The emergence of diseases such as dyslipidemia, systemic arterial hypertension, insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents has brought about a change in the epidemiologic ...profile of the pediatric population. As action to promote health in the school environment is a useful tool for changing the pattern of health/disease in the young population, the present study aimed to identify schools that promote healthy eating and physical activity and to study the relationship between these practices and the prevalence of overweight, hypertension, insulin resistance and hypercholesterolemia in adolescents.
A cross-sectional population-based study was conducted with 2400 adolescents aged from 12 to 17 years old and participating in the "Study of Cardiovascular Risk in Adolescents" (ERICA - Estudo de Riscos Cardiovasculares em Adolescente). The association between dependent (overweight, insulin resistance, hypertension and dyslipidemia) and independent variables (implementation of health promoting initiative in schools) was investigated using the chi-square test and prevalence ratio (PR) with a confidence index (CI) of 95%.
The unsatisfactory implementation of a "health promoting environment" (PR = 1.02; CI 95%: 1.0; 1.04) and "partnerships with the health sector" (PR = 1.03; CI 95%: 1.01; 1.05) were linked to a high prevalence of overweight in adolescents. Hypercholesterolemia was found to be higher in the schools with unsatisfactory implementation of "healthy eating and health on the scholar curriculum" (PR = 1.71; CI 95%: 1.22; 2.44) and those lacking a "healthy-eating promoting environment" (PR = 1.29; CI 95%: 1.10; 1.54). Schools with unsatisfactory implementation of a "health-eating promoting environment" (PR = 1.36; CI 95%: 1.04; 1.79) and those lacking "partnership with the health sector" (PR = 2.12; CI 95%: 1.38; 3.24) had more adolescents with insulin resistance. There was no association between hypertension and any other component studied.
Schools which have implemented adequate health promotion in their curriculums showed a lower prevalence of overweight, insulin resistance and hypercholesterolemia in adolescents.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
This study analyzes the behavior patterns related to the lifestyle of adolescents in Recife, Brazil. A cross-sectional study was conducted with data from the Cardiovascular Risk Study among ...Adolescents (ERICA) and 2400 students aged 12 to 17 were interviewed. The prevalence of physical activity, eating behavior, smoking and alcohol consumption were analyzed. The Chi-square test and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) were used to evaluate the statistical significance of the measurements. It was observed that 60% of the adolescents presented inadequate eating behaviors regarding the consumption of breakfast, daily water intake and meals eaten in front of the TV. About 40% (95%CI: 39.7-45) did not sit down to meals with their parents or guardians. The prevalence of physical inactivity was 52.4% (95%CI: 50-55). Female adolescents were more inactive (68.7%, 95%CI: 65-72) than males (36.4%, 95%CI: 33-40). Teenagers of economic classes D and E were the most inactive (60.7%, 95%CI: 46-73). Alcohol consumption was 18.7% (95%CI: 2.6-5.6) and smoking was prevalent in 3.8% (95%CI: 2-6) of the individuals. Inadequate eating behaviors and physical inactivity were the main areas responsible for an unhealthy lifestyle, followed by alcohol consumption and smoking.
Research performed in recent years indicates that efforts are still needed to understand the advances in the Caatinga, an important dry seasonal forest, and identify its potential for bioprospecting. ...These efforts are also important for pinpointing the challenges that should be addressed in future research focused on identifying new candidates for pharmacological studies in this complex region. Thus, in this article, we present the main advances of studies on plants and medicinal animals in the Caatinga region and their implications for ethnopharmacology, and we then discuss future challenges to promote the search for candidates with pharmacological potential. Based on an exploration of the available literature, we performed a critical reading of the available evidence to provide a good scenario on the studies in the region. We find that despite the large number of studies available, it is necessary to organize efforts to fill gaps in different areas of knowledge and optimize the search for new natural products.
•Synthesis of ibuprofen + paracetamol hybrid mutual prodrug (IBPA)•IBPA promoted reduction in cytokine secretion in PBMC culture supernatant from SSc patients.•IBPA treatment prevented the ...progression of dermal and pulmonary fibrosis in vivo in a HOCl-induced SSc model.•IBPA alleviated immune dysregulation in the experimental SSc model.
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a devastating autoimmune illness with a wide range of clinical symptoms, including vascular abnormalities, inflammation, and persistent and progressive fibrosis. The disease’s complicated pathophysiology makes it difficult to develop effective therapies, necessitating research into novel therapeutic options. Molecular hybridization is a strategy that can be used to develop new drugs that act on two or multiple targets and represents an interesting option to be explored for the treatment of complex diseases. We aimed to evaluate the effects of a hybrid mutual prodrug of ibuprofen and acetaminophen (IBPA) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) isolated from SSc patients, and in an in vivo model of SSc induced in BALB/c mice by intradermal injections of hypochlorous acid (HOCl) for 6 weeks. The mice were treated at the same time with daily intraperitoneal injections of IBPA (40 mg/kg). Pulmonary and skin fibrosis as well as immune responses were evaluated. IBPA significantly decreased the release of cytokines in PBMC culture supernatants from SSc patients after stimulation with phytohemagglutinin-M (IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-13, IL-17A, TNF and IFN-γ).In HOCl-induced SSc, IBPA treatment prevented dermal and pulmonary fibrosis, in addition to reducing CD4 + T and B cells activation and reversing the M2 polarization of macrophages in spleen cells, and inhibiting IFN-γ secretion in splenocyte cultures. These results show the anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic effects of IBPA in SSc and highlight the therapeutic potential of this mutual prodrug, providing support for future studies.
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of a 15-week dietary intake of cactus flour on metabolic parameters, body weight and dietary intake of rats.
Design/methodology/approach
...Male Wistar rats were divided into four experimental groups (n = 8-10): control or westernized diets added or not of cactus flour. The following parameters were evaluated during the period of dietary manipulation: body weight, food intake, glycemic and lipid profile (oral glucose tolerance test, metabolic parameters, hepatic and muscular glycogen dosage), visceral and body fat (relative weight to body weight). Data were analyzed using Graphpad Prism®5, p = 0.05.
Findings
Animals fed on a Western-style diet together with flour cactus presented lower weight gain (335.7 ± 20.0, p = 0.05) over the evaluated period, even when the volume of food intake was not different among the groups. The addition of cactus flour to a Western-style diet appears to lower glucose levels at 30 and 60 min (p = 0.05), as shown in the glucose tolerance curve. There was a downward trend does fat stores, cholesterol levels and triglycerides. Therefore, it was concluded that this addition cactus flour is effective even when the diet is hyperlipidic, demonstrating its ability to attenuate risk parameters for the occurrence of metabolic syndromes such as sub fraction high cholesterol levels and glucose tolerance.
Originality/value
The addition of functional foods to diets may work to improve the harmful effects of this type of diet. Opuntia ficus indica has high nutritional value and has hypoglycemic and hypolipemic properties besides being antioxidant.
Objective
: Virgin coconut oil (CO) and treadmill exercise have been reported to improve memory performance in young rats. CO has also been associated with antistress properties in young, stressed ...mice. Therefore, in this study we aimed to investigate whether CO and treadmill exercise could synergistically ameliorate the effects of chronic stress on anxiety-like behavior and episodic-like memory in young rats.
Methods
: The rats received CO and were exercised (Ex) from the 15
th
to the 45
th
day of life. The animals were supplemented with CO (10 mL kg
−1
day
−1
) or a vehicle (V, distilled water and 0.009% Cremophor)
via
oral gavage. The Ex animals were placed for 30 min day
−1
on a treadmill, with the speed gradually increasing from the first week to the last. From the 46
th
to the 54
th
postnatal day, with the exception of the 51
st
and the 52
nd
day, all rats were subjected to restraint stress. Afterwards, all rats underwent the open-field test to evaluate locomotor activity and anxiety-like behavior. To evaluate episodic-like memory, all animals underwent tests to recognize object identity and special location. Lastly, lipid profile and murinometric parameters were evaluated.
Results
: A two-way ANOVA test followed by a Tukey test demonstrated that the CO&Ex group explored more of the unprotected central area of the OFT (27.04 ± 4.03 s,
p
< 0.01), when compared to the control group (15.36 ± 2.54 s). CO&Ex spent more time exploring the novel location of the object (71.62 ± 3.04%,
p
< 0.01), when compared to the control group (58.62 ± 2.48%).
Discussion
: CO and exercise during lactation can ameliorate the effects of stress on anxiety-like behavior and episodic-like memory in young rats.
Virgin coconut oil (CO) and treadmill exercise have been reported to improve memory performance in young rats.
A 55-year-old overweight female patient with elevated parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels, without any other major plasma biochemical abnormalities, and with normal vitamin D and calcium levels. The ...condition was suggestive of normocalcemic primary hyperparathyroidism. Bone densitometry and 24-hour calciuria were normal. After extensive investigation and possible referral for exploratory surgery, the patient reported continued and chronic use of biotin supplementation (2.5 mg per day). Repeated tests after discontinuing the use of vitamin B7 showed normal PTH levels without surgical or pharmacological interventions. Biotin supplementation associated with the use of this vitamin as a component of biological assays for hormone dosage can generate incorrect laboratory results, which puts medical conduct at risk with inaccurate diagnoses and unnecessary procedures. Although, different substances or emotional conditions can interfere with hormone dosages, one must consider the use of food supplements such as biotin since it can also generate unreliable results. Discontinuation of the use of biotin, in addition to the assessment of serum biotin levels prior to hormone dosing is necessary for a correct evaluation of serum PTH levels. This study was analyzed and approved by the Research Ethics Committee, and obtaining the Informed Consent Form according to CNS/CONEP Resolution 466/12.
Background Long periods of ischemia can cause organ injury and dysfunction. The protein degradation occurring in the muscular layer and in the mucosa of the intestinal wall during ischemia may ...release amino acids into the intestinal lumen or into the circulation. The small intestine, like skeletal muscle, cannot synthesize or degrade tyrosine. Thus, the tyrosine concentration released from the gut mucosa reflects the balance between protein synthesis and degradation. We aimed to determine whether tyrosine can be used as a marker of intestinal injury during ischemia. Methods In 19 anesthetized rabbits, an ultrasonic flow probe was placed around the superior mesenteric artery to estimate blood flow. A segment from the ileum was isolated using two multilumen catheters with inflated balloons to create a closed segment for perfusion. Animals were allocated into three groups: a sham group without intervention (group I); a group submitted to superior mesenteric artery ligation only (group II); and a group submitted to 1 h of SMA clamping followed by 1 h of reperfusion (group III). Concentrations of lactate and tyrosine (fluorometry) were determined in the serum and the gut luminal perfusate. Results Gut luminal perfusate tyrosine concentrations increased significantly in group II (from 10 ± 8 to 93 ± 63 m m /mL at 2 h) and were significantly higher than in group I (26 ± 24 m m /mL) and group III (11 ± 13 m m /mL) ( P < 0.05 for all). Conclusion Tyrosine is released from cells into the lumen during severe intestinal ischemia. Regional measurements of tyrosine levels may be a useful indicator of severe intestinal villus compromise.
Vasopressin and copeptin release during sepsis and septic shock Gomes, Dayane Aparecida; de Almeida Beltrão, Raphaelle Lima; de Oliveira Junior, Flavio Monteiro ...
Peptides (New York, N.Y. : 1980),
February 2021, 2021-Feb, 2021-02-00, 20210201, Letnik:
136
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Display omitted
•Clinical and experimental studies reported a biphasic response after the release of AVP during sepsis.•Copeptin levels are associated with prognosis in septic patients.•Copeptin ...appears to be a potential biomarker for sepsis and septic shock.
Sepsis is defined as a potentially fatal organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. Despite tremendous progress in the medical sciences, sepsis remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The host response to sepsis and septic shock involves changes in the immune, autonomic, and neuroendocrine systems. Regarding neuroendocrine changes, studies show an increase in plasma vasopressin (AVP) concentrations followed by a decline, which may be correlated with septic shock. AVP is a peptide hormone derived from a larger precursor (preprohormone), along with two peptides, neurophysin II and copeptin. AVP is synthesized in the hypothalamus, stored and released from the neurohypophysis into the bloodstream by a wide range of stimuli. The measurement of AVP has limitations due to its plasma instability and short half-life. Copeptin is a more stable peptide than AVP, and its immunoassay is feasible. The blood concentrations of copeptin mirror those of AVP in many physiological states; paradoxically, during sepsis-related organ dysfunction, an uncoupling between copeptin and AVP blood levels appears to happen. In this review, we focus on clinical and experimental studies that analyzed AVP and copeptin blood concentrations over time in sepsis. The findings suggest that AVP and copeptin behave similarly in the early stages of sepsis; however, we did not find a proportional decrease in copeptin concentrations as seen with AVP during septic shock. Copeptin levels were higher in nonsurvivors than in survivors, suggesting that copeptin may work as a marker of severity or sepsis-related organ dysfunction.