Angiotensin-II drives changes in microglia-vascular interactions in rats with heart failure.

Activation of microglia, the resident immune cells of the central nervous system, leading to the subsequent release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, has been linked to cardiac remodeling, autonomic disbalance, and cognitive deficits in heart failure (HF). While previous studies emphasized the role of hippocampal Angiotensin II (AngII) signaling in HF-induced microglial activation, unanswered mechanistic questions persist. Evidence suggests significant interactions between microglia and local microvasculature, potentially affecting blood-brain barrier integrity and cerebral blood flow regulation.

Impaired oxytocin signalling in the central amygdala in rats with chronic heart failure.

Heart failure (HF) patients suffer from cognitive decline and mood impairments, but the molecular signals and brain circuits underlying these effects remain elusive. The hypothalamic neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) is critically involved in regulating mood, and OTergic signalling in the central amygdala (CeA) is a key mechanism that controls emotional responses including anxiety-like behaviours. Still, whether an altered OTergic signalling contributes to mood disorders in HF remains unknown.

Effects of maternal preconception high-fat diet on the fertility of dams and on the somatic parameters and reflex ontogeny of their male offspring.

Background: Female consumption of a high-fat diet (HFD) may cause fertility issues and affects offspring development.

Objective: Evaluate the acute maternal preconception intake of a HFD on the fertility and reproduction parameters of breeding females; and on the somatic parameters and reflex ontogeny of male offspring.

Methods: Twenty-four rats were randomized into control (PC; n=12) and high-fat diet group (PHF; n=12) that consumed their respective diets during the 23-day preconception period.

Dexamethasone-Induced Insulin Resistance Attenuation by Oral Sulfur-Oxidovanadium(IV) Complex Treatment in Mice.

Vanadium compounds are known to exert insulin-enhancing activity, normalize elevated blood glucose levels in diabetic subjects, and show significant activity in models of insulin resistance (IR). Faced with insulin resistance, the present work investigates the antidiabetic performance of a known oxidovanadium(IV)-based coordination compound-[VO(octd)]-and effects associated with glucocorticoid-induced insulin resistance in mice. The effects of [VO(octd)] were evaluated in a female Swiss mice model of insulin resistance induced by seven days of dexamethasone treatment in comparison with groups receiving metformin treatment.

Preliminary profile of the gut microbiota from amerindians in the Brazilian amazon experiencing a process of transition to urbanization.

The Yanomami are one of the oldest indigenous tribes in the Amazon and are direct descendants of the first people to colonize South America 12,000 years ago. They are located on the border between Venezuela and Brazil, with the Venezuelan side remaining uncontacted. While they maintain a hunter-gatherer society, they are currently experiencing contact with urbanized populations in Brazil.