The telemetric monitoring of heart rate during copulatory behavior in the male rat

We have studied the physiological and behavioral responses in male rats to copulation and exercise. For this purpose, electrocardiographys (ECGs) were recorded from conscious and unrestrained rats using radiotelemetry system, Heart rate during copulation rose sharpiy following the induction of a receptive female, showed a peak of about 520 bpm during each ejaculation series, and then rapidly decreased. To compare the rate of decrease after ejaculation with that followingvigorous exercise, we run male rats on a motor wheel until heart rate became to the same value during ejaculation. Foliewing the cessation of exercise, heart rate decreased gradually. The possible role of the autonomic nervous system in the changes of heart rate during copulation and exercise is discussed

Autophagy regulation and photodynamic therapy: insights to improve outcomes of cancer treatment

Cancer is considered an age-related disease that, over the next 10 years, will become the most prevalent health problem worldwide. Although cancer therapy has remarkably improved in the last few decades, novel treatment concepts are needed to defeat this disease. Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) signalize a pathway to treat and manage several types of cancer. Over the past three decades, new light sources and photosensitizers (PS) have been developed to be applied in PDT. Nevertheless, there is a lack of knowledge to explain the main biochemical routes needed to trigger regulated cell death mechanisms, affecting, considerably, the scope of the PDT. Although autophagy modulation is being raised as an interesting strategy to be used in cancer therapy, the main aspects referring to the autophagy role over cell succumbing PDT-photoinduced damage remain elusive. Several reports emphasize cytoprotective autophagy, as an ultimate attempt of cells to cope with the photo-induced stress and to survive. Moreover, other underlying molecular mechanisms that evoke PDT-resistance of tumor cells were considered. We reviewed the paradigm about the PDT-regulated cell death mechanisms that involve autophagic impairment or boosted activation. To comprise the autophagy-targeted PDT-protocols to treat cancer, it was underlined those that alleviate or intensify PDT-resistance of tumor cells. Thereby, this review provides insights into the mechanisms by which PDT can be used to modulate autophagy and emphasizes how this field represents a promising therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment.Fil: Martins, Waleska K.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Belotto, Renata. Perola Byington Hospital; BrasilFil: Silva, Maryana N.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Grasso, Daniel Hector. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral Prof. Ricardo A. Margni. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral Prof. Ricardo A. Margni; ArgentinaFil: Suriani, Maynne D.. Universidade Federal de Uberlandia; BrasilFil: Lavor, Tayná S.. Universidade Federal de Uberlandia; BrasilFil: Itri, Rosangela. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Baptista, Mauricio S.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Tsubone, Tayana M.. Universidade Federal de Uberlandia; Brasi

TIEG1/KLF10 Modulates Runx2 Expression and Activity in Osteoblasts

Deletion of TIEG1/KLF10 in mice results in a gender specific osteopenic skeletal phenotype with significant defects in both cortical and trabecular bone, which are observed only in female animals. Calvarial osteoblasts isolated from TIEG1 knockout (KO) mice display reduced expression levels of multiple bone related genes, including Runx2, and exhibit significant delays in their mineralization rates relative to wildtype controls. These data suggest that TIEG1 plays an important role in regulating Runx2 expression in bone and that decreased Runx2 expression in TIEG1 KO mice is in part responsible for the observed osteopenic phenotype. In this manuscript, data is presented demonstrating that over-expression of TIEG1 results in increased expression of Runx2 while repression of TIEG1 results in suppression of Runx2. Transient transfection and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays reveal that TIEG1 directly binds to and activates the Runx2 promoter. The zinc finger containing domain of TIEG1 is necessary for this regulation supporting that activation occurs through direct DNA binding. A role for the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway in fine tuning the regulation of Runx2 expression by TIEG1 is also implicated in this study. Additionally, the regulation of Runx2 expression by cytokines such as TGFβ1 and BMP2 is shown to be inhibited in the absence of TIEG1. Co-immunoprecipitation and co-localization assays indicate that TIEG1 protein associates with Runx2 protein resulting in co-activation of Runx2 transcriptional activity. Lastly, Runx2 adenoviral infection of TIEG1 KO calvarial osteoblasts leads to increased expression of Runx2 and enhancement of their ability to differentiate and mineralize in culture. Taken together, these data implicate an important role for TIEG1 in regulating the expression and activity of Runx2 in osteoblasts and suggest that decreased expression of Runx2 in TIEG1 KO mice contributes to the observed osteopenic bone phenotype

Ablations of Ghrelin and Ghrelin Receptor Exhibit Differential Metabolic Phenotypes and Thermogenic Capacity during Aging

mice are adaptive. mice.Our data therefore suggest that GHS-R ablation activates adaptive thermogenic function(s) in BAT and increases EE, thereby enabling the retention of a lean phenotype. This is the first direct evidence that the ghrelin signaling pathway regulates fat-burning BAT to affect energy balance during aging. This regulation is likely mediated through an as-yet-unidentified new ligand of GHS-R

Social Media, Gender and the Mediatisation of War: Exploring the German Armed Forces’ Visual Representation of the Afghanistan Operation on Facebook

Studies on the mediatisation of war point to attempts of governments to regulate the visual perspective of their involvements in armed conflict – the most notable example being the practice of ‘embedded reporting’ in Iraq and Afghanistan. This paper focuses on a different strategy of visual meaning-making, namely, the publication of images on social media by armed forces themselves. Specifically, we argue that the mediatisation of war literature could profit from an increased engagement with feminist research, both within Critical Security/Critical Military Studies and within Science and Technology Studies that highlight the close connection between masculinity, technology and control. The article examines the German military mission in Afghanistan as represented on the German armed forces’ official Facebook page. Germany constitutes an interesting, and largely neglected, case for the growing literature on the mediatisation of war: its strong antimilitarist political culture makes the representation of war particularly delicate. The paper examines specific representational patterns of Germany’s involvement in Afghanistan and discusses the implications which arise from what is placed inside the frame of visibility and what remains out of its view

Relation of adenoma to carcinoma in the gallbladder

In order to clarify the relation of adenoma to carcinoma in the gallbladder, histopathologic examination was made on surgical specimens of 1605 cholecystectomies. Among them, 11 benign adenomas, seven adenomas with malignant change, and 79 invasive carcinomas were found. All of the benign adenomas were 12 mm or less in diameter (average diameter, 5.5 +/- 3.1 mm), while the adenomas having cancerous foci were 12 mm or more in diameter (average diameter, 17.6 +/- 4.4 mm). Most invasive carcinomas were more than 30 mm in diameter. The average patient age was 50.5 +/- 16.3 years for benign adenomas, 58.3 +/- 12.6 years for adenomas with malignant change, and 64.8 +/- 9.6 years for invasive carcinomas. Transition of benign adenoma into carcinoma was histologically traceable. Adenomatous residue was found in 15 (19.0%) of 79 cases of invasive carcinoma