Purpose. This study evaluated the long-term effects of alloxan-induced diabetes in rat liver. Methods. Thirty nondiabetic control rats (NC) and 30 untreated diabetic (UD) rats were divided into three subgroups sacrificed after 6, 14, or 26 weeks. Clinical and laboratory parameters were assessed. Fresh liver weight and its relationship with body weight were obtained, and liver tissue was analyzed. Results. UD rats showed sustained hyperglycemia, high glycosylated hemoglobin, and low plasma insulin. High serum levels of AST and ALT were observed in UD rats after 2 weeks, but only ALT remained elevated throughout the experiment. Fresh liver weight was equal between NC and UD rats, but the fresh liver weight/body weight ratio was significantly higher in UD rats after 14 and 26 weeks. UD rats showed liver morphological changes characterized by hepatic sinusoidal enlargement and micro- and macrovesicular hepatocyte fatty degeneration with progressive liver structure loss, steatohepatitis, and periportal fibrosis. Ultrastructural changes of hepatocytes, such as a decrease in the number of intracytoplasmic organelles and degeneration of mitochondria, rough endoplasmic reticulum, and nuclei, were also observed. Conclusion. Alloxan-induced diabetes triggered liver morphological and ultrastructural changes that closely resembled human disease, ranging from steatosis to steatohepatitis and liver fibrosis.

Diabetes determines oxidative stress in the liver, which is characterized by increased concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in tissue and significant reduction in their antioxidant defenses. Such oxidative unbalance in the liver cells may play a relevant role in the genesis of the diabetic chronic liver disease, including the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and its occasional progression to steatohepatitis and cirrhosis.

Purpose. Evaluated the effects of continuous electrical current (CEC) or zinc administrated by transdermal iontophoresis (Zn+TDI). Methods. 120 male Wistar rats were submitted to an incision surgery at the anterior region of abdomen and distributed into 6 experimental groups with 40 animals: 3 diabetic groups and 3 normal groups, untreated and treated with CEC alone or with Zn + TDI. Each group was further divided into 4 subgroups with 10 rats each to be evaluated on the 4th, 7th, 14th, and 21st day after surgery. In each period, clinical and laboratory parameters from the animals were analyzed. Results. The analysis by optical and scanning electron microscopy showed a delay in the phases of wound healing in diabetic rats without treatment in all periods of the experiment; breaking strength (BS) was significantly reduced in skin scars of untreated diabetic rats when compared to other groups. In contrast, BS in skin scars of nondiabetic groups and diabetic rats treated with Zn + TDI showed significant increase in those, besides not presenting delayed healing. Conclusion. Electrical stimulation of surgical wounds used alone or in association with zinc by TDI is able to consistently improve the morphological and ultrastructural changes observed in the healing of diabetic animals.

PURPOSE:To investigate the effect of zinc sulphate administered by transdermal iontophoresis (TDI) on mechanical resistance of surgical wounds performed in the skin of diabetic rats. METHODS:One hundred and sixty male Wistar rats weighing approximately 250g were submitted to an incision surgery at the anterior region of abdomen and randomly distributed into four experimental groups with 40 non-diabetic control animals (G1) and 40 untreated diabetic animals (G2), both without any treatment of incisions; 40 non-diabetic animals (G3) and 40 untreated diabetic animals (G4), both with incisions treated with zinc sulphate, administered for a period of four consecutive days after surgery, in sessions of ten minutes duration, using a continuous-current electrostimulator (Zn + TDI). Each experimental group was further divided into four subgroups with ten rats each to be evaluated on the 4th, 7th, 14th, and 21st day after surgery. In each period were analyzed clinical and laboratory from the animals, and measured the breaking strength and hydroxyproline content (OH-P) of the skin scars. RESULTS:Breaking strength (BS) was significantly reduced (p<0.05) in skin scars of untreated diabetic rats (G2) on the 7 th , 14 th , and 21st postoperative days when compared to non-diabetic control rats (G1). In contrast, BS in skin scars of non-diabetic and untreated diabetic rats (G3, G4) treated with Zn + TDI showed significant increase (p<0.05) in those periods when compared with their respective controls with untreated incisions. The OH-P content of the scars did not show statistically significant variation in all studied groups at four different times evaluated after surgery. CONCLUSIONS:Zinc sulphate administered by transdermal iontophoresis had beneficial effect on the mechanical resistance of scars produced in the skin of diabetic rats. This therapeutic may have potential to reduce the complications observed in surgical wounds of the skin in diabetic subjects, mainly in most vulnerable stages of incisions to dehiscences, leakages and infections.

rEsumoIntrodução: A remediação das alterações fisiológicas que sofrem os idosos é um problema com o qual a saúde pública se defronta com frequência. A premência deste trabalho está em minimizar essa remediação e as alterações que ela propicia no âmbito músculo-esquelético, por meio de um trabalho físico condicionante, que busca aumentar a qualidade de vida dessa população. Objetivo: Avaliar o efeito do treinamento físico sob duas ópticas de comando terapêutico, com e sem resposta visual por unidade de pressão, bem como seus possíveis benefícios quanto ao ganho de torque muscular, inerente à funcionalidade citada no questionário de qualidade de vida SF-36, avaliando assim a influência do treinamento físico. Métodos: A avaliação foi realizada por meio de um questionário de qualidade de vida SF-36 e do teste de levantar e sentar, além da aferição da força por meio do esfigmomanômetro modificado (EM). O individuo foi submetido a duas sessões semanais de exercícios durante um mês, com o protocolo de treinamento que constou de três séries de 10 repetições na cadeira flexora e extensora para ambos os joelhos de maneira isométrica. Os dados foram estatisticamente analisados pela análise de variância e desvio padrão (p < 0,05) e correlação de Pearson (p < 0,05). Resultados: Notou-se melhora no quadro geral dos idosos, sendo que houve aumento estatisticamente significante no estado geral de saúde, redução da limitação por aspectos físicos, redução da dor e no aumento da capacidade funcional, bem como um incremento da força de flexão e extensão, que teve reflexo positivo no teste funcional. Conclusão: Houve correlação extremamente válida entre o ganho de força em flexão com o teste de sentar e levantar, com o qual, apesar de ganho menor comparado ao ganho de força em extensão, estabeleceu-se correlação com o ganho funcional, independentemente da resposta visual ao exercício.Palavras-chave: idoso, treinamento de resistência, qualidade de vida, teste de esforço, questionários. AbstrACt Introduction: The remediation of physiological changes affecting the elderly is a problem frequently faced in public health. The urgency of this work is to minimize this remediation and the changes that it induces at the mus-

OBJECTIVES: To examine the cellularity and thickness of the articular cartilage of the femur in rats with arthritis after treatment with iontophoresis. METHODS: To evaluate these objectives, a histological analysis was performed on hematoxylin and eosin, where cellularity and cartilage thickness were observed and evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively by manual counting by 700.09µm² area. RESULTS: The group treated with IAA had normal cellularity (40.1 cells/μm2) and maintenance of non-calcified cartilage (75.5μm), suggesting normal thickness. The non-treated group C+, on the other hand, had a lower mean number of chondrocytes (13.0μm2) (P <0.05) and, when the cartilage thickness was compared, it showed higher average thickness of calcified cartilage (104.8 mm) and lower mean of non-calcified cartilage (53.3μm) CONCLUSION: The use of iontophoresis with L-ascorbic acid by continuous electric current contributed to a quantitative gain of chondrocytes and improved the thickness distribution of calcified and non-calcified cartilage. Level of Evidence III, Case Control Study.

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