Correlação entre os testes da caminhada, marcha estacionária e TUG em hipertensas idosas / Correlation between the walk, 2-minute step and TUG tests among hypertensive older women

CONTEXTUALIZAÇÃO: O aumento de doenças crônicas em idosos, principalmente da Hipertensão Arterial Sistêmica, doença intimamente relacionada ao declínio da capacidade funcional, determina a necessidade do estudo de métodos de avaliação da realização das atividades, possibilitando detecção de níveis de capacidade funcional, prescrição de exercícios e acompanhamento das funções cardiovascular e motora. O teste da caminhada de 6 minutos (TC6'), o teste da Marcha Estacionária de 2 minutos (TME2') e o teste Timed Up and Go (TUG) são indicados para esta avaliação. Estudos em idosos saudáveis mostram a associação entre esses testes, facilitando a avaliação da capacidade funcional. Porém, em hipertensos, não existem estudos que avaliem a relação entre TC6', TME2'e TUG, justificando a realização desta pesquisa. OBJETIVOS: Verificar se existe associação entre endurance aeróbia e a mobilidade funcional em idosas hipertensas. MÉTODOS: Estudo observacional, analítico e transversal, com 32 hipertensas idosas, avaliadas por meio do TC6', TME2' e TUG. RESULTADOS:Houve correlação positiva moderada entre TC6' e TME2', r=0,36 (p=0,04) e correlação negativa moderada entre TC6'e TUG, r=-0,59 (p=0,000) e entre TME2' e TUG, r=-0,66 (p=0,000). CONCLUSÕES: Para hipertensas idosas, o TC6' pode ser substituído pelo TME2', assim como em idosos saudáveis. Quanto à correlação entre os TC6', TME2' e TUG, pode-se concluir que existe uma íntima relação entre resistência cardiovascular e mobilidade funcional; havendo menor resistência cardiovascular, há mobilidade funcional precária e vice-versa.

BACKGROUND: The increase in chronic diseases among older adults, especially systemic arterial hypertension, a disease that is closely related to declining functional capacity, has created the need to study methods for activity evaluation in order to detect functional capacity levels, prescribe exercises and monitor motor and cardiovascular function. The Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), Two-Minute Step Test (2MST) and Timed Up and Go Test (TUG) are indicated for such evaluations. Studies among healthy older adults have shown associations between these tests, thus aiding the evaluation of functional capacity. However, there are no studies on the relationships between the 6MWT, 2MST and TUG among hypertensive individuals, thus justifying the present research. OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether there is any association between aerobic endurance and functional mobility among hypertensive older women. METHODS:This was a cross-sectional observational and analytical study on 32 hypertensive older women who were evaluated using the 6MWT, 2MST and TUG. RESULTS:There was a moderate positive correlation between the 6MWT and 2MST (r=0.36; p=0.04), and there were moderate negative correlations between the 6MWT and TUG (r=-0.59; p=0.000) and between the 2MST and TUG (r=-0.66; p=0.000). CONCLUSIONS: For hypertensive older women, the 6MWT can be replaced by the 2MST; the same applied to healthy older adults. Regarding the correlation between the 6MWT, 2MST and TUG, it can be concluded that there is a close relationship between cardiovascular endurance and functional mobility. When there is lower cardiovascular endurance, there is precarious functional mobility and vice versa.

Characterization of rat heart alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes and modulation of activity

Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is important in calcification and its expression seems to be associated with the inflammatory process. We investigated the in vitro acute effects of compounds used for the prevention or treatment of cardiovascular diseases on total ALP activity from male Wistar rat heart homogenate. ALP activity was determined by quantifying, at 410 nm, the p-nitrophenol released from p-nitrophenylphosphate (substrate in Tris buffer, pH 10.4). Using specific inhibitors of ALP activity and the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, we showed that the rat heart had high ALP activity (31.73 ± 3.43 nmol p-nitrophenol·mg protein-1·min-1): mainly tissue-nonspecific ALP but also tissue-specific intestinal ALP type II. Both ALP isoenzymes presented myocardial localization (striated pattern) by immunofluorescence. ALP was inhibited a) strongly by 0.5 mM levamisole, 2 mM theophylline and 2 mM aspirin (91, 77 and 84 percent, respectively) and b) less strongly by 2 mM L-phenylalanine, 100 mL polyphenol-rich beverages and 0.5 mM progesterone (24, 21 to 29 and 11 percent, respectively). â-estradiol and caffeine (0.5 and 2 mM) had no effect; 0.5 mM simvastatin and 2 mM atenolol activated ALP (32 and 36 percent, respectively). Propranolol (2 mM) tended to activate ALP activity and corticosterone activated (18 percent) and inhibited (13 percent) (0.5 and 2 mM, respectively). We report, for the first time, that the rat heart expresses intestinal ALP type II and has high total ALP activity. ALP activity was inhibited by compounds used in the prevention of cardiovascular pathology. ALP manipulation in vivo may constitute an additional target for intervention in cardiovascular diseases.

Influence of season and pollution on the antioxidant defenses of the cichlid fish acará (Geophagus brasiliensis)

The livers of Geophagus brasiliensis collected from both a non-polluted site and a polluted site were analyzed for different antioxidant defenses, O2 consumption, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBARS) levels, and histological damage. Compared to controls (116.6 + or - 26.1 nmol g-1), TBARS levels were enhanced at the polluted site (284.2 + or - 25.6 nmol g-1), as also was oxygen consumption (86.6 + or - 11.3 and 128.5 + or - 9.8 µmol O2 min-1 g-1, respectively). With respect to enzymatic antioxidants, increased catalase activities (8.7 + or - 1.3 and 29.2 + or - 2.4 mmol min-1 g-1, respectively), unchanged superoxide dismutase activities (767.2 + or - 113.3 and 563.3 + or - 70.2 U g-1, respectively), and diminished glutathione S-transferase activities (29.0 + or - 3.2 and 14.9 + or - 3.2 µmol min-1 g-1, respectively) were detected. Reduced glutathione (1.91 + or - 0.17 and 1.37 + or - 0.25 mM, respectively), oxidized glutathione (1.50 + or - 0.20 and 0.73 + or - 0.17 mM, respectively), and total glutathione (3.40 + or - 0.26 and 2.07 + or - 0.27 mM, respectively) concentrations were also below control values at the polluted site. Nevertheless, the observed ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activities (1.34 + or - 0.11 and 16.7 + or - 0.21 pmol min-1 mg-1, respectively) showed enhanced values at the polluted site. The main histological damage observed in the hepatocytes from fish collected at the polluted site was characterized by heavy lipid infiltration. Fish collected at the end of spring showed higher O2 consumption, higher superoxide dismutase and glutathione S-transferase activities, and higher total and oxidized glutathione concentrations compared to the beginning of autumn. No seasonal changes were observed in catalase activities, glutathione or TBARS levels. Fish chronically exposed to relatively high pollution levels seem to be unable to set up adequate antioxidant defenses, probably due to severe injury to their hepatocytes. The higher antioxidant defenses found at the end of spring are probably related to the enhanced activities during high temperature periods in thermoconforming organisms.

Sera from chronic chagasic patients depress cardiac electrogenesis and conduction

We report results obtained with sera from 58 chronic chagasic patients that were evaluated for effects on heart rate and atrioventricular (AV) conduction in isolated rabbit hearts and screened for the presence of muscarinic and beta-adrenergic activity. We show that sera from 26 patients decreased heart rate, while 10 increased it and 22 had no effect. Additionally, sera from 20 of the 58 patients blocked AV conduction. Muscarinic activation seems to be involved in both effects, but is not the only mechanism, since atropine did not antagonize the decrease in heart rate in 23 percent of sera or AV block in 40 percent. Sera from patients with complex arrhythmias were significantly more effective in depressing both heart rate and AV conduction. Sera that induce increases in heart rate seem to operate exclusively through beta-adrenergic activation. Two of these sera, evaluated with respect to intercellular communication in primary cultures of embryonic cardiomyocytes were able to block gap junction conductance evaluated by a dye injection technique after 24-h exposure. The mechanisms underlying this uncoupling effect are currently being investigated

Influencia de la distancia de plantación y selección de genotipos de mani (arachis hypogaea l.) resistentes a cercosporidium personatum (berk & curt.)deigh. y puccinia arachidis speg / Influence of spacing arrangement and genotype selection of peanut (arachis hypogaea l.) resistent to cercosporidium personatum (berck & curt) deigh and puccinia arachidis speg

La mancha negra y la roya, causadas respectivamente por los hongos cercosporidium personatum y puccinia arachidis, constituyen las principales enfermedades, 15 genotipos de maní fueron analizados con respecto a los niveles de resistencia bajo condiciones naturales de infección. El diseño se efectuó en bloques completos al azar, con 5 repeticiones. La evaluación fue efectuada a los 85 días después de la siembra, midiéndose la incidencia y la severidad de las enfermedades en 45 folíolos por parcela. Los genotipos BR-1, L2IAC2, CNPA Senegal y CNPA 125 AM, se destacaron de los demás al evidenciar los menores niveles de severidad de la mancha negra, mientras en la incidencia de la roya se destacó CNPA Senegal y CNPA Havana. El efecto de los tipos de espaciamientos de siembra fueron de 0,3, 0,5 y 0.7m entre líneas con 5,10 y 15 plantas/m lineal. Los niveles de severidad de las enfermedades fueron analizadas utilizándose el cultivar IAC Tupa. la evaluación fue efectuada 90 días después de la siembra, en 45 folíolos de la linea central de cada parcela. Los resultados no evidenciaron un efecto significativo de los tipos de espaciamientos en la severidad de la mancha negra y de la roya

Influencia de la irrigación en el atizonamiento de las hojas de ñame (dioscorea cayennesis) por curvularia eragrostidis en el n. e. de Brasil / Influence of irrigation on leaf blight of yam (dioscorea cayennensis) by curvularia eragrostidis in the n. e of Brasil

El atizonamiento de las hojas (quema), causado por curvularia eragrostidis, es una de las principales enfermedades del ñame (dioscorea cayennesis) en el noreste brasileño. Por esto se analizó el progreso y patrón espacial de la enfermedad en cuatro áreas con plantaciones comerciales de ñame, dos irrigadas ( A y B) y dos no irrigadas (C y D), localizadas en el municipio de Alinca, Estado de Pernanbuco, Brasil. En las áreas irrigadas, la cantidad inicial y la máxima severidad de la enfermedad, fueron superiores a las verificadas en las áreas no irrigadas. Utilizándo el modelo de Gompertz, no se verificaron diferencias significativas entre las tasas de progreso de la enfermedad, siendo idénticas en las áreas A, B, C y ligeramente inferior en el área D. En las áreas B, C y D, las plantas enfermas presentaron un patrón aleatorio, dentro y entre las líneas de plantación y el área A presentó un patrón agregado, especiamente entre las líneas. Considerándo estos resultados, es posible concluir que la irrigación no tuvo influencia significativa en la severidad de la mancha necrótica de las hojas de ñame ni en la agregación de plantas enfermas dentro de las áreas de plantación