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Item Abdominal TRPV1 channel desensitization enhances stress-induced hyperthermia during social stress in rats.(2023) Reis, Thayane Oliveira; Noronha, Sylvana Izaura Salyba Rendeiro de; Lima, Paulo Marcelo de Andrade; Abreu, Aline Rezende Ribeiro de; Mesquita, Laura Batista Tavares; Ferreira, Fernanda Isabel; Silva, Fernanda Cacilda dos Santos; Chianca Júnior, Deoclécio Alves; Menezes, Rodrigo Cunha Alvim deAims: In rats, stress-induced hyperthermia caused by social interaction depends on brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenesis and peripheral vasoconstriction. However, the peripheral mechanisms responsible for regulating the level of hyperthermia during social stress are still unknown. The transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) subfamily, expressed in sensory and visceral neurons, can serve as a thermoreceptor. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the abdominal TRPV1 is essential in regulating stress-induced hyperthermia during social stress. Main methods: Male Wistar rats received an intraperitoneal injection of Resiniferatoxin (RTX) - an ultra-potent capsaicin analog, (i.e., to desensitize the TRPV1 channels) or vehicle. Seven days later, we evaluated the effects of abdominal TRPV1 channels desensitization on core body temperature (CBT), brown adipose tissue (BAT) temperature, tail skin temperature, and heart rate (HR) of rats subjected to a social stress protocol. Key findings: We found abdominal TRPV1 desensitization increased CBT and BAT temperature but did not change tail skin temperature and HR during rest. However, under social stress, we found that abdominal TRPV1 desensitization heightened the increase in CBT and BAT caused by stress. Also, it abolished the increase in tail skin temperature that occurs during and after social stress. TRPV1 desensitization also delayed the HR recovery after the exposure to the social stress. Significance: These results show that abdominal TRPV1 channels desensitization heightens stress-induced hyperthermia, causing heat dissipation during and after social stress, enabling optimal thermal control during social encounters.Item Abundance of tegument surface proteins in the human blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni determined by QconCAT proteomics.(2011) Borges, William de Castro; Simpson, Deborah M.; Dowle, Adam A.; Curwen, Rachel S.; Oates, Jane Thomas; Beynon, Robert J.; Wilson, R. AlanThe schistosome tegument provides a major interface with the host blood stream in which it resides. Our recent proteomic studies have identified a range of proteins present in the complex tegument structure, and two models of protective immunity have implicated surface proteins as mediating antigens. We have used the QconCAT technique to evaluate the relative and absolute amounts of tegument proteins identified previously. A concatamer comprising R- or K-terminated peptides was generated with [13C6] lysine/arginine amino acids. Two tegument surface preparations were each spiked with the purified SmQconCAT as a standard, trypsin digested, and subjected to MALDI ToF-MS. The absolute amounts of protein in the biological samples were determined by comparing the areas under the pairs of peaks, separated by 6 m/z units, representing the light and heavy peptides derived from the biological sample and SmQconCAT, respectively. We report that aquaporin is the most abundant transmembrane protein, followed by two phosphohydrolases. Tetraspanin Tsp-2 and Annexin-2 are also abundant but transporters are scarce. Sm200 surface protein comprised the bulk of the GPI-anchored fraction and likely resides in the secreted membranocalyx. Two host IgGs were identified but in amounts much lower than their targets. The findings are interpreted in relation to the models of protective immunity.Item Abuso sexual em adultos : casuística do posto médico-legal de Ribeirão das Neves – Minas Gerais.(2018) Bordoni, Polyanna Helena Coelho; Gomes, Nathália Soares Rodrigues; Horta, Raquel Nascimento; Bordoni, Leonardo SantosA violência sexual está presente em todo o mundo, acomete ambos os sexos e ocorre em todas as culturas e classes sociais. As mulheres são as principais vítimas de abuso sexual (AS), considerado um importante problema de saúde pública pelas possíveis consequências que pode gerar para a saúde. Nos casos de AS a perícia médico-legal possui o papel de buscar elementos materiais importantes na correta investigação do ocorrido, além de participar da rede integrada de atendimento à vítima. Em decorrência das lacunas no entendimento epidemiológico do AS em adultos objetivou-se analisar os laudos periciais de sexologia forense em um contexto geográfico específico, para melhor compreender as características dos periciados e os achados periciais. Foram analisados os laudos de vítimas de AS que apresentaram idade igual ou superior a 18 anos confeccionados no Posto Médico-Legal de Ribeirão das Neves (PML-RN) entre 2015 e 2016. Todas as vítimas adultas eram do sexo feminino, perfazendo 11,6% das 242 perícias de sexologia forense concluídas no PML-RN no período. A média etária foi de 28 anos, o coito vaginal foi o ato praticado com maior frequência e na metade dos casos o abuso foi cometido por desconhecidos. A maioria não apresentava lesões genitais e nenhuma apresentava lesões anais. Havia lesões extragenitais em metade dos casos. Na maioria dos laudos não pôde ser determinada a ocorrência recente de conjunção carnal. Estes dados acrescentam informações epidemiológicas na compreensão do perfil da vítima de AS, podendo contribuir para o estabelecimento de eventuais medidas de intervenção e prevenção.Item Açaí (Euterpe oleraceae Martius) : composição química e bioatividades.(2011) Souza, Melina Oliveira de; Santos, Rinaldo Cardoso dos; Silva, Marcelo Eustáquio; Pedrosa, Maria LúciaO açaí (Euterpe oleraceae Martius) é um fruto tipicamente brasileiro e economicamente importante. Relatos populares indicam o uso medicinal do seu suco e trabalhos que descrevem sua composição química, demonstram a presença de compostos fenólicos, fibras, ácidos graxos insaturados e fitosteróis, sugerindo seu potencial como alimento funcional. Este trabalho tem como objetivo apresentar uma revisão sobre o açaí, enfatizando os seus componentes químicos e suas bioatividades in vitro e in vivo. O enfoque no açaí fundamenta-se no amplo consumo deste fruto tanto no mercado interno quanto fora do país e também nas investigações que avaliam suas propriedades funcionais. Os resultados dessas investigações mostram que este fruto exibe alta capacidade antioxidante, propriedades anti-inflamatórias e efeito hipocolesterolêmico. Diante dessas propriedades e as alegações de saúde designadas ao açaí, o estudo e o consumo deste fruto devem ser estimulados.Item Açai improves non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) induced by fructose.(2018) Carvalho, Mayara Medeiros de Freitas; Reis, Larissa Lélis Teixeira; Lopes, Juliana Márcia Macedo; Lage, Nara Nunes; Guerra, Joyce Ferreira da Costa; Zago, Helena Porto; Bonomo, Larissa de Freitas; Pereira, Renata Rebeca; Lima, Wanderson Geraldo de; Silva, Marcelo Eustáquio; Pedrosa, Maria LúciaIntroduction: the excessive consumption of fructose can cause liver damage, characteristic of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) associated with changes in lipid metabolism and antioxidant defenses. Açai, the fruit of Euterpe oleracea Mart., has demonstrated numerous biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and lipid metabolism modulating action. Objective: we evaluated the benefits of açai supplementation on liver damage caused by replacing starch with fructose in rats. Methods: thirty male Fischer rats were divided into two groups, the control group (C, 10 animals), which consumed a standard diet (AIN-93M), and the fructose (F, 20 animals) group, which consumed a diet containing 60% of fructose. After eight weeks, 10 animals from the fructose group received 2% of lyophilized açai, and were called the açai fructose group (FA). The animals were fed ad libitum with these diets for another ten weeks. Serum, hepatic and fecal lipid profile, antioxidant enzymes and carbonylated protein were assessed and histopathological characterization of the liver was performed. Results: açai promoted the reduction of ALT activity in relation to the fructose group (F), reduced alkaline phosphatase to a level similar to that of the control group (C) in relation to the fructose group (F), and reduced catalase activity. The fruit also increased the ratio of total/oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG) and reduced the degree of macrovesicular steatosis and the number of inflammatory cells. Conclusion: the replacement of starch by fructose during this period was effective in promoting NAFLD. Açai showed attenuating effects on some markers of hepatic steatosis and inflammation.Item Acarbose presents in vitro and in vivo antileishmanial activity against Leishmania infantum and is a promising therapeutic candidate against visceral leishmaniasis.(2020) Costa, Rafaella Rodrigues; Silva, João Augusto Oliveira da; Reis, Thiago Alves Rosa dos; Tavares, Grasiele de Sousa Vieira; Mendonça, Débora Vasconcelos Costa; Freitas, Camila Simões de; Lage, Daniela Pagliara; Martins, Vívian Tamietti; Antinarelli, Luciana Maria Ribeiro; Machado, Amanda Sanchez; Bandeira, Raquel Soares; Ribeiro, Fernanda Ludolf; Santos, Thaís Teodoro de Oliveira; Brito, Rory Cristiane Fortes de; Humbert, Maria Victoria; Souza, Daniel Menezes; Duarte, Mariana Costa; Chávez Fumagalli, Miguel Angel; Roatt, Bruno Mendes; Coimbra, Elaine Soares; Coelho, Eduardo Antônio FerrazTreatment against visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is mainly hampered by drug toxicity, long treatment regimens and/or high costs. Thus, the identifcation of novel and low-cost antileishmanial agents is urgent. Acarbose (ACA) is a specifc inhibitor of glucosidase-like proteins, which has been used for treating diabetes. In the present study, we show that this molecule also presents in vitro and in vivo specifc antileishmanial activity against Leishmania infantum. Results showed an in vitro direct action against L. infantum promastigotes and amastigotes, and low toxicity to mammalian cells. In addition, in vivo experiments performed using free ACA or incorporated in a Pluronic® F127-based polymeric micelle system called ACA/ Mic proved efective for the treatment of L. infantum-infected BALB/c mice. Treated animals presented signifcant reductions in the parasite load in their spleens, livers, bone marrows and draining lymph nodes when compared to the controls, as well as the development of antileishmanial Th1-type humoral and cellular responses based on high levels of IFN-γ, IL-12, TNF-α, GM-CSF, nitrite and IgG2a isotype antibodies. In addition, ACA or ACA-treated animals sufered from low organ toxicity. Treatment with ACA/Mic outperformed treatments using either Miltefosine or free ACA based on parasitological and immunological evaluations performed one and 15 days post-therapy. In conclusion, data suggest that the ACA/Mic is a potential therapeutic agent against L. infantum and merits further consideration for VL treatment.Item Acromial morphometric analysis using imaging software.(2013) Crahim, Lucas Fernandes; Nagato, Akinori Cardozo; Rocha, Carolina de Lourdes Julião Vieira; Silva, Marco Aurélio dos Santos; Bandeira, Ana Carla Balthar; Ferreira, Tereza Aparecida; Bezerra, Frank SilvaThe aim of this study was to accurately measure acromial morphology in order to describe the anatomical patterns of its subtypes and to conduct a survey of the literature regarding the relationships between morphological subtypes and their related diseases. We photographed scapulae from the Institute of Anatomy, University Severino Sombra, and analyzed the images using Image-J Software®. The average acromial angle was 139.23° ± 2.781, with no significant difference between the right and left sides. There was a positive correlation between the acromial angle and the angle of the spine of the scapula. The correlation mentioned above plays an important role in disorders of the shoulder-particularly impingement syndrome-which reinforces the importance of acromial morphology studies.Item Acute and sub chronic toxicity study of aqueous extract from the leaves and branches of Campomanesia velutina (Cambess) O. Berg.(2017) Araújo, Marcela Carolina de Paula Michel; Barcellos, Neila Marcia Silva; Vieira, Paula Melo de Abreu; Gouveia, Thiago Magalhães; Guerra, Martha Oliveira; Peters, Vera Maria; Guimarães, Dênia Antunes SaúdeEthnopharmacological relevance: Campomanesia velutina leaves and branches infusions are used in Brazilian folk medicine to treat diarrhea and to ameliorate intestinal cramps, respectively. Aim of the study: Carry out the acute and sub chronic pre-clinical evaluation and thus assess the safety and toxicological potential of the specie. Materials and methods: In vivo toxicity was evaluated by acute and sub chronic toxicity assays conducted according to the guidelines of the Brazilian Agency of National Health Surveillance (Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária – ANVISA). For acute toxicity evaluation, a single dose of aqueous extracts from the leaves (AEL) and branches (AEB) of Campomanesia velutina were orally administered to mice at doses of 300, 600 and 1200 mg/kg. Then, the animals were observed for 14 days. In the sub chronic study, the extracts were orally administered to mice for 14 days at doses of 300, 600 and 1200 mg/kg. To assess the toxicological effects, animals were closely observed on general behavior, clinical signs of toxicity, body weight, food and water intake. At the end of the experiment, it was performed biochemical and hematological evaluations, as well as histopathological analysis from the following organs: brain, heart, lungs, liver, stomach, small intestine (section) and left kidney. Preliminary phytochemical analysis was performed using thin layer chromatography (TLC) and colorimetric pharmacognostic tests. Results: In oral acute assay, treatment with AEB at the major dose (1200 mg/kg) caused diarrhea, abdominal cramps and tremors in females. These effects were reversed at 4th hour. Normochromic normocytic anemia was observed in males treated with AEL 300 mg/kg and AEB 600 and 1200 mg/kg as well as in females treated with AEB 300 and 1200 mg/kg. The kidney of all treated animals showed moderate inflammation and a few hemorrhagic points. In sub chronic assay, treatment with AEL 600 mg/kg, AEL 1200 mg/kg and AEB 1200 mg/kg caused hyper excitability in females that was not reversed. Treatments also had impact on weight gain and the relative weight of males’ brain was increased on group treated with AEL 300 mg/kg, AEB 300 and AEB 1200 mg/kg. Although changes in hematological parameters were not observed, serum creatinine levels were significantly higher in males treated with AEB 300 mg/kg. Besides, the heart of all treated animals showed intense hyperemia. Preliminary phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of flavonoids, tannins and phenolic compounds. Conclusions: Toxicity signs were mainly observed after treatment with AEL and AEB at the two highest tested doses (600 and 1200 mg/kg), suggesting that the extracts are relatively safe at its effective dose (300 mg/kg). However, alterations on hematological and biochemical parameters and on the kidney and heart of the animals were not closely related with the dose, implying caution on its use.Item Acute outcomes of cigarette smoke and electronic cigarette aerosol inhalation in a murine model.(2022) Silva, Pamela Félix da; Matos, Natália Alves de; Ramos, Camila de Oliveira; Castro, Thalles de Freitas; Araújo, Natália Pereira da Silva; Souza, Ana Beatriz Farias de; Costa, Guilherme de Paula; Cangussú, Silvia Dantas; Silva, André Talvani Pedrosa da; Nagato, Akinori Cardozo; Bezerra, Frank SilvaCigarette smoking throughout life causes serious health issues in the lungs. The electronic cigarette (E-Cig) use increased, since it was first introduced in the world. This research work compared the short-term exposure consequences to e-cigarette vapor and cigarette smoke in male mice. Forty-five C57BL/6 mice were randomized into control (C) in an ambient air exposition cigarette smoke (CS) and aerosol electronic cigarette (EC), both were exposed to 120 puffs, 3 times/day during five days. Then, in the experimental protocol, the euthanized mice had their tissues removed for analysis. Our study showed that CS and EC resulted in higher cell influx into the airways, and an increase in macrophage counts in CS (209.25 ± 7.41) and EC (220.32 ± 8.15) when compared to C (108.40 ± 4.49) (p < 0:0001). The CS (1.92 ± 0.23) displayed a higher pulmonary lipid peroxidation as opposed to C (0.93 ± 0.06) and EC (1.23 ± 0.17) (p < 0:05). The EC (282.30 ± 25.68) and CS (368.50 ± 38.05) promoted increased levels of interleukin 17 when compared to C (177.20 ± 10.49) (p < 0:05). The EC developed shifts in lung histoarchitecture, characterized by a higher volume density in the alveolar air space (60.21; 55.00-65.83) related to C (51.25; 18.75-68.75) and CS (50.26; 43.75-62.08) (p =0.002). The EC (185.6 ± 9.01) presented a higher respiratory rate related to CS (133.6 ± 10.2) (p < 0:002). Therefore, our findings demonstrated that the short-term exposure to e-cig promoted more acute inflammation comparing to cigarette smoke in the ventilatory parameters of the animals.Item Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus’ dynamics influenced by spatiotemporal characteristics in a Brazilian dengue-endemic risk city.(2016) Bezerra, Juliana Maria Trindade; Araújo, Raphaela Guedes Pereira; Melo, Fabrício Freire de; Gonçalves, Caroline Macedo; Chaves, Bárbara Aparecida; Silva, Breno de Mello; Silva, Luciana Diniz; Brandão, Silvana Tecles; Secundino, Nagila Francinete Costa; Norris, Douglas; Pimenta, Paulo Filemon PaolucciBrazil reported the majority of the dengue cases in Americas during the last two decades, where theoccurrence of human dengue cases is exclusively attributed to the Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti (Linnaeus).Nowadays, other recognized Dengue virus (DENV) vector in Asian countries, Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus(Skuse), has been detected in more than half of the 5565 Brazilian municipalities. Therefore, the aim of thepresent study was to investigate the presence of, and determine the Ae. albopictus’ dynamics influencedby spatiotemporal characteristics in a dengue-endemic risk city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State’scapital. Aedes albopictus were collected across four consecutive DENV transmission seasons from 2010 to2014. These mosquitoes were caught in three selected districts, which had been reported in the previousten years as having high mosquito densities and an elevated concentration of human dengue cases dur-ing epidemic seasons. All field-caught Ae. albopictus was individually processed by real-time RT-PCR, toresearch the DENV presence. The third season (p < 0.05) and the Pampulha district (p < 0.05) had the high-est proportions of field-caught Ae. albopictus, respectively. The second season had the highest proportionof DENV-infected field-caught females (p < 0.05), but there was no difference among the proportions ofDENV-infected Ae. albopictus when comparing the collection in the three districts (p = 0.98). Minimum(p = 0.004) and maximum (p < 0.0001) temperature were correlated with the field-caught Ae. albopic-tus in four different periods and districts. In the generalized linear model of Poisson, the field-caughtDENV-infected Ae. albopictus (p = 0.005), East district (p = 0.003), minimum temperature (p < 0.0001) andrelative humidity (p = 0.001) remained associated with the total number of human dengue cases. Ourstudy demonstrated that the number of field-caught DENV-infected Ae. albopictus was inversed corre-lated with the number of human dengue cases. Our study raises the possibility that the DENV circulating inmosquitoes Ae. albopictus is happening in non-epidemic periods, showing that this species may be keep-ing only the presence of the virus in nature. Further long-term studies are necessary to better understandthe role of Ae. albopictus in DENV transmission and or its vectorial competence in Belo Horizonte and inother endemic cities in Brazil and in the New World countries.Item Aerobic exercise and not a diet supplemented with jussara açaí (Euterpe edulis Martius) alters hepatic oxidative and inflammatory biomarkers in ApoE-deficient mice.(2014) Castro, Cynthia Aparecida de; Natali, Antônio José; Cardoso, Luciana Marques; Machado, Alessandra Barbosa Ferreira; Novello, Alexandre Azevedo; Silva, Karina Ana da; Tafuri, Natalia Filard; Matta, Sergio Luis Pinto da; Pedrosa, Maria Lúcia; Peluzio, Maria do Carmo GouveiaThe pulp of jussara açaí (Euterpe edulis Martius) fruit is rich in anthocyanins that exert antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects similar to those exerted by aerobic exercise. In the present study, we investigated the effects of jussara açaí fruit pulp consumption, either alone or in combination with aerobic exercise, on the hepatic oxidative and inflammatory status of ApoE-deficient (ApoE 2/2) mice. Male mice were divided into four groups (control (C), control plus açaí, exercise plus açaí (EXA) and exercise (EX)) and fed the AIN-93M diet or the AIN-93M diet formulated to contain 2% freeze-dried açaí pulp. Mice in the EX and EXA groups were subjected to a progressive running programme (5 d/week, 60 min/d, 16 m/min) for 12 weeks. Mice that were made to exercise exhibited reduced (40·85 %; P,0·05) hepatic superoxide dismutase activity when compared with the C mice, independent of the açaí diet. Mice in the EX group exhibited a lower (42 %; P,0·05) mRNA expression of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 in the liver compared with the C mice. Mice in the EXA and EX groups had lower percentages of hepatic lipid droplets (70% and 56 %, respectively; P,0·05) when compared with the C mice. Mice in the EX group had smaller (58 %; P,0·05) area of lesions in the aorta when compared with the C mice. Serum lipid profile was not affected (P.0·05). In conclusion, aerobic exercise training rather than açaí fruit pulp consumption or a combination of both enhances the hepatic oxidative and inflammatory status of ApoE 2/2 mice.Item Aerobic exercise increases the damage to the femoral properties of growing rats with protein-based malnutrition.(2021) Miranda, Denise Coutinho de; Lavorato, Victor Neiva; Carneiro Júnior, Miguel Araújo; Paula, Ana Beatriz Rezende; Silva, Karina Ana; Drummond, Filipe Rios; Silva, Marcelo Eustáquio; Cabral, Carlos Augusto Costa; Isoldi, Mauro César; Natali, Antônio JoséThe present study investigated the effects of aerobic physical training on the femoral morphological, densitometric and biomechanical properties in growing male rats subjected to protein-based malnutrition. Four-week-old male Wistar rats were randomized into groups of 10 animals: Control Sedentary (CS), Control Trained (CT), Malnourished Sedentary (MS) and Malnourished Trained (MT). Control and malnourished animals received diets with 12% protein and 6% protein, respectively. The trained groups were submitted to a treadmill running program for 8 weeks. Total proteins and albumin were analyzed in the animals' blood plasma. Histological, densitometric and biomechanical analyzes were performed on the animals' femur. Body mass gain, physical performance, biochemical markers and the femoral morphological, densitometric and biomechanical properties were determined. Exercise tolerance increased in trained groups. Malnourished animals exhibited lower serum protein and albumin levels than controls. Porosity and trabecular bone density were not different between groups. The femoral maximum load, maximum load until fracture, resilience, stiffness, tenacity and densitometric properties were reduced by malnutrition. Physical training associated with malnutrition exacerbated the impairment in the femoral maximum load, maximum load until fracture, bone mineral content and density. Aerobic physical training worsens the damages induced by protein-based malnutrition in the femoral biomechanical and densitometric properties of growing male rats.Item Aerobic exercise training prevents impairment in renal parameters and in body composition of rats fed a high sucrose diet.(2021) Souza, Jaqueline Aparecida de; Pinto, Angélica Barbosa Gonçalves; Oliveira, Emerson Cruz de; Coelho, Daniel Barbosa; Totou, Nádia Lúcia; Lima, Wanderson Geraldo de; Oliveira, Lenice Kappes BeckerObjective: This study aimed to evaluate the efect of swimming training (T) on the renal system and body composi‐ tion parameters in young animals treated with a high sucrose diet (SUD) during 12 weeks. Results: The SUD impaired the physical performance, increased the body adiposity index (BAI), Lee index (LI) and ret‐ roperitoneal adipose tissue (RAT) weight, plasma creatinine and number renal cells nuclei, decreased urinary volume and urinary creatinine excretion besides creatinine clearance. The T reversed the increased the BAI, LI, RAT weight, plasma and urinary creatinine, creatinine clearance and number renal cells nuclei in addition to promoting decrease in urinary protein excretion. This study found that eight weeks of swimming physical training protected renal function and restored normal glomerular fltration rate (GFR) values. Swimming training also contributed to prevention of the onset of a renal infammatory process and caused a decrease in the risk of development of obesity promoted by SUD decreasing the body composition parameters (BAI, LI, and RAT weight).Item Affiliative stimuli as primers to prosocial predispositions.(2012) Souza, Gabriela Guerra Leal de; Pereira, Mirtes Garcia; Vila, Jaime; Oliveira, Letícia de; Volchan, ElianeAffiliative stimuli are pleasant and highly biologically relevant. Affiliative cues are thought to elicit a prosocial predisposition. Here affiliative and neutral pictures were exposed prior to a reaction time task which consisted in responding to a visual target. Half the participants responded with finger-flexion, a movement frequently involved in prosocial activities. The other half responded with finger extension, a less prosocially compatible movement. Results showed that under the exposure to affiliative pictures, as compared to neutral ones, participants who used finger flexion were faster, while those using finger extension were slower. Performance benefits to the task, when flexing the finger, together with performance costs, when extending it, indicate the relevance of movement compatibility to the context. These findings put forward a possible link between affiliative primers and motor preparation to facilitate a repertoire of movements related to prosocial predispositions including finger flexion.Item Agaricus brasiliensis (sun mushroom) affects the expression of genes related to cholesterol homeostasis.(2016) Miranda, Aline Mayrink de; Rossoni Júnior, Joamyr Victor; Silva, Lorena Souza e; Santos, Rinaldo Cardoso dos; Silva, Marcelo Eustáquio; Pedrosa, Maria LúciaPurpose The sun mushroom (Agaricus brasiliensis) is considered a major source of bioactive compounds with potential health benefits. Mushrooms typically act as lipidlowering agents; however, little is known about the mechanisms of action of A. brasiliensis in biological systems. This study aimed to determine the underlying mechanism involved in the cholesterol-lowering effect of A. brasiliensis through the assessment of fecal and serum lipid profiles in addition to gene expression analysis of specific transcription factors, enzymes, and transporters involved in cholesterol homeostasis. Methods Twenty-four albino Fischer rats approximately 90 days old, with an average weight of 205 g, were divided into four groups of 6 each and fed a standard AIN-93 M diet (C), hypercholesterolemic diet (H), hypercholesterolemic diet +1 % A. brasiliensis (HAb), or hypercholesterolemic diet +0.008 % simvastatin (HS) for 6 weeks. Simvastatin was used as a positive control, as it is a typical drug prescribed for lipid disorders. Subsequently, blood, liver, and feces samples were collected for lipid profile and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction gene expression analyses. Results Diet supplementation with A. brasiliensis significantly improved serum lipid profiles, comparable to the effect observed for simvastatin. In addition, A. brasiliensis dietary supplementation markedly promoted fecal cholesterol excretion. Increased expression of 7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1), ATP-binding cassette subfamily G-transporters (ABCG5/G8), and low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) was observed following A. brasiliensis administration. Conclusions Our results suggest that consumption of A. brasiliensis improves the serum lipid profile in hypercholesterolemic rats by modulating the expression of key genes involved in hepatic cholesterol metabolism.Item Age-dependent effect of high-fructose and high-fat diets on lipid metabolism and lipid accumulation in liver and kidney of rats.(2013) Castro, Uberdan Guilherme Mendes de; Santos, Robson Augusto Souza dos; Silva, Marcelo Eustáquio; Lima, Wanderson Geraldo de; Santos, Maria José Campagnole dos; Alzamora, Andréia CarvalhoBackground: The metabolic syndrome (MS) is characterized by variable coexistence of metabolic and pathophysiological alterations which are important risk factors for developing of type II diabetes and/or cardiovascular diseases. Increased of MS patients in worldwide has stimulated the development of experimental models. However, it is still challenging to find an dietetic model that most closely approximates human MS and, in addition, is not yet fully established the effect of different diets of MS in lipid metabolism in rats of different ages. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different diets of MS in lipid metabolism and ectopic fat deposition and define the most appropriate diet for inducing the characteristic disturbances of the human MS in rats of different ages. Methods: Young (4 weeks old) and adult rats (12 weeks old) were given a high-fat (FAT) or high-fructose diet (FRU) for 13 weeks and biochemical, physiological, histological and biometric parameters were evaluated. Results: In young rats, the FAT diet induced increased mean blood pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR), body weight after 6 to 10 weeks, and in the 13th week, increased the liver, mesenteric, retroperitoneal and epididymal fat weights,fasting glucose, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and reduced HDL cholesterol; and also induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and renal inflammatory infiltrates. In adult rats, the FRU diet induced transient elevations of MAP and HR in the 6th week, and, at 13 weeks, increased fasting glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, AST and ALT; increased liver, kidneys and retroperitoneal fat weights; and induced macrovesicular and microvesicular NAFLD, the presence of fat cells in the kidney, glomerular sclerosis, and liver and kidney inflammation. Additionally, the FAT and FRU diets induced, respectively, increases in liver glycogen in adults and young rats. Conclusions: Our data show that FRU diet in adult rats causes biggest change on metabolism of serum lipids and lipid accumulation in liver and kidney, while the FAT diet in young rats induces elevation of MAP and HR and higher increased visceral lipid stores, constituting the best nutritional interventions to induce MS in rats.Item Alcaligenes faecalis associated with Mimosa calodendron rizhosphere assist plant survival in arsenic rich soils.(2017) Felestrino, Érica Barbosa; Assis, Renata de Almeida Barbosa; Lemes, Camila Gracyelle de Carvalho; Cordeiro, Isabella Ferreira; Fonseca, Natasha Peixoto; Villa, Morghana Marina; Vieira, Izadora Tabuso; Kamino, Luciana Hiromi Yoshino; Carmo, Flávio Fonseca do; Moreira, Leandro MarcioThe ferruginous rupestrian grasslands (FRG) in the Iron Quadrangle (IQ) are ecosystems characterized by rocky soils with reduced availability of water and nutrients, but high levels of metals. In order to comprehend the interference of microorganisms on the adaptive process of endemic plant Mimosa calodendrum (Fabaceae), bacteria associated with its roots and rhizosphere were isolated. Fourteen isolates were obtained and subsequently grown in the presence of different concentrations of arsenic (As) species. The isolate Mc250, an Alcaligenes faecalis strain, resisted to 10 mM of As (III) and 800 mM of As (V). In the presence of this strain, atomic spectrometer detected a reduction of 55% for As (III) and 72% for As (V) respectively in 10 mM and 500 mM solution. Scanning electron microscopy of this isolate demonstrated morphological modification and EDX spectroscopy revealed the presence of both As species adsorbed on the membrane, justifying the removal observed in the in vitro assays. To validate this potential removal of As in vivo, tomato plants were used as grown model in the presence and absence of A. faecalis in soil previously contaminated with 5 mM of As (III). After 14 days, plants from contaminated soil had their growth improved when compared to untreated control plants. All these results suggest for the first time that plant-associated bacteria from FRG-IQ present potential for soil rhizoremediation and may benefit the adaptive processes of plants in extreme environments including application in recovering degraded areas.Item Algumas contribuições de Philippe Perrenoud relativas à “Pedagogia das Diferenças” e aos princípios e práticas da avaliação escolar.(2022) Almeida, Gizele Aparecida de; Cruz, Luciana Hoffert Castro; Gomes, Larissa LayaneEste artigo deriva de parte de uma pesquisa de mestrado, defendida em 2021, por meio do programa MPEC, da Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, na qual se objetivou descrever e analisar como se dá o processo de elaboração das avaliações escritas para alunos com Transtorno do Déficit de Atenção com Hiperatividade, inseridos no Ensino Fundamental II. Para tanto, definiu-se como foco do estudo a avaliação escolar no âmbito da Educação Inclusiva e, como objeto de estudo, a análise dos processos e estratégias de elaboração de avaliações escritas adaptadas às especificidades desses alunos. Como referencial teórico de base, foram utilizadas as obras de Philippe Perrenoud, cuja riqueza teórica em relação à “Pedagogia das diferenças” e à concepção dos métodos avaliativos configura-se como justificativa para a elaboração de um artigo que contemplasse relevante temática.Item Alteration in cellular viability, pro-inflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide production in nephrotoxicity generation by Amphotericin B : involvement of PKA pathway signaling.(2013) França, Flávia Dayrell; Ferreira, Andrea da Fonseca; Lara, R. C.; Rossoni Júnior, Joamyr Victor; Costa, Daniela Caldeira; Moraes, Karen Cristiane Martinez de; Tagliati, Carlos Alberto; Chaves, Míriam MartinsAmphotericin B is one of the most effective antifungal agents; however, its use is often limited owing to adverse effects, especially nephrotoxicity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of inhibiting the PKA signaling pathway in nephrotoxicity using Amphotericin B from the assessment of cell viability, pro-inflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide (NO) production in LLC-PK1 and MDCK cell lines. Amphotericin B proved to be cytotoxic for both cell lines, as assessed by the mitochondrial enzyme activity (MTT) assay; caused DNA fragmentation, determined by flow cytometry using the propidium iodide (PI) dye; and activated the PKA pathway (western blot assay). In MDCK cells, the inhibition of the PKA signaling pathway (using the H89 inhibitor) caused a significant reduction in DNA fragmentation. In both cells lines the production of interleukin-6 (IL)-6 proved to be a dependent PKA pathway, whereas tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) was not influenced by the inhibition of the PKA pathway. The NO production was increased when cells were pre-incubated with H89 followed by Amphotericin B, and this production produced a dependent PKA pathway in LLC-PK1 and MDCK cells lines. Therefore, considering the present study’s results as a whole, it can be concluded that the inhibition of the PKA signaling pathway can aid in reducing the degree of nephrotoxicity caused by Amphotericin B.Item Alterations in the proteomic composition of Serratia marcescens in response to manganese (II).(2018) Queiroz, Pollyana Santos; Ruas, France Anne Dias; Barboza, Natália Rocha; Borges, William de Castro; Cota, Renata Guerra de SáBackground: Proteomics is an important tool for the investigation of dynamic physiological responses of microbes under heavy metal stress. To gain insight into how bacteria respond to manganese (II) and identify the proteins involved in Mn (II) oxidation, the shotgun proteomics approach was applied to a potential Mn (II)-oxidizing Serratia marcescens strain cultivated in the absence and presence of Mn (II). Results: The LG1 strain, which grew equally well in the two conditions, was found to express a set of proteins related to cellular processes vital for survival, as well as proteins involved in adaptation and tolerance to Mn (II). The multicopper oxidase CueO was identified, indicating its probable participation in the Mn (II) bio-oxidation; however, its expression was not modulated by the presence of Mn (II). A set of proteins related to cell and metabolic processes vital to the cells were downregulated in the presence of Mn (II), while cell membrane-related proteins involved in the maintenance of cell integrity and survival under stress were upregulated under this condition. Conclusions: These findings indicate that the LG1 strain may be applied successfully in the bioremediation of Mn (II), and the shotgun approach provides an efficient means for obtaining the total proteome of this species.