Treatments for diabetes mellitus type II: New perspectives regarding the possible role of calcium and cAMP interaction.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is among the top ten causes of death worldwide. It is considered to be one of the major global epidemics of the 21st century, with a significant impact on public health budgets. DM is a metabolic disorder with multiple etiologies. Its pathophysiology is marked by dysfunction of pancreatic ß-cells which compromises the synthesis and secretion of insulin along with resistance to insulin action in peripheral tissues (muscle and adipose). Subjects presenting insulin resistance in DM type 2 often also exhibit increased insulin secretion and hyperinsulinemia. Insulin secretion is controlled by several factors such as nutrients, hormones, and neural factors. Exocytosis of insulin granules has, as its main stimulus, increased intracellular calcium ([Ca+2]i) and it is further amplified by cyclic AMP (cAMP). In the event of this hyperfunction, it is very common for ß-cells to go into exhaustion leading to failure or death. Several animal studies have demonstrated pleiotropic effects of L-type Ca2+ channel blockers (CCBs). In animal models of obesity and diabetes, treatment with CCBs promoted restoration of insulin secretion, glycemic control, and reduction of pancreatic ß-cell apoptosis. In addition, hypertensive individuals treated with CCBs presented a lower incidence of DM when compared with other antihypertensive agents. In this review, we propose that pharmacological manipulation of the Ca2+/cAMP interaction system could lead to important targets for pharmacological improvement of insulin secretion in DM type 2.

Environmental concern of university students in the federal education institute in rural Goiás, Brazil / Preocupação ambiental de estudantes universitários de instituto federal de educação da zona rural de Goiás, Brasil

In this research the adaptation and validation of the Environmental Concern Scale (ECS) for Brazilian Portuguese and the environmental concerns of students were described. After being translated with the assistance of an expert teacher in Spanish language, the ECS was administered to two samples: one of university students (N=153) from Federal Institute of Education Goiano (IF GOIANO), Rio Verde campus, and another of public servants evaluators (N=13) from Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Rondônia (IFRO), Colorado do Oeste campus. Content validity, reliability and construct validity were evaluated. Statistical properties obtained proved the quality of the measurement instrument of Environmental Concern. The agreement style of evaluators with the ECS admitted values for average central tendency, median and mode close to 4.00, in a scale of values from 1.00 to 5.00. The environmental concern of students was low.

No presente trabalho, foi descrita a adaptação e validação da Escala de Preocupação Ambiental (EPA) para o português brasileiro e a preocupação ambiental dos estudantes. Após ter sido traduzida e retrovertida, com a ajuda de um professor perito na língua espanhola, a EPA foi administrada a duas amostras: uma de estudantes universitários (N=153) do Instituto Federal de Educação Goiano (IF GOIANO), Campus Rio Verde, e outra de servidores públicos avaliadores (N=13) do Instituto Federal de Educação de Rondônia (IFRO), Campus Colorado do Oeste, e foi avaliada a validez de conteúdo, a confiabilidade e a validade de construto. As propriedades estatísticas encontradas atestaram a qualidade do instrumento de medição da Preocupação Ambiental. O estilo de concordância dos avaliadores com a EPA admitiu valores para as medidas de tendência central média, mediana e moda próxima a 4,00, conforme escala de valores de 1,00 a 5,00. A preocupação ambiental dos estudantes foi considerada baixa.