Corpus luteum growth and endocrine function are closely dependent on the formation of new capillaries. The objectives of this study were to evaluate (i) tissue growth and microvascular development in the equine cyclic luteal structures; (ii) in vitro angiogenic activity of luteal tissues in response to luteotrophic (LH, PGE 2 ) and luteolytic (PGF 2␣ ) hormones and (iii) to relate data to luteal endocrinological function. Our results show that microvascular density was increased in the early and mid luteal phase, followed by a fall in the late luteal phase and a further decrease in the corpus albicans. Hyperplasia of luteal tissue increased until the mid luteal phase and it was followed by tissue regression. Luteal explants were cultured with no hormone added, or with PGF 2␣ , LH, PGE 2 , LH + PGE 2 or LH + PGF 2␣ . Media conditioned by equine luteal tissue from different stages of the luteal phase were able to stimulate mitogenesis of bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC), suggesting the presence of angiogenic activity. No difference was observed among luteal structures on their mitogenic capacity, for any treatment used. Nevertheless, Late-CL conditioned-media with PGF 2␣ showed a significant decrease in BAEC proliferation (p < 0.05) and LH + PGF 2␣ a tendency to reduce mitogenesis. Thus, prostaglandin F 2␣ may play a role on vascular regression of the CL during the late luteal phase in the * Corresponding author. Tel.: +351 213652859; fax: +351 213652889. -mail address: gmlfdias@fmv.utl.pt (G. Ferreira-Dias Ferreira-Dias et al. / Domestic Animal Endocrinology 30 (2006) [247][248][249][250][251][252][253][254][255][256][257][258][259] mare. These data suggest that luteal angiogenesis and vascular regression in the mare are coordinated with the development of non-vascular tissue and might be regulated by many different factors. E

OBJECTIVE To analyze whether socioeconomic and clinical aspects and the aspects of healthy life habits are associated with the quality of life of persons living with HIV/AIDS.METHODS This is a cross-sectional exploratory quantitative research, with 227 persons living with HIV/AIDS, treated at two hospitals of reference between April 2012 and June 2014. We used structured questionnaires to assess socioeconomic aspects (gender, age, education level, marital status, race, socioeconomic status, dependents on family income, employment relationship), clinical parameters (time of disease diagnosis, use and time of medication, CD4 T-cell count, and viral load), and practice of physical exercise. To assess quality of life, we used the Quality of Life questionnaire (HAT-QoL). For characterization of the socioeconomic and clinical data and domains of quality of life, we conducted a descriptive analysis (simple frequency, averages, and standard deviations). We applied linear regression, following a hierarchical model for each domain of quality of life.RESULTS The domains that presented lower averages for quality of life were financial concern, concern with confidentiality, general function, and satisfaction with life. We found associations with the variables of socioeconomic status and physical exercise, therapy, and physical exercise for the last two domains, consecutively.CONCLUSIONS The quality of life of persons living with HIV/AIDS shows losses, especially in the financial and confidentiality areas, followed by general function of the body and satisfaction with life, in which socioeconomic and clinical aspects and healthy living habits, such as the practice of physical exercise, are determining factors for this reality.

The aim of this study was to synthesize the evidence on the effects of active video games (AVGs) on mental health, physical fitness and body composition of children and adolescents. A search was conducted in the following databases: PubMed; MEDLINE (by Ovid); SportDiscus, Cochrane library systematic reviews (CENTRAL) and EMBASE with no language restrictions during October 2020. Reviews on the use of AVGs were included in the study. We use the AMSTAR (A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews) scale to analyze the methodological quality of the studies. Seventeen systematic reviews and meta-analyzes were included on the effects of AVGs with 30 to 4728 children and adolescents of both sexes with ages ranging from 6 to 19 years. In five studies, the population was overweight or obese. Regarding the quality, 12 studies were of moderate quality, two had high quality, two had low quality and one showed very low quality. The analyzed data indicate that the use of AVGs with a frequency of 1 to 3 times a week with durations of between 10 and 90 min per day shows positive effects on mental health and physical functioning. There was moderate quality evidence that AVGs can result in benefits for self-esteem, increased energy expenditure, physical activity and reduced body mass index in children and adolescents who used AVGs in the home environment. Further research is needed on this tool to help in the process of social isolation and consequently in promoting health and well-being.

Background Scientific studies have shown that the potential therapeutic efficacy of curcumin in several diseases is due to its potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Consequently, curcumin supplementation seems to be a valuable alternative for HIV-infected individuals. The aim of this study is to evaluate the influence of curcumin supplementation on substrate oxidation at rest, body composition, and the lipid profile of physically active people living with HIV/AIDS under antiretroviral therapy. Methods This double-blind, crossover, randomized clinical trial was comprised of 20 subjects divided into experimental (EG) and control (CG) groups, receiving 1000 mg curcumin/day and placebo, respectively, during a 30-day period. Substrate oxidation at rest was assessed by indirect calorimetry, body composition was measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, and the lipid profile was evaluated by blood tests. Data analysis was performed by independent samples and paired t-tests to compare the differences between groups and times. A p -value < 0.05 was accepted as significant. Results There were no differences between groups regarding substrate oxidation at rest or body composition. However, serum triglyceride levels were increased after curcumin supplementation (182 vs. 219 mg/dL; p = 0.004). Conclusion Curcumin supplementation promoted the elevation of serum triglyceride levels in HIV-infected subjects. Further studies with a larger sample cohort, different curcumin doses, and longer intervention times are needed to validate current observations. In addition, the influence of physical activity, dietary intake, and genetic polymorphisms must be considered in future studies to better understand the impact of curcumin supplementation on the lipid profile of people living with HIV/AIDS under antiretroviral therapy. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12906-019-2620-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

To evaluate the influence of curcumin supplementation on the glycemic profile, inflammatory markers, and oxidative stress in HIV‐infected individuals under antiretroviral therapy. This double‐blind, crossover, randomized clinical trial was composed of 20 subjects arranged initially into experimental group (n = 10) and placebo group (n = 10) groups, receiving 1,000 mg curcumin/day or microcrystalline cellulose/day, respectively, during a 30‐day period and 12‐day washout. Subsequently, the groups were switched to follow the crossover design. Fasting glucose and insulin, IL‐10, tumor necrosis factor alpha, malonialdehyde, and reduced glutathione were measured. Food consumption was evaluated as a control variable. Descriptive statistics are presented as mean and standard deviation, and inferential analyses were performed from two‐way analysis of variance and the magnitude of the effect. No significant improvements were observed in the glycemic, inflammatory, or oxidative stress profiles. Although the mean serum fasting glucose levels and the homeostatic model assessment index presented qualitative improvement in the CG, this result should be interpreted with caution since the observed variation may represent acceptable fluctuation, in addition to the small difference between the means, added to the large variation observed in the standard deviation. Supplementation with curcumin in HIV‐infected individuals undergoing antiretroviral therapy and training did not improve the glycemic, inflammatory, or oxidative stress profiles.

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Prolonged use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been associated with dyslipidemia and impaired energy substrate oxidation (SOxi). Curcumin is a natural bioactive compound, which interacts with molecular targets and holds important metabolic properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of curcumin supplementation on energetic metabolism of an adult female with HIV/AIDS and under ART. The intervention was performed with 500 mg/day of curcumin for 27 days. Glycemic and lipid profile and SOxi at rest were evaluated before and after intervention. After intervention, improvement of lipid profile and insulin sensibility was observed. Moreover, there was a positive modulation of SOxi at rest. Oral curcumin supplementation can positively modulate the energy metabolism of people living with HIV/AIDS using the ART. However, clinical studies are required in order to confirm our findings in a representative sample.

RESUMO Introdução: A terapia antirretroviral de alta atividade (HAART) está associada ao surgimento de diversos efeitos adversos na população com HIV/Aids, dentre as quais, a lipodistrofia. Caracterizada pela reorganização anormal de gordura pelo corpo, é um dos efeitos mais relevantes, envolvendo riscos cardiometabólicos e prejuízos na imagem corporal. Objetivo: Analisar a somatotipia e a imagem corporal em pessoas vivendo com HIV/AIDS. Métodos: A amostra foi composta por cinco mulheres (47,8 ± 6,53 anos) em uso da HAART e fisicamente ativas. Foi realizada uma intervenção com o treinamento concorrente e aconselhamento dietético e avaliou-se a conformação corporal pelo somatótipo e a imagem corporal pela escala de silhuetas. Resultados: Não houve diferença na classificação do somatótipo, entretanto, os resultados apontaram diferença significativa para a análise da distância de dispersão entre somatótipos (DDS) na 1ª semana (DDS = 2,63) e 16ª semana de intervenção (DDS = 2,96), quando avaliado pelas médias; e quando avaliado individualmente, verificou-se diferença significativa tanto na DDS quanto na distância espacial entre somatótipos (DES) nos casos 1, na 8ª semana (DDS = 3,20 e DES = 1,01) e 16.a semana (DDS = 2,73); e caso 3, na 1ª semana (DDS = 9,25 e DES = 1,44) e 16ª semana (DDS = 8,06 e DES = 1,37). Quanto à imagem corporal, observou-se a aproximação da imagem atual à imagem ideal (imagem atual inicial = 6; imagem atual final = 5; e imagem ideal inicial e final = 3). Conclusão: O programa de treinamento concorrente associado à orientação nutricional produziu resultados positivos tanto no somatótipo quanto na percepção da imagem corporal das participantes, comprovando sua eficácia no controle da lipodistrofia e na satisfação da imagem corporal do grupo avaliado.