The oxygen uptake (V˙O2) kinetics during onset of and recovery from exercise have been shown to provide valuable parameters regarding functional capacity of both chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic heart failure (CHF) patients. To investigate the influence of comorbidity of COPD in patients with CHF with reduced ejection fraction on recovery from submaximal exercise, 9 CHF-COPD male patients and 10 age-, gender-, and left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF)-matched CHF patients underwent constant-load exercise tests (CLET) at moderate and high loads. The V˙O2, heart rate (HR), and cardiac output (CO) recovery kinetics were determined for the monoexponential relationship between these variables and time. Within-group analysis showed that the recovery time constant of HR (P<0.05, d=1.19 for CHF and 0.85 for CHF-COPD) and CO (P<0.05, d=1.68 for CHF and 0.69 for CHF-COPD) and the mean response time (MRT) of CO (P<0.05, d=1.84 for CHF and 0.73 for CHF-COPD) were slower when moderate and high loads were compared. CHF-COPD patients showed smaller amplitude of CO recovery kinetics (P<0.05) for both moderate (d=2.15) and high (d=1.07) CLET. Although the recovery time constant and MRT means were greater in CHF-COPD, CHF and CHF-COPD groups were not differently affected by load (P>0.05 in group vs load analysis). The ventilatory efficiency was related to MRT of V˙O2 during high CLET (r=0.71). Our results suggested that the combination of CHF and COPD may further impair the recovery kinetics compared to CHF alone.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of the different levels of urea and ground whole soybean as a urease source on the chemical composition of the ammoniated sugarcane bagasse. Four levels of urea (2%, 4%, 6% e 8% DM) and three levels of ground whole soybean (0%; 2% e 4%, DM) were added to sugarcane bagasse stored during 52 days in plastic bags (50 L). We analyzed the levels of DM, CP, NDF, ADF, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Was used a complete randomized design with three replicates for treatments. The gradual increase of the urea levels in the process of amonização of sugarcane bagasse implied in reduction of NDF, ADF, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, and increase of CP. However, the levels of DM were not affected by different levals of urea and whole soybean used in different treatments, differing only in the DM ofin nature sugarcane bagasse. The use of ground whole soybean, as source of urease, in the amonização of sugarcane bagasse, was efficient in the reduction of the levels of NDF only for the levels of 2 and 4% of urea.

Objetivou-se com este trabalho avaliar o efeito de diferentes doses de uréia e soja grão moída, como fonte de urease, sobre a composição química do bagaço de cana-de-açúcar amonizado. Utilizaram-se quatro doses de uréia (2, 4, 6 e 8% MS) e três doses de soja grão moída (0; 2 e 4% MS) no bagaço de cana-de-açúcar armazenado por um período de 52 dias, em sacos de polietileno com capacidade de 50 litros. Foram analisados os teores de MS, PB, FDN, FDA, hemicelulose, celulose e lignina. Foi utilizado delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado com três repetições por tratamento. O aumento das doses de uréia no processo de amonização do bagaço de cana-deaçúcar implicou em redução dos teores de FDN, FDA, celulose, hemicelulose e lignina, e aumento dos teores de PB. Todavia, os teores de MS não foram afetados pelas diferentes doses de uréia e soja grão moída utilizadas nos tratamentos, diferindo apenas da MS do bagaço de cana in natura. A utilização da soja grão moída, como fonte de urease, na amonização do bagaço de cana-de-açúcar, foi eficiente na redução dos níveis de FDN apenas para as doses de 2 e 4% de uréia.

Methods for reliable evaluation of spinal cord (SC) injury in rats at short periods (2 and 24 h) after lesion were tested to characterize the mechanisms implicated in primary SC damage. We measured the physiological changes occurring after several procedures for producing SC injury, with particular emphasis on sensorimotor functions. Segmental and suprasegmental reflexes were tested in 39 male Wistar rats weighing 250-300 g divided into three control groups that were subjected to a) anesthesia, b) dissection of soft prevertebral tissue, and c) laminectomy of the vertebral segments between T10 and L1. In the lesion group the SC was completely transected, hemisected or subjected to vertebral compression. All animals were evaluated 2 and 24 h after the experimental procedure by the hind limb motility index, Bohlman motor score, open-field, hot-plate, tail flick, and paw compression tests. The locomotion scale proved to be less sensitive than the sensorimotor tests. A reduction in exploratory movements was detected in the animals 24 h after the procedures. The hot-plate was the most sensitive test for detecting sensorimotor deficiencies following light, moderate or severe SC injury. The most sensitive and simplest test of reflex function was the hot-plate. The hemisection model promoted reproducible moderate SC injury which allowed us to quantify the resulting behavior and analyze the evolution of the lesion and its consequences during the first 24 h after injury. We conclude that hemisection permitted the quantitation of behavioral responses for evaluation of the development of deficits after lesions. Hind limb evaluation scores and spontaneous exploration events provided a sensitive index of immediate injury effects after SC lesion at 2 and 24 h. Taken together, locomotion scales, open-field, and hot-plate tests represent reproducible, quantitatively sensitive methods for detecting functional deficiencies within short periods of time, indicating their potential for the study of cellular mechanisms of primary injury and repair after traumatic SC injury.

Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761 has been reported to have therapeutic effects which have been attributed to anti-oxidant and free radical-scavenging activities, including a direct action on nitric oxide production. L G-nitro-arginine (L-NOARG), a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, and haloperidol, a drug that blocks dopamine receptors, are both known to induce catalepsy in rodents. Nitric oxide has been shown to influence dopaminergic transmission in the striatum. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effect of the extract obtained from leaves of Ginkgo biloba tree EGb 761 on catalepsy induced by haloperidol or by L-NOARG. Albino Swiss mice (35-45 g, N = 8-12) received by gavage a single or repeated oral dose (twice a day for 4 days) of EGb 761 followed by ip injection of haloperidol or L-NOARG. After the treatments, the animals were submitted to behavioral evaluation using the catalepsy test. Acute treatment with 80 mg/kg EGb did not modify the catalepsy induced by L-NOARG but, the dose of 40 mg/kg significantly enhanced haloperidol-induced catalepsy measured at the 10th min of the test. After repeated treatment with 80 mg/kg EGb 761, a significant increase in the cataleptic effect produced by both haloperidol and L-NOARG was observed. These data show that repeated EGb 761 administration increases the effects of drugs that modify motor behavior in mice. Since the catalepsy test has predictive value regarding extrapyramidal effects, the possibility of pharmacological interactions between haloperidol and Ginkgo biloba extracts should be further investigated in clinical studies.