Effects of the intranasal application of gold nanoparticles on the pulmonary tissue after acute exposure to industrial cigarette smoke.

Inhalation of harmful particles appears as a primary factor for the onset and establishment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Cigarette smoke acutely promotes an exacerbated inflammatory response with oxidative stress induction with DNA damage. Administration of Gold Nanoparticles (GNPs) with 20 nm in different concentrations can revert damages caused by external aggravations. The effects of GNPs in a COPD process have not been observed until now. The objective of this work was to evaluate the therapeutic effects of intranasal administration of different doses of GNPs after acute exposure to industrial cigarette smoke. Thirty male Swiss mice were randomly divided into five groups: Sham; cigarette smoke (CS); CS + GNPs 2.5 mg/L; CS + GNPs 7.5 mg/L and CS + GNPs 22.5 mg/L. The animals were exposed to the commercial cigarette with filter in an acrylic inhalation chamber and treated with intranasal GNPs for five consecutive days. The results demonstrate that exposure to CS causes an increase in inflammatory cytokines, histological changes, oxidative and nitrosive damage in the lung, as well as increased damage to the DNA of liver cells, blood plasma and lung. Among the three doses of GNPs (2.5, 7.5, and 22.5 mg/L) used, the highest dose had better anti-inflammatory effects. However, GNPs at a dose of 7.5 mg/L showed better efficacies in reducing ROS formation, alveolar diameter, and the number of inflammatory cells in histology, in addition to significantly reduced rate of DNA damage in lung cells without additional systemic genotoxicity already caused by cigarette smoke.

Effects of cryotherapy on the regeneration process and muscular mechanical properties after lacerative injury model.

Cryotherapy is a therapeutic modality widely used for the treatment of muscle injuries to control pain and inflammatory processes. This study aimed to investigate the effects of cryotherapy on the inflammatory and oxidative stress parameters and mechanical properties of, and pain in, the skeletal muscles of rats with lacerative muscle injury. The rats were anesthetized with 4% isoflurane and subjected to gastrocnemius muscle laceration injury. After injury, all animals in the intervention groups received cryotherapy treatment for 20 minutes using plastic bags containing crushed ice. The protocol comprised three daily applications at 3-hour intervals on the day of injury, with reapplication 24 hours later. Seventy-two male Wistar rats were divided into three groups: sham, muscle injury (MI), and MI + cryotherapy (MI + cryo). Muscle mechanical properties were analyzed by mechanical tensile testing on day 7 after injury. The MI + cryo group showed reduced TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL1ß levels; elevated IL4, IL6, and IL10 levels; reduced oxidant production and carbonyl levels; and elevated sulfhydryl contents. Animals that underwent tissue cooling showed superoxide dismutase activity and glutathione levels close to those of the animals in the sham group. The MI and MI + cryo groups showed reduced values of the evaluated mechanical properties and lower mechanical thresholds compared to those of the animals from the sham group. Our results demonstrated that the proposed cryotherapy protocol reduced the inflammatory process and controlled oxidative stress but did not reverse the changes in the mechanical properties of muscle tissues or provide analgesic effects within the time frame analyzed.

Physical exercise is effective in preventing cigarette smoke-induced pulmonary oxidative response in mice.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are important in the pathogenesis of pulmonary injury induced by cigarette smoke (CS) exposure, and physical exercise (Ex) is useful in combating impaired oxidative process. We verified the preventive effects of Ex on lung oxidative markers induced by smoking. In this study, 36 mice (C57BL-6, 30-35 g) were split into four groups: control, CS, Ex, and CS plus Ex. Ex groups were given prior physical training in water (2×30 min/d, 5 days/wk, 8 weeks). After training, the CS groups were subjected to passive exposure to four cigarettes, 3 × per day, for 60 consecutive days. After 24 hours from the last exposure, CS animals were sacrificed, and lung samples were collected for further analysis. Left lung sample was prepared for histological analysis, and right lung was used for biochemical analysis (superoxide, hydroxyproline, lipid peroxidation [thiobarbituric acid reactive species], protein carbonylation [carbonyl groups formation], superoxide dismutase [SOD], catalase [CAT], and glutathione peroxidase [GPx] activities). Group comparisons were evaluated by analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results were expressed as mean ± standard deviation, with P<0.05 considered significantly different. Preventive Ex impeded histological changes and increased the enzymatic defense system (SOD and GPx) by reducing oxidative damage in lipids and proteins. This preventive effect of prior physical Ex alleviates damage caused by CS exposure.

Educação em saúde nos grupos de controle ao tabagismo no município de Criciúma: a prática do fisioterapeuta / Health education groups to control tobacco use in Criciúma city: physiotherapist practice

É de responsabilidade dos profissionais da saúde atentar e praticar a educação em saúde como processo educativo de construção de conhecimentos em saúde, visando à apropriação sobre o tema pela população. Este artigo tem como objetivo refletir sobre as possibilidades de educação em saúde por fisioterapeutas nos Grupos de Controle ao Tabagismo no Município de Criciúma. Para tanto, se objetivou compreender como estas pessoas estavam vivenciando a experiência no grupo, assim como sua expectativa quanto seu estado físico. Os dados foram coletados entre os meses de abril a agosto de 2012, a partir de um questionário semi-estruturado em 9 Unidades de Saúde (US) no Município de Criciúma. A amostra desta pesquisa foi intencional, constitui-se de 44 indivíduos, 32 (72,7%) mulheres e 12 (27,3%) homens, inscritos no programa de controle ao tabagismo. Os participantes foram submetidos a uma sessão educativa que contou com a presença de fisioterapeutas. Após a ação educativa foi entregue um questionário aos participantes para avaliação da atividade desenvolvida, e formula-se categorias. Concluímos que a participação em grupos e as atividades de educação em saúde, através de uma conversa entre os profissionais de saúde e participantes é importante para estes indivíduos que desejam parar de fumar.

Practicing health education is the responsibility of health professionals as an educational process of building knowledge for people's health. This paper aims to reflect on the practice of health education performed by physiotherapists in Tobacco Use Control Groups of Criciúma City. Data were collected between the months April to August 2012, using a questionnaire applied to 09 Health Units. The sample was 44 individuals, 32 (72.7%) women and 12 (27.3%) men of the Tobacco Use Control Groups. Individuals participated in an educational session conducted by physiotherapists. After the educational activities participants answered a questionnaire to evaluate the activity performed. The study concluded that participation in groups and activities in health education make possible the exchange of experience between health professionals and participants, and it is important for individuals who wish to stop smoking.

Effects of low-level laser therapy (GaAs) in an animal model of muscular damage induced by trauma.

It has been demonstrated that reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and oxidative damage markers are increased after muscle damage. Recent studies have demonstrated that low-level laser therapy (LLLT) modulates many biochemical processes mainly those related to reduction of muscular injures, increment of mitochondrial respiration and ATP synthesis, as well as acceleration of the healing process. The objective of the present investigation was to verify the influence of LLLT in some parameters of muscular injury, oxidative damage, antioxidant activity, and synthesis of collagen after traumatic muscular injury. Adult male Wistar rats were divided randomly into three groups (n = 6), namely, sham (uninjured muscle), muscle injury without treatment, and muscle injury with LLLT (GaAs, 904 nm). Each treated point received 5 J/cm(2) or 0.5 J of energy density (12.5 s) and 2.5 J per treatment (five regions). LLLT was administered 2, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 h after muscle trauma. The serum creatine kinase activity was used as an index of skeletal muscle injury. Superoxide anion, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) measurement, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were used as indicators of oxidative stress. In order to assess the synthesis of collagen, levels of hydroxyproline were measured. Our results have shown that the model of traumatic injury induces a significant increase in serum creatine kinase activity, hydroxyproline content, superoxide anion production, TBARS level, and activity of SOD compared to control. LLLT accelerated the muscular healing by significantly decreasing superoxide anion production, TBARS levels, the activity of SOD, and hydroxyproline content. The data strongly indicate that increased ROS production and augmented collagen synthesis are elicited by traumatic muscular injury, effects that were significantly decreased by LLLT.

Therapeutic action of physical exercise on markers of oxidative stress induced by chronic kidney disease.

AIMS: To investigate the effects physical training exerts on markers of oxidative stress in rats with chronic kidney disease (CKD). MAIN METHODS: Twenty-four male Wistar rats were divided into four groups (n=6): sham, CKD, exercise-sham and exercise-CKD. Surgical reduction of the renal mass was performed (5/6 nephrectomized) and exercise was conducted on a treadmill (50 min/day up to 1 km/h for, 5 days/week for eight weeks). Forty-eight hours after the last exercise session, blood (1 mL) was collected from the abdominal aorta and animals were decapitated. The left kidney was surgically removed and stored at -70 °C for subsequent analysis. KEY FINDINGS: An increase was observed in creatinine and urea levels, superoxide production, antioxidant enzymes, and oxidative damage in the CKD group, as compared to sham animals (p<0.05). Physical training made superoxide production and oxidative damage decrease in the CKD group (p<0.05), increasing SOD and GPX activity, though it did not increase the antioxidant effects of CAT, and renal parameters. SIGNIFICANCE: Even without altering renal function in animals induced to CKD model, the results show that physical training is an important component in the treatment of CKD, because it exerted a positive influence on oxidative stress parameters, especially on the reduction in superoxide production and oxidative damage, as well as an improvement in the antioxidant defense system, like SOD and GPX.

Medida da função motora nas distrofias musculares progressivas: uma nova alternativa para avaliação fisioterapêutica / Motor function measure in progressive muscular dystrophies: a new alternative for physical therapy assessment

As Distrofias Musculares (DM) são um grupo heterogêneo dedoenças hereditárias, tendo um comprometimento grave, progressivoe irreversível da musculatura esquelética, caracterizadas peladegeneração progressiva do tecido muscular. Este estudo tem comoobjetivo avaliar a função motora através da utilização da escalaMedida da Função Motora (MFM) em indivíduos com DistrofiasMusculares Progressivas. Foram avaliados 33 indivíduos com DistrofiaMuscular de Cinturas (DMC), Distrofia Muscular de Duchenne(DMD) e Distrofia Miotônica de Steinert (DMS). O instrumentode pesquisa utilizado foi a escala de Medida da Função Motora(MFM), que avalia 3 dimensões: posição em pé e transferências,função motora axial e proximal e função motora distal. Constatou--se neste estudo a afirmação dos achados da literatura quanto aocomprometimento motor nas Distrofias Musculares Progressivas,tendo o menor escore nas 3 dimensões analisadas os indivíduoscom DMD. Foi possível constatar que a escala MFM é um eficazmétodo de avaliação para os indivíduos portadores de DistrofiasMusculares Progressivas, pois a sua utilização possibilita mensuraro comprometimento motor destes indivíduos, o que proporcionaum melhor direcionamento ao tratamento fisioterapêutico tendocomo auxílio um indicador evolutivo.

The muscular dystrophies (MD) are a heterogeneous group ofinherited diseases, with a severe, progressive and irreversible impairmentof the skeletal muscles, characterized by progressive degenerationof muscle tissue. This study aimed to evaluate motor functionthrough the use of the Motor Function Measure scale (MFM) inindividuals with progressive muscular dystrophy. Were evaluated 33patients with Limb-girdle Muscular Dystrophy (LGMD), DuchenneMuscular Dystrophy (DMD) and Steinert Myotonic Dystrophy(SMD). The survey instrument used was the Scale Motor FunctionMeasure (MFM), which assesses three dimensions: standing positionand transfers, axial and proximal motor function and motor functiondistal. It was found the statement of findings in the literature as tothe motor impairment in progressive muscular dystrophies, withthe lowest score in three dimensions analyzed the individuals withDMD. It was concluded that the scale MFM is an effective methodof assessment for individuals with progressive muscular dystrophy,since its use enables measure motor impairment of these individuals,providing a better direction to the physical therapy.