O climatério afeta significativamente a vida de milhares de mulheres ao redor do mundo. A evolução do conhecimento em relação à segurança das opções medicamentosas utilizadas para manejo de seus sintomas se faz essencial no atual momento. A terapia hormonal usando estrógeno e progestágeno (TEP) tem sido amplamente prescrita para o manejo dos sintomas climatéricos. O uso da TEP foi recomendado no passado também com o objetivo de prevenção de doença cardiovascular. Porém, ensaios clínicos randomizados recentes falharam em comprovar os benefícios cardiovasculares do regime de TEP mais comumente utilizado (EEC 0.625mg + AMP 2.5mg /dia), tendo também sugerido que este regime está associado a significativo aumento de risco cardiovascular. A doença cardiovascular é a principal causa de mortalidade em países ditos desenvolvidos e em desenvolvimento, como o Brasil. Atualmente, mulheres brasileiras com faixa etária entre 50-59 anos apresentam taxa de mortalidade por DCV de 36%, aumentando este percentual gradativamente nas décadas que se seguem (60-69 anos = 40%, ≥70 anos = 46%). A população de mulheres pós-menopáusicas com Diabete Melito Tipo 2 (DM2) também vem crescendo significativamente em todo o mundo. O Brasil é um dos 10 países do mundo que apresentará o maior número de pessoas com diagnóstico de DM em 2025. A maioria desta população será de mulheres, moradoras de áreas urbanas, com idade entre 45-64 anos. Desta forma, mulheres pós-menopáusicas com DM2 representam um percentual significativo da população, e sabidamente apresentam risco cardiovascular aumentado. Além de ser um grupo de alto risco cardiovascular, estas mulheres freqüentemente necessitam manejo medicamentoso dos sintomas climatéricos. Este estudo visa revisar a literatura existente sobre o uso de TEP em mulheres pósmenopáusicas com DM2, analisando o impacto das diversas combinações sobre marcadores de risco de doença cardiovascular clássicos e não-clássicos. / The menopause has significant impact on thousands of women worldwide. The safety of pharmacological options in the management of menopause symptoms is an essential area of research and development. The hormonal therapy by means of estrogen and progestogen (EPT) has been widely prescribed to manage menopausal symptoms. The use of EPT had been also recommended in the past to prevent cardiovascular disease. However, recent large-scale randomized clinical trials have not only shown no cardiovascular benefit, but also have demonstrated that it is associated with significant increase in cardiovascular risk, at least with the most used regimen (CEE 0.625mg+MPA 2.5mg/day). Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death in developed world and in developing countries such as Brazil. Brazilian women, who are currently in the 50-59 age range, are expected to have a CVD mortality rate of 36%, with gradual increase in risk in the following decades (60-69 years-old = 40%, ≥ 70 years-old = 46%). The postmenopausal diabetic women population has also grown significantly worldwide. Brazil is one of the 10 countries in the world that will have the largest population of diabetics by 2025. The majority of this population will be female, living in urban areas and between 45 and 64 years-old. Therefore, post-menopausal diabetic women will represent a significant percentage of people, who knowingly have increased cardiovascular risk, these women frequently need medical management of their menopause symptoms. The aim of this study is to review the existing literature on EPT in post-menopausal diabetic women, analyzing the impact of several regimens over classic and non-classic CVD risk factors.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-16T18:18:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 TESE SELMA DO NASCIMENTO SILVA.pdf: 3613537 bytes, checksum: e7528662a8a3d2ec2dc6bf7166cc0e52 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-10-02 / The hypoestrogenism in climacteric is associated with vasomotor symptoms, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and urogenital changes. At this stage of life of women, hormone replacement HRT can alleviate some consequences of decreased estrogen caused by ovarian failure. However, estrogen therapy may cause adverse effects such as breast tenderness, uterine bleeding and increase the relative risk for cancers of the breast and endometrium. Morus nigra L. (mulberry) is a plant species most used in Brazil for the treatment of menopausal symptoms. Thus, this study aims to assess the likely effects phytoestrogenics the hydroalcoholic extract (HE) from the leaves of M. nigra in ovariectomized female rats. Therefore, the dried leaves were pulverized and soaked in 70% ethanol in the proportion 1:3 (v/v) to obtain the HE (yield=21.90%). The HE was subjected to evaluation of the antioxidant activity by capturing free radical 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hidrazil, analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrum (LC-MS/MS) for identification of compound and then partitioned with hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol/water. The safety of extract was determined by the test of acute toxicity in mice at doses of 0.1 to 10.0 g/kg orally (p.o.). To evaluate the estrogenic activity of the extract from M. nigra leaves, the rats were divided into two control groups: sham-operated (SHAM) and ovariectomized (OVX), which received 0.1 mL/100 g saline, and two test groups: ovariectomized and treated with a solution estroprogestative (OVX-EP-50g/kg) and ovariectomized and treated with HE M. nigra 500mg/kg (OVX-HE500), n = 8-10, daily, p.o., for 14 weeks. Throughout the treatment period were analyzed the frequency stage of the estrous cycle, food intake and body weight. At the end of treatment were evaluated biochemical parameters and hormone, histomorphometry of the uterus, vagina and breast. Furthermore, the influence of M. nigra on the proliferation of breast tumor cell line MCF-7 was determined by MTT method. HE showed high antioxidant activity when compared to standard quercetin. The analysis by LC-MS/MS EH compared with literature data allowed the identification of flavonoids (kaempferol and quercetin) and quinic acid derivatives (caffeoylquinic acid and isomers dicaffeoylquinic acid). In the analysis of the estrous cycle, the group OVX-HE500 showed an increase in proestrous and estrous phases at 15.25% and 26.6%, respectively, when compared to OVX group. Ovariectomy caused an increase in body mass, which was prevented by treatment with HE and EP solution. The weight of abdominal adipose tissue was also significantly lower in groups OVX-HE and OVX-EP compared to the OVX group. Ovariectomy also induced atrophy of uterine tissue (OVX group) compared to SHAM group, indicating the efficiency of the surgical procedure, and the administration of EP significantly increased uterine weight compared with OVX group. Average uterine weight of the OVX-HE group was also higher than the OVX group, but smaller than the OVX-EP group. In the histological analysis, it was observed that the characteristics of the squamous epithelium of the vagina of OVX-EP group (57.79 ± 1.49m), relative to thickness, were similar to that of SHAM group (50 66 ± 1.60m). After 14 weeks of administration of HE was a partial reversal of vaginal atrophy (37.34 ± 1.77m), when compared to the OVX group (12.92 ± 0.53m), showing maturation of this tissue with the treatment, however, the HE did not alter breast tissue, unlike the stimulus EP-induced. Regarding biochemistry was observed that the treatments (HE and EP) reduced concentrations of triglycerides in 27.5% and 23.8% respectively, when compared to OVX. In in vitro tests, the data indicate that the HE M. nigra acts as a weak phytoestrogen and protects against cell proliferation of human breast carcinoma (MCF-7). In acute toxicity study, the treatment of mice with HE did not produce behavioral changes or deaths. Together, the data demonstrate that the HE M. nigra L. has beneficial effects in models of induced menopause in rats, decreased uterine and vaginal atrophy, without changing the mammary structure, improving triglyceride levels and shows up secure and potent oxidant activity. These effects may be related to their flavonoid constituents, and thus the plant species may be useful in controlling symptoms of menopause as an alternative to Hormone Replacement Therapy. / O hipoestrogenismo no climatério associa-se com sintomas vasomotores, doenças cardiovasculares, osteoporose e alterações urogenitais. Nesta fase da vida da mulher, a reposição hormonal pode amenizar algumas consequências da diminuição estrogênica ocasionada pela falência ovariana. Porém, a terapia estrogênica pode ocasionar efeitos adversos como mastalgia, sangramentos uterinos, além de aumentar o risco relativo para neoplasias de mama e endométrio. Morus nigra L. (amora) é uma das espécies vegetais mais utilizadas no Brasil para o tratamento dos sintomas do climatério. Assim, o presente estudo objetiva avaliar os prováveis efeitos fitoestrogênicos do extrato hidroalcoólico (EH) das folhas de M. nigra em ratas Wistar ovariectomizadas. Para tanto, as folhas secas foram pulverizadas e maceradas em etanol a 70% na proporção 1:3 (v/v), para obtenção do EH (rendimento=21,90%). O EH foi submetido à avaliação da atividade antioxidante pela captura do radical livre 2,2-difenil-1-picril-hidrazila, analisado por cromatografia líquida acoplada ao espectro de massa (LC-MS/MS) para identificação de composto e, em seguida, particionado com hexano, clorofórmio, acetato de etila e metanol/água. A segurança do extrato foi determinada pelo teste de toxidade aguda em camundongos, nas doses de 0,1 10,0g/kg, por via oral (v.o.). Para avaliar a atividade estrogênica do extrato das folhas de M. nigra, as ratas foram divididas em dois grupos controle: falso-operados (SHAM) e ratas ovariectomizadas (OVX), que receberam 0,1mL/100g de solução salina; e dois grupos teste: ovariectomizadas e tratadas com solução estroprogestativa (OVX-EP-50g/Kg) e ovariectomizadas e tratadas com EH de M. nigra 500mg/kg (OVX-EH500), n=8-10, diariamente, por v.o., durante 14 semanas. Durante todo o período de tratamento foram analisadas a frequência das fases do ciclo estral, a ingestão de alimentos e o peso corporal. Ao final do tratamento foram avaliados os parâmetros bioquímicos e hormonais, histomorfometria do útero, vagina e mama. Além disso, a influência de M. nigra sobre a proliferação de células tumorais de mama da linhagem MCF-7 foi determinada pelo método MTT. O EH apresentou alta atividade antioxidante quando comparada ao padrão quercetina. Na análise do EH por LC-MS/MS em comparação com dados da literatura permitiu a identificação de flavonoides (caempferol e quercetina) e derivados do ácido quínico (ácido cafeoilquínico e isômeros de ácido dicafeoilquínico). Na análise do ciclo estral, o grupo OVX-EH500 apresentou um aumento nas fases estro e proestro em 15,25% e 26,6%, respectivamente, quando comparado ao grupo OVX. A ovariectomia promoveu um aumento no peso corporal, que foi inibido pelo tratamento com o EH e solução EP. O peso do tecido adiposo abdominal também foi significativamente menor nos grupos OVX-EP e OVX-EH, quando comparados ao grupo OVX. A ovariectomia também induziu atrofia do tecido uterino (Grupo OVX) em comparação ao grupo SHAM, indicando a eficiência do procedimento cirúrgico; e a administração de EP aumentou significativamente o peso do útero em comparação com grupo OVX. A média do peso uterino do grupo OVX-EH também foi maior do que o grupo OVX, porém menor que o grupo OVX-EP. Quanto à análise histológica, observou-se que as características do epitélio escamoso da vagina do grupo OVX-EP (57,79 ± 1,49m), em relação à espessura, se assemelharam à das ratas do grupo SHAM (50,66 ± 1,60m). Após 14 semanas de administração de EH houve uma reversão parcial da atrofia vaginal (37,34 ± 1,77m), quando comparado ao grupo OVX (12,92 ± 0,53 m), mostrando maturação deste tecido com o tratamento; entretanto, o EH não alterou o tecido mamário, diferente do estímulo induzido pelo EP. Em relação à bioquímica foi observado que os tratamentos (EH e EP) reduziram as concentrações de triglicérides em 27,5% e 23,8% respectivamente, quando comparado ao grupo OVX. Nos testes in vitro, os dados indicam que o EH de M. nigra atua como um fraco fitoestrógeno e protege contra a proliferação de células de carcinoma de mama humano (MCF-7). No estudo toxicológico agudo, o tratamento de camundongos com o EH não produziu alterações comportamentais nem mortes. Em conjunto, os dados demonstram que o EH de M.nigra apresenta efeitos benéficos em modelos de hipoestrogenismo induzida em ratas, diminuindo a atrofia uterina e vaginal, sem alterar a estrutura mamária, melhorando os níveis de triglicérides, tendo potencial antioxidante, além de mostrar-se seguro. Esses efeitos podem estar relacionados com seus constituintes flavonoídicos, e dessa forma, a espécie vegetal pode ser útil no controle de sintomas da menopausa como uma alternativa para Terapia de Reposição Hormonal.

In the Czech Republic is born to 5 % of SGA / IUGR children, about 5, 000 children a year, and their incidence is increasing. In 10 - 15 % does not occur postnatal compensation growth acceleration and growth retardation is then further deepens. Since 2003, these children can be treated by recombinant growth hormone in supraphysiological doses. Master thesis brings informations about SGA / IUGR children and their growth parameters during the first 2 years from the beginning of treatment when the monitoring was carried out at three - month intervals. The results are compared with the group of patients treated with growth hormone for growth hormone deficiency. Growth data was processed by a group of 57 SGA / IUGR children, which was compared with data of 34 children with growth hormone deficiency treated between 2003-2015 with growth hormone. Treatment of both groups of patients was carried out by a suitable therapeutic protocol, with the dose of GH by the respective diagnosis. These parameters were monitored: body height and weight, growth rate, BMI and weight - height ratio of patients. SGA / IUGR and GHD patients showed different growth profile in the initial phase of treatment when GHD patients had higher acceleration peak after 3 months of starting treatment and steeper increase in growth rate....

<p>Despite the proven clinical benefits of use of adjuvant hormone therapy with tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors for breast cancer, adherence to and persistence with adjuvant hormone therapy are suboptimal. It is critical to understand the clinical and economic impacts of low adherence to and low persistence with adjuvant hormone therapy in breast cancer. The overall objective was to assess associations between adherence to and persistence with adjuvant hormone therapy and mortality, healthcare utilization, and healthcare costs among older women with breast cancer. A retrospective longitudinal analysis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registry linked with Medicare claims was conducted. This study included 25,796 older women diagnosed with hormone receptor-positive stage I-III breast cancer from 2009 through 2017. Adherence was defined as having proportion of days covered (PDC) of 0.80 or more. Persistence was defined as having no hormone therapy discontinuation, i.e., a break of at least 180 continuous days. Length of persistence was calculated as time from therapy initiation to discontinuation. All analyses were conducted using SAS 9.4 and RStudio for Linux environment. An <em>a priori</em> alpha level of 0.05 was used to determine significance for all the analyses. Time-dependent Cox models were used to assess associations between adherence to and persistence with adjuvant hormone therapy and mortality. Hurdle generalized linear mixed models were used to assess associations between adherence and persistence with annual number of hospitalizations, hospital days, hospital outpatient visits, inpatient costs, and outpatient costs across five years to account for excess zeroes.  Generalized linear mixed models were used for other types of healthcare utilization and costs. Annual adherence rates were 78.1 percent, 75.2 percent, 72.4 percent, 70.0 percent, and 61.5 percent from year-one to year-five after hormone therapy initiation. Persistence rates were 87.5 percent, 81.7 percent, 77.1 percent, 72.9 percent, and 68.9 percent through cumulative intervals of one year up to five years after hormone therapy initiation. Adherence was associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality, but was not significantly associated with breast cancer-specific mortality. Both being persistent and longer persistence were associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality and lower risk of breast cancer-specific mortality. Being adherent was associated with fewer hospitalizations, fewer hospital days, fewer emergency room visits, and fewer hospital outpatient visits, but was not associated with physician office visits. Being persistent was associated with fewer hospital days, fewer emergency room visits, and fewer hospital outpatient visits, but was associated with more physician office visits. Longer persistence was associated with fewer hospital days, fewer emergency room visits, and fewer hospital outpatient visits, but was not significantly associated with physician office visits. Adherent women had lower inpatient costs, lower outpatient costs, lower medical costs, and lower total healthcare costs despite higher prescription drug costs. Both being persistent and longer persistence were associated with lower inpatient costs, lower outpatient costs, lower medical costs, and lower total healthcare costs despite higher prescription drug costs. </p>

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are the current standard of care for the treatment of hormone receptor positive breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Nearly one-half of patients receiving AI therapy develop musculoskeletal toxicity that is characterized by joint and/or muscle pain and approximately one-fourth of patients discontinue their therapy as a result of musculoskeletal pain. Since there are no effective strategies for prevention or treatment, insight into the mechanisms of AI-induced pain is critical to improve treatment. However, there are few studies of AI effects in animal models of nociception. To determine whether AIs produce hypersensitivity in animal models of pain, I examined the effects of AI administration on mechanical, thermal, and chemical sensitivity in rats. The results demonstrate that (1) repeated injection of 5 mg/kg letrozole in male rats produces mechanical, but not thermal, hypersensitivity that extinguishes when drug dosing is stopped; (2) administering a single dose of 1 or 5 mg/kg letrozole in ovariectomized (OVX) rats also induces mechanical hypersensitivity, without altering thermal sensitivity and (3) a single dose of 5 mg/kg letrozole or daily dosing of letrozole or exemestane in male rats augments flinching behavior induced by intraplantar ATP injection. To determine whether the effects of AIs on nociceptive behaviors are mediated by activation or sensitization of peptidergic sensory neurons, I determined whether letrozole exposure alters release of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) from isolated rat sensory neurons and from sensory nerve endings in rat spinal cord slices. No changes in basal, capsaicin-evoked or high extracellular potassium-evoked CGRP release were observed in sensory neuronal cultures acutely or chronically exposed to letrozole. Furthermore, letrozole exposure did not alter the ability of ATP to augment CGRP release from sensory neurons in culture. Finally, chronic letrozole treatment did not augment neuropeptide release from spinal cord slices. Taken together, these results do not support altered release of this neuropeptide into the spinal cord as mediator of letrozole-induced mechanical hypersensitivity and suggest the involvement of other mechanisms. Results from this dissertation provide a new experimental model for AI-induced hypersensitivity that could be beneficial in delineating mechanisms mediating pain during AI therapy.

Contexte  Le cancer colorectal, deuxième par ordre de fréquence chez les femmes françaises, se développe principalement à partir de lésions précancéreuses, des adénomes. Les facteurs associés à l’obésité sont multiples, incluant des événements de début de vie, le niveau socio-économique et le comportement alimentaire ; l’obésité a aussi été associée de façon assez constante au risque de cancer colorectal. Cependant les associations entre des facteurs anthropométriques spécifiques ou au cours de la vie et le risque de tumeurs colorectales selon la filiation adénome-cancer ou selon le site sont moins claires. La ménopause est un événement de vie majeur et est associée à des modifications anthropométriques, tandis que le traitement hormonal de la ménopause (THM) est susceptible d’interagir avec les aspects anthropométriques mais aussi directement avec le risque de tumeur. De plus, la prescription du THM dépend de plusieurs paramètres, dont l’importance du suivi médical. Enfin, si le dépistage des tumeurs colorectales est conseillé à partir de 50 ans (soit aux environs de la ménopause) les attitudes vis-à-vis du dépistage varient selon de nombreux paramètres incluant les antécédents familiaux de cancer, le niveau socio-économique et les comportements de santé. Objectif  Le risque de tumeurs colorectales dépend ainsi de nombreux facteurs étroitement liés, parmi lesquels nous avons choisi d’étudier les relations complexes entre facteurs anthropométriques au cours de la vie, utilisation de THM et antécédents personnels de coloscopie, et le risque d’adénomes et de cancers colorectaux. Population  Les analyses ont été effectuées sur les données de la cohorte de femmes françaises E3N, comportant environ 1400 cas d’adénomes diagnostiqués parmi 17000 femmes ayant passé une coloscopie au cours du suivi (1993-2002) et 690 cas de cancers diagnostiqués parmi 92000 femmes au cours du suivi (1990-2008). Résultats  Notre étude a mis en évidence plusieurs aspects originaux. Tout d’abord, nous avons mis en évidence que les trois facteurs d’exposition principaux étudiés étaient associés au risque de tumeurs colorectales de façon significativement hétérogène en fonction du site, renforçant l’hypothèse selon laquelle il existe trois entités bien distinctes le long du cadre colorectal. Les caractéristiques anthropométriques typiquement occidentales (IMC et tour de taille élevés) étaient associées à un risque accru de tumeurs du côlon gauche, tandis que les associations originales que nous avons décrites entre taille assise et risque d’adénomes du côlon droit, et entre corpulence dans l’enfance et plus faible risque d’adénomes du rectum suggèrent de nouvelles pistes de recherche pour ces sites à l’étiologie mal connue. La mise en évidence d’une association positive entre prise de THM de type estrogènes seul (habituellement prescrit aux femmes hystérectomisées) et risque d’adénomes, en particulier du côlon gauche, et d’une association inverse entre le même type de THM et le risque de cancer, en particulier du côlon gauche, n’étant pas cohérentes avec les associations décrites dans la littérature, nous a conduit a explorer un éventuel biais de dépistage. La pratique de coloscopie était effectivement plus fréquente chez les femmes utilisant des estrogènes seuls (et donc aux antécédents d’hystérectomie), tandis que les antécédents de fibrome utérin étaient associés à un risque accru d’adénomes. De leur côté, les antécédents personnels de coloscopie étaient associés à une diminution de risque de cancer, surtout du côlon gauche, tandis que la réduction de risque des cancers du rectum devenait semblable à celle observée pour le côlon gauche dans la période la plus récente. Conclusion  En conclusion, nos résultats suggèrent qu’il existe des moyens efficaces de prévention des tumeurs distales, mais que la prévention des tumeurs du côlon droit demande des études spécifiques et peut-être de nouveaux paradigmes. / Background  Colorectal cancer, the second most common cancer in French women, mostly develops from precancerous lesions, the adenomas. Factors associated with adult obesity are multiple, including early life events, the socio-economic level, and eating habits; obesity has also been, in turn, quite consistently associated with colorectal cancer risk. However, associations between specific anthropometric components or lifetime anthropometry and colorectal tumours according to the adenoma-carcinoma sequence or to tumour site are less clear. Menopause is a major event in women, and is associated with changes in anthropometric features, while menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) may interact with post-menopausal anthropometry but also with tumour risk per se. In addition, prescription of this MHT depends on various parameters including quality of medical follow-up. Finally, while screening for colorectal tumours is advocated after the age of 50 (thus around menopausal age), attitudes towards colorectal screening differ according to many factors including family history of cancer, the socio-economic level, and attitudes towards a healthy behaviour. Objective  Thus colorectal tumour risk depends on many interrelated factors, among which we chose to investigate the complex relationship between lifetime anthropometric features, MHT use and personal history of colonoscopy, and colorectal adenoma and cancer risk. Population  This study was based on data from the French E3N cohort, including approximately 1400 adenoma cases diagnosed among 17000 women who underwent a colonoscopy during follow-up (1993-2002), and 690 cancer cases diagnosed among 92000 women (1990-2008).Results  Our study brought out several original findings. First our findings regarding all three major studied exposures displayed significant heterogeneity between sites, thus enforcing the hypothesis of separate entities according to site along the large bowel. Typical Western anthropometric features (high BMI and high waist circumference) were associated with left colon tumours, while the original findings of sitting height associated with risk of right colon tumours and of a large silhouette in childhood inversely associated with rectal tumours may bring out new hypotheses regarding these less understood sites. The findings of a positive association between estrogens only MHT use (usually prescribed in hysterectomised women) and adenoma risk, especially left colon adenomas, and an inverse association between the same MHT and cancer risk, especially left colon cancer, which are not consistent with associations generally described in the literature, led us to explore potential screening biases. Indeed, colonoscopy screening was more common in women who used estrogens alone (so with a history of hysterectomy), while colorectal adenomas were more common in women with uterine leiomyoma. Colonoscopy screening in turn was associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer, especially left colon cancer, while the risk reduction for rectal cancers became similar to that of left colon cancer in the most recent years. Conclusion  Altogether, our findings suggest efficient ways to prevent distal tumours, while prevention of right colon tumours requires further specific investigations and new paradigms.

<p>Postmenopausal estrogen therapy, initiated early in the menopause, seems to protect against development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. This thesis concerns studies of artery wall thickness and arterial stiffness estimated by noninvasive ultrasound techniques in long-term estrogen treated postmenopausal women who initiated therapy at the time of the menopause.</p><p>A noninvasive 25 MHz high-frequency ultrasound technique was validated in the imaging of superficial arteries by using an animal model. Ultrasound estimates of the artery wall layers obtained <i>in vivo</i> in the pig were compared to <i>ex-vivo</i> histomorphometry. Valid estimates of total artery wall and media thickness were found for the most superficial arteries. Adventitia thickness was underestimated and intima thickness overestimated in this animal model when non-atherosclerotic vessels were imaged.</p><p>To validate the clinical usefulness of separately estimating the artery wall layers in the human, the carotid artery wall was imaged in elderly subjects. Separate estimates of intima thickness, media thickness and intima/media ratio differed significantly between subjects with and without atherosclerosis and CVD, indicating that this noninvasive high-frequency ultrasound method might be a strong tool in monitoring changes in artery wall morphology associated with aging and development of atherosclerosis.</p><p>The investigation of intima thickness, media thickness and intima/media ratio of the carotid and femoral arteries in long-term estrogen treated postmenopausal women showed a maintenance of a thin intima and a preservation of media thickness and intima/media ratio at values similar to those obtained in women of fertile age. By comparing estrogen-users with age-matched postmenopausal nonusers, long-term estrogen therapy initiated at the time of the menopause seemed to counteract the increase in intima and decrease in media thickness associated with aging and development of atherosclerosis. The preservation of the artery wall morphology into older age might be a mechanism for the well-documented cardioprotective effects of estrogen when therapy is initiated early after menopause. However, long-term estrogen therapy showed no substantial effects on the age-related changes in arterial stiffness estimated at the aorta, carotid and femoral arteries, suggesting that any long-term cardioprotective effect that estrogen therapy may have is unlikely to be mediated by an impact on arterial stiffness. </p>

Postmenopausal estrogen therapy, initiated early in the menopause, seems to protect against development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. This thesis concerns studies of artery wall thickness and arterial stiffness estimated by noninvasive ultrasound techniques in long-term estrogen treated postmenopausal women who initiated therapy at the time of the menopause. A noninvasive 25 MHz high-frequency ultrasound technique was validated in the imaging of superficial arteries by using an animal model. Ultrasound estimates of the artery wall layers obtained in vivo in the pig were compared to ex-vivo histomorphometry. Valid estimates of total artery wall and media thickness were found for the most superficial arteries. Adventitia thickness was underestimated and intima thickness overestimated in this animal model when non-atherosclerotic vessels were imaged. To validate the clinical usefulness of separately estimating the artery wall layers in the human, the carotid artery wall was imaged in elderly subjects. Separate estimates of intima thickness, media thickness and intima/media ratio differed significantly between subjects with and without atherosclerosis and CVD, indicating that this noninvasive high-frequency ultrasound method might be a strong tool in monitoring changes in artery wall morphology associated with aging and development of atherosclerosis. The investigation of intima thickness, media thickness and intima/media ratio of the carotid and femoral arteries in long-term estrogen treated postmenopausal women showed a maintenance of a thin intima and a preservation of media thickness and intima/media ratio at values similar to those obtained in women of fertile age. By comparing estrogen-users with age-matched postmenopausal nonusers, long-term estrogen therapy initiated at the time of the menopause seemed to counteract the increase in intima and decrease in media thickness associated with aging and development of atherosclerosis. The preservation of the artery wall morphology into older age might be a mechanism for the well-documented cardioprotective effects of estrogen when therapy is initiated early after menopause. However, long-term estrogen therapy showed no substantial effects on the age-related changes in arterial stiffness estimated at the aorta, carotid and femoral arteries, suggesting that any long-term cardioprotective effect that estrogen therapy may have is unlikely to be mediated by an impact on arterial stiffness.

Gold nanoparticles exhibit a combination of physical, chemical, optical, and electronic properties unique from all other nanotechnologies. These structures can provide a highly multifunctional platform with which to diagnose and treat diseases and can dramatically enhance a variety of photonic and electronic processes and devices. The work herein highlights some newly emerging applications of these phenomena as they relate to the targeted diagnosis and treatment of cancer, improved charge carrier generation in photovoltaic device materials, and strategies for enhanced spectrochemical analysis and detection. Chapter 1 introduces the reader to the design, synthesis, and molecular functionalization of gold nanotechnologies, and provides a framework from which to discuss the unique photophysical properties and applications of these nanoscale materials and their physiological interactions in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 discusses ongoing preclinical research in our lab investigating the use of near-infrared absorbing gold nanorods as photothermal contrast agents for laser ablation therapy of solid tumors. In Chapter 4, we present recent work developing a novel strategy for the targeted treatment of hormone-dependent breast and prostate tumors using multivalent gold nanoparticles that function as highly selective and potent endocrine receptor antagonist chemotherapeutics. In Chapter 5, we discuss a newly-emerging tumor-targeting strategy for nanoscale drug carriers which relies on their selective delivery to immune cells that exhibit high accumulation and infiltration into breast and brain tumors. Using this platform, we further investigate the interactions of nanoscale drug carriers and imaging agents to a transmembrane protein considered to be the single most prevalent and single most important contributor to drug resistance and the failure of chemotherapy. Chapter 6 presents work from a series of studies exploring enhanced charge carrier generation and relaxation in a hybrid electronic system exhibiting resonant interactions between photovoltaic device materials and plasmonic gold nanoparticles. Chapter 7 concludes by presenting studies investigating the contributions from so-called “dark” plasmon modes to the spectrochemical diagnostic method known as surface enhanced Raman scattering.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Idiopathic Short Stature is a heterogeneous set of conditions without obvious hormonal changes or defined etiologies. It may include the partial insensitivity to GH (PGHI) and the moderate GH deficiency (MGHD), both of them with low concentrations of growth factor like insulin type I (IGF-I) and hyper or sub-answer of GH on tests of stimulation, respectively. The objective of this study is to assess the response to treatment with GH in PGHI and MGHD, comparing them twith the results obtained in a group with severe GH deficiency (SGHD). It was studied in PGHI (GH peak ≥18 ng/ml) 20 individuals (14 boys), 12.07 (2.57-year-old); in MGHD (GH peak between 5 and 10 ng/ml) 12 (7 boys), 10.73 (1.79-year-old); and in SGHD (GH peak lower than 5 ng/ml) 19 (10 boys), 10.90-(3.51) yearold, treated with GH for one to ten years. The initial and present GH doses were, respectively, 43.33(10.00) and 49.61 (12.90) μg/kg/day in SGHD, 50.27 (11.76) and 57.27 (15.83) μg/kg/day in MGHD; and50.18 (6.99) and 55.66 (9.61) μg/kg/day in PGHI. The standard deviation score (SDS) of initial height of the SGHD group was lower than MGHD group (p< 0.01) and PGHI group (p <0.001).The SDS of initial IGF-I of SGHD was similar to MGHD and lower than PGHI group (p<0.0001).The initial bone age (BA) in SGHD group was similar to MGHD and lower than PGHI group GH (p < 0.01). GH treatment has brought about a lower increase in the height SSD and in the IGF-I SSD (both, p < 0.05) and in the bone age (p< 0.01) in the PGHI group than in the SGHD group, probably due to the more accentuated height deficit in the SGHD group and lower IGF-I increase in the PGHI group. Treatment response was similar in MGHD and SGHD groups. The lowest height gain in the PGHI suggests that the partial GH insensitivity needs higher GH doses to be effective. / A baixa estatura idiopática é um conjunto heterogêneo de condições sem evidentes alterações hormonais ou etiologias definidas. Pode incluir a insensibilidade parcial ao GH (IPGH) e a deficiência moderada de GH (DMGH), ambas com concentrações baixas de fator de crescimento semelhante à insulina tipo I (IGF-I) e hiper ou sub-resposta do GH aos testes de estímulo, respectivamente. O objetivo do presente trabalho é avaliar a resposta ao tratamento com GH na IPGH e DMGH, comparando-as com os resultados obtidos na deficiência grave de GH (DGGH). Foram estudados no grupo IPGH (pico de GH ≥18 ng/ml), 20 indivíduos (14 meninos), com 12,0 (2,57) anos de idade; no grupo DMGH (pico de GH entre 5 e 10 ng/ml), 12 (sete meninos), com 10,73 (1,79) anos; e no DGGH (pico de GH < 5 ng/ml), 19 (10 meninos), com 10,90 (3,51) anos, tratados com GH por um a dez anos. As doses de GH iniciais e atuais foram, respectivamente, 43,33 (10,00) e 49,61 (12,90) μg/kg/dia no DGGH; 50,27 (11,76) e 57,27 (15,83) μg/kg/dia no DMGH; e 50,18 (6,99) e 55,66 (9,61) μg/kg/dia no IPGH. O escore de desvio-padrão (EDP) da altura inicial do grupo DGGH foi menor do que no DMGH (p< 0,01) e no IPGH (p <0, 001). O EDP do IGF-I inicial do grupo DGGH foi similar ao DMGH e menor do que o do IPGH (p< 0, 0001). A idade óssea inicial no grupo DGGH foi similar ao DMGH e menor do que a do grupo IPGH (p < 0,01). O tratamento com GH propiciou um menor incremento no EDP da altura e no EDP do IGF-I (ambos, p < 0,05) e na IO (p< 0,01) no grupo IPGH do que no DGGH, provavelmente refletindo o maior déficit estatural no grupo com DGGH e menor aumento do IGF-I no grupo IPGH. A resposta ao tratamento nos grupos DMGH e DGGH foi semelhante. O ganho estatural menor no grupo IPGH sugere que a insensibilidade parcial ao GH necessitaria de doses mais altas de GH para ser vencida.