Thermogenic capacity of three species of fruit-eating phyllostomid bats

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

A respiração frenolabial na doença pulmonar obstrutiva crônica: revisão da literatura

Esta revisão teve por objetivo destacar os principais achados publicados nos últimos dez anos sobre os efeitos da respiração frenolabial (RFL) em pacientes com doença pulmonar obstrutiva crônica (DPOC). A busca dos artigos foi realizada nas bases de dados Lilacs, IBECS, MEDLINE e SciELO, por meio dos seguintes descritores da área da saúde (DeCS): doença pulmonar obstrutiva crônica, reabilitação, respiração, hiperinsuflação e dispneia, e suas respectivas versões na língua inglesa (MeSH), além do termo pursed-lip breathing. Após a eliminação dos títulos repetidos, foram selecionados somente os estudos que abordavam a RFL como tema principal, resultando em 12 artigos científicos, 10 ensaios clínicos e 2 revisões bibliográficas. Segundo os achados, a RFL proporciona: alterações sobre a gasometria arterial, caracterizada pelo aumento da saturação e pressão parcial de oxigênio; padrão ventilatório, com diminuição da frequência respiratória e aumento de tempo expiratório e do volume corrente; mecânica ventilatória, por meio do recrutamento de musculatura abdominal expiratória e dos músculos da caixa torácica e acessórios da inspiração; diminuição no consumo de oxigênio; alterações na modulação autonômica cardíaca induzida pelo aumento da atividade parassimpática e, por fim, melhora na qualidade de vida destes pacientes. A RFL é considerada uma manobra de grande importância, por repercutir de forma positiva em diversos sistemas e sobre a qualidade de vida de pacientes portadores da DPOC.

Effects of acepromazine on the cardiovascular actions of dopamine in anesthetized dogs

To evaluate the effects of acepromazine maleate on the cardiovascular changes induced by dopamine in isoflurane-anesthetized dogs.Prospective, randomized cross-over experimental design.Six healthy adult spayed female dogs weighing 16.4 +/- 3.5 kg (mean +/- SD).Each dog received two treatments, at least 1 week apart. Acepromazine (0.03 mg kg(-1), IV) was administered 15 minutes before anesthesia was induced with propofol (7 mg kg(-1), IV) and maintained with isoflurane (1.8% end-tidal). Acepromazine was not administered in the control treatment. Baseline cardiopulmonary parameters were measured 90 minutes after induction. Thereafter, dopamine was administered intravenously at 5, 10, and 15 mu g kg(-1) minute(-1), with each infusion rate lasting 30 minutes. Cardiopulmonary data were obtained at the end of each infusion rate.Dopamine induced dose-related increases in cardiac index (CI), stroke index, arterial blood pressure, mean pulmonary arterial pressure, oxygen delivery index (DO2I) and oxygen consumption index. In the control treatment, systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI) decreased during administration of 5 and 10 mu g kg(-1) minute(-1) of dopamine and returned to baseline with the highest dose (15 mu g kg (-1) minute(-1)). After acepromazine treatment, SVRI decreased from baseline during dopamine administration, regardless of the infusion rate, and this resulted in a smaller increase in blood pressure at 15 mu g kg (-1) minute(-1). During dopamine infusion hemoglobin concentrations were lower following acepromazine and this contributed to significantly lower arterial O-2 content.Acepromazine prevented the return in SVRI to baseline and reduced the magnitude of the increase in arterial pressure induced by higher doses of dopamine. However, reduced SRVI associated with lower doses of dopamine and the ability of dopamine to increase CI and DO2I were not modified by acepromazine premedication.Previous acepromazine administration reduces the efficacy of dopamine as a vasopressor agent in isoflurane anesthetized dogs. Other beneficial effects of dopamine such as increased CO are not modified by acepromazine.

AGONISTIC PROFILE AND METABOLISM IN ALEVINS OF THE NILE TILAPIA

Metabolic differences derived from social stress usually show data with high variance that may hinder the finding of important differences. Since such high variance may be caused by agonistic variability occurring during social interactions, this work tested whether metabolism is associated with agonistic profile in the cichlid fish Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (L.). Metabolism was inferred from oxygen consumption, resistance to progressive hypoxia and ventilatory rate. Fifteen pairs of alevins were used for each metabolic and behavioral series. An ethogram based on 8 types of agonistic interactions was employed. Agonistic profiles were determined and associated with the physiological parameters later on. The test of canonical correlation showed significant association between some agonistic profiles and metabolism. Ventral nipping and lateral fight appeared as the two most important in promoting association with metabolism.

Calorimetry, Morphometry, Oxidative Stress, and Cardiac Metabolic Response to Growth Hormone Treatment in Obese and Aged Rats

This study investigated the effects of growth hormone therapy on energy expenditure, lipid profile, oxidative stress and cardiac energy metabolism in aging and obesity conditions. Life expectancy is increasing in world population and with it, the incidence of public health problems such as obesity and cardiac alterations. Because growth hormone (GH) concentration is referred to be decreased in aging conditions, a question must be addressed: what is the effect of GH on aging related adverse changes? To investigate the effects of GH on cardiac energy metabolism and its association with calorimetric parameters, lipid profile and oxidative stress in aged and obese rats, initially 32 male Wistar rats were divided into 2 groups (n = 16), C: given standard-chow and water; H: given hypercaloric-chow and receiving 30 % sucrose in its drinking water. After 45 days, both C and H groups were divided into 2 subgroups (n = 8), C + PL: standard-chow, water, and receiving saline subcutaneously; C + GH: standard-chow, water, and receiving 2 mg/kg/day rhGH subcutaneously; H + PL: hypercaloric-chow, 30 % sucrose, receiving saline subcutaneously; H + GH: hypercaloric-chow, 30 % sucrose, receiving rhGH subcutaneously. After 30 days, C + GH and H + PL rats had higher body mass index, Lee-index, body fat content, percent-adiposity, serum triacylglycerol, cardiac lipid-hydroperoxide, and triacylglycerol than C + PL. Energy-expenditure (RMR)/body weight, oxygen consumption and fat-oxidation were higher in H + GH than in H + PL. LDL-cholesterol was highest in H + GH rats, whereas cardiac pyruvate-dehydrogenase and phosphofrutokinase were higher in H + GH and H + PL rats than in C + PL. In conclusion, the present study brought new insights on aging and obesity, demonstrating for the first time that GH therapy was harmful in aged and obesity conditions, impairing calorimetric parameters and lipid profile. GH was disadvantageous in control old rats, having undesirable effects on triacylglycerol accumulation and cardiac oxidative stress.

Evaluation of cardiorespiratory effects of combinations of dexmedetomidine and atropine in cats

The cardiovascular effects of dexmedetomidine alone or in combination with atropine were studied in six cats. Cats underwent four treatments in a randomized crossover design as follows: DEX15, saline + dexmedetomidine 15 mu g/kg; DEX30, saline + dexmedetomidine 30 mu g/kg; ADEX15, atropine + dexmedetomidine 15 mu g/kg; ADEX30, atropine + dexmedetomidine 30 mu g/kg. Pulse rate (PR) and systolic arterial pressure (SAP) decreased in DEX15 and DEX30. Premedication with atropine was effective in preventing bradycardia (PR < 100 beats/min) and resulted in a biphasic effect in blood pressure. Hypertension was followed by a gradual decrease in SAP. Rate pressure product decreased in DEX15 and DEX30 whereas in ADEX15 and ADEX30 it remained within baseline values for at least 60 min. Although premedication with atropine in cats sedated with dexmedetomidine prevents bradycardia, it induces hypertension and increases myocardial oxygen consumption. The magnitude of cardiovascular effects produced by dexmedetomidine in cats does not seem to be dose-related. (C) 2009 ESFM and AAFP. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The workload and plasma ion concentration in a training match session of high-goal (elite) polo ponies

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

Effects of olive oil and its minor phenolic constituents on obesity-induced cardiac metabolic changes

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

Effects of acute heat exposure on respiratory metabolism and blood glucose in freshwater fishes, Prochilodus scrofa (curimbatá) and Cyprinus carpio (carp) acclimatized to tropical winter

1. 1. Routine oxygen consumption and blood glucose were determined from freshwater fishes, Prochilodus scrofa and Cyprinus carpio, exposed at high temperatures for 1 hr. 2. 2. Prochilodus scrofa had a significantly higher rate of oxygen consumption at 30°C than at 25°C, and carp higher at 25°C than at 30°C. 3. 3. Blood glucose was significantly higher for Cyprinus carpio than for Prochilodus scrofa at 25 and 30°C; however, after exposure to these temperatures for 1 hr blood glucose did not change significantly for both species. 4. 4. The results suggest that these interspecific variations may be linked to the differences between native and foreign fishes and their way of life. © 1985.

Effect of organic synthetic food colours on mitochondrial respiration

Eleven organic synthetic dyes, currently or formerly used as food colours in Brazil, were tested to determine their effect on mitochondrial respiration in mitochondria isolated from rat liver and kidney. The compounds tested were: Erythrosine, Ponceau 4R, Allura Red, Sunset yellow, Tartrazine, Amaranth, Brilliant Blue, Indigotine Blue, Fast Red E, Orange GGN and Scarlet GN. All food colours tested inhibited mitochondrial respiration (State III respiration, uncoupled) supported either by α-ketoglutarate or succinate. this inhibition varied largely, e.g. from 100% to 16% for Erythrosine and Tartrazine respectively, at a concentration of 0.1 mg food colour per mitochondrial protein. Both rat liver and kidney mitochondria showed similar patterns of inhibition among the food colours tested. This effect was dose related and the concentration to give 50% inhibition was determined for some of the dyes. The xanthene dye Erythrosine, which showed the strongest effect, was selected for further investigation on mitochondria in vivo.

Toxic effects of leaves of Ricinus communis (Euphorbiaceae) to laboratory nests of Atta sexdens rubropilosa (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Laboratory nests of the leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens rubropilosa Forel fed daily with leaves of Ricinus communis showed a gradual decrease in fungal garden volume, a higher ant mortality rate, and fungal garden extinction after 6 weeks. The mean oxygen consumption rate of these ants was higher than that of control ants collected from nests fed with leaves of Eucalyptus alba (Myrtaceae) suggesting one or more components of the leaves of R. communis had a direct physiological effect on the ants, in addition to inhibiting fungal garden growth.

Comprimento da peça intermediária de espermatozóides bovinos e suas relações com características do sêmen e fertilidade

With the objective of identifying predictors of fertility in bulls, the correlation coefficients of the midpiece length of bovine spermatozoa with semen traits and fertility were estimated. Data were obtained from semen samples of 50 crossbred bulls submitted to a progeny test. The midpiece length was determined in 40 midpieces of each bull through a image analysis system (Videoplan). Besides the physical traits before and after semen freezing, the oxygen consumption rate and the cytochemical activity index were observed. The correlation coefficients were low and non-significant (P> 0.05), indicating that the midpiece length is not a good predictor of fertility.

Evidence for involvement of Saccharomyces cerevisiae protein kinase C in glucose induction of HXT genes and derepression of SUC2

The PKC1 gene in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae encodes protein kinase C that is known to control a mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase cascade consisting of Bck1, Mkk1 and Mkk2, and Mpk1. This cascade affects the cell wall integrity but the phenotype of Pkc1 mutants suggests additional targets which have not yet been identified. We show that a pkc1Δ mutant, as opposed to mutants in the MAP kinase cascade, displays two major defects in the control of carbon metabolism. It shows a delay in the initiation of fermentation upon addition of glucose and a defect in derepression of SUC2 gene after exhaustion of glucose from the medium. After addition of glucose the production of both ethanol and glycerol started very slowly. The V max of glucose transport dropped considerably and Northern blot analysis showed that induction of the HXT1, HXT2 and HXT4 genes was strongly reduced. Growth of the pkc1Δ mutant was absent on glycerol and poor on galactose and raffinose. Oxygen uptake was barely present. Derepression of invertase activity and SUC2 transcription upon transfer of cells from glucose to raffinose was deficient in the pkc1Δ mutant as opposed to the wild-type. Our results suggest an involvement of Pkc1p in the control of carbon metabolism which is not shared by the downstream MAP kinase cascade. © 2002 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.