Anatomia e Fisiologia: evoluindo de “mãos dadas"

A Anatomia e a Fisiologia encontram-se intimamente ligadas e são unidades curriculares fundamentais em inúmeros cursos ligados às ciências da vida. Documentos ancestrais comprovam que a história da Anatomia e da Fisiologia teve início na Grécia e encontra-se associada a Hipócrates (460-370 a.C.), conhecido como o Pai da Medicina, e à sua obra “Corpus Hippocraticus”. O médico grego Claudius Galeno (129-200 d.C.) desenvolveu trabalhos nas áreas da Anatomia e da Fisiologia. Dos resultados das suas experiências em animais surge o conceito de fisiologia experimental. Galeno é considerado o “pai” da fisiologia experimental e a sua obra “Sobre o uso das partes do corpo humano” regeu a Medicina por catorze séculos, após os quais algumas das suas teorias foram contestadas. Os artistas renascentistas, como Leonardo da Vinci e Michelangelo, estudavam os corpos para obter perfeição nas formas artísticas, contribuindo para o desenvolvimento da Anatomia. Em plena época do Renascimento, surgiu pela primeira vez o significado da palavra Fisiologia de acordo com a definição de Jean Fernel (1497-1558). Este ficou conhecido pela célebre frase: “A Anatomia está para a Fisiologia como a Geografia está para a História: ambas descrevem o teatro de operações”. Jean Fernel é o marco entre a medicina medieval e a medicina da idade moderna. Vesalius (1514-1564) corrigiu erros de outros anatomistas e escreveu a obra “De humani corporis fabrica” que contribuiu para o reconhecimento da Anatomia como ciência básica. Já no século XVII, uma das maiores contribuições para a Fisiologia data de 1628, ano da publicação da obra “Exercitatio Anatomica de Motu Cordis et Sanguinis in Animalibus”, de William Harvey (1578-1657), onde pela primeira vez se descreveu a anatomia e o movimento do coração e a consequente circulação do sangue pelo corpo. O “De Motu Cordis” foi o primeiro tratado da época moderna dedicado a um tema estritamente fisiológico. Em 1876 foi fundada, em Londres, a Sociedade de Fisiologia e em 1887 nos Estados Unidos da América foi fundada a Sociedade de Fisiologia Americana. Ambas se dedicavam à investigação científica, educação e disseminação de conceitos relacionados com a fisiologia. O primeiro Congresso internacional de Anatomia decorreu em 1895, em Basileia

Immunology and mammary cancer development: addressing the role of mast cells

Background: Mammary cancer is one of the most frequent cancers worldwide. Mast cells are among the cells of tumor microenvironment and have been associated with increased angiogenesis and poor prognosis. Despite this, the role of mast cells on mammary cancer is not fully elucidated. In this way, this work studied the role of mast cells in a rat model of mammary cancer chemically-induced. Materials and Methods: All experiments were performed in accordance with the Portuguese and European legislation on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes. The experiments were approved by the Portuguese (no.008961) and University (CE_12-2013) Ethics Committees. Thirty- four female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five experimental groups. At seven weeks of age, mammary tumors’ development was induced in animals from groups I, II, III (n = 10+10+10) by a single intraperitoneal injection of the carcinogen N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU). Groups II and IV (n = 2) were treated with ketotifen in drinking water (1 mg/kg/day, 7 days/week) immediately after the MNU ad- ministration for 18 weeks, while the group III received the ketotifen after the development of the first mammary tumor. Groups I and V (n = 2) received only water. Animals were sacrificed at 25 weeks of age by an overdose of ketamine and xylazine, followed by an exsanguination by cardiac puncture. Mammary tumors were collected and immersed in formalin for posterior analysis. Tumors’ vascularization, proliferation and apoptosis were also assessed by immunohistochemistry (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF)-A, Ki-67, and caspase-3 and caspase-9). Results: Animals from groups IV and V did not develop any mammary tumor. Twenty-one animals (six animals from group I, eight animals from group II and seven animals from group III) developed a total of 58 mammary tumors, mainly classified as papillary non-invasive carcinomas. Tumors’ vascularization was similar among groups (P > 0.05). Mammary tumors from group II exhibited the lowest prolif- eration (P < 0.05) and apoptotic indexes. Conclusions: The mainly positive effect of the ketotifen administration seems to be the reduction of tumor prolifera- tion when the drug was administered before mammary tumor development

CD8+ T lymphocytes infiltrate in mammary tumours chemically­induced in female rats: what is the influence of ketotifen administration?

Background: Mammary cancer is one of the most frequent cancers among women. Neoplasia are complex masses composed of both neoplastic and non-neoplastic cells, like vascular and lymphatic endothelial cells, adipocytes, mesenchymal cells, fibroblasts, myeloid and inflammatory cells (lymphocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils, macrophages, and mast cells). This work aimed to evaluate the effects of ketotifen on the infiltrate of CD8+ T lymphocytes in mammary tumours chemically-induced in female rats. Material and methods: All experiments were performed in accordance with the legislation on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes. The experiments were approved by the Portuguese Competent Authority (no.008961) and University Ethics Committee (CE_12-2013). Thirty-four female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to five experimental groups. At seven weeks of age, mammary tumours’ development was induced in animals from groups I, II, III (n=10+10+10) by a single intraperitoneal injection of the carcinogen N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU). Animals from groups IV and V were injected with saline. Groups II and IV (n=2) were treated with ketotifen in drinking water (1 mg/kg/day, 7 days/week) immediately after MNU administration for 18 weeks, while animals from group III received the ketotifen only after the development of the first mammary tumour. Groups I and V (n=2) received only water. Animals were sacrificed at 25 weeks of age by an overdose of ketamine and xylazine, followed by an exsanguination by cardiac puncture. Mammary tumors were collected and immersed in 10% buffered formalin. The infiltrate of CD8+ T lymphocytes was assessed by immunohistochemistry using the antibody anti-CD8 (ab33786; Abcam), at a dilution of 1:250, overnight. The immunoexpression was evaluated manually, counting the number of positive cells in five random fields, at a magnification of 400x. Data was statistically analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Results: Animals from groups IV and V did not develop any mammary tumor. The iummunoexpression of anti-CD8 was evaluated in 56 tumours (19 from group I, 19 from group II and 18 from group III). The antibody presented a cytoplasmatic immunoexpression in all mammary tumours. The mean number of immunopositive cells was 21.75 ± 1.74 in group I, 21.75 ± 1.74 in group II and 22.75 ± 2.01 in group III. No differences were observed among groups (p>0.05). Conclusions: Apparently, the ketotifen administration did not modulate the infiltrate of CD8+ T lymphocytes in mammary tumours chemically-induced in female rats. Further studies addressing the effects of different concentrations of ketotifen are warranted

Apicultura: revisão de literatura

A apicultura constitui um setor pecuário da máxima importância. A abelha é considerada um inseto valioso do ponto de vista económico e da diversidade biológica dos ecossistemas. As abelhas melíferas (Apis mellifera) são consideradas biossensores da saúde dos ecossistemas. Este trabalho teve como objetivo apresentar uma revisão de literatura sobre a apicultura, descrevendo as espécies de abelhas envolvidas nesta atividade, os produtos apícolas, a evolução da apicultura e a situação atual desta atividade em Portugal. Em Portugal, o setor apícola encontra-se fortemente ligado à agricultura e a apicultura portuguesa é maioritariamente de pequena escala, sendo exercida como complemento a uma atividade principal. O Algarve é a região a nível nacional onde se encontra o maior número de apicultores profissionais e a maior concentração de colmeias e apiários por apicultor, o que se traduz num impacto significativo na cadeia alimentar

The influence of physical exercise on oestrogen and androgen receptor expression in a chemically and hormonally-induced rat model of prostate cancer

Background: Oestrogen (ER) and androgen (AR) recep- tors play an important role in normal prostate development and are also implied in prostate cancer (PCa) development. Several studies suggested that physical activity may decrease the risk of PCa development and also changes sexual hor- mones and their receptors. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of physical exercise on ERα and AR expression in a rat model of chemically and hormonally-induced PCa. Materials and Methods: Fifty-five male Wistar Unilever rats of 12 weeks of age were randomly divided into four groups: control sedentary (n = 10), control exercised (n = 10), induced sedentary (n = 15) and induced exercised (n = 20). Animals from exercised groups started the exercise training in a treadmill (Treadmill Control LE 8710, Harvard Apparatus, USA), at the age of 8 weeks, for 35 weeks (5 days/week). The protocol for PCa induction started at 12 weeks of age and consisted of sequential administration of flutamide (50 mg/kg, TCI Chemicals), testosterone propion- ate (100 mg/kg, TCI Chemicals) and N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (30 mg/kg, Isopac®, Sigma Chemical Co.), followed by sub- cutaneous implants of crystalline testosterone. Animals were sacrificed at 61 weeks of age and a complete necropsy was performed. All experiments were approved by DGAV (no. 021326). Antibodies for Erα (1:500, clone 6F11, Novocastra) and AR (clone PG21, Merck Millipore) were used for the immunohistochemical study. The staining extension was evaluated in normal prostate tissue and in dorsolateral pros- tate lesions (hyperplasia, dysplasia, prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) and microinvasive carcinoma) and assessed to five levels (0%, 75%), con- sidering the extension of immunopositive tissue. Data was analysed with SPSS 25.Results: The normal prostate tissue and dorsolateral prostate lesions of animals from all groups were immunopositive for Erα and AR. However, the groups showed high immunoposi- tivity for AR and low positivity for Erα ( 0.05). The malignant lesions (PIN and microinvasive carcinoma) showed lower AR expression when compared with normal prostate tissue in all groups. Conclusions: As expected, the AR expression was lower in malignant lesions. Inversely to that reported in other studies, the exercise training did not modify the ERα and AR expres- sion, which may be related to the duration and type of exer- cise performed

Carcinogenesis

Cancer is a complex disease with multiple causes. Many intrinsic and extrinsic factors influence the development of cancer. Intrinsic or host factors include age, sex, genetics, immune system, metabolism, and hormones. Extrinsic factors are divided in different groups, as physical (different types of non-ionizing and ionizing radiations); chemical (as some mineral or organic substances); and biological (produced by some living organisms, for instance, some plants, virus, bacteria or fungi). Intrinsic and extrinsic factors can interact with one another to influence the development of cancer. In this article, we will discuss all the varied aspects of research that will ultimately lead to the prevention of cancer in man

Effects of physical exercise in biochemical parameters and dorsolateral prostate lesions: data from a rat model of prostate cancer

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is among the most prevalent cancers worldwide. Physical exercise is widely recognized due to its beneficial effects. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of physical exercise on biochemical pa- rameters and in dorsolateral prostate lesions in a rat model of PCa. Materials and Methods: Ninety-five male Wistar Unilever rats were randomly divided into eight groups sacrificed at 35 (groups I) or 61 weeks of age (groups II): control sedentary groups (Cont+Sed I (n = 10); Cont+Sed II (n = 10)); induced sedentary group (PCa+Sed I (n = 10); PCa+Sed II (n = 15)); control exercised groups (Cont+EX I (n = 10); Cont+EX II (n = 10)) and induced exercised groups (PCa+EX I (n = 10); PCa+EX II (n = 20)). All procedures were approved (DGAV, no. 021326). Animals from exercised groups started the exer- cise program in a treadmill at 8 weeks of age, for 28 weeks or 53 weeks. The animals were trained 5 days/week, 60 min per day. Prostate lesions were induced at 12 weeks of age, with sequential administration of flutamide, testosterone propion- ate and N-methyl-N-nitrosourea, and subcutaneous implants of crystalline testosterone. Animals were sacrificed at 35 or 61 weeks of age. Peripheral blood of all animals was col- lected by intracardiac puncture. A complete necropsy was performed. The dorsolateral prostate tissues sections were processed for histological analysis. Data were analysed using SPSS 25. p 0.05). Dorsolateral prostate lesions were classified as dysplasia, prostatic intraep- ithelial neoplasia (PIN) and microinvasive carcinoma. The number of prostate lesions was higher in animals from groups II than in those from groups I, mainly in PCa+Sed II animals when compared with PCa+Sed I (p 0.05). Conclusions: Overall, the animals sacrificed at 61 weeks of age developed more dorsolateral prostate lesions than ani- mals sacrificed at 35 weeks of age, which may be related to a longer testosterone exposure

Rat prostate: practical tips for ultrasonographic monitoring

Background: Prostate is the largest accessory gland of the male reproductive tract. The prostate of men over 40 years- old is frequently affected by several pathologies, like benign prostate hyperplasia and cancer. Rats have been used as model to study prostate cancer. This study intended to address the usefulness of ultrasonography for rat prostate monitoring. Materials and Methods: Eight male Wistar Unilever rats were acquired from Charles River Laboratories and main- tained under controlled conditions of temperature, humidity, air system filtration and light/dark cycle. The prostate was evaluated by ultrasonography in awake animals. The animals were restrained by a researcher and placed in supine position. The skin of the inguinal region was shaved using a machine clipper (AESCULAP® GT420 Isis, USA). A real-time scan- ner (Logic P6®, GE, USA) and a 12 MHz linear transducer were used. Acoustic gel (Parker Laboratories Inc., USA) was applied. A complete transverse scan using B mode was per- formed from the cranial to the caudal region of the prostate, and a sagittal scan was performed moving the probe from the right to the left side. Procedures were approved by the Portuguese Ethics Committee (no.021326). Results: Prostate was easily evaluated by ultrasonography in all animals. In the transverse scan, the urinary bladder presents as a round to oval shape filled with urine (anechoic structure) and the prostate lobes were visible around it. The ventral prostate lobes appear as hypoechoic elongated struc- tures (one right and one left) with a hyperechoic capsule, placed ventrally to the urinary bladder. In this scan, the dorsal prostate was observed close to the urinary bladder neck, as a round hypoechoic structure with a hyperechoic capsule, dor- sally to the urinary bladder. In the sagittal scan, the urinary bladder was observed as an elongated structure filled with urine (anechoic content). The ventral prostate lobes were occasionally observed ventrally to the neck of the urinary bladder, as previously described. The dorsal prostate was ob- served dorsally to the neck of the urinary bladder, presenting as a round to elongated shape, with a hypoechoic appearance and a hyperechoic capsule.Conclusions: The ultrasonography is a non-invasive and ac- cessible tool for prostate monitoring in the rat model. Acknowledgments: This work was supported by European Investment Funds by FEDER/ COMPETE/POCI - Operational Competitiveness and Internationalization Program and National Funds by FCT - Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, under the projects Project RUNawayPCa (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016728 and PTDC/DTP-DES/6077/2014), UIDB/04033/2020, UIDB/ CVT/00772/2020 and UIDB/50006/2020 (LAQV)

Cognitive appraisal of environmental stimuli induces emotion-like states in fish

The occurrence of emotions in non-human animals has been the focus of debate over the years. Recently, an interest in expanding this debate to non-tetrapod vertebrates and to invertebrates has emerged. Within vertebrates, the study of emotion in teleosts is particularly interesting since they represent a divergent evolutionary radiation from that of tetrapods, and thus they provide an insight into the evolution of the biological mechanisms of emotion. We report that Sea Bream exposed to stimuli that vary according to valence (positive, negative) and salience (predictable, unpredictable) exhibit different behavioural, physiological and neuromolecular states. Since according to the dimensional theory of emotion valence and salience define a two-dimensional affective space, our data can be interpreted as evidence for the occurrence of distinctive affective states in fish corresponding to each the four quadrants of the core affective space. Moreover, the fact that the same stimuli presented in a predictable vs. unpredictable way elicited different behavioural, physiological and neuromolecular states, suggests that stimulus appraisal by the individual, rather than an intrinsic characteristic of the stimulus, has triggered the observed responses. Therefore, our data supports the occurrence of emotion-like states in fish that are regulated by the individual's perception of environmental stimuli.European Commission [265957 Copewell]; Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia [SFRH/BD/80029/2011, SFRH/BPD/72952/2010]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Effects of testosterone and exercise training on bone microstructure of rats

Background and Aim: Male hypogonadism results from failure to produce physiological levels of testosterone. Testosterone in men is essential in masculine development, sperm production, and adult man’s health. Osteoporosis is one of the consequences of hypogonadism. Regular physical exercise and exogenous testosterone administration are frequently used to prevent or treat this condition. This study aimed to understand the effects of lifelong exercise training and testosterone levels (isolated and together) in the main bone structure parameters. Materials and Methods: A total of 24 rats were used and randomly divided into four groups: Control group (CG; n=6), exercised group (EG, n=6), testosterone group (TG, n=6), and testosterone EG (TEG, n=6). A micro-computed tomography equipment was used to evaluate 15 bone parameters. Results: Both factors (exercise training and testosterone) seem to improve the bone resistance and microstructure, although in different bone characteristics. Testosterone influenced trabecular structure parameters, namely, connectivity density, trabecular number, and trabecular space. The exercise promoted alterations in bone structure as well, although, in most cases, in different bone structure parameters as bone mineral density and medullar mineral density. Conclusion: Overall, exercise and testosterone therapy seems to have a synergistic contribution to the general bone structure and resistance. Further studies are warranted, comparing different individual factors, as gender, lifestyle, or testosterone protocols, to constantly improve the medical management of hypogonadism (and osteoporosis)