Decoding the Influence of Obesity on Prostate Cancer and Its Transgenerational Impact.

In recent decades, the escalating prevalence of metabolic disorders, notably obesity and being overweight, has emerged as a pressing concern in public health. Projections for the future indicate a continual upward trajectory in obesity rates, primarily attributable to unhealthy dietary patterns and sedentary lifestyles. The ramifications of obesity extend beyond its visible manifestations, intricately weaving a web of hormonal dysregulation, chronic inflammation, and oxidative stress.

Oral Infection and Survival of Trypanosoma cruzi in Sugarcane Juice Conditioned at Different Temperatures.

Purpose: The current most important form of transmission for Trypanosoma cruzi is the oral route, being responsible for high mortality during the acute phase in infected individuals. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the possibility of infection for this parasite using sugarcane juice in different temperatures employing metacyclic trypomastigotes obtained from xenodiagnosis performed in Swiss mice previously infected with T.cruzi Y strain, and then diluted in sugarcane juice.

Insights Into Antioxidant Strategies to Counteract Radiation-Induced Male Infertility.

Radiotherapy, which employs ionizing radiation to destroy or prevent the multiplication of tumor cells, has been increasingly used in the treatment of neoplastic diseases, especially cancers. However, radiation collaterally leads to prolonged periods of sperm count suppression, presumably due to impaired spermatogenesis by depleting the germ cell pool, which has long-term side effects for male reproduction. Studies of antioxidant compounds as a potential strategy for male fertility preservation have been performed mainly from animal models, aiming to prevent and restore the male germinal tissue and its function, particularly against the oxidative stress effects of radiation.

Playful activity with robot for hand hygiene of elementary school students: quasi-experimental study.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of the hand hygiene process after elementary school students participated in an educational activity using an automated digital technology called Tutor Robot.

Method: Quasi-experimental study developed in 2019 with elementary school students (n=203). Hand hygiene was performed with a fluorescent solution before and after participating in an educational activity with a tutor robot.

Losartan Attenuates Radiation-Induced Damage on Testes and Accelerates Tubular Regeneration.

Male germ cells are particularly susceptible to radiation; infertility being a common consequence after radiotherapy as it impairs spermatogenesis. This study aimed to test whether treatment with losartan (LOS), a selective antagonist of angiotensin II receptor subtype 1 (AT1R), can prevent or attenuate the acute and long-term radiation-induced damage to testes. Wistar rats were randomly distributed into six groups, three of which were studied on day 2 after irradiation: control (CTRL 2), irradiated non-treated (IR 2), and irradiated and treated with LOS (IRLOS 2); and three other groups that were studied on day 60 after irradiation: control (CTRL 60), irradiated non-treated (IR 60), and irradiated and treated with LOS (IRLOS 60).

Orchiectomy but not adjuvant-induced arthritis induces structural modifications in rat aortas.

Purpose: This study aimed to verify whether Adjuvant-Induced Arthritis (AIA) and/or Orchiectomy (ORX) modify the expression of the Nox1, Nox2 and Nox4 isoforms, the endothelial function or the structure of rat aortas.

Methods: Sixty-three Wistar rats were distributed into four groups: 1) Control; 2) ORX; 3) AIA; 4) Orchiectomy plus to Arthritis-induction (ORX/AIA). Thus, 21 days after the onset of AIA (by intradermal injection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis), the presence of Nox1, Nox2 and Nox4, the acetylcholine (ACh)-induced relaxation and the media layer thickness were assessed in the aorta taken from these animals.

Animal models of male reproductive ageing to study testosterone production and spermatogenesis.

Ageing is the time-dependent gradual decline of the functional characteristics in an organism. It has been shown that it results in the loss of reproductive health and fertility. The age-dependent decline of fertility is a potential issue as the parenthood age is increasing in Western countries, mostly due to socioeconomic factors.

Reversal of diabetic-induced myopathy by swimming exercise in pregnant rats: a translational intervention study.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) plus rectus abdominis muscle (RAM) myopathy predicts long-term urinary incontinence (UI). Atrophic and stiff RAM are characteristics of diabetes-induced myopathy (DiM) in pregnant rats. This study aimed to determine whether swimming exercise (SE) has a therapeutic effect in mild hyperglycemic pregnant rats model.

Influence of galantamine in the inflammatory process and tissular lesions caused by Trypanosoma cruzi QM2 strain.

Introduction: Trypanosoma cruzi infection triggers an inflammatory process with exacerbated production of cytokines that stimulate inflammatory and anti-inflammatory signals, including the efferent anti-inflammatory signal known as the anti-inflammatory cholinergic pathway. Thus, the use of anticholinesterase drugs, such as galantamine, could minimize the inflammatory process caused by this disease.

Methods: For the study at 30, 60, and 90 days, 120 Swiss mice were divided into three groups.

Exercise-Induced Modulation of Angiotensin II Responses in Femoral Veins From 2-Kidney-1-Clip Hypertensive Rats.

The present study investigated the angiotensin II (Ang II) responses in rat femoral veins taken from 2-kidney-1clip (2K1C) hypertensive rats at 4 weeks after clipping, as well as the effects of exercise on these responses. In this manner, femoral veins taken from 2K1C rats kept at rest or exposed to acute exercise or to exercise training were challenged with Ang II or endothelin-1 (ET-1) in organ bath. Simultaneously, the presence of cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) were determined in these preparations by western blotting.

Exercise training attenuates angiotensin II-induced vasoconstriction in the aorta of normotensive but not hypertensive rats.

New Findings: What is the central question of this study? What are the effects of exercise on Ang II-induced vasoconstriction in aortas of normotensive rats and how do these effects occur in two-kidney-one-clip hypertensive animals? What is the main finding and its importance? In two-kidney rats, exercise training improves the Ang II-induced vasoconstriction by endothelium-derived NO released through AT R activation. This effect of exercise training on the Ang II-induced vasoconstriction is blunted in two-kidney-one-clip hypertensive animals, possibly as a consequence of oxidative stress.

Abstract: This study investigated the effects of both acute exercise and training on the Ang II-induced vasoconstriction in aorta of normotensive (two-kidney; 2K) and two-kidney-one-clip (2K1C) hypertensive rats, focusing on endothelial mechanisms related to nitric oxide (NO) and prostanoids.

Rivastigmine prevents injury induced by ischemia and reperfusion in rat liver.

Purpose: To evaluate whether pre-treatment with rivastigmine is able to attenuate the I/R induced lesions in rat liver.

Methods: SHAM animals or those submitted to I/R, non-treated or pre-treated with rivastigminine (2mg/kg) either 50 or 15 minutes before ischemia, were used. After I/R protocol, these animals were killed and their livers were harvested to measurement of the mitochondrial swelling as well as the malondialdehyde (MDA), nitrite and nitrate tissue concentration.

Influence of the AT1 Receptor Antagonists Telmisartan and Losartan on Reproduction and Offspring After Paternal Exposure to Ionizing Radiation.

This study evaluated the repercussions of paternal exposure to radiation on reproduction and offspring in rats, as well as whether treatment with the angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor antagonists telmisartan and losartan has a mitigating effect. Rats were randomly divided into 6 groups: control, radiation, telmisartan, losartan, radiation + telmisartan, and radiation + losartan. A single 5 Gy dose of radiation was administered directly into the scrotum, followed by treatment with telmisartan (12 mg/kg/d) or losartan (34 mg/kg/2 times per day) for 60 days in the groups receiving these medications.

CONTENT VALIDATION OF EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL ON HEALTHY EATING FOR CHILDREN UNDER TWO YEARS OF AGE.

Objective: To validate the content of an educational material aimed at mothers and caregivers on healthy feeding for children less than two years of age.

Methods: Quantitative study for content validation of an educational material containing three educational modules and respective folders, elaborated on the basis of official references for healthy feeding for children under two years old and adapted to the Brazilian context. Content validation was made through consensus conference in two stages by seven experts.

Effects of telmisartan and losartan on irradiated testes.

Aims: To analyze the effects of radiation on the reproductive tissue of male Wistar rats and to evaluate whether treatment with the Ang II AT1 receptor antagonists telmisartan and losartan mitigate the dysfunctions resulting from this exposure.

Main Methods: Rats were randomly divided into groups: Control, Irradiated, Telmisartan, Losartan, Irradiated+Telmisartan, and Irradiated+Losartan. Single dose of 5Gy was administered directly into the scrotum, followed by treatment with telmisartan (12mg/kg/day) or losartan (34mg/kg/two times/day) for 60days.

The enigmatic role of cholinergic reflex in the pathogenesis of Chagas disease.

This study evaluated the inflammatory process in the colons of mice infected with Trypanosoma cruzi QM2 strain, through the analysis of muscle reactivity and the measurement of butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) in plasma. "Swiss" mice were infected with T. cruzi QM2 strain and after 15 (G15), 30 (G30), 60 (G60), 90 (G90), and 210 (G210) days, each group had blood collected for the measurement of butyrylcholinesterase plasma concentrations ([BuChE]), a measure which functioned as an indicator of plasmatic Ach levels.

Morphology and histology of male and female reproductive systems in the inseminating species Scoloplax distolothrix (Ostariophysi: Siluriformes: Scoloplacidae).

The morphology and histology of male and female reproductive systems were examined in Scoloplax distolothrix. Internal insemination was documented in this species by the presence of sperm within the ovaries. Mature males and females have elongated genital papillae, exhibiting a tubular shape in males and a plain heart-shape with two median protuberances in females.

Follicular diameter range based on morphological features in Synbranchus marmoratus (Bloch, 1795) (Teleostei, Synbranchiformes, Synbranchidae) from the South-central region of Brazil.

The morphological characteristics of Synbranchus marmoratus female germ cells in various development stages were described in details; then measurements of ovarian follicle diameters were taken from primary and secondary growth as during these development stages the oocyte size varied considerably along the fish growth. The results were correlated to total fish length, using the individuals division in six size classes. It was possible to group oocytes by stages according to histological characteristics but not according to morphometric diameter, as there was a wide variation in diameter in each stage and overlap between different maturation stages.