The influence of behavioral enrichment on dry food consumption by the black tufted-ear marmoset, Callithrix penicillata (Mammalia: Callithricidae): a pilot study

Stereotyped behaviors in captive primates are often caused by unsuitable conditions. Environmental enrichment has been used to reduce these behaviors, and also to increase the frequency of behaviors appropriate to the species. In this pilot study we evaluated whether behavioral enrichment influences food intake by the black tufted-ear marmoset, Callithrix penicillata (É. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1812), by calculating energy maintenance requirements. We evaluated 16 individually housed, healthy adult black tufted-ear marmosets, randomly divided into two treatment groups, one with behavioral enrichment and one without. The enrichment techniques included structural aspects, such as placing fixed and mobile objects in the cage and supplying dry foods in an enriched form, in order to stimulate cognition. Based on the metabolic weight of the animals, we calculated the energy requirements for their maintenance. The animals that received behavioral enrichment consumed more food than those that did not. We also observed that the animals that did not receive enrichment consumed 9.85% less food than had been calculated for energy maintenance requirements, while the animals that received enrichment consumed 24.97% more food than had been calculated. Results indicate that the use of behavioral enrichment items raised the energy requirements of the black tufted-ear marmoset and, therefore, the consumption of dry food, suggesting that environmental enrichment plays a role in stimulating food consumption. This conclusion should alert scientists, technicians and primatologists to the importance of controlling body weight of marmosets when introducing environmental enrichment to avoid overfeeding and obesity. To verify this conclusion, a study is needed with a longer time frame and more parameters, such as behavior observation and body weight

Topical Insulin Accelerates Wound Healing in Diabetes by Enhancing the AKT and ERK Pathways: A Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

Background: Wound healing is impaired in diabetes mellitus, but the mechanisms involved in this process are virtually unknown. Proteins belonging to the insulin signaling pathway respond to insulin in the skin of rats. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the regulation of the insulin signaling pathway in wound healing and skin repair of normal and diabetic rats, and, in parallel, the effect of a topical insulin cream on wound healing and on the activation of this pathway. Research Design and Methods: We investigated insulin signaling by immunoblotting during wound healing of control and diabetic animals with or without topical insulin. Diabetic patients with ulcers were randomized to receive topical insulin or placebo in a prospective, double-blind and placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial (NCT 01295177) of wound healing. Results and Conclusions: Expression of IR, IRS-1, IRS-2, SHC, ERK, and AKT are increased in the tissue of healing wounds compared to intact skin, suggesting that the insulin signaling pathway may have an important role in this process. These pathways were attenuated in the wounded skin of diabetic rats, in parallel with an increase in the time of complete wound healing. Upon topical application of insulin cream, the wound healing time of diabetic animals was normalized, followed by a reversal of defective insulin signal transduction. In addition, the treatment also increased expression of other proteins, such as eNOS (also in bone marrow), VEGF, and SDF-1 alpha in wounded skin. In diabetic patients, topical insulin cream markedly improved wound healing, representing an attractive and cost-free method for treating this devastating complication of diabetes.Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)National Institute of Science and Technology (INCT)National Institute of Science and Technology (INCT)National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq)National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq

Equações de predição dos valores energéticos dos alimentos para papagaios verdadeiros (Amazona aestiva) Predition equation of energetic values of feeds for blue-fronted parrot (Amazona aestiva)

Objetivou-se com este trabalho estimar, a partir dos resultados encontrados nos ensaios biológicos e análises químicas de 16 alimentos (semente de girassol, aveia, gema de ovo, ovo integral, clara de ovo, germe de trigo, farelo de trigo, milho moído, milho gelatinizado, farelo de girassol, levedura, polpa cítrica, mamão, banana, farelo de soja e soja micronizada), equações para a predição da energia metabolizável aparente (EMA), energia metabolizável corrigida para nitrogênio (EMAn), energia metabolizável verdadeira (EMV) e energia metabolizável verdadeira corrigida para nitrogênio (EMVn) para papagaios verdadeiros (Amazona aestiva) adultos, em manutenção. Baseando-se nas análises bromatológicas de 16 alimentos e nos valores de energia metabolizável (EMA, EMV, EMAn e EMVn) obtidos em papagaios, foram desenvolvidas equações de predição para energia metabolizável de alimentos comumente utilizados em rações e dietas de psitacídeos. Os parâmetros utilizados para os cálculos das equações foram os valores de Matéria Orgânica (MO), Proteína Bruta (PB), Energia Bruta (EB), Fibra Bruta (FB), Extrato Etéreo (EE), Cinzas ou minerais totais (Cz) e Extrativos Não Nitrogenados (ENN), analisados nos alimentos. As equações para predizer a energia metabolizável dos grupos de alimentos foram estimadas através de regressões lineares simples e múltiplas, utilizando-se método de stepwise do pacote estatístico SAS Institute (1995). Os resultados obtidos permitiram concluir que: 1- o EE foi a variável que melhor se correlacionou nas estimativas da energia metabolizável (EMA, EMAn, EMV e EMVn) com alta correlação positiva; 2- embora várias equações tenham apresentado R² acima de 0,90, nenhuma delas foi hábil em predizer a energia metabolizável de todos os alimentos avaliados, provavelmente pela natureza heterogênea dos princípios nutritivos dos alimentos.<br>The objective of this study was to predict the energetics values by using the data set from the metabolism assay and proximal analyses of 16 feeds (sunflower seed, oat, egg yolk, integral egg, egg white, wheat germen, wheat bran, triturated corn, jellied corn, sunflower bran, yeast, citric pulp, papaya, banana, soybean meal, extruded soybean). The prediction equations of the apparent metabolizable energy (AME), apparent nitrogen corrected (AMEn), true (TME) and true nitrogen corrected (TMEn) for blue fronted parrots (Amazon aestiva) adults in the maintenance. Based on the chemical analyses of 16 feeds and in the of metabolizable energy values (AME, TME, AMEn and TMEn) obtained from the assays with parrots, the prediction equations were determined. The parameters used for the calculations of the equations were Organic Matter (OM), Crude Protein (CP), Crude Energy (CE), Crude Fiber (CF), Ethereal Extract (EE), Ashes (As) and Free Nitrogen Extractive (FNE), analyzed in the feds. The equations to predict the metabolizable energy of the groups of feeds were determined through simple and multiple linear regressions, by using the method of stepwise of the SAS statistical package (SAS INSTITUTE, 1995). Accord to the equation it was concluded that : 1 - EE was the variable that was better correlated with the metabolizable energy (AME, AMEn, TME and TMEn) with high positive correlation; 2 - although many equations showed the R² above 0,90, none of them was able to predict the metabolizable energy for all feeds evaluated, probably due to the heterogeneous nature of the nutrients in the feeds

Proceedings Of The 23Rd Paediatric Rheumatology European Society Congress: Part Two

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