Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of internal markers to estimate duodenal flow of digesta and duodenal microbial protein synthesis in cattle and sheep. Data and samples of in vivo digestibility trials, eight trials with sheep (n=204) and two with cattle (n=31) were used. All animals were cannulated in the duodenum, procedure previously conducted at the Laboratory of Food Science and Ruminants Nutrition at the Federal University of Santa Maria and Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Food Science at the University of the State of Santa Catarina. Internal markers, acid detergent fiber (ADF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL) were compared to estimate the flow of duodenal digesta. Purines in duodenal digesta were compared with purine derivatives (PD) excreted in urine as markers to estimate the flow of rumen microbial protein in the duodenum. In the latter case, different equations available in literature were tested to estimate the flow of microbial protein from urinary PD. It was concluded that ADF may be used as an internal marker to estimate duodenal flow of digesta in experimental animals cannulated in the duodenum where total fecal excretion is measured, and that the use of DP as a marker of duodenal flow of microbial protein is acceptable for cattle but not for sheep. In sheep, regardless of the equation used, the DP underestimated duodenal availability of rumen microbial protein. / O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar o uso de marcadores internos para estimativa de fluxo de digesta duodenal e de síntese de proteína microbiana duodenal em bovinos e ovinos. Foram utilizados dados e amostras de oito ensaios de digestibilidade in vivo com ovinos (n=204) e dois com bovinos (n=31), canulados no duodeno, previamente conduzidos no Laboratório de Bromatologia e Nutrição de Ruminantes da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria e no Laboratório de Nutrição Animal e Bromatologia da Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina. Para estimativa do fluxo de digesta duodenal, foram comparados os seguintes marcadores internos: fibra em detergente ácido (FDA) e lignina em detergente ácido (LDA). Para estimar o fluxo de proteína microbiana ruminal no duodeno, foi comparado o uso de purinas na digesta duodenal com os derivados de purinas (DP) excretados na urina como marcadores. Neste último caso, foram testadas diferentes equações disponíveis na literatura para estimar o fluxo de proteína microbiana a partir dos DP urinários. Concluiu-se que a FDA pode ser utilizada como marcador interno para estimar o fluxo duodenal de digesta em ensaios com animais canulados no duodeno, onde é medida a excreção total de fezes, e que o uso dos DP como marcadores do fluxo duodenal de proteína microbiana é aceitável em bovinos, mas não em ovinos. Em ovinos, independentemente da equação utilizada, os DP subestimam a disponibilidade duodenal de proteína microbiana ruminal.

La maladie d’Alzheimer (AD), pathologie neurodégénérative progressive, est caractérisée par des dépôts β-amyloïdes extracellulaires, des enchevêtrements neurofibrillaires intracellulaires de Tau et une dégénérescence neuronale. A travers les nombreux modèles transgéniques AD disponibles, les connaissances sur les peptides amyloïdes et la protéine Tau ne cessent de progresser. Mais contrairement aux cas génétiques, l’étiologie des cas sporadiques d’AD reste à ce jour idiopathique, rendant difficile d’établir une stratégie thérapeutique efficace. Au cours d’une étude sur l’implication des protéines kinases dans la pathogénèse d’AD, des collaborateurs ont fait une observation totalement inattendue, mais très intéressante: une molécule de faible poids moléculaire, serait capable d’induire une production spécifique d’Aβ1-42 sans altérer les niveaux d’Aβ1-40 dans un modèle de lignée cellulaire. Dans ce contexte, le projet de thèse portait sur l’utilisation de dérivé purique (PD1) pour développer des modèles AD induits chimiquement sur différents supports (culture primaire de neurones, culture organotypique d’hippocampe et souris) et en investiguer les mécanismes sous-jacents à l’augmentation des peptides A1-42 (issus du métabolisme de l’APP (Amyloid precursor protein)).La première partie du projet de thèse a permis de mettre en évidence dans un contexte in vitro (culture primaire de neurones et culture organotypique d’hippocampe) que PD1 à forte dose induisait une augmentation du ratio Aβ42/40 et de manière répétable. Fort de ces résultats, nous avons voulu étudier les mécanismes d’action de PD1 autour de deux hypothèses : interaction dans le métabolisme de l’APP et implication des cellules gliales. Contrairement à nos premières hypothèses, nous avons montré que PD1 aurait de potentiels effets anti-inflammatoires (i.e. IL-1β) in vitro et in vivo. La voie de signalisation de l’IL-1β étant de plus en plus incriminée dans la pathogenèse d’Alzheimer; nous nous sommes interrogés sur l’effet dual de PD1 : outil pharmacologique alzheimerigène ou candidat médicament pour le traitement d’AD? / Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, appears to be associated with an increase in a particular form of β-amyloid deposits, intracellular Tau tangles and neuronal degeneration. Through many available transgenic AD models, knowledge about amyloid peptides and Tau protein continues to increase. However, in contrast to the genetic cases of AD, the etiology of sporadic AD cases remains unknown, making the establishment of an effective therapeutic strategy difficult.During the course of a study on the role of protein kinase involved in AD, our collaborators made an unexpected but very interesting observation. They identified a low molecular weight compound able to induce production of Aβ1-42 while the level of the much less toxic form Aβ1-40 remained constant. This selective induction of Aβ1-42 versus Aβ1-40 was observed in a cell line model. Therefore, the overall goal of the project thesis was based on the use of purine derivative (PD1) to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the selective production of Aβ1-42. This would allow us to establish cellular assays and a chemically-induced animal AD model relevant to studies on the treatment and prevention of AD.The first part of this project allowed us to demonstrate in vitro that PD1, at high dose, repeatedly induced an increase in Aβ42/40 ratio in primary neurons and in neuronal hippocampal slice culture (OHSCs). Based on these facts, we analyzed the amyloid profile by focusing on APP metabolism and on glial cell activity. In contrary to our hypothesis, we highlighted whether PD1 exhibits potential anti-inflammatory properties (i.e. IL-1β) both in vitro and in vivo. The IL-1β pathway is more and more linked in the AD pathogen which leads us to consider that PD1 could have a dual effect : alzheimerogenic pharmacological tool or potential drug candidate for the treatment of AD ?