Insulin Resistance and Atherosclerosis

O tipo de vida nas sociedades ocidentais favorece, nos indivíduos geneticamente predispostos, o desenvolvimento do estado de insulino-resistência. Neste estado, são necessárias concentrações de insulina mais elevadas para que se obtenha uma normal resposta metabólica nos tecidos-alvo, ocasionando o desenvolvimento de hiperinsulinismo. Em consequência da multiplicidade de acções da insulina, a insulino-resistência está associada a disfunção de vários tecidos,orgãos e sistemas (Síndrome X), tendo por consequência, entre outras, um aumento do risco de patologia vascular aterosclerótica. Neste artigo, são revistas as alterações a nível do controlo da pressão arterial, endotélio vascular, metabolismo lipídico e sistema fibrinolítico, consequentes ao estado de insulino resistência e a forma como, junto com o hiperinsulinismo, aceleram o processo da aterogénese. São, igualmente, abordadas algumas das armas terapêuticas capazes de combater aquele estado e, assim, reduzir a morbilidade e mortalidade associadas à aterosclerose

Maternal rumen-protected methionine supplementation and its effect on blood and liver biomarkers of energy metabolism, inflammation, and oxidative stress in neonatal Holstein calves

In nonruminants, nutrition during pregnancy can program offspring development, metabolism, and health in later life. Rumen-protected Met (RPM) supplementation during the prepartum period improves liver function and immune response in dairy cows. Our aim was to investigate the effects of RPM during late pregnancy on blood biomarkers (23 targets) and the liver transcriptome (24 genes) in neonatal calves from cows fed RPM at 0.08% of diet dry matter/d (MET) for the last 21 d before calving or controls (CON). Blood (n=12 calves per diet) was collected at birth before receiving colostrum (baseline), 24 h after receiving colostrum, 14, 28, and 50 d (post-weaning) of age. Liver was sampled (n=8 calves per diet) via biopsy on d 4, 14, 28, and 50 of age. Growth and health were not affected by maternal diet. The MET calves had greater overall plasma insulin concentration and lower glucose and ratios of glucose-to-insulin and fatty acids-to-insulin, indicating greater systemic insulin sensitivity. Lower concentration of reactive oxygen metabolites at 14 d of age along with a tendency for lower overall concentration of ceruloplasmin in MET calves indicated a lesser degree of stress. Greater expression on d 4 of fructose-bisphosphatase 1 (FBP1), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1 (PCK1), and the facilitated bidirectional glucose transporter SLC2A2 in MET calves indicated alterations in gluconeogenesis and glucose uptake and release. The data agree with the greater expression of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). Greater expression on d 4 of the insulin receptor (INSR) and insulin-responsive serine/threonine-protein kinase (AKT2) in MET calves indicated alterations in insulin signaling. In that context, the similar expression of sterol regulatory element-binding transcription factor 1 (SREBF1) in CON and MET during the preweaning period followed by the marked upregulation regardless of diet after weaning (d 50) support the idea of changes in hepatic insulin sensitivity during early postnatal life. Expression of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A (CPT1A) was overall greater and acyl-CoA oxidase 1 (ACOX1) was lower in MET calves, indicating alterations in fatty acid oxidation. Except forkhead box O1 (FOXO1), all genes changed in expression over time. Transcriptome results indicated that calves from MET-supplemented cows underwent a faster maturation of gluconeogenesis and fatty acid oxidation in the liver, which would be advantageous for adapting to the metabolic demands of extrauterine life

Light regimes in three aquatic ecosystems of different physico-chemical properties. 1. Attenuation, irradiance reflectance and comparison between downwelling, upwelling and scalar irradiances (PAR)

In two tropical lakes, one of the white water floodplain with an amount of suspended solids (tripton) of 100 mg/l, and one of the black water floodplain stained by humic substances (gilvin) of 130 - 170 HAZEN, situated in Central Amazonia, measurements of the light regime were made. Mainly two types of collectors were used measuring the hemispherical (cosine) and the spherical (scalar) incident solar radiation in the PAR wave band (photosyntethetically active radiation). From these data the coefficients for the irradiance reflectance, extinction for downward irradiance, and the depth of the euphotic zone were calculated for the so-called Várzea (white water) and lgapó (black water) lakes and all values compared to those obtained in the water body of an oligotrophic lake in Northern Germany. Besides comments concerning methodological details, remarks are given on the consequences of the very extreme light regimes for the biota in the two tropical lakes

Florística e estrutura de uma Área de Preservação Permanente do Bioparque da Amazônia.

O objetivo do trabalho foi analisar a estrutura e a composição florística do componente arbóreo-arbustivo de uma Área de Preservação Permanente (APP), com a fitofisionomia de ressaca campo-cerrado.Editoras técnicas: Cristiane Ramos de Jesus, Ana Cláudia Lira-Guedes e Adelina do Socorro Serrão Belém. ODS-15

Sensibility of evaluations of Malassezia furfur strains at cyclic imides

Malassezia furfur (Pityrosporum orbiculare) é um fungo lipofílico, que está associado a pitiríase versicolor, foliculite, dermatite seborréica e atópica, fungemia e infecções sistêmicas. O tratamento é feito com soluções antimicóticas ou derivados imidazólicos, particularmente, o cetoconazol. Dentro das perspectivas de avaliação de novas alternativas para a terapêutica das infecções micóticas, determinou-se, nesse estudo, a atividade antifúngica de compostos imídicos. As imidas 3,4-dicloro-N-fenil-maleimida (6,3 µg/ml), 3,4-dicloro-N-benzil-maleimida (25 µg/ml) e 3,4dicloro-N-fenil-propil-maleimida (20 µg/ml) foram os compostos que apresentaram melhor atividade inibitória contra as cepas de M. furfur.Malassezia furfur (Pityrosporum orbiculare) is a lipophilic microrganism and it has also been associated with pityriasis versicolor, folliculitis, seborrheic and atopic dermatitis, fungemia and systemic infections. The treatment comprehends antimicotics or imidazol derivatives solutions, specially cetoconazol. With purpose of evaluating new alternatives to the therapeutics of mycosis infections, the antifungical activity of cyclic imides was determinated in the present study. The imides 3,4-cichloro-N-phenylmaleimide (6,3 µg/ml), 3,4dichloro-N-benzyl-maleimide (25 µg/mL) and 3,4dichloro-N-phenyl-propyl-maleimide (25 µg/mL) were the compounds which produced the best activities of inhibition against strains of M. furfur

Neutralising antibodies for West Nile virus in horses from Brazilian Pantanal

Despite evidence of West Nile virus (WNV) activity in Colombia, Venezuela and Argentina, this virus has not been reported in most South American countries. In February 2009, we commenced an investigation for WNV in mosquitoes, horses and caimans from the Pantanal, Central-West Brazil. The sera of 168 horses and 30 caimans were initially tested using a flaviviruses-specific epitope-blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (blocking ELISA) for the detection of flavivirus-reactive antibodies. The seropositive samples were further tested using a plaque-reduction neutralisation test (PRNT90) for WNV and its most closely-related flaviviruses that circulate in Brazil to confirm the detection of specific virus-neutralising antibodies. Of the 93 (55.4%) blocking ELISA-seropositive horse serum samples, five (3%) were seropositive for WNV, nine (5.4%) were seropositive for St. Louis encephalitis virus, 18 (10.7%) were seropositive for Ilheus virus, three (1.8%) were seropositive for Cacipacore virus and none were seropositive for Rocio virus using PRNT90, with a criteria of > four-fold antibody titre difference. All caimans were negative for flaviviruses-specific antibodies using the blocking ELISA. No virus genome was detected from caiman blood or mosquito samples. The present study is the first report of confirmed serological evidence of WNV activity in Brazil

Parâmetros metabólicos de ovelhas submetidas a dietas contendo aflatoxina e zearalenona com adição de glucomanano modificado

As micotoxicoses são grandes causadoras de perdas produtivas em ruminantes, sendo aflatoxina (AFLA) e zearalenona (ZEA) as principais micotoxinas encontradas em alimentos conservados. Estas micotoxinas apresentam efeito sobre o metabolismo animal, através da ação anabólica de metabólitos da ZEA, bem como pelas lesões hepáticas causadas pela AFLA. O objetivo deste estudo foi determinar a influência do adsorvente glucomanano modificado sobre parâmetros metabólicos de ovelhas submetidas a dietas contendo AFLA e ZEA. Foram utilizadas 34 fêmeas divididas em 6 grupos (ZEA; ZEA + ADS; AFLA; AFLA + ADS; CONTROLE + ADS; CONTROLE), recebendo 1,0 mg/kg de ZEA, 1,5 mg/kg de AFLA e/ou 2 kg/ton de adsorvente. A ZEA diminuiu os níveis séricos de glicose, em relação ao CONTROLE (p &lt; 0,05), porém, o adsorvente não influenciou os níveis de glicose, não havendo diferença entre os grupos ZEA e ZEA + ADS. A ZEA aumentou os níveis de AST e GGT em relação ao grupo CONTROLE (p &lt; 0,05), sendo que os níveis de AST foram superiores no grupo ZEA (p &lt; 0,05), quando comparado ao grupo ZEA + ADS. Ainda, a aflatoxina causou uma redução nos níveis de albumina, em relação aos valores fisiológicos de ovinos. Assim, a partir destes resultados pode-se concluir que a ZEA causou alterações metabólicas em ovinos, bem como o glucomanano modificado foi eficiente em reduzir a possível agressão hepática causada por esta micotoxina, demonstrada pela diminuição nos níveis de AST.The micotoxicoses are causing great losses of production in ruminants, being aflatoxin (AFLA) and zearalenone (ZEA) the major mycotoxins found in foods preserved. These mycotoxins have effect on the metabolism animal through the anabolic action of metabolites of the ZEA, and the liver injury caused by AFLA. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of the sorbent modified glucomannan on metabolic parameters of sheep submitted to diets containing AFLA and ZEA. For this, 34 females were used and they were divided into 6 groups (ZEA; ZEA + ADS; AFLA; AFLA + ADS; CONTROL + ADS; CONTROL), receiving 1.0 mg/kg of ZEA, 1.5 mg/kg of AFLA and/or 2 kg/ton of sorbent. The ZEA decreased serum levels of glucose, for the CONTROL (p < 0.05), however, the sorbent not influence the levels of glucose, with no difference between groups ZEA and ZEA + ADS. The ZEA increased levels of AST and GGT compared to group CONTROL (p < 0.05), whereas the levels of AST were higher in the group ZEA (p < 0.05) when compared to the group ZEA+ADS. Still, the aflatoxin caused a reduction in the levels of albumin, for physiological values of sheep. Thus, from these results it was concluded that ZEA caused metabolic alterations in sheep, and the modified glucomannan was effective in reducing the possible liver aggression caused by this mycotoxin, shown by the decrease in the levels of AST