Carlos Vasconcelos

Malnutrition and REM-sleep Deprivation Modulate in Rats the Impairment of Spreading Depression by a Single Sub-convulsing Dose of Pilocarpine

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the effect of a single injection of pilocarpine upon the phenomenon of cortical spreading depression (SD), in adult rats submitted to early malnutrition and/or to REM-sleep deprivation for 72 h prior to the SD-recordings. The SD was recorded continuously for 3-4 h in 13 well-nourished (W) and 15 early-malnourished (M) adult rats. One to two hours after the beginning of the recording session, a sub-convulsing intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of pilocarpine (190 mg/kg) was applied and its effects on SD were studied during the rest of the recording session. Pilocarpine reduced markedly the ECoG amplitudes in all animals and decreased the SD velocity of propagation in the M-, but not in the W-rats, as compared with the pre-drug values for the same animals. In additional 9 W- and 10 M-animals, REM-sleep deprivation was induced during the 72 h preceding the SD-recording session. This condition enhanced the pilocarpine effects on SD in the W-, but not in the M-rats, as compared to the respective non-deprived (ND) groups. The results indicate an important acute cholinergic influence on SD, acting by means of pilocarpine-activated muscarinic receptors. This effect seems to be differentially modulated by sleep deprivation and malnutrition. * Present address: Departamento de Neurologia, Laboratório de Neurologia Aplicada e Experimental, FMRP/USP, CEP 14040-900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil † Present address: Recife Air Force Hospital, 50000-901 Recife, PE, Brazil

Transmission Electron Microscopy Studies of the Vestibulocochlear Nerve in Chronic Diabetic Rats

Se ha descrito ampliamente en la literatura que los pacientes diabeticos presentan discapacidad auditiva. En estos pacientes, a pesar de las alteraciones histologicas de las estructuras del oido interno, asi como en modelos experimentales de diabetes, que mejoran nuestro conocimiento, la evaluacion histologica del nervio vestibulococlear no ha sido realizada. Se describen y comparan las alteraciones ultraestructurales entre un nervio espinal y uno craneal en ratas con diabetes cronica inducida. Fueron utilizadas 12 ratas Wistar machos, de 42 dias de edad, alimentadas con dieta estandar. Los animales diabeticos inducidos (n = 6) se mantuvieron en ayuno por 12 horas antes de ser inyectados por via intraperitoneal con estreptozotocina (STZ - 60mg/kg) en una sola dosis. Los animales control (n = 6) solo recibieron inyeccion de 0.01 mol/l buffer, citrato pH 4,5. Diez semanas despues de la inyeccion de STZ, los animales fueron perfundidos intracardiacamente con solucion de Karnovsky. Los nervios vestibulococlear derecho e izquierdo fueron disecados y procesados histologicamente para ser incluidos en resina epoxy. Las muestras fueron estudiadas con microscopio electronico de transmision. Fueron observadas facilmente, grandes fibras mielinizadas con signos morfologicos de atrofia axonal en los nervios vestibulococlear. Estos resultados sugieren que la diabetes cronica inducida por STZ en ratas causo alteraciones en las fibras mielinicas y celulas del neurilema, compatible, con los signos y sintomas clasicos de la diabetes. Alteraciones morfologicas del nervio vestibulococlear en la diabetes son descritas por primera vez, lo que aporta informacion para una mejor comprension de por que hay cambios en la audicion en los pacientes diabeticos.

Air traffic control activity increases attention capacity in air traffic controllers

Air traffic controllers simultaneously develop complex and multiple tasks in the course of their activities. In this context, concern is raised over the high level of attention needed by these professionals which can ultimately be affected by stress and fatigue. Objectives The objective of this study was to assess attention level in air traffic controllers (ATCo). Methods 45 flight protection professionals were evaluated, comprising 30 ATCo, subdivided into ATCo with ten or more years in the profession (ATCo≥10, n=15) and ATCo with less than ten years in the profession (ATCo <10, n=15) and 15 aeronautical information services operators (AIS), subdivided into AIS with ten years or more in the profession (AIS≥10, n=8) and AIS with less than ten years in the profession (AIS <10, n=7), who were included as the control group. The digit symbol, d2 (the individual marks the letter d on a specific form containing 14 lines with 47 letters in each, maintaining focus on letter d followed by two dashes), forward digit span, backward digit span and PASAT (paced auditory serial addition test) attention tests were used. Kruskal-Wallis was used and data expressed as Median (Minimum and Maximum) with p<0.05. Results The ATCo≥10 presented greater focus of attention, sustained attention, mental manipulation and resistance to interference capacity compared to the AIS≥10. Comparison of ATCo≥10 to the AIS<10 showed they presented only greater resistance to interference, and when compared to the ATCo<10 presented lower focus. Conclusions The air traffic control activity after ten years may be associated with a high level of attention.

Animal models of human nutritional diseases: a short overview

The long history of animal experimentation describes the use of a series of methods that not only include the use of whole animals but isolated organs, isolated tissues, tissue cultures, isolated cells, subcellular components, modeling and structure-activity relationships. Data from government reports, from medical research council reports and from scientific publications point to the extent to which these methods are used. A study of the revolution of therapeutics and of the recent decline in drug innovation, raises the question as to whether the trend away from experimentation on the whole organism may have gone too far(1). Several factors were very important in the discovery of essential nutrients including the recognition that certain diseases are directly associated to diet. Subsequently, the development of suitable animal models investigated animals that have specific requirements for the nutrient in question, the use of bioassay procedures to first produce and then ameliorate one or more of the symptoms related to deficiency and the development of defined purified diets that could be made singly deficient in a nutritional entity. Generally, the diet-disease association preceded both isolation of the nutrient per se as well as the establishment of nutrient function(2,3). The STZ-diabetes model is widely used to investigate diabetic peripheral neuropathies by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Morphological alterations of the vestibulocochlear nerve in experimental diabetes are being described for the first time and such information corroborates to a better understanding of the changes in hearing observed in diabetic patients(4). The nutritional status of animals can change these results, as can the cellular composition and emerging inflammatory reactions. Leukocyte counts can easily be studied by TEM and with the advancing age of mice the results may be different. There are several forms of causing undernourishment in animals with the most common being protein malnutrition caused by the ingestion of small quantities of milk protein - casein (about 8%), as described in the original article by Viana et al. published in this issue of the Revista Brasileira de Hematologia eHemoterapia(5). This scientific paper shows the importance of physical training on the physiological adaptation of leukocytes in situations of neonatal malnutrition. Currently many experiments are underway to try to reconcile animal research to effectively and ethically extrapolate the results to humans.The long history of animal experimentation describes the use of a series of methods that not only include the use of whole animals but isolated organs, isolated tissues, tissue cultures, isolated cells, subcellular components, modeling and structure-activity relationships. Data from government reports, from medical research council reports and from scientific publications point to the extent to which these methods are used. A study of the revolution of therapeutics and of the recent decline in drug innovation, raises the question as to whether the trend away from experimentation on the whole organism may have gone too far(1). Several factors were very important in the discovery of essential nutrients including the recognition that certain diseases are directly associated to diet. Subsequently, the development of suitable animal models investigated animals that have specific requirements for the nutrient in question, the use of bioassay procedures to first produce and then ameliorate one or more of the symptoms related to deficiency and the development of defined purified diets that could be made singly deficient in a nutritional entity. Generally, the diet-disease association preceded both isolation of the nutrient per se as well as the establishment of nutrient function(2,3). The STZ-diabetes model is widely used to investigate diabetic peripheral neuropathies by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Morphological alterations of the vestibulocochlear nerve in experimental diabetes are being described for the first time and such information corroborates to a better understanding of the changes in hearing observed in diabetic patients(4). The nutritional status of animals can change these results, as can the cellular composition and emerging inflammatory reactions. Leukocyte counts can easily be studied by TEM and with the advancing age of mice the results may be different. There are several forms of causing undernourishment in animals with the most common being protein malnutrition caused by the ingestion of small quantities of milk protein casein (about 8%), as described in the original article by Viana et al. published in this issue of the Revista Brasileira de Hematologia e Hemoterapia(5). This scientific paper shows the importance of physical training on the physiological adaptation of leukocytes in situations of neonatal malnutrition. Currently many experiments are underway to try to reconcile animal research to effectively and ethically extrapolate the results to humans.

Ultrastructural aspects of cranial and peripheric nerves of cronically diabetic and malnourished rats: a short biochemical panorama

Diabetes Mellitus is one of the most common causes of neuropathies, which can be caused by molecular imbalances that impair metabolic pathways. Studies in rats showed the importance of sirtuins (SIRT), deacetylases that use NAD+ as a cofactor, which have a widespread function in metabolism, and their relation when food deprived or calorie restricted. Additionally, diabetic neuropathy presents different structural biomarkers that cause morphological alterations in fibers that can be partially treated. SIRT1 is the principal sirtuin, which acts on hypothalamus, liver, kidney, among other organs, up regulating or down regulating the expression of some genes or enzymes crucial in the process of glucose absorption.

Brazilian air traffic controllers exhibit excessive sleepiness

Excessive sleepiness (ES) is an increased tendency to initiate involuntary sleep for naps at inappropriate times. Objective The objective of this study was to assess ES in air traffic controllers (ATCo). Methods 45 flight protection professionals were evaluated, comprising 30 ATCo, subdivided into ATCo with ten or more years in the profession (ATCo≥10, n=15) and ATCo with less than ten years in the profession (ATCo<10, n=15) and 15 aeronautical information services operators (AIS), subdivided into AIS with ten years or more in the profession (AIS≥10, n=8) and AIS with less than ten years in the profession (AIS<10, n=7), who were included as the control group. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale and Maintenance of Wakefulness Test were used for evaluating subjective and objective excessive sleepiness. Kruskal-Wallis was used for ES and Mann-Whitney for sleep latency (SL), collection time in minutes (mins), and expressed as Median (Minimum-Maximum), p<0.05. Results ATCo≥10 12 (6-14) mins and ATCo<10 10 (1-15) mins showed greater sleepiness compared to CONTROL1 7 (3-8) mins and CONTROL2 6 (4-6) mins, p=0.001*. A total of 77.27% of the ATCo and 16.67% of the AIS had an SL of less than 20 minutes. The ATCo presented an SL of 16.59 (3.25-40), lower than that of the AIS of 31.71 (10.63-40) mins, p<0.05*. Conclusion Brazilian air traffic controllers exhibit excessive sleepiness.

Factors Associated With Diabetic Neuropathy In Rats: A Systematic Review With Metanalysis

Diabetic neuropathy refers to a group of symptoms associated with the nerve’s damaged ability to perform its functions correctly. Symptoms may vary from paresis to pains that mainly affect sensitive or motor long nerves of feet and hands. Hence, experiments and analysis carried out with rodents, especially rats, allow several clinical interfaces to be known. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the factors associated with diabetic neuropathy in rats. This is a systematic review with metanalysis. Data collection followed some priorelection criteria. The sources of information for the researched data are the databases MEDLINE/PubMed and Scopus. The research was conducted using the keywords found in descriptors/MeSH: rats, diabetic neuropathies, and risk factors with the Boolean operator “AND”. The BioEstat 5.3 was used for statistical analysis, and the Odds Ratio was calculated with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Eighty-three references were found, of which 17 followed the criteria and were then included in the present review. Some factors like nerve morphology, blood hypertension, oxidative stress, diabetes period, hypoglycemic effect, vascular complications, and insulin parameters represent the main risk factors for the development of diabetic neuropathy, as well as diabetes induction in rats by using drugs. Such factors are verysimilar to those from humans, thus requiring a deeper analysis of the theme in a considerable human sample.

Pathogenesis, haemodynamics and growth of intracranial aneurysms:future directions

Treatments using flow diversion or disrupting stents have increasingly gained attention due to being less invasive, and because of increased levels of safety, as well as being feasible and having high success rates (Tse et al., 2013; Chalouhi et al., 2015). This is especially true for large, dysplastic, and wideneck aneurysms (Brinjikji et al., 2009; Huang et al., 2009; Byrne and Szikora, 2012). In addition, intravascular flow modifying stents are effective tools that act directly on the pathogenesis of intracranial aneurysms (McAuliffe and Wenderoth, 2012; Huang et al., 2013). An intracranial aneurysm is a vascular ectasia arising from the wall of intracranial arteries, predominantly in the cerebral arterial circle of Willis, in most cases of saccular form (Keedy, 2006) (Fig. 1). However, irrespective of its shape and location, an intracranial aneurysm is a disease within the vascular wall, particularly at the level of the endothelium of blood vessels. Endothelial cells respond physiologically to changes in blood flow patterns. Therefore, flow diverting stents are designed to act by promoting a temporary scaffold for proliferation of endothelial cells, with healing to the formation of a new vascular wall and stimulating aneurysmal thrombosis (Tremmel et al., 2010). One of our challenges is to understand the interplay of biological and hemodynamic processes involved in the formation and progression of intracranial aneurysms. Examples of incomplete understanding of interplay are initiation of aneurysms, their growth, the inflammatory and degenerative processes related to an aneurysm’s rupture, and eventual recanalization (Sforza et al., 2009). Another interesting element regards to the behavior of intracranial aneurysms, which is unpredictable. Although aneurysms are dynamic, they often remain unnoticed until they are detected incidentally. Also, the true prevalence of intracranial aneurysms is not known, and the current consensus in clinical decisions is often to avoid subarachnoid hemorrhage (Turjman et al., 2014). Populational studies show that 85% of intracranial saccular aneurysms develop in the internal carotid circulation. More specifically, 35% appear on the complex anterior communicating artery, followed by carotid artery ( 30%) and middle cerebral artery ( 22%). They are less common in the posterior circulation at the top of the basilar artery and along its branches. Multiple aneurysms are found in about 30% of patients who already have at least one aneurysm (Keedy, 2006). A preponderance of intracranial aneurysms occurs in women, which increases with the number of aneurysms (Defillo et al., 2014). In samples of people aged 50 and over, this preponderance may approach a ratio of 1:2, or even greater. This trend seems to be associated with low levels of estrogen (Longstreth et al., 1994). Regarding the formation of an intracranial aneurysm, the current consensus is that origin is multifactorial, and there is no completely satisfactory theory. Evidence demonstrates a complex evolutionary process in which many factors may be involved. The possible co-factors involved are anatomy, vascular geometry, and abnormal flow patterns, with endogenous factors related to the vascular wall (weakness

An Update On Rodent Model Studies In Diabetic Neuropathy: A Brief Communication

The diseases of the peripheral nerves are quite common and diversified, are directly related to several factors, ranging from the imbalance related to good nutrition and adequate needs of nutrients, going to the injuries caused by drugs or mechanisms external to the human organism. Diabetes is a complex syndrome that affects and kills millions of people worldwide. We demonstrated through the experimental model of diabetes using STZ@ in single intraperitoneal dose of 60 mg / kg, that both a purely motor nerve can be directly affected as well as a special afferent nerve (cranial nerve), this comparison showed us that there is a possibility of having a new type of mixed type neuropathy, this may be related to the amount of the dose involved, such as the time of disease progression, but more studies need to be done for definitive confirmation. We can extrapolate the original results to understand the mechanisms of diabetes in humans, although it does not yet have an experimental model of type II diabetes, more related to eating disorders, the STZ application simulates the effects of type I or insulin dependent diabetes, with more serious and deleterious effects mainly the more distal portions of the nerves. Prevention and food control are very important, especially those related to the mechanisms that involve carbohydrate metabolism and its peripheral resistance. The original results commented here are relevant for the continuous study of this serious but old illness, but quite current in the medical and therapeutic clinic. Keywords: Experimental Model of Diabetes; Sensory and Motor Peripheral Nerves; Peripheral Nerve Injuries; Neuropathies; STZ; Rats.

Childhood Depression in Family Narratives

BACKGROUND: The family narratives are true contextual cues in the representation of the experiences of illness of depressive child. The family members use healthcare services in an attempt to understand the disease so that describe the everyday practices in the living with the child. OBJECTIVE: This original article aims to present childhood depression with its various nuances and its many consequences in the family context. METHODS: The universe of this study involved 24 families in the age group ranging from 45 to 70 years who searched the care services at Childrens Psychosocial Care Center (CAPSi). Through the records, a survey of the family members was performed, from case reports, in the course of medical and psychological consultations. This is a purposive sample, which was selected by approximation the inclusion criteria, a sample of 12 family members of both sexes. The attention focused on the use of narrative interview - which is recognized as a genre of sociolinguistic research - fully recorded. RESULTS: The family member has its convivial trajectory with the disease through a specific identity and enunciation with the child. The family narratives show up symbolic portraits to the rescue of the guiding elements of the depressive situation. The family narratives are shown as spaces of reinterpretation of pain and psychological distress. The disorder explained in the narratives of childhood depression inserted in understanding plays a crucial role in exposing the intensity of pain and psychological distress. CONCLUSION: It is fundamental important in clinical care the psychiatric practice inserted into the historical and social context of the family members who have their own living narrative with the disease.