Pre- and postnatal protein deficiency may lead to decreased foetal intra-uterine development and postnatal growth, which is common in developing countries. The present study aimed to investigate the ...consequences of a low-protein intake during gestation and postnatally on adult female rats’ offspring. Female rats were given either a control or a protein-deficient diet throughout the gestation and lactation periods. A subset of females was killed at day 20 of pregnancy for foetal and placental measurements. Another subset of females farrowed and the number, length, and weight of the offspring were measured. After weaning, the offspring received the same diet as their dams until 70 days of age. They were sacrificed, and some organs were weighed and collected for histomorphometrical analyses. Placental weight and size and foetal weight were lower in protein-deficient dams. The weight and length of pups at birth were also lower in the deficient group. The organs to body weight ratio were higher in the deficient animals at 70 days of age. The protein-deficient female offspring had a smaller ovarian area, greater numbers of primordial follicles and developing follicles per square millimetres of ovarian cortex, and no corpora lutea. The liver showed smaller nuclear diameter of the hepatocytes and height of the hepatocytes cords. The kidneys showed smaller cortical area with reduced glomerular number and diameter. These results provide the first evidence of the histomorphological changes of the association between gestational and postnatal protein deficiency in female rats’ offspring.
The improvement of the rutin photostability and its prolonged in vitro antioxidant activity were studied by means of its association with nanostructured aqueous dispersions. Rutin-loaded nanocapsules ...and rutin-loaded nanoemulsion showed mean particle size of 124.30 ± 2.06 and 124.17 ± 1.79, respectively, polydispersity index below 0.20, negative zeta potential, and encapsulation efficiency close to 100%. The in vitro antioxidant activity was evaluated by the formation of free radical ·OH after the exposure of hydrogen peroxide to a UV irradiation system. Rutin-loaded nanostructures showed lower rutin decay rates (6.1 ± 0.6) 10
−3
and (5.1 ± 0.4) 10
−3
for nanocapsules and nanoemulsion, respectively compared to the ethanolic solution (35.0 ± 3.7) 10
−3
min
−1
and exposed solution (40.1 ± 1.7) 10
−3
min
−1
as well as compared to exposed nanostructured dispersions (19.5 ± 0.5) 10
−3
and (26.6 ± 2.6) 10
−3
, for nanocapsules and nanoemulsion, respectively. The presence of the polymeric layer in nanocapsules was fundamental to obtain a prolonged antioxidant activity, even if the mathematical modeling of the in vitro release profiles showed high adsorption of rutin to the particle/droplet surface for both formulations. Rutin-loaded nanostructures represent alternatives to the development of innovative nanomedicines.
To investigate the antihypertensive effects of conventional resistance exercise (RE) on the blood pressure (BP) of hypertensive subjects, 15 middle-aged (46 ± 3 years) hypertensive volunteers, ...deprived of antihypertensive medication (reaching 153 ± 6/93 ± 2 mm Hg systolic/diastolic BP after a 6-week medication washout period) were submitted to a 12-week conventional RE training program (3 sets of 12 repetitions at 60% 1 repetition maximum, 3 times a week on nonconsecutive days). Blood pressure was measured in all phases of the study (washout, training, detraining). Additionally, the plasma levels of several vasodilators or vasoconstrictors that potentially could be involved with the effects of RE on BP were evaluated pre- and posttraining. Conventional RE significantly reduced systolic, diastolic, and mean BP, respectively, by an average of 16 (p < 0.001), 12 (p < 0.01), and 13 mm Hg (p < 0.01) to prehypertensive values. There were no significant changes of vasoactive factors from the kallikrein-kinin or renin-angiotensin systems. After the RE training program, the BP values remained stable during a 4-week detraining period. Taken together, this study shows for the first time that conventional moderate-intensity RE alone is able to reduce the BP of stage 1 hypertensive subjects free of antihypertensive medication. Moreover, the benefits of BP reduction achieved with RE training remained unchanged for up to 4 weeks without exercise.
This is the first nationwide survey of emerging contaminants in Brazilian waters. One hundred drinking water samples were investigated in 22 Brazilian state capitals. In addition, seven source water ...samples from two of the most populous regions of the country were evaluated. Samples were collected from June to September of 2011 and again during the same period in 2012. The study covered emerging contaminants of different classes, including hormones, plasticizers, herbicides, triclosan and caffeine. The analytical method for the determination of the compounds was based on solid-phase extraction followed by analysis via liquid chromatography electrospray triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Caffeine, triclosan, atrazine, phenolphthalein and bisphenol A were found in at least one of the samples collected in the two sampling campaigns. Caffeine and atrazine were the most frequently detected substances in both drinking and source water. Caffeine concentrations in drinking water ranged from 1.8ngL−1 to values above 2.0μgL−1 while source-water concentrations varied from 40ngL−1 to about 19μgL−1. For atrazine, concentrations were found in the range from 2.0 to 6.0ngL−1 in drinking water and at concentrations of up to 15ngL−1 in source water. The widespread presence of caffeine in samples of treated water is an indication of the presence of domestic sewage in the source water, considering that caffeine is a compound of anthropogenic origin.
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•First national survey of emerging contaminants in Brazil•Caffeine detected in 93% of samples•Strong indication of the presence of domestic sewage in source waters
The microbiological diversity of cultivable bacteria was analyzed in an aerated facultative lagoon. The removal of specific compounds and measures of pollutant load was evaluated with isolated native ...bacteria, selected and identified in kraft cellulose effluent. The system was operated with an organic loading rate of 0.2 kgCODm-3d-1 for 60 days. Analyses of the fluorescence excitation-emission matrix, acute ecotoxicity, and microbiology were performed. Bioaugmentation tests were done to emphasize the removal of color, using promising species. The removals of biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, and total organic carbon in AFL were 94%, 51%, and 41%, respectively. Regarding color, removal was up to 4%, and the total phenolic compounds were not removed through biological treatment. The treatment also decreased turbidity by 94% and lignin derivatives by 12%. The bacteria identified through NCBI-BLAST and statistical similarity totaled 9 species in the cellulose effluent, three of which have the potential for color treatment: Bacillus cereus, Bacillus thuringiensis, and Paenibacillus sp. The Bacillus cereus combined with biomass removed color (69%), total phenolic compounds (37%), and compounds derived from lignin (53%). These species are promising for removing specific parameters combined with biomass from biological AFL treatment systems.
Aim
Amazonia hosts more tree species from numerous evolutionary lineages, both young and ancient, than any other biogeographic region. Previous studies have shown that tree lineages colonized ...multiple edaphic environments and dispersed widely across Amazonia, leading to a hypothesis, which we test, that lineages should not be strongly associated with either geographic regions or edaphic forest types.
Location
Amazonia.
Taxon
Angiosperms (Magnoliids; Monocots; Eudicots).
Methods
Data for the abundance of 5082 tree species in 1989 plots were combined with a mega‐phylogeny. We applied evolutionary ordination to assess how phylogenetic composition varies across Amazonia. We used variation partitioning and Moran's eigenvector maps (MEM) to test and quantify the separate and joint contributions of spatial and environmental variables to explain the phylogenetic composition of plots. We tested the indicator value of lineages for geographic regions and edaphic forest types and mapped associations onto the phylogeny.
Results
In the terra firme and várzea forest types, the phylogenetic composition varies by geographic region, but the igapó and white‐sand forest types retain a unique evolutionary signature regardless of region. Overall, we find that soil chemistry, climate and topography explain 24% of the variation in phylogenetic composition, with 79% of that variation being spatially structured (R2 = 19% overall for combined spatial/environmental effects). The phylogenetic composition also shows substantial spatial patterns not related to the environmental variables we quantified (R2 = 28%). A greater number of lineages were significant indicators of geographic regions than forest types.
Main Conclusion
Numerous tree lineages, including some ancient ones (>66 Ma), show strong associations with geographic regions and edaphic forest types of Amazonia. This shows that specialization in specific edaphic environments has played a long‐standing role in the evolutionary assembly of Amazonian forests. Furthermore, many lineages, even those that have dispersed across Amazonia, dominate within a specific region, likely because of phylogenetically conserved niches for environmental conditions that are prevalent within regions.
Kinetics of spermatogonia as well as localization in niches have been described in rodents, but rarely in large animals or in species of economical interest. In this regard, and envisioning the ...possibility of spermatogonial transplantation from donkeys (
Equus asinus) to mules (
Equus mulus mulus), many variables that may contribute for an enhanced understanding of the spermatogonial biology in donkeys were investigated. Testes from five adult donkeys were routinely processed for high-resolution light microscopy. Donkey seminiferous epithelium can be divided in XII stages based on the development of the acrosomal system. In addition, spermatogonial morphology and morphometric analysis were performed allowing the characterization of two groups of spermatogonia: undifferentiated (A
und) and differentiating (A
1, A
2, A
3, B
1 and B
2). A
und spermatogonia were present along all XII stages of the seminiferous epithelium cycle of this species, whereas differentiating spermatogonia were only at specific stages. Number of differentiating spermatogonia gradually increased as the cycle progressed, despite the apparent rigid regulation of the balance between mitosis and apoptosis throughout the spermatogenic process. Understanding of spermatogonial biology and kinetics in donkeys, revealed that type A
und spermatogonia are located in specific microenvironments, the spermatogonial niches. The present results enhance understanding of spermatogonial biology in donkeys providing information about subtypes, morphology, number and mitosis/apoptosis along the seminiferous epithelium cycle.
Salmonella Heidelberg is commonly reported in foodborne outbreaks around the world, and chickens and poultry products are known as important source of these pathogen. Multidrug-resistant S. ...Heidelberg strains are disseminated into poultry production chair, which can lead to severe clinical infections in humans and of difficult to treat. This study aimed at evaluating the β-lactam susceptibility and genotypic relatedness of Salmonella Heidelberg at Brazilian poultry production chain. Sixty-two S. Heidelberg strains from poultry production chain (poultry, poultry meat and poultry farm) were used. All strains were evaluated to antimicrobial susceptibility by diffusion disk test, as well as β-lactam resistance genes. Genotypic relatedness was assessed by Pulsed-Field Gel Eletrophoresis, using Xba1 restriction enzyme. Forty-one strains were characterized as multidrug-resistant according to phenotype characterization. The resistance susceptibility revealed 31 distinct profiles, with higher prevalence of streptomycin (61/62), nalidixic acid (50/62), tetracycline (43/62) and β-lactam drugs (37/62). blaCMY-2 was the more frequent β-lactamase gene found (38/62); other resistance genes found were blaCTX-M (2/62), blaSHV (3/62) and blaTEM-1 (38/62). No carbapenemase genes was found. The Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis showed 58 different profiles. Strains with a larger number of antimicrobial resistance were grouped into ten major clusters apart from others. The spread of resistance by ampC continues to rise, thereby turning concern to public health, since the β-lactam antimicrobials are used as a therapeutic treatment in humans.
In a time of rapid global change, the question of what determines patterns in species abundance distribution remains a priority for understanding the complex dynamics of ecosystems. The constrained ...maximization of information entropy provides a framework for the understanding of such complex systems dynamics by a quantitative analysis of important constraints via predictions using least biased probability distributions. We apply it to over two thousand hectares of Amazonian tree inventories across seven forest types and thirteen functional traits, representing major global axes of plant strategies. Results show that constraints formed by regional relative abundances of genera explain eight times more of local relative abundances than constraints based on directional selection for specific functional traits, although the latter does show clear signals of environmental dependency. These results provide a quantitative insight by inference from large-scale data using cross-disciplinary methods, furthering our understanding of ecological dynamics.
In the search for natural compounds useful against pruritus, α,β-amyrins, the pentacyclic triterpenes isolated from the resin of popular medicinal plant
Protium heptaphyllum were examined on ...scratching behavior induced by dextran T40 and compound 48/80 in mice. The animals were pretreated orally with α,β-amyrins (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg) or cyproheptadine (10 mg/kg), an antagonist of histamine and serotonin receptors and 2 h later, they were given subcutaneous injections of dextran T40 (75 mg/kg) or compound 48/80 (3 mg/kg) into the rostral back, and scratching was quantified for 20 min. The scratching behavior induced by dextran T40 and compound 48/80 was significantly inhibited in mice pretreated with α,β-amyrins (100 and 200 mg/kg) or cyproheptadine (10 mg/kg), In addition, the compound 48/80-elicited degranulation of rat peritoneal mast cells (ex vivo) was also markedly reduced in animals pretreated with α,β-amyrins (100 mg/kg) or ketotifen (1 mg/kg), a known mast cell stabilizer. In the open-field test, α,β-amyrins (100 and 200 mg/kg)-pretreated mice showed no impairment of spontaneous locomotion, suggesting that these triterpenoids possess no sedative activity that could account for suppression of scratching behavior. These results clearly indicate the antipruritic effect of α,β-amyrins and suggest that this effect may be related to a stabilizing action on mast cell membrane.
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