Endothelial AT(1) and AT(2) pathways in aortic responses to angiotensin II after stress and ethanol consumption in rats

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Long-Term Spinal Ventral Root Reimplantation, but not Bone Marrow Mononuclear Cell Treatment, Positively Influences Ultrastructural Synapse Recovery and Motor Axonal Regrowth

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

Effect of the association between citric acid and EDTA on root surface etching

Objective: This study aims to compare the clot stabilization on root surfaces conditioned with citric acid and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). Materials and methods: Scaled root samples (n = 100) were set in five groups: group I?control group (saline solution); group II (24% EDTA); group III (25% citric acid); group IV (EDTA + citric acid); group V (citric acid + EDTA). Fifty samples were assessed using the root surface modification index (RSMI). The other 50 received a blood drop after conditioning. Clot formation was assessed using blood elements adhesion index (BEAI). A blind examiner evaluated photomicrographs. Statistical analysis considered p < 0.05. Results: Groups-III and G-V attained the best results for RSMI and BEAI in comparison to control. The worst results for clot stabilization were seen in group-II. EDTA employment before citric acid (group-IV) reduced clot formation in comparison to citric acid use alone (group-III). Conclusion: Root conditioning with citric acid alone and before EDTA had the best results for smear layer removal and clot stabilization. EDTA inhibited clot stabilization on root surface and must have a residual activity once it has diminished clot adhesion to root even after citric acid conditioning. Thus, EDTA can be used to neutralize citric acid effects on periodontal cells without affecting clot stabilization. Clinical significance: To demonstrate that citric acid use on root surfaces previously affected by periodontal disease may favor clot stabilization and may have a beneficial effect on surgical outcomes. Also, EDTA can be used to neutralize citric acid effects on periodontal cells.

Ph and antimicrobial activity of portland cement associated with different radiopacifying agents

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity and pH changes induced by Portland cement (PC) alone and in association with radiopacifiers. Methods. The materials tested were pure PC, PC + bismuth oxide, PC + zirconium oxide, PC + calcium tungstate, and zinc oxide and eugenol cement (ZOE). Antimicrobial activity was evaluated by agar diffusion test using the following strains: Micrococcus luteus, Streptococcus mutans, Enterococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans. After 24 hours of incubation at 37°C, inhibition of bacterial growth was observed and measured. For pH analysis, material samples (n=10) were placed in polyethylene tubes and immersed in 10 mL of distilled water. After 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours, the pH of the solutions was determined using a pH meter. Results. All microbial species were inhibited by the cements evaluated. All materials composed of PC with radiopacifying agents promoted pH increase similar to pure Portland cement. ZOE had the lowest pH values throughout all experimental periods. Conclusions. All Portland cement-based materials with the addition of different radiopacifiers (bismuth oxide, calcium tungstate, and zirconium oxide) presented antimicrobial activity and pH similar to pure Portland cement.

Effects of exercise training on stress-induced vascular reactivity alterations: role of nitric oxide and prostanoids

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

Effectiveness of the diode laser in the treatment of ligature-induced periodontitis in rats: a histopathological, histometric, and immunohistochemical study

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the use of a high-power gallium-aluminum-arsenide diode laser (GaAlAs; 808 nm, 1 W, 20 s, 20 Hz, 10 J) alone or as adjunctive therapy to scaling and root planing in the treatment of induced periodontitis in rats. Periodontitis was induced by placing a ligature around the mandibular first molar of 60 rats. After 7 days, the ligature was removed and the animals were divided into four groups as follows: C (control), no periodontal treatment; SRP, scaling and root planing (SRP); DL, diode laser (DL) irradiation treatment; and SRP/DL, both SRP and DL irradiation treatment. Five animals from each group were euthanized at 7, 15, and 30 days posttreatment. The effectiveness of the treatments was evaluated in the furcation area using histopathological analysis, histometric analysis of alveolar bone loss (ABL), and immunohistochemical detection of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), and osteocalcin (OCN). DL, alone or in combination with adjunctive therapy to SRP in the treatment of experimental periodontitis, resulted in a decreased local inflammatory response. At 7-days posttreatment, the DL and SRP/DL groups had fewer TRAP-positive cells and more RUNX2-positive cells. There was greater OCN immunolabeling in the DL group than in the C and SRP groups at 15 days. There was less ABL in the DL and SRP/DL groups at 15 and 30 days. In conclusion, DL was effective in the treatment of ligature-induced periodontitis in rats, both when used alone and when used as adjunctive therapy to SRP.

Effect of the competition of Cu(II) and Ni(II) on the kinetic and thermodynamic stabilities of Cr(III)-organic ligand complexes using competitive ligand exchange (EDTA)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Effects of resistance training in older women with knee osteoarthritis and total knee arthroplasty

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to analyze the effects of resistance training on functional performance, lower-limb loading distribution and balance in older women with total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and osteoarthritis (OA) in the contralateral knee. In addition, this older knee OA and TKA group (OKG) was compared to older (OG) and young women (YG) without musculoskeletal diseases who underwent the same resistance training program.METHODS: Twenty-three women divided into OKG (N = 7), OG (N = 8) and YG (N = 8) had their functional performance, lower-limb loading distribution and balance compared before and after 13 weeks of a twice-weekly progressive resistance training program.RESULTS: At baseline, the OKG showed lower functional performance and unilateral balance, and impaired lower-limb loading distribution compared to the OG and the YG (p<0.05). After resistance training, the OKG showed improvements in functional performance (similar to 13% in sit-to-stand and rising from the floor, similar to 16% in stair-climbing and similar to 23% in 6-minute walking (6 MW)), unilateral balance (similar to 72% and,78% in TKA and OA leg, respectively) and lower-limb loading distribution, which were greater than those observed in the OG and the YG. The OKG showed post-training 6 MW performance similar to that of the OG at baseline. Sit-to-stand performance and unilateral stand balance were further restored to post-training levels of the OG and to baseline levels of the YG.CONCLUSIONS: Resistance training partially restored functional, balance and lower-limb loading deficits in older women with TKA and OA in the contralateral knee. These results suggest that resistance training may be an important tool to counteract mobility impairments commonly found in this population.

Controlling Asian soybean rust (Phakopsora pachyrhizi) with Bacillus spp. and coffee oil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Synergist interaction between angiotensin II and DOCA on sodium and water balance in rats

Blockade of central angiotensin receptors with the specific antagonist [Leu8]-ANG II abolished water ingestion and water and sodium excretion induced by infusion of angiotensin II (ANGII) into the lateral ventricle (LV) of rats. The antagonist reduced but did not suppress the salt appetite induced by ANGII infusion. Subcutaneous injection of deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA) caused increases in water and 3% NaCl ingestion and decreases in sodium excretion. When central ANGII infusion was combined with peripheral DOCA, the water intake was similar to that induced by ANGII alone and the ingestion of 3% NaCl was increased, whereas sodium excretion was inhibited. When ANGII was infused alone, a detailed temporal analysis of fluid and sodium balance showed a negative balance similar those saline controls that persisted throughout the experiment. Combined administration of ANGII and DOCA induce significant changes in water and sodium balance. Sodium and water maintained a positive balance through out the 8-h experiment. The data support an interaction of central ANGII and DOCA on sodium intake and water and sodium balance. © 1994.

Preliminary X-ray crystallographic studies of a Lys49-phospholipase A(2) homologue from Bothrops pirajai venom complexed with p-bromophenacyl bromide and alpha-tocopherol inhibitors

PrTX-I, a non-catalytic and myotoxic Lys49-PLA(2) from Bothrops pirajai venom has been crystallized alone and in complex with bromophenacyl bromide (BPB), alpha-tocopherol and alpha-tocopherol acetate inhibitors. These crystals have shown to diffract X-rays between 2.34 and 1.65 angstrom resolution. All complexes crystals are isomorphous and belong to the space group P2(1) whereas native PrTX-I crystals belong to the P3(1)21.

Toxicogenetic effects of low concentrations of the pesticides imidacloprid and sulfentrazone individually and in combination in in vitro tests with HepG2 cells and Salmonella typhimurium

The insecticide imidacloprid and the herbicide sulfentrazone are two different classes of pesticides that are used for pest control in sugarcane agriculture. To evaluate the genotoxic potential of low concentrations of these two pesticides alone and in mixture, the comet assay and the micronucleus (MN) test employing fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with a centromeric probe were applied in human hepatoma cell lines (HepG2), in a 24-h assay. Mutagenicity was assessed by Salmonella/microsome assay with TA98 and TA100 strains in the absence and presence of an exogenous metabolizing system (S9). The results showed significant inductions of MN in HepG2 cells by both pesticides, for all the tested concentrations. As evidenced in the comet assay, only the imidacloprid presented significant responses. When the two pesticides were associated, a significant induction of damage was observed in the HepG2 cells by the comet assay, but not by the MN test. Moreover, the MN induced by the mixtures of the pesticides appeared at lower levels than those induced by sulfentrazone and imidacloprid when tested alone. According to the FISH results, the damage induced by imidacloprid in the HepG2 cells resulted from a clastogenic action of this insecticide (76.6% of the MN did not present a centromeric signal). For the herbicide sulfentrazone and for the mixture of the pesticides, a similar frequency of MN with and without the presence of the centromeric signal (herbicide: 52.45% of the MN without centromeric signal and 47.54% of the MN with centromeric signal; mixture: 48.71% of the MN without centromeric signal and 51.42% of the MN with centromeric signal) was verified. Based on these results, it was concluded that each one of the pesticides evaluated interacts with the DNA of HepG2 cells and causes irreparable alterations in the cells. However, the combination of the pesticides showed an antagonistic effect on the cells and the damage induced was milder and not persistent in HepG2 cells. The results obtained by the Ames test did not point out significant results.

The oxidation of p-phenylenediamine, an ingredient used for permanent hair dyeing purposes, leads to the formation of hydroxyl radicals: oxidative stress and DNA damage in human immortalized keratinocytes

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

Metformin and soybean-derived bioactive molecules attenuate the expansion of stem cell-like epithelial subpopulation and confer apoptotic sensitivity in human colon cancer cells

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a disease whose genesis may include metabolic dysregulation. Cancer stem cells are attractive targets for therapeutic interventions since their aberrant expansion may underlie tumor initiation, progression, and recurrence. To investigate the actions of metabolic regulators on cancer stem cell-like cells (CSC) in CRC, we determined the effects of soybean-derived bioactive molecules and the anti-diabetes drug metformin (MET), alone and together, on the growth, survival, and frequency of CSC in human HCT116 cells. Effects of MET (60 μM) and soybean components genistein (Gen, 2 μM), lunasin (Lun, 2 μM), β-conglycinin (β-con, 3 μM), and glycinin (Gly, 3 μM) on HCT116 cell proliferation, apoptosis, and mRNA/protein expression and on the frequency of the CSC CD133(+)CD44(+) subpopulation by colonosphere assay and fluorescence-activated cell sorting/flow cytometry were evaluated. MET, Gen, and Lun, individually and together, inhibited HCT116 viability and colonosphere formation and, conversely, enhanced HCT116 apoptosis. Reductions in frequency of the CSC CD133(+)CD44(+) subpopulation with MET, Gen, and Lun were found to be associated with increased PTEN and reduced FASN expression. In cells under a hyperinsulinemic state mimicking metabolic dysregulation and without and with added PTEN-specific inhibitor SF1670, colonosphere formation and frequency of the CD133(+)CD44(+) subpopulation were decreased by MET, Lun and Gen, alone and when combined. Moreover, MET + Lun + Gen co-treatment increased the pro-apoptotic and CD133(+)CD44(+)-inhibitory efficacy of 5-fluorouracil under hyperinsulinemic conditions. Results identify molecular networks shared by MET and bioavailable soy food components, which potentially may be harnessed to increase drug efficacy in diabetic and non-diabetic patients with CRC.

Efeito agudo do alongamento de diferentes grupos musculares no desempenho muscular de idosas

Among the numerous possibilities of physical exercise, it has been recommended that stretching routines should be incorporated into training programs focused on the elderly population, and that these routines should be preferentially performed on the same strength or aerobic training session. However, studies have shown that muscle strength production can be acutely impaired if it is preceded by static stretching exercises (AE). Although there seems to be a relationship between the number of stretched muscles and strength response, no studies were found examining such relationship in the same study, simultaneously. Thus, the objective of this study is to analyze the acute effect of stretching of different muscle groups on strength performance in older women. Nineteen physically active older women participated in the study (67.8 ± 5.3 years, 68.9 ± 12.4 kg, 157.2 ± 6.4 cm)-usar ponto final em inglês e não vírgula. The participants visited the lab for six consecutive days, three of which were intended to familiarization. Over the next three days, all the participants performed the experimental conditions: control; quadriceps stretching alone and complete stretching, involving the major extensors muscle groups of knees and hips. Both the two stretching conditions were realized with three series of 30s (total volume of 90 seconds for each exercise). All experimental conditions was be performed with an interval of at least 24 hours and order of execution was be randomized. The force transducer was connected to a leg press apparatus, where the isometric force time curve and electromyographic activity of the vastus medial and vastus lateralis were recorded. Measurements were registered immediately after each experimental condition, during five seconds. Statistical analysis comprised descriptive procedures and the One way ANOVA test for repeated measures (p<0.05). No statistically significant differences between the control and the two...