ABSTRACT Early weaning can predispose the offspring to greater risk of developing chronic diseases in adulthood. It is believed that the consumption of functional foods is able to prevent these effects. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of maternal and postnatal cocoa powder supplementation on body mass, metabolism, and morphology of the prostate of early weaned Wistar rats. The animals were divided into four experimental groups according to lactation time (21 or 18 days, n=6, each) as follows: control group (C), cocoa control group (CCa), early weaning group (EW), and cocoa early weaning group (EWCa). The animals were euthanized at 90 days of age. Serum biochemical analysis and prostate histomorphometric evaluation were performed. The animals supplemented with cocoa powder were heavier than their respective controls (p <0.05), although with no difference in food intake among the groups. Likewise, these same groups showed a reduction in the serum glucose in relation to C and EW groups (p <0.0001). With respect to the prostate, there was no difference in smooth muscle and lumen area densities, while the EW group had a lower epithelial height and a higher percentage of mast cells than the C group (p <0.05). On the other hand, the EWCa group managed to reverse these parameters, leveling with the controls. Early weaning resulted in hyperglycemia and important morphological changes in the prostate. In contrast, dietary supplementation with cocoa powder attenuated these effects on the metabolism and prostatic histoarchitecture, proving to be a good nutritional treatment strategy.

ABSTRACT Purpose: To compare the penile histoarchitecture of rats euthanized with isoflurane or with ketamine and xylazine. Methods: Fourteen male rats were divided into two groups: ISO, with animals euthanized with isoflurane; and K+X, with animals euthanized with ketamine (150 mg/kg) associated with xylazine (15 mg/kg). Immediately after the death, the penises were dissected, fixed in a 4% buffered formalin solution, and processed for histomorphometric analysis. The surface densities (Sv) of the corpus cavernosum structures (connective tissue, smooth muscle, sinusoidal space, and elastic fibers) were evaluated using Image J software. The distribution of collagen types I and III was qualitatively assessed. Statistical analyses were performed using the Student’s t test for data comparison, considering it statistically significant when p < 0.05. Results: Regarding the Sv of connective tissue, smooth muscle and sinusoidal space, there were no differences between animals in both groups. On the other hand, the animals euthanized with the association of ketamine and xylazine showed the Sv of elastic fibers 24.8% higher in relation to animals euthanized with isoflurane. Conclusions: The euthanasia method affected one of the morphological parameters of the rat penises. The choice of euthanasia method must be standardized to reduce bias and to obtain reliable and reproducible results.

Mesotrione é um importante herbicida registrado para uso na cultura do milho, porém pouco tem sido feito para estudar a suscetibilidade de espécies como Brachiaria brizantha a esse herbicida. O presente trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar a supressão imposta pelo mesotrione em plantas de Brachiaria brizantha, visando à viabilização de um cultivo integrado com a cultura do milho. Os tratamentos foram distribuídos em blocos casualizados, com quatro repetições, sendo estes constituídos por sete doses de mesotrione (0, 12, 24, 48, 96, 144 e 192 g ha-1), um tratamento com o cultivo de milho solteiro e capinado, além de um tratamento com capim-braquiária cultivado de forma solteira e capinada, totalizando assim nove tratamentos. As espécies milho e B. brizantha (cv. Marandu) foram semeadas concomitantemente. Os tratamentos herbicidas foram aplicados aos 20 dias após a emergência das espécies. O mesotrione mostrou maior potencial de fitointoxicação em plantas de B. brizantha ao ser aplicado na dose de 192 g ha-1. Entretanto, a espécie forrageira apresentou tolerância satisfatória ao herbicida, demonstrando potencial de utilização no sistema de integração lavoura-pecuária. A competição interespecífica proporcionou reduções no rendimento do milho, e a melhor relação dose-benefício para esse sistema foi obtida com a utilização de 96 g ha-1 de mesotrione.

Mesotrione is an important herbicide applied to corn, but little is known about the susceptibility of species, such as Brachiaria brizantha to this herbicide. The objective of this study was to evaluate the suppression imposed by mesotrione in Brachiaria brizantha, intercropped with maize. The trial was conducted in a randomized block design with four replications, corresponding to seven doses of mesotrione (0; 12; 24; 48; 96; 144 and 192 g ha-1), a control (corn without interference) and a treatment with beard grass grown as a single. Both crops were sown on the same day. The herbicide was applied at 20 days after emergence of the species. Mesotrione showed the greatest potential for plant toxicity in B. brizantha plants, when applied at a dose of 192 g ha-1. However, grass forage showed satisfactory tolerance to the herbicide, indicating potential use in crop-livestock systems. The inter-specific competition led to reductions in corn yield, and the best dose-response relationship to benefit both cultures was obtained by using 96 g ha-1 of mesotrione.