Carlos Alberto Anaruma

The effects of a 785-nm AlGaInP laser on the regeneration of rat anterior tibialis muscle after surgically-induced injury.

OBJECTIVE This study aims to investigate the effects of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on muscle regeneration. For this purpose, the anterior tibialis muscle of 48 male Wistar rats received AlGaInP laser treatment (785 nm) after surgically-induced injury. BACKGROUND DATA Few studies have been conducted on the effects of LLLT on muscle regeneration at different irradiation doses. MATERIALS AND METHODS The animals were randomized into four groups: uninjured rats (UN); uninjured and laser-irradiated rats (ULI); injured rats (IN); and injured and laser-irradiated rats (ILI). The direct contact laser treatment was started 24 h after surgery. An AlGaInP diode laser emitting 75 mW of continuous power at 785 nm was used for irradiation. The laser probe was placed at three treatment points to deliver 0.9 J per point, for a total dose of 2.7 J per treatment session. The animals were euthanized after treatment sessions 1, 2, and 4. Mounted sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin and used for quantitative morphological analysis, in which the number of leukocytes and fibroblasts were counted over an area of 4480 mum(2). The data were statistically analyzed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the Bonferroni t-test. RESULTS Quantitative data showed that the number of both polymorphonuclear and mononuclear leukocytes in the inflammatory infiltrate at the injury site was smaller in the ILI(1), ILI(2), and ILI(4) subgroups compared with their respective control subgroups (IN(1), IN(2), and IN(4)) for sessions 1, 2, and 4, respectively (p < 0.05). On the other hand, the number of fibroblasts increased after the fourth treatment session (p < 0.05). With regard to the regeneration of muscle fibers following injury, only after the fourth treatment session was it possible to find muscle precursor cells such as myoblasts and some myotubes in the ILI(4) subgroup. CONCLUSION During the acute inflammatory phase, the AlGaInP laser treatment was found to have anti-inflammatory effects, reducing the number of leukocytes at the injury site and accelerating the regeneration of connective tissue.

Serum electrolyte and total protein alterations in Pantaneiro horse during long distance exercise

Foram colhidas amostras de sangue de oito cavalos Pantaneiro durante uma prova de resistencia de 76km atraves do Pantanal. Um mes antes da prova os cavalos foram distribuidos em dois grupos: 1- quatro cavalos mantidos em pastagem nativa sem suplementacao e sem trabalho; 2- quatro cavalos mantidos em pastagem nativa com suplementacao e submetidos a trabalho. Amostras de sangue foram colhidas antes da prova (pre), durante (meio), ao final (pos) e apos um periodo de recuperacao de 30 minutos (descanso). Foram analisadas as concentracoes sericas de proteina total (PT), albumina (Alb), sodio (Na), potassio (K), cloro (Cl), calcio (Ca) e fosforo (P). No final da prova tambem foram colhidas amostras de suor de cinco cavalos para analise de Na, K e Cl. Durante a prova, houve diminuicao significativa nos teores de Ca e K e aumento nos teores de Na e P em ambos os grupos. Os valores medios da taxa cardiaca apos 30 minutos de descanso indicaram boa resposta de recuperacao.

Effects of phonophoresis with Arnica montana onto acute inflammatory process in rat skeletal muscles: An experimental study

This study aimed at verifying the effects of phonophoresis associated with Arnica montana on the acute phase of an inflammatory muscle lesion. Forty Wistar male rats (300+/-50 g), of which the Tibialis Anterior muscle was surgically lesioned, were divided into four groups (n=10 each): control group received no treatment; the ultrasound group (US) was treated in pulsed mode with 1-MHz frequency, 0.5 W/cm(2) intensity (spatial and temporal average - SATA), duty cycle of 1:2 (2 ms on, 4 ms off, 50%), time of application 3 min per session, one session per day, for 3 days; the phonophoresis or ultrasound plus arnica (US+A) group was treated with arnica with the same US parameters plus arnica gel; and the arnica group (A) was submitted to massage with arnica gel, also for 3 min, once a day, for 3 days. Treatment started 24h after the surgical lesion. On the 4th day after lesion creation, animals were sacrificed and sections of the lesioned, inflamed muscle were removed for quantitative (mononuclear and polymorphonuclear cell count) and qualitative histological analysis. Collected data from the 4 groups were statistically analyzed and the significance level set at p<0.05. Results show higher mononuclear cell density in all three treated groups with no significant difference between them, but values were significantly different (p<0.0001) when compared to control groups. As to polymorphonuclear cell density, significant differences were found between control group (p=0.0134) and US, US+A and A groups; the arnica group presented lesser density of polymorphonuclear cells when compared (p=0.0134) to the other groups. No significant difference was found between US and US+A groups. While the massage with arnica gel proved to be an effective anti-inflammatory on acute muscle lesion in topic use, these results point to ineffectiveness of Arnica montana phonophoresis, US having seemingly checked or minimized its anti-inflammatory effect.

Effect of GaAlAs Laser Irradiation on the Epiphyseal Cartilage of Rats

OBJECTIVE To study the effect of an 830-nm gallium-aluminum-arsenic (GaAlAs) diode laser at two different energy densities (5 and 15 J/cm(2)) on the epiphyseal cartilage of rats by evaluating bone length and the number of chondrocytes and thickness of each zone of the epiphyseal cartilage. BACKGROUND DATA Few studies have been conducted on the effects of low-level laser therapy on the epiphyseal cartilage at different irradiation doses. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 30 male Wistar rats with 23 days of age and weighing 90 g on average were randomly divided into 3 groups: control group (CG, no stimulation), G5 group (energy density, 5 J/cm(2)), and G15 group (energy density, 15 J/cm(2)). Laser treatment sessions were administered every other day for a total of 10 sessions. The animals were killed 24 h after the last treatment session. Histological slides of the epiphyseal cartilage were stained with hematoxylin-eosin (HE), photographed with a Zeiss photomicroscope, and subjected to histometric and histological analyses. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way analysis of variance followed by Tukeys post hoc test. All statistical tests were performed at a significance level of 0.05. RESULTS Histological analysis and x-ray radiographs revealed an increase in thickness of the epiphyseal cartilage and in the number of chondrocytes in the G5 and G15 groups. CONCLUSION The 830-nm GaAlAs diode laser, within the parameters used in this study, induced changes in the thickness of the epiphyseal cartilage and increased the number of chondrocytes, but this was not sufficient to induce changes in bone length.

Análise qualitativa dos efeitos da sonoforese com Arnica montana sobre o processo inflamatório agudo do músculo esquelético de ratos

Este estudo visou verificar o efeito da sonoforese com Arnica montana sobre a fase inflamatoria aguda de uma lesao muscular. Para isso, 40 ratos Wistar machos, lesados cirurgicamente, foram divididos em 4 grupos: controle (C), 10 ratos lesados e nao tratados; grupo ultra-som (US), 10 lesados, tratados com US; grupo ultra-som com arnica (US+A), 10 ratos lesados, tratados com sonoforese de gel de arnica; grupo arnica (A), 10 ratos lesados, tratados com massagem de gel de arnica. O tratamento dos tres grupos foi iniciado 24h apos a lesao, sendo aplicado uma vez ao dia durante 3 minutos, por tres dias. Quatro dias apos a lesao, os animais foram sacrificados e o terco medio do musculo tibial anterior lesado foi removido e tratado histologicamente. Os resultados da analise qualitativa mostram que, no grupo C, formou-se um intenso infiltrado de celulas inflamatorias no espaco intersticial e um processo de regeneracao apenas iniciado. Nos grupos US e US+A foi detectado um avancado processo inflamatorio, com tecido conjuntivo mais organizado e consistente. No grupo A foi detectada diminuicao no numero de celulas inflamatorias e uma desorganizacao em sua disposicao, o que poderia levar a um atraso no processo de regeneracao. Conclui-se que os grupos que receberam a aplicacao do ultra-som e ultra-som com arnica apresentaram semelhante aceleracao do processo inflamatorio agudo, sugerindo ineficacia da sonoforese quando comparada a aplicacao de apenas ultra-som.

Total training load may explain similar strength gains and muscle hypertrophy seen in aged rats submitted to resistance training and anabolic steroids

Abstract This study aimed to quantify training parameters and analyze the morphological response of aged muscles submitted to resistance training and anabolic steroids. Aged Wistar rats were divided into groups: C – initial control; CF – final control; CAS – control with anabolic steroid, RT – resistance training, and RTA – resistance training with anabolic steroid. Maximum carried load, absolute and relative loads increased significantly in RT and RTA. RTA demonstrated greater relative load than RT. Average total volume, total climbing volume, relative total volume, relative total climbing volume, and mean climbing volume were similar between groups RT and RTA. For soleus, CAS, RT, and RTA enlarged cross-sectional area of type I fibers and nuclear ratio. As for type II fibers, RTA was higher than C and CF. For plantaris, RT and RTA showed significant increases in myofibers type I compared to C and CF. For type II fibers, RTA showed a significant increase compared to C and CF. Regarding the nuclear ratio, RT and RTA showed a higher ratio than C, CF, and CAS. Our results demonstrated that both RT and RTA were not different among the analyzed morphological parameters. This fact can be explained by the absence of differences found in the training variables analyzed.

Effects of testosterone administration on liver structure and function in aging rats

Abstract Aging males have a decrease in testosterone levels, by which the testosterone treatment may influence in a negatively fashion the liver. Aim: This study aimed to analyze the effects of aging with or without testosterone administration on the liver components of animals. Methods: Wistar rats were divided into three groups: 20 months’ group (G20), 24 months’ group (G24), group treated with testosterone for 16 weeks (GT). All groups were sacrificed at 24 months except for G20 that was sacrificed at 20 months. Results: Aging and testosterone treatment alters the body weight (BW), liver weight (LW) and relative liver weight. Besides, testosterone increased the mitogen capacity of hepatocytes. Nonetheless, we reinforce the negative effects of testosterone on old animals’ liver as chronic hepatic congestion and/or cholestasis. In addition, we observed that testosterone plays an important role on hepatic glycogen stores. Conclusions: Our study showed many implications for the knowledge about the effects of aging with or without testosterone administration on old animals’ liver.

Effects of Strength Training and Anabolic Steroid in the Peripheral Nerve and Skeletal Muscle Morphology of Aged Rats

Thirty male 20-month-old Wistar rats were divided into groups: IC—initial control (n = 6), FC—final control (n = 6), AC—anabolic hormone control (n = 6), ST—strength trained (n = 6) and STA—strength trained with anabolic hormone (n = 6). All groups were submitted to adaptation, familiarization and maximum load carrying test (MLCT). Strength training (6–8×/session with loads of 50%–100% MLCT, 3×/week and pause of 120 s) was performed in ladder climbing (LC) for 15 weeks. The administration of testosterone propionate (TP) was performed 2×/week (10 mg/kg) in animals in the AC and STA groups. After the experimental period, animals were euthanized and the tibial nerve and plantaris muscle removed and prepared for electron transmission and histochemistry. To compare the groups we used one-way ANOVA (post hoc Bonferroni), student’s t-tests for pre vs. post (dependent and independent variables) comparisons and significance level set at p ≤ 0.05. The following significant results were found: (a) aging decreased the number of myelinated axon fibers; (b) use of isolated TP increased the diameter of myelinated fibers, along with increased thickness of myelin sheath; (c) ST increased area of myelinated and unmyelinated fibers, together with the myelin sheath. These changes made it possible to increase the area occupied by myelinated fibers keeping their quantity and also reduce the interstitial space; and (d) association of anabolic steroid and ST increased the area of unmyelinated axons and thickness of the myelin sheath. Compared to ST, both strategies have similar results. However, Schwann cells increased significantly only in this strategy.

Effects of exercise on neuromuscular junction components across age: systematic review of animal experimental studies

BackgroundDuring almost one-third of our life, maturation of the nervous system promotes strength and muscle mass increase. However, as age advances, the nervous system begins to suffer a slow and continue reduction of its functions. Neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is one of the structures of which change due to aging process. Physical training leads to significant adjustments in NMJs of young and aged animals. Nevertheless, studies that aimed to investigate this effect have, in many cases, methodological variables that may have some influence on the result. Thus, this study aimed to carry out a systematic review about the effects of exercise training on the NMJ compartments of young, adult and aged animals.ResultsWe searched PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, Scielo and Lilacs databases for animal experimental studies that studied exercise effects on the NMJs components across age. After inclusion and exclusion criteria, we included nine articles in systematic review and two for meta-analysis (young/adult NMJ).ConclusionsWe identified that exercise training cause NMJ hypertrophy on young animals and NMJ compression on aged ones. However, many methodological issues such as age, skeletal muscle and fibers type, and type of exercise and training protocol might influence the results.Graphical abstract:Flow gram is actually to be show at results section as Fig 1

Effects of resistance training on liver structure and function of aged rats

Abstract The aging process may cause negative physiological changes. However, exercises as resistance training (RT) have been considered an important intervention to attenuate these changes. Additionally, liver plays an important role in blood glucose homeostasis in exercise. Aim: This study aimed to analyze the effects of RT on the liver components of aged animals. Methods: Male Wistar rats were divided into two groups: 24 months’ group (CONTROL); and group submitted to a progressive RT protocol for 16 weeks (EXERCISE). Both groups were sacrificed at 24 months. Results: We observed a decrease in blood flow due to the practice of resistance exercises. Besides, our results showed that hepatic tissue plays an important role in glycemic homeostasis during RT. In addition, RT increased mitogen capacity of hepatocytes. Conclusions: Our study showed many implications for the knowledge about the effects of strength training on old animals’ liver.