Diet and liver apoptosis in rats: a particular metabolic pathway.

INTRODUCTION: Various studies have indicated an association between modifi cation in dietary macronutrient composition and liver apoptosis. OBJECTIVE: To explain how changes in metabolic pathways associated with a high-protein, high-fat, and low-carbohydrate diet causes liver apoptosis. METHODS: Two groups of rats were compared. An experimental diet group (n = 8) using a high-protein (59.46%), high-fat (31.77%), and low-carbohydrate (8.77%) diet versus a control one (n = 9) with American Institute of Nutrition (AIN)-93-M diet. Animals were sacrificed after eight weeks, the adipose tissue weighed, the liver removed for flow cytometry analysis, and blood collected to measure glucose, insulin, glucagon, IL-6, TNF, triglycerides, malondialdehyde, and ß-hydroxybutyrate. Statistical analysis was carried out using the unpaired and parametric Student's t-test and Pearson's correlation coeffi ents. Significance was set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: Animals from the experimental group presented less adipose tissue than dose of the control group. Percentage of nonviable hepatocytes in the experimental group was 2.18 times larger than the control group (p = 0.001). No statistically significant differences were found in capillary glucose, insulin, glucagon, IL-6, or TNF-α between two groups. Plasmatic ß-hydroxybutyrate and malondialdehyde of the experimental group expressed higher levels and triglycerides lower levels compared with the control group. The results show a positive and significant correlation between the percentage of nonviable hepatocytes and malondialdehyde levels (p = 0.0217) and a statistically significant negative correlation with triglycerides levels (p = 0.006). CONCLUSION: Results suggest that plasmatic malondialdehyde and triglyceride levels are probably good predictors of liver damage associated with an experimental low-carbohydrate diet in rats.

Diet and liver apoptosis in rats: a particular metabolic pathway / La dieta y la apoptosis hepática en ratas: una ruta metabólica particular

Introduction: Various studies have indicated an association between modification in dietary macronutrient composition and liver apoptosis. Objective: To explain how changes in metabolic pathways associated with a high-protein, high-fat, and low-carbohydrate diet causes liver apoptosis. Methods: Two groups of rats were compared. An experimental diet group (n = 8) using a high-protein (59.46%), high-fat (31.77%), and low-carbohydrate (8.77%) diet versus a control one (n = 9) with American Institute of Nutrition (AIN)-93-M diet. Animals were sacrifi ced after eight weeks, the adipose tissue weighed, the liver removed for fl ow cytometry analysis, and blood collected to measure glucose, insulin, glucagon, IL-6, TNF, triglycerides, malondialdehyde, and β-hydroxybutyrate. Statistical analysis was carried out using the unpaired and parametric Student’s t-test and Pearson’s correlation coefficients. Significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: Animals from the experimental group presented less adipose tissue than dose of the control group. Percentage of nonviable hepatocytes in the experimental group was 2.18 times larger than the control group (p = 0.001). No statistically significant differences were found in capillary glucose, insulin, glucagon, IL-6, or TNF-α between two groups. Plasmatic β-hydroxybutyrate and malondialdehyde of the experimental group expressed higher levels and triglycerides lower levels compared with the control group. The results show a positive and significant correlation between the percentage of nonviable hepatocytes and malondialdehyde levels (p = 0.0217) and a statistically significant negative correlation with triglycerides levels (p = 0.006). Conclusion: Results suggest that plasmatic malondialdehyde and triglyceride levels are probably good predictors of liver damage associated with an experimental low-carbohydrate diet in rats (AU)

Introducción: varios estudios han indicado una asociación entre la modificación de la composición de macronutrientes de la dieta y la apoptosis hepática. Objetivo: el objetivo fue explicar cómo los cambios en las rutas metabólicas provoca la apoptosis hepática. Métodos: se evaluó un grupo de 17 ratas. Un grupo (n = 8) con dieta experimental: proteínas (59,46%), grasas (31,77%) e hidratos de carbono (8,77%) y otro (n = 9) con dieta control (AIN-93-M). Los animales se sacrificaron después de ocho semanas, y se pesó el tejido adiposo, se retiró el hígado para su posterior análisis por citometría de flujo, y en la sangre recogida se midieron glucosa, insulina, glucagón, IL-6, TNF, triglicéridos, malondialdehído y β-hidroxibutirato. El análisis estadístico utilizó la prueba t no pareada y paramétrica de Student, y la correlación de Pearson; significación se fi jó en p < 0,05. Resultados: no se encontraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas en la glucosa capilar, insulina, glucagón, IL-6, TNF-α o en el grupo de la dieta experimental frente al control. El β-hidroxibutirato y malondialdehído se expresaron en los niveles más altos y los triglicéridos en los niveles más bajos en el grupo experimental. El porcentaje de células no viables en el grupo de dieta experimental era 2,18 veces mayor que la del grupo control. Había menos tejido adiposo de ratas alimentadas con la dieta experimental que la dieta control. Los resultados muestran una correlación positiva y significativa entre el porcentaje de células viables y malondialdehído y una correlación negativa estadísticamente significativa con los triglicéridos. Conclusión: malondialdehído y los niveles de triglicéridos en plasma son probablemente buenos predictores de daño hepático (AU)

Apoptosis induced by a low-carbohydrate and high-protein diet in rat livers.

AIM: To determine whether high-protein, high-fat, and low-carbohydrate diets can cause lesions in rat livers. METHODS: We randomly divided 20 female Wistar rats into a control diet group and an experimental diet group. Animals in the control group received an AIN-93M diet, and animals in the experimental group received an Atkins-based diet (59.46% protein, 31.77% fat, and 8.77% carbohydrate). After 8 wk, the rats were anesthetized and exsanguinated for transaminases analysis, and their livers were removed for flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, and light microscopy studies. We expressed the data as mean ± standard deviation (SD) assuming unpaired and parametric data; we analyzed differences using the Student's t-test. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. RESULTS: We found that plasma alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels were significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group. According to flow cytometry, the percentages of nonviable cells were 11.67% ± 1.12% for early apoptosis, 12.07% ± 1.11% for late apoptosis, and 7.11% ± 0.44% for non-apoptotic death in the experimental diet group and 3.73% ± 0.50% for early apoptosis, 5.67% ± 0.72% for late apoptosis, and 3.82% ± 0.28% for non-apoptotic death in the control diet group. The mean percentage of early apoptosis was higher in the experimental diet group than in the control diet group. Immunohistochemistry for autophagy was negative in both groups. Sinusoidal dilation around the central vein and small hepatocytes was only observed in the experimental diet group, and fibrosis was not identified by hematoxylin-eosin or Trichrome Masson staining in either group. CONCLUSION: Eight weeks of an experimental diet resulted in cellular and histopathological lesions in rat livers. Apoptosis was our principal finding; elevated plasma transaminases demonstrate hepatic lesions.

Structure of the rat tracheal mucosa after chronic intermittent hypoxia or chronic hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

OBJECTIVE: This paper is aimed at identifying putative morphological changes induced in the rat's tracheal mucosa by chronic hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment or chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH). STUDY DESIGN: Tracheal samples were obtained from three groups of 11, 12 and 13 adult Wistar rats. The first group was submitted to 20 sessions of 100 min-long HBO treatment; the second group was submitted to eucapnic CIH for 35 days; and the third group was not submitted to any CIH or HBO therapy. METHODS: Four proximal tracheal rings were collected after sacrifice and neck dissection of the animals. The samples were processed for both light microscopy and morphometric analysis. Inflammatory leukocyte infiltration was evaluated by a semiquantitative method. Unpaired t test and Bernoulli distribution were applied to evaluate statistical differences in the data collected from the three groups. RESULTS: Both CIH and HBO promote an increase in the thickness of the epithelium and of the basement membrane of the rat tracheal mucosa, as well as an increment in the number of infiltrating leukocytes, when compared with results seen in the untreated group. In the HBO group there was a significant lack of seromucous glands, as opposed to the results obtained in the CIH group. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic HBO and CIH exposure causes only minor changes in the architecture of the tracheal mucosa of the rat. The respiratory tract of the rat showed a mild inflammatory response when subject to variations of pressure and oxygen content. Apparently these effects do not constitute a critical issue on prescribing HBO treatments and in the management of sleep apnea patients.

Estudo da relaçäo aminoácidos de cadeia ramificada/aminoácidos aromáticos após diferentes porcentagens de ressecçäo hepática experimental / Evaluation of the branched chain aminoacids and aromatic aminoacids ratio following hepatic resection

O estudo da relacao aminoacidos de cadeia ramificada/ aminoacidos aromaticos plasmaticos vem sendo realizado em pacientes com lesao hepatica cronica e aguda com o fim de se avaliar o comprometimento funcional do figado quanto ao metabolismo desses aminoacidos. Na insuficiencia hepatica cirurgica tambem essa relacao esta alterada. O presente trabalho teve por objetivo estudar a relacao AACR/AAA apos diferentes porcentagens de resseccao hepatica, assim como avaliar a influencia das diferentes resseccoes, sobre esta relacao. Para isso, 43 ratos Wistar foram divididos em tres grupos. O primeiro grupo, com sete ratos, serviu para a medida dos parametros normais. O segundo grupo, com seis animais, sofreu laparotomia com leve maniopulacao do figado. O terceiro grupo sofreu resseccao hepatica e, por sua vez, foi dividido em cinco subgrupos de seis ratos cada um, correspondendo cada subgrupo a seguinte porcentagem de resseccao: 10%, 34%,68%, 77% e 90%. Os animais foram operados sob anestesia geral com eter e sacrificados tambem, sob anestesia, 24 horas apos a cirurgia por puncao da veia cava inferior, sendo colhido todo o sangue por heparina. No ato do sacrificio, o figado foi ressecado, lavado com soro fisiologico e pesado, e o sangue centrifugado para a medida dos aminoacidos plasmaticos e a determinacao da relacao AACR/AAA. Os resultados demonstraram que ha correlacao indireta entre a relacao AACR/AAA e a quantidade de parenquima ressecado. Assim, quanto maior e a porcentagem retirada menor e a sua relacao. Ha, entretanto, correlacao direta entre a AACR/AAA e o peso do figado encontrado no ato do sacrificio. Concluiu-se que a relacao AACR/AAA pode ser utilizada no pos-operatorio das resseccoes do figado como paramentro de avaliacao da reserva funcional hepatica, ou seja, da quantidade de massa hepatica funcionante

Atuaçäo de enfermagem em geriatria: uma nova concepçäo dentro de um hospital geral / Geriatric nurse actuation: a new concept inside of a general hospital

Este trabalho trata da caracterizaçäo da clientela assistida durante o primeiro semestre de 1988, em uma unidade geriátrica de um hospital geral. A enfermagem participa de forma ativa junto aos pacientes e a equipe multidisciplinar no atendimento ao idoso. A unidade geriátrica é composta de 12 leitos, onde 46 pacientes foram assistidos durante esse período. A média de internaçäo foi de 29,5 dias. Os pacientes foram classificados quanto a sua dependência de enfermagem no ato da admissäo e no dia da alta hospitalar. Para a classificaçäo dos pacientes as autoras estabeleceram critérios baseando-se na realidade da própria unidade de internaçäo