Comportamento alimentar do camarão marinho farfantenaeus subtilis em condições laboratoriais

Shrimp culture represents an important activity to brazilian economy. The northeastern region has presented high levels of production because of its climatic conditions. An important factor for the activity´s major development is related to the introduction of the species Litopenaeus vannamei. The use of an exotic species can disturb the ecosystem. In the last decades, L. vannamei has been the only species cultivated in Brazilian farms, there not being an alternative species for shrimp culture. So, there is an urgent need to developing new studies with the native species, which might represent an alternative concerning shrimp production, with emphasis on Farfantepenaeus subtilis. Another important aspect related to the activity is feeding management, once it is quite usual that feed offer on the pond does not take into account either the species´ physiology and behavior or the influence of environmental variables, such as light cycle and substrate. That knowledge may optimize management and so reduce the impact of effluents in the environment. This study´s objective was characterizing feeding behavior of F. subtilis in laboratory. For that, an ethogram was developed, using 20 wild animals which were observed through ad libitum and all occurrences methods. Two experiments were developed in order to register feeding behavior on different substrates, along 15 days, each. In the first experiment, 40 animals were distributed in eight aquaria, half being observed during the light phase of the 24 hour cycle and the other half in the dark phase, both in halimeda substrate. In the second experiment, 20 animals were distributed in four aquaria, under similar conditions as the previous ones, but in sand substrate. In both experiments, animals were observed respectively one, four, seven and ten hours after the beginning of the phase, for light phase, for the dark phase, in ten minute observation windows, before and immediately after feed offer. The following behaviors were registered: feed ingestion, ingestion of other items, inactivity, exploration, vertical exploration, swimming, crawling, digging, burrowing, and moving by the animals. Observation windows after feed offer also included latency to reach the tray and to ingest feed. Nineteen behaviors were described for the species. F. subtilis presented more behavioral activities in halimeda substrate even in the light phase, while burrowing was predominant in sand substrate. In both substrates, moving, crawling and exploration were more frequent after feed offer, but inactivity and burrowing were more frequent before that. Feed ingestion was more frequent in halimeda, both in light and dark phases. Weight gain was also more prominent in that substrate. In sand substrtate, ingestion was more frequent in the dark phase, which suggests that higher granulometry facilitates feed ingestion in F. subtilis juveniles. Our results demonstrate the importance of studies for the better knowledge of the species, specially its response to environmental stimuli, in order to improve animal management

A influência do status social no forrageio de itens camuflados e avermelhados em sagüis (Callithrix jacchus) cativos

Seeing colors can be advantageous, because they are an important signal for providing information about the environment, such as the location of food. However, not every animals sees these chromatic signals in the same way. In primates, the group of Plathyrrhini has polymorphic sex-linked vision with males always dichromats and dichromats or trichromats females. Studies indicate that trichromats during foraging would benefit by seeing better than dichromats ripe fruits against the green foliage background. On the other hand, dichromats appear to distinguish camouflaged insects better than trichromats. The marmoset (Callihtrix jacchus) is a neotropical primate species that have color vision polymorphism. This species establishes family groups with highly reproductive bias, with breeding females often having preferential access to food. This work aims to study whether the social context influences the foraging ability of camouflaged and red items in groups of C. jacchus. Four groups of captive marmosets were presented to four food tasks, involving difficult, easy, reddish and camouflaged food targets. Foods were presented in a concentrated and dispersed manner, to check whether there was monopolization of the resources by the dominant subjects and if this would affect the ability of individuals to find the food targets. Success was measured by latency to food acquisition and number of targets consumed. Males and females differed in their foraging success for camouflaged and reddish items, although this difference has not appeared in all situations and experimental conditions. In general males were more successful for detecting camouflaged items while females succeeded more in identifying reddish items. There were no differences in foraging success between individuals of different social status, however, there were differences in the success of consumption of food items for different situations when food was concentrate compared with dispersed food. Taken as a role, there was a greater difficulty in detecting food items when they were presented in concentrated arrangement, which is supposed to be related to a higher difficulty to approach and stay near the food. Although it appears that there was no direct competition seems to have group's indirect influence on the detection of food items and foraging success of individuals, affecting mainly those items more difficult to detect

A influência da recompensa e da experiência na discriminação visual simultânea em sagüi comum (Callithrix jacchus)

The discrimination learning is assessed through instrumental tasks in which the individual is rewarded for choosing one item over another. Thus, in concurrent visual discrimination of objects the animal must learn that only one of the objects will be rewarded. The concurrent visual discrimination is relatively simple, and already been observed Callithrix jacchus is able to accomplish this task. As yet wasn't seen the influence of the qualitative aspects of the rewards, in the performance of concurrent visual discrimination of objects in nonhuman primates, and as in most tests are used isolated animals, the present study had two stages: at first we had as objective to analyze the influence of the caloric value of the reward on the performance in concurrent visual discrimination of objects in isolated animals; in the second, we had the intention analyze performance of C. jacchus in realization of discrimination task in different social contexts, as well as, analyze the influence of previous experience in task performance. In the first stage (Study 1), the animals were not able to discriminate foods that presented small caloric differences . This incapacity in discriminates the rewards was responsible by generating randomness in task of concurrent visual discrimination of objects. In the second stage (Study 2), observed that, independent of social context in which the task was presented, the performance both of the experienced animals as the inexperienced animals tended to randomness. In the first case, is likely that the pattern of responses of the experienced animals is a reflection of their own performance when they were observed in isolation. In the second case, in turn, the randomness was probably due to the small number of sessions. Although present a pattern of performance similar to inexperienced individuals, we verify that the experienced animals monopolize the food consumption when they were in the presence of inexperienced individuals. This was a consequence of the experienced animals have presented lower latency the approximation of apparatus and, consequently, obtain more food. In turn, the inexperienced animals, when were in the presence of experienced, had to adopt alternative strategies to obtain food. Thus, C. jacchus is able to use the previous information he had about the task of solving their own benefit.

Avaliação dos efeitos do biperideno, diazepam e neuropeptídeos S sobre a memória e a ansiedade na tarefa do labirinto em T elevado em camundongos

Anxiety is an emotional phenomenon, and normally it is interpreted as an adaptative behavior front to adversities. In its pathological form, anxiety can severely affect aspects related to the personal and professional life. Studies have shown a close relationship between anxiety disorders and aversive memory processing. Considering that the pharmacotherapy of anxiety disorders is still limited, innovative anxiolytic agents are needed. In this regard, neuropeptides systems are interesting therapeutic targets to the treatment of psychopathologies. Neuropeptide S (NPS), a 20-aminoacid peptide, is the endogenous ligand of a G-protein coupled receptor (NPSR), which has been reported to evoke hyperlocomotion, awakefull states, besides anxiolysis and memory improvements in rodents. This study aimed to investigate the effects of biperiden (BPR; an amnesic drug), diazepam (DZP; an anxiolytic drug) and NPS at three distinct times: pre-training, post-training, and pre-test, in order to assess anxiety and memory process in the same animal model. The elevated Tmaze (ETM) is an apparatus derived from the elevated plus-maze test, which consists of one enclosed and two open arms. The procedure is based on the avoidance of open spaces learned during training session, in which mice were exposed to the enclosed arm as many times as needed to stay 300 s. In the test session, memory is assessed by re-exposing the mouse to the enclosed arm and the latency to enter an open arm was recorded. When injected pre-training, BPR (1 mg/kg) impaired learning and memory processing; DZP (1 and 2 mg/kg) evoked anxiolysis, but only at the dose of 2 mg/kg impaired memory; and NPS 0.1 nmol induced anxiolysis without affecting memory. Post-training injection of DZP (2 mg/kg) or BPR (1 and 3 mg/kg) did not affect memory consolidation, while the post-trainning administration of NPS 1 nmol, but not 0.1 nmol, improved memory in mice. Indeed, pre-trainning administration of NPS 1 nmol did not prevent memory impairment elicited by BPR (2 mg/kg, injected before training). In the open field test, BPR 1 mg/kg and NPS 1 nmol induced hyperlocomotion in mice. In conclusion, the proposed ETM task is practical for the detection of the anxiolytic and amnesic effects of drugs. The anxiolytic and memory enhancement effects of NPS were detected in the ETM task, and reinforce the role of NPS system as an interesting therapeutic target to the treatment of anxiety disorders

Detecção de predadores por dicromatas e tricromatas humanos e a sua implicação na evolução da visão de cores em primatas

Among placental mammals, primates are the only ones to present trichromatic color vision. However, the distribution of trichromacy among primates is not homogeneous: Old World primates shows an uniform trichromacy (with all individuals being trichromats) and New World primates exhibit a color vision polymorphism (with dichromatic males and dichromatic or trichromatic females). Visual ecology studies have investigated which selective pressures may have been responsible for the evolution of trichromacy in primates, diverging from the dichromat standard found in other mammals. Cues associated with foraging and the socio-reproductive status were analyzed, indicating a trichromatic advantage for the rapid detection of visually conspicuous objects against a green background. However, dichromats are characterized by an efficient capture of cryptic and camouflaged stimuli. These advantages regarding phenotype may be responsible for the maintenance of the visual polymorphism in New World primates and for the high incidence of color blindness in humans (standing around 8% in Caucasian men). An important factor that has not yet been experimentally taken into account is the predation risk and its effect on the evolution of trichromacy in primates. To answer this question, we prepared and edited pictures of animals with different coats: oncillas (Leopardus spp.), puma (Puma concolor) and ferret (Galictis cuja). The specimens were taxidermized and the photographs were taken in three different vegetation scenarios (dense forest, cerrado and grassland). The images of the predators were manipulated so that they fit into two categories of stimulus size (small or large). After color calibration and photo editing, these were presented to 40 humans (20 dichromats and 20 trichromats) by a computer program, which presented a set of four photos at a time (one picture containing the taxidermized animal amid the background vegetation and three depicting only the background vegetation) and recorded the response latency and success rate of the subjects. The results show a trichromatic advantage in detecting potential predators. The predator detection was influenced by the background, the predator species, the dimension of the stimulus and the observer s visual phenotype. As humans have a high rate of dyschromatopsias, when compared to wild Catarrhini or human tribal populations, it is possible that the increased rate of dichromats is a result of reduced pressure for rapid predator detection. Since our species came to live in more cohesive groups and resistant to attack by predators, with the advent of agriculture and the formation of villages, it is possible that the lower risk of predation has reduced the selection in favor of trichromats

Exercise training attenuates acute hyperalgesia in streptozotocin-induced diabetic female rats

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

Potencial evocado auditivo de tronco encefálico em crianças encaminhadas de um programa de triagem auditiva neonatal

OBJETIVOS: descrever os achados do exame de potencial evocado auditivo de tronco encefálico (PEATE) de crianças de um programa de triagem auditiva neonatal e analisar a diferença de gênero e a interferência da idade nas medidas da latência das ondas do PEATE. MÉTODOS: para tal foram avaliadas 41 crianças com idade entre um a nove meses, referenciadas de um Programa de Triagem Municipal ao Centro de Estudos de Educação e Saúde (CEES) na cidade de Marília, SP no ano de 2010. RESULTADOS: foi observado resultado normal em 31 (75,6%) e alterado em 10 (24,4%) pacientes. Nesses últimos foram observadas alterações principalmente do tipo condutiva unilateral e bilateral. Observou-se também que a medida que a idade aumenta a latência das ondas diminui numa correlação inversa. CONCLUSÕES: o diagnóstico das crianças deste Programa de Triagem Auditiva Neonatal foi precoce. Os resultados do PEATE poderão servir de referência para outros estudos deste âmbito. O PEATE nesta população permite um melhor direcionamento da conduta e intervenção e aconselhamento específico aos familiares.

Effects on mother and fetus of epidural and combined spinal-epidural techniques for labor analgesia

OBJETIVO: A peridural (AP) e a técnica de duplo bloqueio (DB) são utilizadas em analgesia para o trabalho de parto. Este estudo comparou os efeitos na mãe e no feto de ambas as técnicas em analgesia e anestesia para o parto. MÉTODOS: Quarenta parturientes ASA I e II receberam por via peridural 15 ml de ropivacaína a 0,125% (grupo AP) e 5 µg de sufentanil com 2,5 mg bupivacaína por via subaracnóidea (grupo DB). Foram avaliados: intensidade de dor, altura do bloqueio sensitivo, tempo de latência, bloqueio motor, duração da analgesia de parto, tempo para a resolução do parto, hipotensão materna e presença de prurido. Os recém-nascidos foram avaliados pelo índice de Apgar e escore da capacidade adaptativa e neurológica (ECAN), método de Amiel-Tison. RESULTADOS: Não houve diferenças significativas entre os grupos na intensidade da dor, no tempo de latência, no nível do bloqueio sensitivo e no índice de Apgar. O bloqueio motor, a duração da analgesia e o tempo para resolução do parto foram maiores no grupo DB, do qual sete parturientes apresentaram prurido leve. ECAN foi maior no grupo AP após meia hora, duas horas e 24 horas. Noventa e cinco por cento dos recém-nascidos do grupo AP e 60% do grupo DB foram considerados neurologicamente vigorosos ao exame de 24 horas. CONCLUSÃO: As duas técnicas mostraram-se eficazes para analgesia do trabalho de parto. As parturientes do grupo DB apresentaram prurido e trabalho de parto mais prolongado. Recém-nascidos de mães que receberam analgesia de parto via peridural apresentaram melhor ECAN.

Adult partner preference and sexual behavior of male rats exposed prenatally to betamethasone

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Labor analgesia with ropivacaine added to clonidine: a randomized clinical trial

CONTEXTO E OBJETIVO: A associação entre ropivacaína e clonidina agiria menos que a ropivacaína isolada na mãe e no feto? Foram pesquisados os efeitos materno-fetais de duas técnicas farmacológicas: pequena dose de ropivacaína ou dose menor de ropivacaína mais clonidina na analgesia peridural para parto. TIPO DE ESTUDO E LOCAL: Estudo prospectivo, Departamento de Anestesiologia, Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, Universidade Estadual Paulista. MÉTODOS: Trinta e duas parturientes, estado físico de acordo com a American Society of Anesthesiologists I e II, foram aleatoriamente submetidas à analgesia peridural com 15 ml de ropivacaína 0,125% (grupo R) ou 15 ml de ropivacaína 0,0625% mais clonidina, 75 µg (grupo RC). Foram avaliados: intensidade da dor, nível do bloqueio sensitivo, latência, intensidade do bloqueio motor, duração da analgesia de parto e da analgesia peridural. Os neonatos foram avaliados pelo Apgar e método de Amiel-Tison (capacidade neurológica e adaptativa). RESULTADOS: Não houve diferenças significativas entre grupos para dor, nível de bloqueio sensitivo, duração da analgesia peridural e Apgar. Para latência, duração da analgesia de parto e bloqueio motor, grupo R < grupo RC. O escore da capacidade neurológica e adaptativa de meia e duas horas foi maior para o grupo R. Cem por cento dos neonatos do grupo R e 75% dos do grupo RC estavam neurologicamente saudáveis ao exame de 24 horas. CONCLUSÃO: Pequena dose de ropivacaína e dose menor mais clonidina aliviaram a dor materna durante o parto. Neonatos de mães que receberam apenas ropivacaína mostraram melhores escores da capacidade neurológica e adaptativa.

Modelos experimentais de deficiência limbar em coelhos: análise clínica

Objetivo: Comparar em coelhos três modelos experimentais de destruição das células germinativas (CG) do limbo corneano quanto a aspectos clínicos. Métodos: Foram utilizados 54 coelhos, 108 olhos, subdivididos em 3 grupos experimentais: (G1), (G2) e (G3), cada um formado pelos OE de 18 coelhos, submetidos às técnicas experimentais (T1), (T2) e (T3), respectivamente, e um grupo controle, formado pelos 54 olhos contralaterais (OD). Nas três técnicas foi utilizado o n-heptanol. Na T1, o n-heptanol foi aplicado por 5 minutos, para remoção do epitélio límbico. Na T2, além da aplicação do n-heptanol, realizou-se peritomia e remoção da conjuntiva perilímbica até 4 mm do limbo, juntamente com a escarificação do tecido episcleral. Na T3, além dos procedimentos da T2, foi realizada dissecção lamelar do limbo abrangendo aproximadamente 1,5 mm na periferia da córnea e 2 mm na superfície escleral. em todas as córneas dos animais foram estudados seis parâmetros clínicos: neovascularização, perda da transparência, irregularidade da superfície, reparação epitelial, erosão ou defeito epitelial, granuloma e outras lesões corneanas. Resultados: A neovascularização corneana iniciou-se mais precocemente com a T1 e T2; ocorreu em 100% dos casos com as três técnicas, de forma não homogênea, variando de leve a intensa; permaneceu estável a partir do 28º dia até o final do experimento (56º dia), foi maior nos quadrantes superior e inferior e menor nos quadrantes nasal e temporal. A perda da transparência e a irregularidade da superfície corneana foram menores com a T1 que com a T2 e T3, que foram similares entre si. Houve, nas três técnicas experimentais, latência de três dias para o início da reepitelização, que se completou com a T1 no 7º dia e com a T2 e T3 no 14º dia. Erosão epitelial corneana e granuloma corneano foram encontradas de forma similar nas três técnicas experimentais. Conclusões: A T2 e T3 mostraram-se adequadas como possíveis modelos de ampla remoção das CG límbicas, levando a resultados similares nos diversos parâmetros estudados. A T1 se mostrou adequada como modelo de remoção parcial do epitélio límbico. Ocorreu conjuntivalização e neovascularização nas três técnicas experimentais.

Auditory evaluation in patients with type 1 diabetes

Objectives: We performed a prospective clinical study of the cochleovestibular symptoms and the risk cofactors and characteristics of hearing loss in patients with type 1 diabetes.Methods: Group I consisted of 40 patients with type I diabetes, and group 2 consisted of 20 control subjects without diabetes. All participants answered a questionnaire, and their medical records were reviewed. They also were submitted to otorhinolaryngological examinations and to auditory tests (pure tone audiometry and acoustic immitance and auditory brain stem response [ABR] tests).Results: Dyslipidemia, hypertension, retinopathy, and diabetic neuropathy were not frequent in the patients of group 1, but incipient nephropathy was present in 47.5% of them. The most frequent cochleovestibular symptoms were tinnitus and hearing loss. Sensorineural hearing loss was found in 4 patients of group I and was predominantly bilateral, symmetric, and affecting the high frequencies, coexisting with normal vocal discrimination. These patients had a longer time from diabetes diagnosis and had poor glycemia control. A delay of ABR interpeak latency I-III was observed in 11.25% of the group I ears. All patients of group 2 presented normal audiograms and ABR tests.Conclusions: In group 1, the most frequent cochleovestibular symptoms were tinnitus and hearing loss. The sensorineural hearing loss was mild, symmetric, and predominantly high-frequency. A delay of ABR interpeak latencies was detected in the patients of group I who had normal audiometric thresholds.

Human bcl-2 expression, cleaved caspase-3, and KSHV LANA-1 in Kaposi sarcoma lesions

We aimed to evaluate the frequency of Kaposi sarcoma (KS)-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) infection in KS lesions in patients from Brazil. In addition, expression of human bcl-2, cleaved caspase-3, and KSHV latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA)-1 in tumors was evaluated using inummohistochemical analysis. We studied 64 KS cases, classified as follows: classical, 20 (31 %); iatrogenic, 2 (3 %); AIDS-associated, 25 (39%); and not otherwise specified (lack of information about HIV status), 17 (27%). KSHV was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 61 cases (95%); 40 cases (63%) were KSHV+ by PCR and immunohistochemical analysis for LANA-L Immunoexpression of bcl-2 was detected in 47 cases (73%). Only a few cells in 15 cases (23%) of KS had demonstrable immunostaining for cleaved caspase-3. These results further support the association of KSHV with all KS forms. Cleaved caspase-3 in KS tumors was infrequent, which may reflect the inhibition of apoptosis owing to bcl-2 overexpression observed in the majority of KS tumors.

Influência da temperatura corporal de cascavéis (Crotalus durissus) submetidas à anestesia com cetamina

O estudo objetivou verificar a influência da temperatura corporal nos parâmetros fisiológicos e nos períodos de indução e recuperação anestésicos de cascavéis (Crotalus durissus) anestesiadas com cetamina. Os animais foram previamente submetidos à hipotermia (HIPO) (<22°C) e normotermia (30°C) (NORMO) e anestesiados com 80mg/kg IM de cetamina. Foram avaliados os períodos de latência e recuperação da anestesia por meio do tônus de cabeça, tônus muscular e reflexo de endireitamento. Mensurou-se a frequência cardíaca (FC), tempo de apnéia e temperatura corporal em 0 min e 5, 10, 15, 30, 60, 90, 120 min e análise dos gases sanguíneos em 0 min, 30 e 60 min. Não houve diferença em relação ao período de latência entre os grupos. A recuperação dos animais em HIPO foi mais prolongada (5,5 horas) que em NORMO (3,5 horas). Obteve-se FC no grupo NORMO superior que no grupo HIPO. O tempo de apnéia manteve o mesmo padrão em ambos os grupos. em relação ao basal, tanto em HIPO quanto em NORMO o tempo de apnéia diminuiu acentuadamente entre 5 e 30 min. Observou-se acidose respiratória no grupo NORMO apenas em 0 min. O SvO2 elevou-se significativamente após 30 min, o mesmo ocorrendo com a PvO2. A PvCO2 diminuiu em ambos os grupos após 30 min. Evidenciou-se que a temperatura corporal influencia intrinsecamente o período de recuperação de cascavéis anestesiadas com cetamina.

Electroacupuncture analgesia in dogs: is there a difference between uni- and bi-lateral stimulation?

Objective To compare the analgesic effect of uni- and bi-lateral electroacupuncture (EA) in response to thermal and mechanical nociceptive stimuli and to investigate the cardiorespiratory, endocrine, and behavioral changes in dogs submitted to EA.Study design Prospective, randomized cross-over experimental study.Animals Eight adult, clinically healthy, cross-breed dogs, weighing 13 +/- 4 kg.Methods Dogs underwent electrostimulation at false acupoints (T-false); bilateral EA at acupoints, stomach 36, gall bladder 34 and spleen 6 (T-EA/bil); unilateral EA at the same points (T-EA/uni) or were untreated (T-control). All animals received acepromazine (0.05 mg kg(-1)) IV; and heart rate, pulse oximetry, indirect arterial blood pressure, respiratory rate, PECO2, rectal temperature, and plasma cortisol concentration were measured before, during, and after EA. Analgesia was tested using thoracic and abdominal cutaneous thermal and mechanical stimuli, and an interdigital thermal stimulus. Behavior was classified as calm or restless. Analysis of variance for repeated measures followed by Tukey's test was used for analysis of the data.Results There were no cardiorespiratory differences among the treatments. The cutaneous pain threshold was higher after EA, compared with false points. The latency period was shorter and analgesia was more intense in T-EA/bil than T-EA/uni, when both were compared with T-false and T-control. Six out of eight animals treated with EA were calm during treatment, and 5/8 and 4/8 of the T-false and T-control animals, respectively, were restless. Latency to interdigital thermal stimulation increased in T-EA/bil compared with the others. There was no difference in plasma cortisol concentrations among the treatments.Conclusions Bilateral EA produced a shorter latency period, a greater intensity, and longer duration of analgesia than unilateral stimulation, without stimulating a stress response.Clinical relevance Bilateral EA produces a better analgesic effect than unilateral EA.