Effect of felodipine on myocardial and renal injury induced by aldosterone-high salt hypertension in uninephrectomized rats

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

The role of salt abuse on risk for hypercalciuria

Background: Elevated sodium excretion in urine resulting from excessive sodium intake can lead to hypercalciuria and contribute to the formation of urinary stones. The aim of this study was to evaluate salt intake in patients with urinary lithiasis and idiopathic hypercalciuria (IH).Methods: Between August 2007 and June 2008, 105 lithiasic patients were distributed into 2 groups: Group 1 (n = 55): patients with IH (urinary calcium excretion > 250 mg in women and 300 mg in men with normal serum calcium); Group 2 (n = 50): normocalciuric patients (NC). Inclusion criteria were: age over 18 years, normal renal function (creatinine clearance >= 60 ml/min), absent proteinuria and negative urinary culture. Pregnant women, patients with intestinal pathologies, chronic diarrhea or using corticoids were excluded. The protocol of metabolic investigation was based on non-consecutive collection of two 24-hour samples for dosages of: calcium, sodium, uric acid, citrate, oxalate, magnesium and urinary volume. Food intake was evaluated by the three-day dietary record quantitative method, and the Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated and classified according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Sodium intake was evaluated based on 24-hour urinary sodium excretion.Results: The distribution in both groups as regards mean age (42.11 +/- 10.61 vs. 46.14 +/- 11.52), weight (77.14 +/- 16.03 vs. 75.99 +/- 15.80), height (1.64 +/- 0.10 vs. 1.64 +/- plusorminus 0.08) and BMI (28.78 +/- 5.81 vs. 28.07 +/- 5.27) was homogeneous. Urinary excretion of calcium (433.33 +/- 141.92 vs. 188.93 +/- 53.09), sodium (280.08 +/- 100.94 vs. 200.44.93 +/- 65.81), uric acid (880.63 +/- 281.50 vs. 646.74 +/- 182.76) and magnesium (88.78 +/- 37.53 vs. 64.34 +/- 31.84) was significantly higher in the IH group (p < 0.05). There was no statistical difference in calcium intake between the groups, and there was significantly higher salt intake in patients with IH than in NC.Conclusions: This study showed that salt intake was higher in patients with IH as compared to NC.

GABAergic mechanisms of the lateral parabrachial nucleus on sodium appetite

GABAergic activation in the lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPBN) induces sodium and water intake in satiated and normovolemic rats. In the present study we investigated the effects of GABA(A) receptor activation in the LPBN on 0.3 M NaCl, water, 2% sucrose and food intake in rats submitted to sodium depletion (treatment with the diuretic furosemide subcutaneously + sodium deficient food for 24 h), 24 h food deprivation or 24 h water deprivation. Male Holtzman rats with bilateral stainless steel cannulas implanted into the LPBN were used. In sodium depleted rats, muscimol (GABA(A) receptor agonist, 0.5 nmol/0.2 mu/l), bilaterally injected into the LPBN, produced an inconsistent increase of water intake and two opposite effects on 0.3 M NaCl intake: an early inhibition (4.3 +/- 2.7 versus saline: 14.4 +/- 1.0 ml/15 min) and a late facilitation (37.6 +/- 2.7 versus saline: 21.1 +/- 0.9 ml/180 min). The pretreatment of the LPBN with bicuculline (GABA(A) receptor antagonist, 1.6 nmol) abolished these effects of muscimol. Muscimol into the LPBN also reduced food deprivation-induced food intake in the first 30 min of test (1.7 +/- 0.6 g versus saline: 4.1 +/- 0.6 g), without changing water deprivation-induced water intake or 2% sucrose intake in sodium depleted rats. Therefore, although GABAA receptors in the LPBN are not tonically involved in the control of sodium depletion-induced sodium intake, GABAA receptor activation in the LPBN produces an early inhibition and a late facilitation of sodium depletion-induced sodium intake. GABAA activation in the LPBN also inhibits food intake, while it consistently increases only sodium intake and not water, food or sucrose intake. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Water deprivation-induced sodium appetite and differential expression of encephalic c-Fos immunoreactivity in the spontaneously hypertensive rat

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

Inhibition of sodium appetite by lipopolysaccharide: involvement of alpha(2)-adrenoceptors

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor in the Paraventricular Nucleus Plays a Major Role in the Sympathoexcitatory Response to Salt

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

An Arabidopsis Mitochondrial Uncoupling Protein Confers Tolerance to Drought and Salt Stress in Transgenic Tobacco Plants

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Influence of light intensity and salt-treatment on mode of photosynthesis and enzymes of the antioxidative response system of Mesembryanthemum crystallinum

The metabolic switch From C-3-photosynthesis to crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM),and the antioxidative response of Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L. plants cultured under severe salt stress and high light intensities, and a combination of booth stress conditions, were studied. High light conditions led to a more rapid CAM induction than salinity. The induction time was still shortened when both stress factors were combined. A main pattern observed in CAM plants was a decrease in mitochondrial Mn-superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity during the day. The activities of the chloroplastic Fe-SOD and cytosolic CuZn-SOD were increased due to salt treatment after a lag phase, while catalase activity was decreased. Combination of salt and light stress did not lead to a higher SOD activity as found after application of one stress factor alone, indicating that there is a threshold level of the oxidative stress response. The fact that salt-stressed plants grown under high light conditions showed permanent photoinhibition and lost the ability for nocturnal malate storage after 9 d of treatment indicate serious malfunction of metabolism, leading to accelerated senescence. Comparison of CuZn-SOD activity with CuZn-SOD protein amount, which was determined immunologically, indicates that the activity of the enzyme is at least partially post-translationally regulated.

Osmotic dehydration of apples in sugar/salt solutions: Concentration profiles and effective diffusion coefficients

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

Plasmid DNA partitioning and separation using poly(ethylene glycol)/poly(acrylate)/salt aqueous two-phase systems

Phase diagrams of poly(ethylene glycol)/polyacrylate/Na2SO4 systems have been investigated with respect to polymer size and pH. Plasmid DNA from Escherichia coil can depending on pH and polymer molecular weight be directed to a poly(ethylene glycol) or to a polyacrylate-rich phase in an aqueous two-phase system formed by these polymers. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) and E. coil homogenate proteins can be directed opposite to the plasmid partitioning in these systems. Two bioseparation processes have been developed where in the final step the pDNA is partitioned to a salt-rich phase giving a total process yield of 60-70%. In one of them the pDNA is partitioned between the polyacrylate and PEG-phases in order to remove proteins. In a more simplified process the plasmid is partitioned to a PEG-phase and back-extracted into a Na2SO4-rich phase. The novel polyacrylate/PEG system allows a strong change of the partitioning between the phases with relatively small changes in composition or pH. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Salting kinetics and salt diffusivities in farmed Pantanal caiman muscle

A criação de jacaré do Pantanal (Caiman crocodilus yacare) em cativeiro tem sido estimulada, e entre as técnicas de processamento de sua carne, a salga é um processo de conservação relativamente simples e de baixo custo. O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar a cinética de difusão de cloreto de sódio em carne de jacaré do Pantanal criado em cativeiro, durante a salga úmida. Foram utilizados volumes limitados de salmoura e os experimentos foram realizados com relações salmoura/músculo de 3, 4 e 5, com concentrações de salmoura de 15%, 20% e 25% em peso e temperaturas de 10, 15 e 20ºC. A solução analítica da segunda lei de Fick, considerando difusão unidimensional em uma placa infinita em contato com uma solução bem agitada de volume limitado, foi utilizada para calcular os coeficientes de difusão efetivos de sal e estimar o conteúdo de cloreto de sódio nos filés. Obteve-se boa concordância entre o modelo analítico considerado e os dados experimentais. As difusividades do sal nos filés ocorreram na faixa de 0,47x10-10 a 9,62x10-10 m²/s.