Bárbara Silva Okano

Cerebral ischemia causes muscle atrophy and motor incoordination in animals, impairing motor performance. Thus, the objective of the present study was to analyze the motor performance and histomorphometry of the biceps brachii, soleus, and tibialis anterior muscles of rats submitted to a treadmill training program after induction of cerebral ischemia by the transient occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCAO). To do so, twenty-four 30-day-old Wistar rats were utilized. The exercises were performed for 6 weeks on a leveled treadmill, for 30 minutes/day, 5 days a week, at a controlled speed of 8m/min, and the MCAO surgery took place for 60 minutes. The animals were divided into the following experimental groups: SC (n = 6): control animals that underwent false surgery (operation without the induction of cerebral ischemia) and did not exercise (sedentary); CEA (n = 6): control animals exercised on the treadmill after the false surgery; SI (n = 6): sedentary ischemic animals; IEA (n = 6): animals exercised on the treadmill after the induction of cerebral ischemia. The type-II fibers atrophy in muscle soleo was observed in groups CEA (5125.63 ± 158.83) and SI (4982.38 ± 248.16) when compared to the SC (5927.98 ± 106.17) and IEA (6526.73 ± 195.08) groups. It is concluded that the low intensity physical exercise performed on the treadmill for six weeks after the induction of cerebral ischemia by OMCA, promoted a decrease in the atrophy of muscles important of the ischemic animals, benefiting their motor performance.

RESUMO O objetivo deste trabalho foi mensurar as dimensões da patela de cadáveres caninos e avaliar sua relação com a massa corporal. Para a realização das medidas patelares, foram utilizados 70 cadáveres de cães adultos, com massa corpórea de 1 a 50kg, sem evidência clínica de afecção na articulação femorotibiopatelar. Com auxílio de um paquímetro, foram mensurados os comprimentos externo e interno, a largura externa no terço médio, a largura e a espessura internas nos terços proximal, médio e distal das patelas. Também foram mensuradas a largura nos terços proximal, médio e distal, a profundidade nos terços proximal, médio e distal do sulco troclear; essas medidas foram exclusivamente internas. Observou-se, de forma geral, forte correlação entre as medidas patelares e a massa corporal de cadáveres de cães. Nas condições deste estudo, pode-se concluir que o tamanho da patela varia segundo a massa corporal do cão e que essas medidas devem ser consideradas ao se planejar uma substituição protética.

Physical exercise is a known preventive and therapeutic alternative for several cerebrovascular diseases. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the motor performance and histomorphometry of the biceps brachii, soleus, and tibialis anterior muscles of rats submitted to a treadmill training program prior to the induction of cerebral ischemia via occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (OMCA). A total of 24 Wistar rats were distributed into four groups: Sham-Sed: sedentary control animals (n=6), who underwent sham surgery (in which OMCA did not occur); Sham+Ex: control animals exercised before the sham surgery (n=6); I-Sed: sedentary animals with cerebral ischemia (n=6); and I+Ex: animals exercised before the induction of ischemia (n=6). The physical exercise consisted of treadmill training for five weeks, 30 min/day (5 days/week), at a speed of 14 m/min. The results showed that the type-I fibers presented greater fiber area in the exercised ischemic group (I+Ex: 2347.96±202.77 µm2) compared to the other groups (Sham-Sed: 1676.46±132.21 µm2; Sham+Ex: 1647.63±191.09 µm2; I+Ex: 1566.93±185.09 µm2; P=0.0002). Our findings suggested that the angiogenesis process may have influenced muscle recovery and reduced muscle atrophy of type-I fibers in the animals that exercised before cerebral ischemia.