P2X7 receptor antagonist recovers ileum myenteric neurons after experimental ulcerative colitis.

BACKGROUND: The P2X7 receptor is expressed by enteric neurons and enteric glial cells. Studies have demonstrated that administration of a P2X7 receptor antagonist, brilliant blue G (BBG), prevents neuronal loss. AIM: To report the effects of BBG in ileum enteric neurons immunoreactive (ir) following experimental ulcerative colitis in Rattus norvegicus albinus. METHODS: 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS group, n = 5) was injected into the distal colon. BBG (50 mg/kg, BBG group, n = 5) or vehicle (sham group, n = 5) was given subcutaneously 1 h after TNBS. The animals were euthanized after 24 h, and the ileum was removed. Immunohistochemistry was performed on the myenteric plexus to evaluate immunoreactivity for P2X7 receptor, neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), HuC/D and glial fibrillary acidic protein. RESULTS: The numbers of nNOS-, ChAT-, HuC/D-ir neurons and glial fibrillary acidic protein-ir glial cells were decreased in the TNBS group and recovered in the BBG group. The neuronal profile area (µm2) demonstrated that nNOS-ir neurons decreased in the TNBS group and recovered in the BBG group. There were no differences in the profile areas of ChAT- and HuC/D-ir neurons. CONCLUSION: Our data conclude that ileum myenteric neurons and glial cells were affected by ulcerative colitis and that treatment with BBG had a neuroprotective effect. Thus, these results demonstrate that the P2X7 receptor may be an important target in therapeutic strategies.

Application of a Purified Protein From Natural Latex and the Influence of Suture Type on Achilles Tendon Repair in Rats.

BACKGROUND: The prolonged tendon-healing process, the high costs associated with treatment, the increase in the number of injuries over the past decades, and the lack of consensus on the optimal treatment of tendon injuries are a global problem. Restoring the normal tendon anatomy and decreasing the healing time are key factors for treatment advancement. HYPOTHESIS: Application of a purified protein from natural latex (PPNL) accelerates the healing process, increasing collagen synthesis and decreasing metalloproteinases. PPNL associated with a simpler suture technique should decrease the healing time. STUDY DESIGN: Controlled laboratory study. METHODS: Injury, surgery, and treatment with PPNL were conducted with male Sprague-Dawley rats. Two suture techniques were used: U-suture, a simpler and lesser traumatic technique, and Kessler-Tajima, to avoid strangulation of the microcirculation. Achilles tendons were completely sectioned, and 100 µL of 0.1% PPNL was applied on the tendon during surgery. Tendon morphology, distribution, and quantity of collagen types I and III, as well as expression of TIMP-1, TIMP-2, MMP-2, and MMP-9 and ultrastructural aspects of cells and collagen fibrils, were assessed after 2 and 4 weeks. RESULTS: PPNL treatment improved collagen type I synthesis and reduced MMP-2 expression. All groups showed a 6.8-times increase in tendon weight as compared with the control group after 2 weeks and a 5.2-times increase after 4 weeks. All groups showed an increase in diameter after 4 weeks, except for the ones treated with PPNL, which showed a slight reduction in diameter. The peak of concentration of collagen fibrils with a 80-nm diameter was 27.79% in the control group; all other experimental groups presented fibrils between 50 and 60 nm. However, the best results were observed with Kessler-Tajima suture associated with PPNL. CONCLUSION/CLINICAL RELEVANCE: There are no known medicines or substances capable of aiding the tendon healing process besides surgery. The discovery of a substance able to improve this process and decrease its duration represents an important advancement in orthopaedic medicine.

Combination of a high-fat diet with sweetened condensed milk exacerbates inflammation and insulin resistance induced by each separately in mice.

Obesogenic diets increase body weight and cause insulin resistance (IR), however, the association of these changes with the main macronutrient in the diet remains to be elucidated. Male C57BL/6 mice were fed with: control (CD), CD and sweetened condensed milk (HS), high-fat (HF), and HF and condensed milk (HSHF). After 2 months, increased body weight, glucose intolerance, adipocyte size and cholesterol levels were observed. As compared with CD, HS ingested the same amount of calories whereas HF and HSHF ingested less. HS had increased plasma AST activity and liver type I collagen. HF caused mild liver steatosis and hepatocellular damage. HF and HSHF increased LDL-cholesterol, hepatocyte and adipocyte hypertrophy, TNF-α by macrophages and decreased lipogenesis and adiponectin in adipose tissue (AT). HSHF exacerbated these effects, increasing IR, lipolysis, mRNA expression of F4/80 and leptin in AT, Tlr-4 in soleus muscle and IL-6, IL-1ß, VCAM-1, and ICAM-1 protein in AT. The three obesogenic diets induced obesity and metabolic dysfunction. HS was more proinflammatory than the HF and induced hepatic fibrosis. The HF was more detrimental in terms of insulin sensitivity, and it caused liver steatosis. The combination HSHF exacerbated the effects of each separately on insulin resistance and AT inflammatory state.

Estudo morfométrico de rins em felinos domésticos (Felis catus) / Morphometric study on the kidneys of domestic cats (Felis catus)

A saúde renal tem ao longo dos últimos anos chamado atenção dos médicos veterinários, pois o comprometimento deste órgão na insuficiência renal crônica se apresenta como a maior causa de morbidade e mortalidade em felinos. O presente estudo propõe a caracterização biométrica dos rins de gatos, Felis catus, sob os aspectos macroscópicos (comprimento, altura, largura, peso e volume), mesoscópico (altura do córtex e da medula, e a sua inter-relação) e microscópica (volume glomerular), a fim de se estabelecer possíveis diferenças decorrentes de idade, sexo e simetria bilateral. Foram utilizados, rins de 30 animais da espécie Felis catus (gato deméstico), sendo 15 machos e 15 fêmeas com idade variando entre 3 meses a 15 anos, divididos em três grupos: grupo 1 (3-9 meses), grupo 2 (3-5 anos) e grupo 3 (acima de 10 anos)...

Renal health has over the last few years called attention of veterinarians, because the chronic failure of the kidneyu is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in cats. This paper proposes biometric characterization of the kidneys from cats, Felis catus, on the macroscopic aspects (length, height, width, weight and volume), mesoscopic (height of the cortex and medulla, and their inter-relationship) and microscopic (glomerular volume) in order to establish possible differences arising from age, gender and bilateral symmetry. It where used 30 kidneys of animals from specie Felis catus (cat), 15 males and 15 females with ages between 3 months to 15 years, divided into three groups: group 1 (3-9 months), group 2 (3 - 5 years) and group 3 (above 10 years)...

Qualitative study of young, adult, and aged Wistar rats temporomandibular synovial membrane employing light, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy.

The aim of this study was to analyze the rat temporomandibular joint (TMJ) synovial membrane at different ages using light, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy. Under light microscopic analysis, the TMJ structures were observed such as condyle, capsule, disk, the synovial membrane collagen type, and cells distribution. In the scanning electron microscopy, the synovial membrane surface exhibited a smooth aspect in young animals and there was an increase with ageing in the number of folds. The transmission electron microscopic analysis showed more synoviocytes in the synovial layer in the young group and still a great number of vesicles and cisterns dilation of rough endoplasmic reticulum in the aged group. In the three groups, a dense layer of collagen fibers in the synovial layer and cytoplasmic extensions were clearly seen. It was possible to conclude that synovial membrane structures in aged group showed alterations contributing to the decrease in joint lubrication and in the sliding between disk and joint surfaces. These characteristic will reflect in biomechanics of chewing, and may cause the TMJ disorders, currently observed in clinical processes.