Study of the efficacy of Korean Red Ginseng in the treatment of erectile dysfunction

Aim: To examine the treatment efficacy of Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) in impotent men with erectile dysfunction (ED). Methods: A total of 60 patients presenting mild or mild to moderate ED were enrolled in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study in which the efficacies of KRG and a placebo were compared. the patients received either 1 000 mg (3 times daily) of KRG or a placebo. Results: the five-item version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) score after the treatment was significantly higher in the KRG group compared with that before the treatment (from 16.4 +/- 2.9 to 21.0 +/- 6.3, P 0.05). in the KRG group, 20 patients (66.6%), reported improved erection, significant in the global efficacy question (P 0.05). Conclusion: Our data show that KRG can be an effective alternative to the invasive approaches for treating male ED.Univ São Paulo, Div Urol Clin, Sector Sexual Med, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Discipline Urol, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Discipline Urol, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Prolonged maternal separation induces undernutrition and systemic inflammation with disrupted hippocampal development in mice

Objective: Prolonged maternal separation (PMS) in the first 2 wk of life has been associated with poor growth with lasting effects in brain structure and function. This study aimed to investigate whether PMS-induced undernutrition could cause systemic inflammation and changes in nutrition-related hormonal levels, affecting hippocampal structure and neurotransmission in C57BL/6J suckling mice. Methods: This study assessed mouse growth parameters coupled with insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) serum levels. In addition, leptin, adiponectin, and corticosterone serum levels were measured following PMS. Hippocampal stereology and the amino acid levels were also assessed. Furthermore, we measured myelin basic protein and synapthophysin (SYN) expression in the overall brain tissue and hippocampal SYN immunolabeling. For behavioral tests, we analyzed the ontogeny of selected neonatal reflexes. PMS was induced by separating half the pups in each litter from their lactating dams for defined periods each day (4 h on day 1, 8 h on day 2, and 12 h thereafter). A total of 67 suckling pups were used in this study. Results: PMS induced significant slowdown in weight gain and growth impairment. Significant reductions in serum leptin and IGF-1 levels were found following PMS. Total CA3 area and volume were reduced, specifically affecting the pyramidal layer in PMS mice. CA1 pyramidal layer area was also reduced. Overall hippocampal SYN immunolabeling was lower, especially in CA3 field and dentate gyrus. Furthermore, PMS reduced hippocampal aspartate, glutamate, and gammaaminobutyric acid levels, as compared with unseparated controls. Conclusion: These findings suggest that PMS causes significant growth deficits and alterations in hippocampal morphology and neurotransmission.This work was supported in part by National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grant 5R01HD053131, funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, and Brazilian grants from CNPq and CAPES (Grant # RO1 HD053131). The authors would like to thank Dr. Patricia Foley for veterinarian technical support and Dr. Jose Paulo Andrade for the excellent comments and suggestions to improve this manuscript. N.S. contributed with the stereological studies. I.L.F. and R.B.O. contributed with the behavioral studies. I.L.F., R.B.O., and R.L.G. contributed with the study design, study analysis, and manuscript preparation. G.A.M. and P.B.F. contributed with neurochemical brain analyses. J.I.A.L. and G.M.A. contributed with hormonal and CRP serum analyses. D.G.C., K.M.C., and R.S.R. contributed with animal experimentation and data collection

Phytosociological survey on native pasture of Paspalum notatum

Todos os textos, informa??es e resultados apresentados s?o de inteira responsabilidade dos autores.Coordenador/Orientador do Projeto: M?rcia Vit?ria Santos.Parte da inicia??o cientifica do primeiro autor, financiado pelo Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cient?fico e Tecnol?gico (CNPq), Funda??o de Amparo ? Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG) e Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior (CAPES).Objetivou-se com esse trabalho, realizar o levantamento fitossociol?gico em pastagem nativa de Paspalum notatum no munic?pio de Couto de Magalh?es de Minas-MG. O levantamento fitossociol?gico foi realizado em pastagem nativa de Paspalum notatum no munic?pio de Couto de Magalh?es de Minas MG. Para a identifica??o das plantas daninhas foi utilizado o m?todo do quadrado invent?rio, lan?ando ao acaso na ?rea 40 vezes um quadro de um metro de lado, totalizando uma ?rea amostral de 40m2. Avaliou-se a frequ?ncia (Fre), densidade (Den) e abund?ncia (Abu) das esp?cies encontradas na pastagem. Foram identificadas esp?cies distribu?das em seis fam?lias, destacando-se a fam?lia das Poaceae com cinco esp?cies. As esp?cies que apresentaram maior frequ?ncia (Fre) foram Sidastrum micranthum (malva-preta), Rhynchelystrum repens (capim-favorito) e Crotalaria incana (xique-xique), respectivamente. As esp?cies Eupatorium maximilianii (mata-pasto), Paspalum notatum (grama batatais) e Brachiaria decumbens (braquiarinha), apresentaram os maiores valores de densidade (Den), respectivamente. Paspalum notatum (grama batatais), Eupatorium maximilianii (mata-pasto) e Brachiaria decumbens (braquiarinha) foram ?s esp?cies que apresentaram maior abund?ncia (Abu). A pastagem de Paspalum notatum encontra-se infestada com esp?cies daninhas necessitando controle e corre??o do manejo do pasto para maior desempenho animal.The aim of this study was to do the phytosociological evaluation on a native pasture of Paspalum notatum in Couto de Magalh?es de Minas-MG. The phytosociological evaluation was made on native pasture of Paspalum notatum in Couto de Magalh?es de Minas-MG. To identification of the weed, the method used was the square inventory, hurled randomly in the area 40 times a square of one meter of side, totaling 40m2 of sample area. It was evaluate the frequency (Fre), density (Den), and abundancy (Abu) of the species found in the area. It was identified species of six families, standing out the family of the Poaceae including five species. The species that presented more frequency (Fre) were Sidastrum micranthum (dainty sandmallow), Rhynchelystrum repens (natal grass), and Crotalaria incana (woolly rattlepod), respectively. The species Eupatorium maximilianii ("mata-pasto"), Paspalum notatum (pensacola), and Brachiaria decumbens (signal grass), presented the higher values of density (Den), respectively. Paspalum notatum (pensacola), Eupatorium maximilianii ("mata-pasto"), and Brachiaria decumbens (signal grass), were the species that presented higher abundancy (Abu). The pasture of Paspalum notatum has found infested by weed, requiring control and correction of the management of the area to increase the animal performance

Pastures degradation assessment by infestation in plants weeds

Parte da inicia??o cientifica do primeiro autor, financiado pelo CNPq, FAPEMIG, CAPES.Todos os textos, informa??es e resultados apresentados s?o de inteira responsabilidade dos autores.Objetivou-se a partir desse trabalho avaliar a degrada??o de uma pastagem nativa de Paspalum notatum a partir da ocorr?ncia de plantas daninhas. O levantamento fitossociol?gico foi realizado em pastagem nativa de Paspalum notatum no munic?pio de Couto de Magalh?es de Minas - MG. Para a identifica??o das plantas daninhas foi utilizado o m?todo do quadrado invent?rio, lan?ando ao acaso na ?rea 40 vezes um quadro de um metro de lado, totalizando uma ?rea amostral de 40m2. Avaliou-se a frequ?ncia relativa (Frr), densidade relativa (Der), abund?ncia relativa (Abr) e o ?ndice de valor de import?ncia (IVI) das esp?cies encontradas na ?rea. Os maiores valores de frequ?ncia relativa (Frr) foram das esp?cies Sidastrum micrathum (malva-preta), Imperata brasiliensis (Sap?), Crotalaria incana (xique-xique) e Mimosa pudica (dormideira), respectivamente. As esp?cies Eupatorium maximilianii (mata-pasto), Paspalum notatum (grama batatais), Brachiaria decumbens (braquiarinha) e Cynodon dactylon (estrela roxa) apresentaram os maiores valores de densidade relativa, abund?ncia relativa e ?ndice de valor de import?ncia. A presen?a de Brachiaria decumbens, Cynodon dactylon, Eupatorium maximilianii e a baixa frequ?ncia relativa da esp?cie nativa s?o indicativos que a pastagem encontrase em est?dio de degrada??o avan?ado.ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the degradation of a native pasture of Paspalum notatum starting from the weeds occurrence. The phytosociological evaluation was made in native pasture of Paspalum notatum in Couto de Magalh?es de Minas - MG. To identify the weed the method of the inventory square was utilized, hurled randomly in the area 40 times a square of one meter of side, totaling 40m2 of sample area. It was evaluate the relative frequency (Frr), relative density (Der), relative abundancy (Abr), and the value of importance index (IVI) of the species found in the area. The higher values of relative frequency (Frr) were of the species Sidastrum micrathum (dainty sandmallow), Imperata brasiliensis (cogon grass), Crotalaria incana (woolly rattlepod), and Mimosa pudica (sensitive plant), respectively. The species Eupatorium maximilianii ("mata-pasto"), Paspalum notatum (pensacola), Brachiaria decumbens (signal grass), and Cynodon dactylon (bernuda grass) presented the higher values of relative density (Drr), relative abundancy (Abr), and value of importance index (IVI). The presence of the Brachiaria decumbens, Cynodon dactylon, Eupatorium maximilianii and the lower frequency of the native specie, are indicatives that the pasture has found in advanced state of degradation

Karyotype differentiation of four Cestrum species (Solanaceae) revealed by fluorescent chromosome banding and FISH

The karyotypes of four South American species of Cestrum (C. capsulare,C. corymbosum,C. laevigatum and C. megalophylum) were studied using conventional staining, C-CMA/DAPI chromosome banding and FISH with 45S and 5S rDNA probes. The karyotypes showed a chromosome number of 2n = 2x = 16, with metacentric chromosomes, except for the eighth submeta- to acrocentric pair. Several types of heterochromatin were detected, which varied in size, number, distribution and base composition. The C-CMA+ bands and 45S rDNA were located predominantly in terminal regions. The C-CMA + /DAPI + bands appeared in interstitial and terminal regions, and the C-DAPI + bands were found in all chromosome regions. The 5S rDNA sites were observed on the long arm of pair 8 in all species except C. capsulare, where they were found in the paracentromeric region of the long arm of pair 4. The differences in band patterns among the species studied here, along with data from other nine species reported in the literature, suggest that the bands are dispersed in an equilocal and non-equilocal manner and that structural rearrangements can be responsible for internal karyotype diversification. However, it is important to point out that the structural changes involving repetitive segments did not culminate in substantial changes in the general karyotype structure concerning chromosome size and morphology