Objective
To compare the thermographic pattern of regions of interest (ROI) of respiratory muscles in young asthmatics with and without bronchospasm induced by eucapnic voluntary hyperpnea (EVH).
...Materials and Methods
Cross‐sectional study carried out with 55 young (55% male and 45% females) aged 12.5 ± 3.3 years, divided in nine nonasthmatics, 22 asthmatics without exercise‐induced bronchospasm compatible response (EIB‐cr) and 24 asthmatics with EIB‐cr. The diagnosis of EIB was given to subjects with a fall in forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) ≥ 10% compared to baseline. Thermographic recordings of respiratory muscles were delimited in ROI of the sternocleidomastoid (SCM), pectoral, and rectus abdominis intention area. Thermal captures and FEV1 were taken before and 5, 10, 15 and 30 min after EVH.
Results
Twenty‐four (52.1%) of asthmatics had EIB‐cr. There was a decrease in temperature at 10 min after EVH test in the SCM, pectoral and rectus abdominis ROIs in all groups (both with p < 0.05). There was a decrease in temperature (% basal) in asthmatic with EIB‐cr compared to nonasthmatics in the rectus abdominis area (p < 0.05).
Conclusion
There was a decrease in temperature in the ROIs of different muscle groups, especially in asthmatics. The greater drop in FEV1 observed in individuals with EIB‐cr was initially associated with a decrease in skin temperature, with a difference between the nonasthmatics in the abdominal muscle area. It is likely that this decrease in temperature occurred due to a temporary displacement of blood flow to the most used muscle groups, with a decrease in the region of the skin evaluated in the thermography.
Summary
Maternal protein restriction during pregnancy and lactation predisposes the adult offspring to sympathetic overactivity and arterial hypertension. Although the underlying mechanisms are ...poorly understood, dysregulation of the oxidative balance has been proposed as a putative trigger of neural‐induced hypertension. The aim of the study was to evaluate the association between the oxidative status at transcriptional and functional levels in the medulla oblongata and maternal protein restriction induced‐hypertension. Wistar rat dams were fed a control (normal protein; 17% protein) or a low protein ((Lp); 8% protein) diet during pregnancy and lactation, and male offspring was studied at 90 days of age. Direct measurements of baseline arterial blood pressure (ABP) and heart rate (HR) were recorded in awakened offspring. In addition, quantitative RT‐PCR was used to assess the mRNA expression of superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) and 2 (SOD2), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), Glutamatergic receptors (Grin1, Gria1 and Grm1) and GABA(A)‐receptor‐associated protein like 1 (Gabarapl1). Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, CAT and SOD activities were examined in ventral and dorsal medulla. Lp rats exhibited higher ABP. The mRNA expression levels of SOD2, GPx and Gabarapl1 were down regulated in medullary tissue of Lp rats (P<.05, t test). In addition, we observed that higher MDA levels were associated to decreased SOD (approximately 45%) and CAT (approximately 50%) activities in ventral medulla. Taken together, our data suggest that maternal protein restriction induced‐hypertension is associated with medullary oxidative dysfunction at transcriptional level and with impaired antioxidant capacity in the ventral medulla.
Pterodon emarginatus Vogel is a Brazilian species that belongs to the family Fabaceae, popularly known as sucupira. Its oil has several biological activities, including potent larvicidal property ...against Aedes aegypti. This insect is the vector of dengue, a tropical disease that has been considered a critical health problem in developing countries, such as Brazil. Most of dengue control methods involve larvicidal agents suspended or diluted in water and making active lipophilic natural products available is therefore considered a technological challenge. In this context, nanoemulsions appear as viable alternatives to solve this major problem. The present study describes the development of a novel nanoemulsion with larvicidal activity against A. aegypti along with the required Hydrophile Lipophile Balance determination of this oil. It was suggested that the mechanism of action might involve reversible inhibition of acetylcholinesterase and our results also suggest that the P. emarginatus nanoemulsion is not toxic for mammals. Thus, it contributes significantly to alternative integrative practices of dengue control, as well as to develop sucupira based nanoproducts for application in aqueous media.
Global warming is arguably the biggest scientific challenge of the twenty-first century and its environmental consequences are already noticeable. To mitigate the emissions of greenhouse gases, ...particularly of CO
2
, there is an urgent need to design materials with improved adsorbent properties. Five different magnetic ionic liquids were impregnated into the metal–organic framework ZIF-8. The composites were produced by a direct-contact method, and their performance as sorbents for gas separation applications was studied. The impact of the ionic liquid anion on the sorption capacity and ideal CO
2
/CH
4
and CO
2
/N
2
selectivities were studied, focusing on understanding the influence of metal atom and ligand on the adsorbent properties. Reproducible methodology, along with rigorous characterization, were established to assess the impact of the ionic liquid on the performance of the composite materials. Results show that the ionic liquid was well-impregnated, and the ZIF-8 structure was maintained after ionic liquid impregnation. The produced composites were of microporous nature and were thermally stable. CO
2
, CH
4
, and N
2
adsorption–desorption isotherms were obtained at 303 K and between 0 and 16 bar. The adsorption-desorption data of the composites were compared with that obtained for original ZIF-8. The general trend in composites is that the increased gas uptake per available pore volume compensates the pore volume loss. Adsorption data per unit mass showed that composites have reversible sorption, but inferior gas uptake at all pressure ranges. This is due to the observed total pore volume loss by the ionic liquid pore occupation/blockage. In most cases, composites showed superior selectivity performance at all pressure range. In particular, the composite C
4
MIM
2
MnCl
4
@ZIF-8 shows a different low-pressure selectivity trend from the original MOF, with a 33% increase in the CO
2
/N
2
selectivity at 1 bar and 19% increase in the CO
2
/CH
4
selectivity at 10 bar. This material shows potential for use in a post-combustion CO
2
capture application that can contribute to greenhouse gas mitigation.
Epigenetic regulation is considered the main molecular mechanism underlying the developmental origin of health and disease's (DOHAD) hypothesis. Previous studies that have investigated the role of ...paternal exercise on the metabolic health of the offspring did not control for the amount and intensity of the training or possible effects of adaptation to exercise and produced conflicting results regarding the benefits of parental exercise to the next generation. We employed a precisely regulated exercise regimen to study the transgenerational inheritance of improved metabolic health.
We subjected male mice to a well-controlled exercise -training program to investigate the effects of paternal exercise on glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in their adult progeny. To investigate the molecular mechanisms of epigenetic inheritance, we determined chromatin markers in the skeletal muscle of the offspring and the paternal sperm.
Offspring of trained male mice exhibited improved glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity. Paternal exercise modulated the DNA methylation profile of PI3Kca and the imprinted H19/Igf2 locus at specific differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in the skeletal muscle of the offspring, which affected their gene expression. Remarkably, a similar DNA methylation profile at the PI3Kca, H19, and Igf2 genes was present in the progenitor sperm indicating that exercise-induced epigenetic changes that occurred during germ cell development contributed to transgenerational transmission.
Paternal exercise might be considered as a strategy that could promote metabolic health in the offspring as the benefits can be inherited transgenerationally.
Brazilian spotted fever (BSF), caused by the bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii, has been associated with the transmission by the tick Amblyomma sculptum, and one of its main hosts, the capybara ...(Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris).
During 2015-2019, we captured capybaras and ticks in seven highly anthropic areas of São Paulo state (three endemic and four nonendemic for BSF) and in two natural areas of the Pantanal biome, all with established populations of capybaras.
The BSF-endemic areas were characterized by much higher tick burdens on both capybaras and in the environment, when compared to the BSF-nonendemic areas. Only two tick species (A. sculptum and Amblyomma dubitatum) were found in the anthropic areas; however, with a great predominance of A. sculptum (≈90% of all ticks) in the endemic areas, in contrast to a slight predominance of A. dubitatum (≈60%) in the nonendemic areas. Tick species richness was higher in the natural areas, where six species were found, albeit with a predominance of A. sculptum (≈95% of all ticks) and environmental tick burdens much lower than in the anthropic areas. The BSF-endemic areas were characterized by overgrowth populations of A. sculptum that were sustained chiefly by capybaras, and decreased populations of A. dubitatum. In contrast, the BSF-nonendemic areas with landscape similar to the endemic areas differed by having lower tick burdens and a slight predominance of A. dubitatum over A.sculptum, both sustained chiefly by capybaras. While multiple medium- to large-sized mammals have been incriminated as important hosts for A. sculptum in the natural areas, the capybara was the only important host for this tick in the anthropic areas.
The uneven distribution of R. rickettsii infection among A. sculptum populations in highly anthropic areas of São Paulo state could be related to the tick population size and its proportion to sympatric A. dubitatum populations.
Endurance training improves peripheral insulin sensitivity in the liver and the skeletal muscle, but the mechanism for this effect is poorly understood. Recently, it was proposed that insulin ...clearance plays a major role in both glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity. Therefore, our goal was to determine the mechanism by which endurance training improves insulin sensitivity and how it regulates insulin clearance in mice.
Mice were treadmill-trained for 4 weeks at 70-80% of maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max) for 60 min, 5 days a week. The glucose tolerance and the insulin resistance were determined using an IPGTT and an IPITT, respectively, and the insulin decay rate was calculated from the insulin clearance. Protein expression and phosphorylation in the liver and the skeletal muscle were ascertained by Western blot.
Trained mice exhibited an increased VO2 max, time to exhaustion, glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. They had smaller fat pads and lower plasma concentrations of insulin and glucose. Endurance training inhibited insulin clearance and reduced expression of IDE in the liver, while also inhibiting insulin secretion by pancreatic islets. There was increased phosphorylation of both the canonical (IR-AKT) and the non-canonical (CaMKII-AMPK-ACC) insulin pathways in the liver of trained mice, whereas only the CaMKII-AMPK pathway was increased in the skeletal muscle.
Endurance training improved glucose homeostasis not only by increasing peripheral insulin sensitivity but also by decreasing insulin clearance and reducing IDE expression in the liver.
Soil carbon monoxide (CO) fluxes represent a net balance between biological soil CO uptake and abiotic soil and (senescent) plant CO production. Studies largely from temperate and boreal forests ...indicate that soils serve as a net sink for CO, but uncertainty remains about the role of tropical rainforest soils to date. Here we report the first direct measurements of soil CO fluxes in a tropical rainforest and compare them with estimates of net ecosystem CO fluxes derived from accumulation of CO at night under stable atmospheric conditions. Furthermore, we used laboratory experiments to demonstrate the importance of temperature on net soil CO fluxes. Net soil surface CO fluxes ranged from −0.19 to 3.36 nmol m−2 s−1, averaging ∼1 nmol CO m−2 s−1. Fluxes varied with season and topographic location, with the highest fluxes measured in the dry season in a seasonally inundated valley. Ecosystem CO fluxes estimated from nocturnal canopy air profiles, which showed CO mixing ratios that consistently decreased with height, ranged between 0.3 and 2.0 nmol CO m−2 s−1. A canopy layer budget method, using the nocturnal increase in CO, estimated similar flux magnitudes (1.1 to 2.3 nmol CO m−2 s−1). In the wet season, a greater valley ecosystem CO production was observed in comparison to measured soil valley CO fluxes, suggesting a contribution of the valley stream to overall CO emissions. Laboratory incubations demonstrated a clear increase in CO production with temperature that was also observed in field fluxes, though high correlations between soil temperature and moisture limit our ability to interpret the field relationship. At a common temperature (25 °C), expected plateau and valley senescent-leaf CO production was small (0.012 and 0.002 nmol CO m−2 s−1) in comparison to expected soil material CO emissions (∼ 0.9 nmol CO m−2 s−1). Based on our field and laboratory observations, we expect that tropical rainforest ecosystems are a net source of CO, with thermal-degradation-induced soil emissions likely being the main contributor to ecosystem CO emissions. Extrapolating our first observation-based tropical rainforest soil emission estimate of ∼ 1 nmol m−2 s−1, global tropical rainforest soil emissions of ∼ 16.0 Tg CO yr−1 are estimated. Nevertheless, total ecosystem CO emissions might be higher, since valley streams and inundated areas might represent local CO emission hot spots. To further improve tropical forest ecosystem CO emission estimates, more in situ tropical forest soil and ecosystem CO flux measurements are essential.
Data on the oral health of the elderly depict a worrying situation, with an elevated prevalence of caries and moderate periodontal disease, frequent edentulism, and numerous cases of dry mouth and ...oral cancer. There is wide evidence that periodontitis is a risk factor for certain systemic diseases, and impaired oral health has been associated with mastication and nutritional problems, especially among the elderly, with highly negative effects on their quality of life. In this nonsystematic review, the authors discuss the importance of evaluating the oral health of the geriatric population in a comprehensive manner, beyond simple clinical assessments.
Objective and design
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic activities of 3,4-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-2H-naphthol1,2-bpyran-5,6-dione (β-lapachone; β-lap) and ...to elucidate its probable mode of action.
Methods
Carrageenan-induced paw edema, cell migration evaluation and production of pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6 and nitric oxide were used for this study. Freund’s complete adjuvant (FCA)-induced arthritis was used as a model of chronic inflammation. β-Lap was tested in doses of 40 and 60 mg/kg, orally.
Results
In the paw edema test, the dose of 60 mg/kg gave a higher percentage inhibition of edema (49.3 %) than control. β-Lap inhibited neutrophil migration and reduced concentrations of TNF-α, IL-6 and NO in peritoneal exudates of animals with peritonitis. In the arthritis test, β-lap inhibited edema and NO production in the serum of treated animals.
Conclusion
Significant anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic activities were observed in animals treated with β-lap. The effects of β-lap can be attributed in part to immunomodulation with reduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines and NO.
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