Effect of Chronic Administration of Resveratrol on Cognitive Performance during Aging Process in Rats.

The increase in the elderly population has generated concern to meet health demands. The research efforts to elucidate the mechanisms of damage associated with aging have also been significantly increased, especially in order to avoid the reduction of the cognitive abilities in geriatric patients, resulting from the damage generated mainly at the level of the hippocampus during old age. At present, many studies describe resveratrol as an antiaging component. There are reports that it can activate the Sirt1 gene related to antiaging, emulating the effects obtained by caloric restriction in rodents. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of chronic administration of resveratrol (10 mg/kg) on cognitive performance in behavioral tests after 8 months of treatment and on the preservation of cerebral integrity in the cytoarchitecture of regions CA1 and CA2. Results showed that the cytoarchitecture of the CA1 and CA2 regions in the hippocampus retained their integrity over time in rats treated with resveratrol, and the behavioral test performed revealed that chronic resveratrol administration for 8 months showed improvements in cognitive performance. The results indicate that resveratrol may exhibit therapeutic potential for age-related conditions.

[Encrusted prostatitis: case report and literature review]. / Prostatitis incrustante: caso clínico y revisión de la bibliografía.

We report a case of encrusted prostatitis, term which is not found in MedLine search. Alkaline encrusted cystitis was described 70 years ago and few cases have been described since that time, most of them associated with Corynebacterium infection. In fact, we find these two entities very similar, except for the organ affected. Both present irritative urinary symptoms, alkaline urine and tisular necrosis below a calcification layer. Another entity described in 1993 is encrusted pyelitis, related to patients with immunodeficiency, particularly those with renal transplantation and also associated with ureolytic bacteria. The treatment of encrusted cystitis an pyelitis may include specific antibiotics, urinary acidification and endoscopic excision of the calcified lesions.

Disposition of inhaled mercury vapor in pregnant rats: maternal toxicity and effects on developmental outcome.

The disposition and toxicity of inhaled elemental mercury (Hg0) vapor for pregnant Long-Evans rats, and potential adverse effects on reproductive outcome were investigated. Rats were exposed to 0, 1, 2, 4, or 8 mg Hg0/m(3) for 2 h/day from gestation day (GD) 6 through GD 15. Maternal toxicity occurred primarily in rats exposed to 4 and 8 mg/m(3) and was manifested as a concentration-related decrease in body weight gain and mild nephrotoxicity. Control rats gained about 13% of their initial body weight during the 10-day exposure. Rats exposed to 4 mg/m(3) Hg0 gained about 7% less than controls, and rats exposed to 8 mg/m(3) Hg0 lost about 17% of their initial body weight during the 10-day exposure period. Maternal kidney weights were significantly increased in the 4 and 8 mg/m(3) concentration groups, and urinalysis revealed increased levels of protein and alkaline phosphatase activity in urine of all Hg0-exposed rats. Dams exposed to 8 mg/m(3) were euthanized in moribund condition on postnatal day (PND) 1. There was no histopathological evidence of toxicity in maternal lung, liver, or kidney of exposed rats at GD 6, GD 15, or PND 1. The incidence of resorptions was significantly increased, litter size and PND 1 neonatal body weights were significantly decreased only in the 8-mg/m(3) group. Total Hg concentrations in maternal tissues increased with increasing number of exposure days and concentration. In general, approximately 70% of Hg was eliminated from maternal tissues during the week following the last exposure (GD 15 to PND 1). Elimination of Hg from maternal brain and kidney was slower than in other tissues, possibly due to higher levels of metallothionein. Total Hg concentrations in fetal tissues increased with increasing number of exposure days and concentration, demonstrating that a significant amount of Hg crossed the placenta. One week after the last exposure, significant amounts of Hg were still present in brain, liver, and kidney of PND 1 neonates. Metallothionein levels in neonatal tissues were not significantly increased by exposure to 4 mg/m(3) Hg0. The total amount of Hg in neonatal brain (ng/brain) continued to increase after termination of inhalation exposure, suggesting a redistribution of Hg from the dam to neonatal brain. These data demonstrate that inhaled Hg0 vapor is distributed to all maternal and fetal tissues in a dose-dependent manner. Adverse effects of Hg on developmental outcome occurred only at a concentration that caused maternal toxicity.

Chromium increases pancreatic metallothionein in the rat.

The ability of chromium (Cr) salts to increase metallothionein (MT) levels in rat liver, kidney and pancreas, and its relationship with the presence of toxic effects are reported here. Rats were injected subcutaneously with 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, or 50 mg K2Cr2O7/kg and sacrificed 24 h later. Total Cr accumulation followed a dose-dependent pattern, levels in kidney being higher than those in liver or pancreas, suggesting different tissue bioavailabilities and accumulation patterns. Cr(IV) administration resulted in a tissue-specific MT induction: pancreas and liver showed five- and 3.5-fold MT increases, respectively; no increase was observed in the kidney. A positive correlation was observed between zinc and MT concentrations in liver, and between total Cr and MT concentrations in pancreas. Serum alpha-amylase activity showed a dose-dependent increase starting from 20 mg/kg, whereas serum glucose levels increased at doses higher than 30 mg/kg. Serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase activities were increased in a dose-dependent manner, from 20 and 30 mg/kg, respectively. Our results showed that treatment with Cr(VI) can induce MT synthesis in pancreas and suggests a subsequent binding of Cr to MT. Also, pancreas is a target organ for Cr toxicity, and the usefulness of alpha-amylase activity as a sensitive biomarker of Cr toxicity in human exposed populations merits further study.

Effect of surgically induced cholestasis on the levels of hepatic zinc and metallothionein in rat liver.

Early effects of experimental cholestasis on the homeostasis of zinc (Zn) and metallothionein (MT) were studied in rats which had undergone bile duct ligation for 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 16, 20, and 24 h. Transient increases in hepatic Zn levels were observed at 9 h but returned to control values at 12 h. Serum Zn levels increased at 24 h. Cholestasis was confirmed by increased serum alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity. MT increased at 3 h and reached a maximum level at 12 h and remained elevated even at 24 h after the onset of experimental cholestasis. No hepatocellular damage was detected according to the results of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities in serum. These results shown that the increases in Zn observed in liver are related to bile stagnation rather than to a hepatocellular damage and that increased MT occurs concurrently with increased hepatic Zn. These observations suggest that the cellular levels of Zn in cholestasis is regulated by homeostatic mechanisms, of which one could be mediated by MT.

Early effects of surgery on zinc and metallothionein levels in female rats.

Time-response effects of experimental surgery on zinc (Zn) and metallothionein (MT) homeostasis were investigated in female rats up to 24 h. Hepatic Zn content increased at 20 and 24 h postsurgery, whereas serum Zn levels decreased. Hepatic MT increased significantly by 9 h postsurgery and peaked at up to twofold of control at 12 h after surgery. Following the peak at 12 h, hepatic MT content decreased with time but did not reach control levels at the end of this study. When MT isoforms were evaluated, MT-II levels were elevated to the highest extent by 12 h after surgery, whereas MT-I levels started to decrease after 3 h postsurgery but then increased by 20 h. The early increases in MT content are probably mediated by nonmetallic mediators released during the postsurgical inflammatory process, favoring the plasma/tissue mobilization of Zn. This process might be part of the overall mechanisms occurring in the inflammation.

[Assessment of effectiveness of and tolerance to oxybutynin in the treatment of unstable bladder in women]. / Evaluación de la efectividad y tolerancia de la oxibutinina en el tratamiento de la vejiga inestable en la mujer.

Unstable bladder is a frequent syndrome in women and is due in the most part because of detrusor involuntary contractions, mainly due to detrusor denervation, which produces voiding hypersensitivity and loss of cortical inhibition control, clinical manifestations are: frequency, nicturia, urgency and urge incontinence. Historically the most effective treatment has been muscular relaxing agents and anticholinergic agents. We present a prospective, double blind, cross, placebo control study to evaluate efficacy and tolerance of oxybutynin in women with unstable bladder. We included 44 adult women with unstable bladder, 22 unitially received oxybutynin 5 mg t.i.d. and 22 placebo 5 mg t.i.d. aleatory in both groups through 6 weeks, later wash-out period was performed and those women in which initially received oxybutynin were administered placebo and those women in which initially received placebo, were administered oxybutynin, for another six weeks. Five patients which initiated the study with oxybutynin abandoned the study, 2 of them for intolerance and 3 for unknown causes. Two women in which initially received placebo abandoned follow-up too. A total of 74 subjects (37 for each branch of study) had an age average of 51.7. Symptoms scoring decreased from 13 to 11 and 6 points with placebo and oxybutynin respectively (p = 0.001). The analog visual scale of symptoms decreased from 77% to 62.5% and 40% with placebo and oxybutynin respectively (p = 0.003). The overall rate of improvement evaluated through symptoms scoring was from 27% with placebo and 72.9% with oxybutynin (p = 0.000) and evaluated through analog visual scale of symptoms was from 40% with placebo and 78.3% with oxybutynin (p = 0.002). The vesical volume at first voiding sensation increased from 129 ml to 134 ml and 187 ml with placebo and oxybutynin respectively (p = 0.021) and the maximum cystometric capacity increased from 231 ml to 236 ml and 301 ml with placebo and oxybutynin respectively. The most frequent adverse effect in both groups was mouth dryness and it presented in 7 (19%) and 34 (91%) patients with placebo and oxybutynin respectively (p = 0.000). Only 5 of 44 patients (11.3%) with oxybutynin and 2 of 44 patients (4.4%) with placebo abandoned follow up (p = 0.14). We concluded that oxybutynin improve significantly the unstable bladder symptoms in women, possibly by increasing functional bladder capacity and decreasing voiding sensitivity, with good tolerance of mouth dryness in the majority of patients.

[Mechanism of acute urinary retention in patients with giant bladder diverticulum. Report of 4 cases]. / Mecanismo de la retención urinaria aguda en pacientes con divertículo vesical gigante. A propósito de 4 casos.

Urinary retention due to bladder diverticulum is a rare clinical entity. We report Three males that were subjected to transurethral resection of prostate due benign hyperplasia with urinary retention, after removal of the catheter during postoperative period, requiring a new catheterization, and an adolescent woman with history of urinary infection that presented urinary retention four previous months to her first interview in the service. The later investigation demonstrated in all patients a big bladder diverticulum. The diverticulectomy reestablished the satisfactory bladder emptying in all patients. The origin of the bladder diverticula, the mechanism of the urinary retention without obstruction and its treatment is discussed.

Effect of abdominal surgery on the activity of acid and alkaline ribonucleases in rats.

Ribonucleases (RNases) are a group of enzymes that hydrolyze different classes of RNA. It has been suggested that RNase activity in cells can act to indirectly regulate protein synthesis by controlling RNA degradation. However, little is known about the role of RNases under conditions characterized by a sudden increase of protein synthesis, such as with surgical trauma. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of abdominal surgery on acid and alkaline RNase activities in rat liver. Acid and alkaline RNase activities decreased significantly at 3 h after surgery, reaching the lowest level at 16 h (63% less than control) for the acid and 6 h (39% less than control) for the alkaline activities. Acid RNase activity returned to its initial values 20 h after surgery, while alkaline RNase activity remained decreased even 24 h after surgery. In order to determine whether the observed decreases in RNase activity were produced by RNase inhibitors (RIs), the enzymatic activities of both RNases were measured after the addition of zinc, to dissociate possible RI/RNase complexes. Zinc addition increased acid RNase activity by 61%, but had no significant effect on alkaline RNase activity. Administration of cycloheximide (an inhibitor of protein synthesis) 2 h before surgery prevented the decrease of acid RNase activity 12 h after surgery, while there was no effect on the decrease in alkaline RNase activity. These results show that surgery produces a decrease in hepatic acid and alkaline RNase activities. The decreased acid RNase activity could be a consequence of the de novo synthesis of RNase inhibitors as a response to surgical trauma, while the mechanism involved in the decrease of alkaline RNase activity is unclear. Under pathophysiological conditions, which induce a high rate of protein synthesis, such as surgical wounding, decreased acid and alkaline RNase activity could provide an important mechanism for enhanced protein synthesis, by prolonging RNA half-life.