Trichuris trichiura in a post-Colonial Brazilian mummy

Trichuris trichiura is a soil-transmitted helminth which is prevalent in warm, moist, tropical and subtropical regions of the world with poor sanitation. Heavy whipworm can result either in Trichuris dysenteric syndrome - especially in children - or in a chronic colitis. In heavy infections, worms can spread proximally and may cause ileitis. Here we provide first microscopic evidence for a T. trichiura adult worm embedded in the rectum of a post-Colonial Brazilian adult mummy. During Colonial and post-Colonial times, many European chroniclers described a parasitic disease named Maculo whose symptomatology coincides with heavy helminthiasis. Based on our findings and on comparison of ancient textual evidence with modern description of heavy whipworm, we feel confident in considering that the two syndromes are expressions of the same pathological condition.

Up-regulation of Hsp72 and keratin16 mediates wound healing in streptozotocin diabetic rats

BACKGROUND: Impaired wound healing is a complication of diabetes and a serious problem in clinical practice. We previously found that whey protein (WP) was able to regulate wound healing normally in streptozotocin (STZ)-dia-betic models. This subsequent study was designed to assess the effect of WP on heat shock protein-72 (Hsp72) and keratin16 (Krt16) expression during wound healing in diabetic rats. METHODS: WP at a dosage of 100 mg/kg of body weight was orally administered daily to wounded normal and STZ-diabetic rats for 8 days. RESULTS: At day 4, the WP-treated diabetic wound was significantly reduced compared to that in the corresponding control. Diabetic wounded rats developed severe inflammatory infiltration and moderate capillary dilatation and regeneration. Treated rats had mild necrotic formation, moderate infiltration, moderate to severe capillary dilatation and regeneration, in addition to moderate epidermal formation. Hsp72 and Krt16 densities showed low and dense activity in diabetic wounded and diabetic wounded treated groups, respectively. At day 8, WP-treatment of diabetic wounded animals revealed great amelioration with complete recovery and closure of the wound. Reactivity of Hsp72 and Krt16 was reversed, showing dense and low, or medium and low, activity in the diabetic wounded and diabetic wounded treated groups, respectively. Hsp72 expression in the pancreas was found to show dense reactivity with WP-treated diabetic wound rats. CONCLUSION: This data provides evidence for the potential impact of WP in the up-regulation of Hsp72 and Krt16 in T1D, resulting in an improved wound healing process in diabetic models.

Dietary restriction prevents diabetogenic effect of streptozotocin in mice.

The beneficial role of dietary restriction (DR) was studied in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes in mice. The DR mice exhibited the lower blood glucose (mg/dl) level as compared to ad libitum (AL) fed ones. After 3 months’ DR, STZ treatment to both AL and DR mice showed significant (p<0.001) elevation of the blood glucose level in AL-fed mice, while a lower level of glucose was maintained in DR-fed mice. The ability of maintaining a low blood glucose level in STZ-treated DR mice indicated that STZ might have been ineffective from its action on beta cells of pancreas by long-term DR. Thus, these findings suggested that DR may be an important tool for preventing the diabetic conditions. However, further studies are required to know the mechanism(s) of DR protection against diabetogenic action of STZ in experimental animals.

Beneficial effects of Zingiber officinale Roscoe on fructose induced hyperlipidemia and hyperinsulinemia in rats.

Fructose supplementation produced cardinal features of Syndrome-X including significant elevations in seum cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose and insulin and also in body weight. While treatment with methanolic extract of dried rhizomes of Zingiber officinale produced a significant reduction in fructose induced elevation in lipid levels, bodyweight, hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia, treatment with ethyl acetate extract of Z officinale did not poduce any significant change in either of the last two parameters. However, it produced a significant reduction in elevated lipid levels and body weight The concentration of 6-gingerol was found to be higher in methanolic extract and less in ethyl acetate extract. The results suggest that the methanolic extract of Z officinale produces better effects as compared to ethyl acetate extract in fructose induced hyperlipidemia associated with insulin resistance. The extent of activity appears to be dependent on the concentration of 6-gingerol present in the extracts.

Effect of high protein carbohydrate free diet on the evolution of diabetes mellitus in rats.

Diabetes was induced in seventy seven Long Evans rats of both sexes by injecting streptozotocin (STZ). Some of these diabetic rats were provided with a high protein-carbohydrate (HP-CHO) free diet. The diabetic state of the rats on HP-CHO free diet was compared with that of the diabetic rats on normal diet and the control rats on normal diet. Diabetic state was assessed through the diet consumption, body weight changes, urinary glucose loss and blood glucose estimation. From the fifth day the rats on HP-CHO free diet showed significant reduction of blood glucose level and urinary glucose loss.

Parâmetros maternos e feto-placentários de ratas diabéticas tratadas com diferentes graus de restriçäo alimentar em três períodos da prenhez / Maternal and feto-placental parameters in diabetic rats treated with feeding restriction during different periods of rat's pregnancy

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar parämetros maternos e feto-placentários de ratas diabéticas tratadas com restriçäo alimentar de 25 e 50 por cento, introduzida em diferentes períodos da prenhez. A seqüência experimental de 58 dias constou de quatro períodos: adaptaçäo (7 dias), diabetogênico (15 dias), de acasalamento (15 dias) e de prenhez (21 dias). Foram utilizadas 358 ratas da raça Wistar, fêmeas virgens, pesando entre 180 e 250g, em idade reprodutiva. O diabete foi induzido por Aloxana na dose de 42mg/Kg de peso, e os animais com níveis glicêmicos superiores a 200mg/dl de peso receberam insulina, nos períodos diabetogênico e de acasalamento. A insulinoterapia foi suspensa no dia em que se confirmou a prenhez. As ratas prenhes diabéticas foram divididas em sete grupos: grupo G1, dieta ad libitum durante toda a prenhez; grupos G2, G3 e G4, restriçäo alimentar de 25 por cento; grupos G5, G5 e G7, restriçäo alimentar de 50 por cento. A introduçäo da dieta restritiva foi na terceira (grupos G2 e G5), na segunda (grupos G3 e G6) e na primeira semana de prenhez (grupos G4 e G7). Os níveis glicêmicos plasmáticos foram determinados no primeiro, sétimo, décimo quarto e vigésimo primeiro dias, e diariamente, foram controlados o peso e a ingestäo alimentar materna. A prenhez foi resolvida por cesárea no vigésimo primeiro dia, quando os parâmetros fetais e placentários foram avaliados. Os resultados demonstraram que os vários tratamentos propostos influenciaram a glicemia e, como reflexo, a glicemia fetal. Do ponto de vista materno, o melhor tratamento foi o de restriçäo alimentar de 25 por cento iniciada no primeiro dia da prenhez (grupo G4). A análise dos parâmetros feto-placentários destacou também a restriçäo alimentar de 25 por cento durante toda a prenhez (grupo G4) como tratamento adequado, exceto pele elevada incidência de abortamento. Propöe-se, portanto, novas investigaçöes para se determinar o dia ideal de introduçäo da dieta restritiva na primeira semana de prenhez.

Utilización nutricional de una dieta baja en proteína, en ratas diabéticas por aloxana / Nutritional utilization of a low protein diet in alloxan diabetic rats

Considerando la influencia que el control de la dieta ejerce en el curso de la diabete, se estudió en ratas diabéticas por aloxana, las variaciones que en la utilización nutricional de la proteína tiene el aporte de dos niveles de este sustrato en la dieta [12%(lote 1) y 4%(lote2)]. cada lote se dividió a su vez en dos grupos: A) testigo y B) diabético. Se determinaron parámetros ponderales, ingesta, coeficientes de eficicencia alimentaria (CEA), de eficiencia digestiva (CED), y de utilización metabólica (CUM) así como la razón N retenido/N ingerido y glucemia al principio y final del experimento. Se observó una disminución en el peso, CEA, CED, y CUM en las ratas testigo del lote 2, frente a las del lote 1. La diabetes experimental produjo una elevación en el CEA en los animales del lote 1. Asimismo, en el lote 2 el peso y el CEA disminuyeron mientras aparecía un incremento en la ingesta y el CED, frente a los animales testigo del lote 2. La glucemia se agudizó en las ratas diabéticas, en contraste con las testigo, y en las ratas tratadas que ingerían la dieta baja en proteína, en relación a las alimentadas con la dieta control. Los datos sugieren una modulación, tanto de la utilización nutricional como del estado diabetógeno, por efecto de la cantidad de proteína ingerida en nuestras condiciones experimentales

Supporting evidence for the use of cassava (Manihot esculeta): products instead of Wheat flour products in the diet of the diabetic

The extent of blood glucose increase produced by products of cassava and wheat flour were compared in experiments performed in cars and rats. In normal anaesthetized cats, a meal of 500 mg grated cassava preparations produced a mean maximum blood glucose increase which is 200% less than the mean maximum blood glucose increase produced bu a meal of 500 mg wheat flour preparation. In diabetic rats, a 20 gm homogenous mixture, consisting of 50% cassava bammy and 50%rat chow that was eaten within a 24-hour period, produced a mean blood glucose increase produced by a 20 gm homogeneous mixture, consisting of 50% wheat flour bread and 50% rat chow and eaten over a similar period of time. The lower glucaemic responses of the cassava preparations therefore represent significant advantages over wheat flour preparations, for its (cassava preparation) inclusion in the diet of the diabetic

Efeito do farelo de trigo na dieta de ratos diabéticos por aloxana e normais sobre alguns parâmetros bioquímicos / Effect of wheat bran in the diet of alloxan diabetic and normal rats on some biochemical parameters

O efeito da inclusäo de 25 por cento de farelo de trigo nas dietas de ratos diabéticos e normais sobre alguns parâmetros bioquímicos foi estudado. Induziu-se a diabete em ratos Holtzman machos, adultos, com aloxona (40 mg/kg) por injeçäo i.v. caudal. O delineamento experimental foi o do pareamento em termos de ingestäo calórica e o farelo de trigo adicionado à dieta basal. A restriçäo na ingestäo calórica, devida à presença do farelo na dieta, acarretou a reduçäo da hiperglicemia e hipertrigliceridemia dos ratos diabéticos. Os incrementos constatados nos níveis de colesterol sérico e hepático dos animais normais, assim como no do colesterol hepático dos diabéticos, poderäo ser atribuídos ao teor mais elevado de gordura nas dietas experimentais (15 e 20 por cento), em relaçäo à comercial (9 por cento).