RESUMO -Este estudo foi realizado para avaliar os efeitos da redução do nível de proteína bruta (PB) da ração com suplementação de aminoácidos sintéticos sobre o desempenho e o rendimento de carcaça de frangos de corte de 22 a 42 dias de idade mantidos sob estresse por calor. Utilizaram-se 280 frangos de corte machos da linhagem Cobb 500 com peso inicial de 856 ± 7,41 g, distribuídos em delineamentointeiramente casualizado, com cinco níveis de PB (21,6; 20,6; 19,6; 18,6 ou 17,6%), oito repetições e sete aves por unidade experimental. A temperatura no interior da sala foi mantida em 32,2 ± 0,6 o C, com umidade relativa de 66 ± 3,2% e temperatura de globo negro de 33,0 ± 0,7 o C. O índice de temperatura de globo e umidade (ITGU) calculado no período foi de 83 ± 0,9. Não houve efeito dos níveis de PB da ração sobre o ganho de peso, o consumo de ração e a conversão alimentar das aves. A redução dos níveis de PB da ração influenciou os pesos absolutos da carcaça e do peito, que foram maiores no nível de 19,6% de PB em relação ao de 21,6%. Entretanto, não houve efeito da redução dos níveis de PB sobre os pesos absolutos de coxa e de sobrecoxa nem sobre os rendimentos de peito, coxa e sobrecoxa. O nível de proteína bruta da ração, formulada utilizando-se o conceito de proteína ideal, pode ser reduzido de 21,6 até 17,6%, pois essa redução não prejudica as características de desempenho, nem o peso absoluto e o rendimento de cortes nobres de frangos de corte submetidos a estresse por calor.Palavras-chave: ambiente térmico, cortes, desempenho, proteína ideal Reduction of dietary crude protein level for broilers maintained in heat stressing environmentABSTRACT -This study was performed to evaluate the effects of reduction of dietary crude protein level with supplementation of industrial amino acids on the performance and carcass yield of broilers between 22 to 42 days of age, under heat stress. It was used 280 Cobb broilers with initial weight of 856 ± 7.41 g, distributed in a complete randomized experimental design, with five crude protein levels (21.6; 20.6; 19.6; 18.6 and 17.6%), eight repetitions and seven broilers per experimental unit. The temperature inside the rooms was kept at 32.2 ± 0.6 o C, the relative humidity at 66 ± 3.2% and black globe temperature at 33.0 ± 0.7°C. The black globe-humidity index calculated for the period was 83 ± 0.9. There was no effect of crude protein levels on weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion of the birds. The reduction of dietary crude protein levels influenced the absolute weight of carcass and breast, and the level of 19.6% proportioned higher carcass and breast weights of the broilers compared to the level of 21.6% of crude protein. However, there was no effect of the reduction of levels of crude protein on absolute values of thigh and drumstick and also on breast, thigh and drumstick yields. The dietary crude protein level, formulated by using the ideal protein concept, can be reduced from 21.6 to 17.6% not negatively affecting the performance, absolute weight and nobl...

Clinical data point to adverse cardiovascular events elicited by testosterone replacement therapy. Testosterone is the main hormone used in gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) by transmasculine people. However, the cardiovascular impact of testosterone in experimental models of GAHT remains unknown. Sex hormones modulate T cells activation, and immune mechanisms contribute to cardiovascular risk. The present study evaluated whether testosterone negatively impacts female cardiovascular function by enhancing Th17 cells-linked effector mechanisms. Female (8 weeks-old) C57BL/6J mice received testosterone (48 mg.Kg-1.week-1) for 8 weeks. Male mice were used for phenotypical comparisons. The hormone-treatment in female mice increased circulating testosterone to levels observed in male mice. Testosterone increased lean body mass and body mass index, and decreased perigonadal fat mass, mimicking clinical findings. After 8 weeks, testosterone decreased endothelium-dependent vasodilation and increased circulating Th17 cells. After 24 weeks, testosterone increased blood pressure in female mice. Ovariectomy did not intensify phenotypical or cardiovascular effects by testosterone. Female mice lacking T and B cells [Rag1 knockout (-/-)], as well as female mice lacking IL-17 receptor (IL-17Ra-/-), did not exhibit vascular dysfunction induced by testosterone. Testosterone impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilation in female mice lacking γδ T cells, similarly to the observed in wild type female mice. Adoptive transfer of CD4+ T cells restored testosterone-induced vascular dysfunction in Rag1-/- female mice. Together, these data suggest that CD4+ T cells, most likely Th17 cells, are central to vascular dysfunction induced by testosterone in female mice, indicating that changes in immune cells balance are important in the GAHT in transmasculine people.

The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activates cAMP signaling and promotes trophic effects on brown adipose tissue (BAT) through poorly understood mechanisms. Because norepinephrine has been found to induce antiproteolytic effects on muscle and heart, we hypothesized that the SNS could inhibit autophagy in interscapular BAT (IBAT). Here, we describe that selective sympathetic denervation of rat IBAT kept at 25°C induced atrophy, and in parallel dephosphorylated forkhead box class O (FoxO), and increased cathepsin activity, autophagic flux, autophagosome formation, and expression of autophagy-related genes. Conversely, cold stimulus (4°C) for up to 72 h induced thermogenesis and IBAT hypertrophy, an anabolic effect that was associated with inhibition of cathepsin activity, autophagic flux, and autophagosome formation. These effects were abrogated by sympathetic denervation, which also upregulated Gabarapl1 mRNA. In addition, the cold-driven sympathetic activation stimulated the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, leading to the enhancement of protein synthesis, evaluated in vivo by puromycin incorporation, and to the inhibitory phosphorylation of Unc51-like kinase-1, a key protein in the initiation of autophagy. This coincided with a higher content of exchange protein-1 directly activated by cAMP (Epac1), a cAMP effector, and phosphorylation of Akt at Thr308, all these effects being abolished by denervation. Systemic treatment with norepinephrine for 72 h mimicked most of the cold effects on IBAT. These data suggest that the noradrenergic sympathetic inputs to IBAT restrain basal autophagy via suppression of FoxO and, in the setting of cold, stimulate protein synthesis via the Epac/Akt/mTOR-dependent pathway and suppress the autophagosome formation, probably through posttranscriptional mechanisms. NEW & NOTEWORTHY The underlying mechanisms related to the anabolic role of sympathetic innervation on brown adipose tissue (BAT) are unclear. We show that sympathetic denervation activates autophagic-lysosomal degradation, leading to a loss of mitochondrial proteins and BAT atrophy. Conversely, cold-driven sympathetic activation suppresses autophagy and stimulates protein synthesis, leading to BAT hypertrophy. Given its high-potential capacity for heat production, understanding the mechanisms that contribute to BAT mass is important to optimize chances of survival for endotherms in cold ambients.

Background Fetal stage is a critical developmental window for the skeletal muscle, but little information is available about the impact of maternal vitamin D (Vit. D) deficiency (VDD) on offspring lean mass development in the adult life of male and female animals. Methods Female rats (Wistar Hannover) were fed either a control (1000 IU Vit. D3/kg) or a VDD diet (0 IU Vit. D3/kg) for 6 weeks and during gestation and lactation. At weaning, male and female offspring were randomly separated and received a standard diet up to 180 days old. Results Vitamin D deficiency induced muscle atrophy in the male (M-VDD) offspring at the end of weaning, an effect that was reverted along the time. Following 180 days, fast-twitch skeletal muscles [extensor digitorum longus (EDL)] from the M-VDD showed a decrease (20%; P < 0.05) in the number of total fibres but an increase in the cross-sectional area of IIB (17%; P < 0.05), IIA (19%; P < 0.05) and IIAX (21%; P < 0.05) fibres. The fibre hypertrophy was associated with the higher protein levels of MyoD (73%; P < 0.05) and myogenin (55% %; P < 0.05) and in the number of satellite cells (128.8 ± 14 vs. 91 ± 7.6 nuclei Pax7 + in the M-CTRL; P < 0.05). M-VDD increased time to fatigue during ex vivo contractions of EDL muscles and showed an increase in the phosphorylation levels of IGF-1/ insulin receptor and their downstream targets related to anabolic processes and myogenic activation, including Ser 473 Akt and Ser 21/9 GSK-3β. In such muscles, maternal VDD induced a compensatory increase in the content of calcitriol (two-fold; P < 0.05) and CYP27B1 (58%; P < 0.05), a metabolizing enzyme that converts calcidiol to calcitriol. Interestingly, most morphological and biochemical changes found in EDL were not observed in slow-twitch skeletal muscles (soleus) from the M-VDD group as well as in both EDL and soleus muscles from the female offspring. Conclusions These data show that maternal VDD selectively affects the development of type-II muscle fibres in male offspring rats but not in female offspring rats and suggest that the enhancement of their size and fatigue resistance in fast-twitch skeletal muscle (EDL) is probably due to a compensatory increase in the muscle content of Vit. D in the adult age.

O experimento foi conduzido com objetivo de avaliar o efeito da adição de cromo orgânico (Cr) na alimentação de codornas japonesas na fase inicial de postura mantidas em estresse por calor. Seiscentas codornas com 63 dias de idade e peso inicial de 158,6 g foram mantidas em ambiente de alta temperatura (32ºC) e alimentadas com dietas à base de milho e farelo de soja suplementadas com Cr (cromo-metionina) em substituição ao inerte (0, 500, 1.000, 1.500 e 2.000 ppb). O delineamento utilizado foi o inteiramente casualizado, com cinco tratamentos, 12 repetições e dez aves por unidade experimental, adotando-se o teste de Willians a 5% de significância (a) para análise de cada variável: produção de ovos (taxa de postura/ave/dia; taxa de postura por ave alojada; taxa de postura de ovos comercializáveis; peso de ovo); consumo de ração; conversão alimentar (por kg e por dúzia de ovos); e massa de ovos. O fornecimento de cromo orgânico no nível de 500 ppb promoveu melhora na produção de ovos comercializáveis e, no nível de 2.000 ppb, resultou em aumento no consumo de ração. As demais variáveis não foram influenciadas pelos níveis de Cr na dieta. O nível de 500 ppb de Cr na dieta é indicado para aumento da produção de ovos comercializáveis de codornas japonesas em fase de postura mantidas em estresse por calor.