Vagotomy associated with splenectomy reduces lipid accumulation and causes kidneys histological changes in rats with hypothalamic obesity.

Purpose: To evaluate the influence of autonomic vagal and splenic activities on renal histomorphometric aspects in obese rats.

Methods: Thirty male Wistar rats were used, of which, 24 received subcutaneous injections of monosodium glutamate (MSG) during the first 5 days of life (4 g/kg body weight) and six control animals received injections of saline solution (CON). Five experimental groups were organized (n = 6/group): falsely-operated control (CON-FO); falsely-operated obese (MSG-FO); vagotomized obese (MSG-VAG); splenectomized obese (MSG-SPL); vagotomized and splenectomized obese (MSG-VAG-SPL).

Ethnomedicinal Plants Used for the Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases by Healers in the Southwestern State of Paraná, Brazil, and Their Validation Based on Scientific Pharmacological Data.

Cardiovascular diseases are responsible for high morbidity and mortality rates worldwide. Among treatment options, medicinal plants are frequently used, especially in developing countries, such as Brazil. Despite social development that has been observed in the last decades, the use of medicinal plants is still driven by popular knowledge, especially by healers.