Obesity-induced skeletal muscle remodeling: A comparative analysis of exercise training and ACE-inhibitory drug in male mice.

Obesity over-activates the classical arm of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), impairing skeletal muscle remodeling. We aimed to compare the effect of exercise training and enalapril, an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, on RAS modulation in the skeletal muscle of obese animals. Thus, we divided C57BL/6 mice into two groups: standard chow (SC) and high-fat (HF) diet for 16 weeks. At the eighth week, the HF-fed animals were divided into four subgroups-sedentary (HF), treated with enalapril (HF-E), exercise training protocol (HF-T), and combined interventions (HF-ET). After 8 weeks of treatment, we evaluated body mass and index (BMI), body composition, exercise capacity, muscle morphology, and skeletal muscle molecular markers. All interventions resulted in lower BMI and attenuation of overactivation in the classical arm, while favoring the B2R in the bradykinin receptors profile. This was associated with reduced apoptosis markers in obese skeletal muscles. The HF-T group showed an increase in muscle mass and expression of biosynthesis markers and a reduction in expression of degradation markers and muscle fiber atrophy due to obesity. These findings suggest that the combination intervention did not have a synergistic effect against obesity-induced muscle remodeling. Additionally, the use of enalapril impaired muscle's physiological adaptations to exercise training.

Dexamethasone versus ondansetron in combination with dexamethasone for the prophylaxis of postoperative vomiting in pediatric outpatients: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the frequency of postoperative vomiting (POV) in children submitted to outpatient surgery and to compare the efficacy of antiemetic drugs in preventing this complication. BACKGROUND: Nausea and vomiting are common in the immediate postoperative period following anesthetic and surgical procedures. Compared to adults, pediatric patients are more likely to develop postoperative nausea and vomiting, the incidence of which ranges from 8.9% to 42%. METHODS: This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial included 129 children. The participants were randomized into three prophylactic treatment groups: dexamethasone (n = 43), ondansetron in combination with dexamethasone (n = 44), and placebo (n = 42). The variables studied were the frequency of POV and the incidence of vomiting after the patient had been discharged from hospital, the need for antiemetic rescue therapy in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU), need for hospitalization, and the time the patient remained in the PACU. A significance level of 5% was adopted. RESULTS: Postoperative vomiting occurred in 12.4% of the children, with no statistically significant difference between the groups: 6.8% in the group receiving ondansetron combined with dexamethasone, 14.3% in the placebo group, and 14% in the group that received dexamethasone alone (P = 0.47). Furthermore, no significant difference was found between the groups with respect to the time the children remained in the PACU, and only five patients reported having vomited following discharge from hospital. CONCLUSIONS: The prophylactic use of antiemetic drugs failed to reduce the incidence of POV in pediatric outpatient surgery with a low emetic potential; therefore, routine prophylaxis may be unnecessary.

Achados neurologicos e laboratoriais em populacao de area endemica para teniase-cisticercose, lagamar, M.G, Brasil / Neurologic and laboratory findings in population of endemic area for teniasis-cysticercosis, Lagamar, MG, Brazil (1992-1993)

Realizou-se um inquerito clinico-epidemiologico em area endemica para teniase-cisticercose. Foram examinados 1080 (32,2 por cento) individuos da populacao total, encontrando-se 198 (18,3 por cento) individuos referindo antecedente de teniase, e 103 (9,5 por cento) apresentaram historia anterior ou atual de convulsoes. Destes ultimos, 39 (37,8 por cento) referiram inicio das crises na vida adulta, e 62 (60 por cento) foram avaliados laboratorialmente. Em 21 (33,8 por cento) casos, o resultado da tomografia mostrou calcificacoes intracranianas compativeis com neurocisticercose, em numero e localizacao variaveis, mas sem evidencia de atividade da doenca....