Simvastatin therapy in cyclosporine A-induced alveolar bone loss in rats

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

Effects of AV3V lesion on pilocarpine-induced pressor response and salivary gland vasodilation

The cholinergic agonist pilocarpine injected intraperitoneally (ip) increases mean arterial pressure (MAP) and superior mesenteric (SM) vascular resistance and reduces submandibular/sublingual gland (SSG) vascular resistance. In the present study, we investigated the effects of electrolytic lesions of the anteroventral third ventricle (AV3V) region on the changes in MAP, SM, and SSG vascular resistances induced by ip pilocarpine. Male Holtzman rats anesthetized with urethane (1.0 g/kg) and chloralose (60 mg/kg) were submitted to sham or electrolytic AV3V lesions and bad pulsed Doppler flow probes implanted around the arteries. Contrary to sham rats, in 1-h and 2-day AV3V-lesioned rats, pilocarpine (4 mu mol/kg) ip decreased MAP (-41 +/- 4 and -26 4 mm Hg, respectively, vs. sham: 19 +/- 4 mm Hg) and SM (-48 +/- 11 and -45 +/- 10%, respectively, vs. sham: 41 +/- 10%) and hindlimb vascular resistances (-65 +/- 32 and -113 +/- 29%, respectively, vs. sham: 19 +/- 29%). In 7-day AV3V-lesioned rats, pilocarpine produced no changes on MAP and SM and hindlimb vascular resistances. Similar to sham rats, pilocarpine reduced SSG vascular resistance 1 h after AV3V lesions (-46 +/- 6%, vs. sham: -40 +/- 6%), but it produced no effect 2 days after AV3V lesions and increased SSG vascular resistance (37 6%) in 7-day AV3V-lesioned rats. The responses to ip pilocarpine were similar in 15-day sham and AV3V-lesioned rats. The cholinergic antagonist atropine methyl bromide (10 nmol) iv slightly increased the pressor response to ip pilocarpine in sham rats and abolished for 40 min the fall in MAP induced by ip pilocarpine in 1-h AV3V-lesioned rats. The results suggest that central mechanisms dependent on the AV3V region are involved in the pressor responses to ip pilocarpine. Although it was impaired 2 and 7 days after AV3V lesions, pilocarpine-induced salivary gland vasodilation was not altered 1 h after AV3V lesions which suggests that this vasodilation is not directly dependent on the AV3V region. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Moxonidine reduces pilocarpine-induced salivation in rats

Cholinergic, agonists activate salivation and the alpha (2)-adrenergic and imidazoline receptor agonists induce opposite effects. In the present study, we investigated the effects of intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) or intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of moxonidine (an a-adrenergic and imidazoline receptor agonist) on the salivation induced by the cholinergic agonist pilocarpine. Male Holtzman rats wish stainless steel cannula implanted into the lateral ventricle (LV) were used. In rats anesthetized with tribromoethanol (200 mg kg(-1)), saliva was collected using pre-weighed small cotton balls inserted in the animal's mouth. The treatment with moxonidine (5, 10 and 20 nmol in 1 mul) injected,i.c.v. reduced the salivation induced by pilocarpine (1 mg kg(-1)) injected i.p. (48 +/- 5, 17 +/- 2 and 15 +/- 2 mg min(-1) vs. control, 73 +/- 7 mg min(-1)). The same doses of moxonidine injected i.c.v. also reduced the salivary secretion induced by pilocarpine (500 nmol in 1 mul). injected i.c.v. (44 +/- 1, 14 +/- 2 and 20 +/- 3 mg min(-1) vs. control, 51 +/- 2 mg min(-1)). Injection of moxonidine (20 nmol in 0.1 ml) i.p. produced no chance on i.p. pilocarpine-induced salivation (58 +/- 4 mg min(-1) vs. control, 50 +/- 4 mg min(-1)). The results show that central, but not peripheral, injection of moxonidine inhibit,. pilocarpine-induced salivation, suggesting that central mechanisms activated by alpha (2)-adrenergic/imidazoline agonists inhibit cholinergic-induced salivation in rats. (C) 2001 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.

Lesions of the lateral hypothalamus impair pilocarpine-induced salivation in rats

In the present study we investigated the effects of electrolytic lesions of the lateral hypothalamus (LH) in the salivation induced by intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) or intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of the cholinergic agonist pilocarpine. Rats with sham or LH lesions and stainless steel cannulas implanted into the lateral ventricle (LV) were used. In rats anesthetized with urethane (1.25 mg/kg of body weight) saliva was collected using pre-weighed cotton balls inserted in the animal mouth during a period of 7 min following i.c.v. or i.p. injection of pilocarpine. Injection of pilocarpine (1 mg/kg of body weight) i.p. in sham-operated rats (6 h, 2, 7, and 15 days after the surgery) induced salivation (497+/-24, 452+/-26, 476+/-30, and 560+/-75 mg/7 min, respectively). The effects of i.p. pilocarpine was reduced 6 h, 2 and 7 days after LH lesions (162+/-37, 190+/-32, and 229+/-27mg/7 min, respectively), not 15 days after LH lesions (416+/-89mg/7 min). Injection of pilocarpine (120 mug/mul) i.c.v., in sham-operated rats (6 h, 2, 7, and 15 days after the surgery) also produced salivation (473 20, 382 16, 396 14, and 427 47 mg/7 min, respectively). The salivation induced by i.c.v. pilocarpine was also reduced 6 h, 2 and 7 days after LH lesions (243+/-19, 278+/-24, and 295+/-27 mg/7 min, respectively), not 15 days after LH lesions (385 48 mg/7 min). The present results show the participation of the LH in the salivation induced by central or peripheral injection of pilocarpine in rats, reinforcing the involvement of central mechanisms on pilocarpine-induced salivation. (C) 2002 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Photodynamic inactivation of four Candida species induced by photogem®

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Diet-induced obesity causes metabolic, endocrine and cardiac alterations in spontaneously hypertensive rats

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

Cardiac remodeling in a rat model of diet-induced obesity

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

GROWTH HORMONE ATTENUATES MYOCARDIAL FIBROSIS IN RATS WITH CHRONIC PRESSURE OVERLOAD-INDUCED LEFT VENTRICULAR HYPERTROPHY

1. The role of growth hormone (GH) in cardiac remodelling and function in chronic and persistent pressure overload-induced left ventricular hypertrophy has not been defined. The aim of the present study was to assess short-term GH treatment on left ventricular function and remodelling in rats with chronic pressure overload-induced hypertrophy.2. Twenty-six weeks after induction of ascending aortic stenosis (AAS), rats were treated with daily subcutaneous injections of recombinant human GH (1 mg/kg per day; AAS-GH group) or saline (AAS-P group) for 14 days. Sham-operated animals served as controls. Left ventricular function was assessed by echocardiography before and after GH treatment. Myocardial fibrosis was evaluated by histological analysis.3. Before GH treatment, AAS rats presented similar left ventricular function and structure. Treatment of rats with GH after the AAS procedure did not change bodyweight or heart weight, both of which were higher in the AAS groups than in the controls. After GH treatment, posterior wall shortening velocity (PWSV) was lower in the AAS-P group than in the control group. However, in the AAS-GH group, PWSV was between that in the control and AAS-P groups and did not differ significantly from either group. Fractional collagen (% of total area) was significantly higher in the AAS-P and AAS-GH groups compared with control (10.34 +/- 1.29, 4.44 +/- 1.37 and 1.88 +/- 0.88%, respectively; P < 0.05) and was higher still in the AAS-P group compared with the AAS-GH group.4. The present study has shown that short-term administration of GH to rats with chronic pressure overload-induced left ventricular hypertrophy induces cardioprotection by attenuating myocardial fibrosis.

Metabolic responses to glucoprivation induced by 2-deoxy-D-glucose in Brycon cephalus (Teleostei, Characidae)

The effects of functional cytoglucopenia provoked by 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) were studied in adult Brycon cephalus, an omnivorous fish from the Amazon Basin in Brazil. Glycogen content in liver and muscle as well as plasmatic glucose, free fatty acids (FFA), insulin, and glucagon were measured. After 48 h fasting, an intraperitoneal saline injection (NaCl 0.6 g/100 ml) was administered to control fish, whereas the experimental group received 2-DG, dissolved in saline, in the dosage of 80 mg/kg (0.487 mmol/kg) or 150 mg/kg (0.914 mmol/kg) body weight; injection volume was 5 ml in all treatments. Blood and tissue samples were taken immediately before, and 2, 8, 10, and 24 h after administration of the drug or saline. Fish injected with both doses of 2-DG showed a marked increase in glycemia levels. Liver and muscle glycogen decreased after 2-DG administration and reached their lowest values 10-24 h after injection, while in control animals no significant changes were observed. Elevation in plasma glucagon was observed only in response to the maximum dosage of 2-DG administered, especially 10 h and 24 h post-injection. Plasma insulin levels were lower in animals treated with the glucose analogue but only statistically significant 24 h after drug administration. In conclusion, the administration of the non-metabolizable glucose analogue 2-DG in B. cephalus is a stimulus to generate responses towards an increase in the glucose available to tissues, which is a characteristic of a fasting situation. All the above data support the interest of 2-DG administration as a model to study carbohydrate metabolism adjustment mechanisms in fish.

Permethrin-induced morphological changes in oocytes of Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Acari: Ixodidae) semi-engorged females

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

Micronucleus and chromosome aberrations induced in onion (Allium cepa) by a petroleum refinery effluent and by river water that receives this effluent

In this study, micronucleus (MN) and chromosome aberration (CA) tests in Allium cepa (onion) were carried out in order to make a preliminary characterization of the water quality of the Atibaia River in an area that is under the influence of petroleum refinery and also to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatments used by the refinery. For these evaluations, seeds of A. cepa were germinated in waters collected in five different sites related with the refinery in ultra-pure water (negative control) and in methyl methanesulfonate solution (positive control). According to our results, we can suggest that even after the treatments (physicochemical, biological and stabilization pond) the final refinery effluent could induce chromosome aberrations and micronucleus in meristematic cells of A. cepa and that the discharge of the petroleum refinery effluents in the Atibaia River can interfere in the quality of this river. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Beneficial Effects of Physical Training on the Cardio-Inflammatory Disorder Induced by Lung Ischemia/Reperfusion in Rats

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

Muscular coactivation (CA) around the knee reduces power production in elderly women

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

The Effects of a 785-nm AlGaInP Laser on the Regeneration of Rat Anterior Tibialis Muscle After Surgically-Induced Injury

Objective: This study aims to investigate the effects of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on muscle regeneration. For this purpose, the anterior tibialis muscle of 48 male Wistar rats received AlGaInP laser treatment (785 nm) after surgically-induced injury.Background Data: Few studies have been conducted on the effects of LLLT on muscle regeneration at different irradiation doses.Materials and Methods: The animals were randomized into four groups: uninjured rats (UN); uninjured and laser-irradiated rats (ULI); injured rats (IN); and injured and laser-irradiated rats (ILI). The direct contact laser treatment was started 24 h after surgery. An AlGaInP diode laser emitting 75 mW of continuous power at 785 nm was used for irradiation. The laser probe was placed at three treatment points to deliver 0.9 J per point, for a total dose of 2.7 J per treatment session. The animals were euthanized after treatment sessions 1, 2, and 4. Mounted sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin and used for quantitative morphological analysis, in which the number of leukocytes and fibroblasts were counted over an area of 4480 mu m(2). The data were statistically analyzed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the Bonferroni t-test.Results: Quantitative data showed that the number of both polymorphonuclear and mononuclear leukocytes in the inflammatory infiltrate at the injury site was smaller in the ILI(1), ILI(2), and ILI(4) subgroups compared with their respective control subgroups (IN(1), IN(2), and IN(4)) for sessions 1, 2, and 4, respectively (p < 0.05). on the other hand, the number of fibroblasts increased after the fourth treatment session (p < 0.05). With regard to the regeneration of muscle fibers following injury, only after the fourth treatment session was it possible to find muscle precursor cells such as myoblasts and some myotubes in the ILI(4) subgroup.Conclusion: During the acute inflammatory phase, the AlGaInP laser treatment was found to have anti-inflammatory effects, reducing the number of leukocytes at the injury site and accelerating the regeneration of connective tissue.