Stereological and morphological analysis of the effects of aging on spermatogenesis in rat testis

Abstract Purpose: To quantify, through stereological and morphometric analysis, spermatogenesis in rats undergoing the natural aging process. Methods: Seventy-two male Wistar rats were divided into 6 equal groups according to age at the time of killing: 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months. All the rats were subjected orchiectomy and collection of testicular parenchymal fragments for histological and morphometric analysis. The numerical density of spermatids was calculated using a stereological study, and morphometric analysis was conducted to measure the height of the germinal epithelium and the area of the seminiferous tubules. Results: We found that the 18 and 24 months groups showed a significant reduction in the number of round spermatids. However, the height of the germinal epithelium was not significantly different between the groups. The area of seminiferous tubules was also significantly reduced in the elderly rats compared to that in the young ones. Conclusion: Aging of rats showed a significant reduction in the number of round spermatids and the area of the seminiferous tubules, more pronounced in the rats at 18 and 24 months of life.

Numeric and volumetric changes in Leydig cells during aging of rats

Abstract Purpose: To analyze the effects of aging in rats on the nuclear volume, cytoplasmic volume, and total volume of Leydig cells, as well as their number. Methods: Seventy-two Wistar rats were divided into six subgroups of 12 rats, which underwent right orchiectomy at 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months of age. The weight and volume of the resected testicles were assessed. A stereological study of Leydig cells was conducted, which included measurements of cell number and nuclear, cytoplasmic, and total cell volumes. Results: The weight and volume of the resected testicles showed reductions with age. Only the subgroup composed of 24-month old rats showed a decrease in the nuclear volume of Leydig cells. Significant reductions in the cytoplasmic volume and total volume of Leydig cells were observed in 18- and 24-month old rats. The number of Leydig cells did not vary significantly with age. Conclusions: Aging in rats resulted in reduction of the nuclear, cytoplasmic, and total cell volumes of Leydig cells. There was no change in the total number of these cells during aging.

Qualidade de vida no município de Tubarão – SC, segundo a escala de qualidade de vida de Flanagan / Quality of life in the City of Tubarão – SC utilizing The Flanagan Quality of Life Scale

Introdução: Na área da saúde, o interesse pelo conceito de qualidade de vida é relativamente recente e decorre, em parte, dos novos paradigmas que têm influenciado as políticas e as práticas do setor nas últimas décadas.Objetivo: Determinar a qualidade de vida no Município de Tubarão – SC, utilizando a Escala de Qualidade de Vida de Flanagan. Metodologia: Foi realizado um estudo observacional, com delineamento transversal, por amostragem na coleta de dados. A população-alvo foi constituída por habitantes adultos da cidade de Tubarão – SC, através de questionário escrito padronizado da Escala de Qualidade de Vida de Flanagan. A qualidade de vida foi dividida emtrês níveis: de 0-45 pontos (Baixa Qualidade de Vida); 46-74 pontos (Média Qualidade de Vida); e 75-105 pontos (Alta Qualidade de Vida). Resultados: Foram avaliados 688 indivíduos, dos quais 65,4% eram do gênero feminino, 96,4% caucasianos, e com idade média de 40,23. A médiado escore de Flanagan para a amostra estudada foi de 88,5 pontos (DP ± 9,5), considerada como alta qualidadede vida. O escore médio para cada pergunta formulada, de 1 a 15 foi respectivamente: (1) 5,88; (2) 5,66; (3) 6,31; (4) 6,4; (5) 6,1; (6) 6,27; (7) 5,44; (8) 5,42; (9) 5,21;(10) 5,83; (11) 5,95; (12) 6,06; (13) 5,73; (14) 5,93; e (15) 6,09. Houve diferença estatisticamente significativana qualidade de vida quando estratificada por renda. Conclusão: A qualidade de vida da população domunicípio de Tubarão, quantificada pela escala de Flanagan foi alta.

Introduction: In the heath area, the interest in defining quality of life is relatively recent and is a consequence, in part, of the paradigms that haveinfluenced the politics and practices of this area in the last decades. Objectives: To determine the quality of life in theCity of Tubarão utilizing The Flanagan Quality of Life Scale. Methods: A transversal observational study wasrealized using samples for the data collection. The target population was composed of adult citizens of Tubarão –SC, by the written standardized questionnaire of The Flanagan Quality of Life Scale. The quality of life wasdivided in three levels: from 0-45 points (Low Quality of Life); 46-74 points (Medium Quality of Life); and 75-105 points (High Quality of Life).Results: Six hundred and eighty-eighty individuals with an average age of 40.23 years were evaluated, ofthese, 65.4% were of the feminine gender and 96.4% Caucasians. The average Flanagan score for the samplestudied was 88.5 points (SD + 9.5), considered as high quality of life. The average score for each formulatedquestion was, from 1 to 15 were respectively: (1) 5.88; (2) 5.66; (3) 6.31; (4) 6.4; (5) 6.1; (6) 6.27; (7) 5.44; (8) 5.42; (9) 5.21; (10) 5.83; (11) 5.95; (12) 6.06; (13) 5.73;(14) 5.93; e (15) 6.09. Statistically significant difference in the quality of life was found when eaerings wereanalyzed. Conclusion: The quality of life of the population of the City of Tubarão, quantified by the Flanagan’s scalewas high.

Controle de danos após trauma torácico contuso com lesão cardíaca em criança - relato de caso / damage control after abdominal trauma

O objetivo é descrever o caso de um traumatismo torácico contuso que cursou com grave lesão da artériapulmonar, tipo laceração, que conduziu o paciente ao choque hipovolêmico refratário às medidas de suporte,sendo adotado o controle de danos torácicos. A cirurgia de controle de danos tem sido muito difundida na literatura que aborda trauma, especialmente quando se trata detrauma abdominal. Entretanto, esse relato pretende demonstrar que também é possível adotar a cirurgia de controle de danos quando se aborda um traumatismo torácico grave em pacientes com pouca reserva fisiológica.

The objective is to describe a case of blunt chest trauma causing severe laceration-type injury in the pulmonary artery, which led the patient to developrefractory hypovolemic shock to the support measures, with the adoption of chest damage control. Damage control surgery has been quite spread in the literature on trauma, especially when dealing with abdominal trauma.Nevertheless, this report is aimed to demonstrate that it is also possible to adopt damage control surgery whentreating severe chest trauma in patients with reduced physiological reserve.