Silk sericin is a natural polymer produced by silkworm, Bombyx mori, which surrounds and keeps together two fibroin filaments in silk thread used in the cocoon. The recovery and reuse of sericin usually discarded by the textile industry not only minimizes environmental issues but also has a high scientific and commercial value. The physicochemical properties of the molecule are responsible for numerous applications in biomedicine and are influenced by the extraction method and silkworm lineage, which can lead to variations in molecular weight and amino acid concentration of sericin. The presence of highly hydrophobic amino acids and its antioxidant potential make it possible for sericin to be applied in the food and cosmetic industry. The moisturizing power allows indications as a therapeutic agent for wound healing, stimulating cell proliferation, protection against ultraviolet radiation, and formulating creams and shampoos. The antioxidant activity associated with low digestibility of sericin that expands the application in the medical field, such as antitumour, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory agent, anticoagulant, acts in colon health, improving constipation and protects the body from obesity through improved plasma lipid profile. In addition, the properties of sericin allow its application as a culture medium and cryopreservation, in tissue engineering and for drug delivery, demonstrating its effective use, as an important biomaterial.

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the influence of Gln and vitamin E (VE) supplementation in the diet of broiler chickens (Cobb-Vantress) on the morphometry of the intestinal mucosa. The design was completely randomized in a 2 x 3 (VE x periods of administering Gln) factorial arrangement. The levels of VE used were 10 and 500 mg/kg of diet and 3 periods of administering (1%) Gln-supplemented starter diet (for the first 7 or 14 d of life or for no added Gln), totaling 6 treatments with 5 replicates of 50 birds per experimental unit. In the growth period (d 22 to 41 posthatch), the treatments consisted only in the respective levels of VE. On d 7, 14, 21, and 41 posthatch, 2 birds per replicate were killed, and samples of the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum were subsequently removed, fixed in Bouin solution, and later embedded in paraffin and stained with hematoxylin-eosin. The parameters analyzed were villus height and crypt depth. An ANOVA was applied to the obtained data, and the means were compared using Tukey's test (5% significance level). Greater development was observed in the duodenum, followed by the jejunum and ileum. On 41 d of life, diets with 10 mg of VE/kg supplemented with Gln (for the first 7 d of life) provided better development of the intestinal mucosa in broiler chickens.

The present study was planned to improve our understanding about sex differences in the development of hepatic steatosis in cafeteria diet-induced obesity in young mice. Female (FCaf) and male (MCaf) mice fed a cafeteria diet had similar body weight gain and adiposity index, but FCaf had a more extensive steatosis than MCaf. FCaf livers exhibited a higher non-alcoholic fatty liver disease activity score, elevated lipid percentage area (+34%) in Sudan III staining and increased TG content (+25%) compared to MCaf. Steatosis in FCaf was not correlated with changes in the transcript levels of lipid metabolism-related genes, but a reduced VLDL release rate was observed. Signs of oxidative stress were found in FCaf livers, as elevated malondialdehyde content (+110%), reduced catalase activity (-36%) and increased Nrf2 and Hif1a mRNA expression compared to MCaf. Interestingly, fibroblast growth factor 21 (Fgf21) mRNA expression was found to be exclusively induced in MCaf, which also exhibited higher FGF21 serum levels (+416%) and hepatic protein abundance (+163%) than FCaf. Moreover, cafeteria diet increased Fgfr1, Fsp27 and Ucp1 mRNA expression in brown adipose tissue of males (MCaf), but not females (FCaf). FGF21 hepatic production by male mice seems to be part of a complex network of responses to the nutritional stress of the cafeteria diet, probably related to the unfolded protein response activation. Although aimed at the restoration of hepatic metabolic homeostasis, the branch involving Fgf21 upregulation seems to be impaired in females, rendering them incapable of reducing the hepatic lipid content and cellular oxidative stress.

The present study investigated the action of copaiba oil (Copaifera reticulata) on the systemic inflammation, oxidative status, and liver cell metabolism of rats with adjuvant-induced arthritis. The later is an experimental autoimmune pathology that shares many features with the human rheumatoid arthritis. Holtzman rats were distributed into the following groups: control (healthy) rats; control rats treated with copaiba oil at the doses of 0.58 and 1.15 g · kg , arthritic rats, and arthritic rats treated with copaiba oil (0.58 and 1.15 g · kg ). The oil was administrated orally once a day during 18 days after arthritis induction. Both doses of copaiba oil improved the paw edema and the dose of 0.58 mg · kg improved the swollen adrenals and lymph nodes besides decreasing the plasmatic myeloperoxidase activity (-30%) of arthritic rats. Copaiba oil (1.15 g · kg ) abolished the increases of protein carbonyl groups and reactive oxygen species in the liver and both doses increased the liver GSH content and the catalase activity in arthritic rats. Copaiba oil (1.15 g · kg ) decreased glycolysis (-65%), glycogenolysis (-58%), and gluconeogenesis (-30%) in the liver of arthritic animals. However, gluconeogenesis was also diminished by the treatment of control rats, which presented lower body weight gain (-45%) and diminished number of hepatocytes per liver area (-20%) associated to higher liver weight (+29%) and increased hepatocyte area (+13%). The results reveal that copaiba oil presented systemic anti-inflammatory and antioxidant actions in arthritic rats. These beneficial effects, however, were counterbalanced by harmful modifications in the liver cell metabolism and morphology of healthy control rats. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 3409-3423, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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Anethole has been reported to have antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, antiinflammatory, and anesthetic properties. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of anethole in two pain models of inflammatory origin: acute inflammation induced by carrageenan and persistent inflammation induced by Complete Freund's adjuvant. We evaluated the effects of anethole (125, 250, and 500 mg/kg) on the development of paw oedema and mechanical hypernociception. The liver was collected for histological analysis. Paw skin was collected to determine the levels of the cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-17 (IL-17), and myeloperoxidase activity. Blood was collected to assess alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST). The chemical composition of star anise oil was determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), showing a presence of anethole of 98.1%. Oral pretreatment with anethole in mice inhibited paw oedema, mechanical pernociception, myelopewroxidase activity, TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-17 levels in acute and persistent inflammation models. Additionally, anethole treatment did not alter prostaglandin E2-induced mechanical hypernociception. Possible side effects were also examined. Seven-day anethole treatment did not alter plasma AST and ALT levels, and the histological profile of liver tissue was normal. The present study provides evidence of the antiinflammatory and analgesic activities of anethole in acute and persistent inflammation models.

-We carried out this study with the purpose of analyzing the density of neurons of the myenteric plexus in the mesenteric, intermediate and antimesenteric regions of the ileum of rats. We conclude that there is a variation of neuronal density around the intestinal circumference and this fact independs on the technique used to stain the neurons, and that in a single region the neuronal density varies with the technique employed. We also call attention for the identification of the site were countings were carried out, so that the results of research in this area are not compromised.KEY WORDS: myenteric plexus, Giemsa, NADPH-diaphorase, NADH-diaphorase, acetylcholinesterase, rat, ileum.Diferenças regionais no número e tipo de neurônios mientéricos do íleo de ratos: comparação entre técnicas de evidenciação neuronal RESUMO -Realizamos este estudo com o objetivo de analisar a densidade de neurônios do plexo mientérico nas regiões mesentérica, intermediária e antimesentérica do íleo de ratos. Empregamos preparados de membrana corados por 4 diferentes técnicas. Através de contagens sob microscópio óptico em uma área de 8,96 mm 2 encontramos com as técnicas de Giemsa, histoquímica da NADH-diaforase, NADPH-diaforase e acetilcolinesterase, respectivamente as seguintes médias neuronais: região mesentérica 2144, 40±161,05, 1657,80±88,23, 473,80±19,62, 905,25±22,40; região intermediaria 1790,60±128,24, 1265,20±141,17, 371,30±27,84, 770,25±33,12; região antimesentérica 1647,0±76,67, 981,80±68,04, 298,50±22,75, 704,50±69,38. Concluimos que há uma variação na densidade neuronal ao redor da circunferência intestinal, e este fato independe da técnica utilizada para marcar os neurônios, e que em uma mesma região, a densidade neuronal varia com a técnica utilizada. Também chamamos a atenção para que seja indicado o local onde as quantificações serão realizadas, para que não haja comprometimento dos resultados em pesquisa nesta área.

The cafeteria diet promoted obesity in rodents, leading to alterations in morphometry and enzymatic intestinal parameters, which were partily attenuated by physical training.