Potential urinary biomarkers in preeclampsia: a narrative review.

INTRODUCTION: Preeclampsia (PE) is a highly relevant pregnancy-related disorder. An early and accurate diagnosis is crucial to prevent major maternal and neonatal complications and mortality. Due to the association of kidney dysfunction with the pathophysiology of the disease, urine samples have the potential to provide biomarkers for PE prediction, being minimally invasive and easy to perform. Therefore, searching for novel biomarkers may improve outcomes. This narrative review aimed to summarize the scientific literature about the traditional and potential urinary biomarkers in PE and to investigate their applicability to screen and diagnose the disorder. METHODS: A non-systematic search was performed in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and SciELO databases. RESULTS: There is significant divergence in the literature regarding traditionally used serum markers creatinine, cystatin C, and albuminuria, accuracy in PE prediction. As for the potential renal biomarkers investigated, including vascular epithelial growth factor (VEGF), placental growth factor (PlGF), and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase (sFlt-1), urinary levels of PlGF and sFtl-1/PlGF ratio in urine seem to be the most promising as screening tests. The assessment of the global load of misfolded proteins through urinary congophilia, podocyturia, and nephrinuria has also shown potential for screening and diagnosis. Studies regarding the use of proteomics and metabolomics have shown good accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity for predicting the development and severity of PE. CONCLUSION: However, there are still many divergences in the literature, which requires future and more conclusive research to confirm the predictive role of urinary biomarkers in pregnant women with PE.

Tifton hay, soybean hulls, and whole cottonseed as fiber source in spineless cactus diets for sheep.

The objective of this paper was to evaluate the effect of three different sources of fiber (tifton hay, soybean hulls, and whole cottonseed) in spineless cactus diets for sheep in the semiarid region of northeastern Brazil. Twenty-one sheep in finishing phase with indeterminate breed, non-castrated, and with initial weight of 18.90 ± 1.07 kg were randomly distributed to individual stalls where they were confined for the duration of the experiment. The intakes of dry and organic matter, total carbohydrates, and total digestive nutrients were not influenced (P > 0.10) by the different fiber sources (1.10, 0.97, 0.73, and 0.80 kg/day, respectively). However, sheep which received the whole cottonseed diet were characterized by a lower (P < 0.10) intake of crude protein and neutral detergent fiber and greater (P < 0.10) intake of ether extract (0.11, 0.29, and 0.048 kg/day, respectively). The different sources of fiber resulted in similar times spent feeding (P > 0.10), although the rumination time was greater for tifton hay (P < 0.10) (429.05 min/day). The digestibility coefficient of dry and organic matter differed between the treatments (P < 0.10), with the soybean hull diet showing a higher level of digestion (83.23 and 86.72 %, respectively). The whole cottonseed diet gave the smallest digestibility coefficient of crude protein (68.95 %) and greatest for ether extract (85.94 %). The daily weight gain of animals fed on whole cottonseed was significantly lower (P < 0.10). On the basis of these findings, we recommend the use of tifton hay or soybean hulls as important additional source of fiber in forage spineless cactus diets for sheep in finishing phase.

Proprioceptive and strength endurance training prevent soccer injuries / Treinamento proprioceptivo e de força resistente previnem lesões no futebol

Objective - Injuries may exclude athletes from important games and competitions and abbreviate their careers. Then, the aim of this study was to analyze the effect of proprioceptive training and strength endurance on the incidence of ankle sprains and muscle injuries in soccer. Methods - Thirteen athletes who played in the Paulista Championship in first division (U20) participated. The incidence of muscular injuries in lower limbs and ankle sprains that did not proceed from direct trauma was recorded during two seasons. Besides the normal training, the analysis was divided into two situations: in the first season (S1) were involved with proprioceptive exercises (twice per week and before games in the warm up) and strength endurance (twice a week for the muscles thigh). The following season (T2), these works were not performed and served as controls. For statistical analysis the non parametric test McNemar (pared observations) for season comparison (before and after) was used with 5% significance. Results - The incidence of muscle injuries was higher (P <0.05) in the nonintervention period S2 when compared to the preparation period with muscular and proprioceptive S1 (6 x 1 lesions) with the same occurring with the ankle sprains (4 x 1).Conclusion - We conclude that simple exercises of proprioception and muscular endurance decreases the incidence of injuries in soccerplayers, and are therefore preventive.

Objetivo - Lesões afastam atletas de jogos e competições importantes, podendo abreviar a carreira de futebolistas. Assim, o objetivo deste estudo foi analisar o efeito do treinamento proprioceptivo e de força resistente sobre a incidência de entorses de tornozelo e lesões musculares em futebolistas. Métodos - Treze atletas que disputavam o Campeonato Paulista da 1ª divisão (sub-20) participaram. A incidência de lesões musculares nos membros inferiores e entorses de tornozelo que não decorreram de traumas diretos foram registrados durante duas temporadas. Além dos treinamentos normais, a análise foi dividida em duas situações: na primeira temporada (T1) houve intervenção com exercícios proprioceptivos (duas vezes por semana e antes dos jogos no aquecimento) e treinamento de força resistente (duas vezes por semana para a musculatura da coxa). Na temporada seguinte (T2) esses trabalhos não foram realizados e serviu como controle. Para análise estatística foi utilizado o teste não paramétrico de McNemar (observações pareadas) para comparações entre as temporadas (pré e pós) com significância adotada de 5%. Resultados - A incidência de lesões musculares foi maior (P < 0,05) no período sem intervenção T2 quando comparado ao período com preparação muscular e proprioceptiva T1 (6 x 1 lesões) com o mesmo ocorrendo em relação aos entorses de tornozelo (4 x 1). Conclusão - Conclui-se que exercícios simples de propriocepção e de força resistente diminuem a incidência de lesões em futebolistas e são, portanto, preventivos.