The influence of water pH on the genesis of cadmium-induced cancer in a rat model

Cadmium is a heavy metal that is widely used in industry and can cause tumours in multiple organs. The purpose of our study was to investigate the effect of water pH in the genesis of cadmium-induced cancer. We divided 98 male Wistar rats into 7 groups: group A - 15 rats that received cadmium chloride (CdCl 2 – 400 mg/L) in their drinking water at a neutral pH of 7.0; group B - 15 rats that received CdCl 2 (400 mg/L) in their drinking water at an acidic pH of 5.0; group C - 15 rats that received CdCl 2 (400 mg/L) in their drinking water at a basic pH of 8.0; group D - 15 rats that received water at an acidic pH of 5.0; group E - 15 rats that received water at a basic pH of 8.0; group F - 15 rats that received water at a neutral pH of 7.0; and group G - 8 rats that were subcutaneously injected with a single dose of cyclophosphamide (50 mg/kg). Groups A through F were euthanised 6 months after the start of the experiment and group G was euthanised 24 hours after cyclophosphamide injection. We collected the liver, kidneys, pancreas, prostate, seminal vesicles and testes for histopathological analysis and the bone marrow for micronuclei testing. In all of the groups, neither neoplastic lesions nor an increase in micronuclei (p>0.05) were observed in the liver, kidney, pancreas, seminal vesicles and testes. We found that animals exposed to cadmium had grade one prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, but this was found more frequently in animals from group B (p<0.05). The acidic pH increased the formation of pre-neoplastic lesions in the prostate glands of cadmium-exposed animals

Consorciação de braquiárias com milho outonal em plantio direto sob pivô central Consortium of pasture with fall corn in no tillage under center pivot

Em regiões de clima tropical, com altas taxas de decomposição do material orgânico, uma alternativa para suprir o aporte anual de palha exigido para proporcionar a sustentabilidade do sistema plantio direto é a consorciação de forrageiras com culturas produtoras de grãos. Com o objetivo de identificar, no sistema de integração agricultura-pecuária, a melhor modalidade de consorciação de três espécies de braquiária (Brachiaria brizantha B. decumbens, e B. ruzizienses) com milho outonal (linha, entrelinha e entrelinha na época de adubação de cobertura do milho), foi conduzido o presente trabalho. Foi utilizado o delineamento em blocos ao acaso, no esquema fatorial (3x3), com quatro repetições. Foram avaliadas: massa seca de palha do milho, massa seca da palha de braquiária, massa seca total de palha, massa de 1.000 grãos e produtividade de grãos. Os resultados demonstraram que, quando o foco principal da consorciação de milho com braquiária for produtividade de grãos e o foco secundário for formação de palha, a utilização da Brachiaria ruzizienses semeada na época de adubação de cobertura do milho proporcionou maiores valores de produtividade de grãos. Todos os tratamentos produziram quantidade de palha suficiente para a manutenção da estabilidade do sistema de semeadura direta.<br>In tropical regions with high rates of organic material decomposition, an alternative to supply the annual amount of straw required to provide the no tillage system sustainability is the use of intercrop of forage plants with grain crop. The present work was conducted with the objective of identify the best intercrop modality of three species of brachiaria (Brachiaria brizantha, B. decumbens and B. ruziziensis) with fall maize (row, interrow, interrow at the moment of maize coverage fertilization) in the pasture-agriculture integration system. It was used a randomized block design in a factorial scheme (3x3) with four repetitions evaluating dry weight of maize straw, dry matter of pasture straw, total dry weight of straw, 1000 grain weight and grain yield. The results showed that when the main focus of intercropping maize with pasture for grain yield and the secondary focus is the formation of straw, the use of Brachiaria ruziziensis sown at the time of maize manuring led to the highest grain yield. All treatments produced sufficient quantity of straw to maintain the stability of no tillage