Effects of early exercise on cardiac function and lipid metabolism pathway in heart failure

We employed an early training exercise program, immediately after recovery from surgery, and before severe cardiac hypertrophy, to study the underlying mechanism involved with the amelioration of cardiac dysfunction in aortic stenosis (AS) rats. As ET induces angiogenesis and oxygen support, we aimed to verify the effect of exercise on myocardial lipid metabolism disturbance. Wistar rats were divided into Sham, trained Sham (ShamT), AS and trained AS (AST). The exercise consisted of 5-week sessions of treadmill running for 16 weeks. Statistical analysis was conducted by anova or Kruskal–Wallis test and Goodman test. A global correlation between variables was also performed using a two-tailed Pearson's correlation test. AST rats displayed a higher functional capacity and a lower cardiac remodelling and dysfunction when compared to AS, as well as the myocardial capillary rarefaction was prevented. Regarding metabolic properties, immunoblotting and enzymatic assay raised beneficial effects of exercise on fatty acid transport and oxidation pathways. The correlation assessment indicated a positive correlation between variables of angiogenesis and FA utilisation, as well as between metabolism and echocardiographic parameters. In conclusion, early exercise improves exercise tolerance and attenuates cardiac structural and functional remodelling. In parallel, exercise attenuated myocardial capillary and lipid metabolism derangement in rats with aortic stenosis-induced heart failure.     

Synthesis of novel carbocyclic nucleosides with a modified cyclopentane ring and evaluation of their antiviral activity.

New carbocyclic nucleosides with purine (compounds 2a-2c), 8-azapurine (compounds 2d and 2e) or pyrimidine (compound 3) as base were prepared and assayed for in vitro activity.     

AChemS: the beginning. Association for Chemoreception Sciences

This paper unfolds the events, the people and the times that led up to the founding of AChemS and fashioned its character during its early formative years. It describes the path over which AChemS came, going from the original assertions and denials for the need of such an organization to its later inception and nascent development. This narration highlights such topics as the debate over the need for AChemS, the role of National Science Foundation in the founding of AChemS, the derivation of the Association's name, the choice of Sarasota and the Hyatt House as the meeting site, the generation of the programs for the early annual meetings, the adoption of the bylaws, the process of incorporation and tax deferment, and the birth of the Givaudan Lectureship. Most emphatically highlighted, however, is the enthusiasm, commitment and hard work that the members of the chemosensory research community displayed in bringing AChemS to fruition.      

Development of the pars membranacea septi interventricularis of the human heart. II. Thickness change.

The measurement of the thickness of the pars membranacea septi interventricularis of the human heart increases with the intra-uterine age of the fetus along a steep, ascending, straight line. The thickening of the PMSI occurs in phase I of the development from 0.246 mm (CR = 16.8 mm) to 0.524 mm (CR = 119 mm) and in phase II from 0.601 mm (CR = 149 mm) to 1.024 mm (CR = 362 mm). The thickness increases, then, from the ending of the closure of the secondary interventricular foramen to the end of the fetal period.     

Evolution of the Genes Encoding Seed Storage Proteins in Sugarcane and Maize

Prolamins, the seed storage proteins of maize, sorghum and coix were also found in sugarcane. Prolamins are grouped into structurally distinct classes termed the α-, β-, γ- and δ-prolamins. Orthologues for almost all of the α-, β-, γ- and δ-prolamins classes were identified in sugarcane. In maize, there are two molecular weight classes of α-prolamins, the 22 and 19 kD α-zeins. Sugarcane also possesses both the 22 kD and the 19 kD α-prolamins, which we denote as caneins, whereas sorghum and coix contain only the 22 kD α-prolamin (α-kafirin and α-coixin, respectively). Amino acid sequence alignments of the 22 and 19 kD α-prolamins from these plants revealed that both the 19 kD α-zein and the 19 kD α-canein lack around 20 amino acids at the sixth α-helix domain. We postulate that the 19 kD α-prolamins originated from a deletion of the sixth α-helix of a 22 kD counterpart in the saccharum lineage. Saccharum and sorghum diverged around five to nine million years ago (Mya), when only the 22 kD α-prolamins existed. The 19 kD α-canein must therefore have emerged after this time. Sorghum possesses a 19 kD α-prolamin similar to that of sugarcane and maize, but it contains the sixth α-helix domain lacking in the 19 kD α-zein and the 19 kD α-canein. This sorghum α-prolamin that we called 19 kD-like α-kafirin must be the ancestor of the 19 kD α-canein. The 19 kD-like α-kafirin could also be the ancestor of the 19 kD α-zein but it is also possible that the genes encoding the 19 kD α-zein and the 19 kD α-canein have evolved separately in these close groups.