Sodium overload during postnatal phases impairs diastolic function and exacerbates reperfusion arrhythmias in adult rats.

Sodium overload during childhood impairs baroreflex sensitivity and increases arterial blood pressure and heart rate in adulthood; these effects persist even after high-salt diet (HSD) withdrawal. However, the literature lacks details on the effects of HSD during postnatal phases on cardiac ischemia/reperfusion responses in adulthood. The current study aimed to elucidate the impact of HSD during infancy adolescence on isolated heart function and cardiac ischemia/reperfusion responses in adulthood.

Cardioprotective Effects of Leucine Supplementation against Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicit.

Doxorubicin is one of the most important antitumor drugs used in oncology; however, its cardiotoxic effect limits the therapeutic use and raises concerns regarding patient prognosis. Leucine is a branched-chain amino acid used in dietary supplementation and has been studied to attenuate the toxic effects of doxorubicin in animals, which increases oxidative stress. Oxidative stress in different organs can be estimated using several methods, including catalase expression analysis.

Cardioprotective Effects of the 4-Week Aerobic Running Exercises Before Treatment with Doxorubicin in Rats.

Doxorubicin is associated with cardiotoxicity, and physical exercise seeks to minimize the toxic effects of doxorubicin through physiological cardiac remodeling, as well as the reduction of oxidative stress, evidenced by previous studies. This study aimed to analyze whether running training before treatment with doxorubicin influences tolerance to physical exertion and cardiotoxicity. Thirty-nine male Wistar rats, aged 90 days and weighing between 250 and 300 g, were divided into 4 groups: Control (C), Doxorubicin (D), Trained (T), and Trained + Doxorubicin (TD).

Forced internal desynchrony induces cardiometabolic alterations in adult rats.

Disruptions in circadian rhythms have been associated with several diseases, including cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. Forced internal desynchronization induced by a period of T-cycles of 22 h (T22 protocol) reaches the lower limit of entrainment and dissociates the circadian rhythmicity of the locomotor activity into two components, driven by different outputs from the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). The main goal of this study was to evaluate the cardiovascular and metabolic response in rats submitted to internal desynchronization by T22 protocol.

Postnatal early overfeeding induces cardiovascular dysfunction by oxidative stress in adult male Wistar rats.

Aims: Obesity is associated with innumerous comorbidities, including cardiovascular diseases, that occur by various mechanisms, including hyperactivation of the renin angiotensin system, oxidative stress and cardiovascular overload. Postnatal early overfeeding (PO) leads to metabolic imprinting that induces weight gain throughout life, and in this paper, we aimed to evaluate cardiovascular parameters and cardiac molecular changes due to obesity induced early in life by PO.

Main Methods: Male Wistar rats (120-days-old), raised in normal (NL) or small litters (SL), were submitted to cardiac assessment by transthoracic echocardiography and blood pressure evaluation.

The Newly Synthesized Pyrazole Derivative 5-(1-(3 Fluorophenyl)-1-Pyrazol-4-yl)-2-Tetrazole Reduces Blood Pressure of Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats NO/cGMO Pathway.

The search for new antihypertensive drugs has grown in recent years because of high rate of morbidity among hypertensive patients and several side effects that are associated with the first-line medications. The current study sought to investigate the antihypertensive effect of a newly synthesized pyrazole derivative known as 5-(1-(3 fluorophenyl)-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-2H-tetrazole (LQFM-21). Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were used to evaluate the effect of LQFM-21 on mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), renal vascular conductance (RVC), arterial vascular conductance (AVC), baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) index, and vascular reactivity.

Median preoptic nucleus excitatory neurotransmitters in the maintenance of hypertensive state.

The crucial role of the median preoptic nucleus (MnPO) in the maintenance of hydroelectrolytic balance and autonomic regulation have been highlighted. Recently, the participation of the MnPO in the control of sympathetic nerve activity was demonstrated in essential hypertension model. However, peculiarities on the neurochemical changes underlying the differential role of MnPO during hypertension remain to be clarified.

Do the carotid body chemoreceptors mediate cardiovascular and sympathetic adjustments induced by sodium overload in rats?

Acute plasma hypernatremia induces several cardiovascular and sympathetic responses. It is conceivable that these responses contribute to rapid sodium excretion and restoration of normal conditions. Afferent pathways mediating these responses are not entirely understood.

Does the median preoptic nucleus contribute to sympathetic hyperactivity in spontaneously hypertensive rats?

The present study sought to determine the involvement of median preoptic nucleus (MnPO) in the regulation of the cardiovascular function and renal sympathetic activity in normotensive (NT) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). MnPO inhibition evoked by Muscimol (4mM) nanoinjections, elicited fall in MAP and renal sympathoinhibition in NT-rats. Surprisingly, in SHRs these responses were greater than in NT-rats.

Involvement of sinoaortic afferents in renal sympathoinhibition and vasodilation induced by acute hypernatremia.

Despite the abundance of evidence that supports the important role of aortic and carotid afferents to short-term regulation of blood pressure and detection of variation in the arterial PO2 , PCO2 and pH, relatively little is known regarding the role of these afferents during changes in the volume and composition of extracellular compartments. The present study sought to determine the involvement of these afferents in the renal vasodilation and sympathoinhibition induced by hypertonic saline (HS) infusion. Sinoaortic-denervated and sham male Wistar rats were anaesthetised with intravenous (i.

Screening the toxicity and biodegradability of petroleum hydrocarbons by a rapid colorimetric method.

Crude oil and petroleum products have a wide variety of hazardous components with high toxicity and low biodegradability. Certain dyes change their colors by intercepting electron transfer reactions during the transformation processes. This study applied resazurin and 2,6-dichlorophenol-indophenol indicators for a rapid screening biodegradation capability and toxicity response to various petroleum products such as motor oil, diesel, gasoline, and phenol.

Assessing Bacillus subtilis biosurfactant effects on the biodegradation of petroleum products.

Microbial pollutant removal capabilities can be determined and exploited to accomplish bioremediation of hydrocarbon-polluted environments. Thus, increasing knowledge on environmental behavior of different petroleum products can lead to better bioremediation strategies. Biodegradation can be enhanced by adding biosurfactants to hydrocarbon-degrading microorganism consortia.

Toxicological evaluation of vegetable oils and biodiesel in soil during the biodegradation process.

Vegetable oils and their derivatives, like biodiesel, are used extensively throughout the world, thus posing an environmental risk when disposed. Toxicity testing using test organisms shows how these residues affect ecosystems. Toxicity tests using earthworms (Eisenia foetida) are widespread because they are a practical resource for analyzing terrestrial organisms.

Toxicity and biodegradation in sandy soil contaminated by lubricant oils.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the environmental behavior of different types of automotive lubricant oils. Based on respirometry assays the biodegradability was monitored, and toxicological tests were executed to assess the lubricants toxicity before and after microbial activity. Used oil was the most biodegradable, however, it was the most toxic.

A comparative study of teledermatoscopy and face-to-face examination of pigmented skin lesions.

We examined the agreement between diagnoses of pigmented skin lesions based on an in-person (face-to-face) dermatological examination and diagnoses based on the study of medical records and images transferred through the web (teledermatoscopy). Two experienced dermatologists examined and diagnosed 64 pigmented skin lesions, which had been surgically excised and undergone histopathology examination. Two years later, the same cases were studied and diagnosed once again by the same dermatologists via the web.

[Teleophthalmology as an auxiliary approach for the diagnosis of infectious and inflammatory ocular diseases: evaluation of an asynchronous method of consultation].

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of teleophthalmology as an auxiliary approach for diagnosis of infectious and inflammatory ocular diseases and to study the main problems associated with the conclusion reached by consultation.

Methods: Two hundred and thirty three 35 mm slides (retinography or biomicroscopy photos) were digitalized and stored in a Compact Disc to be later analyzed in a computer monitor by two consultants, specialists in uveitis. The consultants filled out a form and a questionnaire, indicating the diagnosis and probable treatment for the analyzed cases also the main difficulties found to reach a conclusion of the consultation.