The lumbrical muscle: a novel in situ system to evaluate adult skeletal muscle proteolysis and anticatabolic drugs for therapeutic purposes

Bergantin LB, Figueiredo LB, Godinho RO. the lumbrical muscle: a novel in situ system to evaluate adult skeletal muscle proteolysis and anticatabolic drugs for therapeutic purposes. J Appl Physiol 111: 1710-1718, 2011. First published September 15, 2011; doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00586.2011.-The molecular regulation of skeletal muscle proteolysis and the pharmacological screening of anticatabolic drugs have been addressed by measuring tyrosine release from prepubertal rat skeletal muscles, which are thin enough to allow adequate in vitro diffusion of oxygen and substrates. However, the use of muscle at accelerated prepubertal growth has limited the analysis of adult muscle proteolysis or that associated with aging and neurodegenerative diseases. Here we established the adult rat lumbrical muscle (4/hindpaw; 8/rat) as a new in situ experimental model for dynamic measurement of skeletal muscle proteolysis. By incubating lumbrical muscles attached to their individual metatarsal bones in Tyrode solution, we showed that the muscle proteolysis rate of adult and aged rats (3-4 to 24 mo old) is 45-25% of that in prepubertal animals (1 mo old), which makes questionable the usual extrapolation of proteolysis from prepubertal to adult/senile muscles. While acute mechanical injury or 1- to 7-day denervation increased tyrosine release from adult lumbrical muscle by up to 60%, it was reduced by 20-28% after 2-h incubation with beta-adrenoceptor agonists, forskolin or phosphodiesterase inhibitor IBMX. Using inhibitors of 26S-proteasome (MG132), lysosome (methylamine), or calpain (E64/leupeptin) systems, we showed that ubiquitin-proteasome is accountable for 40-50% of total lumbrical proteolysis of adult, middle-aged, and aged rats. in conclusion, the lumbrical model allows the analysis of muscle proteolysis rate from prepubertal to senile rats. By permitting eight simultaneous matched measurements per rat, the new model improves similar protocols performed in paired extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles from prepubertal rats, optimizing the pharmacological screening of drugs for anticatabolic purposes.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Div Cellular Pharmacol, Dept Pharmacol, Escola Paulista Med, BR-04044020 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Div Cellular Pharmacol, Dept Pharmacol, Escola Paulista Med, BR-04044020 São Paulo, BrazilFAPESP: 05/59006-1FAPESP: 08/55988-2CNPq: 304602/2008-6Web of Scienc

Prevalence of Oral Pain and Barriers to use of Emergency Oral Care Facilities Among Adult Tanzanians.

Oral pain has been the major cause of the attendances in the dental clinics in Tanzania. Some patients postpone seeing the dentist for as long as two to five days. This study determines the prevalence of oral pain and barriers to use of emergency oral care in Tanzania. Questionnaire data were collected from 1,759 adult respondents aged 18 years and above. The study area covered six urban and eight rural study clusters, which had been selected using the WHO Pathfinder methodology. Chi-square tests and logistic regression analyses were performed to identify associations.\ud Forty two percent of the respondents had utilized the oral health care facilities sometimes in their lifetime. About 59% of the respondents revealed that they had suffered from oral pain and/or discomfort within the twelve months that preceded the study, but only 26.5% of these had sought treatment from oral health care facilities. The reasons for not seeking emergency care were: lack of money to pay for treatment (27.9%); self medication (17.6%); respondents thinking that pain would disappear with time (15.7%); and lack of money to pay for transport to the dental clinic (15.0%). Older adults were more likely to report that they had experienced oral pain during the last 12 months than the younger adults (OR = 1.57, CI 1.07-1.57, P < 0.001). Respondents from rural areas were more likely report dental clinics far from home (OR = 5.31, CI = 2.09-13.54, P < 0.001); self medication at home (OR = 3.65, CI = 2.25-5.94, P < 0.001); and being treated by traditional healer (OR = 5.31, CI = 2.25-12.49, P < 0.001) as reasons for not seeking emergency care from the oral health care facilities than their counterparts from urban areas. Oral pain and discomfort were prevalent among adult Tanzanians. Only a quarter of those who experienced oral pain or discomfort sought emergency oral care from oral health care facilities. Self medication was used as an alternative to using oral care facilities mainly by rural residents. Establishing oral care facilities in rural areas is recommended

Developmental Defects of Enamel in Primary Teeth and Association with Early Life Course Events: A Study of 6--36 Month old Children in Manyara, Tanzania.

Children with low birth weight show an increased prevalence of developmental defects of enamel in the primary dentition that subsequently may predispose to early childhood caries (ECC).Focusing 6--36 months old, the purpose of this study was to assess the frequency of enamel defects in the primary dentition and identify influences of early life course factors; socio-demographics, birth weight, child's early illness episodes and mothers' perceived size of the child at birth, whilst controlling for more recent life course events in terms of current breastfeeding and oral hygiene. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the high fluoride area of Manyara, northern Tanzania including 1221 child-mother pairs who attended Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) clinics for immunization and/or growth monitoring. After the primary caregivers had completed face to face interviews at the health care facility, children underwent oral clinical examination whereby ECC and developmental defects of enamel were recorded using field criteria. All erupted teeth were examined and the enamel defects were assessed on buccal surfaces according to the modified DDE Index. The prevalence of enamel defects was 33.3%. Diffuse opacities were the most common defects identified (23.1%), followed by hypoplasia (7.6%) and demarcated opacities (5.0%). The most frequently affected teeth were the upper central incisors (29.0% - 30.5%), whereas lower central incisors (4.3% to 4.5%) were least frequently affected. Multiple logistic regression analysis, adjusting for confounding the factors revealed that having normal birth weight (equal or more than 2500 g) associated with lower odds of having enamel hypoplasia [OR 0.22 (95% CI 0.1-0.7)]. No statistically significant association occurred between birth weight and diffuse opacities, demarcated opacities or combined DDE. Children with the history of low birth weight were more likely than their normal birth weight counterparts to present with enamel hypoplasia. In view of the frequent occurrence of enamel defects and the fact that hypoplasia may constitute a risk factor for future ECC, enamel defects should be included as a dental health indicator in epidemiological studies of children in northern Tanzania

Produção orgânica de rabanete em plantio direto sobre cobertura morta e viva.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o uso de plantas espontâneas e cobertura viva de amendoim forrageiro(Arachis pintoi), associado à aplicação de composto orgânico na produção orgânica do rabanete em plantio direto. O experimento foi instalado na Universidade Federal do Acre, em Rio Branco-AC, de 15/06 a 14/07/2007. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi em blocos casualizados com parcelas subdivididas 4x3, em quatro repetições. As parcelas corresponderam ao sistema de plantio direto com cobertura viva de amendoim forrageiro, cobertura viva de planta espontânea, cobertura morta de planta espontânea e sistema de plantio em canteiro com solo descoberto. As subparcelas foram compostas pelas doses de composto orgânico de 5, 10 e 15 t ha-1 (base seca). O plantio direto na palha de plantas espontâneas teve desempenho semelhante ao preparo convencional do solo, ambos superiores ao plantio sobre as coberturas vivas. A produtividade do rabanete cv. Cometo, não foi afetada pelas doses crescentes de composto orgânico, podendo aplicar-se apenas 5 t ha-1, enquanto em preparo convencional do solo, o aumento da produtividade ultrapassa o plantio direto na palha apenas na dose maior de composto (15 t ha-1)