Under-reporting of food intake is frequent among Brazilian free-living older persons: a doubly labelled water study

The assessment of food intake is essential for the development of dietetic interventions. Accuracy is low when intake is assessed by questionnaires, the under-reporting of food intake being frequent. Most such studies, however, were performed in developed countries and there is little data about the older population of developing nations. This study aimed to verify the total energy expenditure (TEE) of independent older Brazilians living in an urban area, through the doubly labelled water (DLW) method and to compare it with the reported energy intake obtained through the application of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Initially, 100 volunteers aged from 60 to 75 years had their body composition determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Five volunteers of each quartile of body fat percentage had their energy expenditure determined by DLW. The mean age of the subjects included in this phase of the study was 66.4 +/- 3.5 years, and ten of the subjects were men. The mean TEE was 2565 +/- 614 and 2154 +/- 339 kcal.day(-1) for men and women, respectively. The Physical Activity Level (PAL) was 1.58 +/- 0.31 and 1.52 +/- 0.22, respectively. Under-reporting of food intake was highly prevalent, with a mean percentage of reported intake in relation to measured TEE of -17.7%. Thus, under-reporting of food intake is highly prevalent among Brazilian independent older persons. The DLW method is an important tool in nutritional studies and its use is to be recommended in developing countries. Copyright (C) 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Activation of the ET-1/ETA Pathway Contributes to Erectile Dysfunction Associated with Mineralocorticoid Hypertension

The cavernosal tissue is highly responsive to endothelin-1 (ET-1), and penile smooth muscle cells not only respond to but also synthesize ET-1. Considering that ET-1 is directly involved in end-organ damage in salt-sensitive forms of hypertension, we hypothesized that activation of the ET-1/ET(A) receptor pathway contributes to erectile dysfunction (ED) associated with mineralocorticoid hypertension. Wistar rats were uninephrectomized and submitted to deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt treatment for 5 weeks. Control (Uni [uninephrectomized control]) animals were uninephrectomized and given tap water. Uni and DOCA-salt rats were simultaneously treated with vehicle or atrasentan (ET(A) receptor antagonist, 5 mg/Kg/day). Cavernosal reactivity to ET-1, phenylephrine (PE), ET(B) receptor agonist (IRL-1620) and electric field stimulation (EFS) were evaluated in vitro. Expression of ROCK alpha, ROCK beta, myosin phosphatase target subunit 1 (MYPT-1), and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK 1/2) were evaluated by western blot analysis. ET-1 and ET(A) receptor mRNA expression was evaluated by real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Voltage-dependent increase in intracavernosal pressure/mean arterial pressure (ICP/MAP) was used to evaluate erectile function in vivo. ET(A) receptor blockade prevents DOCA-salt-associated ED. Cavernosal strips from DOCA-salt rats displayed augmented preproET-1 expression, increased contractile responses to ET-1 and decreased relaxation to IRL-1620. Contractile responses induced by EFS and PE were enhanced in cavernosal tissues from DOCA-salt hypertensive rats. These functional changes were associated with increased activation of the RhoA/Rho-kinase and ERK 1/2 pathways. Treatment of rats with atrasentan completely prevented changes in cavernosal reactivity in DOCA-salt rats and restored the decreased ICP/MAP, completely preventing ED in DOCA-salt rats. Activation of the ET-1/ET(A) pathway contributes to mineralocorticoid hypertension-associated ED. ET(A) receptor blockade may represent an alternative therapeutic approach for ED associated with salt-sensitive hypertension and in pathological conditions where increased levels of ET-1 are present. Carneiro FS, Nunes KP, Giachini FRC, Lima VV, Carneiro ZN, Nogueira EF, Leite R, Ergul A, Rainey WE, Webb RC, and Tostes RC. Activation of the ET-1/ETA pathway contributes to erectile dysfunction associated with mineralocorticoid hypertension. J Sex Med **;**:**-**.

Uridine adenosine tetraphosphate-induced contraction is increased in renal but not pulmonary arteries from DOCA-salt hypertensive rats

Matsumoto T, Tostes RC, Webb RC. Uridine adenosine tetraphosphate-induced contraction is increased in renal but not pulmonary arteries from DOCA-salt hypertensive rats. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 301: H409-H417, 2011. First published May 6, 2011; doi:10.1152/ajpheart.00084.2011.-Uridine adenosine tetraphosphate (Up(4)A) was reported as a novel endothelium-derived contracting factor. Up(4)A contains both purine and pyrimidine moieties, which activate purinergic (P2)X and P2Y receptors. However, alterations in the vasoconstrictor responses to Up(4)A in hypertensive states remain unclear. The present study examined the effects of Up(4)A on contraction of isolated renal arteries (RA) and pulmonary arteries (PA) from DOCA-salt rats using isometric tension recording. RA from DOCA-salt rats exhibited increased contraction to Up(4)A versus arteries from control uninephrectomized rats in the absence and presence of N(G)-nitro-L-arginine (nitric oxide synthase inhibitor). On the other hand, the Up(4)A-induced contraction in PA was similar between the two groups. Up(4)A-induced contraction was inhibited by suramin (nonselective P2 antagonist) but not by diinosine pentaphosphate pentasodium salt hydrate (Ip5I; P2X(1) antagonist) in RA from both groups. Furthermore, 2-thiouridine 5`-triphosphate tetrasodium salt (2-Thio-UTP; P2Y(2) agonist)-, uridine-5`-(gamma-thio)-triphosphate trisodium salt (UTP gamma S; P2Y(2)/P2Y(4) agonist)-, and 5-iodouridine-5`-O-diphosphate trisodium salt (MRS 2693; P2Y(6) agonist)-induced contractions were all increased in RA from DOCA-salt rats. Protein expression of P2Y(2)-, P2Y(4)-, and P2Y(6) receptors in RA was similar between the two groups. In DOCA-salt RA, the enhanced Up(4)A-induced contraction was reduced by PD98059, an ERK pathway inhibitor, and Up(4)Astimulated ERK activation was increased. These data are the first to indicate that Up(4)A-induced contraction is enhanced in RA from DOCA-salt rats. Enhanced P2Y receptor signaling and activation of the ERK pathway together represent a likely mechanism mediating the enhanced Up(4)A-induced contraction. Up(4)A might be of relevance in the pathophysiology of vascular tone regulation and renal dysfunction in arterial hypertension.

Ontogenetic role of angiontensin-converting enzyme in rats: Thirst and sodium appetite evaluation

We investigated the influence of captopril (an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor) treatment during pregnancy and lactation period on hydromineral balance of the male adult offspring, particularly, concerning thirst and sodium appetite. We did not observe significant alterations in basal hydromineral (water intake, 0.3 M NaCl intake, volume and sodium urinary concentration) or cardiovascular parameters in adult male rats perinatally treated with captopril compared to controls. However, male offspring rats that perinatally exposed to captopril showed a significant attenuation in water intake induced by osmotic stimulation, extracellular dehydration and beta-adrenergic stimulation. Moreover, captopril treatment during perinatal period decreased the salt appetite induced by sodium depletion. This treatment also attenuated thirst and sodium appetite aroused during inhibition of peripheral angiotensin 11 generation raised by low concentration of captopril in the adult offspring. Interestingly. perinatal exposure to captopril did not alter water or salt intake induced by i.c.v. administration of angiotensin I or angiotensin II. These results showed that chronic inhibition of angiotensin converting enzyme during pregnancy and lactation modifies the regulation of induced thirst and sodium appetite in adulthood. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Water deprivation increases Fos expression in hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor neurons induced by right atrial distension in awake rats

Atrial mechanoreceptors, sensitive to stretch, contribute in regulating heart rate and intravascular volume. The information from those receptors reaches the nucleus tractus solitarius and then the paraventricular nucleus (PVN), known to have a crucial role in the regulation of cardiovascular function. Neurons in the PVN synthesize CRF, AVP, and oxytocin (OT). Stimulation of atrial mechanoreceptors was performed in awake rats implanted with a balloon at the junction of the superior vena cava and right atrium. Plasma ACTH, AVP, and OT concentrations and Fos, CRF, AVP, and OT immunolabeling in the PVN were determined after balloon inflation in hydrated and water-deprived rats. The distension of the balloon increased the plasma ACTH concentrations, which were higher in water-deprived than in hydrated rats (P < 0.05). In addition, the distension in the water-deprived group decreased plasma AVP concentrations (P < 0.05), compared with the respective control group. The distension increased the number of Fos- and double-labeled Fos/CRF neurons in the parvocellular PVN, which was higher in the water-deprived than in the hydrated group (P < 0.01). There was no difference in the Fos expression in magnocellular PVN neurons after distension in hydrated and water-deprived groups, compared with respective controls. In conclusion, parvocellular CRF neurons showed an increase of Fos expression induced by stimulation of right atrial mechanoreceptors, suggesting that CRF participates in the cardiovascular reflex adjustments elicited by volume loading. Activation of CRF neurons in the PVN by cardiovascular reflex is affected by osmotic stimulation.

Renal structure and function evaluation of rats from dams that received increased sodium intake during pregnancy and lactation submitted or not to 5/6 nephrectomy

Adult rats submitted to perinatal salt overload presented renin-angiotensin system (RAS) functional disturbances. The RAS contributes to the renal development and renal damage in a 5/6 nephrectomy model. The aim of the present study was to analyze the renal structure and function of offspring from dams that received a high-salt intake during pregnancy and lactation. We also evaluated the influence of the prenatal high-salt intake on the evolution of 5/6 nephrectomy in adult rats. A total of 111 sixty-day-old rat pups from dams that received saline or water during pregnancy and lactation were submitted to 5/6 nephrectomy (nephrectomized) or to a sham operation (sham). The animals were killed 120 days after surgery, and the kidneys were removed for immunohistochemical and histological analysis. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), albuminuria, and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were evaluated. Increased SBP, albuminuria, and decreased GFR were observed in the rats from dams submitted to high-sodium intake before surgery. However, there was no difference in these parameters between the groups after the 5/6 nephrectomy. The scores for tubulointerstitial lesions and glomerulosclerosis were higher in the rats from the sham saline group compared to the same age control rats, but there was no difference in the histological findings between the groups of nephrectomized rats. In conclusion, our data showed that the high-salt intake during pregnancy and lactation in rats leads to structural changes in the kidney of adult offspring. However, the progression of the renal lesions after 5/6 nephrectomy was similar in both groups.

Aluminum Concentrations in Water of Elderly People`s Houses and Retirement Homes and Its Relation with Elderly Health

The purpose of this study was to determine the concentrations of aluminum (Al) and other metals in water samples from elderly people`s houses and retirement homes. Forty-six duplicate water samples from kitchen taps were collected in Ribeiro Preto/SP, Brazil. Metal levels were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Aluminum concentration exceeded the maximum allowed values in 26% of samples according to the Decree 518/2004 of the Brazilian Health Ministry. It was noted that 11% of elderly living at monitored houses, as well as 19% living at retirement homes presented Alzheimer disease diagnostic. These results suggest taking into account Al risks among vulnerable elderly population groups.

Salt iodination and excessive iodine intake among schoolchildren

Salt iodination and excessive iodine intake among schoolchildren. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the urinary excretion of iodine and relate it to the amount present in salt for human consumption. The study involved 145 children from two schools: a rural one and an urban one. We performed anthropometric measurements and collected a urine sample and a kitchen salt sample from each child. In the rural school, 3.38% of children had iodine deficiency. However, most of the values of urinary iodine were above 300 mu g/L (62.03%) and 59.49% of the kitchen salt samples contained 20 to 60 mg iodine per kilo of salt. In the urban school, 3.03% of the children had urinary iodine excretion of less than 100 mu g/L and 90.91% of the children had urinary iodine values exceeding 300 mu g/L. Of this total, 84.85% of the kitchen salt samples contained 20 to 60 mg iodine per kilo of salt. Iodine deficiency is controlled in this population, with the current reality showing a high prevalence of excess urinary iodine.

Evidence of congenital transmission of Neospora caninum in naturally infected water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) fetus from Brazil

The aim of this study was to determine the congenital infection by Neospora caninum in the water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis), a natural intermediate host. Nine pregnant water buffalos, raised under free-grazing condition, were slaughtered, and their fetuses were collected. Samples of brain and thoracic fluid were obtained from those fetuses, with gestational ages ranging from 2 to 5 months. The DNA of N. caninum was detected and identified in the brain of one of those fetuses, using two PCR assays, one directed to the Nc5 gene and the other, to the common toxoplasmatiid ITS1 sequence. The DNA fragments produced on PCR were sequenced, and N. caninum was confirmed in the samples. No antibodies to N. caninum were detected on any sample of thoracic fluid by immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT < 25). This is the first confirmation of congenital transmission of N. caninum in water buffalos.

Transplacental Transfer of Iron in the Water Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis): Uteroferrin and Erythrophagocytosis

The objectives of this investigation were to understand transplacental transport of iron by secreted uteroferrin (UF) and haemophagous areas of water buffalo placenta and clarify the role(s) of blood extravasation at the placental-maternal interface. Placentomes and interplacentomal region of 51 placentae at various stages of gestation were fixed, processed for light and transmission electron microscopy, histochemistry and immunohistochemistry. Haemophagous areas were present in placentomes collected between 4 and 10 months of pregnancy. Perl`s reaction for ferric iron was negative in placentomes, but positive in endometrial glands. Positive staining for UF indicated areas in which it was being taken up by phagocytosis and/or fluid phase pinocytosis in areolae of the interplacentomal mesenchyme, with little staining in endometrial stroma. Imunohistochemistry detected UF in trophectoderm of haemophagous regions of placentomes and in other parts of the foetal villous tree, but the strongest immunostaining was in the epithelial cells and lumen of uterine glands. Ultrastructural analyses indicated that erythrophagocytosis was occurring and that erythrocytes were present inside cells of the chorion that also contained endocytic vesicles and caveolae. Results of this study indicate that both the haemophagous areas of placentomes and the areolae at the interface between chorion and endometrial glands are important sites for iron transfer from mother to foetal-placental tissues in buffalo throughout pregnancy.