Two protocols of aerobic exercise modulate the counter-regulatory axis of the renin-angiotensin system.

Aims: The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is a dual system with two opposite arms: i) the classical one formed by the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), angiotensin (Ang) II and angiotensin type 1 (AT1) receptors; ii) the counter-regulatory arm consisting of ACE2, Ang-(1?7) and Mas receptor. Physical exercise can modulate this system, however, only animal studies have compared the effects of different intensity protocols on the RAS. No data with humans were provided. Therefore, we investigated the acute effect of two protocols of isowork aerobic exercise [High-Intensity Interval Exercise (HIIE) and Moderate-Intensity Continuous Exercise (MICE)] in plasma and urinary levels of RAS components in physically active men. Main methods: The HIIE protocol included a 5-minute warm-up cycling at 60?70% of heart rate peak (HRp) intensity followed by 10 sets of 30 s above 90% with 1 min of recovery and 3 min of cool down. The MICE protocol was performed at a constant power corresponding to 60?70% of HRp and finalized at the same total work of HIIE. Blood and urine samples were collected before and after the protocols. Plasma and urinary levels of ACE, ACE2, Ang-(1?7) and Ang II were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunoassay. Key findings: While the HIIE protocol significantly increased urinary levels of ACE and plasma levels of ACE2, the MICE protocol elevated urinary concentrations of ACE2 and of Ang-(1?7). A greater increase of urine concentrations of Ang-(1?7) occurred in the MICE if compared with the HIIE protocol. Significance: Aerobic physical exercise acutely increases the activity of the counter-regulatory RAS axis, mostly the MICE protocol

Effects of 16 weeks of a physical exercise program on blood markers, functional autonomy and level of depression in elderly and old adults.

O objetivo foi analisar os efeitos de um programa de exerc?cio f?sico sobre marcadores sangu?neos, autonomia funcional e n?vel de depress?o. Um total de 112 sujeitos com doen?as metab?licas controladas por hipocolesterolemia e hipoglicemiantes distribu?dos em dois grupos participaram do estudo; grupo composto por 54 membros com idade m?dia de 62,11 anos e grupo controle (GC) com 58 indiv?duos com idade m?dia de 63,03 anos. Foi observado que a ur?ia, creatina e as vari?veis pot?ssio n?o apresentaram diferen?a interessante entre os dois momentos do estudo, enquanto TGP e s?dio obtiveram redu??es nos valores m?dios de 2,46 mg / dl e 10 mg / dl com grande efeito de ?p2 0,153, ?p2 0,43 e signific?ncia p <0,047 e p <0,039 ao comparar os dois momentos entre os grupos exerc?cio / controle. A qualidade da for?a entre os momentos pr? e p?s entre os grupos exerc?cio / controle mostrou um aumento de 2,53 kgf de pequeno efeito de ?p2,23 para o grupo exerc?cio, enquanto o controle reduziu. Tamb?m houve diferen?as entre o pr? e o p?s-treinamento nos indicadores de autonomia funcional dos grupos GC. O GE reduziu os n?veis de depress?o em rela??o ao GC. Concluiu-se que o treinamento f?sico realizado por 16 semanas foi eficaz na redu??o dos n?veis de s?dio, a vari?vel TGP, aumento dos n?veis de for?a dos membros superiores, al?m de favorecer a melhora da capacidade funcional e reduzir os n?veis de depress?o.The objective was to analyze the effects of a physical exercise program on blood markers, functional autonomy and level of depression. A total of 112 subjects with metabolic diseases controlled by hypocholesterolemia and hypoglycemics distributed in two groups participated in the study; group composed of 54 members with mean age of 62.11 years and control group (CG) with 58 individuals with a mean age of 63.03 years. It was observed that urea, creatine and potassium variables did not present an interesting difference between the two moments of the study, while TGP and sodium obtained reductions in mean values of 2.46 mg / dl and 10 mg / dl with a great effect of ?p2 0.153, ?p2 0.43 and significance p <0.047 and p <0.039 when comparing the two moments between the exercise / control groups. The quality of the force between the pre and post moments between the exercise / control groups showed an increase of 2.53 kgf of small effect of ?p2,23 for the exercise group, while the control reduced. There were also differences between pre and post-training in the functional autonomy indicators of the CG groups. The GE reduced the levels of depression compared to the CG. It was concluded that physical training performed for 16 weeks was effective in reducing sodium levels, the TGP variable, increased strength levels of the upper limbs, as well as improving functional capacity and reducing depression levels

The association between physical exercise and Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) production.

The importance of exercise has been widely accepted by the public, professional organizations and the medical community, and the number of people around the world who practice day-to-day regular physical activity has recently increased. Physical activity is a primary requirement for the maintenance and promotion of health. However, intense exercise induces an increase in substrate utilization by the working muscles, resulting in an increased use of oxygen. This rise in oxygen consumption combined with the activation of specific metabolic pathways during or after exercise results in the generation of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). These substances are produced naturally by oxidative metabolic processes and are highly reactive. ROS can be useful in some situations; for example, macrophages use hydrogen peroxide to destroy bacteria. ROS increases during high-intensity exercise and its production is related to a large number of diseases, such as emphysema, inflammatory diseases, atherosclerosis, cancer and aging. During evolution, living organs developed an endogenous mechanism to minimize the damage caused by ROS, termed the antioxidant defense system. The imbalance between the production of ROS and the removal of these compounds by the antioxidant defense system causes a condition known as oxidative stress. This interesting paradox is exemplified by the hypothesis that physical exercises known to promote appropriate standards of health are also related to increased ROS production, which in turn closely correlate with various diseases. Recent publications have shown that ROS produced by exercise in adequate amounts may be linked to exercise benefits, both for health and for athletic performance. Thus, the aim of this article is to examine the close association between physical exercise and the production of ROS through an extensive literature review

Managing challenges of teacher training at graduate level : description of an experience.

Este artigo apresenta descri??o e an?lise da pr?tica pedag?gica, buscando trazer contribui??es ao enfrentamento do desafio da forma??o docente para o ensino superior. O texto dialoga com elementos acerca da forma??o docente e com diretrizes da legisla??o em torno dessa tem?tica, como forma de contextualizar a discuss?o. No relato da experi?ncia, compartilha-se com o leitor todo o processo de concep??o, desenvolvimento, aplica??o e avalia??o de uma disciplina de Est?gio Did?tico de um programa de p?s-gradua??o da ?rea biol?gica na Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. As conclus?es demonstram que ? necess?rio e poss?vel a forma??o pedag?gica em cursos de mestrado e doutorado, aliando as atividades pr?ticas inerentes ao est?gio docente em turmas de gradua??o, com discuss?es e reflex?es te?rico-pr?ticas sobre a doc?ncia. Esse formato traz benef?cios tanto para os alunos da p?s-gradua??o, futuros docentes, quanto para os alunos da gradua??o.This manuscript presents description and analysis of the pedagogical practice, illustrating the challenges of preparing teacher for higher education. The text dialogues with elements concerning teacher training and the guidelines of legislation related to these themes, as a way to contextualize the discussion. Specifically, this description shares with the reader the entire process of design, development, implementation and evaluation of the discipline Supervised Teaching Practice, at a graduate program of the biological area at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The findings show that the pedagogical training is both necessary and possible in all graduate level courses, combining the practical activities inherent to the teaching stage in undergraduate classes, with theoretical-practical discussions and reflections on teaching. That way brings benefits for the graduate students and future teachers as well as the undergraduate students

Effect of purslane seed supplementation on inflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress and muscle damage in response to high?intensity intermittent exercise in national athlete runners.

Background Purslane supplementation has anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, skeletal muscle-relaxant activities. However, it is unknown if the ingestion of purslane will affect the oxidative stress and cytokines in exercise-induced muscle damage. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of purslane supplementation after high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) on oxidative stress, cytokines, and muscle damage level in young athlete male runners. Methods Seven healthy young male runners performed 2.5 km HIIE treadmill protocol. Athletes repeated this protocol following 10 days of purslane seed supplementation (1000 mg/day). Blood samples were collected at baseline and following HIIE protocol and analyzed for oxidative stress (9-HODE and 13-HODE), cytokines (IL-17, and TNF-?), and muscle damage (LDH) biomarkers. Results At baseline and following HIIE protocol, 9-HODE, 13-HODE, IL-17, TNF-?, LDH levels were significantly (p < 0.001) lower after purslane supplementation in compared to before purslane supplementation. HIIE protocol induced a significant increase in 9-HODE, 13-HODE, IL-17, TNF-?, and LDH before and after purslane supplementation. Conclusion Purslane seed supplementation was able to reduce oxidative stress (9-HODE, 13-HODE), proinflammatory cytokines (IL-17 and TNF-?), and muscle damage (LDH) in male runners after HIIE performance compared to baseline levels. After 10 days of supplementation, the levels were reduced compared to levels pre-supplementation but not after HIIE supplementation in supplemented athletes

Soluble tumor necrosis factor receptors are associated with severity of kidney dysfunction in pediatric chronic kidney disease.

Background In adult chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, there is a positive association between inflammation and progressive renal dysfunction. Higher levels of soluble receptors of tumor necrosis factor (sTNFR) have been related to worst prognosis of adult CKD patients. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate soluble TNF receptors in children and adolescents with CKD and to search for an association with clinical and laboratory features. Methods Demographic, clinical, anthropometric, and laboratory data were evaluated in 34 pediatric patients with CKD and in 34 healthy sex- and age-matched controls. Blood samples were collected in both groups to measure sTNFR by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The modified Schwartz formula was used to estimate glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Results Pediatric patients with CKD had significantly higher plasma concentrations of soluble TNF receptors types 1 and 2 (sTNFR1 and sTNFR2) in comparison to sex- and age-matched healthy controls. Plasma levels of sTNFR1 and sTNFR2 increased progressively as renal function worsened, being inversely and significantly correlated with GFR (r =???0.853 for sTNFR1 and GFR, r =???0.729 for sTNFR2 and GFR). Conclusions Children and adolescents with CKD exhibited higher plasma levels of sTNFR1 and sTNFR2 than healthy controls, which increased in relation to renal function deterioration. Plasma levels of sTNFR1 and sTNFR2 emerge as markers of progressive CKD in pediatric patients

Uma parceria p?blico-privada : influ?ncia de um programa de atividade f?sica em ?ndices de sa?de.

Introdu??o: A pr?tica regular de atividade f?sica traz benef?cios tanto na promo??o de sa?de quanto na preven??o e combate de doen?as, o que se torna importante dentro de um ambiente de trabalho e na perspectiva de um plano de sa?de. Objetivo: Avaliar a efic?cia de um programa de interven??o com atividade f?sica sobre os seguintes par?metros de sa?de: ?ndice de massa corporal (IMC), ?ndice de cintura quadril (ICQ), percentual de gordura corporal (%GC), percentual de massa magra (%MM), e perfil de estado de humor. Material e M?todos: Foram utilizados como instrumentos de avalia??o o protocolo de dobras cut?neas de Faulkner e a Escala de Humor de Brunel. Trata-se de uma interven??o com dura??o de seis meses e frequ?ncia m?nima de seis vezes ao m?s, em 44 participantes do programa de atividade f?sica e sa?de, oferecido aos servidores p?blicos da UFV- Campus Florestal que possuem o plano de sa?de Agros e seus dependentes. Na an?lise estat?stica foi utilizado o teste t pareado e um p d? 0,05. Resultados: Os resultados significativos foram: diminui??o e aumento do %GC e %MM, respectivamente, para todos os grupos atendidos; diminui??o no ICQ para o grupo de servidores aposentados (p = 0,032); diminui??o da raiva para o grupo de servidores ativos (p = 0,044) e aposentados (p = 0,024); e aumento do vigor para os dependentes (p = 0,003). Conclus?o: Diante da melhora dos par?metros avaliados a interven??o se mostrou ben?fica ? sa?de dos participantes, sendo positivo para o plano de sa?de e para o trabalho.Introduction: Regular physical activity provides benefits both in health promotion as in preventing and combating disease, which becomes important in a work environment and the perspective of a health plan. Objective: Was to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention program with physical activity on following health parameters: body mass index (BMI), waist-hip ratio (WHR), body fat percentage (%BF), percentage of lean mass (% LM), and mood state profile. Material and Methods: Were used as assessment tools Faulkner skinfold protocol and the Brunel Mood Scale. This is an intervention lasting six months and with a minimum frequency of six times a month, in 44 participants of the physical activity and health program offered to civil servants of UFV- Campus Florestal that have the health plan Agros and their dependents. Statistical analysis was performed using paired t-test and a p d? 0.05. Results: The significant results were: decrease and increase % BF and% MM, respectively, for all treated groups; decrease in WHR for the group of retired employees (p = 0.032); decrease in anger for the group of active (p = 0.044) and retired employees (p = 0.024); and increased force for dependents (p = 0.003). Conclusion: Given the improvement of the parameters evaluated the intervention proved to be beneficial to the health of the participants, thus positive for the health plan and for the work

The effects of strength training session with different types of muscle action on white blood cells counting and Th1/Th2 response.

Aim This research investigated the effects of a strength training session with two different types of muscle actions, predominantly concentric or eccentric in the physiological variables, including the counting of white blood cells and inflammatory mediators; and consequently, changes in the Th1/Th2 balance. Methods Twelve healthy adult men performed a strength training session, using two different protocols: predominantly concentric with 5 s of the concentric phase by 1 s of the eccentric phase, and a predominantly eccentric with 1 s of the concentric phase by 5 s of the eccentric phase. Blood samples were collected, before, immediately after and 2 h after the end of the session to analyze subpopulations of white blood cells, creatine kinase (CK), irisin and the levels of anti- and pro-inflammatory mediators. Results Both strength training protocols were able to increase the heart rate, lactate concentration, rate of perceived exertion and the levels of circulating creatine kinase. The predominantly concentric strength training exercises increased the number of total white blood cells, and neutrophils 2 h after the end of the session. The plasmatic levels of interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-4 (IL-4), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), tumor necrosis factor-? (TNF-?), interferon-? (INF-?), irisin, soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor-1 (sTNFR1) and sTNFR2 did not change after the strength training protocols. Conclusion Therefore, the present study demonstrates that a strength training session is able to disturb the body homeostasis

Assessment of cardiometabolic risk factors, physical activity levels, and quality of life in stratified groups up to 10 years after bariatric surgery.

Obesity is a highly prevalent chronic metabolic disease, with an increasing incidence, and is currently approaching epidemic proportions in developing countries. Ouraim was to evaluate the activity levels, quality of life (QoL), clinical parameters, laboratory parameters, and cardiometabolic risk factors afterbariatric surgery (BS).We classified78 patients who underwentBS into four groups, as follows: Those evaluated 1?2 years after BS (BS2), 2?4 years after BS (BS4), 4?6 years after BS (BS6), and 6?10 years after BS (BS+6). Body weight (BW), body mass index (BMI), comorbidities associated with obesity (ACRO), physical activity level, and QoL were evaluated. Patients exhibited improvements in BW, BMI, cardiometabolic risk, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes and significant changes in lipid profiles in the first postoperative yearafter BS.The physical activity level inthe BS2, BS4, and BS6 groups was increased, compared with that in the first postoperative year, with a decrease in International Physical Activity Questionnaire scores at 1 year in the BS2 (207.50 30.79), BS4 (210.67 33.69), and BS6 (220.00 42.78) groups. The QoL of patients in theBS2 and BS4 groups was excellent and that of patients in the BS4 and BS+6 groupswas very good. These findings suggest that BS promoted improved physical activity levels and QoL and reduced comorbidities in patients with morbid obesity

Strength training session induces important changes on physiological, immunological, and inflammatory biomarkers.

Strength exercise is a strategy applied in sports and physical training processes. It may induce skeletal muscle hypertrophy. The hypertrophy is dependent on the eccentric muscle actions and on the inflammatory response. Here, we evaluate the physiological, immunological, and inflammatory responses induced by a session of strength training with a focus on predominance of the eccentric muscle actions. Twenty volunteers were separated into two groups: the untrained group (UTG) and the trained group (TG). Both groups hold 4 sets of leg press, knee extensor, and leg curl at 65% of personal one-repetition maximum (1RM), 90?s of recovery, and 2conc/3eccen of duration of execution in each repetition. Blood samples were collected immediately before and after, 2 hours after, and 24?h after the end of the exercise session. The single session of strength training elevated the heart rate (HR), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), visual analog scale (VAS), and lactate blood level in UTG and TG. Creatine kinase (CK) levels were higher at 2 and 24?h after the end of the exercise in UTG and, in TG, only at 24?h. The number of white blood cells (WBC) and neutrophils increased in UTG and TG, post and 2?h after exercise. Lymphocytes increased postexercise but reduced 2?h after exercise in both groups, while the number of monocytes increased only immediately after the exercise session in UTG and TG. The strength training session elevated the levels of apelin and fatty acid-binding proteins-3 (FABP3) in both groups and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in TG. The single exercise session was capable of inducing elevated HR, RPE, lactate level, and CK levels. This protocol changed the count/total number of circulating immune cells in both groups (UTG and TG) and also increased the level of plasmatic apelin, BDNF, and FLTS1 only in TG and FABP3 myokines in both groups