Efficacy of the superoxide dismutase mimetic tempol in animal hypertension models: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Considering the growing body of evidence that indicates the contribution of superoxide anions (O2) and other reactive oxygen species (ROS) to the development of hypertension, we assessed whether animal models of hypertension have a benefic effect with tempol, a superoxide dismutase mimetic, to help augment the design of future studies. METHODS: Studies published between July 1998 and December 2012 on blood pressure (BP) in different hypertensive models were obtained after an electronic and manual search of PubMed. In-depth analyses of the methodological quality of the studies and the mean arterial pressure (MAP) changes after treatment with tempol were performed, as well as the subgroup analyses on the route of tempol delivery. RESULTS: Out of the 144 identified studies, 28 were included after screening. The data showed that tempol reduced MAP by computing the standardized mean difference with the value of 4.622 (95% confidence interval 3.24-5.99). The quality of studies included in the meta-analysis was category II; however, omission of details in the trials might have biased the results. There was substantial heterogeneity in the results with an I of 94.45%, which persisted after stratifying for the route of tempol delivery. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, this analysis shows that antioxidant treatment with tempol can reduce BP, suggesting that ROS plays a role in the pathogenesis of increased BP in the hypertension models used in the current research practice.

Hypolipidemic effect of the edible mushroom Agaricus blazei in rats subjected to a hypercholesterolemic diet

The effects of Agaricus blazei intake on the lipid profile of animals fed a hypercholesterolemic diet were evaluated. Thirty-two female Fisher rats were divided into four groups and given the standard AIN-93 M diet (C), this diet + 1 % A. blazei (CAb), a hypercholesterolemic diet with 25 % soybean oil and 1 % cholesterol (H) or this diet + 1 % A. blazei (HAb) for 6 weeks. Food intake, weight gain, liver and serum lipid profiles, activity of aminotransferases [alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST)], and creatinine and urea levels as well as abdominal fat weight were measured. Histological analysis of kidney and liver tissue was also performed. The HAb group had a higher food intake, but a lower weight gain as compared to group H. This resulted in a significant decrease in abdominal fat weight, to values close to those of groups C and CAb. Supplementing the hypercholesterolemic diet with A. blazei promoted a significant reduction in total and non-HDL cholesterol, as well as in the atherogenic index, as compared to group H, and this effect was more pronounced in the serum. There was no hepatotoxic effect caused by the supplementation of the diets with the mushroom. We conclude that in our experimental model and in the concentration used, A. blazei was effective in improving the lipid profile of the animals

Iron toxicity mediated by oxidative stress enhances tissue damage in an animal model of diabetes.

Although iron is a first-line pro-oxidant that modulates clinical manifestations of various systemic diseases, including diabetes, the individual tissue damage generated by active oxidant insults has not been demonstrated in current animal models of diabetes. We tested the hypothesis that oxidative stress is involved in the severity of the tissues injury when iron supplementation is administered in a model of type 1 diabetes. Streptozotocin (Stz)-induced diabetic and non-diabetic Fischer rats were maintained with or without a treatment consisting of iron dextran ip at 0.1 mL day(-1) doses administered for 4 days at intervals of 5 days. After 3 weeks, an extensive increase (p < 0.001) in the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in neutrophils of the diabetic animals on iron overload was observed. Histological analysis revealed that this treatment also resulted in higher (p < 0.05) tissue iron deposits, a higher (p < 0.001) number of inflammatory cells in the pancreas, and apparent cardiac fibrosis, as shown by an increase (p < 0.05) in type III collagen levels, which result in dysfunctional myocardial. Carbonyl protein modification, a marker of oxidative stress, was consistently higher (p < 0.01) in the tissues of the iron-treated rats with diabetes. Moreover, a significant positive correlation was found between ROS production and iron pancreas stores (r = 0.42, p < 0.04), iron heart stores (r = 0.54, p < 0.04), and change of the carbonyl protein content in pancreas (r = 0.49, p < 0.009), and heart (r = 0.48, p < 0.02). A negative correlation was still found between ROS production and total glutathione content in pancreas (r = -0.50, p < 0.03) and heart (r = -0.45, p < 0.04). In conclusion, our results suggest that amplified toxicity in pancreatic and cardiac tissues in rats with diabetes on iron overload might be attributed to increased oxidative stress.

Hypolipidemic effect of the edible mushroom Agaricus blazei in rats subjected to a hypercholesterolemic diet.

The effects of Agaricus blazei intake on the lipid profile of animals fed a hypercholesterolemic diet were evaluated. Thirty-two female Fisher rats were divided into four groups and given the standard AIN-93 M diet (C), this diet + 1 % A. blazei (CAb), a hypercholesterolemic diet with 25 % soybean oil and 1 % cholesterol (H) or this diet + 1 % A. blazei (HAb) for 6 weeks. Food intake, weight gain, liver and serum lipid profiles, activity of aminotransferases [alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST)], and creatinine and urea levels as well as abdominal fat weight were measured. Histological analysis of kidney and liver tissue was also performed. The HAb group had a higher food intake, but a lower weight gain as compared to group H. This resulted in a significant decrease in abdominal fat weight, to values close to those of groups C and CAb. Supplementing the hypercholesterolemic diet with A. blazei promoted a significant reduction in total and non-HDL cholesterol, as well as in the atherogenic index, as compared to group H, and this effect was more pronounced in the serum. There was no hepatotoxic effect caused by the supplementation of the diets with the mushroom. We conclude that in our experimental model and in the concentration used, A. blazei was effective in improving the lipid profile of the animals.

Suporte ciculatório percutâneo total em paciente com IAM em choque cardiogênico / Total percutaneous circulatory support in patients with myocardial acute infarction

Na oclusão aguda de artéria coronária, a recuperação da função miocárdica após a revascularização pode requerer vários dias. Nesse período crítico, pacientes em choque cardiogênico podem apresentar baixo débito. Nesse perído crítico, pacientes em choque cardiogênico podem apresentar baixo débito. Dispositivos de assistência circulatória podem oferecer tratamento rápido e eficaz para os pacientes

Biological evaluation of a nutritional supplement prepared with QPM Maize cultivar BR 473 and other traditional food items

Milho de Qualidade Protéica (QPM) da cultivar BR 473, desenvolvida pela EMBRAPA está sendo empregado, juntamente com farinha de soja, açúcar mascavo, farinha de banana e farinha de aveia, na preparação de um suplemento nutricional, usado na recuperação de crianças desnutridas no município de Governador Valadares, MG. Reporta-se aqui o resultado da avaliação biológica deste suplemento. Ratos Fisher machos de 21 dias de idade foram alimentados com dietas contendo o suplemento como fonte de proteína, com ou sem farinha de soja; dietas de caseína com 10 ou 7% de proteína serviram como respectivos controles. Foram determinadas a Razão de Eficiência Protéica (REP), a Utilização Líquida de Proteína (ULP), a Razão Líquida de Proteína (RLP) e a Digestibilidade. Parâmetros bioquímicos sanguíneos (glicose, colesterol, uréia, hemoglobina, albumina, e proteína total) foram também medidos nos animais e mostraram que todos estavam em boas condições de saúde ao final do experimento. Os resultados obtidos para REP, ULP, RLP e Digestibilidade indicam que o suplemento preparado com o milho QPM cultivar 473 é uma boa fonte de proteína, especialmente quando a farinha de soja é adicionada.

Abordagem de uma paciente com fibrilação atrial e insuficiência cardíaca tratada com ablação do nó atrioventricular e marcapasso multissítio / Approach to a patient with atrial fibrilation and heart failure treated by ablation of the atrioventricular node and a multisite pacemaker

Paciente do sexo feminino, com 58 anos, portadora de cardiomiopatia dilatada, acompanhada desde 1984 por apresentar insuficiência cardíaca e hipertensão arterial. Na evolução, apresentou bloqueio de ramo esquerdo e fibrilação atrial. No final de 1999, mesmo com a medicação adequada e otimizada para insuficiência cardíaca, apresentava-se em grau funcional IV e as internações hospitalares haviam se tornando cada vez mais freqüentes. Em janeiro de 2000, optou-se pela ablação do nó atrioventricular e pelo implante de um marcapasso endocárdico bifocal multissítio em ventrículo direito. Desde então vem evoluindo bem, com menor número de medicamentos e raras internações

Effect of Aubergiene (Solanum melongena) on Serum and Hepatic Cholesterol and Triglycerides in rats

A beringela (Solanum melongena) tem sido apontada como possuidora da capacidade de reduzir o colesterol sérico. O chá do vegetal vem senso utilizado com este propósito, devido ao interesse na descoberta de formas alternativas para o controle da hipercolesterolemia. No presente trabalho testou-se o efeito do chá de beringela no níveis séricos e hepáticos de colesterol e triglicerídeos em ratos adultos. Ratos Fisher foram divididos em tres grupos: o primeiro recebeu dieta normolipídica ad libitum e água para beber, funcionando como controle; os outros dois receberam dieta hipercolesterolêmica com 30 por cento de óleo vegetal e 1 por cento de colesterol, sendo dada a um destes grupos água para beber, enquanto que o outro recebeu apenas chá de beringela. Após 28 dias os animais foram sacrificados e dosaram-se os níveis de colesterol e triglicerídeos séricos e hepáticos. Os resultados obtidos indicam que, nas condiçöes experimentais utilizadas, o chá de beringela eleva o colesterol sérico, reduz o hepático e tem pouco ou nenhum efeito sobre os triglicerídeos, tanto séricos quanto hepáticos

Ingestäo de broto de samambaia e risco de câncer de esôfago e estômago na regiäo de Ouro Preto, MG / Ingestion of bracken and risk of oesophageal and stomach cancer in the region of Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil

A populaçäo da regiäo de Ouro Preto, MG, tem o hábito de consumir as folhas jovens de uma planta (Pteridium aquilinum), chamada popularmente de broto de samambaia (BS). A alta incidência de câncer de esôfago e estômago na regiäo, em relaçÝo a outras áreas do estado onde o consumo de BS näo se verifica, levou-nos a investigar a possível influênciada da ingestäo do vegetal na ocorrência daquelas patologias. Foi desenvolvido um estudo retrospectivo de casos e controles baseado em esquema de vigilância epidemiológica estabelecido nos dois únicos serviços de endoscopia da regiäo. Quarenta e seis casos confirmados histologicamente foram pareados com 40 controles que näo apresentavam alteraçöes ao exame endoscópico. O consumo de BS foi identificado através de entrevista com os pacientes próximos, em caso de morte. Os hábitos de fumar e de consumir bebida alcoólica foram também considerados. A medida de associaçäo utilizada foi a "Razäo das Chances" ("Odds Ratio", OR). Pacientes que ingeriam BS apresentaram aumento de 5,47 vezes na "Razäo de Chances" para câncer de trato digestivo alto (esôfago e estômago), em comparaçäo com os controles. Na análise multivariada, controlando-se os fatores de confusäo como álcool, fumo, sexo e idade, encontrou-se ainda OR de 3,63 vezes para os dois tipos de câncer citados. Calcularam-se ainda os riscos separadamente para cada tipo de câncer, sendo os resultados ainda significativos, ou seja, OR de 3,40 para câncer de asôfago e de 3,45 para câncer de estômago, valores esses que passam para 3,93 e 3,51 respectivamente quando controlados os fatores de confusäo acima mencionados.

Utilizaçäo biológica de cálcio em ratos alimentados com dieta contendo caseina como única fonte de cálcio / Biological utilization of calcium in rats feed a diet with casein as the only source of calcium

Wealing Wistar rats fed a diet with casein as the only source calcium showed less weight gain as compared to controls receiving calcium carbonate besides casein in the diet. Food intake was also diminished in that group, although the animals ingested sufficient calcium for normal growth. Apparent absorption of the mineral was twice that of the controls but this was not enough for normal mineralization, as showed by bone rarefaction in the experimental group. Bone calcium was also lower in theese animals. The data indicate that when using casein as a protein source in experiments concerning calcium bioavailability one must take into consideration that part of the requirements of the mineral will be supplied by asein itself. Key words: calcium; biovailability; casein