Physical function as a marker to assess the effects of occupational long-term pesticide exposure.

In this cross-sectional study, we determined the relative impact of long-term occupational exposure to pesticides on physical performance and perception of tiredness. Experimental data was collected in locus from agricultural communities and included surveys to assess the duration of exposure to pesticides, social status, habitual physical activity levels, presence of common mental disorders (CMD), and self-reported tiredness. Plasmatic cholinesterase (PChE), body composition and traditional functional performance tests (Handgrip strength-HGS; Time up and go-TUG; and Sit-to-stand-STS) were obtained. From the 127 individuals tested, cluster analysis yielded 80 individuals divided in Direct Exposed (n = 37) and Indirect Exposed (n = 43); Tired (n = 16), and Not Tired (n = 64). PChE values were within the reference values (5209.64-13943.53 U/L). Pesticide exposure had no influence on PChE levels, CMD or fatigue (p > 0.05), while Self-reported tiredness had (p < 0.05). Principal Component Analyses showed that HGS; STS and TUG (i.e., physical performance variables) are negatively influenced by two independent factors: pesticide exposure and self-reported tiredness. We conclude that chronic pesticide exposure and tiredness can negatively impact physical performance, independently, without clinically significant changes in PChE levels that is a biomarker used to track pesticide intoxication. Functional physical tests can be a useful tool to identify chronic pesticide exposure, and help with the limitations of commonly used parameters (i.e. PChE and CMD). Self-reported tiredness is a confounding variable.

Metabolic Consequences of the Water We Drink: A Study Based on Field Evidence and Animal Model Experimentation.

The effect of the chronic consumption of water contaminated with residual concentrations of DDT's metabolites (DDD-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane and DDE-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene) found in the environment were evaluated on the biometric, hematological and antioxidant system parameters of the hepatic, muscular, renal and nervous tissues of Wistar rats. The results showed that the studied concentrations (0.002 mg.L-1 of DDD plus 0.005 mg.L-1 of DDE) could not cause significant changes in the hematological parameters. However, the tissues showed significant alteration in the activity of the antioxidant system represented by the increase in the activity of the enzymes gluthathione S-transferases in the liver, superoxide dismutase in the kidney, gluthathione peroxidase in the brain, and several changes in enzymatic activity in muscle (SOD, GPx and LPO). The enzymes alanine aminotransaminase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransaminase (AST) were also evaluated for the amino acids' metabolism in the liver, with ALT showing a significant increase in the exposed animals. In the integrative analysis of biomarkers (Permanova and PCOA), the studied concentrations showed possible metabolic changes and damage to cellular structures evidenced by increased oxidative stress and body weight gain among the treated animals. This study highlights the need for further studies on the impact of banned pesticides still present in soils that may induce adverse effects in organisms that may prevail in future generations and the environment.

Miniaturized QuEChERS extraction method for the detection of multi-residue pesticides in bat muscle tissue.

Habitat loss and fragmentation are among the greatest threats to biodiversity and ecosystem stability, with physiological implications on wild fauna. Bats (Microchiroptera) are small mammals with a wide variety of eating habits, and the well-being of these animals is disturbed by exposure to pesticides. This study aimed to develop a miniaturized QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe) extraction method for the detection of multi-residue pesticides in bat muscle tissue using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A total of 48 pesticides were tested in 250 mg of bat muscle tissue. The developed analytical method was applied to 148 bats collected from two different areas in Minas Gerais State, Southeast Region of Brazil. The method presented good sensitivity and allowed the determination of residues of 48 pesticides in bat muscle using GC-MS. The miniaturized extraction method makes the analysis feasible even when the sample volume is limited. However, no pesticide residues were detected in bats from the two areas investigated.

Whole-body vibration promotes lipid mobilization in hypothalamic obesity rat.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to analyze the effect of whole-body vibration (WBV) on metabolic parameters using the monosodium l-glutamate (MSG) model of obesity. METHOD: MSG-obese rats that were exposed to WBV on a vibrating platform with 60 Hz frequency, 2 mm amplitude, three times/week, 10 min/day, during eight weeks (from postnatal day (PN) 80 to PN136). Blood glucose, creatine kinases (CK and CK-MB) and lipid profile through plasma and liver levels of lipids and lipoproteins were evaluated. Morphology and oxidative stress of adipose and hepatic tissues were further evaluated. RESULTS: When performing a WBV exercise, animals showed contrasting metabolic responses. Vibration Control group (CTL-WBV) presented a reduction in CK and liver triacylglycerol, an increase in glucose, lactate, total cholesterol, liver cholesterol, and LDL while MSG Vibration group (MSG-WBV) showed an increase in total triacylglycerol, VLDL, lactate, CK, liver cholesterol, additional liver lipid peroxidation and LDL, total cholesterol and CKMB reduction. CONCLUSION: Even although the MSG is a model of impacting injury, the metabolic demand of WBV exercise was able to induce mobilization of substrates, highlighting the lipid mobilization in obese animals, it should be used as a metabolic rehabilitation tool in patients with metabolic diseases, such as obesity and diabetes.

Alterations in neuromuscular junctions and oxidative stress of the soleus muscle of obese Wistar rats caused by vibratory platform training.

OBJECTIVES: evaluate the effects that whole-body vibration (WBV) causes on the neuromuscular junctions and oxidative stress of the soleus muscle of obese Wistar rats. METHODS: 32 male Wistar rats were used, 16 of which were obesity induced by monosodium glutamate, randomized into four groups: control (GC), control with WBV (GCP), obese (GO) and obese with WBV (GOP). At the 70 days old, the training on WBV was started, performed 3 times a week, during 8 consecutive weeks. At the 130 days old, the animals were euthanized and the soleus muscles were collected. RESULTS: Regarding the analysis of the neuromuscular junctions, the obese groups had lower mean size when compared to the control groups. On the other hand, the WBV presented higher averages when compared to the groups that did not perform the training. Regarding the oxidative stress, for the lipid peroxidation there was a significant difference between obese and non-obese animals, however, there was no difference between the animals WBV and those who did not. CONCLUSION: WBV promotes beneficial changes such as increased measurements of the structures of the neuromuscular junctions, but is not able to promote changes in the concentration of the cholinesterase enzyme in the synaptic cleft.

Validação e Categorização da Escala de Crenças dos Pais de Recém-nascidos Prematuros / Validación y clasificación de la Escala de Creencias de los Padres de recién nacidos prematuros / Validation and categorization of the Parental Belief Scale of pre-term newborn babies

Resumo A hospitalização do recém-nascido prematuro em uma Unidade de Terapia Intensiva Neonatal é uma fonte significativa de estresse materno, devido a fatores que interferem na interação mãe-bebê e abalam a dinâmica familiar, alterando o papel parental e interferindo na capacidade de cuidado dos pais. Nesse sentido, este estudo objetivou descrever o processo de tradução, adaptação cultural, validação psicométrica e categorização dos escores da escala Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Parental Belief Scale (meu: PBS) para o português do Brasil, com pais de crianças prematuras hospitalizadas. Estudo metodológico de validação com as etapas: tradução, retrotradução, análise do comitê de juízes, pré-teste, reexame das pontuações e avaliação das propriedades psicométricas. A validade de construto foi verificada em uma amostra total de 99 pais de recém-nascidos prematuros, pela análise fatorial confirmatoria e exploratória. A validade de conteúdo realizada pelo comitê de juizes mostrou-se adequada, com concordância para tradução de 90 % e Kappa de .71. O teste-reteste obteve Coeficiente de Correlação Intraclasse de .98 e Alfa de Cronbach de .92. Abrangeu-se na análise fatorial exploratória estrutura com três fatores que explicaram 56 % da variância: confiança no papel parental; interação pais e filho, e conhecimento dos pais. A escala de crenças dos pais conquistou validade de conteúdo e confiabilidade satisfatória, além de se apresentar adequada para a aplicação com pais de recém-nascidos prematuros hospitalizados.

Resumen La hospitalización del recién nacido prematuro en una unidad de cuidados intensivos neonatales es una importante fuente de estrés materno debido a factores que interfieren en la interacción madre-bebé y que sacuden la dinámica familiar al alterar el rol de los padres e interferir en la capacidad de atención de los mismos. Este estudio busca describir el proceso de clasificación de las puntuaciones de la escala Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Parental Belief Scale (NICU: PBS), y su traducción, adaptación cultural y validación psicométrica para el portugués de Brasil con padres de niños prematuros hospitalizados. El estudio metodológico de validación contó con los pasos de traducción, retrotraducción, análisis del comité de los jueces, prueba piloto, revisión de las puntuaciones y evaluación de las propiedades psicométricas. La validez de constructo se comprobó con el análisis factorial exploratorio y confirmatorio en una muestra total de 99 padres de recién nacidos prematuros. La validez de contenido realizado por el comité de jueces fue adecuada, con una concordancia para la traducción del 90 % y un Kappa de .71. El test-retest obtuvo un Coeficiente de Correlación Intraclase de .98 y un alfa de Cronbach de .92. Finalmente, en el análisis factorial exploratorio se encontró una estructura con tres factores: confianza en el rol parental, interacción padres e hijos, y conocimiento de los padres; los cuales explicaron el 56 % de la varianza total. En conclusión, la escala de creencias de los padres obtuvo una validez de contenido y confiabilidad satisfactorias, lo que demuestra que su aplicación con padres y madres de recién nacidos prematuros hospitalizados en Brasil es adecuada.

Abstract Hospitalization of the premature newborn baby in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is a significant source of maternal stress, due to factors that interfere with the mother-infant interaction and affect the family dynamics, altering the parental role and interfering with the parental care capacity. This study aimed to describe the process of translation, cultural adaptation, psychometric validation and categorization of the scores of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Parental Belief Scale (NICU: PBS) for Brazilian Portuguese, with parents of hospitalized premature children. This is a methodological validation study with the following steps: translation, back-translation, analysis of the judges committee, pre-test, reexamination of scores and evaluation of psychometric properties. The construct validity was verified in a total sample of 99 fathers and/or mothers of preterm infants by confirmatory and exploratory factorial analysis. The content validity performed by the judges' committee was adequate, with 90 % agreement for the translation and Kappa of .71. The test-retest obtained an Intraclass Correlation Coefficient of .98 and Cronbach's Alpha of .92. In the exploratory factor analysis a structure with three factors was found: trust in the parental role, parent-child interaction and parental knowledge, which explained 56 % of the variance. The parents' Beliefs Scale obtained satisfactory content and reliability, and it was adequate for the application with parents of hospitalized pre-term infants.