Abstract Negative changes in cardiovascular and autonomic variables in stroke survivors have encouraged the global scientific community to focus on investigating therapeutic strategies to mitigate stroke damage. The objective of the present study was to describe the effects of exercise training on cardiovascular and autonomic variables in stroke survivors. We used the PICO (population, intervention, control/comparison, and outcome variables) model for the search of articles in PubMed and Physiotherapy Evidence Databases from 2009 to December 2018. The following data were also recorded: type of study, author, year of publication, participants (time after stroke, sample size, and age) and benefits of exercise training. A total of 544 articles were initially selected, of which nine peer-reviewed articles met the search criteria. These nine studies enrolled 611 participants (middle-aged or elderly), and pointed to positive effects of training on maximal oxygen uptake, peak aerobic capacity, 6-minute walk test and resting heart rate. However, more well-controlled studies are needed to confirm the benefits of exercise training on cardiovascular and autonomic variables in this population.

A Baia de Paranaguá é um complexo estuarino localizado no sul do Brasil constituído de três áreas de proteção ambiental listadas pela UNESCO. Historicamente, o estuário tem sido afetado por atividade urbana, industrial, agricultura e portuária, e eventualmente por acidentes. Particularmente a explosão do navio Chileno Vicuña em dezembro de 2004 derramou metanol, óleo cru e combustível atingindo áreas protegidas e não protegidas. O presente estudo tem por objetivo investigar a poluição em organismos aquáticos. Cento e vinte indivíduos adultos do peixe Atherinella brasiliensis foram coletados em quatro diferentes pontos de coleta no estuário de Paranaguá, partindo do porto até o oceano aberto nos períodos de verão, inverno e primavera de 2005. Os índices somáticos, parâmetros químicos, enzimáticos, genéticos e morfológicos foram considerados. As análises histopatológicas demonstraram expressiva incidência de patologia no fígado e nas brânquias algumas vezes corroboradas pelas alterações bioquímicas. Danos genéticos e anormalidades genéticas também foram observados. As análises químicas na bile mostraram uma contínua biodisponibilidade de hidrocarbonetos policíclicos aromáticos para os organismos aquáticos. Os dados obtidos indicam que a qualidade da água e a saúde dos peixes encontram-se bastante comprometidos no estuário de Paranaguá.

Paranaguá bay is a complex estuary located in southern Brazil containing three protected areas listed by UNESCO. Historically, the estuary has been affected by urban, industrial, agricultural and harbor activities, and occasional accidents. Specifically, the explosion of the Chilean ship Vicuña in December 2004 spilled methanol and crude and fuel oils which affected both protected and non-protected areas. The present study sought to investigate the pollution threat to aquatic organisms in order to evaluate the potential effects of pollutants. One hundred and twenty adult fish Atherinella brasiliensis were collected from different sites within Paranaguá estuary, including the harbor and open ocean, during summer, autumn and winter of 2005. Among the biomarkers, the somatic index, chemical analysis of bile, biochemical, genetic and morphological parameters were considered. Chemical analysis of bile showed a continuous bioavailability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) according to proximity to the harbor site. The histopathological findings have demonstrated aconsiderable incidence of severe pathologies in the liver and gills, corroborated by biochemical disturbances and genetic damage. These findings indicate that more studies are necessary to evaluate both water quality and fish health so as to permit a better analysis of the impact of pollution in Paranaguá estuary.

Alterações nucleares eritrocitárias (ANE) foram consideradas como biomarcadores nos bagres Cathorops spixii (Ariidae) amostrados em um estuário com baixa influência humana (Cananéia) e em três regiões (Canal de Santos: CS, Baía de Santos: BS e Canal de São Vicente: CSV) no estuário de Santos-São Vicente, impactado por diversas atividades antropogênicas. Aumentos nas ANE foram observados nos peixes amostrados no CS e CSV durante o período de verão, quando comparados com os espécimes do estuário de Cananéia. Estes resultados sugerem a presença de compostos genotóxicos nessas regiões. Entretanto, ausência de diferenças significativas na freqüência de micronúcleos refletem baixos efeitos mutagênicos nesses indivíduos. As menores freqüências de ANE nos espécimes amostrados na BS podem estar associado à maior remobilização e diluição dos compostos químicos na região. A baixa freqüência de ANE em C. spixii do estuário de Cananéia corrobora a menor influência antropogênica nesse sistema, e pode estar sugerindo ausência de efeitos genotóxicos e mutagênicos nos organismos.

Nuclear abnormalities in erythrocytes (NAE) were taken as biomarkers in the catfish Cathorops spixii (Ariidae) sampled in an estuary little affected by human activity (Cananéia) and in three regions (Santos Channel: SC, Santos Bay: SB and São Vicente Channel: SVC) of the Santos-São Vicente estuary impacted by various anthropogenic activities. Increases in NAE were observed in fish from SC and SVC sampled in the summer period as compared with specimens from the Cananéia estuary. These results suggest the presence of genotoxic compounds in these regions. However, the absence of significant differences in micronuclei frequency reflects slight mutagenic effects in these individuals. It is possible that the lower NAE frequency in specimens from SB might be associated with the greater remobilization and dilution of chemicals in this region. The low frequency of NAE in C. spixii from the Cananéia estuary is in accordance with the slight anthropogenic influence in this system, and may be suggestive of the absence of genotoxic and mutagenic effects in these organisms.

Diferentes componentes do sistema oxidase de função mista (MFO) e os níveis de compostos aromáticos fluorescentes em bile (FACS) foram determinados em Cathorops spixii a fim de avaliar o impacto de hidrocarbonetos policíclicos aromáticos (PAHs). Os peixes foram coletados em um estuário com histórico de contaminação por PAHs (Santos/São Vicente), devido principalmente a presença do complexo industrial na cidade de Cubatão e em outro com baixa influência antropogênica (Cananéia) na costa brasileira. FACs foram maiores nos peixes oriundos da área contaminada, sendo os metabolitos de HPAs com 5 e 6 anéis, os mais representativos com 14% e 15%, respectivamente. Os níveis dos diferentes componentes do sistema MFO mostraram o mesmo perfil de variação que os FACs em ambos os estuários. Portanto, os valores encontrados para os índices somáticos e os biomarcadores considerados, em associação com os dados de metabólitos biliares de PAHs, indicam a presença de contaminantes orgânicos, principalmente na área sob influência do complexo industrial no estuário de Santos/São Vicente.

Different components of the mixed function oxidase (MFO) system and the levels of fluorescent aromatic compounds in bile (FACs) were measured in Cathorops spixii in order to assess the impact of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Fish were sampled in an estuary (Santos/São Vicente) with a history of contamination by PAHs, mainly due to the presence of the industrial complex of Cubatão city and of another of low anthropogenic influence (Cananéia) on the Brazilian coast. FACs were higher in fish from the polluted site, and the PAH 5 and 6-ring metabolites were the most frequent - with 14% and 15%, respectively. Levels of the different components of the MFO system showed the same variation profile as the FACs for both estuaries. Therefore, the values found for somatic indexes and biomarkers with data of bile PAH metabolites indicate the presence of organic contaminants, especially in the area subject to the influence of the industrial complex on the Santos/São Vicente estuary.

Existem poucos estudos no Brasil usando biomarcadores em Atherinella brasiliensis. No presente trabalho foram investigadas a presença de lesões histopatológicas hepáticas e as alterações nucleares em eritrócitos de A. brasiliensis amostrados na praia do Lamberto, local submetido à influência de resíduos domésticos e atividades humanas. Para comparação, indivíduos da espécie foram também amostrados na praia de Puruba, local não impactado, localizado no noroeste do estado de São Paulo. Peixes provenientes da praia do Lamberto apresentaram lesões hepáticas em número maior do que aqueles da praia de Puruba. Áreas necróticas, infiltração de leucócitos e núcleos picnóticos foram os danos de maior importância observados em A. brasiliensis, apesar de uma elevada ocorrência de vacuolização também ter sido verificada. O índice de lesão hepática dos peixes da praia do Lamberto mostrou valores significantemente maiores (Iorg=13) quando comparados com o dos peixes da praia de Puruba (Iorg=7), sugerindo influência das diversas atividades humanas existentes na área avaliada. Em relação aos núcleos "notched" e "blebed", foram observadas diferenças significativas entre as áreas, mas não para as alterações nucleares totais.

There are few environmental studies using biomarkers for the species Atherinella brasiliensis in Brazil. In the present work, the presence of hepatic histopathological lesions and nuclear abnormalities in erythrocytes were investigated in A. brasiliensis from Lamberto, a beach under influence of domestic wastes and marine activities. For comparison, fish were also sampled in Puruba, a non-polluted beach, located in the northeastern of São Paulo State. The frequency of lesions found in liver was in higher numbers in individuals from Lamberto than Puruba beach. The most critical injuries observed in A. brasiliensis were the presence of necrotic areas, leucocytes infiltration and piknotic nucleus. A high occurrence of cells with vacuolization was also observed. The hepatic lesion index of the fish from Lamberto beach showed significant high values (Iorg=13) when compared with fish from Puruba beach (Iorg=7) suggesting the influence of the several human activities in the studied site. Notched and blebed nucleous were observed in this study, and significant differences were found between the studied sites. However, these differences did not reflect the total nuclear alterations.

The effects of clastogenic or mutagenic agents have rarely been studied in neotropical fish species exposed to contaminated water. In this study, the genetic damage caused by lead in the widely distributed South American fish, Hoplias malabaricus, was assessed using the comet (SCGE) assay and by testing for chromosomal aberrations. Eighteen specimens were acclimatized to laboratory conditions and then chronically exposed to contaminated food by feeding prey (Cyprinus sp.) injected intraperitoneally with doses of inorganic lead adjusted to give a contamination level of 21 mg of Pb2+.g-1 net weight of H. malabaricus. Three fish were sampled for chromosomal analysis after four doses (18 days) and another three after eight doses (41 days) of lead and the results then compared with three untreated controls kept under lead-free conditions. An additional six treated fish and three controls were sampled for the comet assay after 13 doses (64 days). Exposure to lead significantly increased the frequency of chromosomal aberrations and the frequency of tailed cell nuclei, the latter indicating DNA damage. These results show that H. malabaricus is a useful biological model for screening the clastogenic effects of lead and possibly other xenobiotics. The genetic damage seen here illustrates the need to investigate the potential effects of heavy metals on fish species in South America.

Genotoxicity studies on toxic metals and their organic compounds are very important, especially so in the investigation of the effects of these compounds on the aquatic environments where they tend to accumulate. The use of endemic aquatic organisms as biological sentinels has proved useful to environmental monitoring. We assessed the mutagenic potential of tributyltin (TBT) and inorganic lead (PbII) using samples of the fish Hoplias malabaricus (commonly called traíra) using the comet assay and the piscine micronucleus and chromosome aberration tests. Eighteen H. malabaricus were acclimatized in three individual aquariums, each containing six fish, six fish being exposed to 0.3 mg/g of body weight (bw) of TBT, six to 21 mg/g bw of PbII and six being used as controls. Exposure to TBT and PbII was achieved by feeding the fish every five days with Astyanax (a small fish that is part of the normal diet of H. malabaricus) which had been injected with solutions of TBT, PbII or with water (the control group). After two months the H. malabaricus were sacrificed and their peripheral blood collected and subjected to the comet and micronucleus assays, the chromosome aberration assay being conducted using kidney-tissue. Although the comet assay showed now mutagenic effects at the lead concentrations used but encountered results with TBT, the micronucleus and chromosome aberrations assays both indicated that TBT and PbII are potentially mutagenic (p < 0.01), the micronucleus assay showing morphological alterations of the nucleus.

The digestive system of Trichomycterus brasiliensis (Lütken, 1874), a small sized tropical Teleostean fish widely distributed in South America, was studied. Tissue samples were prepared for light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Trichomycterus brasiliensis shows stratified esophagus epithelium with taste buds and goblet cells with neutral and acid mucus at the anterior region. The stomach is caecal, presenting a pyloric valve with neutral mucus cells. At the terminal portion it is surrounded by a thick muscular wall. The intestine shows two loops; the epithelium is single columnar, with acid and neutral mucus in goblet cells. Multicellular intestinal glands are absent. Granular cells are often seen in the mucosa, less in the submucosa but were not observed in the muscularis. After the intestine-rectal valve, the rectum shows lower mucosal folds, more goblet cells and a thicker muscularis. No lobes were observed at the liver. Small regions of pancreatic tissue may be identified within the hepatic tissue mainly surrounding vessels and ducts. A compact pancreas may also be observed ventrally to the stomach and covering the bile duct. The possible significance of the heterogeneous character of the digestive tube mucosubstances is discussed. The digestive system of T. brasiliensis presents structural characteristics of a predator fish.