Role of Exercise Training on Autonomic Changes and Inflammatory Profile Induced by Myocardial Infarction

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

Effect of Statins and Aerobic Physical Exercise on Liver Function in Dyslipidemic Rats - Morphometric Study

The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of statins associated with physical exercise (PE) in liver cells in dyslipidemic rats through cariometry. The animals were divided into six groups: animals subjected to a hypercholesterolemic diet (HD), simvastatin, with (G1) and without (G2) physical exercise (PE); HD submitted (G3) or not (G4) to PE, and commercial food diet (F) with (G5) and without (G6) PE. Histological analysis of the liver was performed by staining the slides with hematoxylin and eosin. The cariometric study included measuring the major and minor diameters of the hepatocytes nuclei. The Shapiro-Wilk test was also performed. To determine the differences among the groups, the Kruskal-Wallis Test with Dunn's post-test were conducted. The significance level was set at 5%. No difference was found in the hepatocytes nuclei between G5 and G6. When these groups were related with G3 and G4, reduced nuclei were observed. There was no difference between G1 and G6. The comparison between G6 and G2 showed that the nuclei in G2 were smaller. No difference was detected between G5 and G1. Changes were observed in the nuclei shape in G2 in comparison to G1. Considering G2 and G3, a decrease in the size of nuclei was observed in G3. On the other hand, G2 showed changes in shape in the comparative analysis with G4. The size and shape of G1 nuclei were larger than G3 as well as changes in shape were observed when compared to G4. G4 showed smaller nuclei than G3. Therefore, F, associated or not with the practice of PE, does not alter the size and shape of the hepatocytes nuclei; HD combined with sedentarism influences changes in the morphometric parameters of hepatocytes; and the association of simvastatin and PE seems to protect the hepatocytes nuclei with regard to HD.

Two levels of the inspired oxygen fraction in propofol-anesthetized dogs with high intracranial pressure: cardiopulmonary function

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

Analysis of renal function after on and off pump coronary artery bypass grafting

Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is often associated with renal dysfunction, as measured by plasma creatinine levels and hemodialysis rates. Aim. To compare creatinine clearance (CrCl), estimated with the Cockroft and Gault formula, between patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) versus on-pump CABG (on-CAB). Material and methods. Between April 2008 and April 2009, 119 patients underwent coronary bypass graft surgery. Fifty-eight (58) of these patients underwent OPCAB while 61 had on-CAB. Creatinine clearance, plasma creatinine levels, and clinical outcome were compared between the groups. A creatinine clearance value of 50 mL/minute was accepted as the lowest limit of normal renal function. Results. There were two hospital deaths caused by sepses after pulmonary infection. Creatinine clearance (Preoperative OPCAB 73,64±33,72 x on-CAB 75,70±34,30mL/min; discharge OPCAB 75,73±35,07 x on-CAB 79,07±34,71 mL/ min; p=0,609), and creatinine levels (Preoperative OPCAB 1,04±0,38 x on-CAB 1,13±0,53 mg/dL; discharge OPCAB 1,12±0,79 x on-CAB 1,04±0,29mg/dL; p=0,407) did not show statistically inter-group differences. Conclusion. Deterioration in renal function is associated with higher rates of postoperative complications. No significant difference in CrCl could be demonstrated between the groups.

Age and gender influence the cardiorespiratory function and metabolic rate of broiler chicks during normocapnia and hypercapnia

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

Exercise improves immune function, antidepressive response, and sleep quality in patients with chronic primary insomnia

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

Phenotypic and functional evaluations of peripheral blood monocytes from chronic-form paracoccidioidomycosis patients before and after treatment

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

The role of proestrus on fertility and postovulatory uterine function in the cow

Modern protocols to synchronize ovulations for timed artificial insemination and timed embryo transfer that include manipulations in the proestrus period (i.e., between luteolysis and estrus) affect fertility in cattle. Specifically, stimulating pre-ovulatory follicle growth and exposure to estrogens after CL regression increase the proportion of cows pregnant and decrease late embryo mortality. Such effects may be due to both preovulatory actions of estrogens and post-ovulatory actions of progesterone, as concentrations of the later hormone may be changed in response to manipulations conducted during proestrus. In the first portion of this paper we describe strategies used recently to manipulate the proestrus period in protocols for synchronization of ovulation, and to present evidence of their effects on fertility. Manipulations of timing and prominence of sex steroids during the proestrus and early diestrus that affect fertility may act on targets such as the endometrium. This tissue expresses receptors for both estrogens and progesterone and these hormones change endometrial function to support conceptus growth and pregnancy maintenance. However, specific cellular and molecular mechanisms through which fertility is affected via manipulations of the proestrus are poorly understood. In the second portion of this paper we describe a well-defined animal model to study changes in endometrial function induced by manipulations conducted during the proestrus. Such manipulations induced endometrial changes on sex steroid receptors expression, cell proliferation, oxidative metabolism and eicosanoid synthesis in the uterus, but not on glucose transport to uterine lumen. In summary, evidence is accumulating to support a positive role of increasing duration and estrogen availability during the proestrus on fertility to synchronization protocols. Such positive effects may be through changes in endometrial function to stimulate conceptus growth and survival.

Activation of the brain melanocortin system is required for leptin-induced modulation of chemorespiratory function

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

In-Office dental bleaching efficacy assessment in function of the light exposure regime by digital colometric reflectance spectroscopy

In-office dental bleaching has been subject of several studies. Generally those studies quantify through visual analysis, the shade reduction of the teeth submitted to different bleaching protocols (light sources, bleaching agent concentrations and irradiation time). The objective of this work is the determination of the influence of four irradiation protocols on the obtainment of better aesthetic results using a colorimetric spectrophotometer that quantifies color changes in each situation imposed. Forty bovine incisors were selected in function of similar anatomic characteristics; a concentrated coffee solution was used to stain the teeth. A commercial spectrophotometer was used to measure the color changes during evolution of the experiment (stain and bleaching phases) and the obtained data was analyzed by the ANOVA test. The obtained data showed the evolution of teeth color during the staining period, as well as, the color reduction that each bleaching protocol achieved. Based on our findings it is possible to conclude that bleaching protocols with larger irradiation periods did not showed significant differences when compared with shorter irradiation protocols, in that way the use of protocols with 30 min or more of consecutive irradiation are not clinically justified and also can cause several side effects.

Immediate and long-term effects of psychological stress during adolescence in cardiovascular function: comparison of homotypic vs heterotypic stress regimens

Adolescence has been proposed as an ontogenic period of vulnerability to stress. Nevertheless, the impact of stressful events during adolescence in cardiovascular activity is poorly understood. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the immediate and long-lasting effects of exposure to stressful events during adolescence in cardiovascular function of rats. To this end, we compared the impact of 10-days exposure to two chronic stress protocols: the repeated restraint stress (RRS, homotypic) and chronic variable stress (CVS, heterotypic). Independent groups of animals were tested 24 h (immediate) or three weeks (long-lasting) following completion of stress period. Exposure to CVS, but not RRS, during adolescence increased basal HR values without affecting arterial pressure, which was followed by augmented power of oscillatory component at low frequency (sympathetic-related) of the pulse interval (PI). RRS enhanced variance of the PI with an increase in the power of both low and high (parasympathetic-related) frequency components. RRS also increased the baroreflex gain. Neither RRS nor CVS affected systolic arterial pressure variability. The RRS-evoked changes in PI variability were long-lasting and persisted into adulthood while all alterations evoked by the CVS were reversed in adulthood. These findings indicate a stress type-specific influence in immediate and long-term effects of stress during adolescence in cardiovascular function. While immediate changes in cardiovascular function were mainly observed following CVS, long-lasting autonomic consequences in adulthood were observed only in animals exposed to RRS during adolescence.

Pamidronate attenuates diastolic dysfunction induced by myocardial infarction associated with changes in geometric patterning

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

Neonatal anoxia in rats: hippocampal cellular and subcellular changes related to cell death and spatial memory

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

Aerobic training attenuates nicotinic acetylcholine receptor changes in the diaphragm muscle during heart failure

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Conformational changes in a hyperthermostable glycoside hydrolase: enzymatic activity is a consequence of the loop dynamics and protonation balance

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