Repeated bouts of endurance exercise promotes numerous biochemical adaptations in skeletal muscle... more Repeated bouts of endurance exercise promotes numerous biochemical adaptations in skeletal muscle fibers resulting in a muscle phenotype that is protected against a variety of homeostatic challenges; these exercise-induced changes in muscle phenotype are often referred to as "exercise preconditioning." Importantly, exercise preconditioning provides protection against several threats to skeletal muscle health including cancer chemotherapy (e.g., doxorubicin) and prolonged muscle inactivity. This review summarizes our current understanding of the mechanisms responsible for exercise-induced protection of skeletal muscle fibers against both doxorubicin-induced muscle wasting and a unique form of inactivity-induced muscle atrophy (i.e., ventilator-induced diaphragm atrophy). Specifically, the first section of this article will highlight the potential mechanisms responsible for exercise-induced protection of skeletal muscle fibers against doxorubicin-induced fiber atrophy. The second segment will discuss the biochemical changes that are responsible for endurance exercise-mediated protection of diaphragm muscle against ventilator-induced diaphragm wasting. In each section, we highlight gaps in our knowledge in hopes of stimulating future research in this evolving field of investigation.
Vascular homeostasis is ensured by a dynamic interplay involving the endothelium, the platelets a... more Vascular homeostasis is ensured by a dynamic interplay involving the endothelium, the platelets and the coagulation system. Thus, the vascular safety of particulate materials must address this integrated system, an approach that has been largely neglected. This work analysed the effects of commercial hydroxyapatite (HA) particles in blood compatibility and in endothelial cell behavior, due to their clinical relevance and scarcity of data on their vascular biosafety. Particles with similar chemical composition and distinct size and morphology were tested, i.e. rod-like, nano dimensions and low aspect ratio (HAp1) and needle-shape with wider size and aspect ratio (HAp2). HAp1 and HAp2, at 1 to 10 mg/mL, did not affect haemolysis, platelet adhesion, aggregation and activation, or the coagulation system (intrinsic and extrinsic pathways), although HAp2 exhibited a slight thrombogenic potential at 10 mg/mL. Notwithstanding, significantly lower levels presented dose-dependent toxicity on ...
Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) present several risks and different contributing factors with ... more Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) present several risks and different contributing factors with consequently diverse treatment approaches. It is important to recognize what patients' characteristics may benefit from orthodontics, from physiotherapy, from other treatment modalities or even from a combined approach. We present three cases of patients with common TMDs signs and/or symptoms and different treatment approaches and outcomes, and our aim is to understand what might explain the different outcomes observed and also provide a rationale about the skeletal, muscular, facial and occlusal characteristics that may be indicative of a particular intervention benefit. It has been shown that orthodontics plays an important role solving occlusal problems as well as changes in the vertical dimension. On the other hand, physiotherapy was effective in pain management and range improvement, when musculoskeletal changes were clearly found. Finally, it has also been shown that a multidis...
The use of targeted nanoparticles for magnetic hyperthermia (MHT) increases MHT selectivity, but ... more The use of targeted nanoparticles for magnetic hyperthermia (MHT) increases MHT selectivity, but often at the expense of its effectiveness. Consequently, targeted MHT is typically used in combination with other treatment modalities. This work describes an implementation of a highly effective monotherapeutic in vitro MHT treatment based on two populations of magnetic particles. Cells were sequentially incubated with two populations of magnetic particles: nonfunctionalized superparamagnetic nanoparticles and anti-CXCR4-functionalized particles. After removing the excess of free particles, an alternating magnetic field (AMF) was applied to produce MHT. The induced cytotoxicity was assessed at different time-points after AMF application. Complete loss of cell viability was observed 72 h after MHT when the iron loading of the anti-CXCR4-functionalized particles was boosted by that of a nontargeted population. Additionally, induction of necrosis resulted in more efficient cell death than ...
This study aimed to determine the effect of a single bout of resistance exercise at different int... more This study aimed to determine the effect of a single bout of resistance exercise at different intensities on the mobilization of circulating EPCs over 24 hours in women. In addition, the angiogenic factors stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1α), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α) and erythropoietin (EPO) were measured as potential mechanisms for exercise-induced EPCs mobilization. Thirty-eight women performed a resistance exercise session at an intensity of 60% (n = 13), 70% (n = 12) or 80% (n = 13) of one repetition maximum. Each session was comprised of three sets of 12 repetitions of four exercises: bench press, dumbbell curl, dumbbell squat, and standing dumbbell upright row. Blood was sampled at baseline and immediately, 6 hours, and 24 hours post-exercise. Circulating EPC and levels of VEGF, HIF-1α and EPO were significantly higher after exercise (P < 0.05). The change in EPCs from baseline was greatest in the 80% group (P &...
Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme, Jan 5, 2017
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of resistance exercise training (RET) on oxi... more The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of resistance exercise training (RET) on oxidative stress, systemic inflammatory markers and muscle wasting in Walker-256 tumor-bearing rats. Male (Wistar) rats were divided into 4 groups: sedentary controls (n=9); tumor-bearing (n=9); exercised (n=9); and tumor-bearing exercised (n=10). Exercised and tumor-bearing exercised rats were exposed to resistance exercise of climbing a ladder apparatus with weights tied to their tails during 6-wks. The physical activity of control and tumor-bearing rats was confined to the space of the cage. After this period, tumor-bearing and tumor-bearing exercised animals were inoculated subcutaneously with Walker-256 tumor cells (11.0x107 cells in 0.5 ml of PBS) while control and exercised rats were injected with vehicle. Following inoculation, rats maintained resistance exercise training (exercised and tumor-bearing exercised) or sedentary behavior (control and tumor-bearing) for 12 more days, afte...
Although the observed progress in the cardiovascular disease treatment, the incidence of new and ... more Although the observed progress in the cardiovascular disease treatment, the incidence of new and recurrent coronary artery disease remains elevated and constitutes the leading cause of death in the developed countries. Three-quarters of deaths due to cardiovascular diseases could be prevented with adequate changes in lifestyle, including increased daily physical activity. New evidence confirms that there is an inverse dose-response relationship between physical activity and cardiovascular disease and mortality risk. However, participation in moderate to vigorous physical activity may not fully attenuate the independent effect of sedentary activities on increased risk for cardiovascular diseases. Physical activity also plays an important role in secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases by reducing the impact of the disease, slowing its progress and preventing recurrence. Nonetheless, most of eligible cardiovascular patients still do not benefit from secondary prevention/cardia...
International journal of pharmaceutics, Jan 10, 2017
Recently it has been shown that folic acid can have an important role in bone regeneration. For t... more Recently it has been shown that folic acid can have an important role in bone regeneration. For this reason, combining a classic bone regeneration system as, hydroxyapatite, loaded with folic acid, may be an important issue to be developed. To address this issue, hydroxyapatite nanoparticles loaded with folic acid were designed as an effective bone regenerative system, to induce osteoblast differentiation and improve the bone regeneration. HapNP were prepared by a hydrothermal method that used citric acid as a tailoring agent of particles morphology and, simultaneously, had the particularly to let carboxylic pendant groups in the particle surface, which provided a platform for the immobilization of folic acid (FA), producing HapNP-FA. A comparative study among hydroxyapatite nanoparticles loaded and unloaded with folic acid in presence of human mesenchymal stem cells was performed. The results demonstrate, that nanoparticles were able to be internalized by human mesenchymal stem cel...
The goal of this study was to validate an adapted version of the “weekly checklist” in a Portugue... more The goal of this study was to validate an adapted version of the “weekly checklist” in a Portuguese population. The validity was assessed by comparing self-reports against the Computer Science and Application, Inc (CSA) monitor. The sample comprised 109 children (boys, n = 42; girls, n = 67), aged 8 to 16 years old. All subjects were volunteers from local schools (Oporto region). The weekly activity checklist was modestly (r = 0.30) but significantly (p < .01) correlated with the CSA. Girls (r = 40; p < .01) had higher correlations than boys (0.28; p < .05). When the values were analyzed by age, excluding the young subjects (<10 years old), the correlation values were slightly higher (r = 0.38; p < .01). The Portuguese version of the “weekly activity checklist” had similar reliability and validity as the original version. The measure appears to have lower validity in 8- and 9-year-old children.
Nanomedicine Nanotechnology Biology and Medicine, 2014
Surface chemistry plays an important role in gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) stability and biocompatib... more Surface chemistry plays an important role in gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) stability and biocompatibility, which are crucial for their implementation into the clinical setting. We evaluated short- (30 min) and long-term (28 days) biodistribution and toxicity of ~20 nm citrate- and pentapeptide CALNN-coated AuNPs after a single intravenous injection in rats. The pattern of AuNPs distribution in Cit- and CALNN-AuNPs-injected rats was very similar in the assessed time-points. Both AuNPs were quickly removed from the bloodstream and preferentially accumulated in the liver. At 28 days liver remained the main accumulation site but at significantly lower levels compared to those found at 30 min. Spleen atrophy and hematological findings compatible with mild anemia were observed in CALNN-AuNPs-administered rats. Under our experimental conditions, surface coating had more impact on toxicity rather than on biodistribution of the AuNPs. Improvements in the design of capping peptides need to be done to increase biomedical applicability of peptide-coated AuNPs. The biodistribution and toxicity of ~ 20 nm citrate- and pentapeptide CALNN-coated gold nanoparticles was investigated after a single intravenous injection in rats. Rapid clearance and hepatic accumulation was found at 30-minutes, whereas mild anemia and spleen atrophy was seen 28 days post injection. The authors also concluded that the toxicity was related to the capping proteins as opposed to the biodistribution of the particles, providing important suggestion for future design of gold nanoparticles.
Repeated bouts of endurance exercise promotes numerous biochemical adaptations in skeletal muscle... more Repeated bouts of endurance exercise promotes numerous biochemical adaptations in skeletal muscle fibers resulting in a muscle phenotype that is protected against a variety of homeostatic challenges; these exercise-induced changes in muscle phenotype are often referred to as &amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;exercise preconditioning.&amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; Importantly, exercise preconditioning provides protection against several threats to skeletal muscle health including cancer chemotherapy (e.g., doxorubicin) and prolonged muscle inactivity. This review summarizes our current understanding of the mechanisms responsible for exercise-induced protection of skeletal muscle fibers against both doxorubicin-induced muscle wasting and a unique form of inactivity-induced muscle atrophy (i.e., ventilator-induced diaphragm atrophy). Specifically, the first section of this article will highlight the potential mechanisms responsible for exercise-induced protection of skeletal muscle fibers against doxorubicin-induced fiber atrophy. The second segment will discuss the biochemical changes that are responsible for endurance exercise-mediated protection of diaphragm muscle against ventilator-induced diaphragm wasting. In each section, we highlight gaps in our knowledge in hopes of stimulating future research in this evolving field of investigation.
Vascular homeostasis is ensured by a dynamic interplay involving the endothelium, the platelets a... more Vascular homeostasis is ensured by a dynamic interplay involving the endothelium, the platelets and the coagulation system. Thus, the vascular safety of particulate materials must address this integrated system, an approach that has been largely neglected. This work analysed the effects of commercial hydroxyapatite (HA) particles in blood compatibility and in endothelial cell behavior, due to their clinical relevance and scarcity of data on their vascular biosafety. Particles with similar chemical composition and distinct size and morphology were tested, i.e. rod-like, nano dimensions and low aspect ratio (HAp1) and needle-shape with wider size and aspect ratio (HAp2). HAp1 and HAp2, at 1 to 10 mg/mL, did not affect haemolysis, platelet adhesion, aggregation and activation, or the coagulation system (intrinsic and extrinsic pathways), although HAp2 exhibited a slight thrombogenic potential at 10 mg/mL. Notwithstanding, significantly lower levels presented dose-dependent toxicity on ...
Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) present several risks and different contributing factors with ... more Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) present several risks and different contributing factors with consequently diverse treatment approaches. It is important to recognize what patients' characteristics may benefit from orthodontics, from physiotherapy, from other treatment modalities or even from a combined approach. We present three cases of patients with common TMDs signs and/or symptoms and different treatment approaches and outcomes, and our aim is to understand what might explain the different outcomes observed and also provide a rationale about the skeletal, muscular, facial and occlusal characteristics that may be indicative of a particular intervention benefit. It has been shown that orthodontics plays an important role solving occlusal problems as well as changes in the vertical dimension. On the other hand, physiotherapy was effective in pain management and range improvement, when musculoskeletal changes were clearly found. Finally, it has also been shown that a multidis...
The use of targeted nanoparticles for magnetic hyperthermia (MHT) increases MHT selectivity, but ... more The use of targeted nanoparticles for magnetic hyperthermia (MHT) increases MHT selectivity, but often at the expense of its effectiveness. Consequently, targeted MHT is typically used in combination with other treatment modalities. This work describes an implementation of a highly effective monotherapeutic in vitro MHT treatment based on two populations of magnetic particles. Cells were sequentially incubated with two populations of magnetic particles: nonfunctionalized superparamagnetic nanoparticles and anti-CXCR4-functionalized particles. After removing the excess of free particles, an alternating magnetic field (AMF) was applied to produce MHT. The induced cytotoxicity was assessed at different time-points after AMF application. Complete loss of cell viability was observed 72 h after MHT when the iron loading of the anti-CXCR4-functionalized particles was boosted by that of a nontargeted population. Additionally, induction of necrosis resulted in more efficient cell death than ...
This study aimed to determine the effect of a single bout of resistance exercise at different int... more This study aimed to determine the effect of a single bout of resistance exercise at different intensities on the mobilization of circulating EPCs over 24 hours in women. In addition, the angiogenic factors stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1α), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α) and erythropoietin (EPO) were measured as potential mechanisms for exercise-induced EPCs mobilization. Thirty-eight women performed a resistance exercise session at an intensity of 60% (n = 13), 70% (n = 12) or 80% (n = 13) of one repetition maximum. Each session was comprised of three sets of 12 repetitions of four exercises: bench press, dumbbell curl, dumbbell squat, and standing dumbbell upright row. Blood was sampled at baseline and immediately, 6 hours, and 24 hours post-exercise. Circulating EPC and levels of VEGF, HIF-1α and EPO were significantly higher after exercise (P < 0.05). The change in EPCs from baseline was greatest in the 80% group (P &...
Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme, Jan 5, 2017
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of resistance exercise training (RET) on oxi... more The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of resistance exercise training (RET) on oxidative stress, systemic inflammatory markers and muscle wasting in Walker-256 tumor-bearing rats. Male (Wistar) rats were divided into 4 groups: sedentary controls (n=9); tumor-bearing (n=9); exercised (n=9); and tumor-bearing exercised (n=10). Exercised and tumor-bearing exercised rats were exposed to resistance exercise of climbing a ladder apparatus with weights tied to their tails during 6-wks. The physical activity of control and tumor-bearing rats was confined to the space of the cage. After this period, tumor-bearing and tumor-bearing exercised animals were inoculated subcutaneously with Walker-256 tumor cells (11.0x107 cells in 0.5 ml of PBS) while control and exercised rats were injected with vehicle. Following inoculation, rats maintained resistance exercise training (exercised and tumor-bearing exercised) or sedentary behavior (control and tumor-bearing) for 12 more days, afte...
Although the observed progress in the cardiovascular disease treatment, the incidence of new and ... more Although the observed progress in the cardiovascular disease treatment, the incidence of new and recurrent coronary artery disease remains elevated and constitutes the leading cause of death in the developed countries. Three-quarters of deaths due to cardiovascular diseases could be prevented with adequate changes in lifestyle, including increased daily physical activity. New evidence confirms that there is an inverse dose-response relationship between physical activity and cardiovascular disease and mortality risk. However, participation in moderate to vigorous physical activity may not fully attenuate the independent effect of sedentary activities on increased risk for cardiovascular diseases. Physical activity also plays an important role in secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases by reducing the impact of the disease, slowing its progress and preventing recurrence. Nonetheless, most of eligible cardiovascular patients still do not benefit from secondary prevention/cardia...
International journal of pharmaceutics, Jan 10, 2017
Recently it has been shown that folic acid can have an important role in bone regeneration. For t... more Recently it has been shown that folic acid can have an important role in bone regeneration. For this reason, combining a classic bone regeneration system as, hydroxyapatite, loaded with folic acid, may be an important issue to be developed. To address this issue, hydroxyapatite nanoparticles loaded with folic acid were designed as an effective bone regenerative system, to induce osteoblast differentiation and improve the bone regeneration. HapNP were prepared by a hydrothermal method that used citric acid as a tailoring agent of particles morphology and, simultaneously, had the particularly to let carboxylic pendant groups in the particle surface, which provided a platform for the immobilization of folic acid (FA), producing HapNP-FA. A comparative study among hydroxyapatite nanoparticles loaded and unloaded with folic acid in presence of human mesenchymal stem cells was performed. The results demonstrate, that nanoparticles were able to be internalized by human mesenchymal stem cel...
The goal of this study was to validate an adapted version of the “weekly checklist” in a Portugue... more The goal of this study was to validate an adapted version of the “weekly checklist” in a Portuguese population. The validity was assessed by comparing self-reports against the Computer Science and Application, Inc (CSA) monitor. The sample comprised 109 children (boys, n = 42; girls, n = 67), aged 8 to 16 years old. All subjects were volunteers from local schools (Oporto region). The weekly activity checklist was modestly (r = 0.30) but significantly (p < .01) correlated with the CSA. Girls (r = 40; p < .01) had higher correlations than boys (0.28; p < .05). When the values were analyzed by age, excluding the young subjects (<10 years old), the correlation values were slightly higher (r = 0.38; p < .01). The Portuguese version of the “weekly activity checklist” had similar reliability and validity as the original version. The measure appears to have lower validity in 8- and 9-year-old children.
Nanomedicine Nanotechnology Biology and Medicine, 2014
Surface chemistry plays an important role in gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) stability and biocompatib... more Surface chemistry plays an important role in gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) stability and biocompatibility, which are crucial for their implementation into the clinical setting. We evaluated short- (30 min) and long-term (28 days) biodistribution and toxicity of ~20 nm citrate- and pentapeptide CALNN-coated AuNPs after a single intravenous injection in rats. The pattern of AuNPs distribution in Cit- and CALNN-AuNPs-injected rats was very similar in the assessed time-points. Both AuNPs were quickly removed from the bloodstream and preferentially accumulated in the liver. At 28 days liver remained the main accumulation site but at significantly lower levels compared to those found at 30 min. Spleen atrophy and hematological findings compatible with mild anemia were observed in CALNN-AuNPs-administered rats. Under our experimental conditions, surface coating had more impact on toxicity rather than on biodistribution of the AuNPs. Improvements in the design of capping peptides need to be done to increase biomedical applicability of peptide-coated AuNPs. The biodistribution and toxicity of ~ 20 nm citrate- and pentapeptide CALNN-coated gold nanoparticles was investigated after a single intravenous injection in rats. Rapid clearance and hepatic accumulation was found at 30-minutes, whereas mild anemia and spleen atrophy was seen 28 days post injection. The authors also concluded that the toxicity was related to the capping proteins as opposed to the biodistribution of the particles, providing important suggestion for future design of gold nanoparticles.
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Papers by Jose Alberto Duarte