Pros and cons of insulin administration on liver glucose metabolism in strength-trained healthy mice.

Non-diabetic individuals use hormones like insulin to improve muscle strength and performance. However, as insulin also leads the liver and the adipose tissue to an anabolic state, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of insulin on liver metabolism in trained non-diabetic Swiss mice. The mice were divided into four groups: sedentary treated with saline (SS) or insulin (SI) and trained treated with saline (TS) or insulin (TI). Training was made in a vertical stair, at 90% of the maximum load, three times per week. Insulin (0.3 U/kg body weight) or saline were given intraperitoneally five times per week. After eight weeks, tissue and blood were collected and in situ liver perfusion with glycerol+lactate or alanine+glutamine (4 mM each) was carried out. The trained animals increased their muscle strength (+100%) and decreased body weight gain (-11%), subcutaneous fat (-42%), mesenteric fat (-45%), and peritoneal adipocyte size (-33%) compared with the sedentary groups. Insulin prevented the adipose effects of training (TI). The gastrocnemius muscle had greater density of muscle fibers (+60%) and less connective tissue in the trained groups. Liver glycogen was increased by insulin (SI +40% and TI +117%), as well as liver basal glucose release (TI +40%). Lactate and pyruvate release were reduced to a half by training. The greater gluconeogenesis from alanine+glutamine induced by training (TS +50%) was reversed by insulin (TI). Insulin administration had no additional effect on muscle strength and reversed some of the lipolytic and gluconeogenic effects of the resistance training. Therefore, insulin administration does not complement training in improving liver glucose metabolism.

Pros and cons of insulin administration on liver glucose metabolism in strength-trained healthy mice

Non-diabetic individuals use hormones like insulin to improve muscle strength and performance. However, as insulin also leads the liver and the adipose tissue to an anabolic state, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of insulin on liver metabolism in trained non-diabetic Swiss mice. The mice were divided into four groups: sedentary treated with saline (SS) or insulin (SI) and trained treated with saline (TS) or insulin (TI). Training was made in a vertical stair, at 90% of the maximum load, three times per week. Insulin (0.3 U/kg body weight) or saline were given intraperitoneally five times per week. After eight weeks, tissue and blood were collected and in situ liver perfusion with glycerol+lactate or alanine+glutamine (4 mM each) was carried out. The trained animals increased their muscle strength (+100%) and decreased body weight gain (-11%), subcutaneous fat (-42%), mesenteric fat (-45%), and peritoneal adipocyte size (-33%) compared with the sedentary groups. Insulin prevented the adipose effects of training (TI). The gastrocnemius muscle had greater density of muscle fibers (+60%) and less connective tissue in the trained groups. Liver glycogen was increased by insulin (SI +40% and TI +117%), as well as liver basal glucose release (TI +40%). Lactate and pyruvate release were reduced to a half by training. The greater gluconeogenesis from alanine+glutamine induced by training (TS +50%) was reversed by insulin (TI). Insulin administration had no additional effect on muscle strength and reversed some of the lipolytic and gluconeogenic effects of the resistance training. Therefore, insulin administration does not complement training in improving liver glucose metabolism.

Copper phytoremediation by a salt marsh plant (Phragmites australis) enhanced by autochthonous bioaugmentation.

Here we evaluated whether the potential of Phragmites australis to phytoremediate Cu contaminated sediments could be enhanced by bioaugmentation with an autochthonous microorganism consortium (AMC) that is resistant to Cu. Saltmarsh plants with sediment attached to their roots were collected, placed in vessels and kept in greenhouses, under tidal simulation. Sediments were contaminated with Cu and the AMC was added to half of the vessels. After two months, plants accumulated significant amounts of Cu (2-10 times more) in all tissues although in higher amounts (7-10 times more) in belowground structures. AMC addition increased Cu bioavailability (5-10%) in sediments leading to a decrease in belowground structures biomass. However, bioaugmentation increased Cu translocation, with higher amounts (2 times more) of Cu in the plant stems, without significant visual toxicity signs. Therefore, autochthonous bioaugmentation can increase Cu phytoextraction potential of P. australis, which can be a valuable strategy for the recovery and management of moderately impacted estuaries.

Virulence and molecular aspects of Bordetella avium isolated from cockatiel chicks (Nymphicus hollandicus) in Brazil.

Bordetella avium is an opportunistic pathogen that presents tropism for ciliated epithelia, leading to upper respiratory tract disease in turkeys. This agent has also been associated with Lockjaw Syndrome in psittacine birds, but literatures describing the importance of this agent in such species are rare. The purpose of the present study was to report the first outbreak of B. avium infection in juvenile cockatiels demonstrating the Lockjaw Syndrome in Brazil and to investigate the antimicrobial resistance profile and phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of these strains. Surprising, the strains obtained from five infected cockatiel chicks from three different breeders from different Brazilian states showed a clonal relationship using the Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis and Single Enzyme Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism techniques. The virulence potentials of the B. avium strains were assessed using tracheal adherence and cytotoxic effects on a VERO cell monolayer.

Perspectives on the development of novel potentially active quinolones against tuberculosis and cancer.

Quinolones and its derivatives comprise an important group of heterocyclic compounds that exhibit a wide range of pharmacological properties such as antibacterial, antitumor, antiviral, anti-ischemic, antiparasitic and anxiolytic. Persistent efforts have been made over the years to develop novel congeners with superior biological activities and minimal potential for undesirable side-effects. The present review aims to highlight some recent discoveries on the development of novel quinolone-based compounds with potential antitubercular and anticancer activity.

Inibiçäo seletiva das atividades das enzimas transcriptase reversa do vírus HIV-1 e DNA polimerases humanas por derivados dipirazolo-piridina / Selective inhibition of reverse transcriptase enzyme activity of HIV-1 virus and human polymerases DNA by dipirazolo-pyridines derivatives

Novos ribonucleosídeos derivados dos sistemas dipirazolo-piridina foram preparados e avaliados quanto à atividade polimerásica das enzimas transcriptase reversa (RT) do vírus HIV-1 e das DNA polimerases humanas alfa e epsilon. Os derivados 1b e 1d inibiram a atividade da transcriptase reversa em concentraçöes de micromolares. Entretanto, as mesmas substâncias näo foram capazes de inibir a atividade polimerase das enzimas DNA-polimerase humana alfa e epsilon.