Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor protects against cisplatin nephrotoxicity by modulating kinin B1 receptor expression and aminopeptidase P activity in mice

Cisplatin is a highly effective chemotherapeutic agent. However, its use is limited by nephrotoxicity. Enalapril is an angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitor used for the treatment of hypertension, mainly through the reduction of angiotensin II formation, but also through the increase of kinins half-life. Kinin B1 receptor is associated with inflammation and migration of immune cells into the injured tissue. We have previously shown that the deletion or blockage of kinin B1 and B2 receptors can attenuate cisplatin nephrotoxicity. In this study, we tested enalapril treatment as a tool to prevent cisplatin nephrotoxicity. Male C57Bl/6 mice were divided into 3 groups: control group; cisplatin (20 mg/kg i.p) group; and enalapril (1.5 mg;kg i.p) + cisplatin group. The animals were treated with a single dose of cisplatin and euthanized after 96 h. Enalapril was able to attenuate cisplatin-induced increase in creatinine and urea, and to reduce tubular injury and upregulation of apoptosis-related genes, as well as inflammatory cytokines in circulation and kidney. The upregulation of B1 receptor was blocked in enalapril + cisplatin group. Carboxypeptidase M expression, which generates B1 receptor agonists, is blunted by cisplatin + enalapril treatment. The activity of aminopeptidase P, a secondary key enzyme able to degrade kinins, is restored by enalapril treatment. These findings were confirmed in mouse renal epithelial tubular cells, in which enalaprilat (5 μM) was capable of decreasing tubular injury and inflammatory markers. We treated mouse renal epithelial tubular cells with cisplatin (100 μM), cisplatin+enalaprilat and cisplatin+enalaprilat+apstatin (10 μM). The results showed that cisplatin alone decreases cell viability, cisplatin plus enalaprilat is able to restore cell viability, and cisplatin plus enalaprilat and apstatin decreases cell viability. In the present study, we demonstrated that enalapril prevents cisplatin nephrotoxicity mainly by preventing the upregulation of B1 receptor and carboxypeptidase M and the increased concentrations of kinin peptides through aminopeptidase activity restoration

Performance of Lotus corniculatus L. genotypes submitted to cutting interval: subsidies to a breeding program

The objective of this work was to evaluate the response of five birdsfoot trefoil populations (Lotus corniculatus L.), selected under severe and intense grazing (P38, P37, P9 and P3) or cutting (population Corte), one rhizomatous population from Morocco and two cultivars, São Gabriel (Brazil) and ARS 2620 (USA), to different cutting intervals (20 and 40 days). The trial was carried out in a greenhouse for 224 days. The plants were submitted to the treatments during four months, when it was made four and two cuttings for the 20 and 40 day intervals, respectively. In the following months, aerial part of the plants was totally removed and after 70 days of regrowth, evaluation of roots and aerial section were performed. Analysis of variance and multivariate analysis was performed, obtaining the Mahalanobis distance (Md), dendogram by UPGMA method and the relative contribution of the characters for genetic divergence. There was no genotype × cutting interval interaction and the genotypes presented a reduction on dry matter yield of roots, crown and aerial sections, number of stems and plant height when submitted to frequent cuttings. The most divergent genotypes were Marrocos and P9 (Md = 108.7) and the most similar ones were São Gabriel and P37 (Md = 7.8). The results suggest exclusion of the population P9 because of its weak performance and the utilization of the populations Corte and P37 as progenitors in the birdsfoot trefoil breeding program. Root dry matter accumulation and plant height were the characters that contributed most to genetic divergence and they can be used for selection works

Social roles and aging from a life-span perspective

Este trabalho investigou os papéis sociais e as tarefas evolutivas desempenhados por adultos. O local escolhido para investigação foi um assentamento de famílias de baixa renda do Distrito Federal criado em 1989. Utilizou-se um questionário contendo 17 questões abertas e 15 questões fechadas, preenchido pela primeira autora durante uma visita domiciliar. Participaram 98 respondentes (73 F e 25 M), sendo 51 entre 50 e 59 anos e 47 a partir de 60 anos. Os resultados apontaram que este grupo é heterogêneo e que seus papéis sociais são influenciados pelas variáveis demográficas (idade, sexo, escolaridade, ocupação, naturalidade e estado civil) e também pelas variáveis relativas à moradia atual. Concluiu-se também que as expectativas sociais, o suporte social e a escolarização são fatores de suma importância para oferecer recursos para a otimização e compensação necessárias a um envelhecimento bem sucedido. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACTThis study investigated the social roles and developmental tasks of adults. The study took place in a settlement of low-income families, created in The Federal District in 1989. Data were collected through a questionnaire composed of 17 open and 15 closed questions, administered by the first author during a home visit. There were 98 respondents, 73 female and 25 male, being 51 between 50 to 59 years old and 47 elders above the age of 60. The result indicated that this group is heterogeneous and that its social roles are influenced by the demographic variables - age, sex, educational level, work, place of the birth and marital status, as well for the relative variables to current residence. The data allow the conclusion that social expectations, social support and the educational level are important resources for the optimization and necessary compensation to successful aging

Causes of morphological discontinuities in soils of Depressão Central, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil

Morphological, particularly textural, discontinuities between horizons increase soil erodibility in Depressão Central, Rio Grande do Sul State (Brazil). Characterization of such discontinuities would help to understand landscape evolution and to model near-surface hydrology. The objective of this research was to explore the relationship between morphological discontinuity and deposition of transported materials during pedogenesis. Transported material was meant to be mineral particles found in the soil profile, transported probably by water or gravity, that were not present neither in the parent material nor derived from it. Five soils of this region (two Alfisols, two Ultisols and one Mollisol) were sampled and morphological, sand grain size statistics, chemical and mineralogical analyses were used to search for evidences of deposition of transported materials. Two soils had abrupt textural change but no evidence of deposition of transported materials, two soils had less contrasting morphology and some characteristics that are possibly related to deposition, and one soil had no morphological discontinuity, but had deposition of material enriched in magnetite-maghemite in the sand fraction of the A horizon. Therefore, there were no relationship between morphological discontinuity and deposition of transported materials for these profiles in the Depressão Central.Contrastes morfológicos entre horizontes, e particularmente os contrastes texturais, aumentam a erodibilidade do solo na Depressão Central do Rio Grande do Sul (Brasil). A caracterização destes contrastes contribui para a compreensão da evolução da paisagem e para a modelagem da hidrologia de superfície. Cinco solos desta região foram amostrados e a morfologia, distribuição do tamanho de grãos da fração areia, análises químicas e mineralógicas foram usadas para tentativamente relacionar o contraste textural e morfológico com materiais transportados durante a pedogênese. Por materiais transportados entendem-se as partículas minerais presentes no perfil do solo, transportadas provavelmente por água ou gravidade, e que não estavam presentes nem no material de origem e nem foram derivadas deste. Dois solos apresentaram mudança textural abrupta sem evidências de deposição, dois solos apresentaram menor contraste morfológico e evidências que sustentam a possibilidade de deposição e um solo não apresentou contraste morfológico, porém as características indicam deposição de material rico em magnetita-maghemita na fração areia do horizonte A. Portanto, não foi encontrada relação entre descontinuidades morfológicas e deposição de materiais transportados, na Depressão Central