Ecosystem fragmentation drives increased diet variation in an endemic livebearing fish of the Bahamas

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Aeromonas salmonicida induced immune gene expression in Aloe vera fed steelhead trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Carbohydrate-Dependent, Exercise-Induced Gastrointestinal Distress

Gastrointestinal (GI) problems are a common concern of athletes during intense exercise. Ultimately, these symptoms can impair performance and possibly prevent athletes from winning or even finishing a race. The main causes of GI problems during exercise are mechanical, ischemic and nutritional factors. Among the nutritional factors, a high intake of carbohydrate and hyperosmolar solutions increases GI problems. A number of nutritional manipulations have been proposed to minimize gastrointestinal symptoms, including the use of multiple transportable carbohydrates. This type of CHO intake increases the oxidation rates and can prevent the accumulation of carbohydrate in the intestine. Glucose (6%) or glucose plus fructose (8%-10%) beverages are recommended in order to increase CHO intake while avoiding the gastric emptying delay. Training the gut with high intake of CHO may increase absorption capacity and probably prevent GI distress. CHO mouth rinse may be a good strategy to enhance performance without using GI tract in exercises lasting less than an hour. Future strategies should be investigated comparing different CHO types, doses, and concentration in exercises with the same characteristics.

Rutin ameliorates glycemic index, lipid profile and enzymatic activities in serum, heart and liver tissues of rats fed with a combination of hypercaloric diet and chronic ethanol consumption

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Avaliação preliminar dos efeitos de Brassica campestris sobre a obesidade induzida por dieta hipercalórica

Obesity along with overweight has been considered one of the most serious public health problems in the world, especially because they are the main risk factors for many chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease, type II diabetes mellitus, hypertension and some types of tumors, which are associated with high mortality rates. The use of functional foods and appropriate diets to promote health has grown as a mechanism for prevention, control and treatment of chronic diseases such as obesity. Several ethnopharmacological studies indicate plants species for the treatment of disorders associated with obesity with a major attraction of this regimen is perceived as safer and more effective for health than the traditional treatment with appetite suppressants. Whereas both food intake and the oral treatment with different compounds can cause changes in gene expression and that a proper diet has been valuable as a mechanism for maintaining the body's vital functions, the objective of this project was to evaluate the effects of standardized extract of Brassica campestris L. in the decrease in weight and food intake control. In vivo trials of this product were conducted and studies of its effects on energy metabolism in non-obese mice and with obesity induced by hypercaloric diet. After induction of obesity by 8 weeks, animals were treated for 21 days with the extract orally. After 21 days the animals were killed and the effects of this product were evaluated on the daily feed intake and on body weight. According to the results obtained, the extract of Brassica campestris was not effective in reducing body weight of obese animals, and did not reduce food intake

Avaliação preliminar dos efeitos de Coffea arabica sobre a obesidade induzida por dieta hipercalórica

Obesity along with overweight, has been considered one of the most serious public health problems in the world, especially because they are the main risk factors for many chronic diseases, such as coronary heart disease, type II diabetes mellitus, hypertension and some types of tumors, which are associated with high mortality rates. The use of functional foods and appropriate diets to call health promotion has grown as a mechanism for prevention, control and treatment of chronic diseases such as obesity. Several ethnopharmacological studies indicate plant species for the treatment of disorders associated with obesity with a major attraction of this regimen is perceived as safer and more effective health than the traditional treatment with appetite suppressants. This work aims to develop and standardize models of biological assays in stress and obesity, also aims to evaluate the effect of oil green beans of Coffea arabica in the regulation of body weight and energy balance in mice. To this end, trials were made in vivo studies of this product and their effects on energy metabolism in non-obese mice with obesity induced by hypercaloric diet. After induction of obesity by 8 weeks, animals were treated for 21 days with the extracts orally. After 21 days the animals were killed to evaluate the effects of these products on daily feed intake and on body weight. The group treated with the oil of Coffea arabica L. showed significant weight loss and feed intake high. According to the results, we conclude that the standardized extract of Coffea arabica L. decreased body weight without restriction or decrease the amount of food ingested

Avaliação preliminar dos efeitos de Bidens pilosa L. sobre a obesidade induzida por dieta hipercalórica

The obesity along with overweight has been considered one of the most serious public health problems in the world, especially because they are the main risk factors for many chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and some types of tumors, which are associated with high mortality rates. The use of functional foods and appropriate diets to promote health has grown as a prevention mechanism. Previous studies suggested Bidens pilosa L. for the treatment of disorders associated with obesity, with one important attraction of this regiment is perceived as safer and more effective health than the traditional anorexigen .The aim of this project is to standardize a new model of obesity induced by hipercaloric diet in Swiss mice, and also to evaluate the effect of Bidens pilosa L. extract in the reduction of food intake, weight and toxicity. After induction of obesity, the animals were treated for 21 days with the extract. Then the animals were killed and samples were collected for further analysis. Preliminary, the effect of this product has being evaluated on the daily food intake and body weight. In dose of 100mg/Kg, there were no significant changes in food intake and body weight. Thus, this concentration of Bidens pilosa was not effective in reducing body weight of obese animals, and did not reduce food intake

Prostate hyperplasia caused by long-term obesity is characterized by high deposition of extracellular matrix and increased content of MMP-9 and VEGF

Recent studies have shown a positive association of cancer and obesity, but the morphological and molecular mechanisms involved in this relationship are still unknown. This study analysed the impact of long-term obesity on rat prostate, focusing on stromal changes. Male adult Wistar rats were treated with high-fat diet to induce obesity, while the control group received a balanced diet. After 30 weeks of feeding, the ventral prostate was analysed by immunohistochemistry for cell proliferation, smooth muscle α-actin, vimentin, chondroitin sulphate and metalloproteinases (MMP-2 and 9). The content of androgen receptor (AR), oestrogen receptors (ERs) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was measured by Western blotting, and activity of catalase and Glutathione-S-Transferase (GST) were quantified by enzymatic assay. Long-term obesity decreased testosterone plasma levels by 70% and resulted in stromal prostate hyperplasia, as evidenced by increased collagen fibres. Such stromal hyperplasia was associated with increased number of blood vessels and raised VEGF content, and increased expression of chondroitin sulphate, vimentin, α-actin and MMP-9. In spite of the high cell density in prostate, the proliferative activity was lower in the prostates of obese rats, indicating that hyperplasia was established during the early phases in this obesity model. AR levels increased significantly, whereas the ERα decreased in this group. Moreover, the levels of catalase and GST were changed considerably. These findings indicate that long-term obesity, besides disturbing the antioxidant control, causes intense stromal remodelling and release of factors that create an environment that can promote proliferative disorders in the gland, culminating with diffuse hyperplasia.

Expressão das proteínas envolvidas no trânsito de cálcio miocárdico de ratos obesos por dieta hiperlipídica saturada

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

Influência da obesidade sobre o tecido ósseo de Rattus novergicus albinus idosos, submetidos à suspensão pela cauda e ao exercício resistido

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

Evaluation of early changes induced by diuron in the rat urinary bladder using different processing methods for scanning electron microscopy

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

Dietary patterns are associated with general and central obesity in elderly living in a Brazilian city

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

Obesity does not lead to imbalance between myocardial phospholamban phosphorylation and dephosphorylation

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

Anti-inflammatory effects of Brazilian ginseng (Pfaffia paniculata) on TNBS-induced intestinal inflammation: experimental evidence

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic, relapsing, idiopathic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. Clinical studies suggest that the initiation of IBD is multifactorial, involving genetics, the immune system and environmental factors, such as diet, drugs and stress. Pfaffia paniculata is an adaptogenic medicinal plant used in Brazilian folk medicine as an anti-stress agent. Thus, we hypothesised that the P. paniculata enhances the response of animals subjected to colonic inflammation. Our aim was to investigate the intestinal anti-inflammatory activity of P. paniculata in rats before or after induction of intestinal inflammation using trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS). The animals were divided into groups that received the vehicle, prednisolone or P. paniculata extract daily starting 14days before or 7days after TNBS induction. At the end of the procedure, the animals were killed and their colons were assessed for the macroscopic damage score (MDS), extent of the lesion (EL) and weight/length ratio, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and glutathione (GSH), cytokines and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. Histological evaluation and ultrastructural analysis of the colonic samples were performed. Treatment with the 200mg/kg dose on the curative schedule was able to reduce the MDS and the EL. In addition, MPO activity was reduced, GSH levels were maintained, and the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and CRP were decreased. In conclusion, the protective effect of P. paniculata was related to reduced oxidative stress and CRP colonic levels, and due to immunomodulatory activity as evidenced by reduced levels of IL-1β, INF-γ, TNF-α and IL-6.

Regulation of hepatic TRB3/Akt interaction induced by physical exercise and its effect on the hepatic glucose production in an insulin resistance state

To maintain euglycemia in healthy organisms, hepatic glucose production is increased during fasting and decreased during the postprandial period. This whole process is supported by insulin levels. These responses are associated with the insulin signaling pathway and the reduction in the activity of key gluconeogenic enzymes, resulting in a decrease of hepatic glucose production. On the other hand, defects in the liver insulin signaling pathway might promote inadequate suppression of gluconeogenesis, leading to hyperglycemia during fasting and after meals. The hepatocyte nuclear factor 4, the transcription cofactor PGC1-α, and the transcription factor Foxo1 have fundamental roles in regulating gluconeogenesis. The loss of insulin action is associated with the production of pro-inflammatory biomolecules in obesity conditions. Among the molecular mechanisms involved, we emphasize in this review the participation of TRB3 protein (a mammalian homolog of Drosophila tribbles), which is able to inhibit Akt activity and, thereby, maintain Foxo1 activity in the nucleus of hepatocytes, inducing hyperglycemia. In contrast, physical exercise has been shown as an important tool to reduce insulin resistance in the liver by reducing the inflammatory process, including the inhibition of TRB3 and, therefore, suppressing gluconeogenesis. The understanding of these new mechanisms by which physical exercise regulates glucose homeostasis has critical importance for the understanding and prevention of diabetes.