Sex hormones and vascular reactivity: a temporal evaluation in resistance arteries of male rats

The role of androgens in vascular reactivity is controversial, particularly regarding their age-related actions. The objective of this study was to conduct a temporal evaluation of the vascular reactivity of resistance arteries of young male rats, as well as to understand how male sex hormones can influence the vascular function of these animals. Endothelium-mediated relaxation was characterized in third-order mesenteric arteries of 10-, 12-, 16-, and 18w (week-old) male rats. Concentration-response curves to acetylcholine (ACh, 0.1 nmol/L-10 µmol/L) were constructed in arteries previously contracted with phenylephrine (PE, 3 µmol/L), before and after the use of nitric oxide synthase or cyclooxygenase inhibitors. PE concentration-response curves (1 nmol/L-100 μmol/L) were also built. The levels of vascular nitric oxide, superoxide anion, and hydrogen peroxide were assessed and histomorphometry analysis was performed. The 18w group had impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation. All groups showed prostanoid-independent and nitric oxide-dependent vasodilatory response, although this dependence seems to be smaller in the 18w group. The 18w group had the lowest nitric oxide and hydrogen peroxide production, in addition to the highest superoxide anion levels. Besides functional impairment, 18w animals showed morphological differences in third-order mesenteric arteries compared with the other groups. Our data show that time-dependent exposure to male sex hormones appears to play an important role in the development of vascular changes that can lead to impaired vascular reactivity in mesenteric arteries, which could be related to the onset of age-related cardiovascular changes in males.

ConectAR: Collaborative network of patients with asthma and carers actively involved in health research. A protocol for patient and public involvement

Summary

Patients and Public Involvement in every stage of the patient-centred health research cycle is the key to the development of innovative solutions with an impact on patients' care. This protocol describes the development of ConectAR, a network to promote the involvement of patients with asthma and their carers in the health research cycle. This protocol comprehends 4 tasks: 1) define the mission, vision, governance and activities of the network through focus groups; 2) establish the communication strategy and tools; 3) test the feasibility of the network in a Delphi study on the research priorities for asthma in Portugal; and 4) coordination and dissemination activities. This network will improve research by ensuring that patients and carers have an active role in the co-creation of impactful solutions for asthma.

Design and Analysis of Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics and Toxicological analysis of Cannabidiol analogs using in silico Tools

Background:

Background: Cannabidiol (CBD), a non‐psychoactive phytocannabinoid from Cannabis Sativa, has become an interesting option for medicinal chemists in the development of new drug candidates

Objective:

Objective: This study aims to propose analogs with therapeutic potential from the CBD scaffold. Methods: The 16 analogs proposed were designed using the PubChem Sketcher V. 2.4® software. Already, CBD analogs were subjected to different in silico tools, such as Molinspiration®; SwissADME®; SwissTargetPrediction® and OSIRIS Property Explorer

Results and Discussio:

Results and Discussion: The screening of CBD analogs carried out in this study showed compounds 9 and 16 with good affinity for interactions with CB1 and CB2 receptors. Pharmacokinetic data showed that these two compounds have good oral absorption. Finally, in silico toxicity data showed that these compounds pose no risk of a toxic event in humans

Conclusion:

Conclusion: CBD analogs 9 and 16 would have a better profile of drug candidates to be further tested in vitro and in vivo models.: CBD analogs 9 and 16 would have a better profile of drug candidates to be further tested in vitro and in vivo models.

Experimental Periodontal Disease Triggers Coronary Endothelial Dysfunction in Middle-Aged Rats: Preventive Effect of a Prebiotic β-Glucan

This study was aimed to verify the hypothesis that periodontal disease contributes to endothelial dysfunction in the coronary arteries of middle-aged rats. Besides we evaluated the effects of a prebiotic (β-glucan isolated from Saccharomyces cerevisiae) in preventing vascular dysfunction. The sample comprised young (sham and induced to periodontal disease) and middle-aged rats (sham, periodontal disease, sham-treated and periodontal disease-treated), at 12 and 57 weeks, respectively. The treated-groups received daily doses of β-glucan (50 mg/kg) orally (gavage) for 4 weeks, and periodontal disease was induced in the last 2 weeks by ligature. A myograph system assessed vascular reactivity. The expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), cyclooxygenase 1 (COX-1), COX-2, p47phox, gp91phox, NF-KB p65, p53, p21, and p16 was quantified by western blotting. Serum hydroperoxide production was measured by the ferrous oxidation-xylenol orange (FOX-2) assay method. Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels were evaluated by spectroscopic ultraviolet-visible analysis. Periodontal disease in middle-aged rats was associated with reduced acetylcholine-induced relaxations of coronary artery rings affecting the endothelium-dependent hyperpolarization- and the nitric oxide-mediated relaxations. The endothelial dysfunction was related to eNOS downregulation, pronounced impairment of the EDH-mediated relaxation, increased IL-1β and TNF-α proinflammatory cytokines, and also upregulation of NADPH oxidase and COXs, starting accumulate aging markers such as p53/p21 and the p16. Treatment with β-glucan effectively reduced bone loss in periodontal disease and delayed endothelial dysfunction in the coronary artery. Our data show that yeast β-glucan ingestion prevented oxidative stress and synthesis of proinflammatory marker and prevented eNOS reduction induced by periodontal disease in middle-aged rats. These results suggest that β-glucan has a beneficial effect on the coronary vascular bed.

Addition of caffeine to equine thawed sperm increases motility and decreases nitrite concentration

The aim of this study was to improve the quality of frozen-thawed equine sperm by the addition of caffeine to it. Semen from nine stallions was frozen and different concentrations of caffeine (3, 5 and 7.5 mM) were added to frozen-thawed semen. The sperm kinetic parameters, membrane functionality and integrity, and acrosome integrity and spontaneous acrosome reacted sperm were evaluated with a computer-assisted sperm analysis, a hypoosmotic swelling test and epifluorescent microscopy, respectively. Nitrite and hydroperoxide concentrations of frozen-thawed semen were measured using spectrophotometry. Sperm fertility was evaluated by artificial insemination (AI) of 16 mares with thawed ejaculates (control and 5 mM caffeine-treated groups). Compared to that in the control, the addition of 5 mM caffeine induced an increase in sperm motility (38.9 ± 2.8 versus 32.6 ± 3.4%), and a decrease in nitrite concentration (11.4 ± 2.1 versus 12.8 ± 2.9 µM/µg protein, p < .05). Moreover, the pregnancy rate from AI in the caffeine group was significantly higher (62.5%) than that in the control group (12.5%). These data suggest that caffeine reduced the nitrite concentration and enhanced sperm motility in thawed equine sperm, thus increasing the fertility rate in mares inseminated with caffeine-treated equine semen.

Effects of progesterone treatment on endothelium-dependent coronary relaxation in ovariectomized rats

AIM

Although progesterone (P4) has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system, P4 actions on the coronary bed have not yet been fully elucidated. This study evaluated the effect of progesterone treatment on endothelium-dependent coronary vascular reactivity in Wistar rats.

MAIN METHODS

Eight-week-old adult rats were divided into Sham, Ovariectomized (OVX), Ovariectomized and progesterone treated (OVX P4). The OVX P4 group received daily doses of progesterone (2 mg/kg/day). Vascular reactivity was assessed by a modified Langendorff technique. The intensity of eNOS, Akt, and gp91phox protein expression was quantified by Western blotting. Superoxide anion (O₂^●-) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) production was measured by dihydroethidium and 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein, respectively.

KEY FINDINGS

Treatment with P4 was able to prevent the reduction in baseline coronary perfusion pressure induced by ovariectomy. We observed that endothelium-dependent coronary vasodilation was reduced in the OVX group and potentiated in the OVX P4 group. Following the inhibition of the nitric oxide (NO) pathway, the bradykinin-induced relaxing response was potentiated in the OVX P4 group. With regard to the combined inhibition of NO and prostanoids pathways, the OVX P4 group showed a greater relaxing response, similar to what was found upon individual inhibition of NO. After the combined inhibition of NO, prostanoids and epoxyeicosatrienoic acids' pathways, the vasodilatory response induced by BK was abolished in all groups.

SIGNIFICANCE

Treatment with P4 prevented oxidative stress induced by ovariectomy. These results suggest that progesterone has a beneficial action on the coronary vascular bed.

Sex differences in progesterone-induced relaxation in the coronary bed from normotensive rats

Progesterone seems to play a role in cardiovascular physiology since its receptors are expressed on endothelial cells from both sexes of mammals. However, little is known about its role on the coronary circulation. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the effect of acute administration of progesterone on the coronary bed and the endothelial pathways involved in this action in normotensive rats of both sexes. A dose-response curve of progesterone (1-50 μmol/L) in isolated hearts using the Langendorff preparation was performed. Baseline coronary perfusion pressure (CPP) was determined, and the vasoactive effect of progesterone was evaluated before and after infusion with Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), indomethacin, catalase, and Tiron. The analysis of nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide anion (O2 · -) was performed by DAF-2DA and DHE, respectively. Female group showed higher CPP. Nevertheless, progesterone promoted a similar relaxing response in both sexes. The use of L-NAME increased vasodilatory response in both sexes. When indomethacin was used, only the males showed a reduced relaxing response, and in the combined inhibition with L-NAME, indomethacin, and catalase, or with the use of Tiron, only the females presented reduced responses. NO and O2 ·- production has increased in female group, while the male group has increased only NO production. Our results suggest that progesterone is able to modulate vascular reactivity in coronary vascular bed with a vasodilatory response in both sexes. These effects seem to be, at least in part, mediated by different endothelial pathways, involving NO and EDH pathways in females and NO and prostanoids pathways in males.

Evaluation of volume of the sphenoid sinus according to sex, facial type, skeletal class, and presence of a septum: a cone-beam computed tomographic study

We have used cone-beam computed tomographic (CT) images to retrospectivelyevaluate the influence of sex, skeletal class, facial type, and the presence of septa on the volume of the sphenoid sinus in 172 images from 85 men (mean (SD) age 28 (2) years) and 87 women (mean (SD) age 30 (1) years). Skeletal class and facial type were calculated for each patient from multiplanar reconstructions using NemoCeph® software. Volumetric analysis of the sphenoid sinus was made with the help of the ITK-SNAP® 3.4.0 segmentation software, while the presence or absence of septa in the sphenoid sinus was evaluated with the Carestream 3D Imaging® software 3.4.3. We analysed the results using two-way ANOVA, Student's independent sample t test, and Fisher's exact test, as appropriate, and probabilities of <0.05 were accepted as significant. Sex (p=0.0946), facial type (p=0.790), and skeletal class (p=0.120) had no significant influence on the volume of the sphenoid sinus, and nor did the volumes of the right and left sphenoid sinuses (p=0.0923), or the presence of a septum within the sinus (p=0.330) in its volume.

Effect of bovicin HC5 on growth and spore germination of Bacillus cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis isolated from spoiled mango pulp

AIMS

To use bovicin HC5 to inhibit predominant bacteria isolated from spoiled mango pulp.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Bovicin HC5 and nisin were added to brain heart infusion (BHI) medium (40-160 AU ml(-1)) or mango pulp (100 AU ml(-1)) and the growth of Bacillus cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis was monitored. Cultures treated with bovicin HC5 or nisin showed longer lag phases and grew slower in BHI medium. Bovicin HC5 and nisin were bactericidal and showed higher activity in mango pulp at acidic pH values. To determine the effect on spore germination and D values, mango pulp containing bovicin HC5 was inoculated with 10(6) and 10(9) spores per ml(-1), respectively, from each strain tested. Bovicin HC5 reduced the outgrowth of spores from B. cereus and B. thuringiensis, but thermal sensitivity was not affected.

CONCLUSIONS

Bovicin HC5 was bactericidal against B. cereus and B. thuringiensis isolated from spoiled mango pulp.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Bacillus cereus and B. thuringiensis had not been previously isolated from spoiled mango pulp and bovicin HC5 has the potential to inhibit such bacteria in fruit pulps.