Stress-induced endocrine response and anxiety: the effects of comfort food in rats.

The long-term effects of comfort food in an anxiogenic model of stress have yet to be analyzed. Here, we evaluated behavioral, endocrine and metabolic parameters in rats submitted or not to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS), with access to commercial chow alone or to commercial chow and comfort food. Stress did not alter the preference for comfort food but decreased food intake.

Cytogenetic biomonitoring of peripheral blood and oral mucosa cells from car painters.

The aim of the present study was to comparatively evaluate genomic damage and cellular death in exfoliated oral mucosa cells and peripheral blood from car painters. A total of 24 car painters and 19 healthy controls (non-exposed individuals) were included in this setting. Individuals had epithelial cells from cheek mucosa (left and right side) mechanically exfoliated, placed in fixative and dropped in clean slides which were checked for the specific nuclear phenotypes.

Salivary concentrations of cortisol and testosterone and prediction of performance in a professional triathlon competition.

The aim of this study was to examine salivary cortisol and testosterone concentrations in professional male athletes during a short triathlon competition using non-invasive methods, and to determine whether these hormone concentrations could be accurate predictors of performance. Eight adult male athletes (age, mean ± SEM: 27.8 ± 3.

Protective effects of green tea against hepatic injury induced by high-cholesterol diet in rats: histopathological analysis, oxidative DNA damage and COX-2 expression.

Purpose: The goal of this study was to investigate whether daily administration of green tea is able to protect the liver injury induced by cholesterol.

Methods: Male Wistar rats (n = 24) were distributed into four groups: group 1, negative control; group 2, cholesterol at 1% (w/w) in the diet treated for 5 weeks; group 3, cholesterol at 1% treated for 5 weeks and green tea at 1% (w/v) in drinking water in the last week only and group 4, cholesterol and green tea at 1% in drinking water for 5 weeks.

Results: The results pointed out that treatment with green tea in the last week (group 3) showed mild degenerative changes of liver tissue in cholesterol exposed group when compared to group 2.

The effect of topical caffeine on the morphology of swine hypodermis as measured by ultrasound.

Background: Cellulite or lipodystrophy involves the modification of the subcutaneous adipose tissue. A wide variety of topical products is available to combat cellulite, but these have difficulties in being absorbed through the skin. One option is the therapeutic use of the ultrasound to enhance the trans-dermic transport of these drugs.

Glucocorticoid receptor and Beta-adrenoceptor expression in epididymal adipose tissue from stressed rats.

Adipocytes isolated from epididymal adipose tissue of foot-shock stressed rats are supersensitive to isoprenaline and subsensitive to norepinephrine. These alterations are probably mediated by a stress-induced increase in plasma corticosterone levels. We investigated whether foot-shock stress modifies the expression of glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) and beta-adrenergic protein receptors (beta-ARs) in epididymal adipose tissue from rats submitted to one daily foot-shock session on three consecutive days.

Sensitivity to beta-adrenoceptor agonists of adipocytes from rats treated with an aqueous extract of Croton cajucara Benth.

Aqueous extracts of Croton cajucara bark are used in folk medicine to treat hepatic and gastrointestinal disorders and as a coadjuvant in weight-loss programs. We examined the effect of treating rats for 15 days with a 5% aqueous extract of C. cajucara on body weight and food intake.