A new proposed rodent model of chemically induced prostate carcinogenesis: Distinct time-course prostate cancer progression in the dorsolateral and ventral lobes

Background. Characterization of novel rodent models for prostate cancer studies requires evaluation of either spontaneous and carcinogen-induced tumors as well as tumor incidence in different prostatic lobes. We propose a new short-term rodent model of chemically induced prostate carcinogenesis in which prostate cancer progression occurs differentially in the dorsolateral and ventral lobes. Methods. Adult gerbils were treated with MNU alone or associated with testosterone for 3 or 6 months of treatment. Tumor incidence, latency, localization, and immunohistochemistry (AR, PCNA, smooth muscle α-actin, p63, MGMT, and E-cadherin) were studied in both lobes. Results. Comparisons between both lobes revealed that lesions developed first in the DL while the VL presented longer tumor latency. However, after 6 months, there was a dramatic increase in tumor multiplicity in the VL, mainly in MNU-treated groups. Lesions clearly progressed from a premalignant to a malignant phenotype over time and tumor latency was decreased by MNU + testosterone administration. Three-dimensional reconstruction of the prostatic complex showed that the DL developed tumors exclusively in the periurethral area and showed intense AR, PCNA, and MGMT immunostaining. Moreover, VL lesions emerged throughout the entire lobe. MNU-induced lesions presented markers indicative of an aggressive phenotype: lack of basal cells, rupture of the smooth muscle cell layer, loss of E-cadherin, and high MGMT staining. Conclusions. There are distinct pathways involved in tumor progression in gerbil prostate lobes. This animal provides a good model for prostate cancer since it allows the investigation of advanced steps of carcinogenesis with shorter latency periods in both lobes. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Symptom dimensions, clinical course and comorbidity in men and women with obsessive-compulsive disorder

The study aimed to compare male and female patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) across symptom dimensions, clinical course and comorbidity. A cross-sectional study was undertaken with 858 adult OCD patients (DSM-IV) from the Brazilian Research Consortium on Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders. Patients were evaluated using structured interviews, including the Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DY-BOCS) and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I disorders (SCID-I). The sample was composed of 504 women (58.7%) and 354 men (41.3%) with a mean age of 35.4 years-old (range: 18-77). Men were younger, more frequently single and presented more tics, social phobia and alcohol use disorders. Among men, symptom interference occurred earlier and symptoms of the sexual/religious dimension were more common and more severe. Conversely, women were more likely to present symptoms of the aggressive, contamination/cleaning and hoarding dimension and comorbidity with specific phobias, anorexia nervosa, bulimia, trichotillomania, skin picking and compulsive buying. In the logistic regression, female gender remained independently associated with the aggressive and contamination/cleaning dimensions. In both genders the aggressive dimension remained associated with comorbid post-traumatic stress disorder, the sexual/religious dimension with major depression and the hoarding dimension with tic disorders. Gender seems to be relevant in the determination of OCD clinical presentation and course and should be considered an important aspect when defining more homogeneous OCD subgroups. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

Habitat monitoring and genotoxicity in Ucides cordatus (Crustacea: Ucididae), as tools to manage a mangrove reserve in southeastern Brazil

In Brazil, the state of São Paulo contains both preserved areas (Juréia-Itatins Ecological Station) and extremely impacted ones (Cubatão Municipality). This study evaluated the concentrations of five metals (Cu, Cd, Cr, Pb, and Hg) in two mangroves with different levels of anthropogenic impact and the apparent genotoxicity to Ucides cordatus. Water and sediment samples were obtained, and metal concentrations were determined with an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The genotoxic impact was quantified based on the number of micronucleated cells per 1,000 analyzed (MN‰), using hemolymph slides stained with Giemsa. Metal concentrations in water were below the detection limit, except for lead, although no significant difference was observed between the areas (P > 0.05). Sediment from Cubatão had higher concentrations of Cd, Pb, Cr, and Cu than sediment from Juréia-Itatins (P < 0.05), but no significant differences in metal concentrations were detected among depth strata of the sediment (P > 0.05). Crabs from Cubatão had a 2.6 times higher mean frequency of micronucleated cells (5.2 ± 1.8 MN‰) than those from Juréia-Itatins (2.0 ± 1.0 MN‰; P < 0.0001). The more-polluted conditions found in the mangrove sediments of Cubatão were reflected in the micronucleus assay, demonstrating their genotoxic effect; however, genetic damage should be attributed to a synergistic effect with other kinds of pollutants previously recorded in different environments of Cubatão. U. cordatus proved to be an excellent bioindicator of mangrove pollution. This study established, for the first time, the normal frequency of MN‰ in a population of this species within an ecological station. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

Time-course morphological and functional disorders of the kidney induced by long-term high-fat diet intake in female rats

BackgroundEvidence is emerging that highlights the far-reaching consequences of a high-fat diet (HFD) on kidney morphology and function disorders.MethodsThe present study was performed on 3-, 5-, 7- and 9-week-old HFD female rats compared with the appropriate gender and age-matched animals. We evaluated the kidney expression of angiotensin type II receptor and fibrotic and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers, by immunoblotting and immunohistochemical and histological techniques, in parallel with kidney function.ResultsIn the current study, the time-course HFD-treated group showed, by immunoblotting and immunohistochemical analysis, an early time-course increase in the expression of transforming growth factor β-1 (TGFβ-1) in the entire kidney of HFD-treated rats, compared with that observed in the control group. Simultaneously, the study shows a transient increase in the expression of ZEB2 in the HFD whole kidney accompanied by a fall in the E-cadherin expression and increased collagen and fibronectin deposition. A pronounced decrease in fractional urinary sodium excretion was also demonstrated in the long-term HFD-treated rats. The decreased FENa + was accompanied by a fall in FEPNa + and FEPP Na +, which occurred in association with significantly decreased CCr and, certainly on the sodium-filtered load. The reduction in the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) occurred in parallel to proteinuria and glomerular desmin overexpression.ConclusionsThe results of the current study suggest that podocyte injury in parallel with observed proteinuria and evidence of EMT transformation are associated with long-term loss of kidney function and renal sodium and water retention. © 2013 The Author. All rights reserved.

Report on the Training Course for Technical Planners

Informe sobre el Curso de Capacitación para Técnicos Planificadores. Incluye objetivos, arreglos institucionales y organizacionales, estructura, contenidos y evaluación del curso.

Curso sobre modernización portuaria: una pirámide de desafíos entrelazados = Course on port modernization: a pyramid of interrelated challenges

Incluye Bibliografía

A regional reserve fund for Latin America

Incluye bibliografía

A regional reserve fund for Latin America

Includes bibliography.