Moderate physical activity from childhood contributes to metabolic health and reduces hepatic fat accumulation in adult rats

Background: Obesity, oxidative stress and inflammation, by triggering insulin resistance, may contribute to the accumulation of hepatic fat, and this accumulation by lipotoxicity can lead the organ to fail. Because obesity is growing at an alarming rate and, worryingly, in a precocious way, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of moderate physical training performed from childhood to adulthood on liver fat metabolism in rats. Methods. Twenty rats that were 28days old were divided into two groups: control (C) and trained (T). The C Group was kept in cages without exercise, and the T group was submitted to swimming exercise for 1hour/day, 5days/week from 28 to 90days of age (8weeks) at 80% of the anaerobic threshold determined by the lactate minimum test. At the end of the experiment, the body weight gain, insulin sensitivity (glucose disappearance rate during the insulin tolerance test), concentrations of free fatty acids (FFA) and triglycerides (TG) and hepatic lipogenic rate were analyzed. For the statistical analysis, the Student t-test was used with the level of significance preset at 5%. Results: The T group showed lower body weight gain, FFA concentrations, fat accumulation, hepatic lipogenic rate and insulin resistance. Conclusion: The regular practice of moderate physical exercise from childhood can contribute to the reduction of obesity and insulin resistance and help prevent the development of accumulation of hepatic fat in adulthood. © 2013de Moura et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Chronic administration of risperidone in a rat model of schizophrenia: A behavioural, morphological and molecular study

In the present work we analyzed the effect of the chronic administration of risperidone (2mg/kg over 65 days) on behavioural, morphological and molecular aspects in an experimental model of schizophrenia obtained by bilateral injection of ibotenic acid into the ventral hippocampus of new-born rats. Our results show that during their adult lives the animals with hippocampal lesions exhibit different alterations, mainly at behavioural level and in the gene expression of dopamine D2 and 5-HT2A receptors. However, at morphological level the study performed on the prefrontal cortex did not reveal any alterations in either the thickness or the number of cells immunoreactive for c-Fos, GFAP, CBP or PV. Overall, risperidone administration elicited a trend towards the recovery of the values previously altered by the hippocampal lesion, approaching the values seen in the animals without lesions. It may be concluded that the administration of risperidone in the schizophrenia model employed helps to improve the altered functions, with no significant negative effects. © 2013.

Implications of intrauterine protein malnutrition on prostate growth, maturation and aging

Aims Maternal malnutrition by low protein diet is associated with an increased incidence of metabolic disorders and decreased male fertility in adult life. This study aimed to assess the impact of maternal protein malnutrition (MPM) on prostate growth, tissue organization and lesion incidence with aging. Main methods Wistar rat dams were distributed into two groups, which were control (NP; fed a normal diet containing 17% protein) or a restricted protein diet (RP, fed a diet containing 6% protein) during gestation. After delivery all mothers and offspring received a normal diet. Biometrical parameters, hormonal levels and prostates were harvested at post-natal days (PND) 30, 120 and 360. Key findings MPM promoted low birth weight, decreased ano-genital distance (AGD) and reduced androgen plasma levels of male pups. Prostatic lobes from RP groups presented reduced glandular weight, epithelial cell height and alveolar diameter. The epithelial cell proliferation and collagen deposition were increased in RP group. Incidences of epithelial dysplasia and prostatitis were higher in the RP offspring than in the NP offspring at PND360. Significance Our findings show that MPM delays prostate development, growth and maturation until adulthood, probably as a result of low testosterone stimuli. The higher incidence of cellular dysplasia and prostatitis suggests that MPM increases prostate susceptibility to diseases with aging. © 2013 Elsevier Inc.

Treinamento aeróbio na prevenção da doença hepática não alcoólica decorrente da obesidade em ratos

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

Tratamento neonatal com aloxana em ratos: efeitos do exercício

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

Estudo dacriocistográfico e tomográfico da via lacrimal excretora de cães portadores de epífora

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Variação sexual, ontogenética e ambiental do veneno de Bothrops jararaca da icro-região de Botucatu-SP: caracterização enzimática, bioquímica e farmacológica

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Variação sexual, ontogenética e ambiental do veneno de Crotalus durissus terrificus da região de Botucatu - São Paulo: caracterização enzimática, bioquímica e farmacológica

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Efeitos a longo-prazo do tratamento neonatal com glutamato-monossódico no dimorfismo sexual esquelético e secreção de leptina e corticosterona

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Determinação do escore Apgar, dos valores hemogasométricos e do proteinograma sérico em cordeiros (Ovis aries) nascidos de partos normais e de cesarianas

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

Avaliação do sistema APGAR (modificado por BORN, 1981) e dos níveis de cortisolemia, glicemia e de gases sanguíneos em cabritos nascidos de partos eutócicos e de cesariana

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

Utilização de probióticos na alimentação inicial de bezerros

Pós-graduação em Zootecnia - FEIS

Avaliação da imunidade celular sob a ação de imunomoduladores en neonatos caninos até 45 dias de idade

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Aspectos histológicos e morfométricos da pele de cães do nascimento aos 70 dias de idade, clinicamente saudáveis

Pós-graduação em Medicina Veterinária - FMVZ

Enriched environment contributes to recovery of visual acuity and increases perineuronal nets in monocular-deprived animals

ABSTRACT The aim of the present study was to analyze the influence of enriched environment on the distribution of perineuronal nets (PNNs) using a stereogically based unbiased protocol and visual acuity in adult Swiss albino mice that underwent monocular deprivation during the critical period of postnatal development. Eight female Swiss albino mice were monocular deprived were removed and cut at 70 µm thickness in a vibratome and processed for lectin histochemical staining with Wisteria floribunda agglutinin (WFA). Architectonic limits of area 17 were conspicuously defined by WFA histochemical staining, and the optical fractionator stereological method was applied to estimate the total number of PNNs in the supragranular, granular, and infragranular layers. All groups were compared using Student's t-test at a 95% confidence level. Comparative analysis of the average PNN estimations revealed that the EE group had higher PNNs in the supragranular layer (2726.33 ± 405.416, mean ± standard deviation) compared with the SE group (1543.535 ± 260.686; Student's t-test, p = .0495). No differences were found in the other layers. Visual acuity was significantly lower in the SE group (0.55 cycles/degree) than in the EE group (1.06 cycles/degree). Our results suggest that the integrity of the specialized extracellular matrix PNNs of the supragranular layer may be essential for normal visual acuity development.