Peripheral effects induced in BALB/c mice infected with DENV by the intracerebral route.

The lack of an immunocompetent animal model for dengue mimicking the disease in humans is a limitation for advances in this field. Inoculation by intracerebral route of neuroadapted dengue strains in mice is normally lethal and provides a straightforward readout parameter for vaccine testing. However, systemic effects of infection and the immune response elicited in this model remain poorly described. In the present work, BALB/c mice infected by the intracerebral route with neuroadapted DENV2 exhibited several evidences of systemic involvement. DENV-inoculated mice presented virus infective particles in the brain followed by viremia, especially in late stages of infection. Infection induced cellular and humoral responses, with presence of activated T cells in spleen and blood, lymphocyte infiltration and tissue damages in brain and liver, and an increase in serum levels of some pro-inflammatory cytokines. Data highlighted an interplay between the central nervous system commitment and peripheral effects under this experimental condition.

Aqueous extract of Chrysobalanus icaco leaves, in lower doses, prevent fat gain in obese high-fat fed mice.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Due to the rise in obesity, the necessity for resources and treatments that could reduce the morbidity and mortality associated to this pandemia has emerged. The development of new anti-obesity drugs through herbal sources has been increasing in the past decades which are being used not only as medicine but also as food supplements. Previous studies with the aqueous extract of Chrysobalanus icaco L (AECI) have demonstrated activity on lowering blood glucose levels and body weight. AIM OF THE STUDY: Investigate C. icaco effects in overall adiposity and glycemic homeostasis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to standard chow (SC) or high-fat diet (HFD) and treated with AECI in 0.35mg/mL or 0.7mg/mL concentrations ad libitum. Food intake, feed efficiency, metabolic efficiency, body, fat pads and gastrocnemius weight, adiposity index, serum lipids, fecal lipid excretion, locomotor activity in the open field test and insulin and glucose tolerance tests were analyzed and compared. The major components of the extract were demonstrated through HPLC and its antioxidant activity analyzed through DPPH and lipid peroxidation. RESULTS: The AECI in the 0.35mg/mL concentration did not affect food intake or body weight. However, it promoted lower adipose tissue gain, TG levels, and fecal lipid excretion, increased locomotor activity and lean mass weight, and normalized insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. Moreover, AECI showed the presence of myricetin 3-O-glucuronide, rutin, quercitrin and myricitrin and demonstrated high-antioxidant activity. CONCLUSIONS: AECI in lower concentrations can prevent fat storage or enhance fat utilization through the increase of locomotor activity. Also, this reinforces its ability to maintain glucose homeostasis through the normalization of insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance despite the high-fat diet intake. These activities could be associated to the extract's polyphenol content.

Estudo comparativo da proteína do feno de maniçoba em relação à proteína do feno de alfafa na ração de coelhos / Comparative study of maniçoba hay crude protein in relation to alfafa hay crude protein in the diet of rabbits

O presente experimento foi conduzido com o objetivo de avaliar a substituição parcial da proteína bruta (PB) do feno da alfafa (FA) pela PB do feno de maniçoba (FM) na alimentação de coelhos em crescimento, bem como o valor nutricional da proteína bruta do feno de maniçoba. Foram estudados os parâmetros de desempenho, digestibilidade, rendimento de carcaça e dos cortes nobres submetidos às dietas experimentais. Os tratamentos consistiram em quatro níveis de substituição (0, 25, 50 e 75%) da proteína do feno de alfafa pelo feno de maniçoba. A substituição crescente dos níveis de feno maniçoba resultou em um aumento linear no consumo de ração e no ganho de peso de forma quadrática aos 83 dias, mostrando que esse ingrediente pode ser utilizado como substituto ao feno de alfafa na dieta de coelhos. A proteína do feno da alfafa pode ser substituída parcialmente pela proteína do feno de maniçoba.

The experiment was conducted to evaluate the nutritional value and the partial substitution of crude protein (CP) of alfalfa hay (FA) with CP hay maniçoba (FM) in diets for growing rabbits. The performance, digestibility, carcass yield and prime cuts parameters submitted to experimental diets were studied. Treatments consisted of four levels (0, 25, 50 and 75%) of protein alfalfa hay and maniçoba hay. The increasing substitution levels of maniçoba hay resulted in a linear increase in feed intake and weight gain quadratically at 83 days, showing that this ingredient can be used as a substitute for alfalfa hay in the diet of rabbits. The protein of alfalfa hay can be partially replaced by the maniçoba protein hay.