BACKGROUND: The practice of swimming in "hypogravity" conditions has potential to decrease bone formation because it decreases the time engaged in weight-bearing activities usually observed in the daily activities of adolescents. Therefore, adolescents competing in national levels would be more exposed to these deleterious effects, because they are engaged in long routines of training during most part of the year. To analyze the effect of swimming on bone mineral density (BMD) gain among adolescents engaged in national level competitions during a 9-month period. METHODS: Fifty-five adolescents; the control group contained 29 adolescents and the swimming group was composed of 26 athletes. During the cohort study, BMD, body fat (BF) and fat free mass (FFM) were assessed using a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scanner. Body weight was measured with an electronic scale, and height was assessed using a stadiometer. RESULTS: During the follow-up, swimmers presented higher gains in FFM (Control 2.35 kg vs. Swimming 5.14 kg; large effect size [eta-squared (ES-r)=0.168]) and BMD-Spine (Swimming 0.087 g/cm² vs. Control 0.049 g/cm²; large effect size [ES-r=0.167]) compared to control group. Male swimmers gained more FFM (Male 10.63% vs. Female 3.39%) and BMD-Spine (Male 8.47% vs. Female 4.32%) than females. Longer participation in swimming negatively affected gains in upper limbs among males (r=-0.438 [-0.693 to -0.085]), and in spine among females (r=-0.651 [-0.908 to -0.036]). CONCLUSIONS: Over a 9-month follow-up, BMD and FFM gains were more evident in male swimmers, while longer engagement in swimming negatively affected BMD gains, independently of sex.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Adipose Tissue ; Adolescent* ; Athletes ; Body Weight ; Bone Density* ; Cohort Studies ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Osteogenesis ; Spine ; Sports ; Swimming* ; Upper Extremity ; Weight-Bearing

OBJECTIVE: Although Angelica archangelica is a medicinal and aromatic plant with a long history of use for both medicinal and food purposes, there are no studies regarding the antineoplastic activity of its root. This study aimed to evaluate the cytotoxicity and antitumor effects of the crude extract of A. archangelica root (CEAA) on breast cancer. METHODS: The cytotoxicity of CEAA against breast adenocarcinoma cells (4T1 and MCF-7) was evaluated by a 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Morphological and biochemical changes were detected by Hoechst 33342/propidium iodide (PI) and annexin V/PI staining. Cytosolic calcium mobilization was evaluated in cells staining with FURA-4NW. Immunoblotting was used to determine the effect of CEAA on anti- and pro-apoptotic proteins (Bcl-2 and Bax, respectively). The 4T1 cell-challenged mice were used for in vivo assay. RESULTS: Using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, angelicin, a constituent of the roots and leaves of A. archangelica, was found to be the major constituent of the CEAA evaluated in this study (73 µg/mL). The CEAA was cytotoxic for both breast cancer cell lines studied but not for human fibroblasts. Treatment of 4T1 cells with the CEAA increased Bax protein levels accompanied by decreased Bcl-2 expression, in the presence of cleaved caspase-3 and cytosolic calcium mobilization, suggesting mitochondrial involvement in breast cancer cell death induced by the CEAA in this cell line. No changes on the Bcl-2/Bax ratio were observed in CEAA-treated MCF7 cells. Gavage administration of the CEAA (500 mg/kg) to 4T1 cell-challenged mice significantly decreased tumor growth when compared with untreated animals. CONCLUSION Altogether, our data show the antitumor potential of the CEAA against breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Further research is necessary to better elucidate the pharmacological application of the CEAA in breast cancer therapy.

Objective To investigate the antidiabetic effect of Rourea cuspidata hydroalcoholic stem extract in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Methods In order to evaluate the chemical composition, different extracts from stem in ascending solvent order of polarity were prepared. The extracts were analyzed by high resolution mass spectrometry and 7 compounds were identified, including hyperin, an important and already reported active compound in the literature. Hyperin was also quantified by HPLC-UV in all the extracts. The hydroalcoholic stem extract (Ss5), which showed the highest concentration of hyperin, was administered to STZ-induced diabetes rats to evaluate the potential hypoglycemic activity. Total cholesterol, HDL, triglycerides, ALT and AST were also evaluated. In the present study, the effects of oral administration of hydroalcoholic stem extract (200 mg/kg b. wt.) for 28 days on the level of serum glucose, total cholesterol, HDL, triglycerides, aspartate amino transferase (AST) and alanine amino transferase (ALT) in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were evaluated. Histopathological changes in diabetic rats' pancreas were also studied. Results The extract exposition demonstrated hypoglycemic effect like the drug control glibenclamide. The extract was able to increase the HDL levels. Histopathological study on diabetic rats' pancreas after extract treatment showed morphological alterations in STZ-induced diabetes rats, which were apparently restored after extract treatment. Conclusions This work demonstrates the potential use of R. cuspidata as hypoglycemic agent in the treatment of diabetes.