Dopamine D2 receptor agonist, bromocriptine, remodels adipose tissue dopaminergic signalling and upregulates catabolic pathways, improving metabolic profile in type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The therapeutic effects of the dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) agonist, bromocriptine, in type 2 diabetes (T2D) have been attributed to central nervous system actions. However, peripheral dopamine directly modulates glucose uptake in insulin-sensitive tissues and lipid metabolism in adipose tissue (AT). We hypothesized that the dopaminergic system may be impaired in the adipose tissue of patients with T2D and that the therapeutic actions of bromocriptine could involve the modulation of metabolism in this tissue. METHODS: The expression of dopamine receptors was evaluated in visceral AT samples from patients with obesity and stratified in several groups: insulin sensitive (IS); insulin resistance (IR) normoglycaemic; insulin resistant prediabetic; insulin resistant diabetic, according to Ox-HOMA2IR, fasting glycaemia and HbA1c levels. T2D Goto-Kakizaki rats (GK) were fed a high-caloric diet (HCD) for five months and treated with bromocriptine (10 mg/kg/day, i.p.) in the last month. The levels of dopaminergic system mediators and markers of insulin sensitivity and glucose and lipid metabolism were assessed in the peri-epididymal adipose tissue (pEWAT) and brown (BAT) adipose tissues, liver, and skeletal muscle. RESULTS: Patients with IR presented a decreasing trend of DRD1 expression in the visceral adipose tissue, being correlated with the expression of UCP1, PPARA, and insulin receptor (INSR) independently of insulin resistance and body mass index. Although no differences were observed in DRD2, DRD4 expression was significantly decreased in patients with prediabetes and T2D. In HCD-fed diabetic rats, bromocriptine increased D1R and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) levels in pEWAT and the liver. Besides reducing adiposity, bromocriptine restored GLUT4 and PPARγ levels in pEWAT, as well as postprandial InsR activation and postabsorptive activation of lipid oxidation pathways. A reduction of liver fat, GLUT2 levels and postprandial InsR and AMPK activation in the liver was observed. Increased insulin sensitivity and GLUT4 levels in BAT and an improvement of the overall metabolic status were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Bromocriptine treatment remodels adipose tissue and the liver dopaminergic system, with increased D1R and TH levels, resulting in higher insulin sensitivity and catabolic function. Such effects may be involved in bromocriptine therapeutic effects, given the impaired expression of dopamine receptors in the visceral adipose tissue of IR patients, as well as the correlation of D1R expression with InsR and metabolic mediators.

The effects of xanthan gum on equine sperm quality during cooling storage / Efeitos de xantam gum em qualidade de esperma equino durante armazenamento resfriado

This study was designed to evaluate the possible benefits of adding xanthan gum to a standard extender for equine through in vitro analyzes of sperm quality. Semen was collected four times from five different stallions (n= 20 samples) and subjected to cooled storage under different conditions: control (only standard extender) and three different concentrations of xanthan gum (0.01%, 0.12%, and 0.25%) supplemented to the extenders. Sperm parameters, such as motility, mitochondrial functionality, and membrane, acrosome, and DNA integrity were measured after 0h, 24h, 48h, and 72h of sperm storage at 5ºC. Our observations indicated that sperm motility declined with longer cooling period with the 0.25% xanthan gum supplementation group compared with the control group. Other parameters, such as mitochondrial functionality and membrane and acrosome integrity also declined for all treatments during storage; however, no differences were observed between xanthan gum and control groups. DNA integrity did not significantly change during the storage. In conclusion, the addition of xanthan gum to equine semen extender is not harmful to the sperm structure, despite reducing the sperm motility.(AU)

Esse estudo foi desenvolvido para avaliar os possíveis benefícios de acrescentar xanthan gum a um extensor padrão através de analises in vitro de qualidade de esperma. Semen foi coletado quatro vezes de cinco garanhões diferentes (n = 20 amostras) e submetido a armazenamen to resfriado em diferentes condições: controle (apenas extensor padrão) e três diferentes concentrações de xanthan gum (0,01%, 0,12% e 0,25%) suplementado aos extensores. Parâmetros dos espermatozoides, como mobilidade, funcionamento mitocondrial e integridade de membranas, acrossomos e DNA forma medidos após 0h, 24h, 48h e 72h de armazenamento a 5oC. Nossas observações indicaram que motilidade reduziu com armazenamento resfriado prolongado no grupo de 0,25% de suplementação de xanthan gum comparado ao grupo controle. Outros parâmetros, como funcionalidade mitocondrial e integridade de membrana e acrossomos também reduziu em todos os tratamentos durante o armazenamento, no entanto não foram detectadas diferenças significativas entre grupos tratados e grupo controle. Integridade de DNA não mudou significativamente durante armazenamento. Em conclusão, a adição de xanthan gum a extensor de sêmen equino não é danosa à estrutura do espermatozoide apesar de reduzir motilidade.(AU)

Outbreaks and genetic diversity of Francisella noatunensis subsp orientalis isolated from farm-raised Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in Brazil.

Francisella noatunensis subsp orientalis (FNO) is an emerging pathogen of warm water tilapia in a number of different countries. The disease caused by this bacterium in fish is characterized by a systemic granulomatous infection that causes high mortality rates during outbreaks. FNO has been previously described in Asia, Europe, and Central and North America. Its occurrence in South America has never been described. Since 2012, outbreaks of a granulomatous disease have been recorded in cage farms of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.) in Brazil. The current study aimed to identify the etiologic agent of recent francisellosis outbreaks at Brazilian tilapia farms, and to characterize the genetic diversity of the pathogen from farms with distinct geographic origins and without epidemiological connections. Bacteriological analysis of 44 diseased Nile tilapia collected from five cage farms in Brazil was performed during 2012 and 2013. The farms were in different locations and had no recent history of animal or biological material transport between each other. Sixty-two FNO isolates were identified on the basis of FNO-specific qPCR. The main predisposing factors for the occurrence of outbreaks on Brazilian farms were lower water temperature (<22°C) and life stage of fish, affecting mainly fry, fingerlings and young adults (live weight <100 g). The genetic diversity of the Brazilian FNO isolates was evaluated using repetitive extragenic palindromic-PCR. The isolates from different origins were shown to be clonally related. This is the first report of the occurrence and genetic diversity of FNO in South America.

Composição química e digestibilidade de partes e subprodutos de aves nas formas crua e cozida para cães / Chemical composition and digestibility of raw and cooked chicken parts for dogs

Determinou-se a composição de partes da carcaça - pescoço, dorso e pés de aves -, e sua digestibilidade, usadas para cães nas formas crua e cozida. Os animais, pesados antes e depois do período experimental, foram alimentados uma vez ao dia, com livre acesso ao alimento por uma hora. Cada animal recebeu aproximadamente 50g alimento/kg de peso. As fezes, coletadas diariamente, foram pesadas e congeladas até a realização das análises bromatológicas. Os pés apresentaram os maiores valores de proteína bruta (PB) e matéria mineral (MM), o pescoço, o maior valor de energia bruta (EB), e o dorso, os de matéria seca (MS), matéria orgânica (MO) e extrato etéreo (EE). O cozimento não alterou a composição dos alimentos, entretanto os alimentos cozidos apresentaram teores menores em PB e maiores em EE. Os coeficientes de digestibilidade da MO e da PB do pescoço aumentaram significativamente quando este foi cozido, e os valores de energia metabolizável (EM) e energia digestível (ED) diminuíram. O cozimento do dorso resultou em redução de EM e ED. Os coeficientes de digestibilidade da MS, MO e PB e a ED e EM do pé foram significativamente maiores para os pés cozidos.

In order to use an ingredient to formulate dog foods, it is ideal to the industry to know its properties including the digestibility. So, this work studied the chemical composition and the digestibility of chicken parts used to feed dogs, since they are used frequently by the dog food industry. The ingredients were raw and cooked neck, back, and feet. The animals were weighted before and after the experimental period and food was served once a day. The food was weighted before and after being served. Each animal consumed approximately 50g food/kg body weight. The feces were collected daily and freezed as well as the food until the bromatological analyses procedures. The feet had the highest values for crude protein (CP) and mineral content (MC); while the back, the highest values for dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), and fat. Cooking had no significant effect on chemical composition of the ingredients. Considering the digestibility coefficient, OM and CP of neck had a significant increase when it was used in the cooked form; but, the metabolizable energy (ME) and the digestible energy (DE) values considerably decreased. For the back, the heat treatment resulted in a significant reduction of ME and DE and the digestibility coefficients of DM, OM, and CP, and ME, and DE of the feet were higher using the same treatment.

Presentación infrecuente de ependimoma intracraneal: relato de caso / intracraneal infrequent presentation of ependynoma: case report

El compromiso óseo craneal asociado a tumores cerebrales primarios es de ocurrencia rara. Entre los gliomas de crecimiento lento que pueden cursar con erosión craneána están el astrocitoma, oligodendroglioma, ependimoblastoma, oligoastrocitoma, glioblastoma multiforme, meningiomas, metástasis y sarcomas. Su fisiopatología se debe probablemente a evolución lenta y localización superficial en el cerebro, lo que ocasiona elevación progresiva de la presión intracraneal. Los autores relatan un caso de ependimoma parietal posterior derecho con perforación de la duramadre y extensión extracraneal.

Quiste dermoide de la fontanela anterior en adulto: relato de caso / Anterior fontanella dermoid cyst in adult: case report

Los quístes dermoides en la región de la fontanela anterior son raros constituyendo alrededor de 0,1 porciento de todos los tumores craneales. Son tumores relacionados con el desarrollo, que aparecen frecuentemente en la región axial del neuro-eje o en la línea de fusión embriológica. Son diagnósticados y tratados por cirugía en los primeros añós de vida, razón por la cual este tipo de patologíaes raramente observada en la edad adulta. Para s diagnóstico son necesarios radiografía simple y tomografía computarizada con o sin contraste. Los autores relatan un caso de Quiste Dermoide de Inclusión Congénita (DIC) ubicado en la fontanela anterior en un paciente adulto, y discuten su aspecto histopatológico, diagnóstico diferencial y tratamiento.

Traumatísmo craneoencefálico por accidente con vehículos de dos ruedas / Head injury and accident by two wheels vehicles

En los EE.UU., el traumatísmo craneoencefálico (TCE) es la principal causa mortis entre individuos de 10 a 44 años y constituye por más del 50 por ciento de los órbitos por trauma alcanzado, por lo tanto, una importante parcela económicamente activa de la población. El uso de vehículos de dos ruedas, sea como medio de transporte, recreación o para la práctica de deportes, no está exento de accidentes, siendo el TCE relevante consecuencia de esa práctica y la principal causa de muerte e invalidez. Se realizó un estudio prospectivo de 20 pacientes atendidos en el Hospital Universitario Vírgen de la Arrixaca, Murcia, España, con diagnóstico de TCE por caída de vehículo de dos ruedas, en el período de enero a junio de 2002, utilizando un protocolo patrón, el cual fue rellenado por el autor o por el equipo del hospital. En nuestra muestra, hubo una nítida predominancia del sexo masculino (95 por ciento de los casos), siendo el grupo más afectado el de los jóvenes de 11 a 20 años, con el 65 por ciento de los casos. Hubo 17 accidentes por motocicleta y tres por bicicleta. En el primer grupo, siete (41,2 por ciento) usaban casco y entre los usuarios de bicicleta, dos (67 por ciento). En todo el muestreo, el uso de casco fue relatado por el 45 por ciento de los pacientes. La tomografía computarizada (TC) fue el método de elección para la evaluación de esos pacientes, pues es un método rápido que tiene la posibilidad de reconocer a los pacientes que necesitan intervención quirúrgica. En cuanto a las lesiones encontradas en las imágenes por TAC, el 85 por ciento del muestreo evidenció la presencia de lesiones intracraneales, siendo el hematoma subdural la más frecuente, seguido de la hemorragia subaracnoidea, la contusión cerebral y el edema cerebral. El tratamiento instituído fue conservador en la mayoría de los casos, siendo en apenas 5 pacientes (25 por ciento) necesaria la cirugía. El tiempo medio de internación fue significativamente más alto en los pacientes sometidos a tratamiento quirúrgico en relación al grupo sometido a tratamiento conservador (26,6 días y 15,3 días, respectivamente). La mortalidad fue de 10 por ciento (2 pacientes). La atención en el lugar del accidente es de importancia fundamental para reducir el número de óbitos y secuelas después del traumatísmo en general y el TEC en particular.

[Echocardiographic diagnosis of transposition of the great arteries associated with anomalous pulmonary venous connection].

We report 2 cases of transposition of the great arteries associated with anomalous pulmonary venous connection emphasizing the clinical findings, the diagnosis, and the evolution of the association. One of the patients had the anomalous pulmonary venous connection in its total infradiaphragmatic form, in the portal system, and the other patient had a partial form, in which an anomalous connection of the left superior lobar vein with the innominate vein existed. At the time of hospital admission, the patients had cyanosis and respiratory distress with clinical findings suggesting transposition of the great arteries. The diagnosis in 1 of the cases, in which the anomalous connection was partial, was established only with echocardiography, without invasive procedures that would represent risk for the patient; in the other case, in which the anomalous connection was total, the malformation was only evidenced with catheterization. The patients underwent surgery for anatomical correction of the heart disease. Only 1 patient had a good outcome.

The crystal structure of a type I cohesin domain at 1.7 A resolution.

The quaternary organization of the cellulosome, a multi-enzymatic extracellular complex produced by cellulolytic bacteria, depends on specific interactions between dockerin domains, double EF-hand subunits carried by the catalytic components, and cohesin domains, individual receptor subunits linearly arranged within a non-catalytic scaffolding polypeptide. Cohesin-dockerin complexes with distinct specificities are also thought to mediate the attachment of cellulosomes to the cell membrane. We report here the crystal structure of a single cohesin domain from the scaffolding protein of Clostridium thermocellum. The cohesin domain folds into a nine-stranded beta-sandwich with an overall "jelly roll" topology, similar to that observed in bacterial cellulose-binding domains. Surface-exposed patches of conserved residues promote extensive intermolecular contacts in the crystal, and suggest a possible binding target for the EF-hand pair of the cognate dockerin domain. Comparative studies of cohesin domains indicate that, in spite of low sequence similarities and different functional roles, all cohesin domains share a common nine-stranded beta-barrel fold stabilized by a conserved hydrophobic core. The formation of stable cohesin-dockerin complexes requires the presence of Ca2+. However, the structure of the cohesin domain reported here reveals no obvious Ca2+-binding site, and previous experiments have failed to detect high affinity binding of Ca2+ to the unliganded dockerin domain of endoglucanase CelD. Based on structural and biochemical evidence, we propose a model of the cohesin-dockerin complex in which the dockerin domain requires complexation with its cohesin partner for protein stability and high-affinity Ca2+ binding.

Amino acid sequence and three-dimensional structure of the Tn-specific isolectin B4 from Vicia villosa.

The partial amino acid sequence of the tetrameric isolectin B4 from Vicia villosa seeds has been determined by peptide analysis, and its three-dimensional structure solved by molecular replacement techniques and refined at 2.9 A resolution to a crystallographic R-factor of 21%. Each subunit displays the thirteen-stranded beta-barrel topology characteristic of legume lectins. The amino acid residues involved in metal- and sugar-binding are similar to those of other GalNAc-specific lectins, indicating that residues outside the carbohydrate-binding pocket modulate the affinity for the Tn glycopeptide. Isolectin B4 displays an unusual quaternary structure, probably due to protein glycosylation.

Avaliaçäo da composiçäo corporal em gestantes de termo / Assessment of body composition in pregnant women at term

A gravidez acompanha-se de modificaçoes fisiológicas bem conhecidas nos compartimentos hídricos e energéticos maternos, que se somam a hipertrofias orgânicas e ao aparecimento de um bloco feto-placentario. Conseqüentemente, a composiçao corporal sofre alteraçoes, porém poucos estudos têm documentado tal fenomeno. O advento da bioimpedância favoreceu a obtençao das informaçoes desejadas de forma pratica e segura. Objetivos. Foram os propósitos deste trabalho: registrar as principais variaveis antropométricas numa populaçao de gestantes de termo; determinar as medidas de composiçao corpórea pela bioimpedância; comparar esses achados com os primeiros, assim como com outras metodologias relatadas na literatura. Métodos. A populaçao consistiu de 30 gestantes de termo admitidas no período pré-parto, sem complicaçoes, sofrimento fetal ou gravidez múltipla, e submetidas às seguintes mensuraçoes: Antropometria - Peso, altura, índice de massa corporal, prega cutânea do tríceps, circunferência muscular do braço; Bioimpedância - Gordura corporal, massa magra, agua total, agua intra e extracelular, terceiro espaço e relaçao sódio/potassio permut vel. Resultados. Observaram-se valores de peso corporal e índice de massa corporal aumentados, porém inteiramente compatíveis com a situaçao fisiológica das gestantes. A agua corpórea total situava-se na mesma faixa percentual de mulheres nao-gravidas, tal como ja suspeitado por outros autores, porém com indícios de expansao do extracelular e formaçao de terceiro espaço. A massa gorda elevou-se, porém, também em proporçoes nao muito diferentes do relatado anteriormente em levantamentos antropométricos. Conclusoes. Nas condiçoes do presente trabalho, em que uma equaçao de bioimpedância para uso geral foi aplicada, o método demonstrou resultados compatíveis com as informaçoes clínicas disponíveis, as verificaçoes antropométricas e os registros de outros investigadores. Conclui-se que a impedância bioelétrica é um procedimento de avaliaçao promissor na gravidez, justificando estudos ulteriores com esta metodologia.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray studies on the lectin from the seeds of Cratylia mollis.

The lectin from the seeds of Cratvlia mollis shows strong binding to human malignant cancerous tissues, particularly those from many glands, uterus, rectum and brain. The C. mollis lectin has been crystallized using the hanging-drop method with polyethylene glycol 6000 as a precipitant. Two different crystal forms were grown from the same drops and they belong to space groups I222 and P2(1)2(1)2(1), respectively. The cell parameters obtained were a = 63.26 (4), b = 77.45 (8) and c = 105.22 (8) A, for the I222 form, and a = 88.83 (5), b = 183.24 (9) and c = 61.70 (2) A for the P2(1)2(1)2(1) crystals. The solution of both structures is currently being attempted by means of molecular replacement techniques.

Efectos cardiovasculares inmediatos a la inhalación de humo de tabaco con diferente concentración de nicotina

Quince sujetos del sexo masculino con edades entre 20 y 27 años (23.6 ñ 2.5 (D.E.), sanos y no fumadores, se sometieron a un estudio doble ciego diseñado para comparar entre sí los efectos cardiovasculares inmediatos a la inhalación deo de tabaco de cigarrillos "regulares" (1.1 mg de nicotina) y "suaves" (0.6 mg de nicotina). Se midieron la frecuencia cardíaca y la presión arterial, se obtuvieron cálculos ecográficos de la fracción de acortamiento, de la amplitud del movimiento sistólico y de la velocidad de contracción de la pared del ventrículo izquierdo, así como el intervalo QTc y la amplitud de la onda T del electrocardiograma. Todas estas observaciones se efectuaron antes y después de fumar uno y otro tipo de cigarrillo. Al comparar entre sí los incrementos o decrementos ejercidos por uno y otro tipo de cigarrillo no se encontró diferencia significativa en ninguno de los parámetros estudiados. Al analizar las modificaciones que cada tipo de cigarrillo produjo a partir de su respectivo control se encontró que la frecuencia cardíaca aumentó con ambas variedades de cigarrillo (p<0.001), la presión arterial se modificó al fumar el cigarrillo regular (sistólica, p<0.002; diastólica, p<0.005) y el intervalo QTc se prolongó y la altura de la onda T disminuyó (p<0.02) con ambas modalidades de cigarrillo. Los parámetros ecográficos de la función sistólica del ventrículo izquierdo no se modificaron con ninguno de los programas. Se concluye que el tabaco de cigarrillos suaves y regulares modifica de inmediato algunos parámetros cardiovasculares pero sin apreciarse una clara diferencia al comparar los cambios ejercidos por uno y otro tipo de cigarrilo entre sí, al menos a los niveles de contenido nicotínico aquí utilizados

[Cardiovascular effects immediate to the inhalation of tobacco smoke with different concentrations of nicotine]. / Efectos cardiovasculares inmediatos a la inhalación de humo de tabaco con diferente concentración de nicotina.

Fifteen healthy and non smoking men, age range 20 to 27 years (23.6 +/- 2.5 (SD) were subject of a double blind study designed to compare the immediate cardiovascular effects of smoking "regular" and "light" cigarettes (nicotine content: 1.1 mg and 0.6 mg, respectively). The measured cardiovascular parameters were: heart rate, blood pressure, echographic calculations of the left ventricle fractional shortening, amplitude of the posterior wall systolic movement and posterior wall contraction velocity, as well as QTc interval and T wave amplitude. All those measurements were obtained before and after smoking one or two other kind of cigarette. When the changes evoked by the regular cigarette were compared to the changes evoked by the light cigarette, no significant difference was detected. When analyzing the modifications that each kind of cigarette produced to its respective basal-control measurement the following observations were detected: heart rate increased after smoking both types of cigarette (p less than 0.001), blood pressure was raised only with regular cigarette (systolic, p less than 0.002; diastolic, p less than 0.005). QTc interval was prolonged (p less than 0.05) and T wave amplitude decreased (p less than 0.02) after regular and light cigarette. It is concluded that tobacco of regular and light cigarettes significantly and immediately affects diverse cardiovascular parameters, but there is no a clear or definite difference when the changes produced by the two types of cigarette are compared to each other, at least at the level of nicotine here utilized.