Cardioprotective effect of the quercetin on cardiovascular remodeling and atherosclerosis in rodents fed a high-fat diet: A systematic review.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death globally, estimated at 17.9 million premature deaths. Several risk factors contribute to the development of CVD, including unhealthy diet rich in saturated fat. Quercetin (Q) is a important natural flavonoid with cardioprotective effect. However, it is crucial to understand and clarify which dosages and intervention times quercetin promotes better cardioprotective effects when exposed to a High-Fat Diet (HFD). We aim was to carry out a review to identify and compare experimental studies that investigated the quercetin effect on cardiac parameters in rodents fed a HFD. This literature search was performed through the specialized databases PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Lilacs in May 2022. The following information was collected and assessed: Species of animals, dietary fat content, intervention protocol (quercetin), and main results of alterations associated with cardiac change. A total of 116 articles were selected from the database and 30 articles were included in this study. The administration form of quercetin was used in the diet supplemented in 73.4% (n = 22) of the studies. The dosage ranged between 10 and 100 mg/kg, 0.01%-0.36%, and 4-8 g/kg diet. The treatment time ranged between 14 and 63 days in 48.4% studies and most of the selected studies observed changes in the: Serum concentrations of lipids (60%, n = 18) mainly decrease in TC and TG, left ventricle (LV) (16.13%, n = 5) includes attenuation of the cardiac hypertrophy; inhibition of atherosclerotic progression (32%, n = 10) with decrease in lesions and plaque formation; improvement in the expression of gene and protein associated with cardiac functionality and oxidative stress (51.6%; n = 16). Quercetin supplementation at different concentrations/doses promotes important cardioprotective effects in experimental models exposed to a HFD. The supplemented diet was shown to be the better administration option. The methodological variation presented in the articles selected in this review proves that the most appropriate intervention protocol, as well as the most effective route of administration, promotes these effects.

Resistance Training Alters the Proportion of Skeletal Muscle Fibers but Not Brain Neurotrophic Factors in Young Adult Rats.

Antonio-Santos, J, Ferreira, DJS, Gomes Costa, GL, Matos, RJB, Toscano, AE, Manhães-de-Castro, R, and Leandro, CG. Resistance training alters the proportion of skeletal muscle fibers but not brain neurotrophic factors in young adult rats. J Strength Cond Res 30(12): 3531-3538, 2016-Resistance training (RT) is related to improved muscular strength and power output. Different programs of RT for rats have been developed, but peripheral and central response has not been evaluated directly in the same animal. To test the hypothesis that RT induces central and peripheral adaptations, this study evaluated the effects of a RT on the performance of a weekly maximum overload test, fiber-type typology, and brain neurotrophic factors in young adult rats. Thirty-one male Wistar rats (65 ± 5 days) were divided in 2 groups: nontrained (NT, n = 13) and trained (T, n = 18). Trained group was submitted to a program of RT ladder climbing, gradually added mass, 5 days per week during 8 weeks at 80% of individual maximum overload. This test was weekly performed to adjust the individual load throughout the weeks for both groups. After 48 hours from the last session of exercise, soleus and extensor digital longus (EDL) muscles were removed for myofibrillar ATPase staining analysis. Spinal cord, motor cortex, and cerebellum were removed for RT-PCR analysis of BDNF and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) gene expression. In EDL muscle, T animals showed an increase in the proportion of type IIb fibers and a reduction of type IIa fibers. Insulin-like growth factor-1 gene expression was reduced in the cerebellum of T animals (NT: 1.025 ± 0.12; T: 0.57 ± 0.11). Our data showed that 8 weeks of RT were enough to increase maximum overload capacity and the proportion of glycolytic muscle fibers, but there were no associations with the expression of growth neurotrophic factors.

Campos eletromagnéticos näo-ionizantes näo alteram o desenvolvimento sensório-motor em ratos / The sensory-motor development in rat is not altered by nonionizing electromagnetic fields

No presente trabalho, foi investigado o efeito dos campos eletromagnéticos (CEM) näo ionizantes de extrema baixa frequência (ELF) e rádio-frequência (RF) sobre o desenvolvimento sensorial e motor em ratos neonatos. Ratos wistar foram expostos aos campos eletromagnéticos näo-ionizantes ELF, alternado,60Hz (n=24) e de RF,30MHz, burst de 55 Hz(n=30), no período de aleitamento (1§ ao 21§ dias pós-natais durante 30 minutos. O peso dos filhotes foram aferidos diariamente. foram diariamente observadas a maturaçäo dos reflexos (preensäo palmar, recuperaçäo de decúbito, colocaçäo pelas vibrissas, aversäo ao principío, resposta ao susto, geotaxia negativa, reaçäo de aceleraçäo) e a atividade locomotora no campo aberto nos 3§, 7§, 14§, 21§ dias pós-natais, quantificando o número de quadrados invadidos (NQI). A evoluçäo ponderal, a maturaçäo dos reflexos e o NQI dos grupos expostos aos CEM, comparados aos controles, näo sofreram alteraçöes. Estes resultados indicam que sob as condiçöes experimentais utilizadas, os campos eletromagnéticos näo alteram a expressäo comportamental de desenvolvimento sensório-motor