Diferentes dietas e pesos ao abate na produção de órgãos de cordeiros

O experimento foi conduzido com o objetivo de avaliar os pesos e porcentagens de órgãos em relação ao peso vivo ao abate (PVA), ao peso de corpo vazio (PCV) e ao peso total dos órgãos (PTO) de cordeiros inteiros 1/2 Ile de France 1/2 Ideal confinados, recebendo dietas com relações volumoso:concentrado de 50:50 e 30:70 e abatidos aos 30 ou 34 kg. Os parâmetros mensurados foram: língua, pulmões com traquéia, coração, fígado, pâncreas, timo, tireóide, adrenal, rins, testículos, baço, diafragma, bexiga, pênis e glândulas anexas. Os resultados obtidos revelaram diferenças entre os pesos ao abate nas porcentagens de língua, coração, pulmões com traquéia, diafragma, pâncreas, tireóide, baço e glândulas anexas em relação ao PVA; nas porcentagens de língua, pulmões com traquéia, fígado, pâncreas, baço e glândulas anexas em relação ao PCV e nas porcentagens de pulmões com traquéia, fígado, pâncreas, tireóide, baço e glândulas anexas em relação ao PTO. Dietas com diferentes relações volumoso:concentrado afetaram apenas as porcentagens de pâncreas em relação ao PVA, ao PCV e ao PTO. Verificaram-se interações entre relação volumoso:concentrado e peso vivo ao abate nos pesos dos pulmões com traquéia, fígado, pâncreas, tireóide e glândulas anexas.

Annual profile of fecal androgen and glucocorticoid levels in free-living male American kestrels from southern mid-latitude areas

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

Chronic restraint or variable stresses differently affect the behavior, corticosterone secretion and body weight in rats

Organisms are constantly subjected to stressful stimuli that affect numerous physiological processes and activate the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, increasing the release of glucocorticoids. Exposure to chronic stress is known to alter basic mechanisms of the stress response. The purpose of the present study was to compare the effect of two different stress paradigms (chronic restraint or variable stress) on behavioral and corticosterone release to a subsequent exposure to stressors. Considering that the HPA axis might respond differently when it is challenged with a novel or a familiar stressor we investigated the changes in the corticosterone levels following the exposure to two stressors: restraint (familiar stress) or forced novelty (novel stress). The changes in the behavioral response were evaluated by measuring the locomotor response to a novel environment. In addition, we examined changes in body, adrenals, and thymus weights in response to the chronic paradigms. Our results showed that exposure to chronic variable stress increased basal plasma corticosterone levels and that both, chronic restraint and variable stresses, promote higher corticosterone levels in response to a novel environment, but not to a challenge restraint stress, as compared to the control (non-stressed) group. Exposure to chronic restraint leads to increased novelty-induced locomotor activity. Furthermore, only the exposure to variable stress reduced body weights. In conclusion, the present results provide additional evidence on how chronic stress affects the organism physiology and point to the importance of the chronic paradigm and challenge stress on the behavioral and hormonal adaptations induced by chronic stress. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Incidence of non-01 Vibrio cholerae and Aeromonas spp. in fresh water in Araraquara, Brazil

The occurrence of Aeromonas spp., Vibrio cholerae, and Plesiomonas shigelloides in fresh water from various sources in Araraquara, State of São Paulo, Brazil was determined. Samples from ten distinct irrigation systems used in vegetable cultivation, from five distinct streams, from two reservoirs, from one artificial lake, and from three distinct springs were analyzed. All isolates were serotyped and tested for hemolysin, cytotoxin, heat-stable (ST) and heat-labile (LT) enterotoxins production; presence of plasmid; autoagglutination and drug resistance. V. cholerae isolates were also tested for cholera enterotoxin (CT) production, and Aeromonas isolates for suicide phenomenon. No P. shigelloides was found. V. cholerae non 01 was found in five irrigation water samples and in three stream samples. Aeromonas sp. were isolated in two samples of irrigation water, in three streams, and in one reservoir. All the V. cholerae and Aeromonas isolates were positive for P-hemolysin production, and all Aeromonas isolates were positive for suicide phenomenon; cytotoxic activities were observed in two Aeromonas strains. Cholera enterotoxin was not found in eight V. cholerae non-01 isolates tested by the Y-1 mouse adrenal cell. All isolates were also negative for the other virulence markers. Ii cholelerae isolates were found to be sensitive to the majority of drugs tested, while Aeromonas strains presented multiple drug resistance..

Repeated predictable or unpredictable stress: effects on cocaine-induced locomotion and cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase activity

Stressful experiences appear to have a strong influence on susceptibility to drug taking behavior. Cross-sensitization between stress and drug-induced locomotor response has been found. Locomotor response to novelty or cocaine (10 mg/kg, i.p.), cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) activity in the nucleus accumbens and basal corticosterone levels were evaluated in male adult rats exposed to acute and chronic predictable or unpredictable stress. Rats exposed to a 14-day predictable stress showed increased locomotor response to novelty and to cocaine, whereas rats exposed to chronic unpredictable stress demonstrated increased cyclic AMP-dependent PKA activity in the nucleus accumbens. Both predictable and unpredictable stress increased basal corticosterone plasma levels. These experiments demonstrated that stress-induced early cocaine sensitization depends on the stress regime and is apparently dissociated from stress-induced changes in cyclic AMP-dependent PKA activity and corticosterone levels. (C) 2002 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.

Behavioral and neuroendocrine effects of the exposure to chronic restraint or variable stress in early adolescent rats

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

Sintomatologia depressiva e concentrações do cortisol em idosos residentes na comunidade: um estudo transversal

Introdução: Vem sendo crescente o número de pesquisas que buscam o entendimento das relações entre os desfechos adversos à saúde e as concentrações do cortisol salivar, o qual é um marcador de estresse biológico. O cortisol parece seguir dois estágios de resposta: em situações de baixo/moderado estresse ocorre ativação do eixo Hipotálamo-Pituitária-Adrenal, aumentando o nível do cortisol, entretanto, quando o estresse persiste, o eixo HPA parece tornar-se hipoativo. A sintomatologia depressiva parece ter relação com as concentrações do cortisol, no entanto, essa relação é controversa na literatura. Objetivo: Analisar a relação entre sintomatologia depressiva e concentrações do cortisol em uma amostra de idosos do Nordeste brasileiro, residentes na comunidade. Métodos: Estudo observacional analítico, de caráter transversal, em uma amostra de 256 idosos (≥ 65 anos), residentes na comunidade. A sintomatologia depressiva foi avaliada pela versão brasileira da Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (≥ 16) e as concentrações do cortisol através da coleta salivar (ao acordar, 30 minutos após acordar, 60 minutos após acordar, às 15 horas e antes de dormir), além de medidas compostas. Como co-variáveis foram avaliadas condições sociodemográficas e de saúde. Para análise das medidas do cortisol entre idosos com e sem presença da sintomatologia depressiva, e entre os sexos, foi realizado o teste t de Student. Para verificar as diferenças entre as medidas do cortisol em cada curva foi utilizada a Análise de Variância (ANOVA) de medidas repetidas, com teste post-hoc de Bonferroni. Resultados: Houve diferença significativa para a medida de cortisol salivar ao acordar, entre os idosos com presença e ausência da sintomatologia depressiva (p=0,04). Não houve significância em relação ao sexo. Na análise entre as medidas de cada curva, foi observado que nos idosos com sintomatologia depressiva a 1ª medida não teve diferença significativa em relação à 2ª e 3ª medidas. Além disso, não houve diferença significativa da 4ª medida em relação à 5ª, demonstrando um maior nível noturno de cortisol para os idosos com sintomatologia depressiva, sem declínio, com aspecto plano da curva. Conclusão: Parece existir relação entre sintomatologia depressiva e hipocortisolismo. Entretanto, no Brasil, as condições adversas de vida podem levar ao estresse crônico e serem fatores fortes suficientes para sobrepor maiores diferenças que pudessem existir em relação à presença da sintomatologia depressiva

Estudo comportamental, hormonal e histopatológico de animais com perda de peso progressina (SEP) e da variável peso associada a uma nova classificação ontogenética em Callithrix jacchus

The use of non-human primates in scientific research has contributed significantly to the biomedical area and, in the case of Callithrix jacchus, has provided important evidence on physiological mechanisms that help explain its biology, making the species a valuable experimental model in different pathologies. However, raising non-human primates in captivity for long periods of time is accompanied by behavioral disorders and chronic diseases, as well as progressive weight loss in most of the animals. The Primatology Center of the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) has housed a colony of C. jacchus for nearly 30 years and during this period these animals have been weighed systematically to detect possible alterations in their clinical conditions. This procedure has generated a volume of data on the weight of animals at different age ranges. These data are of great importance in the study of this variable from different perspectives. Accordingly, this paper presents three studies using weight data collected over 15 years (1985-2000) as a way of verifying the health status and development of the animals. The first study produced the first article, which describes the histopathological findings of animals with probable diagnosis of permanent wasting marmoset syndrome (WMS). All the animals were carriers of trematode parasites (Platynosomum spp) and had obstruction in the hepatobiliary system; it is suggested that this agent is one of the etiological factors of the syndrome. In the second article, the analysis focused on comparing environmental profile and cortisol levels between the animals with normal weight curve evolution and those with WMS. We observed a marked decrease in locomotion, increased use of lower cage extracts and hypocortisolemia. The latter is likely associated to an adaptation of the mechanisms that make up the hypothalamus-hypophysis-adrenal axis, as observed in other mammals under conditions of chronic malnutrition. Finally, in the third study, the animals with weight alterations were excluded from the sample and, using computational tools (K-means and SOM) in a non-supervised way, we suggest found new ontogenetic development classes for C. jacchus. These were redimensioned from five to eight classes: infant I, infant II, infant III, juvenile I, juvenile II, sub-adult, young adult and elderly adult, in order to provide a more suitable classification for more detailed studies that require better control over the animal development

Influência de fatores individuais e sociais sobre as respostas endócrina e comportamental de callithrix jacchus a desafios ambientais físicos e sociais

Regarding the growing number of human beings with physical and mental pathologies associated to different stressor agents, attempts are being made to validate animal models with a close phylogenetic resemblance to man, to study stress response. Callithrix jacchus has been widely used in biomedical research, including on stress, but there is scarce information in the literature about how individual and social factors modulate stressor response in this species. This study uses 4 approaches to investigate the response of male and female adult C. jacchus, under situations of stress, and in the first we show evidence of the importance of this animal as an experimental model in research involving the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis. And we investigate if sex and baseline cortisol levels modulate the behavioral and hormonal response to separation. In two additional approaches investigate if type of social support (co-specific parent or non-parent) and social rank interfere in behavioral and hormonal when the animal are exposure to a new environment, paired with a co-specific (F2), exposure of the animal to a new environment, isolated (F3) or during reunion (F4). Finally, we also investigated the androgen levels in the males, with a focus on the challenge hypothesis, referring to environmental responsiveness and male-male exposure to relatives and non-relatives of C. jacchus. It was observed that: (1) the baseline cortisol of the animal is predictive of cortisol reactivity at separation; (2) males and females do not show dimorphism in the response of cortisol to stressors, although the females have higher baseline levels of this hormone and exhibit higher frequencies of anxiety-related behaviors; (3) only social support provided by relatives proved to be effective in buffering the cortisol response. In behavioral terms this response was dimorphic, showing that only the male dyads displayed an attenuated response to stress; (4) the males showed differences in cortisol levels as a function of social rank and study phases, whereas in the females no such alterations were observed. The males with indefinite dominance hierarchy (IDH) had reduced cortisol in F2 and F4, while the IDH females showed an increase in F3 and F4; (5) the males of relative and non-relative dyads did not exhibit variations in androgen levels as a function of a new environment. These results, taken together, (a) corroborate the use of C. jacchus as a good animal model for stress-related studies, given that they exhibit similar behavioral and physiological alterations to those of human beings in response to stressor agents; (b) point to the importance of considering individual and social modulating factors during experiments with stressors; (c) provide more reliable comparison parameters in studies where these primates are used as animal models, and (d) show that androgens vary as a function of genetic proximity (relative or non-relative) when the animals are faced with physical and social environmental challenges, thus providing important information for studying the challenge hypothesis in this species

Caracterização comportamental endócrina das fases ontogenéticas de sagüi comum (Callithrix jacchus)

The use of animal models in biomedical research is ever increasing. Models that use primates might also have advantages in terms of low maintenance costs and availability of biological knowledge, thereby favoring their use in different experimental protocols. Many current stress studies use animal models at different developmental stages since biological response differs during ontogeny. The aims of this study were to perform a detailed characterization of the developmental stages of common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus), a very important animal model used in biomedical research. Ten subjects, 6 females and 4 males, were followed from birth to initial adult age (16 months). Behavioral and fecal collection for measurement of adrenal (cortisol) and sex (progesterone, estradiol and androgens) hormones took place twice a week during the first month of life and once a week for the remainder of the study. Behavior was observed for 30 minutes in the morning (0700-09:00h) and afternoon (12:00-14:00h). Behavioral profile showed changes during ontogeny, characterizing the 4 developmental stages and the respective phases proposed by Leão et al (2009).. Differentiation of developmental stages was considered using the onset, end, change and stabilization of the behavioral profile parental care (weaning and carrying), ingestion (solid food), affiliation (social grooming) and autogrooming, agonism (scent marking and piloerection) and play behavior and endocrine profile. Infant weaning and carrying terminated within the infantile stage and the peak of solid food ingestion was recorded in the infantile III phase. Receiving grooming was recorded earlier than grooming performed by the infant and autogrooming. The first episode of scent marking was recorded in the 4th week and it was the least variable behavior, in terms of its onset, which, in almost all animals, was between the 5th and 7th week of life. Solitary play and play with the twin started around the 7th week and play with other members of the group started 8 weeks later. Sex hormone secretion started to differ from basal levels between the 21st and 23rd week of life, in males and females, suggesting that puberty occurs simultaneously in both sexes. Basal cortisol, even at an early age, was higher in females than in males. However, cortisol was not correlated with the juvenile stage, as expected, since this stage corresponds to the transition between infancy and adult age and most behaviors are intensified by this time. The behavioral and endocrine profile of subadult animals did not differ from that of the adults. These results provide more detailed parameters for the developmental process of C. jacchus and open new perspectives for the use of experimental approaches focused on the intermediate ontogenetic phases of this species

Avaliação do cortisol, dehidroepiandrosterona sulfato e dos perfis lipídico e imunológico e suas correlações com a sensibilidade dolorosa, depressão e funcionalidade em mulheres com fibromialgia na pós-menopausa

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a non-inflammatory rheumatic syndrome characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain with palpable tender points, muscle stiffness, fatigue, and sleep disturbances. Patients with FM have hormonal changes that are directly correlated with symptoms of the syndrome. The neuroendocrine regulation may be impaired, with abnormalities in the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis with various hormones showing changes in their levels. In women in fertile period, various gonadal hormones are associated with symptoms of the syndrome, but studies focusing only a population of women in post-menopausal period who do not use hormone replacement are rare. We developed an analytical cross sectional study to assess the plasma levels of cortisol and dehidroepiandrosterona sulfate (DHEA-S) with quimioluminescence method in a group of 17 women with FM and 19 healthy women in post-menopause who do not use hormone replacement and observe the correlation with the symptoms of pain through algometry, depression and physical functional capacity measured from the Beck Depression Index (BDI) and the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ). Three blood samples were collected in the morning (between 8:00 9:30) with an interval of 24 hours for the measurements of hormonal levels and biochemical profile. There were no immunological or lipid changes in patients with FM. Comparing the two groups, there is no difference in levels of cortisol and a tangential effect for DHEA-S (p=0,094) with the lowest levels in the FM. DHEA-S also correlated with pain threshold (r=0,7) and tolerance (r=0,65) in group FM. We found the presence of depressive state and low physical functional capacity in FM. It was also evident that women in post-menopausal period, DHEA-S should influence the symptoms of increased sensitivity to pain, but not the presence of depressive status and low physical functional

O Tratamento com a fluoxetina (mas não com outros farmacos antidepressivo e ansioíiticos) reverte o déficit de memória aversiva causado por estresse agudo de contenção em camundongos

The physiologist H. Selye defined stress as the nonspecific response of the body to any factors that endanger homeostasis (balance of internal environment) of the individual. These factors, agents stressors, are able to activate the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis, thus resulting in the physiological responses to stress by the release of glucocorticoids that leads to psychophysiological changes, including effects on cognitive functions such as learning and memory. When this axis is acutely stimulated occurs a repertoire of behavioral and physiological changes can be adaptive to the individual. Notwithstanding, when the HPA axis is chronically stimulated, changes may favor the development of, such as anxiety disorders. Some drugs used in the clinic for the treatment of anxiety disorders these can exert effects on cognitive function, on the HPA axis and on the anxiety. In this context, the aim of our study was to investigate the effects of administration i.p. acute of diazepam (DZP, 2 mg/kg), buspirone (BUS, 3 mg/kg), mirtazapine (MIR, 10 mg/kg) and fluoxetine (FLU, 10 mg/kg) in male mice submitted to acute restraint stress, and evaluated using plus-maze discriminative avoidance task (PMDAT), which simultaneously evaluates parameters such as learning, memory and anxiety. Our results demonstrated that (1) the administration of DZP and BUS, but not FLU, promoted anxiolytic effects in animals; (2) administration mirtazapine caused sedative effect to animals; (3) in the training session, the animals treated with BUS, MIR and FLU learned the task, on the other hand DZP group showed impairment in learning; (4) in the test session, animals treated with DZP, BUS, and MIR showed deficits in relation to discrimination between the enclosed arms, aversive versus non-aversive arm, demonstrating an impairment in memory, however, animals treated with FLU showed no interference in the retrieval of this memory; (5) acute stress did not interfere in locomotor activity, anxiety, or learning on the learning task, but induced impairment in retrieval memory, and the group treated with FLU did not demonstrated this deficit of memory . These results suggest that acute administration of drugs with anxiolytic and antidepressant activity does not interfere with the learning process this aversive task, but impair its retrieval, as well as the acute restraint stress. However, the antidepressant fluoxetine was able to reverse memory deficits promoted by acute stress, which may suggest that modulation, even acutely serotonergic neurotransmission, by selectively inhibiting the reuptake of this neurotransmitter, interferes on the process of retrieval of an aversive memory

Cardiorespiratory and endocrine effects of endogenous opioid antagonism by naloxone in ponies anaesthetised with halothane

Halothane depresses cardiorespiratory function and activates the pituitary-adrenal axis, increasing beta endorphin. In horses, beta endorphin may enhance the anaesthetic-associated cardiorespiratory depression and mortality risk. The authors studied endogenous opioid effects on cardiorespiratory function and pituitary-adrenal activity in halothane-anaesthetised ponies by investigating opioid antagonism by naloxone. Six ponies were anaesthetised three times (crossover design). Anaesthesia was induced with thiopentone and maintained with 1.2 per cent halothane for 2 hours. Immediately after induction, naloxone was administered either intra venously (0.5 mg kg(-1) bolus then 0.25 mg kg(-1) hour(-1) for 2 hours) or intrathecally (0.5 mg) or was replaced by saline as control. Pulse and respiratory rates, arterial blood gases, cardiac output and plasma cortisol and adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) concentrations were measured. All groups developed cardiorespiratory depression (40 per cent decrease in cardiac output) and plasma cortisol increased. Plasma ACTH concentration was higher in ponies treated with intrathecal naloxone. Endogenous opioids may inhibit ACTH Secretion, attenuating the stress response to halothane anaesthesia in equidae. (C) 2001 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.

The effects of intrathecal administration of betamethasone over the dogs' spinal cord and meninges

OBJETIVO: Determinar possíveis alterações clínicas e histológicas determinadas pela administração da betametasona no espaço subaracnóideo de cães. MÉTODOS: Vinte e um cães foram incluídos no estudo de forma aleatória e encoberta. Depois de anestesiados, os cães foram submetidos a punção subaracóidea com injeção de 1 ml da solução sorteada. Os animais receberam solução salina 0,9% em G1, betametasona na dose de 1,75 mg em G2 e betametasona na dose de 3,5 mg em G3. Todos os animais foram mantidos em observação clínica por 21 dias, sendo posteriormente sacrificados. Porções da medula espinhal e sacral foram removidas para análise histológica por microscopia óptica. RESULTADOS: Não foram detectadas alterações clínicas em quaisquer dos animais incluídos no estudo. da mesma forma, nenhum animal do G1 apresentou alterações histológicas. Infiltração inflamatória foi observada em dois cães, um do G2 e outro e G3. No cão do G2 onde a infiltração inflamatória foi observada ocorreu, conjuntamente, hemorragia e necrose. em dois cães, um de G2 e outro de G3, observou-se discreta fibrose e espessamento da aracnóide, sendo focal em um e difusa no outro. CONCLUSÃO: A administração subaracnóidea de betametasona determinou alterações histológicas em medula e meninges de alguns dos cães envolvidos no estudo.

Usos potenciais de moringa oleifera lam., uma matriz para produção de biodiesel e tratamento de água no semiárido nordestino

The current environmental crisis demands transformations in the relations among society, nature and development, considering sustainability. In this context, an important theme is replacing fossil fuels with biofuels, such as biodiesel. Moringa oleifera Lam. is a species that can be used as a raw material to produce biodiesel. Besides, it is a multiple purposes plant, which can be used also in water treatment. Thus, the aims of this work were to analyze the anatomical adaptations found in the stem and in the leaf and the seed s oil stores of M. oleifera., to investigate chemical characteristics of M. oleifera s seed oil, considering biodiesel production, and to evaluate the coagulation activity of these seeds in water treatment. Semipermanent histological laminas were made and it follows that the stem has thick cuticle, stomata whose cells guard are below the epidermis line, hollow medulla, druses and tector trichomes as adaptations to climate and soil conditions in which the species is found and the leaf is dorsiventral and it has thick cuticle, tector trichomes and druses. The seed has great reserves of oil. These features favor the use of Moringa oleifera Lam. as a raw material to produce biodiesel in Brazil s Northeast semiarid region. Chemical analysis were made through oil solvent extraction using mechanic stirrer. The oil was analyzed in UV spectrophotometer. A transesterification was made and biodiesel was analyzed in gas chromatography. Oil yield was high and good quality biodiesel was obtained. To evaluate seeds coagulantion activity, coagulation and flocculation essays in jartest were made, using seed extract to treat raw water. Seeds were efficient in cogulation process to treat water. So, they can be used in rudimentary systems or as a raw material to coagulant proteins extraction, as an alternative to traditional coagulants. M. oleifera has characteristics that favor its use to biodiesel production and water treatment