Browsing by Author "Rocha, Ana Isabel Faustino"
Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- Administration of Castanea sativa flowers extract in Wistar ratsPublication . Nascimento-Gonçalves, Elisabete; Seixas, Fernanda; Fardilha, Margarida; Ferreira, Rita; Neuparth, Maria João; Rocha, Ana Isabel Faustino; Rosa, Eduardo; Bruno Jorge; Ferreira, Isabel C.F.R.; Oliveira, Paula A.Castanea sativa Mill. flowers (CF) are reported by ancestral claims as having health benefits like mucolytic, antispasmodic and anti-dysenteric properties and, in vitro studies showed anticancer properties against breast, colon, cervical and hepatocellular carcinomas [1]. The aim of this work was to study the effect of chestnut flowers (CF) extract on rat’s physiological parameters. Fifteen male Wistar Unilever rats were randomly divided into two groups: untreated control, n=10, and CF group, n=5. Animals from CF group were exposed to the chestnut flowers extract in drinking water (20 mg/animal/day) for 49 weeks. Body weight, food and drink consumption were measured weekly. At necropsy, all organs were collected, weighed and liver and kidney were processed for histological analysis. Animals from CF group showed a mean final body weight and a food consumption higher than untreated animals (p>0.05). Animals from CF group showed lower consumption of water (p=0.000). Relative mean liver weight from animals treated with CF was higher than untreated animals (p=0.026) and presented more liver degeneration. However, liver inflammatory infiltrate was reduced (p=0.026) in animals exposed to CF extract. There were no significant differences in relative mean kidney weight among groups. Untreated animals developed 50% of discrete proteinuria and CF treated animals developed 20%. Serum levels of albumin, total protein, glucose and alanine aminotransferase did not show significant differences between experimental groups. These results suggest that chestnut flowers extract was well tolerated by the animals, did not cause hepatic and kidney toxicity and had no effect on biochemical profile. Further studies are necessary to evaluate in vivo, the effect of different CF doses and evaluate the respective potential use.
- Effect of chaetomellic acid on hematocrit, urine specific gravity and urinary volume values in a rat model of renal mass reductionPublication . Nogueira, António José M.; Rocha, Ana Isabel Faustino; Teixeira-Guedes, Catarina; Teixeira, Joana H.; Oliveira, Paula A.; Colaço, Bruno Jorge; Pires, Maria JoãoChaetomellic acid (CA) is a potent and highly specific inhibitor of ras farnesyl-protein transferase that seems to reduce both functional and histological damage in uninephrectomized rats subjected to renal ischaemia-reperfusion injury. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of chronic treatment with CA on hematocrit, urine specific gravity and urinary volume in a model of renal mass reduction. Male Wistar rats were subjected to 5/6 nephrectomy (RMR) or sham-operated (SO). One week after surgery, rats have been placed in four experimental groups: RMR rats without treatment (n=13); RMR rats treated with CA (n=13); SO rats without treatment (n=13); SO rats treated with CA (n=13). CA was intraperitoneally administered in a dose of 0.23 μg/kg three times a week for three months. We observed that animals from SO groups showed a higher hematocrit and urine specific gravity, and a lower urinary volume than animals from RMR groups (p<0.05). We did not observe differences between treated and no treated animals. These results suggest that three months of treatment with CA does not have a beneficial effect on hematocrit, urine specific gravity and urinary volume. However, these are preliminary data that warrant a larger scale study.
- Effect of chaetomellic acid on hematocrit, urine specific gravity and urinary volume values in a rat model of renal mass reductionPublication . Nogueira, António José M.; Rocha, Ana Isabel Faustino; Teixeira-Guedes, Catarina; Teixeira, Joana H.; Oliveira, Paula A.; Colaço, Bruno Jorge; Pires, Maria JoãoChaetomellic acid (CA) is a potent and highly specific inhibitor of ras farnesyl-protein transferase that seems to reduce both functional and histological damage in uninephrectomized rats subjected to renal ischaemia-reperfusion injury. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of chronic treatment with CA on hematocrit, urine specific gravity and urinary volume in a model of renal mass reduction. Male Wistar rats were subjected to 5/6 nephrectomy (RMR) or sham-operated (SO). One week after surgery, rats have been placed in four experimental groups: RMR rats without treatment (n=13); RMR rats treated with CA (n=13); SO rats without treatment (n=13); SO rats treated with CA (n=13). CA was intraperitoneally administered in a dose of 0.23 μg/kg three times a week for three months. We observed that animals from SO groups showed a higher hematocrit and urine specific gravity, and a lower urinary volume than animals from RMR groups (p<0.05). We did not observe differences between treated and no treated animals. These results suggest that three months of treatment with CA does not have a beneficial effect on hematocrit, urine specific gravity and urinary volume. However, these are preliminary data that warrant a larger scale study.
- Long-term treatment with chaethomellic acid A reduces glomerulosclerosis and arteriolosclerosis in a rat model of chronic kidney diseasePublication . Nogueira, António José M.; Vala, Helena; Vasconcelos-Nóbrega, Cármen; Rocha, Ana Isabel Faustino; Pires, Carlos André; Colaço, Aura; Oliveira, Paula A.; Pires, Maria JoãoThe high prevalence of end-stage renal disease emphasizes the failure to provide therapies to effectively prevent and/or reverse renal fibrosis. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of long-term treatment with chaethomellic acid A (CAA), which selectively blocks Ha-Ras farnesylation, on renal mass reduction-induced renal fibrosis. Male Wistar rats were sham-operated (SO) or subjected to 5/6 renal mass reduction (RMR). One week after surgery, rats were placed in four experimental groups: SO:SO rats without treatment (n = 13); SO + CAA: SO rats treated with CAA (n = 13); RMR:RMR rats without treatment (n = 14); and RMR + CAA:RMR rats treated with CAA (n = 13). CAA was intraperitoneally administered in a dose of 0.23 μg/kg three times a week for six months. Renal fibrosis was evaluated by two-dimensional ultrasonography and histopathological analysis. The kidneys of the RMR animals treated with CAA showed a significantly decrease in the medullary echogenicity (p < 0.05) compared with the RMR rats that received no treatment. Glomerulosclerosis and arteriolosclerosis scores were significantly lower (p < 0.001) in the RMR + CAA group when compared with the RMR group. There were no significant differences in interstitial fibrosis, interstitial inflammation and tubular dilatation scores between the RMR + CAA and RMR groups. These data suggest that CAA can be a potential future drug to attenuate the progression of chronic kidney disease.
- Ultrasonographic evaluation of the kidney in 5/6 nephrectomized rats: Correlation with biochemical and histopathological findingsPublication . Nogueira, António José M.; Rocha, Ana Isabel Faustino; Ginja, Mário; Oliveira, Paula A.; Pires, Maria JoãoTo characterize the kidney alterations associated with renal mass reduction by two-dimensional ultrasound and assess the correlation of the ultrasonographic parameters with the histological and biochemical findings. Materials and Methods: Rats were divided into two groups: sham-operated animals (n=13), and animals which underwent renal mass reduction (RMR) through 5/6 nephrectomy (n=14). Renal length, renal thickness, cortical thickness, medullary length and echogenicity of the kidneys were evaluated by ultrasonography at 3 and 6 months after the RMR. Results: Except for the renal length, the renal dimensions at 3 and 6 months were significantly higher in the RMR group when compared to the sham-operated group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the cortical and medullary echogenicity was significantly higher in the RMR group when compared to the sham-operated group (p < 0.05). A significant correlation was observed between the plasma creatinine level and the renal length 3 months after RMR (r=-0.612, p=0.045). Conclusion: These data support future application of ultrasonography for monitoring the progression of renal damage in chronic studies with the 5/6 nephrectomy model.