Effects of cachaça,a typical Brazilian alcoholic beverage,on submandibular glands of rats: a histomorphometric and biochemical study

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of chronic consumption of cachaça, a Brazilian beverage containing alcohol, on submandibular glands (SM) of rats by using histomorphometric and biochemical parameters.

Materials and methods

Twenty-four male rats (40 days of age) were assigned into the following four groups (n = 6): two control groups for 75 days (C75) and 105 days (C105), and two experimental groups of cachaça ingestion with ascending concentrations for consecutive 75 days (CA75) and 105 days (CA105). On the right SM glands, the striated, granular and acini ducts were processed for histomorphometric analysis. The left SM glands were weighed and stored at − 80 °C, to evaluate through biochemical tests carried out by spectrophotometric methods, the functional activity of total acid phosphatase (TAP), tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and to determine the mucin levels.

Results

The absolute and relative weights of the SM glands in both experimental groups were reduced in relation to the controls (p < 0.05). The histomorphometric analysis showed a significant reduction of the acini area (p < 0.05) and non-relevant reduction of striated ducts (p > 0.05). The granular ducts did not show a significant increase of the area (p > 0.05). The TAP and TRAP activities were significantly decreased in the experimental groups (p < 0.05), while the ALP functional activity decreased moderately (p > 0.05). Mucin levels also had a significant reduction when compared with the control groups (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

Chronic consumption of cachaça can cause morphological changes associated with glandular atrophy, loss of biochemical functionality of phosphatases, and the reduction of mucin synthesis.

Clinical relevance

The consumption of cachaça can compromise the functions of the submandibular glands by altering their morphology and enzymatic activity.

     

Lesões Plexiformes em Modelo Experimental de Hipertensão Arterial Pulmonar Induzida por Monocrotalina

Background The monocrotaline (MCT)-induced pulmonary arterial hypertension model is one of the most reproduced today, presenting as a limitation the absence of plexiform lesions, typical manifestations of the severe disease in humans.Objective To evaluate the severity of MCT-induced pulmonary arteriopathy by pathological findings of lung and heart tissue samples, clinical course and 37-day survival.Methods Fifty male Wistar rats were divided into one of the four groups – control (CG) (n = 10) and three intervention (MCT) groups. The MCT groups received intraperitoneal injection (60 mg/kg) of MCT and remained exposed to the substance for 15 days (G15, n = 10), 30 days (G30, n = 10) and 37 days (G37, n = 20). At the end of each period, the animals were sacrificed, and pulmonary and cardiac tissues were collected for anatomopathological and morphometric analysis. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used, considering a level of significance of 5%.Results In the lungs of MCT animals, lesions related to pulmonary arteriopathy were found, including muscularization of the arterioles, hypertrophy of the middle layer and concentric neointimal lesions. Complex lesions were observed in MCT groups, described as plexiform and plexiform-like lesions. Right ventricular hypertrophy was evidenced by increased thickness and diameter of the cardiomyocytes and a significant increase in the right ventricular wall thickness (p <0.0000).Conclusion The MCT model was able to generate moderate-severe pulmonary arteriopathy associated with secondary right ventricular hypertrophy. The 37-day survival rate was 50%. To our knowledge, this study was the first to note the presence of complex vascular lesions, similar to those observed in patients with severe pulmonary arterial hypertension, in an isolated MCT model. (Arq Bras Cardiol. 2020; 115(3):480-490)     

Categorias de Aptidão Física Baseadas no VO2max em População Brasileira com Suposto Alto Nível Socioeconômico e sem Cardiopatia Estrutural

Background The most widely used data for cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) referrals are from the Cooper Clinic, which uses calculated maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max) values.Objective To develop CRF values from cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPX) in a Brazilian population with high socioeconomic level and free of structural heart disease. VO₂max testing results were compared with the Cooper Clinic and FRIEND Registry data.Methods CPX data from consecutive individuals between January 1,2000, and May 31,2016 were used in this study. Inclusion criteria were: VO₂max by a pre-specified definition. We built a CRF chart according to VO₂max percentiles: very poor (≤20%), poor (20-40%), fair (40-60%), good (60-80%), excellent (80-90%), and superior (≥90%). Kappa correlation was used to analyze our data in comparison with that of the other two databases. Statistical tests with p<0.005 were considered significant.Results Final cohort included 18,186 tests: 12,552 men, 5,634 women (7–84 years). The most recurrent response was “good” (20.2%). There was a mean difference in weight, height, body mass index (BMI), and age in the CRF chart. An inverse correlation existed between VO₂max and age, weight, and BMI. Using a linear regression and these variables, a predictive equation was developed for VO₂max. Our findings differed from that of the other databases.Conclusion We developed a classification for CRF and found higher values in all classification ranges of functional capacity in contrast to the Cooper Clinic and FRIEND Registry. Our findings offer a more accurate interpretation of ACR in this large Brazilian population sample when compared to previous standards based on the estimated VO2max. (Arq Bras Cardiol. 2020; 115(3):468-477)     

Engraftment after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients mobilized with Plerixafor: A retrospective,multicenter study of a large series of patients

Plerixafor (PLX) appears to effectively enhance hematopoietic stem-cell mobilization prior to autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HCT). However, the quality of engraftment following auto-HCT has been little explored. Here, engraftment following auto-HCT was assessed in patients mobilized with PLX through a retrospective, multicenter study of 285 consecutive patients. Information on early and 100-day post-transplant engraftment was gathered from the 245 patients that underwent auto-HCT. The median number of PLX days to reach the stem cell collection goal (≥2 × 10⁶ CD34⁺ cells/kg) was 1 (range 1–4) and the median PLX administration time before apheresis was 11 h (range 1–18). The median number of apheresis sessions to achieve the collection goal was 2 (range 1–5) and the mean number of CD34⁺ cells collected was 2.95 × 10⁶/kg (range 0–30.5). PLX administration was safe, with only 2 mild and transient gastrointestinal adverse events reported. The median time to achieve an absolute neutrophil count (ANC) >500/μL was 11 days (range 3–31) and the median time to platelet recovery >20 × 10³/μL was 13 days (range 5–69). At 100 days after auto-HCT, the platelet count was 137 × 10⁹/L (range 7–340), the ANC was 2.3 × 10⁹/L (range 0.1–13.0), and the hemoglobin concentration was 123 g/L (range 79–165). PLX use allowed auto-HCT to be performed in a high percentage of poorly mobilized patients, resulting in optimal medium-term engraftment in the majority of patients in whom mobilization failed, in this case mainly due to suboptimal peripheral blood CD34⁺ cell concentration on day +4 or low CD34⁺ cell yield on apheresis.     

Emerging insights into the role of albumin with plasma exchange in Alzheimer’s disease management

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative process that inexorably leads to progressive deterioration of cognition function and, ultimately, death. Central pathophysiologic features of AD include the accumulation of extracellular plaques comprised of amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) and the presence of intraneuronal neurofibrillary tangles. However, a large body of evidence suggests that oxidative stress and inflammation are major contributors to the pathogenesis and progression of AD. To date, available pharmacologic treatments are only symptomatic. Clinical trials focused on amyloid and non-amyloid-targeted treatments with small molecule pharmacotherapy and immunotherapies have accumulated a long list of failures. Considering that around 90 % of the circulating Aβ is bound to albumin, and that a dynamic equilibrium exists between peripheral and central Aβ, plasma exchange with albumin replacement has emerged as a new approach in a multitargeted AD therapeutic strategy (AMBAR Program). In plasma exchange, a patient’s plasma is removed by plasmapheresis to eliminate toxic endogenous substances, including Aβ and functionally impaired albumin. The fluid replacement used is therapeutic albumin, which acts not only as a plasma volume expander but also has numerous pleiotropic functions (e.g., circulating Aβ- binding capacity, transporter, detoxifier, antioxidant) that are clinically relevant for the treatment of AD. Positive results from the AMBAR Program (phase 1, 2, an 2b/3 trials), i.e., slower decline or stabilization of disease symptoms in the most relevant clinical efficacy and safety endpoints, offer a glimmer of hope to both AD patients and caregivers.     

Thalamo-cortical networks in subtypes of migraine with aura patients

BackgroundWe searched for differences in resting-state functional connectivity (FC) between brain networks and its relationship with the microstructure of the thalamus between migraine with pure visual auras (MA), and migraine with complex neurological auras (MA+), i.e. with the addition of at least one of sensory or language symptom.Methods3T MRI data were obtained from 20 patients with MA and 15 with MA + and compared with those from 19 healthy controls (HCs). We collected resting state data among independent component networks. Diffusivity metrics of bilateral thalami were calculated and correlated with resting state ICs-Z-scores.ResultsAs compared to HCs, both patients with MA and MA + disclosed disrupted FC between the default mode network (DMN) and the right dorsal attention system (DAS). The MA + subgroup had lower microstructural metrics than both HCs and the MA subgroup, which correlated negatively with the strength of DMN connectivity. Although the microstructural metrics of MA patients did not differ from those of HCs, these patients lacked the correlation with the strength of DAS connectivity found in HCs.ConclusionsThe present findings suggest that, as far as MRI profiles are concerned, the two clinical phenotypes of migraine with aura have both common and distinct morpho-functional features of nodes in the thalamo-cortical network.     

Effect of specific surface area on syngas production performance of pure ceria in high-temperature thermochemical redox cycling coupled to methane partial oxidation

Specific surface area is a key parameter determining the rates of thermochemical redox reactions in metal oxides. We have experimentally investigated the effect of specific surface area on syngas production of pure ceria powders under two experiments such as a heating experiment without syngas production and an isothermal thermochemical redox cycling experiment using carbon dioxide splitting and methane partial oxidation. The specific surface area of ceria powders decreased relatively slowly during 50 hours of ceria powder heating without syngas production due to a combination of oriented attachment and grain-boundary diffusion. When cycled thermochemically, the specific surface area of ceria powders rapidly decreased only in the initial 10 minutes of reduction in the 1st cycle due to evaporation and condensation. A significant decrease of specific surface area during the initial stage of thermochemical ceria powder cycling is unavoidable even if temperatures as low as T = 1173 K are used in the reduction reaction coupled to methane partial oxidation.

Specific surface area is a key parameter determining the rates of thermochemical redox reactions in metal oxides.