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Sugar-induced metabolic imbalances are a major health problem since an excessive consumption of saccharides has been linked to greater obesity rates at a global level. Sucrose, a disaccharide composed of 50% glucose and 50% fructose, is commonly used in the food industry and found in a range of fast, restaurant, and processed foods. Herein, we investigated the effects of a TRPC4/TRPC5 blocker, ML204, in the metabolic imbalances triggered by early exposure to sucrose-enriched diet in mice. TRPC4 and TRPC5 belong to the family of non-selective Ca+2 channels known as transient receptor potential channels. High-sucrose (HS)-fed animals with hyperglycaemia and dyslipidaemia, were accompanied by increased body mass index. mesenteric adipose tissue accumulation with larger diameter cells and hepatic steatosis in comparison to those fed normal diet. HS mice also exhibited enhanced adipose, liver, and pancreas TNFα and VEGF levels. ML204 exacerbated hyperglycaemia, dyslipidaemia, fat tissue deposition, hepatic steatosis, and adipose tissue and liver TNFα in HS-fed mice. Normal mice treated with the blocker had greater hepatic steatosis and adipose tissue cell numbers/diameter than those receiving vehicle, but showed no significant changes in tissue inflammation, glucose, and lipid levels. The results indicate that TRPC4/TRPC5 protect against the metabolic imbalances caused by HS ingestion.
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The in-situ quantification of turbulent flux and evapotranspiration (ET) is necessary to monitor crop performance in stressful environments. Although cacti can withstand stressful conditions, plant responses and plant-environment interactions remain unclear. Hence, the objective of our study was to investigate the interannual and seasonal behaviour of components of the surface energy balance, environmental conditions, morphophysiological parameters, biomass yield and water relations in a crop of Nopalea cochenillifera in the semi-arid region of Brazil. The data were collected from a micrometeorological tower between 2015 and 2017. The results demonstrate that net radiation was significantly higher during the wet season. Latent heat flux was not significant between the wet season and dry season. During the dry-wet transition season in particular, sensible heat flux was higher than during the other seasons. We observed a large decline in soil heat flux during the wet season. There was no difference in ET during the wet or dry seasons; however, there was a 40% reduction during the dry-wet transition. The wet seasons and wet-dry transition showed the lowest Evaporative Stress Index. The plants showed high cladode water content and biomass during the evaluation period. In conclusion, these findings indicate high rates of growth, high biomass and a high cladode water content and explain the response of the cactus regarding energy partitioning and ET.
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Sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction considerably increases mortality risk in patients with sepsis. Previous studies from our group have shown that sepsis alters the expression of structural proteins in cardiac cells, resulting in cardiomyocyte degeneration and impaired communication between cardiac cells. Caveolin-3 (CAV3) is a structural protein present in caveolae, located in the membrane of cardiac muscle cells, which regulates physiological processes such as calcium homeostasis. In sepsis, there is a disruption of calcium homeostasis, which increases the concentration of intracellular calcium, which can lead to the activation of potent cellular enzymes/proteases which cause severe cellular injury and death. The purpose of the present study was to test the hypotheses that sepsis induces CAV3 overexpression in the heart, and the regulation of L-type calcium channels directly relates to the regulation of CAV3 expression. Severe sepsis increases the expression of CAV3 in the heart, as immunostaining in our study showed CAV3 presence in the cardiomyocyte membrane and cytoplasm, in comparison with our control groups (without sepsis) that showed CAV3 presence predominantly in the plasma membrane. The administration of verapamil, an L-type calcium channel inhibitor, resulted in a decrease in mortality rates of septic mice. This effect was accompanied by a reduction in the expression of CAV3 and attenuation of cardiac lesions in septic mice treated with verapamil. Our results indicate that CAV3 has a vital role in cardiac dysfunction development in sepsis and that the regulation of L-type calcium channels may be related to its expression.
Assuntos
Caveolina 3/metabolismo , Coração/efeitos dos fármacos , Sepse/tratamento farmacológico , Verapamil/uso terapêutico , Animais , Canais de Cálcio Tipo L , Humanos , Masculino , Camundongos , Sepse/mortalidade , Sepse/patologia , Análise de Sobrevida , Verapamil/farmacologiaRESUMO
Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder associated with various etiologies and characterized by deficits in social interaction, emotional reciprocity, communication, motor skills and cognitive functions. Studies have proposed that limited levels of physical activity and late motor skills and fitness, particularly in children and adolescents with ASD, may accentuate social and emotional deficits. In view of this, exergames, which are active video-games, can be considered a low-cost and safe type of exercise for children and adolescents with ASD, since they are more enjoyable than ordinary physical activities, influencing on treatment adherence. Thus, our study aims to evidence the effects of exergames on physical fitness, cognitive functions, and repetitive behaviors in children and adolescents with ASD. Despite the small number of studies investigating the effects of exergames as new strategy in children and adolescents with ASD, results suggest exergames as potential tool for the treatment of children and adolescents with ASD for improvement in physical fitness, cognitive functions and repetitive behavior. Our review pointed towards the importance of exergames for children and adolescents with ASD. Despite few studies conducted about this issue, we can consider exergames a potential tool to increase physical fitness, cognitive functions and to decrease repetitive behavior in children and adolescents with ASD. Moreover, health professionals should be careful when attempting to help this population, because the current literature is unclear yet about the improvement of ASD features through exergames.
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RESUMO A região semiárida do nordeste brasileiro é marcada por elevadas incertezas quanto à ocorrência de chuvas intensas, bem como por anos sequenciados de secas. Esses fenômenos naturais, somados à reduzida utilização de práticas conservacionistas, podem gerar degradação dos solos. Nesse contexto, o presente estudo objetivou avaliar a importância do uso de cobertura morta e espécies de oleaginosas não convencionais perenes (Moringa oleifera Lam. e Azadirachta indica A. Juss.) no controle da erosão do solo em parcelas de erosão, em condições de chuvas naturais. O estudo realizou-se durante os anos de 2016 e 2017 na bacia representativa do Mimoso, localizada no município de Pesqueira (PE), Brasil. Na área de estudo, instalaram-se três parcelas de erosão, cada uma com área igual a 40 m2 (2 × 20 m), que foram intensamente monitoradas no tocante à intensidade de precipitação, à umidade e à temperatura do solo, ao escoamento superficial e à produção de sedimentos. Para cada parcela experimental, adotaram-se os seguintes tratamentos: oleaginosas; oleaginosas + cobertura morta; solo descoberto. A cobertura do solo com oleaginosas e cobertura morta resultou em maior retenção de umidade do solo e menores valores de escoamento superficial e perdas de solo. O desenvolvimento da estrutura das oleaginosas diminuiu o impacto direto das gotas de chuva no solo, reduzindo as perdas de solo quando comparadas ao descoberto.
ABSTRACT The semiarid region of the Brazilian Northeast is marked by strong uncertainties regarding the occurrence of extreme rainfall, as well as the occurrence of sequenced year droughts. These natural phenomena, together with limited use of soil and water conservation practices, can generate soil degradation. In this context, the present study aimed to evaluate the importance of the use of mulch and non-conventional perennial oleaginous species (Moringa oleifera Lam. and Azadirachta indica A. Juss.) in soil erosion plots under natural rainfall. The study was conducted during the years of 2016 and 2017 in the representative basin of Mimoso, located in the municipality of Pesqueira, Pernambuco, Brazil. Three erosion plots each with an area of 40 m2 (2 m × 20 m), were installed in the study area, which were intensively monitored for rainfall intensity, soil moisture and temperature, runoff and sediment production. For each experimental plot, the following treatments were adopted: Oleaginous; Oleaginous + mulch; Bare soil. Soil cover with oleaginous species and mulch resulted in higher soil moisture and lower amounts of runoff and soil loss. The development of the tree structure of the oleaginous reduced the direct impact of raindrops on the soil surface, reducing the soil losses when compared to the bare soil.