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The expansion of areas affected by drought worldwide has a negative effect on yield and crops production, making water deficits the most significant abiotic stress that limits the growth and development of plants. The use of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) is a strategy that mitigates the effects of this stress in a sustainable way, given the increase in the tolerance to water deficit stress in plants inoculated with these fungi; however, the exact mechanism is unknown because the response depends on the water-deficit stress type and is specific to the AMF and the plant. This review describes the mechanisms that explain how the AMF colonization of roots can modify the response of plants during a water deficit, as well as its relationship with physiological processes that determine yield, photosynthesis and photoassimilate partitioning. These mechanisms may include modifications in the content of plant hormones, such as strigolactones, jasmonic acid (JA) and absicic acid (ABA). The JA appears to be involved in the stress signal in mycorrhizal plants through an increase of ABA concentrations and, at the same time, ABA has a regulating effect on strigolactone concentrations. Also, there is improvement of plant water status, stomatal conductance, nutritional status and plant responses to cope with a water deficit, such as osmotic adjustment, and antioxidant activity. These modifications cause an increase in CO2 assimilation and photoassimilate production, improving plant growth during a drought. La extensión de áreas afectadas por la sequía en todo el mundo tiene un efecto negativo en la producción y rendimiento de los cultivos, haciendo que el déficit hídrico sea el estrés abiótico más limitante del crecimiento y desarrollo de las plantas. El uso de hongos micorrízicos arbusculares (HFMA) es una estrategia que mitiga los efectos de este estrés de una manera sostenible, numerosos estudios han demostrado un aumento en la tolerancia a déficit hídrico en plantas inoculadas con estos hongos. Sin embargo, aún se desconoce el mecanismo exacto por el cual los HFMA inducen esta tolerancia ya que se ha encontrado que la respuesta depende del tipo de estrés hídrico y además es específica, tanto a nivel del HFMA como de la planta. Esta revisión describe los mecanismos potenciales que explican cómo la colonización de las raíces por HFMA puede modificar el comportamiento de la planta durante el estrés por déficit hídrico, así como su relación con procesos fisiológicos determinantes de la producción como la fotosíntesis y la partición de fotoasimilados. Estos mecanismos incluyen modificaciones en las plantas en el contenido de hormonas como las estrigolactonas, el ácido jasmónico (JA) y el ácido absícico. The JA parece estar involucrado en las señales de estrés en las plantas micorrizadas incrementando la concentración del ácido abscísico (ABA) y, a su vez el ABA regula el efecto de las estrigolactonas. Igualmente hay una mejora del estado hídrico de la planta, la conductancia estomática, el estado nutricional y un aumento de la respuesta de la planta para contender con el déficit hídrico como el ajuste osmótico y la actividad antioxidante. Estas modificaciones causan un aumenta en la asimilación de CO2 y la producción de fotoasimilados mejorando el crecimiento de las plantas en condiciones de sequía.

Much of our understanding of the molecular control of menstruation arises from laboratory models that experimentally recapitulate some, but not all, aspects of uterine bleeding observed in women. These models include: in vitro culture of endometrial explants or isolated endometrial cells, transplantation of human endometrial tissue into immunodeficient mice and the induction of endometrial breakdown in appropriately pretreated mice. Each of these models has contributed to our understanding of molecular and cellular mechanisms of menstruation, but nonhuman primates, especially macaques, are the animal model of choice for evaluating therapies for menstrual disorders. In this chapter we review some basic aspects of menstruation, with special emphasis on the macaque model and its relevance to the clinical issues of irregular and heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB).

[ES] El tamaño que alcanzan los frutos de níspero japonés no es aceptable de acuerdo con la demanda del mercado. Con el fin de incrementar el calibre de los frutos se emplean técnicas de cultivo como el rayado de ramas o la aplicación de auxinas de síntesis. Sin embargo, se desconoce su mecanismo de acción. El objetivo de este trabajo es estudiar el control hormonal y nutricional del crecimiento del fruto de esta especie con el fin de relacionarlo con la disponibilidad de carbohidratos y/o la elasticidad de las paredes celulares y poder explicar el mecanismo de acción de estas técnicas. Para ello se ha analizado el contenido endógeno en giberelinas, auxinas, citoquininas, ácido abscísico y otros reguladores del desarrollo en el fruto, desde el inicio de su desarrollo (701 BBCH) hasta el cambio de color (801 BBCH). Paralelamente se ha estudiado el potencial hídrico, osmótico y parietal, así como el contenido en carbohidratos, en frutos de árboles rayados, tratados con auxinas de síntesis y control. Nuestros resultados revelan que, aunque tanto la aplicación de auxinas de síntesis como el rayado de ramas incrementan el tamaño final del fruto, el mecanismo de acción es diferente. El rayado de ramas actúa a través de la acumulación de solutos mientras que la aplicación de auxinas de síntesis aumenta la elasticidad de la pared celular. Se ha comprobado que la aplicación de auxinas de síntesis a los frutos es una técnica más potente que el rayado de ramas en la consecución de un mayor tamaño final del fruto, al permitirse una mayor acumulación de agua producida por la relajación de la pared celular., [EN] In loquat, attained fruit size is not acceptable for commercial demands. In order to increase fruit size, different techniques, such as branch scoring or synthetic auxins, are employed. However, their mechanism of action remains unknown. The objective of this work is to study hormonal and nutritional control of fruit growth in this species in order to connect it with carbohydrates availability and cell walls plasticity and, thus, explain the mechanism of action of these techniques. With this purpose, the endogenous contents of gibberellins, auxins, cytokinins, abscisic acid and other fruit growth regulators have been analyzed, from the beginning of its development (701 BBCH) until color change (801 BBCH). At the same time, water, solute and pressure potentials, as well as carbohydrate content in fruits from control, scored, and synthetic auxin 3,5,6-TPA treated trees were assessed. Our results show that although both branch scoring and the application of the synthetic auxin increase final fruit size, their mechanism of action is different. Branch scoring acts upon solute accumulation whereas the application of the synthetic auxin enhances cell walls plasticity. It has been demonstrated that the application of the synthetic auxin, compared to branch scoring, is a more powerful technique in increasing final fruit size, by improving water accumulation due to cell wall loosening.

One of the major advances in the study of endocrine regulation of the mammary gland has been the development of techniques to obtain defined mutations in mice. The use of mice deficient in hormones, growth factors, receptors or transcription factors now allow to dissect hormonal pathways and to elucidate the specific role of the epithelium and the stroma. The study of temporal changes of global gene expression at each physiological stage is now possible by microarrays or proteomic analyses to profile gene or protein expressions, respectively. These approaches have been successful in demonstrating the huge number of genes that are differentially expressed in the murine and bovine mammary epithelial cells during pregnancy, lactation and involution. The next step to get the temporal and spatial assignement of gene function necessitate now the coordination of these technologies with accurate cellular biology approaches through in vivo and dynamic studies.

[EN] Persimmon fruitlet abscises in a larger proportion (40% - 50%) after fruit set, the control being mediated by calyx lobule. Fruit grow is largely modified by lobule’s calyx removal and although the mechanism is not well understood, it seems that calyx regulates fruit development by through a nutritional and/or hormonal action. In order to contribute to the knowledge of the control of fruit set in persimmon, we established the following working hypothesis: 1- Remove of calyx lobes modifies fruit set and fruit development, the effect depending on the growth stage at time removal. 2- The effect acts through an hormonal and nutritional control over the ovary. Our results indicate that sepal removal reduces sugar consumption, increases the percentage of fruitlet abscission and reduces its diameter significantly. The sooner the sepals removed, the deeper the effect. The effect of the absence of sepals on fruit nutritional balance during fruit set should be mediated by the hormonal content since persimmon fruit set depends on the endogenous gibberellin content (GA1)., [ES El caqui sufre una abscisión fisiológica de frutos que afecta al 40-50% de los que inician el crecimiento. La presencia del cáliz es esencial en el control de este proceso, ya que su eliminación interfiere en el crecimiento del fruto. Aunque no se conocen con exactitud los mecanismos que intervienen, parece que los lóbulos del cáliz regulan el desarrollo del fruto a través de mecanismos nutricionales y/o hormonales. Con el fin de contribuir al conocimiento del papel del cáliz en el control del cuajado y desarrollo del fruto del caqui se plantean, en este estudio las siguientes hipótesis de trabajo: 1. La eliminación de los lóbulos del cáliz modifica el cuajado y el desarrollo del fruto y este efecto depende del estado fenológico en el que se eliminan. 2. La acción del cáliz es a través de un control hormonal y nutricional del desarrollo de los ovarios. Nuestros resultados indican que la eliminación de los sépalos aumenta significativamente el porcentaje de abscisión de frutos y reduce su diámetro. El efecto es mayor cuanto antes se eliminen los sépalos, es decir, en estados fenológicos menos desarrollados. La acción de la ausencia de sépalos durante el cuajado en el balance nutricional del fruto, debe estar mediado por un control hormonal, puesto que el cuajado de esta especie depende del contenido endógenos en giberelina (GA1).

Males and females of one species share the majority of the genome, often also the joint niche, but their phenotype is usually very different. The biggest difference between the sexes is the achievement of different sizes that can be controlled dimorphic secretion of hormones. Although many researches have been conducted on this topic, we still lack the knowledge that at least in vertebrates exists in this respect a single, common proximate mechanism or whether different types or lines vary considerably in hormonal control of dimorphism in body size. Growth is influenced by a variety of hormones that can interact - for example, growth hormone, somatomedins, thyroid hormones and steroid hormones. However, experimental studies have suggested that influence levels of sex steroid hormones can cause a change in sexual dimorphism in size. My work focuses on summarizing knowledge about hormonal influence dimorphic growth in vertebrates and analyse the methodology used. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

Billions of laying hens are kept worldwide. Severe feather pecking (SFP) is a behaviour which occurs with a high prevalence on commercial farms. SFP, the pecking and plucking of feathers of another bird, induces pain and stress and can ultimately lead to cannibalism. Moreover, SFP can occur if a bird is unable to cope with fear and stress and is living in an inappropriate environment. SFP thus reduces the welfare of many laying hens worldwide. To prevent SFP it is essential to know the risk factors in its development. To that aim, first, two experimental studies were conducted to gain insight in the principles of SFP, and three on-farm studies were conducted to assess the risk factors of SFP under commercial conditions. THE PRINCIPLES Factors which relate to SFP are high fearfulness as young and low levels of brain and peripheral serotonin (5-HT) and brain dopamine (DA). Furthermore, commercial laying hen lines can differ in SFP tendencies and associated traits indicating that SFP has a genetic component. In chapters 2 and 3, fear response as young and adult, and stress response, 5-HT and DA brain levels as adult were compared in hens of two lines: the low mortality line (LML) selected on low levels of mortality due to cannibalism and individual performance vs. the control line (CL) which was selected on individual performance only. Hens were exposed to an Open Field (OF) test at 5 weeks of age and a Manual Restraint (MR) test at 33 weeks of age. At 33 weeks of age, levels of corticosterone (CORT) post MR and 5-HT and DA levels in four brain areas were determined. Hens of the LML were less fearful at both ages and had lower levels of DA in the arcopallium, a somatomotor area involved in fear and motor control, compared to hens of the CL. In chapter 2, it was also shown that fearful chicks had higher levels of CORT and higher activity levels as adult, compared to non-fearful chicks. Moreover, presence of fearful animals in the group was related to average CORT levels of their pen members. Fearful hens may induce social instability in a group, and thereby affecting the stress-sensitivity of their group mates. These results indicate that groups differ in levels of fear and stress-sensitivity, and that fearfulness at a young age can lead to stress-sensitivity as adults, which create a risk for development of SFP. THE PRACTICE In chapters 4, 5 and 6, the laying hen production chain consisting of parent stock, rearing flocks and laying flocks was studied. Risk factors for SFP could originate from previous parts in the chain. Therefore, in all on-farm studies, measurements of SFP, fearfulness, basal CORT and peripheral 5-HT system were obtained, and related to housing conditions and to previous parts in the chain. Fearfulness was assessed, on a flock level, by distance to a stationary person (SP) test and latency of bird to approach a novel object (NO). Dekalb White (DW) and ISA brown (ISA) crosses whose pure lines differ in levels of fear, CORT, 5-HT and DA, were compared. First, parent stock (PS) flocks were studied and associations between production performance and measurements of fear, stress and 5-HT were conducted and related to group size conditions (chapter 4). Second, rearing flocks originating from PS flocks were studied throughout the rearing period (chapter 5). High levels of feather damage, CORT and 5-HT in the mothers were related to fearfulness and SFP in their offspring at flock level. Especially, a large flock size and limitation and/or disruption in litter supply affected SFP and levels of fearfulness and 5-HT (chapter 5). Finally, high levels of feather damage during the laying period were related to high SFP rearing, and high fearfulness during rearing and laying (chapter 6). These studies together aimed to determine the risk factors for the development of SFP and the resulting feather damage. The main outcomes of these studies are as follows. Ø Parent stock flocks DW flocks were more fearful of an SP and hens had higher levels of feather damage than in ISA flocks. ISA flocks, in turn, were more fearful of the NO and hens had higher 5-HT levels than in DW flocks. A small flock size led to higher feed conversion, mortality levels, and smothering events in ISA but not in DW flocks. These results indicate that DW and ISA PS flocks differ in levels of fear and feather damage, and respond differently to their social environment. For both crosses, fear of an SP related to high mortality and fear of the NO related to low hen body weight, egg weight, and feed intake. High basal CORT related to low egg weight. High fear and stress levels in PS flocks may, thus, negatively affect (re)production, and thereby potentially negatively influence the developing embryo. Ø Rearing flocks In the DW cross, high CORT, feather damage, and 5-HT of mother hens related to high SFP and fearfulness of their rearing flocks at 1 week of age. At 5 weeks of age, a peak in both gentle feather pecking (GFP) and SFP was recorded, coinciding with a disruption in substrate availability (i.e. a temporal absence of substrate) and a limitation of substrate (i.e. limited amounts of substrate provided) in some of the farms. Especially, ISA pullets showed higher SFP under substrate limitation and became more fearful under substrate disruption than DW pullets. ISA pullets had higher 5-HT levels than DW pullets. Only in the ISA cross, high 5-HT related to high fearfulness, specifically under substrate disruption. For both crosses, high fearfulness was related to high feather damage. Furthermore, in a level system (floor system where levels are gradually added) higher levels of SFP and feather damage were found compared to an aviary system (a tier-system with cages and litter area). These results highlight that; 1) parental effects exist in the development of fearfulness and SFP, 2) disruption and limitation in substrate availability can lead to high SFP at 5 weeks of age, 3) ISA pullets are more strongly influenced by environmental conditions than DW pullets and 4) a level housing, which coincided with a large group size, increase the risk of SFP and feather damage during rearing. Ø Laying flocks In our sample, 49% of the laying flocks had severe damage at 40 weeks of age, compared with 71%, 65% and 53% of the rearing flocks at 15, 10 and 5 weeks of age, respectively. High fear of a SP at rearing and high SFP at 5 weeks of age related to high levels of feather damage at lay. In a floor system and at a large flock size higher levels of feather damage were recorded than in an aviary system and at a small flock size. An adjusted management on the laying farm (i.e. aerated blocks, presence of roosters or a radio playing) reduced levels of feather damage compared to standard management. DW flocks were more fearful of the SP and NO than ISA flocks. This study showed that factors during rearing and laying contributed to feather damage at 40 weeks of age. With the knowledge from the experimental and on-farm studies in this thesis, an assessment of the risk factors for SFP could be established. Risk factors for SFP are: high fear, stress and feather damage in DW parent stock, high fear of humans, especially for DW hens, litter disruption or limitation during rearing, large group sizes, and a floor or level system.

Billions of laying hens are kept worldwide. Severe feather pecking (SFP) is a behaviour which occurs with a high prevalence on commercial farms. SFP, the pecking and plucking of feathers of another bird, induces pain and stress and can ultimately lead to cannibalism. Moreover, SFP can occur if a bird is unable to cope with fear and stress and is living in an inappropriate environment. SFP thus reduces the welfare of many laying hens worldwide. To prevent SFP it is essential to know the risk factors in its development. To that aim, first, two experimental studies were conducted to gain insight in the principles of SFP, and three on-farm studies were conducted to assess the risk factors of SFP under commercial conditions. THE PRINCIPLES Factors which relate to SFP are high fearfulness as young and low levels of brain and peripheral serotonin (5-HT) and brain dopamine (DA). Furthermore, commercial laying hen lines can differ in SFP tendencies and associated traits indicating that SFP has a genetic component. In chapters 2 and 3, fear response as young and adult, and stress response, 5-HT and DA brain levels as adult were compared in hens of two lines: the low mortality line (LML) selected on low levels of mortality due to cannibalism and individual performance vs. the control line (CL) which was selected on individual performance only. Hens were exposed to an Open Field (OF) test at 5 weeks of age and a Manual Restraint (MR) test at 33 weeks of age. At 33 weeks of age, levels of corticosterone (CORT) post MR and 5-HT and DA levels in four brain areas were determined. Hens of the LML were less fearful at both ages and had lower levels of DA in the arcopallium, a somatomotor area involved in fear and motor control, compared to hens of the CL. In chapter 2, it was also shown that fearful chicks had higher levels of CORT and higher activity levels as adult, compared to non-fearful chicks. Moreover, presence of fearful animals in the group was related to average CORT levels of their pen members. Fearful hens may induce social instability in a group, and thereby affecting the stress-sensitivity of their group mates. These results indicate that groups differ in levels of fear and stress-sensitivity, and that fearfulness at a young age can lead to stress-sensitivity as adults, which create a risk for development of SFP. THE PRACTICE In chapters 4, 5 and 6, the laying hen production chain consisting of parent stock, rearing flocks and laying flocks was studied. Risk factors for SFP could originate from previous parts in the chain. Therefore, in all on-farm studies, measurements of SFP, fearfulness, basal CORT and peripheral 5-HT system were obtained, and related to housing conditions and to previous parts in the chain. Fearfulness was assessed, on a flock level, by distance to a stationary person (SP) test and latency of bird to approach a novel object (NO). Dekalb White (DW) and ISA brown (ISA) crosses whose pure lines differ in levels of fear, CORT, 5-HT and DA, were compared. First, parent stock (PS) flocks were studied and associations between production performance and measurements of fear, stress and 5-HT were conducted and related to group size conditions (chapter 4). Second, rearing flocks originating from PS flocks were studied throughout the rearing period (chapter 5). High levels of feather damage, CORT and 5-HT in the mothers were related to fearfulness and SFP in their offspring at flock level. Especially, a large flock size and limitation and/or disruption in litter supply affected SFP and levels of fearfulness and 5-HT (chapter 5). Finally, high levels of feather damage during the laying period were related to high SFP rearing, and high fearfulness during rearing and laying (chapter 6). These studies together aimed to determine the risk factors for the development of SFP and the resulting feather damage. The main outcomes of these studies are as follows. Ø Parent stock flocks DW flocks were more fearful of an SP and hens had higher levels of feather damage than in ISA flocks. ISA flocks, in turn, were more fearful of the NO and hens had higher 5-HT levels than in DW flocks. A small flock size led to higher feed conversion, mortality levels, and smothering events in ISA but not in DW flocks. These results indicate that DW and ISA PS flocks differ in levels of fear and feather damage, and respond differently to their social environment. For both crosses, fear of an SP related to high mortality and fear of the NO related to low hen body weight, egg weight, and feed intake. High basal CORT related to low egg weight. High fear and stress levels in PS flocks may, thus, negatively affect (re)production, and thereby potentially negatively influence the developing embryo. Ø Rearing flocks In the DW cross, high CORT, feather damage, and 5-HT of mother hens related to high SFP and fearfulness of their rearing flocks at 1 week of age. At 5 weeks of age, a peak in both gentle feather pecking (GFP) and SFP was recorded, coinciding with a disruption in substrate availability (i.e. a temporal absence of substrate) and a limitation of substrate (i.e. limited amounts of substrate provided) in some of the farms. Especially, ISA pullets showed higher SFP under substrate limitation and became more fearful under substrate disruption than DW pullets. ISA pullets had higher 5-HT levels than DW pullets. Only in the ISA cross, high 5-HT related to high fearfulness, specifically under substrate disruption. For both crosses, high fearfulness was related to high feather damage. Furthermore, in a level system (floor system where levels are gradually added) higher levels of SFP and feather damage were found compared to an aviary system (a tier-system with cages and litter area). These results highlight that; 1) parental effects exist in the development of fearfulness and SFP, 2) disruption and limitation in substrate availability can lead to high SFP at 5 weeks of age, 3) ISA pullets are more strongly influenced by environmental conditions than DW pullets and 4) a level housing, which coincided with a large group size, increase the risk of SFP and feather damage during rearing. Ø Laying flocks In our sample, 49% of the laying flocks had severe damage at 40 weeks of age, compared with 71%, 65% and 53% of the rearing flocks at 15, 10 and 5 weeks of age, respectively. High fear of a SP at rearing and high SFP at 5 weeks of age related to high levels of feather damage at lay. In a floor system and at a large flock size higher levels of feather damage were recorded than in an aviary system and at a small flock size. An adjusted management on the laying farm (i.e. aerated blocks, presence of roosters or a radio playing) reduced levels of feather damage compared to standard management. DW flocks were more fearful of the SP and NO than ISA flocks. This study showed that factors during rearing and laying contributed to feather damage at 40 weeks of age. With the knowledge from the experimental and on-farm studies in this thesis, an assessment of the risk factors for SFP could be established. Risk factors for SFP are: high fear, stress and feather damage in DW parent stock, high fear of humans, especially for DW hens, litter disruption or limitation during rearing, large group sizes, and a floor or level system.

Introduction Of the nearly 1.4 million new cases of breast cancer diagnosed each year, a large proportion is characterized as hormone receptor negative, lacking estrogen receptors (ER) and/or progesterone receptors (PR). Patients with receptor-negative tumors do not respond to current steroid hormone-based therapies and generally have significantly higher risk of recurrence and mortality compared with patients with tumors that are ER- and/or PR-positive. Previous in vitro studies had shown that the progesterone metabolites, 5α-dihydroprogesterone (5αP) and 3α-dihydroprogesterone (3αHP), respectively, exhibit procancer and anticancer effects on receptor-negative human breast cell lines. Here in vivo studies were conducted to investigate the ability of 5αP and 3αHP to control initiation, growth, and regression of ER/PR-negative human breast cell tumors. Methods ER/PR-negative human breast cells (MDA-MB-231) were implanted into mammary fat pads of immunosuppressed mice, and the effects of 5αP and 3αHP treatments on tumor initiation, growth, suppression/regression, and histopathology were assessed in five separate experiments. Specific radioimmunoassays and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry were used to measure 5αP, 3αHP, and progesterone in mouse serum and tumors. Results Onset and growth of ER/PR-negative human breast cell tumors were significantly stimulated by 5αP and inhibited by 3αHP. When both hormones were applied simultaneously, the stimulatory effects of 5αP were abrogated by the inhibitory effects of 3αHP and vice versa. Treatment with 3αHP subsequent to 5αP-induced tumor initiation resulted in suppression of further tumorigenesis and regression of existing tumors. The levels of 5αP in tumors, regardless of treatment, were about 10-fold higher than the levels of 3αHP, and the 5αP:3αHP ratios were about fivefold higher than in serum, indicating significant changes in endogenous synthesis of these hormones in tumorous breast tissues. Conclusions The studies showed that estrogen/progesterone-insensitive breast tumors are sensitive to, and controlled by, the progesterone metabolites 5αP and 3αHP. Tumorigenesis of ER/PR-negative breast cells is significantly enhanced by 5αP and suppressed by 3αHP, the outcome depending on the relative concentrations of these two hormones in the microenvironment in the breast regions. The findings show that the production of 5αP greatly exceeds that of 3αHP in ER/PR-negative tumors and that treatment with 3αHP can effectively block tumorigenesis and cause existing tumors to regress. The results provide the first hormonal theory to explain tumorigenesis of ER/PR-negative breast tissues and support the hypothesis that a high 3αHP-to-5αP concentration ratio in the microenvironment may foster normalcy in noncancerous breast regions. The findings suggest new diagnostics based on the relative levels of these hormones and new approaches to prevention and treatment of breast cancers based on regulating the levels and action mechanisms of anti- and pro-cancer progesterone metabolites.

This study aimed to compare the efficiency of melatonin and/or a short-term FGA treatment in the advance of the breeding season in Serrana goats. Fertility after artificial insemination (AI) with frozen semen was also assessed. Material and Methods This experiment took place at Bragança (latitude 41° 49' N, longitude 6° 40' W and altitude 720 meters) and involved 65 adult Serrana goats. At early March, 32 goats received a melatonin implant (18 mg) – melatonin group. The other 33 remained as control group. Fifty days later all goats were injected with 100 micrograms of PGF2alfa. Simultaneously a vaginal sponge with 20 mg of FGA was inserted in each goat. Progestagen treatment lasted for 5 days. At sponge removal all goats were injected with 300 UI of eCG. Later, 15 goats of each group were artificially inseminated (n = 30) with frozen semen (AI group). The lasting 35 goats were inseminated by intact males provided with harness markers for heat detection (NB group). Ovarian activity was assessed by progesterone (P4) plasmatic levels 2 weeks before melatonin and short-term FGA treatments and for 5 days after eCG injection. Pregnancy diagnosis was performed 41 days after eCG administration by real time ultrasonography. Results In the fortnight prior to melatonin treatment 49.2% of all goats had high levels of P4 (> 0.5 ng/ml). In the previous 2 weeks to short-term FGA treatment 6.1% of control and 71.9% of melatonin goats had high levels of P4 (Chi-square = 91.6; P≤0.001). Over 88.6% of NB goats showed sexual behavior. About 83.3% were control and 94.1% melatonin treated goats (Chi-square = 5.9; P≤0.05). Eighty percent of all goats had high levels of P4 1 to 5 days post eCG injection. About 81.3% were control and 78.1% melatonin treated goats (Chi-square = 0.3; P>0.05). No significant difference was found between NB and AI goats – 82.9% vs. 76.7% (Chi-square = 1.1; P>0.05). Forty-one days after eCG administration, 78.5% of all goats were pregnant. About 78.8% were control and 78.1% melatonin goats (Chi-square = 0.0; P>0.05). Fertility rate was higher in NB than in AI goats – 85.7% vs. 70.0% (Chi-square = 7.5; P≤0.01). Conclusions – Melatonin enhanced both the percentage of goats presenting high levels of P4 (> 0.5 ng/ml) and the percentage of goats in estrus. – Melatonin had no significant effect in the ovarian activity following short-term FGA treatment. – Fertility rate was higher in NB than in AI goats. – AI with frozen semen resulted in a quite high fertility rate (70.0%).

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior The prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus is growing worldwide. It is known that prevention and treatment of these diseases occur by adopting an interdisciplinary approach, with dietary advice. Results of clinical and epidemiological studies indicated a possible beneficial effect of peanut consumption on glycemic control, appetite and food intake. This study aims to investigate the effect of peanut (raw and butter) consumption on glucose homeostasis (glucose, insulin, free fatty acids and GLP-1), hormonal control of appetite (CCK and PYY), subjective appetite sensations and food intake in obese women with high risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus. This is a randomized crossover clinical trial in which 15 women participated in three experimental steps: Breakfast control (DC), breakfast with the addition of raw peanut (DAG) and addition of nut butter (DAP). Lunch was served 240 minutes after breakfast intake. In the times 10, 15, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 265, 295, 310, 340, 370, 430 and 490 minutes after breakfast intake blood samples were taken for evaluation of glucose homeostasis (glucose, insulin, GLP-1 and FFA) and the subjective appetite sensations. At the time -10 to 240 additional samples were collected to determine the levels of incretins hormones (CCK and PYY). The palatability scores were assessed immediately after breakfast and lunch intake. We used analysis of variance with repeated measures plus Tukey's post-hoc test to examine the effect of treatments on glucose homeostasis, appetite and incretins hormones. To compare the palatability scores and the areas under (AUC) and above (AAC) the curve of the results of variables were applied to analysis of variance with Tukey's posthoc test. Analyses were performed using SigmaPlot, version 11.0 (Systat Software Inc, USA®), adopting as a criterion for statistical significance p