Simultaneous Health Risk Behaviors in Adolescents Associated with Higher Economic Class in the Northeast of Brazil

Design. The social, cultural, and economic context can be an important variable in the perception and adoption of risk behaviors in adolescents. Objective. The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of simultaneous health risk behaviors and associated socioeconomic factors in adolescents living in the metropolitan region of Aracaju, State of Sergipe, Brazil. Methods. The sample consisted of 2,207 high school students aged 13–18 years. The risk behaviors measured were “low levels of physical activity,” “excessive daily TV time,” “high consumption of alcoholic beverages on a single occasion,” “involvement in fights,” “smoking cigarettes,” “carrying firearms,” and “marijuana consumption.” Information was obtained through self-administered questionnaire. Results. Considering the results, it was observed that female adolescents and those aged up to 16 years were less likely to have two or more health risk behaviors compared to males and those aged 17 years or more, respectively. It was also found that both high- and middle-income level adolescents had higher prevalence of having two or more health risk behaviors. Conclusions. It was concluded that male adolescents older than 16 years with better socioeconomic level were more exposed to the simultaneous presence of several health risk behaviors

Systematic Review Shows Only Few Reliable Studies of Physical Activity Intervention in Adolescents

Introduction. Several studies have pointed to the high prevalence of low levels of physical activity in adolescents, suggesting the need for more effective interventions for this group. The aim of this study was to present evidence of intervention programs for efficacy of physical activity for adolescents. Methods. Surveys in PubMed, SportDiscus, LiLacs, and SciELO databases were conducted using keywords to identify population, intervention, and outcome, as well as DeCS and MeSH terms in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, whenever appropriate. The review included observational studies with minimal intervention of six months, minimum sample size of 100 adolescents, written in any language, and those who have reached STROBE score greater than 70%. Results. Only seven studies met all inclusion criteria. Of these, five were pre- and postintervention and two had n>2000 participants. Interventions were of several types, durations, and strategies for physical activity implementation. Behavior change was assessed in 43% of studies and three reported success in some way. Conclusion. Due to heterogeneity in their contents and methodologies, as well as the lack of jobs that accompany adolescents after the intervention period, one cannot draw conclusions about the actual effects of the intervention programs of physical activity on the behavior of young people

Phytochemical screening, antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of Chrysopogon zizanioides essential oil

Chrysopogon zizanioides (L.) Roberty, Poaceae, is a plant widely used in northeast Brazil in folk medicine for the treatment of various pathological conditions, including inflammatory pain. The present study evaluated the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of C. zizanioides essential oil (EO) in rodents. EO was further characterized by GC/MS. The major components of EO were identified as khusimol (19.57%), E-isovalencenol (13.24%), α-vetivone (5.25%), β-vetivone (4.87%) and hydroxy-valencene (4.64%). Following intraperitoneal injection (i.p.), EO at 50 and 100 mg/kg significantly reduced the number of writhes (51.9 and 64.9%, respectively) and the number of paw licks during phase 2 (56.7 and 86.2%, respectively) of a formalin model when compared to control group animals. However, EO-treated mice were ineffective at all doses in hot-plate and rota-rod tests. The EO inhibited the carrageenan-induced leukocyte migration to the peritoneal cavity in a dose-dependent manner (34.7, 35.4, and 62.5% at doses of 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg, respectively). In the paw edema test, the EO (100 mg/kg) inhibited all three phases of the edema equally well, suggesting that the EO has a non-selective inhibitory effect on the release or actions of these mediators. Our results suggest possible antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of the EO

Gastroprotective Mechanisms

Gastric ulcer (GU), a common type of peptic ulcer, results from an imbalance in the action of protective and aggressive agents. Gastroprotective mechanisms are mucus layer, gastric epithelium, gastric blood flow, gastric neurons, mucosal repair capacity, and immune system. Thus, the aim of this chapter was to provide an update on gastroprotective mechanisms. It was carried out through searches in PubMed covering the years 2016–2021 using several keywords. This survey resulted in 428 articles, of which 110 were cited in this chapter. It was reviewed the status of gastroprotective mechanisms and highlighted that mucins can act as a filter; gastric epithelial defenses are composed of the cell barrier, stem cells, and sensors on the mucosal surface; nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) act for gastric blood flow homeostasis (GBF); the main effector neurons in the gastric mucosa are cholinergic, nitrergic and VIPergic, and oxytocin can activate neurons; repair of the gastric mucosa requires complex biological responses; the immune system regulates the entry of antigens and pathogens. The main knowledge about gastroprotective mechanisms remains unchanged. However, we conclude that there has been progressing in this area

Effects of the ethanol extract of the inner bark of Syderoxylum obtusifolium in the cyclophosphamide-induced cystitis in rats

Bezerra, Daniel Pereira “Documento produzido em parceria ou por autor vinculado à Fiocruz, mas não consta à informação no documento”.Submitted by Ana Maria Fiscina Sampaio ([email protected]) on 2017-08-28T13:32:29Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Pereira DS Effects of the ethanol extract of the inner....pdf: 537704 bytes, checksum: 4a1d6f470a0781fbef08cb691a12707d (MD5)Approved for entry into archive by Ana Maria Fiscina Sampaio ([email protected]) on 2017-08-28T13:47:44Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Pereira DS Effects of the ethanol extract of the inner....pdf: 537704 bytes, checksum: 4a1d6f470a0781fbef08cb691a12707d (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2017-08-28T13:47:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Pereira DS Effects of the ethanol extract of the inner....pdf: 537704 bytes, checksum: 4a1d6f470a0781fbef08cb691a12707d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013Fundação de Apoio a Pesquisa e Inovação Tecnológica (FAPITEC/SE; No 019.203.02344/2009-7) and Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Científico (CNPq; No 562478/2010-8)Federal University of Sergipe. Department of Physiology. São Cristóvão, SE, BrazilFederal University of Sergipe. Department of Physiology. São Cristóvão, SE, BrazilFederal University of Sergipe. Department of Physiology. São Cristóvão, SE, BrazilFederal University of Sergipe. Department of Physiology. São Cristóvão, SE, BrazilFederal University of Sergipe. Department of Physiology. São Cristóvão, SE, BrazilFederal University of Sergipe. Department of Physiology. São Cristóvão, SE, BrazilFederal University of Sergipe. Department of Physiology. São Cristóvão, SE, BrazilFederal University of Sergipe. Department of Physiology. São Cristóvão, SE, BrazilFederal University of Sergipe. Department of Physiology. São Cristóvão, SE, BrazilIn this study, the ethanol extract of the inner bark of the Syderoxylum obtusifolium (EESob) was tested in the model of cyclophosphamide-induced hemorrhagic cystitis. Male Wistar rats were submitted to the injection of cyclophosphamide, 1 h after the treatment with EESob (200 or 400 mg/kg) or vehicle. After 24 h, the urinary bladder was excised and the edema, myeloperoxidase activity and malondialdehyde formation were measured. Also, myeloperoxidase activity and malondialdehyde formation in lung, spleen and liver and leukocyte counts in the peripheral blood were evaluated. Injection of cyclophosphamide increased myeloperoxidase activity and edema. The former was inhibited by the EESob at 400 mg/kg, but the latter was not affected. Although cyclophosphamide did not alter the bladder malondialdehyde formation, pre-treatment with EESob at both doses markedly increased this parameter. Lung and liver parameters or leukocyte counts were not altered by EESob. The spleen myeloperoxidase activity and malondialdehyde formation were not affected by cyclophosphamide, but were increased by the treatment with EESob. These results suggests that EESob administration to rats decrease myeloperoxidase activity in bladder tissue, but is accompanied by lipoperoxidation in this tissue, as well as in spleen, which do not support the use of EESob to treat cystitis