RESUMO
Introduction: Spinal cord injury (SCI) can cause paralysis, for which effective therapeutic strategies have not been developed yet. The only accepted strategy for patients is rehabilitation (RB), although this does not allow complete recovery of lost functions, which makes it necessary to combine it with strategies such as plasma-synthesized polypyrrole/iodine (PPy/I), a biopolymer with different physicochemical properties than PPy synthesized by conventional methods. After SCI in rats, PPy/I promotes functional recovery. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to increase the beneficial effects of both strategies and identify which genes activate PPy/I when applied alone or in combination with a mixed scheme of RB by swimming and enriched environment (SW/EE) in rats with SCI. Methods: Microarray analysis was performed to identify mechanisms of action underlying the effects of PPy/I and PPy/I+SW/EE on motor function recovery as evaluated by the BBB scale. Results: Results showed robust upregulation by PPy/I in genes related to the developmental process, biogenesis, synapse, and synaptic vesicle trafficking. In addition, PPy/I+SW/EE increased the expression of genes related to proliferation, biogenesis, cell development, morphogenesis, cell differentiation, neurogenesis, neuron development, and synapse formation processes. Immunofluorescence analysis showed the expression of ß-III tubulin in all groups, a decreased expression of caspase-3 in the PPy/I group and GFAP in the PPy/I+SW/EE group (p < 0.05). Better preservation of nerve tissue was observed in PPy/I and PPy/SW/EE groups (p < 0.05). In the BBB scale, the control group scored 1.72 ± 0.41, animals with PPy/I treatment scored 4.23 ± 0.33, and those with PPy/I+SW/EE scored 9.13 ± 0.43 1 month after follow-up. Conclusion: Thus, PPy/I+SW/EE could represent a therapeutic alternative for motor function recovery after SCI.
RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: to identify subjects with impaired fasting glucose (IFG), from a group of apparently healthy individuals. METHODS: a cross-sectional study was undertaken in 1188 blood donors, with no family history of diabetes (T2D). All these individuals were subjected to a questionnaire, and biochemical tests. RESULTS: the prevalence of IFG was 15.9 %, 17.1 % in men and 12.9 % in women. The average blood glucose levels in subjects with IFG were 107.2 + or - 6.5 mg/dL in men and 106.0 + or - 6.1 mg/dL in women. Sixty percent of individuals with IFG showed insulin resistance. The diagnosis of metabolic syndrome (MS) in IFG subjects was 20.2 %, according to the NCEP/ATP III criteria, 21.4 % according to the International Diabetes Federation criteria; and 29.3 % according to the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute criteria. Seventy percent of the subjects with IFG showed hypertriglyceridemia, 51 % showed hypercholesterolemia and 85 % were over-weight or obese. CONCLUSIONS: the prevalence of IFG was higher than expected, comparing with other populations reported in the literature. These apparently healthy subjects were not previously diagnosed and therefore have not received preventive actions to arrest the risk of T2D.