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Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a potential target to treat obesity and diabetes, dissipating energy as heat. Type 2 diabetes (T2D) has been associated with obesogenic diets; however, T2D was also reported in lean individuals to be associated with genetic factors. We aimed to investigate the differences between obese and lean models of insulin resistance (IR) and elucidate the mechanism associated with BAT metabolism and dysfunction in different IR animal models: a genetic model (lean GK rats) and obese models (diet-induced obese Wistar rats) at 8 weeks of age fed a high-carbohydrate (HC), high-fat (HF) diet, or high-fat and high-sugar (HFHS) diet for 8 weeks. At 15 weeks of age, BAT glucose uptake was evaluated by 18F-FDG PET under basal (saline administration) or stimulated condition (CL316,243, a selective β3-AR agonist). After CL316, 243 administrations, GK animals showed decreased glucose uptake compared to HC animals. At 16 weeks of age, the animals were euthanized, and the interscapular BAT was dissected for analysis. Histological analyses showed lower cell density in GK rats and higher adipocyte area compared to all groups, followed by HFHS and HF compared to HC. HFHS showed a decreased batokine FGF21 protein level compared to all groups. However, GK animals showed increased expression of genes involved in fatty acid oxidation (CPT1 and CPT2), BAT metabolism (Sirt1 and Pgc1-α), and obesogenic genes (leptin and PAI-1) but decreased gene expression of glucose transporter 1 (GLUT-1) compared to other groups. Our data suggest impaired BAT function in obese Wistar and GK rats, with evidence of a whitening process in these animals.

Background Obesity is associated with the development of insulin resistance (IR) and type‐2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM); however, not all patients with T2DM are obese. The Goto–Kakizaki (GK) rat is an experimental model of spontaneous and non‐obese T2DM. There is evidence that the intestine contributes to IR development in GK animals. This information prompted us to investigate small intestine remodeling in this animal model. Methods Four‐month‐old male Wistar (control) and GK rats were utilized for the present study. After removing the small intestine, the duodenum, proximal jejunum, and distal ileum were separated. We then measured villi and muscular and mucosa layer histomorphometry, goblet cells abundance, total myenteric and submucosal neuron populations, and inflammatory marker expression in the small intestinal segments and intestinal transit of both groups of animals. Key Results We found that the GK rats exhibited decreased intestinal area (p, Goto–Kakizaki (GK) rat is an experimental model of spontaneous and non‐obese type‐2 diabetes mellitus—T2DM).GK rats exhibit decreased small intestinal area, increased crypt depth, villi height and thickness, and muscular layer thickness, increased content of IL‐1β and NF‐κB p65, decreased density of submucosal neurons, myenteric and submucosal neuronal and ganglionic hypertrophy, and decreased intestinal transit.The development of IR and T2DM in GK rats is associated with small intestine remodeling with marked changes in morphology, enteric nervous system, and transit.

Aging can promote significant morphofunctional changes in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Regulation of GIT motility is mainly controlled by the myenteric neurons of the enteric nervous system. Actions that aim at decreasing the aging effects in the GIT include those related to diet, with caloric restriction (CR). The CR is achieved by controlling the amount of food or by manipulating the components of the diet. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate different levels of CR on the plasticity of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate– (NADPH-) reactive myenteric neurons in the colon of Wistar rats during the aging process using ultrastructural (transmission electron microscopy) and morphoquantitative analysis. Wistar male rats (Rattus norvegicus) were distributed into 4 groups (n = 10/group): C, 6-month-old animals; SR, 18-month-old animals fed a normal diet; CRI, 18-month-old animals fed a 12% CR diet; CRII, 18-month-old animals fed a 31% CR diet. At 6 months of age, animals were transferred to the laboratory animal facility, where they remained until 18 months of age. Animals of the CRI and CRII groups were submitted to CR for 6 months. In the ultrastructural analysis, a disorganization of the periganglionar matrix with the aging was observed, and this characteristic was not observed in the animals that received hypocaloric diet. It was observed that the restriction of 12.5% and 31% of calories in the diet minimized the increase in density and cell profile of the reactive NADPH neurons, increased with age. This type of diet may be adapted against gastrointestinal disturbances that commonly affect aging individuals.

Obesity is linked with altered microbial short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which are a signature of gut dysbiosis and inflammation. In the present study, we investigated whether tributyrin, a prodrug of the SCFA butyrate, could improve metabolic and inflammatory profiles in diet-induced obese mice. Mice fed a high-fat diet for eight weeks were treated with tributyrin or placebo for another six weeks. We show that obese mice treated with tributyrin had lower body weight gain and an improved insulin responsiveness and glucose metabolism, partly via reduced hepatic triglycerides content. Additionally, tributyrin induced an anti-inflammatory state in the adipose tissue by reduction of Il-1&beta, and Tnf-a and increased Il-10, Tregs cells and M2-macrophages. Moreover, improvement in glucose metabolism and reduction of fat inflammatory states associated with tributyrin treatment were dependent on GPR109A activation. Our results indicate that exogenous targeting of SCFA butyrate attenuates metabolic and inflammatory dysfunction, highlighting a potentially novel approach to tackle obesity.

The mandible condylar process cartilage (CP) of Wistar rats is a secondary cartilage and acts as a mandibular growth site. This phenomenon depends on adequate proteins intake and hormone actions, including insulin. Objectives The present study evaluated the morphological aspects and the expression of the insulin receptor (IR) in the cartilage of the condylar process (CP) of rats subjected to protein undernourishment. Material and Methods The nourished group received a 20% casein diet, while the undernourished group (U) received a 5% casein diet. The re-nourished groups, R and RR, were used to assess the effects of re-nutrition during puberty and adulthood, respectively. CPs were processed and stained with picro-sirius red, safranin-O and azocarmine. Scanning electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry were also performed. Results The area of the CP cartilage and the number of cells in the chondroblastic layer decreased in the U group, as did the thickness of the CP layer in the joint and hypertrophic layer. Renourishment during the pubertal stage, but not during the adult phase, restored these parameters. The cell number was restored when re-nutrition occurred in the pubertal stage, but not in the adult phase. The extracellular matrix also decreased in the U group, but was restored by re-nutrition during the pubertal stage and further increased in the adult phase. IR expression was observed in all CPs, being higher in the chondroblastic and hypertrophic cartilage layers. The lowest expression was found in the U and RR groups. Conclusions Protein malnutrition altered the cellularity, the area, and the fibrous cartilage complex, as well as the expression of the IRs.

Obesogenic diets increase body weight and cause insulin resistance (IR), however, the association of these changes with the main macronutrient in the diet remains to be elucidated. Male C57BL/6 mice were fed with: control (CD), CD and sweetened condensed milk (HS), high-fat (HF), and HF and condensed milk (HSHF). After 2 months, increased body weight, glucose intolerance, adipocyte size and cholesterol levels were observed. As compared with CD, HS ingested the same amount of calories whereas HF and HSHF ingested less. HS had increased plasma AST activity and liver type I collagen. HF caused mild liver steatosis and hepatocellular damage. HF and HSHF increased LDL-cholesterol, hepatocyte and adipocyte hypertrophy, TNF-α by macrophages and decreased lipogenesis and adiponectin in adipose tissue (AT). HSHF exacerbated these effects, increasing IR, lipolysis, mRNA expression of F4/80 and leptin in AT, Tlr-4 in soleus muscle and IL-6, IL-1β, VCAM-1, and ICAM-1 protein in AT. The three obesogenic diets induced obesity and metabolic dysfunction. HS was more proinflammatory than the HF and induced hepatic fibrosis. The HF was more detrimental in terms of insulin sensitivity, and it caused liver steatosis. The combination HSHF exacerbated the effects of each separately on insulin resistance and AT inflammatory state.

deMeloGermano,R.,Stabille,S.R.,deBrittoMari,R.,Pereira,J.N.B.,Faglioni, J.R.S. and de Miranda Neto, M.H. 2014. Morphologicalcharacteristics of the Pterodoras granulosus digestive tube (Valenciennes, 1821)(Osteichthyes, Doradidae). — Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 95: 166–175.Little is known about the digestive tube (DT) morphology of the fish Pterodorasgranulosus. Therefore, macro-, meso-andmicroscopicaspectsof15 P. granulosusDTs were analysed. The muscular layer was composed of striated skeletal mus-cle in the oesophagus and smooth muscle i n the other segments. The epitheliumprogressed from a stratified pavement in the oesophagus to a simple column inthe other segments, with a flat striated border in the intestine. A large number ofmucus-secreting periodic acid-Schiff (PAS)-positive cells were observed in theoesophagus. In the stomach, the number of glands in the region decreasedtowards the cardiac–fundic region, and none were found in the pylorus. Theintestine showed an epithelium with absorptioncellsandanincreasingnumberof PAS-positive caliciform cells towards the distal region. Tests showed that theoesophagus is adapted for passing and preparing food for the chemical digestionthat occurs in the stomach, which also has storage functions without grindingaction. The proximal intestinal region was consistent with fat absorption, andthe medium region, with the absorption of other nutrients. The distal region wasshort and consistent with a role in absorption for osmoregulation as well as inthe formation, storage and disposal of faeces.Ricardode Melo Germano, Departamento de Ci^enciasMorfologicas, Universid-ade Estadual de Maringa, Av. Colombo, no. 5790 –Bloco H79 –CEP. 87020-900, Maringa –Parana, Brasil. E-mail: prof.ricardogermano@gmail.comIntroductionThroughout the evolutionary process, fish have developedtheir own mechanisms to obtain food and to survive, with spe-cific physiological and morphological changes of the digestivesystem associated with their feeding behaviour (Dzhumaliyev1982; Fanta et al. 2001).In general, the digestive tubes of fish present the classicstratigraphic organisation that is described for the tubularorgans of other vertebrates. However, the macro- and micro-scopic structures of the segments are indicative of the fairlyprecise nature of the fish diet and how food is ingested by thespecies (Chaves and Vazzoler 1984; Seixas-Filho et al. 2000;Fugi et al. 2001). These factors have led to the appearance ofmorphological changes from the oesophagus to the distalintestine, which can be used to distinguish fish structures fromclassical descriptions.Pterodoras granulosus, described by Valenciennes in 1821(Fowler 1951) and popularly known as ‘armado’, ‘armadocomum’ or ‘abotoado’, belongs to the Siluriformes order,Doradidae Family and is found in the basins of the Paran a,Paraguay, Uruguay, Amazonas and Goias rivers. This specieswasnotfoundintheupperParana River and its floodingchannels until the construction of the Itaipu reservoir andwater levelling, when the P. granulosus increased its distribu-tion (Agostinho et al. 2003; Feitoza et al. 2004).

UNLABELLED With 2 figures and 3 tables SUMMARY The morphological pattern of the myenteric plexus (MP) is species-specific, and little is known about this pattern in Holtzman rats. The aim of the current experiment was the morphological and quantitative study of myenteric neurones in the Holtzman rat jejunum. Hematoxylin-Eosin and NADH-diaphorase (NADH-dp) staining were used to assess muscular layer thickness, neurone cell body area (CBA) and nuclei area (NA). Muscular layer thickness was found to be 114.77 ± 14.89 μm. Neuronal densities across the subregions of the jejunum were similar: mesenteric, 11.78 ± 2.89/mm(2) ; intermediate, 12.06 ± 2.69/mm(2) ; and antimesenteric, 10.67 ± 1.89/mm(2) . As expected, there was positive correlation between the CBA and NA of 79.19, 79.26 and 78.5% in the mesenteric, intermediate and antimesenteric subregions of the jejunum, respectively. Medium-sized neurones predominated in the ganglionic arrangement of the MP. These results indicate that the NADH-dp myenteric neurones in the jejunum of Holtzman rats are similar in many aspects to those found in the ileum of Holtzman rats and to those found in the small intestine of Wistar rats, including their location, ganglionic disposition and predominance of medium-sized CBA. However, neuronal density in the jejunum is lower than in the ileum. Based on these results showing morphological similarities to the MP of the Wistar rat, the Holtzman strain can be used to investigate the effects of adverse conditions on the morphology of the MP.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-11-03T15:28:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2014-09-01. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2015-11-04T10:14:50Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 S0001-37652014000301471.pdf: 490412 bytes, checksum: f45e15632697809cbe8098dc0a47fb00 (MD5) Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) O envelhecimento é um processo biológico caracterizado por progressivos danos de estrutura e função dos sistemas orgânicos. No trato gastrointestinal, pode acometer o sistema nervoso entérico, o qual possui funções importantes na digestão e absorção de nutrientes causando aceleração do trânsito intestinal, reduzindo assim a sua função de absorção. A restrição calórica tem sido utilizada em vários estudos com a intenção de retardar os efeitos deletérios do envelhecimento. Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar os efeitos da restrição calórica sobre os neurônios mioentéricos do íleo de 30 ratos durante o processo de envelhecimento. 30 ratos wistar foram agrupados da seguinte forma: GI (animais de 6 meses alimentados com dieta normal), GII (animais de 18 meses alimentados com dieta normal) e GIII (animais com idade de 18 meses com 31% de restrição calórica). Os ratos do grupo GI aos seis meses de idade e os animais do grupo GII e GIII foram eutanasiados após o período experimental de 12 meses, o íleo de todos os grupos foram coletados, medidos e processados pelas técnicas NADPH-d e acetilcolinesterase. A análise quantitativa dos neurônios revelou que o envelhecimento promove o aumento de neurônios mioentéricos NADPH-dp e reduz a população neuronal Acetilcolinesterase positiva. Entretanto, na área do perfil celular, não foram observadas diferenças significativas entre os grupos. A restrição calórica foi eficiente e pode ser utilizada como forma preventiva, uma vez que minimiza as alterações quantitativas associadas ao envelhecimento no plexo mioentérico do íleo. Aging is a biologic process characterized by progressive damage of structures and functions of organic systems. In gastrointestinal tract, it can involve enteric nervous system, which plays an important role in digestion and absorption of nutrients, causing hastening of intestinal transit thus reducing its absorptive function. Caloric restriction has been used in several studies with the intention of delaying deleterious effects of aging. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of caloric restriction on myenteric neurons of ileum by aging in rats. 30 Wistar rats were grouped as follows: GI (animals aged 6 months fed with normal diet), GII (animals aged 18 months fed with normal diet) and GIII (animals aged 18 months subject to 31% of caloric restriction). The rats of the GI group were euthanized at 6 months of age and after experimental period of 12 months animals of the group GII and GIII were euthanized, the ileum of all groups were collected, measured and processed by NADPH-dp and Acetylcholinesterase. Quantitative analysis of neurons revealed that aging promotes the increasing of myenteric neurons NADPH-dp and reduces Acetylcholinesterase neuronal population. However, in the cellular profile area, were not observed significant differences between the groups. The caloric restriction has been efficient and can be used preventively because it minimizes quantitative changes associated with aging on ileum myenteric plexuses. Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Med Vet &Zootecnia, Dept Cirurgia, BR-05508270 Sao Paulo, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, BR-11330900 Sao Vicente, SP, Brazil Univ Estadual Maringa, Dept Ciencias Morfol, BR-87020900 Maringa, Parana, Brazil Univ Estadual Maringa, BR-87020900 Maringa, Parana, Brazil Univ Estadual Maringa, Dept Biol, BR-87020900 Maringa, Parana, Brazil Univ Fed Minas Gerais, Escola Vet, BR-30161970 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, BR-11330900 Sao Vicente, SP, Brazil FAPESP: 2006/57369-2