ABSTRACT
Muscular atrophy is a progressive degeneration characterized by muscular proteolysis, loss of mass and decrease in fiber area. Tendon rupture induces muscular atrophy due to an intrinsic functional connection. Local inhibition of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) by Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) accelerates tendon histological recovery and induces functional improvement. Here we evaluate the effects of such local nitrergic inhibition on the pattern of soleus muscle regeneration after tenotomy. Adult male Wistar rats (240 to 280 g) were divided into four experimental groups: control (n=4), tenotomized (n=6), vehicle (n=6), and L-NAME (n=6). Muscular atrophy was induced by calcaneal tendon rupture in rats. Changes in muscle wet weight and total protein levels were determined by the Bradford method, and muscle fiber area and central core lesion (CCL) occurrence were evaluated by histochemical assays. Compared to tenotomized (69.3±22%) and vehicle groups (68.1%±17%), L-NAME treatment induced an increase in total protein level (108.3±21%) after 21 days post-injury. A reduction in fiber areas was observed in tenotomized (56.3±1.3%) and vehicle groups (53.9±3.9%). However, L-NAME treatment caused an increase in this parameter (69.3±1.6%). Such events were preceded by a remarkable reduction in the number of fibers with CCL in L-NAME-treated animals (12±2%), but not in tenotomized (21±2.5%) and vehicle groups (19.6±2.8%). Altogether, our data reveal that inhibition of tendon NOS contributed to the attenuation of atrophy and acceleration of muscle regeneration.
Subject(s)
Animals , Male , Rats , Enzyme Inhibitors/pharmacology , NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester/pharmacology , Nitric Oxide Synthase/antagonists & inhibitors , Recovery of Function/drug effects , Regeneration/drug effects , Muscular Atrophy , Nitric Oxide Synthase/metabolism , Rats, Wistar , Recovery of Function/physiology , Regeneration/physiology , TenotomyABSTRACT
Ayapana triplinervis (Asteraceae) é uma erva medicinal da Amazônia conhecida como "Japana branca" e "Japana roxa" utilizada como tônico, digestivo, antidiarréico dentre outros. Objetivou-se caracterizar neste estudo a morfoanatomia caulinar e foliar de A. triplinervis, para corroborar se esta espécie apresenta morfotipos, além de fornecer dados para sua identificação. Amostras foram coletadas no Horto de Plantas Medicinais da Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia e Embrapa Amazônia Oriental, analisadas morfologicamente e segundo técnicas usuais em anatomia vegetal. O caule é cilíndrico branco ou roxo, com epiderme unisseriada persistente e endoderme com bainha amilífera e estrias de Caspary. As folhas são simples, opostas, triplinervadas, com base atenuada ou decorrente. Possuem estômatos anomocíticos, cera em placas ou granular, glândulas peroladas, mesofilo dorsiventral com feixes colaterais e ductos secretores. A. triplinervis apresentou caracteres morfoanatômicos diferentes entre os tipos branca e roxa, o que possibilita a distinção dos dois morfotipos.
Ayapanatriplinervis (Asteraceae), also known as "Japana branca" and "Japana roxa" in Brazil, is a medicinal herb from the Amazon used as tonic, digestive, antidiarrheal, among others. This study aimed to characterize the morphoanatomy of the aerial vegetative axis of A. triplinervis to corroborate that this species has morphotypes, in order to provide data for their identification. Samples were collected in the Garden of Medicinal Plants of the Federal Rural University of Amazônia and Embrapa Amazônia Oriental, and they were analyzed morphologically and by the standardtechniques of plant anatomy. The stem is cylindrical, white or purple, with uniseriate epidermis, trichomes and endoderm with starch sheath and Casparian strips. The leaves are simple, opposite, with attenuate or arising basis; they have anomocytic stomata, epicuticular wax plates or granules, pearl glands, dorsiventral mesophyll with collateral vascular bundles and secretory ducts. Ayapana triplinervis showed different morphoanatomical features betweenthe white and purple types, which enablesthe distinction between the two morphotypes.