BackgroundNatural antioxidants can reduce oxidative damage caused by high-intensity resistance training (RT). We investigated the in vitro antioxidant potential of hydroethanolic extract (HEE) from Bowdichia virgilioides on muscular damage and oxidative stress in rats subjected to high-intensity RT.MethodsThirty-two male Wistar rats were divided into four experimental groups: 1) control group (CG), oral administration (P.O.) of vehicle; 2) trained group (TG), vehicle-treated with RT; 3) B. virgilioides untrained group (BVG), treated with B. virgilioides HEE (200 mg/kg P.O.); and 4) trained B. virgilioides group (TBVG), treated with B. virgiliodes HEE (200 mg/kg P.O.). All animals were habituated to the training apparatus for 1 week. CT and TBVG animals were subjected to the training protocol, which consisted of three sets of 10 repetitions with 75% of the load established using the one-repetition maximum, for four weeks. CG and BVG animals were manipulated and fixed to the apparatus three times a week with no load. Treatment with B. virgilioides HEE or vehicle treatment was initiated after 25 days of RT (5 days; one dose per day). At the end of the experiments, plasmatic and gastrocnemius samples from all groups were obtained for the assessment of lipid peroxidation and creatine kinase activity.ResultsCompared to TG rats, TBVG rats showed decreases in plasma and gastrocnemius tissue lipid peroxidation by 55.68% (p <0.0001) and 66.61% (p <0.0012), respectively. Further, compared to TG rats TBVG rats showed decreases in plasma and gastrocnemius tissue oxidative stress by 62.83% (p <0.0005) and 54.97% (p <0.0197), respectively.ConclusionsB. virgilioides HEE treatment reduced markers of oxidative stress caused by high-intensity RT. Further, HEE treatment during training significantly reduced the markers of tissue damage.

Introduction:The objective of this study was to analyze the morphological structure of the heart and aorta of rats treated with the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone. Material and Methods: Male Wistar rats were divided into two groups: 08 control rats undergoing treatment with a 0.9% saline solution for 10 days and 08 rats treated for 10 days with dexamethasone (2mg/kg animal weight). Results: Histological analysis detected a mild cardiac hypertrophy and 15% reduction of collagen located in the aorta of animals treated with glucocorticoid when compared to the control group. Conclusion: We conclude that treatment with dexamethasone for a period of 10 consecutive days is able to promote morphological changes in the structure of the heart chamber and, impair morphological structure of aorta.