Influence of N- acetylcysteine on oxidative stress in slow-twitch soleus muscle of heart failure rats.

Background: Chronic heart failure is characterized by decreased exercise capacity with early exacerbation of fatigue and dyspnea. Intrinsic skeletal muscle abnormalities can play a role in exercise intolerance. Causal or contributing factors responsible for muscle alterations have not been completely defined.

Long-term exogenous melatonin treatment modulates overall feed efficiency and protects ovarian tissue against injuries caused by ethanol-induced oxidative stress in adult UChB rats.

Background: Chronic ethanol intake leads to reproductive damage including reactive oxygen species formation, which accelerates the oxidative process. Melatonin is known to regulate the reproductive cycle, food/liquid intake, and it may also act as a potent antioxidant indoleamine. The aim of this study was to verify the effects of alcoholism and melatonin treatment on overall feed efficiency and to analyze its protective role against the oxidative stress in the ovarian tissue of UChB rats (submitted to 10% [v/v] voluntary ethanol consumption).

Weekend ethanol consumption and high-sucrose diet: resveratrol effects on energy expenditure, substrate oxidation, lipid profile, oxidative stress and hepatic energy metabolism.

Aims: The present study analyzed the association between weekend ethanol and high-sucrose diet on oxygen consumption, lipid profile, oxidative stress and hepatic energy metabolism. Because resveratrol (RS, 3,5,4'-trans-trihydroxystilbene) has been implicated as a modulator of alcohol-independent cardiovascular protection attributed to red wine, we also determined whether RS could change the damage done by this lifestyle.

Methods: Male Wistar 24 rats receiving standard chow were divided into four groups (n = 6/group): (C) water throughout the experimental period; (E) 30% ethanol 3 days/week, water 4 days/week; (ES) a mixture of 30% ethanol and 30% sucrose 3 days/week, drinking 30% sucrose 4 days/week; (ESR) 30% ethanol and 30% sucrose containing 6 mg/l RS 3 days/week, drinking 30% sucrose 4 days/week.

Influence of AIN-93 diet on mortality and cardiac remodeling after myocardial infarction in rats.

Background: The AIN-93 diet was proposed by the American Institute of Nutrition with the objective of standardising studies in experimental nutrition. Our objective was to analyze the effects of AIN-93 diet after myocardial infarction in rats.

Methods: Post weaning, the animals were divided into two groups: control (C, n=62), fed the standard diet of our laboratory (Labina); AIN-93 Group (n=70), fed the AIN-93 diet.

Influence of different doses of retinoic acid on cardiac remodeling.

Objective: The role of retinoic acid in promoting postnatal heart alterations is still unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the cardiac alterations caused by all-trans- retinoic acid (ATRA) in normal adult rat hearts are physiologic or pathologic and if these alterations are dose-dependent.

Methods: Rats were allocated into a control group that received a diet without ATRA (n=16), a group that received 0.

Effects of olive oil and its minor phenolic constituents on obesity-induced cardiac metabolic changes.

Background: Olive oil and its minor constituents have been recommended as important dietary therapeutic interventions in preventive medicine. However, a question remains to be addressed: what are the effects of olive oil and its phenolic compounds on obesity-induced cardiac metabolic changes?

Methods: Male Wistar rats were divided into two groups (n = 24/group): (C) receiving standard-chow; (Ob) receiving hypercaloric-chow. After 21 days C and Ob groups were divided into four subgroups (n = 6/group):(C) standard-chow and saline; (C-Olive)standard-chow and olive-oil (3.

Energy expenditure and oxygen consumption as novel biomarkers of obesity-induced cardiac disease in rats.

The purpose of the present study was to determine calorimetric parameters to predict obesity adverse effects on oxidative stress and cardiac energy metabolism. Male Wistar 24 rats were divided into three groups (n = 8): given standard chow and water (C), receiving standard chow and 30% sucrose in its drinking water (S), and given sucrose-rich diet and water (SRD). After 45 days, both S and SRD rats had obesity, serum oxidative stress, and dyslipidemic profile, but the body weight gain and feed efficiency (FE) were higher in SRD than in S, whereas the obesity-related oxidative stress, myocardial triacylglycerol accumulation, and enhanced cardiac lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity were higher in S than in SRD rats.

Alcoholism and alcohol abstinence: N-acetylcysteine to improve energy expenditure, myocardial oxidative stress, and energy metabolism in alcoholic heart disease.

Alcoholism has been associated with a wide range of pathologic conditions, including alcoholic heart disease (AHD). Because AHD may be associated with oxidative stress, antioxidant compounds, such as N-acetylcysteine (NAC) could be useful to control the damage done by alcohol (ethanol) consumption. To investigate the NAC effects on alcoholism and alcohol abstinence, initially, 30 male Wistar rats were divided into two groups: (C, N=6) given standard chow and water; (E, N=24) receiving standard chow and aqueous ethanol solution in semi-voluntary research.

Influence of rutin treatment on biochemical alterations in experimental diabetes.

Dietary antioxidant compounds such as flavonoids may offer some protection against early-stage diabetes mellitus and its complications. Abnormalities in both glucose metabolism and lipid profile constitute one of the most common complications in diabetes mellitus. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of rutin, through biochemical parameters, on experimental streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes in rats.

Role of lipoperoxidation in the remodeling intensification induced by beta-carotene after infarction.

Background: The mechanisms involved in the biggest remodeling caused by the post-infarct beta-carotene are unknown.

Objective: To analyze the role of lipoperoxidation in the ventricular remodeling after infarct of the myocardium in rats supplemented with beta-carotene.

Methods: Rats were infarcted and divided into two groups: C (control) and BC (500mg/kg/regimen).

The role of oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation in ventricular remodeling induced by tobacco smoke exposure after myocardial infarction.

Objective: To evaluate the roles of oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation in the ventricular remodeling that is induced by tobacco smoke exposure after myocardial infarction.

Methods: After induced myocardial infarction, rats were allocated into two groups: C (control, n=25) and ETS (exposed to tobacco smoke, n=24). After 6 months, survivors were submitted to echocardiogram and biochemical analyses.

Effects of N-acetylcysteine on alcohol abstinence and alcohol-induced adverse effects in rats.

Alcoholism is rampant in modern society and some antioxidant compound could perhaps be useful to reduce the damage done by alcohol consumption and abstinence. The present study was undertaken to investigate the association of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) intake, alcoholism, and alcohol abstinence on lipid profile, in vivo low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation, oxidative stress, and antioxidant status in serum and liver of rats. Initially, male Wistar 30 rats were divided into two groups: (C, N=6) given standard chow and water; (E, N=24) receiving standard chow and aqueous ethanol solution in semi-voluntary research.

N-acetylcysteine an allium plant compound improves high-sucrose diet-induced obesity and related effects.

This study was designed to determine whether N-acetylcysteine (NAC, C(5)H(9)-NO(3)S), a compound from Allium species may be used as a complementary therapeutic agent, to inhibit high-sucrose induced-obesity and its effects on glucose tolerance, in vivo low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-oxidation and serum oxidative stress in rats. Initially, 24 male Wistar rats were divided into two groups: controls receiving standard chow (C, n = 6) and those receiving high-sucrose diet (HS, n = 18). After 22 days, (HS) group was divided into three groups (n = 6/group); (HS-HS) continued to eat high-sucrose diet and water; (HS-N) continued to eat high-sucrose diet and received 2 mg l(-1)-NAC in its drinking water; (HS-CN) changing high-sucrose to standard chow and receiving 2 mg l(-1)-NAC in its drinking water.

N-acetylcysteine in high-sucrose diet-induced obesity: energy expenditure and metabolic shifting for cardiac health.

To study the effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC, C(5)H(9)-NO(3)S) on high-sucrose diet-induced obesity and its effects on energy metabolism and cardiac oxidative stress, male Wistar 24 rats were divided into four groups (n=6): (C) given standard chow and water; (N) receiving standard chow and 2g/l N-acetylcysteine in its drinking water; (HS) given standard chow and 30% sucrose in its drinking water, and (HS-N) receiving standard chow, 30% sucrose and N-acetylcysteine in its drinking water. After 30 days of the treatment, obesity was evidenced in HS rats from enhanced body weight, respiratory quotient, hypertriglyceridemia. As well depressed resting metabolic rate, and oxygen consumption per surface area.

Misclassification probability as obese or lean in hypercaloric and normocaloric diet.

The aim of the present study was to determine the classification error probabilities, as lean or obese, in hypercaloric diet-induced obesity, which depends on the variable used to characterize animal obesity. In addition, the misclassification probabilities in animals submitted to normocaloric diet were also evaluated. Male Wistar rats were randomly distributed into two groups: normal diet (ND; n=31; 3.

Conjugated linoleic acid and cardiac health: oxidative stress and energetic metabolism in standard and sucrose-rich diets.

Studies on conjugated linoleic acid ingestion and its effect on cardiac tissue are necessary for the safe utilization of this compound as supplement for weight loss. Male Wistar 24-rats were divided into four groups (n=6):(C)given standard chow, water and 0.5 ml saline, twice a week by gavage; (C-CLA)receiving standard chow, water and 0.

Students' preferred teaching techniques for biochemistry in biomedicine and medicine courses.

The aim of this study was to investigate the students' preferred teaching techniques, such as traditional blackboard, power-point, or slide-projection, for biochemistry discipline in biomedicine and medicine courses from São Paulo State University, UNESP, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil. Preferences for specific topic and teaching techniques were determined from questionnaires on a Liquert scale from 1 to 5 (strongly disagree; disagree; neither agree, nor disagree; agree; strongly agree) distributed at the end of biochemistry discipline to 180 biomedical students (30 students/year) and 540 medical students (90 students/year), during the years 2000-2005. Despite of the different number of hours applied to the course topics for the two groups of students, the majority of undergraduates from biomedicine and medicine preferred metabolic topics.

Influences of rich in saturated and unsaturated fatty acids diets in rat myocardium.

Objectives: To study the influence of saturated (SFA) and unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) rich diets on mechanical function, morphology and oxidative stress in rat myocardium.

Methods: Male, 60-day-old Wistar rats were fed a control (n=8), a SFA (n=8), or a UFA-rich diet (n=8) for sixty days. Mechanical function was studied in isolated left ventricle papillary muscle under isometric and isotonic contractions, in basal conditions (1.

Diet compounds, glycemic index and obesity-related cardiac effects.

Background: Diet compounds may influence obesity-related cardiac oxidative stress and metabolic sifting. Carbohydrate-rich diet may be disadvantageous from fat-rich diet to cardiac tissue and glycemic index rather than lipid profile may predict the obesity-related cardiac effects.

Materials And Methods: Male Wistar rats were divided into three groups (n=8/group): (C) receiving standard chow (3.

Effects of olive oil and its minor constituents on serum lipids, oxidative stress, and energy metabolism in cardiac muscle.

Recent lines of evidence suggest that the beneficial effects of olive oil are not only related to its high content of oleic acid, but also to the antioxidant potential of its polyphenols. The aim of this work was determine the effects of olive oil and its components, oleic acid and the polyphenol dihydroxyphenylethanol (DPE), on serum lipids, oxidative stress, and energy metabolism on cardiac tissue. Twenty four male Wistar rats, 200 g, were divided into the following 4 groups (n = 6): control (C), OO group that received extra-virgin olive oil (7.

Effects of N-acetylcysteine on sucrose-rich diet-induced hyperglycaemia, dyslipidemia and oxidative stress in rats.

This study examined whether sucrose-rich diet (SRD)-induced hyperglycaemia, dyslipidemia and oxidative stress may be inhibited by N-acetylcysteine (C(5)H(9)-NO(3)S), an organosulfur from Allium plants. Male Wistar 40 rats were divided into four groups (n=10): (C) given standard chow and water; (N) receiving standard chow and 2 mg/l N-acetylcysteine in its drinking water; (SRD) given standard chow and 30% sucrose in its drinking water; and (SRD-N) receiving standard chow, 30% sucrose and N-acetylcysteine in its drinking water. After 30 days of treatment, SRD rats had obesity with increased abdominal circumference, hyperglycaemia, dyslipidemia and hepatic triacylglycerol accumulation.

Interaction of hypercaloric diet and physical exercise on lipid profile, oxidative stress and antioxidant defenses.

The present study examined the interaction of hypercaloric diet (HD) and physical exercise on lipid profile and oxidative stress in serum and liver of rats. Male Wistar rats (60-days-old) were fed with a control (C) and hypercaloric diet (H). Each of the two dietary groups (C and H) was divided into three subgroups (n=8), sedentary (CS and HS), exercised 2days a week (CE2 and HE2) and exercised 5days a week (CE5 and HE5).

Beta-carotene supplementation attenuates cardiac remodeling induced by one-month tobacco-smoke exposure in rats.

Objective: The objectives were to analyze the cardiac effects of exposure to tobacco smoke (ETS), for a period of 30 days, alone and in combination with beta-carotene supplementation (BC).

Research Methods And Procedures: Rats were allocated into: Air (control, n = 13); Air + BC (n = 11); ETS (n = 11); and BC + ETS (n = 9). In Air + BC and BC + ETS, 500 mg of BC were added to the diet.

Exercise training increases myocardial inotropic response in food restricted rats.

This study evaluated the effects of exercise training on myocardial function and ultrastructure of rats submitted to different levels of food restriction (FR). Male Wistar-Kyoto rats, 60 days old, were submitted to free access to food, light FR (20%), severe FR (50%) and/or to swimming training (one hour per day with 5% of load, five days per week for 90 days). Myocardial function was evaluated by left ventricular papillary muscle under basal condition (calcium 1.

Myocardial dysfunction induced by food restriction is related to morphological damage in normotensive middle-aged rats.

Previous works from our laboratory have revealed that food restriction (FR) promotes discrete myocardial dysfunction in young rats. We examined the effects of FR on cardiac function, in vivo and in vitro, and ultrastructural changes in the heart of middle-aged rats. Twelve-month-old Wistar-Kyoto rats were fed a control (C) or restricted diet (daily intake reduced to 50% of the control group) for 90 days.