Influence of treatment with quercetin on lipid parameters and oxidative stress of pregnant diabetic rats

Among the numerous coadjuvant therapies that could influence the incidence and progression of diabetic complications, antioxidants and flavonoids are currently being tested in clinical trials. We investigated the effect of quercetin on biochemical parameters in streptozotocin-induced (60 mg/kg body mass, by intraperitoneal injection) diabetic rats. A total of 32 female Wistar rats were distributed among 4 groups as follows: control (G1); control treated with quercetin (G2); diabetic (G3); and diabetic treated with quercetin (G4). Quercetin administered to pregnant diabetic rats controlled dyslipidemia and improved lipid profiles in diabetes mellitus, regulated oxidative stress by reducing the generation of lipid hydroperoxides, and increased the activity of the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase.

Combined effects of age and diet-induced obesity on biochemical parameters and cardiac energy metabolism in rats

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

Effects of Jugular Vein Occlusion on Cardiovascular Parameters in Horses During Exercise on a Treadmill

The purpose of the present investigation was to examine the effects of unilateral and bilateral jugular vein occlusion by temporary surgical ligature on the heart rate and arterial and venous blood pressure in sedentary horses during progressive treadmill exercise. Six horses performed three exercise tests (ET). ET1, considered the control, was performed in horses without jugular occlusions. ET2 and ET3 were performed with unilateral and bilateral occlusion by temporary surgical ligature of the jugular veins, respectively. Heart rate, arterial pressure, and pressure of the occluded jugular vein were evaluated. Clinically, the horses presented apathy, head edema, congested mucous membranes, increased capillary refill time, and dysphagia. These signs were observed with the unilateral jugular vein occlusion and became more evident with the bilateral occlusion. Comparing ETs, no differences were observed in heart rate. However, jugular occlusions promoted a decrease in the mean arterial pressure and a severe increase in jugular pressure. Head edema caused by the jugular vein occlusion in the horses could interfere with the autonomic cardiovascular regulation of arterial blood pressure during exercise, likely leading to an impairment of tissue perfusion. Jugular occlusion, even unilateral, also causes severe head venous congestion, leading to venous hypertension that was aggravated by exercise, which could risk development of cerebral edema and neurological damage. The present results obtained from sedentary horses are preliminary data that lead us to suggest that sport horses presenting jugular occlusive thrombophlebitis, even unilateral, may be prevented from performing athletic activities. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Association between energy cost of walking, muscle activation, and biomechanical parameters in older female fallers and non-fallers

Objective: To determine the nervous activation, muscle strength, and biomechanical parameters that influence the cost of walking in older fallers and non-fallers. Methods: Maximal voluntary isokinetic torque was measured for the hip, knee and ankle of older women. Oxygen consumption was measured at rest and during 8 min of walking at self-selected speed. An additional minute of walking was performed to collect kinematic variables and the electromyographic signal of trunk, hip, knee, and ankle muscles, which was analyzed by the linear envelope. Cost of walking was calculated by subtracting resting body mass-normalized oxygen consumption from walking body mass-normalized oxygen consumption. Stride time and length, and ankle and hip range of motion were calculated from kinematic data. Findings: Older adult fallers had 28% lower knee extensor strength (p = 0.02), 47% lower internal oblique activation at heel contact (p = 0.03), and higher coactivation between tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius lateralis in each of the gait phases (p < 0.05). For fallers, a higher activation of gluteus maximus was associated with a higher cost of walking (r = 0.55, p < 0.05 and r = 0.71, p < 0.01, before and after heel contact, respectively). For non-fallers, an association between cost of walking and age (r = 0.60, p = 0.01) and cost of walking and thigh muscle coactivation (r = 0.53, p = 0.01) existed. Interpretation: This study demonstrated that there may be links between lower-extremity muscle weakness, muscle activation patterns, altered gait, and increased cost of walking in older fallers. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Muscle strength and ankle mobility for the gait parameters in diabetic neuropathies

Aims: To evaluate the spatio-temporal variables of gait and the isometric muscle strength component of the ankle in patients with peripheral diabetic neuropathy. Also, verify the relationship between these variables and gait parameters. Methods: This study involved 25 diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) participants (62.4 ± 8.36 years) and 27 age-matched healthy control individuals (64.48 ± 6.21 years). The assessment of the spatio-temporal parameters of gait was performed using an electronic baropodometry treadmill. Prior to the collection data, each participant was instructed to walk on the treadmill in her/his habitual self-selected speed. Results: Diabetic neuropathy group showed impairment of gait, with a smaller stride and length speed of the cycle, and increased duration of support time. Restricted dorsiflexion mobility and increased plantarflexion mobility were found, with a decrease in muscle strength of the dorsiflexors and plantiflexors. There was a significant relationship between plantiflexor muscle strength and the length and speed of the gait cycle. Also the muscle strengths of the plantiflexors and dorsiflexors, and the range of motion of dorsiflexion were predictors of gait performance. Conclusions: The ankle, muscle strength and ankle mobility variables could explain changes in gait speed and range of motion in patients with DPN, allowing for the application of preventive strategies. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

Effect of Storage Time and Temperature of Equine Epididymis on the Viability, Motion Parameters, and Freezability of Epididymal Sperm

The recovery of sperm from the epididymal cauda may be the last chance to obtain genetic material when sudden death or serious injuries occur in valuable stallions. However, the lack of technical knowledge regarding the storage and transportation of the epididymis often prevents the preservation of the sperm. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare sperm parameters of sperm obtained immediately after orchiectomy with sperm recovered from epididymal cauda at different times after storage at 5°C and at room temperature (RT). For that, 48 stallions of different breeds were used. In group 1 (control group), eight stallions were used, and the harvest of the epididymal sperm was performed immediately after orchiectomy. In group 2, 40 stallions were used, which were divided into five groups according to the storage time of the epididymis after orchiectomy (6, 12, 18, 24, or 30 hours), making a total of eight stallions per group. One epididymis of each stallion was stored at 5°C, and the contralateral epididymis was stored at RT, both for the same period. The sperm parameters of total motility, progressive motility, progressive linear velocity, curvilinear velocity, percentage of rapid sperm, and plasma membrane integrity were evaluated in all the groups after sperm recovery, resuspension in a sperm freezing diluent, and thawing. In conclusion, the storage of the testis-epididymis complex at 5°C provided better preservation of epididymal sperm than the storage at RT, and regardless of the temperature, the progressive motility is the sperm parameter that is most sensitive to storage time. © 2013 Elsevier Inc.

Genetic parameters for test-day milk yield, 305-day milk yield, and lactation length in Guzerat cows

Milk production in tropical environments requires the use of crossbreeding systems including breeds well adapted to harsh conditions, but with lower productivities when compared to specialized breeds. Besides the genetic improvement for milk production, lactation lengths also need to be studied for most of these breeds. Accordingly, genetic parameters were estimated for 305-day cumulative milk yield (MY305), test-day milk yield (TDMY), and lactation length (LL) using information from the first lactations of 2816 Guzerat cows selected for milk production in 28 herds in Brazil. Contemporary groups were defined as herd, year and season of the test for TDMY, and as herd, year and season of calving for MY305 and LL. Variance components were estimated with the restricted maximum likelihood method under a multi-trait animal model. Heritabilities estimated for TDMY ranged from 0.16 to 0.24, and were 0.24 and 0.12 for MY305 and LL, respectively. Genetic correlations were high and positive, ranging from 0.51 to 0.99 among TDMY records, from 0.81 to 0.98 between each TDMY and MY305, and from 0.71 to 0.94 between each TDMY and LL. Genetic parameters obtained in this study indicated the possibility of using test-day records for the prediction of breeding values for milk yield in this population of the Guzerat breed. The use of TDMY as selection criteria would result in indirect gains in MY305 and LL. However, the highest response to selection for MY305 would be obtained by direct selection for this trait. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

Long-term effects of perinatal androgenization on reproductive parameters of male rat offspring androgenization and male rat reproduction

It is known that during sex differentiation, fetal androgens are critical determinants of the male phenotype. Although testosterone is necessary for normal development of male sexual behavior, perinatal androgen treatment can result in disruption of normal male sexual reproduction. Pregnant Wistar rats were administered either corn oil (vehicle) or testosterone propionate at 0.2 mg/kg from gestational day 12 until the end of lactation and the reproductive function of male offspring was evaluated at 90 (adulthood) and 270 (middle age) days of age. Perinatal androgenization in the rat provoked a reduction in sperm production and reserves in adulthood that did not affect fertility and did not persist at more advanced ages, as shown by the results at post-natal day 270. If perinatal androgenization promotes similar effects in humans of reproductive age, the results of the present work can impact male reproduction health, given the less efficient spermatogenesis and lower sperm reserves in the human epididymis, compared to rodents. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart. New York.

Kinetic and temporospatial parameters in male and female cats walking over a pressure sensing walkway

Background: Several factors may influence kinetic data measurements, including body conformation and body mass. In addition, gender differences in gait pattern have been observed in healthy humans. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the kinetic and temporospatial parameters in clinically healthy male and female cats using a pressure-sensitive walkway. Eighteen crossbreed adult cats were divided into two groups: G1 had ten male cats (nine neutered) aged from 1 to 4 years and body mass 3.1-6.8 kg; G2 had eight spayed female cats, aged from 1 to 6 years and body mass 3.3-4.75 kg. The data from the first five valid trials were collected for each cat. A trial was considered valid if the cat maintained a velocity between 0.54-0.74 m/s and acceleration from -0.20 to 0.20 m/s2. The peak vertical force (PVF), vertical impulse (VI), gait cycle time, stance time, swing time, stride length, and percentage body weight distribution among the four limbs were determined. In addition, the lengths of each forelimb and each hind limb were measured using a tape with the animal standing.Results: No significant differences were observed in each group in either the forelimbs or the hind limbs or between the left and right sides for any of the variables. For both groups, the PVF (%BW), the VI, and the percentage body weight distribution were higher at the forelimbs than the hind limbs. The stride length was larger for males; however, the other kinetic and temporospatial variables did not show any statistically significant differences between the groups. The lengths of the forelimbs and hind limbs were larger in the male cats. There was a significant moderate positive correlation between the stride length and the length of the limbs.Conclusions: In conclusion, the only difference observed between male and female cats was the stride length, and this was due to the greater body size of male cats. This difference did not affect other temporospatial or kinetics variables. © 2013 Verdugo et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Estimates of genetic parameters for carcass, growth and reproductive traits in Nellore cattle

The objective of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for female mature weight (FMW), age at first calving (AFC), weight gain from birth to 120 days (WG_B_120), from 210 to 365 days (WG_210_365), rib eye area (REA), back fat thickness (BF), rump fat (RF) and body weight at scanning date (BWS) using single and multiple-trait animal models by the REML method from Nellore cattle data. The estimates of heritability ranged from 0.163±0.011 for WG_210_365 to 0.309±0.028 for RF using the single-trait model and from 0.163±0.010 for WG_210_365 to 0.382±0.025 for BWS using the multiple-trait model. The estimates of genetic correlations ranged from -0.35±0.08 between AFC with BF to 0.69±0.04 between WG_B_120 with BWS. Selection for weights gains, REA, and BWS can improve FMW. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

A bayesian analysis for the parameters of the exponential-logarithmic distribution

The exponential-logarithmic is a new lifetime distribution with decreasing failure rate and interesting applications in the biological and engineering sciences. Thus, a Bayesian analysis of the parameters would be desirable. Bayesian estimation requires the selection of prior distributions for all parameters of the model. In this case, researchers usually seek to choose a prior that has little information on the parameters, allowing the data to be very informative relative to the prior information. Assuming some noninformative prior distributions, we present a Bayesian analysis using Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods. Jeffreys prior is derived for the parameters of exponential-logarithmic distribution and compared with other common priors such as beta, gamma, and uniform distributions. In this article, we show through a simulation study that the maximum likelihood estimate may not exist except under restrictive conditions. In addition, the posterior density is sometimes bimodal when an improper prior density is used. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

Systematic review of the effects of fatigue on spatiotemporal gait parameters

PURPOSE: This systematic review aimed to assess changes on spatiotemporal gait parameters due to fatigue. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A search was carried out in literature published from 1950 to December 2010 and retrieved 771 articles using terms referring to walking and fatigue in the title, abstract or keywords. Two researchers assessed the selection and quality of each article independently. RESULTS: Seven studies were selected for this systematic review, two of which reported on the same data set. Several spatiotemporal parameters were reported to change with fatigue, but the few variables studied in multiple studies, gait speed and stride or step length and stride time, were affected only in single studies. Fatigue appears to modulate spatiotemporal gait parameters, but the effects of fatigue appear to be dependent on the muscles that were fatigued, and age that appears to be a moderator of the effects of fatigue on gait. © 2013 - IOS Press and the authors. All rights reserved.

Influence of seasonality and pollution on the hematological parameters of the estuarine fish Centropomus parallelus

This study investigated the hematological parameters of the tropical estuarine fish Centropomus parallelus and their use as a non-destructive biomarker for aquatic pollution. Individuals were collected, in summer and winter, at two estuaries, Cananéia (CAN) and São Vicente (SVE), and blood was extracted by caudal puncture. The evaluated parameters were hematocrit (Ht), red blood cells (RBC), Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV), and the leukocyte (WBC) and thrombocyte counts. Fishes from CAN showed higher values of absolute number of thrombocytes in the summer. The fishes from SVE presented lower values of Ht and MCV in winter. Comparing the hematological parameters of fishes from these two sites, Ht, MCV, WBC and RBC were higher in fishes from SVE in the summer, whereas during the winter, Ht and thrombocytes were higher in animals from SVE. The results allow attributing the changes in the blood of fishes to seasonality and the presence of contaminants.

Genetic parameters for milk yield, lactation length and calving intervals of murrah buffaloes from brazil

The major objective of this study was to estimate heritability and genetic correlations between milk yield (MY) and calving interval (CI) and lactation length (LL) in Murrah buffaloes using Bayesian inference. The database used belongs to the genetic improvement program of four buffalo herds from Brazil. To obtain the estimates of variance and covariance, bivariate analyses were performed with the Gibbs sampler, using the program MTGSAM. The heritability coefficient estimates were 0.28, 0.03 and 0.15 for MY, CI and LL, respectively. The genetic correlations between MY and LL was moderate (0.48). However, the genetic correlation between MY and CI showed large HPD regions (highest posterior density interval). Milk yield was the only trait with clear potential for genetic improvement by direct mass selection. The genetic correlation between MY and LL indicates that indirect selection using milk yield is a potentially beneficialstrategy.Theinterpretation of the estimated genetic correlation between MY and CI is difficult and could be spurious. ©2013 Sociedade Brasileira de Zootecnia.