Preventive and therapeutic moderate aerobic exercise programs convert atherosclerotic plaques into a more stable phenotype.

UNLABELLED: The mechanisms by which exercise affects atherosclerotic plaque stability remain incompletely understood. We evaluated the effects of two training protocols on both atherosclerotic plaque structure and the signaling pathways involved in plaque rupture. METHODS: Male low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor knockout mice were fed a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet (HFD). One group was subjected to moderate exercise using a treadmill for 14weeks (preventive protocol). The other group started an exercise regimen after 16weeks of the HFD (therapeutic group). Atherosclerotic plaques within the aorta were evaluated for lipid and collagen contents, as well as for inflammatory markers. Plasma cholesterol and cytokine levels were also determined. RESULTS: The mice receiving a HFD developed hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerotic plaques within the aorta. The aortas from the animals in the preventive protocol exhibited smaller lipid cores and higher collagen content. These animals also exhibited lower CD40 expression within the plaques. The aortas of the mice in the therapeutic group exhibited higher collagen content, but no differences in either lipid core size or plaque size were noted. No differences in blood pressure, plasma cholesterol, cytokine levels, plaque size or metalloproteinase 9 expression were observed in the trained animals compared with the sedentary animals. CONCLUSION: Moderate aerobic exercise modified atherosclerotic plaque characteristics and converted the plaques into a more stable phenotype, increasing the collagen content in response to both exercise programs. Furthermore, moderate aerobic exercise reduced the animals' fat content and decreased the activity of the CD40-CD40L signaling pathway in the preventive group.

Celiac artery in New Zealand rabbit: anatomical study of its origin and arrangement for experimental research and surgical practice / Artéria celíaca em coelhos Nova Zelândia: estudo anatômico de sua origem e arranjo para a pesquisa experimental e a prática cirúrgica

Rabbits have been used as an experimental model in many diseases and for the study of toxicology, pharmacology and surgery in many universities. However, some aspects of their macro anatomy need a more detailed description, especially the abdominal and pelvic arterial vascular system, which has a huge variability in distribution and trajectory. Thirty cadaveric adult New Zealand rabbits, 13 male and 17 female, with an average weight and rostrum-sacral length of 2.5 kg and 40cm, respectively, were used. The thoracic aorta was cannulated and the vascular system was filled with stained latex S-65. The celiac artery and its proximal branches were dissected and lengthened in order to evidence origin and proximal ramifications. The celiac artery emerged between the 12th and 13th thoracic vertebra in 11 (36.7 percent) rabbits; at the level of the 13th thoracic vertebra in 6 (20 percent) rabbits; between the 13th thoracic vertebra and the 1st lumbar vertebra in 12 (40 percent) rabbits; and at the level of the 1st lumbar vertebra in only one (3.3 percent) rabbit. The mean length of the celiac artery was 0.5cm. The celiac artery first branch was the lienal artery, the second branch was the left gastric artery and the hepatic artery arose from the left gastric artery in all the dissected rabbits. No relation was observed between the celiac artery length and the rostrum-sacral length in rabbits. The number of left gastric and lienal artery branches and the distribution of celiac artery origin are not gender dependent.

Os coelhos têm sido usados como modelo experimental em diferentes patologias e para estudos de toxicologia, farmacologia e cirurgia em várias universidades. Entretanto apesar de sua grande utilização, muitos aspectos de sua macroanatomia, em especial os que se referem ao sistema vascular arterial que irrigam as viscerais abdomino-pélvicas ainda carecem de uma descrição mais detalhada, pois os vasos arteriais apresentam grande variabilidade na sua distribuição e trajeto. Foram utilizados 30 coelhos, 13 machos e 17 fêmeas, pesando em media 2,5 kg e apresentando comprimento rostro-sacral em torno de 40cm. A artéria aorta torácica foi canulada e através da mesma foi feita à fixação com solução de formaldeído a 10 por cento e repleções vasculares com solução de Petrolátex S65 corado. A artéria celíaca e suas ramificações proximais foram dissecadas ao longo do seu percurso, registrando com auxílio de um paquímetro seu comprimento e sua esqueletopia. A artéria celíaca teve sua emergência de forma única diretamente da artéria aorta abdominal em todos os animais dissecados. Emitiu inicialmente a artéria lienal e a seguir a artéria gástrica esquerda que se continuou como hepática em todos os 30 animais. A artéria celíaca teve sua origem entre a 12ªe 13ª vértebra torácica em 11 animais (36,7 por cento), na 13ª vértebra torácica em 6 (20 por cento), entre a 13ª vértebra torácica e a 1ª vértebra lombar em 12 (40 por cento) e na 1ª vértebra lombar em apenas 1 animal (3,3 por cento). O comprimento médio da artéria celíaca foi de 0,5cm. Não foi observada relação entre o comprimento da artéria celíaca e o comprimento rostro-sacral dos coelhos. O número de artérias gástricas esquerdas, ramificações principais da artéria lienal, bem como a origem da artéria celíaca independeram do sexo do animal.

Urogenital anomalies in human male fetuses.

BACKGROUND: There are few studies in the literature performed in human fetuses evaluating the incidence of genitourinary anomalies. AIMS: Analyze the incidence of congenital urogenital malformations in human male fetuses. STUDY DESIGNS AND SUBJECTS: We analyzed 166 human male fetuses well preserved. The gestational age was determined in weeks post conception (WPC) according to the foot length criterion and ranged from 10 to 35 WPC. The fetuses were dissected with the aid of a stereoscopic lens with 2.5x magnification. We performed abdominal and pelvic incisions to expose the urogenital organs. We studied the incidence of renal, ureteral, vesicle, urethral, testicular, epididymal, vas deferens, prostate and penile anomalies. RESULTS: Of the 166 fetuses, 7 (4.2%) presented some kind of anomaly of the urogenital system. Renal anomalies were found in two fetuses (1.2%). Unilateral renal agenesis was found in a 25 WPC fetus. Horseshoe kidney was found in a 20 WPC fetus. In a 23 WPC fetus (0.6%) the two testes were absent. Epididymal disjunction anomalies were found in four fetuses (2.4%). CONCLUSIONS: The urogenital anomalies in human male fetuses are rare and have an incidence around 4%.