Divergent warning patterns influence male and female mating behaviours in a tropical butterfly.

Traits under divergent ecological selection that also function during mating can be important in maintaining species boundaries. Few studies have considered mutual mate choice, where both males and females base mating decisions on the same trait. Wing colouration in Heliconius butterflies evolved as a warning signal but also functions as a mating cue. We investigated the contribution of visual preference to assortative mating in an aposematic butterfly Heliconius cydno in the context of reproductive isolation with its sympatric, visually distinct relative Heliconius melpomene. Heliconius cydno have conspicuous white bands on their forewings, whereas those of H. melpomene are red in colour. We predicted that both sexes of H. cydno contributed to assortative mating by exhibiting visual preference towards conspecific wing colouration. We analysed published and new data from preference experiments, in which males were presented with conspecific and H. melpomene females. We also recorded female responses and mating outcomes in choice experiments, involving conspecific males with either the original white or artificially painted red forewing bands. Both sexes of H. cydno responded more positively towards the conspecific colouration, and males strongly preferred females of its own colours. In contrast, male colouration did not predict mating outcomes in female choice experiments. As courtships are initiated by males in butterflies, our findings suggest that female visual preference might be of secondary importance in H. cydno. Our data also suggest that the contribution of visual preference to reproductive isolation might be unequal between H. cydno and its sympatric relative H. melpomene.

Parallel evolution of behavior, physiology, and life history associated with altitudinal shifts in forest type in Heliconius butterflies.

Parallel evolution of morphological traits is widely reported, providing evidence for the role of local conditions in driving adaptive divergence. Comparatively, fewer studies have tested for parallelism in behavior, and it is less clear to what extent heritable behavioral shifts contribute to adaptive divergence. We exploit repeated incipient speciation across altitudinal gradients to explore behavior and physiology in Heliconius butterflies adapted to high-elevation. We performed common garden experiments with H. chestertonii, a high-altitude specialist from the Colombian Cordillera Occidental, and H. erato venus, a low-elevation proxy for the ancestral population, and compared our results to existing data for an equivalent Ecuadorian taxa-pair. Using broad-scale climatic data, we show that both pairs diverge across similar ecological gradients, confirmed using localized data loggers in the ranges of H. chestertonii and H. e. venus. We further show that H. chestertonii and H. e. venus have divergent activity patterns, attributable to different responses to microclimate, and life histories. Finally, we provide evidence for parallelism in these traits with H. himera and H. e. cyrbia. We propose that this is a result of selection associated with independent colonizations of high-altitude forests, emphasizing the importance of heritable behavioral and physiological adaptations during population divergence and speciation.

[Consumption of phenolic compounds in the elderly population]. / Ingestión de compuestos fenólicos en población adulta mayor.

INTRODUCTION: Introduction: currently, the elderly population is increasing and with it, the presence of diseases. Phenolic compounds are substances that have antioxidant properties which can impact on the prevention of oxidative damage, closely related to the onset of various diseases. Most phenolic compounds are bioaccessible and bioavailable through mechanical, enzymatic and chemical routes. However, during aging these factors are modified, affecting the absorption of these compounds. Objective: to know the recent information related to the consumption of phenolic compounds and implications for health in the elderly. Methods: a search was made in different academic bases and/or search engines (EBSCOHOST, PubMed and Science Direct) about total phenol consumption in older adults. This information was analyzed and subclassified considering chronic diseases. Results: older adults have an intake of phenolic compounds ranging from 280 ± 130 to 2,771 ± 1,552 mg/day and the amount that reflects a benefit against cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome and diabetes in older adults ranges from 322 ± 153 to 2,861 mg/day. Conclusion: in some cases, the consumption of polyphenols in the elderly is not enough to generate a prevention against different diseases, so increasing their quantity is recommended. There are different situations that modify bioaccessibility and bioavailability, including the deficiency of polyphenol transporters, so the amount needed is modified to carry out its action in the body. There are few studies of this type in this population, so more research is recommended.

INTRODUCCIÓN: Introducción: en la actualidad, la población adulta mayor se encuentra en aumento y, con ello, la presencia de enfermedades. Los compuestos fenólicos son sustancias que tienen propiedades antioxidantes y pueden impactar en la prevención del daño oxidativo, muy relacionado con el inicio de diversas enfermedades. La mayoría de los compuestos fenólicos son bioaccesibles y biodisponibles mediante vías mecánicas, enzimáticas y químicas. Sin embargo, durante el envejecimiento se modifican estos factores afectando la absorción de estos compuestos. Objetivo: conocer la información reciente relacionada con el consumo de compuestos fenólicos y sus implicaciones para la salud en los adultos mayores. Métodos: se realizó una búsqueda en diferentes bases académicas y/o motores de búsqueda (EBSCOHOST, PubMed y Science Direct) sobre consumo total de fenoles en adultos mayores. Esta información fue analizada y subclasificada considerando enfermedades crónicas. Resultados: los adultos mayores tienen una ingesta de compuestos fenólicos que oscila de 280 ± 130 a 2.771 ± 1.552 mg/día y la cantidad que refleja un beneficio frente enfermedades cardiovasculares, síndrome metabólico y diabetes en adultos mayores oscila de 322 ± 153 a 2.861 mg/día. Conclusión: en algunos casos, el consumo de polifenoles en el adulto mayor no es suficiente para generar una prevención frente a diferentes enfermedades, por lo que se recomienda incrementar su cantidad. Existen diferentes situaciones que modifican la bioaccesibilidad y biodisponibilidad, entre ellas la deficiencia de transportadores de polifenoles, por lo que la cantidad necesaria se modifica para llevar a cabo su acción en el organismo. Además, existen pocos estudios de este tipo en esta población, por lo que se recomienda realizar más investigaciones.

Perinatal 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin exposure sensitizes offspring to angiotensin II-induced hypertension.

In utero and lactational exposure of mice to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) leads to cardiac hypertrophy and hydronephrosis in adulthood. We tested the hypothesis that perinatal TCDD exposure increases the susceptibility to cardiovascular disease when offspring are exposed to a common cardiovascular disease risk factor, angiotensin II (Ang II). Pregnant C57BL/6N mice were exposed to corn oil (control) or 6.0 microg/kg TCDD on gestation day 14.5. Male offspring were then exposed to a subpressor (0.1 mg/kg/day) or pressor (0.7 mg/kg/day) dose of Ang II at 3.5 months and cardiac morphology and blood pressure analyzed, respectively. Perinatal TCDD exposure increased left ventricular cavity dilation during diastole, and wall thickness during diastole and systole. While Ang II stimulated an increase in wall thickness, the degree of increase was equivalent between control and TCDD offspring. In contrast, perinatal TCDD exposure did not alter basal blood pressure. However, Ang II increased systolic blood pressure more rapidly and to a greater degree in TCDD offspring. Further, Ang II stimulated renal myofibroblast differentiation and collagen deposition to a greater degree, and tended to increase procollagen I mRNA in TCDD offspring, compared to controls. These data suggest that perinatal TCDD exposure increases the susceptibility of offspring to renal fibrosis and hypertension in adulthood.

In utero and lactational 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin exposure: effects on fetal and adult cardiac gene expression and adult cardiac and renal morphology.

The mouse heart is a target of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) during fetal development, and microarray analysis demonstrates significant changes in expression of cardiac genes involved in extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling. We tested the hypothesis that developmental TCDD exposure would disrupt cardiac ECM expression and be associated with changes in cardiac morphology in adulthood. In one study, time-pregnant C57BL/6 mice were dosed with corn oil or 1.5, 3.0, or 6.0 microg TCDD/kg on gestation day (GD) 14.5 and sacrificed on GD 17.5, when changes in fetal cardiac mRNA expression were analyzed using quantitative PCR. TCDD induced mRNA expression of genes associated with ECM remodeling (matrix metalloproteinase 9 and 13, preproendothelin-1 [preproET-1]), cardiac hypertrophy (atrial natriuretic peptide, beta-myosin heavy chain, osteopontin), and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) activation (cytochrome P4501A1, AHR repressor). Further, all TCDD-induced changes required the AHR since gene expression was not altered in AHR knockout fetuses. In a second study, time-pregnant mice were treated with corn oil or 6.0 microg TCDD/kg on GD 14.5, and male offspring were assessed for changes in cardiac gene expression and cardiac and renal morphology at 3 months. All TCDD-induced changes in cardiac gene expression observed fetally, except for preproET-1, remained induced in the hearts of adult male offspring. Adult male offspring of TCDD-exposed dams also displayed cardiac hypertrophy, decreased plasma volume, and mild hydronephrosis. These results demonstrate that in utero and lactational TCDD exposures alter cardiac gene expression and cardiac and renal morphology in adulthood, which may increase the susceptibility to cardiovascular dysfunction.

Tratamento pela técnica de retroalimentaçäo (Biofeedback) na cefaléia de origem tensional - nota prévia / Biofeedback Treatment in tension headache - Previus note

Este trabalho aborda o estudo de um caso de cefaléia tensional tratado no Centro de Reabilitaçäo Dr.Bernard Brucker através da técnica de Biofeedback Eletromiográfico no músculo trapézio.O protocolo de tratamento foi baseado nos estudos de King (1991) com algumas modificaçöes e composto por nove sessöes de 30 or 45 minutos incluindo as orientaçöes, avaliaçäo, tratamento e reavaliaçäo, e os resultados encontrados levaram a uma diminuiçäo significativa da duraçäo, freqüencia e intensidade das dores