Evaluating the educational environment of an international animal model-based wet lab course for undergraduate students

publisher: Elsevier articletitle: Evaluating the educational environment of an international animal model-based wet lab course for undergraduate students journaltitle: Annals of Medicine and Surgery articlelink: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.amsu.2016.10.004 content_type: article copyright: © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of IJS Publishing Group Ltd

Hypothalamic inflammation is reversed by endurance training in anorectic-cachectic rats

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Aim</p> <p>We tested the effects of a cancer cachexia-anorexia sydrome upon the balance of anti and pro-inflammatory cytokines in the hypothalamus of sedentary or trained tumour-bearing (Walker-256 carcinosarcoma) rats.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Animals were randomly assigned to a sedentary control (SC), sedentary tumour-bearing (ST), and sedentary pair-fed (SPF) groups or, exercised control (EC), exercised tumour-bearing (ET) and exercised pair-fed (EPF) groups. Trained rats ran on a treadmill (60%VO_2max) for 60 min/d, 5 days/wk, for 8 wks. We evaluated food intake, leptin and cytokine (TNF-α, IL1β) levels in the hypothalamus.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The cumulative food intake and serum leptin concentration were reduced in ST compared to SC. Leptin gene expression in the retroperitoneal adipose tissue (RPAT) was increased in SPF in comparison with SC and ST, and in the mesenteric adipose tissue (MEAT) the same parameter was decreased in ST in relation to SC. Leptin levels in RPAT and MEAT were decreased in ST, when compared with SC. Exercise training was also able to reduce tumour weight when compared to ST group. In the hypothalamus, IL-1β and IL-10 gene expression was higher in ST than in SC and SPF. Cytokine concentration in hypothalamus was higher in ST (TNF-α and IL-1β, p < 0.05), compared with SC and SPF. These pro-inflammatory cytokines concentrations were restored to control values (p < 0.05), when the animals were submitted to endurance training.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Cancer-induced anorexia leads towards a pro-inflammatory state in the hypothalamus, which is prevented by endurance training which induces an anti-inflammatory state, with concomitant decrease of tumour weight.</p

Pulse wave velocity and coronary risk stratification.

Introdução: A compliance arterial ou distensibilidade é uma determinante fundamental nas doenças cardiovasculares, apresentando grande interesse a sua medição não invasiva. A velocidade da onda de pulso (VOP) é usada, actualmente, como um índice de distensibilidade arterial. Objectivos: Avaliar se a VOP constitui um factor de risco, independente, para doença das artérias coronárias (DAC). Investigar se a determinação da mesma pode constituir uma ferramenta útil, na estratificação do risco cardiovascular, tanto nos indivíduos assintomáticos, como nos doentes com DAC População e Métodos: 811 indivíduos, 301 consecutivos com DAC, confirmada por coronário-angiografia, média de idade 53,7±10,0 anos e 510 assintomáticos, seleccionados das listas eleitorais, média de idade 46,1±10,0 anos. Os indivíduos assíntomáticos formavam o grupo A e eram subdivididos em A1 (grupo sem HTA, dislipidémia e ou diabetes) e A2 (grupo com HTA, dislipidémia, e ou diabetes). Os doentes coronários constituiam o grupo B, também sub dividido em B1 sem HTA, dislipidémia e ou diabetes e B2 com HTA, dislipidemia e ou diabetes. Os dados foram expressos em média ± desvio padrão (DP). O teste t de Student foi usado para comparar as variáveis contínuas e o c2 para comparar as variáveis categóricas. A força da correlação independente entre as variáveis contínuas foi avaliada segundo Pearson. Finalmente, foi efectuado um modelo de regressão logística (step by step) para avaliar quais as variáveis que se relacionavam de forma significativa e independente com a DAC. A análise estatística foi efectuada através do software SPSS for Windows, sendo o valor de p <0,05 considerado significativo. Resultados: Comparando os dois grupos, A1 e A2, no primeiro, a média da VOP foi significantemente mais baixa em relação ao A2. Comparando o grupo B1 e B2, também no grupo B1 a média da VOP é mais baixa. No grupo A1 a VOP correlacionou-se, segundo Pearson, com a idade, pressão arterial sistólica (PAS), diastólica e média, IMC, glicémia, colesterol total, LDL, relação CT/HDL, ApoB, triglicerídeos, ingestão de álcool, relação cintura/anca (C/A), e proteína C reactiva(as). A correlação foi inversa com o colesterol HDL. No grupo A2 a correlação da VOP foi positiva com a idade, PAS, PAM, PAD, glicémia, CT/ HDL e pressão do pulso (PP). No grupo B1 a correlação foi positiva e significante com a idade, PAS, PAM, PAD e PP. Foi inversa com a fracção de ejecção do VE. No grupo B2, foi positiva e significante com a idade, PAS, PAM, relação C/A, PP e homocisteína. Conclusão: A VOP foi sempre, quer nos indivíduos assintomáticos quer nos doentes coronários, mais elevada nos grupos com maior número de factores de risco. Esta constatação sugere influência cumulativa dos factores de risco, no processo de rigidez arterial. Correlacionou-se de forma positiva e significativa, com alguns dos factores de risco clássicos e alguns dos novos marcadores bioquímicos de risco. Após análise de regressão logística, manteve-se na equação de forma significativa, mostrando ser um factor de risco independente para DAC. Assim, a avaliação da distensibilidade arterial, através da medição da VOP, poderá representar um método simples, rápido e não invasivo, capaz de estratificar o risco de DAC, tanto nos indivíduos assintomáticos com nos doentes coronários.BACKGROUND: Arterial compliance or stiffness is an important determinant of cardiovascular disease and there is considerable interest in its noninvasive measurement. Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is widely used as an index of arterial stiffness. AIM: To determine whether PWV is useful for risk stratification in both healthy individuals and coronary patients. METHODS: Control subjects, n=510, aged 46.1 +/- 11 years, with no history of coronary disease, were selected from electoral rolls, and coronary patients, n=301, aged 53.7 +/- 10 years, were selected from hospital patients with a history of coronary artery disease (CAD) confirmed by coronary angiogram (at least 75% obstruction of one of the main coronary vessels). The asymptomatic subjects without CAD formed Group A, and were subdivided into A1 (without hypertension, dyslipidemia and/or diabetes) and A2 (with hypertension, dyslipidemia and/or diabetes). The coronary patients formed Group B, who were also subdivided into B1, without these classic risk factors, and B2 with hypertension, dyslipidemia and/or diabetes. We used the Student's t test to compare continuous variables and the chi-square test to compare categorical data. The strength of correlation between continuous variables was tested by Pearson's linear correlation. Independent variables predictive of CAD were determined by backward logistic regression analysis. The statistical analysis was performed using SPSS for Windows version 11.0 and data were expressed as means +/- SD; a p value of 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Comparing the two groups A1 and A2, mean PWV was significantly lower in group A1. Comparing B1 and B2, mean PWV was also significantly lower in group B1. In group A1, PWV was significantly and positively correlated with age, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, alcohol consumption, total/HDL cholesterol ratio, systolic, diastolic and mean blood pressure (BP), blood glucose, apo B, triglycerides, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, unlike HDL which was inversely correlated (Pearson's coefficient). In group A2, PWV was significantly and positively correlated with age, alcohol consumption, total/HDL cholesterol ratio, systolic, diastolic and mean BP, blood glucose and pulse pressure (PP), but not HDL, which was inversely correlated with PWV. In group B1, PWV was only significantly and positively correlated with age, systolic, mean, and diastolic BP and PP, and presented a significant inverse correlation with ejection fraction. However, in the high-risk coronary population (group B2), there was a positive correlation with age, waist-to-hip ratio, systolic and mean BP, PP and homocysteine. After stepwise logistic regression, PWV remained in the model and proved to be a significant and independent risk factor for CAD. CONCLUSION: The results of our study show that PWV is higher in high-risk groups and significantly correlated with many classic and new CAD risk markers, suggesting that there is a cumulative influence of risk factors in the development of arterial stiffness. We believe that PWV is a useful index of vascular status and hence cardiovascular risk and that it may be useful for risk stratification in both asymptomatic and coronary patients.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio