Browsing by Author "Garrido, P."
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- Aging is associated with impaired renal function, INF-gamma induced inflammation and with alterations in iron regulatory proteins gene expressionPublication . Costa, E.; Fernandes, J.; Ribeiro, S.; Garrido, P.; Rocha-Pereira, P.; Coimbra, S.; Catarino, C.; Reis, F.; Belo, L.; Bronze-da-Rocha, E.; Vala, Helena; Alves, R.; Santos-Silva, A.Our aim was to contribute to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of anemia in elderly, by studying how aging affects renal function, ironmetabolism, erythropoiesis and the inflammatory response, using an experimental animal model. The study was performed in male Wistar, a group of young rats with 2 months age and an old one with 18 months age. Old rats presented a significant higher urea, creatinine, interferon (INF)-gamma, ferritin and soluble transferrin receptor serum levels, as well as increased counts of reticulocytes and RDW. In addition, these rats showed significant lower erythropoietin (EPO) and iron serum levels. Concerning gene expression of iron regulatory proteins, old rats presented significantly higher mRNA levels of hepcidin (Hamp), transferrin (TF), transferrin receptor 2 (TfR2) and hemojuvelin (HJV); divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1) mRNA levels were significantly higher in duodenal tissue; EPO gene expression was significantly higher in liver and lower in kidney, and the expression of the EPOR was significantly higher in both liver and kidney. Our results showed that aging is associated with impaired renal function, which could be in turn related with the inflammatory process and with a decline in EPO renal production. Moreover, we also propose that aging may be associatedwith INF-gamma-induced inflammation and with alterations upon iron regulatory proteins gene expression.
- Utilização de parâmetros quantitativos e semi-quantitativos para avaliação dos Ilhéus de Langerhans num modelo animal de Diabetes Mellitus tipo 2.Publication . Mega, C.; Vala, Helena; Teixeira de Lemos, E.; Fernandes, R.; Garrido, P.; Sereno, J.; Parada, B.; Melo, F.; Teixeira, F.; Reis, F.Introduction: Type 2 diabetes mellitus 2 (T2DM) results, amongst others, from insulin resistance and reduction of ß-cell secretion, produced by functional changes and cellular mass reduction. Aim: Chronological morphologic characterization of the endocrine pancreas in an animal model of T2DM, the Zucker Diabetic Fatty (ZDF) rats to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of disease evolution. Material and methods: The pancreas of diabetic, obese rats (ZDF Gmi fa/fa) and their littermates (ZDF Gmi +/+) were compared at 8, 20, 26 weeks of age. After routine stain haematoxylin-eosin. Quantitative and semi-quantitative parameters were applied for evaluation of morphological changes in the islets of Langerhans. Quantitative parameters included counting islet numbers and islet size measurement. Semi-quantitive parameters consisted in the evaluation of islet conformation and perimeter regularity. The inflammatory lesions, vascular congestion and β-cell vacuolization were also classified in a scale from 0 to III. Results: Obese, diabetic ZDF (fa/fa) rats presented, with increasing age, a reduction in islet numbers, progressive deformation of insular architecture, fibrosis and vascular congestion, connected with inflammatory changes and joined by a decrease in insular cellular mass. Conclusion: The coincidence of the progressive histopathologic changes with the metabolic profile obtained in our previous studies shows a decrease in the capacity of the endocrine pancreas to compensate insulin resistance and ß-cell dysfunction. These two conjunct facts make the ZDF fa/fa, rat an appropriate model for a variety of T2DM studies.