Dietary supplementation with whey protein improves systemic microvascular function in heart failure patients: a pilot study

Endothelial dysfunction is a well-known component of the pathophysiology of heart failure (HF), with proven prognostic value. Dietary supplementation with whey protein (WP) has been widely used to increase skeletal muscle mass, but it also has vascular effects, which are less understood. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of WP supplementation on the systemic microvascular function of HF patients. This was a blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial that evaluated the effects of 12-week WP dietary supplementation on systemic microvascular function, in patients with HF New York Heart Association (NYHA) classes I/II. Cutaneous microvascular flow and reactivity were assessed using laser speckle contrast imaging, coupled with pharmacological local vasodilator stimuli. Fifteen patients (aged 64.5±6.2 years, 11 males) received WP supplementation and ten patients (aged 68.2±8.8 years, 8 males) received placebo (maltodextrin). The increase in endothelial-dependent microvascular vasodilation, induced by skin iontophoresis of acetylcholine, was improved after WP (P=0.03) but not placebo (P=0.37) supplementation. Moreover, endothelial-independent microvascular vasodilation induced by skin iontophoresis of sodium nitroprusside, was also enhanced after WP (P=0.04) but not placebo (P=0.42) supplementation. The results suggested that dietary supplementation with WP improved systemic microvascular function in patients with HF.

Desempenho de frangos caipiras alimentados com rações contendo diferentes níveis de energia metabolizável / Performance of broiler chickens fed diets containing different levels of metabolizable energy

Analisaram-se os efeitos da energia metabolizável (EM) e da idade de abate sobre o desempenho zootécnico, o rendimento de carcaça e de partes de frangos da linhagem Caipira Francês Exótico. Foram utilizadas 192 aves, distribuídas em delineamento inteiramente ao acaso, com três tratamentos e quatro repetições de 16 aves cada. Os tratamentos (T) foram definidos de acordo com os níveis de energia das dietas inicial (1 a 28 dias) e final (29 a 90 dias), respectivamente, em: T1 - 3.000 e 3.100kcal de EM/kg; T2 - 3.100 e 3.200kcal de EM/kg; T3 - 3.200 e 3.300kcal de EM/kg. Os abates foram realizados aos 77, 84 e 90 dias. Na fase inicial, as aves do T2 e do T3 apresentaram maior peso médio (655,75 e 713,50g), maior ganho de peso (24,28 e 26,42g/ave) e melhor conversão alimentar (1,59 e 1,77), e não diferiram entre si (P>0,05). Quando abatidas aos 77 dias de idade, as aves que consumiram a dieta com 3.100/3.200kcal de EM/kg apresentaram maior rendimento de carcaça (82,20%) e de peito (24,26%), e não diferiram dos frangos alimentados com dietas contendo 3.000/3.200kcal de EM/kg, nos quais se verificaram rendimento de carcaça de 80,72% e 23,20% de rendimento de peito. Os frangos da linhagem Caipira Francês Exótico apresentaram melhores desempenho zootécnico e rendimento de carcaça quando alimentados com dietas contendo 3.100 a 3.200kcal de EM/kg na ração e abatidos aos 77 dias de idade.

This is study aimed to analyze the effects of metabolizable energy (ME) and age at slaughter on growth performance, carcass yield and prime cuts, relative weight of the wings, back, head + neck and feet of broiler chickens from the Caipira Francês Exótico strain. A total of 192 birds were distributed in a completely randomized design with three treatments and four replicates of 16 birds per treatment. The treatments were defined according to levels of dietary energy (1 to 28 days) and late (29-90 days), respectively: T1 - 3000 and 3100kcal/kg ME, T2 - 3100 and 3200kcal/kg ME, T3 - 3200 and 3300kcal/kg ME. The slaughter was carried out at 77, 84 and 90 days. In the initial phase the birds from T2 and T3 had a higher mean weight (655.75 and 713.50g), weight gain (24.28 and 26.42g/bird) and better feed gain (1.59 and 1.77) and did not differ (P>0.05). When slaughtered at 77 days of age, birds fed the diet with 3.100/3.200kcal/kg ME had higher carcass yield (82.20%) and breast (24.26%), and did not differ from chickens fed diets containing 3.000/3.200kcal/kg ME, where a carcass yield of 80.72% and 23.20% of breast yield was found. The Caipira Francês Exótico broilers had better growth performance and carcass yield than when fed diets containing 3100-3200kcal/kg in the diet and slaughtered at 77 days old.

Estudo in vitro da atividade do extrato etanólico de sementes de bacupari (Rheedia gardneriana Planch. & Triana) e das frações no crescimento de Streptococcus mutans / In vitro study of the activity of ethanol extract from bacupari (Rheedia gardneriana Planch. & Triana) seeds and its fractions on Streptococcus mutans growth

Streptococcus mutans, principal microrganismo da cavidade oral, desempenha papel preponderante na formação de placas dentárias, sendo considerado o agente etiológico primário da cárie. Rheedia gardneriana, conhecida popularmente como bacupari, é uma planta utilizada com fins medicinais para o tratamento de diversas patologias, e por apresentar atividade antimicrobiana de compostos das folhas contra bactérias Gram-positivas e Gram-negativas. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de extrato de semente de R. gardneriana sobre a cepa S. mutans UA159. Os testes foram conduzidos com o extrato etanólico bruto e as frações obtidas com os solventes diclorometano, etanol-água, metanol e hexano, em ensaios de inibição in vitro. O extrato bruto (100 por cento) apresentou halos de inibição com diâmetro similar ao obtido com solução de digluconato de clorexidina 0,12 por cento, usada como controle. Os ensaios com a fração diclorometano exibiram atividade inibitória 35 por cento menor comparado com o controle, enquanto nenhum efeito antimicrobiano foi observado com a fração etanol-água. Contrariamente, os resultados obtidos com as frações hexânica e metanólica demonstraram claramente a atividade antimicrobiana por inibição do crescimento bacteriano. Na fração metanólica a formação de halos de inibição foi similar ao do controle. Estes dados apresentam atividade antimicrobiana de R. gardneriana contra S. mutans.

Streptococcus mutans, which is the main microorganism of the oral cavity, plays a preponderant role in dental plaque formation and is considered the primary etiologic agent regarding caries. Commonly known as "bacupari", Rheedia gardneriana is a plant used for medicinal purposes in the treatment of several pathologies; besides, its leaves have compounds that present antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of R. gardneriana seed extract on S. mutans strain UA159. The tests were carried out with crude ethanol extract and the fractions obtained with the solvents dichloromethane, ethanol-water, methanol, and hexane in in vitro inhibition assays. The crude extract (100 percent) presented inhibition halos with diameter similar to that obtained by using 0.12 percent chlorhexidine digluconate solution as control. Assays with the fraction dichloromethane showed an inhibitory activity 35 percent lower than that of the control, whereas no antimicrobial effect was observed with the ethanol-water fraction. Conversely, the results obtained with the fractions hexane and methanol clearly demonstrated antimicrobial activity by inhibiting the bacterial growth. In the methanol fraction, the formation of inhibition halos was similar to that in the control. These data present antimicrobial activity of R. gardneriana against S. mutans.

Polymorphism of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in Brazil: genetic characterization of the nef gene and implications for vaccine design

Most of the Brazilian HIV-1 samples have been characterized based on the structural genes (env, gag and pol) and no data concerning the variability of the accessory genes such as nef have been available so far. Considering the role of the nef on virus biology and the inclusion of this region in some HIV/AIDS vaccine products under testing, the purpose of this study was to document the genetic diversity of the nef gene in third-four HIV-1 Brazilian samples previously subtyped based on the env C2-V3 region. Although only few non-subtype B samples have already been analyzed so far, the cytotoxic Tlymphocyte epitopes encoded in this region were relatively conserved among the subtypes, with some amino acid signatures mainly in the subtype C samples. Considering the increasing of the non-B HIV-1 subtypes worldwide, in special the subtype C, more data should be generated concerning the genetic and antigenic variability of these subtypes, as well as the study of the impact of such polymorphism in HIV/AIDS vaccine design and testing