A preliminary study of stress symptoms and nutritional state in children

The aim of this work was to examine the occurrence of stressful events in the lives of children, using the ‘Scale of Infantile Social Readjustment’ (SISR), and the ‘Inventory of Symptoms of Infantile Stress’ (ISIS) to identify the presence of stress symptoms. The results of these evaluations were then used to examine the relationship between the levels of stress and the nutritional state of the children, by correlation. Forty 7–10‐year‐old children were included in the evaluation. From the analysed sample 49 per cent of them were eutrophic (weight/height normal to age), 50 per cent were above weight and 1 per cent was undernourished. Whereas 70 per cent of the girls were eutrophic and 30 per cent were above weight, only 35 per cent of the boys were eutrophic, 60 per cent were above weight and 5 per cent were undernourished. The results obtained in this first study indicated that 45 per cent of eutrophic girls demonstrated symptoms of stress, while 20 per cent of them were asymptomatic (with no symptoms of stress). Of the overweight boys, 30 per cent of them showed symptoms of stress and 35 per cent did not. This study indicated a possible relationship between weight and the symptoms of stress. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Acute administration of methionine and/or methionine sulfoxide impairs redox status and induces apoptosis in rat cerebral cortex

Metabolic Brain Disease - High plasma levels of methionine (Met) and its metabolites such as methionine sulfoxide (MetO) may occur in several genetic abnormalities. Patients with hypermethioninemia...     

Subchronic administration of nandrolone decanoate in acetylcholinesterase activity in Wistar rats

Health sciences have recently discovered the medical uses of nandrolone decanoate (ND), an androgenic anabolic steroid (AAS), and reported its use in human and animal patients. Clinical evidences suggest that the AAS excess may affect the cholinergic system, which is responsible for several vital functions like learning, memory, and the organization of the movements. Thus, our aim is to research the subchronic effect of ND when administered in varying doses on the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in these brain structures: cerebellum (CE), hippocampus, striatum (ST), and cortex of adult rats. We used 36 male Wistar rats, which were divided into six groups (n?=?6). The groups were divided into: G1—control (physiologic solution), G2—diluents control (only an oleaginous vehicle of vegetal origin—olive oil), G3—0.42?mg?kg^?1 of ND, G4—1.8?mg?kg^?1 of ND, G5—4.6?mg?kg^?1 of ND, and G6—10.0?mg?kg^?1 of ND. We applied the doses once every week during a 3-week period. The values obtained demonstrated a significant increase in the AChE activity (referring to ST and CE for the 4.6 and 10.0?mg?kg^?1 doses of ND). The ND causes increase in AChE activity, which could impair neurotransmission and cholinergic modulation.     

Ovariectomy Enhances Acetylcholinesterase Activity But Does Not Alter Ganglioside Content in Cerebral Cortex of Female Adult Rats

In the present work we investigated the effect of ovariectomy on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and ganglioside content in cerebral cortex of female rats. We also studied the activity of butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) in serum of these animals. Adult Wistar rats were divided into three groups: (1) naive females (control), (2) sham-operated females and (3) castrated females (ovariectomy). Thirty days after ovariectomy, rats were sacrificed by decapitation without anaesthesia. Blood was collected and the serum used for BuChE determination. Cerebral cortex was homogenized to determine AChE activity and extracted with chlorophorm:methanol for ganglioside evaluation. Results showed that rats subjected to ovariectomy presented a significant increase of AChE activity, but did not change the content and the profile of gangliosides in cerebral cortex when compared to sham or naive rats. BuChE activity was decreased in serum of rats ovariectomized. Our findings suggest that the alteration in the activity of brain AChE, as well as serum BuChE activity caused by ovariectomy may contribute to the impaired cognition and/or other neurological dysfunction found in post-menopausal women.     

LPS-induced impairment of Na+/K+-ATPase activity: ameliorative effect of tannic acid in mice

Metabolic Brain Disease - Acetylcholine is an excitatory neurotransmitter that modulates synaptic plasticity and communication, and it is essential for learning and memory processes. This...     

Correlation between visual and radiographic examinations of non-cavitated occlusal caries lesions -- an in vivo study

The aim of this study was to conduct an in vivo investigation of the correlation between the visual and radiographic scoring systems by Ekstrand et al.7 (1997) for the diagnosis of occlusal caries lesions. The study sample comprised 147 occlusal sites from 23 patients. Two trained and experienced examiners performed the clinical visual examinations. A third examiner, which was also trained, experienced and blind to the results of the visual clinical examination, performed the analysis of the bitewing radiographs. The correlation between visual and radiographic scores was assessed by Goodman & Kruskal's gamma correlation coefficient. Results showed a strong correlation between the scores for occlusal caries found in the visual and radiographic diagnosis systems used in this study.     

The Influence of Vitamin A Supplementation on Iron Status

Vitamin A (VA) and iron deficiencies are important nutritional problems, affecting particularly preschool children, as well as pregnant and lactating women. A PubMed (National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA) literature review was carried out to search for clinical trials published from 1992 to 2013 that assessed the influence of vitamin A supplementation on iron status. Simultaneous use of iron and vitamin A supplements seemed to be more effective to prevent iron deficiency anemia than the use of these micronutrients alone. Some studies did not include a placebo group and only a few of them assessed vitamin A status of the individuals at baseline. Moreover, the studies did not consider any inflammatory marker and a reasonable number of iron parameters. Another important limitation was the lack of assessment of hemoglobin variants, especially in regions with a high prevalence of anemia. Assessment of hemoglobin variants, inflammatory markers and anemia of chronic inflammation would be important to the studies investigated. Studies involving different populations are necessary to elucidate the interaction between the two micronutrients, especially regarding iron absorption and modulation of erythropoiesis.     

Folic acid pretreatment prevents the reduction of Na(+),K(+)-ATPase and butyrylcholinesterase activities in rats subjected to acute hyperhomocysteinemia.

The main objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of folic acid pretreatment on parietal cortex Na(+),K(+)-ATPase and serum butyrylcholinesterase activities in rats subjected to acute hyperhomocysteinemia. Animals were pretreated daily with an intraperitoneal injection of folic acid (5 mg/kg) or saline from the 22th to the 28th day of age. Twelve hours after the last injection of folic acid or saline, the rats received a single subcutaneous injection of homocysteine (0.6 micromol/g of weight body) or saline and were killed 1h later. Serum was collected and the brain was quickly removed and parietal cortex dissected. Results showed that acute homocysteine administration significantly decreased the activities of Na(+),K(+)-ATPase and butyrylcholinesterase on parietal cortex and serum, respectively. Furthermore, folic acid pretreatment totally prevented these inhibitory effects. We also evaluated the effect of acute homocysteine administration on some parameters of oxidative stress, namely thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances and total thiol content in parietal cortex of rats. No alteration of these parameters were observed in parietal cortex of homocysteinemic animals, indicating that these oxidative stress parameters were probably not responsible for the reduction of Na(+),K(+)-ATPase and butyrylcholinesterase activities. The presented results confirm previous findings that acute hyperhomocysteinemia produces an inhibition of Na(+),K(+)-ATPase and butyrylcholinesterase activities and that pretreatment with folic acid prevents such effects. Assuming that homocysteine might also reduce the activities of these enzymes in human beings, our results support a new potential therapeutic strategy based on folic acid supplementation to prevent the neurological damage found in hyperhomocysteinemia.     

Functional capacity, muscle strength and falls in women with fibromyalgia

Background

Patients with fibromyalgia have difficulty with activities of daily living, they exhibit reduced muscle strength and high incidence of reported falls. The objective of this study was to evaluate the functional performance and lower limb muscle strength in women with fibromyalgia and determine the relationship between muscle strength and falls.

Methods

Sixteen females with fibromyalgia and 16 healthy women participated in the study. Pain intensity, fibromyalgia impact on quality of life, physical activity level and fall prevalence were assessed. The peak torque and the rate of torque development were determined in maximal voluntary isometric contraction (hip, knee and ankle joints) using a load cell. The 30 s chair stand, 8 ft up and go, sit and reach, and functional reach tests were used to characterize functional performance.

Findings

Women with fibromyalgia showed deficits in lower limb muscle strength, balance and agility and exhibited decreased knee extension peak torque and rate of torque development. In addition, they showed lower hip adduction and extension peak torque in comparison to the control group (P > 0.05). Hip extension rate of torque development, duration of fibromyalgia symptoms, overall pain, knee pain, and fibromyalgia impact were strong predictors of the number of falls in patients with fibromyalgia (R2 = 0.86; P < 0.05), when considered collectively.

Interpretation

Women with fibromyalgia showed reduced functional performance and lower limb muscle strength, mostly explained by pain. There was a high prevalence of falls in this population, as explained by hip extensors rate of torque development, duration of fibromyalgia symptoms and pain.     

Combined actions of blueberry extract and lithium on neurochemical changes observed in an experimental model of mania: exploiting possible synergistic effects

Bipolar disorder is a psychiatric disease characterized by recurrent episodes of mania and depression. Blueberries contain bioactive compounds with important pharmacological effects such as neuroprotective and antioxidant actions. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of blueberry extract and/or lithium on oxidative stress, and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase activity in an experimental ketamine-induced model of mania. Male Wistar rats were pretreated with vehicle, blueberry extract (200 mg/kg), and/or lithium (45 mg/kg or 22.5 mg/kg twice daily) for 14 days. Between the 8th and 14th days, the animals also received an injection of ketamine (25 mg/kg) or vehicle. On the 15th day the animals received a single injection of ketamine; after 30 min, the locomotor activity was evaluated in an open field test. Ketamine administration induced an increase in locomotor activity. In the cerebral cortex, hippocampus and striatum, ketamine also induced an increase in reactive oxygen species, lipid peroxidation and nitrite levels, as well a decrease in antioxidant enzyme activity. Pretreatment with blueberry extract or lithium was able to prevent this change. Ketamine increased the AChE and Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase activity in brain structures, while the blueberry extract partially prevented these alterations. In addition, our results showed that the neuroprotective effect was not potentiated when lithium and blueberry extract treatment were given together. In conclusion, our findings suggest that blueberry extract has a neuroprotective effect against an experimental model of mania. However, more studies should be performed to evaluate its effects as an adjuvant therapy.