The present study investigated the effects of resveratrol (RV), a polyphenol with potent antioxidant properties, on oxidative stress parameters in liver and kidney, as well as on serum biochemical parameters of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Animals were divided into six groups (n = 8): control/saline; control/RV 10 mg/kg; control/RV 20 mg/kg; diabetic/saline; diabetic/RV10 mg/kg; diabetic/RV 20 mg/kg. After 30 days of treatment with resveratrol the animals were sacrificed and the liver, kidney and serum were used for experimental determinations. Results showed that TBARS levels were significantly increased in the diabetic/saline group and the administration of resveratrol prevented this increase in the diabetic/RV10 and diabetic/RV20 groups (P < 0.05). The activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (δ-ALA-D) and the levels of non protein thiols (NPSH) and vitamin C presented a significant decrease in the diabetic/saline group when compared with the control/saline group (P < 0.05). The treatment with resveratrol was able to prevent these decrease improving the antioxidant defense of the diabetic/RV10 and diabetic/RV20 groups (P < 0.05). In addition, the elevation in serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and γ-glutamiltransferase (γ-GT) activities as well as in levels of urea, creatinine, cholesterol and triglycerides observed in the diabetic/saline group were reverted to levels close to normal by the administration of resveratrol in the diabetic/RV10 and diabetic/RV20 groups (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that resveratrol could have a protector effect against hepatic and renal damage induced by oxidative stress in the diabetic state, which was evidenced by the capacity of this polyphenol to modulate the antioxidant defense and to decrease the lipid peroxidation in these tissues.

Contabilizou-se as plântulas emersas antes e após a remoção da cobertura com palha. A etapa com cobertura de palha do ensaio foi encerrada aos 64 dias após a semeadura, devido à estabilização da emergência em condições, visualmente, inalteradas quanto à quantidade de cobertura de palha e a etapa sem cobertura foi encerrada 119 dias após a remoção da palha. As sementes das espécies de plantas daninhas estudadas apresentam comportamentos germinativos distintos e a cobertura do solo com quantidades crescentes de palha de cana-de-açúcar resultou em padrões de emergência espécie-dependentes. Em condições de cobertura do solo com palha de cana, provável no sistema de colheita da cana crua, as espécies invasoras Bidens pilosa, Euphorbia heterophylla e Ipomoea grandifolia tendem a manter-se como plantas problemas e Sida rhombifolia deverá diminuir sua agressividade, principalmente quando quantidades de palha iguais ou superiores a 6 t/ha foram utilizadas.Palavras chave: Banco de sementes, dormência, cobertura morta, Saccharum officinalis, planta daninha. ABSTRACT Broadleaf weed emergence in soil covered with sugar cane strawThe effect of sugarcane straw over the soil was studied on field conditions on weed seed emergence. The trial witth straw fron RB 82 5336 sugarcane cultivar was carried out with 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 15 ton/ha amount. The weeds studied were Sida rhombifolia, Euphorbia heterophylla, Bidens pilosa and Ipomoea grandifolia. We used 500 seeds of each weed studied. The research was conducted in randomized completely block design with four replications. The weed emergnece has depended of each weed and amount of sugarcane straw studied. The results showed that increasing in the amount of straw there was decrease on the seed emergence of Sida rhombifolia. To the other weeds, the straw amount that affected the weed emergence was 15 ton/ha only.

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a highly dynamic event, which is associated with increasing production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The imbalance between ROS production and antioxidant defenses leads to the condition known as oxidative stress. The most widely recognized effect of increasing oxidative stress is the oxidation and damage of macromolecules, membranes, proteins, and DNA. Therefore, in this study we sought to evaluate oxidative stress and antioxidant defenses in patients with AMI. Lipid peroxidation, protein carbonyl levels, and enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidants were assessed in samples obtained from 40 AMI patients and 40 control patients. AMI was characterized by clinical, electrocardiographic, and laboratory criteria. The control group was divided into two groups of 20 patients: a control group with healthy patients and a risk group. Our results demonstrated an increase in substances reactive to thiobarbituric acid (TBARS) and carbonyl protein levels in the AMI and risk groups. In addition, a positive correlation was found between TBARS, carbonyl protein levels, and troponin I in AMI patients. Surprisingly, for the enzymatic antioxidant defenses, catalase and superoxide dismutase, we observed an increase in these parameters in the AMI and risk groups when compared with healthy patients. However, a decrease in nonenzymatic antioxidants such as vitamin C and vitamin E was observed in AMI patients when compared with the healthy group and the risk group. The increase in oxidative stress was probably a result of the elevation in ROS production due to the ischemic/reperfusion event that occurs in AMI, in addition to the decrease of nonenzymatic antioxidant defenses.

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In this study, we investigated the effect of 6 weeks of swimming training on the ecto-nucleotidase activities and platelet aggregation from rats that developed hypertension in response to oral administration of L-NAME. The rats were divided into four groups: control (n = 10), exercise (n = 10), L-NAME (n = 10), and exercise L-NAME (n = 10). The animals were trained five times per week in an adapted swimming system for 60 min with a gradual increase of the workload up to 5 % of animal's body weight. The results showed an increase in ATP, ADP, AMP, and adenosine hydrolysis, indicating an augment in NTPDase (from 35.3 ± 8.1 to 53.0 ± 15.1 nmol Pi/min/mg protein for ATP; and from 21.7 ± 7.0 to 46.4 ± 15.6 nmol Pi/min/mg protein for ADP as substrate), ecto-5'-nucleotidase (from 8.0 ± 5.7 to 28.1 ± 6.9 nmol Pi/min/mg protein), and ADA (from 0.8 ± 0.5 to 3.9 ± 0.8 U/L) activities in platelets from L-NAME-treated rats when compared to other groups (p < 0.05). A significant augment on platelet aggregation in L-NAME group was also observed. Exercise training was efficient in preventing these alterations in the exercise L-NAME group, besides showing a significant hypotensive effect. In conclusion, our results clearly indicated a protector action of moderate intensity exercise on nucleotides and nucleoside hydrolysis and on platelet aggregation, which highlights the exercise training effect to avoid hypertension complications related to ecto-nucleotidase activities.

In a program of seed quality assurance, the evaluation of seed vigor is fundamental and necessary to the global production process outcome.

RESUMONão existem critérios para a execução de testes de germinação para sementes de pinhão manso publicados nas normas oficiais para análise de sementes. Assim, objetivou-se com esta pesquisa determinar o substrato, temperatura e tempo de contagem para o teste de germinação de sementes de pinhão-manso. Para o teste de germinação utilizaram-se quatro repetições de 20 sementes, contabilizando-se diariamente as plântulas normais até que a germinação cessasse. Inicialmente, foram avaliados os substratos em semeaduras entre vermiculita, em rolo de papel, entre areia e entre solo na temperatura alternada 20-30 o C. Os substratos mais favoráveis à germinação foram avaliados numa etapa seguinte, nas temperaturas constantes de 25, 30 e 35°C e alternadas de 15-35°C; 20-35°C e 20-30°C. Concluiu-se que o teste de germinação de sementes de pinhão-manso deve ser realizado na temperatura alternada 20-30 o C, em substrato areia ou papel e com contagem final aos 10 dias da semeadura.Termos para indexação: Jatropha curcas L., oleaginosa, qualidade fisiológica de sementes. ABSTRACTOfficial rules for seed analysis don t establish criteria to execute germination tests for all species. This way, the aim of this research was to determinate the substrate, temperature and counting time for the germination test of physic nut seeds. For the germination test, four replications of 20 seeds were used, evaluating daily the normal seedlings until the end of germination. Initially, the substrates with sowing in vermiculite, were evaluated in rolled paper towels, in sand and in soil using alternating temperature of 20-30ºC. The most favorable substrates for germination were evaluated with another stage, using constant temperatures of 25, 30 and 35ºC and alternating ones, of 15-35ºC, 20-35ºC and 20-30ºC. One concluded that the germination test of physic nut seeds must be performed with the alternating temperature of 20-30ºC in sand or paper towel and with final counting 10 days after sowing.Index terms: Jatropha curcas L., oil crop, fisiological quality seeds. (Recebido em 2 de maio de 2007 e aprovado em 29 de agosto de 2007) INTRODUÇÃOO pinhão-manso (Jatropha curcas L.) é um arbusto ou árvore com até quatro metros de altura, possivelmente nativo do Brasil. Essa espécie ocorre espontaneamente desde o Maranhão até o Paraná, mesmo em áreas de solos arenosos e pouco férteis. A planta é resistente à seca e apresenta crescimento mais rápido em regiões de clima quente (ARRUDA et al., 2004). As flores da espécie são pequenas, amarelo-esverdeadas e o fruto é uma cápsula com três sementes escuras e lisas. A semente do pinhão-manso pesa de 0,48 a 0,72 g e fornece de 50 a 52% de óleo extraído com solventes e 32 a 35% em caso de extração por trituração e aquecimento da amêndoa (BRASIL, 1985;CORTESÃO, 1956). Assim, o pinhão-manso tem se destacado como uma espécie vegetal de grande potencial na produção de óleo combustível.Com o incentivo criado pelo governo federal brasileiro a partir do Programa de Biodiesel, o plantio de áreas com essa espécie vem crescend...

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