Social challenge increases cortisol and hypothalamic monoamine levels in matrinxã (Brycon amazonicus)

The neural circuitry for social behavior and aggression appears to be evolutionarily conserved across the vertebrate subphylum and involves a complex neural network that includes the hypothalamus as a key structure. In the present study, we evaluated the changes in monoamine levels in the hypothalamus and on serum cortisol and plasma glucose of resident matrinxã (Brycon amazonicus) submitted to a social challenge (introduction of an intruder in their territory). The fight promoted a significant increase in hypothalamic 5-HT, NA and DA levels and on the metabolites 5-HIAA and DOPAC, and decreased 5-HIAA/5-HT and DOPAC/DA ratios in resident fish. Furthermore, an increase in serum cortisol and plasma glucose was also observed after the fight. Resident fish presented a high aggressiveness even with increased 5-HT levels in the hypothalamus. The alteration in hypothalamic monoaminergic activity of matrinxã suggests that this diencephalic region is involved in aggression and stress modulation in fish; however, it does not exclude the participation of other brain areas not tested here.

Papel do tecido adiposo perivascular em aorta de ratos treinados e alimentados com dieta hiperlipídica

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

Influência do treinamento físico aeróbio sobre os biomarcadores cardiovasculares e endócrino-inflamatórios em mulheres normotensas e hipertensas no pós-menopausa

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

Níveis plasmáticos de nitrito/nitrato, GMPc e cortisol em mulheres normotensas e hipertensas após a menopausa: efeito crônico do exercício físico e exposição aguda à L-arginina

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

Fatores que afetam a expressão de estro detectado por monitores de atividade e riscos de concepção em vacas leiteiras lactantes

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Diferentes doses de Triiodotironina (T3) aumentam a expressão gênica de leptina, adiponectina e TRα com o envolvimento da via fosfatidil inositol 3 quinase (PI3K) em adipócitos, 3T3-L1

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Modulation of thyroid hormone receptors, TRα and TRβ, by using different doses of triiodothyronine (T3) at different times

Objective: To examine the effect of different doses of triiodothyronine (T3) on mRNA levels of thyroid hormone receptors, TRα and TRβ, at different times. Materials and methods: 3T3-L1 adipocytes were incubated with T3 (physiological dose: F; supraphysiological doses: SI or SII), or without T3 (control, C) for 0.5, 1, 6, or 24h. TRα and TRβ mRNA was detected using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: F increased TRβ mRNA levels at 0.5h. After 1h, TRα levels increased with F and SI and TRβ levels decreased with SII compared with C, F, and SI. After 6h, both genes were suppressed at all concentrations. In 24h, TRα and TRβ levels were similar to those of C group. Conclusions: T3 action with F began at 1h for TRα and at 0.5h for TRβ. These results suggest the importance of knowing the times and doses that activate T3 receptors in adipocytes.

Avaliação endoscópica das vias aéreas, perfil de gases sanguíneos, eletrólitos e do equilíbrio ácido-base em equinos submetidos ao treinamento de três tambores: João Pedro Borges Barbosa. -

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

Análise de diversidade e expressão de retrotransposons ativos em espécies de Coffea

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

Análise de diversidade e expressão de retrotransposons ativos em espécies de Coffea

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

HEMATOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF Micropogonias furnieri, DESMAREST, 1823, SCIANIDAE, FROM TWO ESTUARIES OF BAIXADA SANTISTA, SAO PAULO, BRAZIL

Hematological alterations in fish are considered a useful tool to evaluate pathological processes resulting from the exposure to environmental pollutants. The whitemouth croaker Micropogonias furnieri is a common species in estuarine areas and potentially exposed to many contaminants. In the present study, the hematological characteristics of fish collected at two sites in Baixada Santista (Santos Estuarine System - SES, a polluted site; and the Estuary of Itanhaem River - EIR, unpolluted site) del was analysed. The following blood descriptors were analyzed: number of Erythrocytes (Er), Hematocrit (Ht), Hemoglobin (Hb), Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV) and Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin concentration (MCHC). Fish from SES exhibited significant lower levels of Ht and increase on MCHC and Hb. Such differences are likely related to the different contamination levels found in these estuaries.

Medial amygdaloid nucleus 5-HT2C receptors are involved in the hypophagic effect caused by zimelidine in rats

The medial amygdaloid nucleus (MeA) is a sub-region of the amygdaloid complex that has been described as participating in food intake regulation. Serotonin has been known to play an important role in appetite and food intake regulation. Moreover, serotonin 5-HT2C and 5-HT1A receptors appear to be critical in food intake regulation. We investigated the role of the serotoninergic system in the MeA on feeding behavior regulation in rats. The current study examined the effects on feeding behavior regulation of the serotonin reuptake inhibitor, zimelidine, administered directly into the MeA or given systemically, and the serotoninergic receptors mediating its effect. Our results showed that microinjection of zimelidine (0.2, 2 and 20 nmol/100 nL) into the MeA evoked dose dependent hypophagic effects in fasted rats. The selective 5-HT1A receptor antagonist WAY-100635 (18.5 nmol/100 nL) or the 5-HT1B receptor antagonist SB-216641 microinjected bilaterally into the MeA did not change the hypophagic effect evoked by local MeA zimelidine treatment. However, microinjection of the selective 5-HT2C receptor antagonist SB-242084 (10 nmol/100 nL) was able to block the hypophagic effect of zimelidine. Moreover, microinjection of the 5-HT2C receptor antagonist SB-242084 into the MeA also blocked the hypophagic effect caused by zimelidine administered systemically. These results suggest that MeA 5-HT2C receptors modulate the hypophagic effect caused by local MeA administration as well as by systemic zimelidine administration. Furthermore, 5-HT2C into the MeA could be a potential target for systemic administration of zimelidine. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DIFFERENTIAL INVOLVEMENT OF DORSAL RAPHE SUBNUCLEI IN THE REGULATION OF ANXIETY- AND PANIC-RELATED DEFENSIVE BEHAVIORS

A wealth of evidence indicates that the dorsal raphe nucleus (DR) is not a homogenous structure, but an aggregate of distinctive populations of neurons that may differ anatomically, neurochemically and functionally. Other findings suggest that serotonergic neurons within the mid-caudal and caudal part of the DR are involved in anxiety processing while those within the lateral wings (IwDR) and ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vIPAG) are responsive to panic-evoking stimuli/situations. However, no study to date has directly compared the activity of 5-HT and non-5HT neurons within different subnuclei of the DR following the expression of anxiety- and panic-related defensive responses. In the present investigation, the number of doubly immunostained cells for Fos protein and tryptophan hydroxylase, a marker of serotonergic neurons, was assessed within the rat DR, median raphe nucleus (MRN) and PAG following inhibitory avoidance and escape performance in the elevated T-maze, behaviors associated with anxiety and panic, respectively. Inhibitory avoidance, but not escape, significantly increased the number of Fos-expressing serotonergic neurons within the mid-caudal part of the dorsal subnucleus, caudal and interfascicular subnuclei of the DR and in the MRN. Escape, on the other hand, caused a marked increase in the activity of non-5HT cells within the IwDR, vIPAG, dorsolateral and dorsomedial columns of the PAG. These results strongly corroborate the view that different subsets of neurons in the DR are activated by anxiety- and panic-relevant stimuli/situations, with important implications for the understanding of the pathophysiology of generalized anxiety and panic disorders. (C) 2012 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

WATER HOMEOSTASIS, FRAILTY AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION IN THE NURSING HOME

Objective: - To develop and test a practical clinical method to assess frailty in nursing homes; - To investigate the relationship between cognitive status of the elderly and the balance between water compartments of their body composition. Design and subjects: Cross-sectional study, conducted at two nursing homes in Boston-MA. Methods: Body mass and height (Ht) were evaluated to calculate BMI (body mass index, in Kg/m(2)). The cognitive decline was evaluated based on the scores obtained from the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE); The extracellular to total body water ratio (ECW/TBW) was calculated after the analysis of TBW from deuterium and tritium dilution and ECW from bromide dilution. Single-frequency BIA analysis data were investigated for resistance (R) and reactance (Xc), plotted in an R/Ht Xc/Ht graph (vectorial analysis-BIVA). The BIVA results of nursing home residents were compared against the data obtained from the NHANES Ill study. TBW and ECW values were compared with a group of free-living elderly volunteers. Results: The ECW/TBW was significantly higher in nursing home residents than in the free-living individuals. BIVA analysis showed significantly higher Xc/Ht values in the reference subjects. The MMSE did not present a significant correlation with ECW/TBW for either gender. Conclusion: We proposed the ECW/TBW ratio and BIVA as surrogate methods for the clinical assessment of frailty. We tested successfully both approaches with nursing home patients and free-living volunteers and compared them to a national data base. The advent of new, portable instruments will enable field tests to further validate our proposed "Frailty Factor" in future studies. We found no correlation between frailty and cognitive decline in the nursing home.

Rho-kinase inhibition attenuates airway responsiveness, inflammation, matrix remodeling, and oxidative stress activation induced by chronic inflammation

Possa SS, Charafeddine HT, Righetti RF, da Silva PA, Almeida-Reis R, Saraiva-Romanholo BM, Perini A, Prado CM, Leick-Maldonado EA, Martins MA, Tiberio ID. Rho-kinase inhibition attenuates airway responsiveness, inflammation, matrix remodeling, and oxidative stress activation induced by chronic inflammation. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 303: L939-L952, 2012. First published September 21, 2012; doi:10.1152/ajplung.00034.2012.-Several studies have demonstrated the importance of Rho-kinase in the modulation of smooth muscle contraction, airway hyperresponsiveness, and inflammation. However, the effects of repeated treatment with a specific inhibitor of this pathway have not been previously investigated. We evaluated the effects of repeated treatment with Y-27632, a highly selective Rho-kinase inhibitor, on airway hyperresponsiveness, oxidative stress activation, extracellular matrix remodeling, eosinophilic inflammation, and cytokine expression in an animal model of chronic airway inflammation. Guinea pigs were subjected to seven ovalbumin or saline exposures. The treatment with Y-27632 (1 mM) started at the fifth inhalation. Seventy-two hours after the seventh inhalation, the animals' pulmonary mechanics were evaluated, and exhaled nitric oxide (E-NO) was collected. The lungs were removed, and histological analysis was performed using morphometry. Treatment with Y-27632 in sensitized animals reduced E-NO concentrations, maximal responses of resistance, elastance of the respiratory system, eosinophil counts, collagen and elastic fiber contents, the numbers of cells positive for IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, inducible nitric oxide synthase, matrix metalloproteinase-9, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1, transforming growth factor-beta, NF-kappa B, IFN-gamma, and 8-iso-prostaglandin F2 alpha contents compared with the untreated group (P < 0.05). We observed positive correlations among the functional responses and inflammation, remodeling, and oxidative stress pathway activation markers evaluated. In conclusion, Rho-kinase pathway activation contributes to the potentiation of the hyperresponsiveness, inflammation, the extracellular matrix remodeling process, and oxidative stress activation. These results suggest that Rho-kinase inhibitors represent potential pharmacological tools for the control of asthma.