Clinical studies show that physical exercise has anxiolytic and pro-cognitive properties for both healthy individuals and psychiatric patients. Most of these data refer to the effects of aerobic exercise. However, other modalities such as resistance exercise deserve more attention because they may also modulate brain function. This study aimed to compare the effects of an aerobic exercise protocol on a treadmill and a resistance exercise protocol on a ladder apparatus on anxiety-like behavior, cognitive flexibility, and neuroplasticity parameters in healthy animals. Adult male Wistar rats were divided into three groups: sedentary control, aerobic training, and resistance training. Subsequently, they were evaluated in the elevated plus-maze (EPM), light-dark box, and modified hole board (mHB) tests. The expressions of synaptophysin and postsynaptic plasticity protein 95 in the dorsal and ventral hippocampus were analyzed by immunofluorescence. The results demonstrated an anxiolytic effect promoted by exercise in the EPM, particularly in the animals submitted to aerobic training, and a mild pro-learning effect of both exercise modalities was observed in the mHB test. All groups showed similar outcomes in the other evaluations. Therefore, the exercise modalities investigated in the present study did not provide considerable modifications to such aspects of the emotional/cognitive functions and neuroplasticity under physiological contexts. Perhaps the two types of exercise acted in neurobiological pathways not analyzed in this study, or the effects may emerge under pathological contexts. These hypotheses should be tested in future studies.

Este trabalho avaliou, através da macroscopia, histopatologia e bacteriologia, fígados de frangos (Gallus gallus) condenados no abate. Cem fígados de frango foram coletados na linha de inspeção. Noventa deles tinham sido condenados por apresentarem alterações macroscópicas. Dez fígados não apresentavam alterações macroscópicas. As coletas foram feitas em dois abatedouros localizados no Estado do Rio Grande do Sul. No laboratório, fez-se detalhada descrição das alterações macroscópicas dos fígados condenados e exames histopatológicos e bacteriológicos complementares. Para a descrição macroscópica, os seguintes parâmetros foram avaliados: forma, coloração, tamanho, consistência, odor e presença de lesões visíveis. Foram observados fígados com alterações na cor, forma, tamanho e/ou consistência em 47/90 amostras; fígados marrom-pálidos e com outras alterações macroscópicas associadas perfizeram 19/90 amostras; 5/90 fígados estavam amarelos ou amarelados e com outras alterações macroscópicas associadas; 19/90 fígados estavam verdes ou esverdeados e com outras alterações macroscópicas associadas. Os principais diagnósticos histopatológicos foram de colângio-hepatite heterofílica multifocal, degeneração e/ou necrose hepatocelular centrolobular e em ponte, hepatite necrosante aleatória, pericolangite heterofílica multifocal e peri-hepatite fibrinosa subaguda difusa acentuada. A bacteriologia foi direcionada para pesquisa de Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp. e Staphylococcus sp. Utilizando-se cultivo direto das amostras de fígado em meios de cultura seletivos, isolou-se E. coli em 26/100 amostras e Staphylococcus sp. em 24/100 amostras. Para pesquisa de salmonelas, utilizou-se a metodologia convencional preconizada para esta bactéria, entretanto não houve isolamento de nenhuma espécie deste gênero. Através das avaliações realizadas pode-se confirmar o predomínio de lesões sugestivas de infecção bacteriana nos fígados condenados.

Gross, microscopic, and bacteriologic evaluations of broiler chicken livers condemned at slaughter were performed. One hundred broiler livers were sampled. Ninety of them had gross lesions and were condemned by the meat inspection service. Ten of them were grossly normal. The sampling was done in two processing plants located in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. For the gross evaluation, the following parameters were considered: shape, color, size, texture, odor, and the presence of other visible lesions. Livers with changes in color, shape, size and/or texture were 47/90; brown-pale livers with other associated macroscopic lesions were 19/90; yellow or yellowish livers with other associated gross lesions were 5/90; and green or greenish livers with other associated lesions were 19/90. The main microscopic diagnoses consisted of multifocal heterophilic colangio-hepatitis, degeneration and/or centrilobular to bridging hepatocellular necrosis, random necrotizing hepatitis and multifocal heterophylic pericolangitis. The bacteriological evaluation was oriented to finding of Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp. and Staphylococcus sp. It was carried out by direct culture of the liver samples in selective culture media. E. coli was isolated in 26/100 samples and Staphylococcus sp. in 24/100 samples. For culturing of Salmonella spp., the conventional method indicated for this bacteria was utilized. However, there was no isolation of any species of the Salmonella genus. In all the three evaluations, a high incidence of lesions suggestive of bacterial infections was observed in the condemned livers.