can be seen through benthic invertebrates, inclunding bivalves mollusks. The granulometric composition of these floodplain lagoons was formed mainly by mud and very fine sand. Furthermore, organic matter composition was predominantly of fine particulate. The other abiotic factors differed from lagoons located within the island of the park to those located in the left margin of Paraná River. The results demonstrated the importance of abiotic factors such as the physical composition of granulometric texture, organic matter and macrophyte banks, to the establishment of bivalves in these floodplain lagoons. We recorded bivalves of Pisidium (native), Diplodon (native), and Corbicula (invasive). The highest values of Diplodon sp. density were observed at São João/C lake, for Pisidium sterkianum (Pilsbry, 1897) at São João/M lake, and to Jatobá/C lagoon with high density of invasive species Corbicula fluminea (Müller, 1774). This study to obtain conduct the first records of freshwater bivalves in floodplains lagoon in the Ilha Grande National Park, and provides contributions to better understanding the ecology of these mollusks. The recording of native species in the region of Upper Paraná River floodplain after a lomg period without new records, demonstrated the importance of protecting the lagoons of the Ilha Grande National Park as they can be a possible refuge to some species of native freshwater bivalves.

Simulium argentiscutum sp. nov. (Diptera: simuliidae), a member of the S. amazonicum-group of species; description of adults, pupa and larva

The adult, pupal and larval morphology of S. argentiscutum sp. nov., a member of the S. amazonicum-group, is compared with S. amazonicum Goeldi and its distribution, biology and medical importance are discussed. S. argentiscutum is one the most important anthropophilic species in the S. amazonicum-group as it is responsible, together with S. amazonicum, for the transmission of Mansonella ozzardi in Brazil.

The microps group of Lutzomyia França with descriptions of two new species from South America (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae)

Six species of phlebotomine sand flies in the genus Lutzomyia França from South America are included in the newly-created species group microps. References and illustrations of the species are given, including descriptions of two new forms - L. nematoducta n.sp., male and female from northern Brazil, and l. preclara n.sp. male from Colombia and Peru. The males in the species group microps are keyed.