Estrogen therapy attenuates adiposity markers in spontaneously hypertensive rats

Ovarian hormones modulate the metabolism of adipose cells and present a protective effect against hypertension. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of estradiol on adiposity markers in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Ovariectomized spontaneously hypertensive rats treated with estradiol (5 μg/100 g/day), three weeks after ovariectomy, presented decreased blood pressure and insulin levels and increased hepatic glycogen content. Periuterine or mesenteric adipocytes from treated animals were smaller as compared to vehicle treated group, whereas no differences were observed in relation to the number of cells. Basal rates of glycerol release were higher only in periuterine adipocytes of treated rats. The increment of glycerol release over basal values in response to isoproterenol was 400% and 440%, 283% and 330% for vehicle and estradiol treated periuterine and mesenteric adipocytes, respectively. The estradiol treated group was more sensitive to insulin inhibition of isoproterenol-stimulated lipolysis than the control animals. The lipoprotein lipase activity decreased after treatment, only in periuterine adipose tissue. Estradiol administration increased basal and insulin-stimulated rates of glucose transport in adipocytes of both sites, although the values obtained by periuterine were higher than those observed for mesenteric adipocytes. Both adipose tissues from treated animals exhibited a decreased expression of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ, but an increased expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α in liver. These findings suggest that estrogen administration attenuates adiposity markers of spontaneously hypertensive rats as a result of the decreased expression levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ in adipose tissue and increased expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α in liver.     

纤维结合蛋白、纤维蛋白原及凝血酶原时间在肝硬化、肝癌中的意义

肝硬化、肝癌及肝癌术后患者的纤维结合蛋白（Fn）、纤维蛋白原（Fib）及凝血酶原时间（PT）均有不同程度的变化。我们检测了122例肝硬化、肝癌及肝癌术后患者和30例正常人的血浆Fn、Fib、PT。与正常人组比较，26例肝硬化患者的Fn、Fib显著降低，PT显著延长（分别为216±61mg／L，1．72±0．94g／L，15．5±2.8s，P＜0．01）；26例肝癌并发肝硬化患者Fib显著下降＜1.89±0．39g／L，p＜0．01）；50例无肝硬化表现的肝癌患者的Fn、Fib明显增高（分别为310±88mg／L，3．78±1．46g／L，P＜0．05）；20例肝癌术后患者Fn、Fib降至正常水平（P＞0．05），但是某些术后病人随着肝癌的复发再趋升高。     

Pisosterol induces monocytic differentiation in HL-60 cells.

The aim of this study was to determine whether the antiproliferative effects observed for pisosterol, a cytotoxic triterpene isolated from Pisolithus tinctorius, are related to cell differentiation induction using HL-60 cell line as a model. Also, the effects of pisosterol on normal human cells were examined in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). The effects on cell viability and morphological changes were the first indications showing that pisosterol induces HL-60 differentiation. The demonstration of blue tetrazolium reduction in HL-60 cells exposed to pisosterol demonstrated differentiation in a dose- and time-dependent manner, reaching a maximum effect after 72 h incubation at 5 microg/mL. Assays for alpha-naphthyl acetate esterase activity indicated that pisosterol triggers differentiation towards a monocytic cell-like pathway. The antiproliferative effect of pisosterol was determined by inhibition of DNA synthesis based on BrdU incorporation into HL-60 proliferating cells. It appears that pisosterol-treated cells, despite displaying a differentiated phenotype, continued to proliferate at all doses tested after 72 h, with a slightly decrease at 5 microg/mL. Apoptosis was observed in pisosterol-treated cells in a dose-dependent way. Nevertheless, after the same period of incubation, no cytotoxicity was detected in PBMC in the presence of pisosterol even at 25 microg/mL, providing some evidence that pisosterol may be selective for tumor cells. The mechanisms underlying the effect of pisosterol in leukemia cells indicates the induction of a monocytic cell-like differentiation, suggesting that this compound could be used in the development of new pharmacological tools with potential therapeutic value in the management of leukemia with fewer side effects.     

Job satisfaction and work impact among providers of a mental health service

OBJECTIVE: To assess job satisfaction and work impact among providers of a mental health service and their potential association with sociodemographic and job-related variables. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out in 321 employees of a long-stay mental health service in Rio de Janeiro, Southeastern Brazil, in 2005. The following instruments were applied: the WHO Mental Health Services Satisfaction and Work Impact scales, and a questionnaire on sociodemographic and job features. Variable associations were analysed using the Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, Chi-square tests and multiple linear regression. RESULTS: The mean score of satisfaction was 3.29 (SD=0.64) and the mean score for work impact was 1.77 (SD=0.62). Of all respondents, 61.8% reported a moderate level of satisfaction. Job satisfaction was positively associated with increasing age, lower schooling, being a non-governmental organization employee, developing non-patient-related activities, being involved in an innovative project. The highest levels of work impact were observed among civil servants, young people and females. CONCLUSIONS: Most features associated to the lowest levels of job satisfaction were associated to the highest levels of work impact. Despite the moderate level of satisfaction among providers, there is an evident need for policy changes, mainly those related to increasing availability of supplies and human resources and building restoration.     

Effect of an Enterococcus faecium probiotic on specific IgA following live Salmonella Enteritidis vaccination of layer chickens

Probiotics and immunization are being widely adopted by the poultry industry with the goal of controlling Salmonella enterica. However, the interaction between these two management protocols has been sparsely studied. The present study aimed to understand the role of an Enterococcus faecium probiotic in the production of salmonella-specific IgA in layers immunized with a live vaccine. Four groups were used: “Control” (no vaccine or probiotic); “Probiotic” (which received an E. faecium product); “Vaccine” (immunized with two doses of a live attenuated S. Enteritidis vaccine); and “Vaccine?+?probiotic”. Faecal salmonella-specific IgA was analysed 7 and 20 days post-vaccination (dpv) boost. At 7 dpv, the “Vaccine” and “Vaccine?+?probiotic” groups had similar IgA levels. However, at 20 dpv, IgA levels were two times higher in the “Vaccine?+?probiotic” group compared to the “Vaccine” group. To understand the role of the intestinal microbiota in this finding, bacterial diversity in faeces was analysed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The improvement in IgA production in probiotic-treated birds was accompanied by marked changes in the faecal microbiome. Some of the main differences between the “Vaccine” and “Vaccine?+?probiotic” groups included reduction of Escherichia-Shigella and increases in Blautia, Anaerotruncus and Lactobacillus in the latter group. Although no direct causal link can be established from this study design, it is possible that the E. faecium probiotic induces improved antibody production following vaccination via modulation of the intestinal microbiota.     

Dispersion and infectivity of Toxocara canis eggs after passage through chicken intestine

Parasitology Research - Toxocariasis is an important, but neglected, worldwide zoonosis. It is considered a primarily soil-transmitted disease, but food-borne transmission has been associated with...     

Cell Viability and Tissue Reaction of NeoMTA Plus: An In Vitro and In Vivo Study

Introduction

The aim of this study was to evaluate the cell viability and tissue reaction of NeoMTA Plus (NMP; Avalon Biomed Inc, Houston, TX) compared with mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA; Angelus, Londrina, PR, Brazil) and Biodentine (BD; Septodont, Saint-Maur-de-Fossés, France).

Mapping radiation fields in containers for industrial γ-irradiation using polycarbonate dosimeters

The main part of the quality control of industrial irradiation is assurance of absorbed doses in various parts of irradiated objects. Commercial polycarbonate (PC) films develop yellow color upon radiation exposure. PC films (3mm thick) were used to map radiation fields inside product containers irradiated with Co-60 sources at IPEN. Optical densities were measured with a Shimadzu UV2101PC spectrophotometer.