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  <front>
    <journal-meta>
      <journal-id journal-id-type="nlm-ta">Arq Bras Cardiol</journal-id>
      <journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">abc</journal-id>
      <journal-title-group>
        <journal-title>Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia</journal-title>
        <abbrev-journal-title abbrev-type="publisher">Arq. Bras. Cardiol.</abbrev-journal-title>
      </journal-title-group>
      <issn pub-type="ppub">0066-782X</issn>
      <issn pub-type="epub">1678-4170</issn>
      <publisher>
        <publisher-name>Sociedade Brasileira de Cardiologia - SBC</publisher-name>
      </publisher>
    </journal-meta>
    <article-meta>
      <article-id specific-use="scielo-v3" pub-id-type="publisher-id">6rxxksctBMxx4R9MQ6g7Jjq</article-id>
      <article-id specific-use="scielo-v2" pub-id-type="publisher-id">S0066-782X2020000200234</article-id>
      <article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.36660/abc.20180198</article-id>
      <article-categories>
        <subj-group subj-group-type="heading">
          <subject>Original Article</subject>
        </subj-group>
      </article-categories>
      <title-group>
        <article-title>Quantification of DNA Damage in Different Tissues in Rats with Heart Failure</article-title>
      </title-group>
      <contrib-group>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid">0000-0001-5492-4530</contrib-id>
          <name>
            <surname>Stefani</surname>
            <given-names>Giuseppe Potrick</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1">1</xref>
          <xref ref-type="corresp" rid="c1"/>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Nunes</surname>
            <given-names>Ramiro Barcos</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1">1</xref>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Rossato</surname>
            <given-names>Douglas Dalcin</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff2">2</xref>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Hentschke</surname>
            <given-names>Vitor Scotta</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1">1</xref>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Domenico</surname>
            <given-names>Marlise Di</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1">1</xref>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid">0000-0001-9907-7689</contrib-id>
          <name>
            <surname>Lago</surname>
            <given-names>Pedro Dal</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1">1</xref>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Rhoden</surname>
            <given-names>Cl&#225;udia Ramos</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1">1</xref>
        </contrib>
      </contrib-group>
      <aff id="aff1">
        <label>1</label>
        <institution content-type="orgname">Universidade Federal de Ci&#234;ncias da Sa&#250;de de Porto Alegre</institution>
        <addr-line>
          <city>Porto Alegre</city>
          <state>RS</state>
        </addr-line>
        <country country="BR">Brazil</country>
        <institution content-type="original">Universidade Federal de Ci&#234;ncias da Sa&#250;de de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS - Brazil</institution>
      </aff>
      <aff id="aff2">
        <label>2</label>
        <institution content-type="orgname">Centro Universit&#225;rio Franciscano</institution>
        <addr-line>
          <city>Santa Maria</city>
          <state>RS</state>
        </addr-line>
        <country country="BR">Brazil</country>
        <institution content-type="original">Centro Universit&#225;rio Franciscano, Santa Maria, RS - Brazil</institution>
      </aff>
      <author-notes>
        <corresp id="c1"><bold>Mailing Address: Giuseppe Potrick Stefani</bold>, Universidade Federal de Ci&#234;ncias da Sa&#250;de de Porto Alegre - Sarmento Leite street, 245. Postal Code 90050-170, Porto Alegre, RS - Brazil. E-mail: <email>gpotrick@gmail.com</email></corresp>
        <fn fn-type="con">
          <p>
            <bold>Author contributions</bold>
          </p>
          <p>Conception and design of the research, Acquisition of data, Analysis and interpretation of the data, Writing of the manuscript and Critical revision of the manuscript for intellectual content: Stefani GP, Nunes RB, Rossato DD, Hentschke VS, Di Domenico M, Dal Lago P, Rhoden CR; Statistical analysis: Stefani GP, Nunes RB, Rossato DD, Hentschke VS, Dal Lago P.</p>
        </fn>
        <fn fn-type="conflict">
          <p>
            <bold>Potential Conflict of Interest</bold>
          </p>
          <p>No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.</p>
        </fn>
      </author-notes>
      <pub-date publication-format="electronic" date-type="pub">
        <day>20</day>
        <month>03</month>
        <year>2020</year>
      </pub-date>
      <pub-date publication-format="electronic" date-type="collection">
        <month>02</month>
        <year>2020</year>
      </pub-date>
      <volume>114</volume>
      <issue>2</issue>
      <fpage>234</fpage>
      <lpage>242</lpage>
      <history>
        <date date-type="received">
          <day>03</day>
          <month>09</month>
          <year>2018</year>
        </date>
        <date date-type="rev-recd">
          <day>06</day>
          <month>04</month>
          <year>2019</year>
        </date>
        <date date-type="accepted">
          <day>15</day>
          <month>05</month>
          <year>2019</year>
        </date>
      </history>
      <permissions>
        <license license-type="open-access" xlink:href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" xml:lang="en">
          <license-p>This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited</license-p>
        </license>
      </permissions>
      <abstract>
        <title>Abstract</title>
        <sec>
          <title>Background:</title>
          <p>Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a complex syndrome which comprises structural and functional alterations in the heart in maintaining the adequate blood demand to all tissues. Few investigations sought to evaluate oxidative DNA damage in CHF.</p>
        </sec>
        <sec>
          <title>Objective:</title>
          <p>To quantify the DNA damage using the comet assay in left ventricle (LV), lungs, diaphragm, gastrocnemius and soleus in rats with CHF.</p>
        </sec>
        <sec>
          <title>Methods:</title>
          <p>Twelve male Wistar rats (300 to 330 g) were selected for the study: Sham (n = 6) and CHF (n = 6). The animals underwent myocardial infarction by the ligation of the left coronary artery. After six weeks, the animals were euthanized. It was performed a cell suspension of the tissues. The comet assay was performed to evaluate single and double strand breaks in DNA. Significance level (p) considered &lt; 0.05.</p>
        </sec>
        <sec>
          <title>Results:</title>
          <p>The CHF group showed higher values of left ventricle end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP), pulmonary congestion, cardiac hypertrophy and lower values of maximal positive and negative derivatives of LV pressure, LV systolic pressure (p &lt; 0.05). CHF group showed higher DNA damage (% tail DNA, tail moment and Olive tail moment) compared to Sham (p &lt; 0.001). The tissue with the highest damage was the soleus, compared to LV and gastrocnemius in CHF group (p &lt; 0.05).</p>
        </sec>
        <sec>
          <title>Conclusion:</title>
          <p>Our results indicates that the CHF affects all tissues, both centrally and peripherically, being more affected in skeletal muscle (soleus) and is positively correlated with LV dysfunction.</p>
        </sec>
      </abstract>
      <kwd-group xml:lang="en">
        <title>Keywords:</title>
        <kwd>Heart Failure</kwd>
        <kwd>Rats</kwd>
        <kwd>Rats Inbred Strains</kwd>
        <kwd>Tissue Distribution</kwd>
        <kwd>DNA Damage</kwd>
        <kwd>Comet Assay</kwd>
      </kwd-group>
    </article-meta>
  </front>
  <body>
    <sec sec-type="intro">
      <title>Introduction</title>
      <p>Heart failure is a complex syndrome which characterizes structural and functional abnormalities in the heart in maintaining adequate blood demand. Chronic heart failure (CHF) affects approximately 1 to 2% of the population in developed countries and its prevalence increases at least 10% in senior adults.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B1">1</xref> One of the most common causes to heart failure is myocardial infarction (MI), which induces pathologic cardiac remodeling.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B2">2</xref></p>
      <p>This syndrome does not affect only the heart, it also affects other organs, such as lungs and skeletal muscles.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B3">3</xref> CHF is characterized by changes in ventilatory mechanics which impair the uptake and supply of oxygen to the systems. Hypoperfusion, which is sustained with a ventricular dysfunction in a vicious cycle, induces oxidative stress in the majority of tissues.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B4">4</xref> Oxidative stress is a state in which the cell is in an oxidative imbalance, forming more reactive species than its neutralizing capacity.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B5">5</xref> It has been proposed elsewhere that oxidative stress biomarkers, such as concentration of malondialdehyde and uric acid, could enlighten the extent of oxidative damage and guide treatment in patients with CHF.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B6">6</xref> </p>
      <p>Since reactive oxygen species (ROS) can damage different biomolecules, such as lipids, proteins and DNA, the damage in nucleic acids has not been consistently investigated in CHF. A biomarker that has already been a target of investigation is the concentration of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG).<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B7">7</xref> However, its measurement mirrors the oxidative damage in one type of DNA lesion, which does not reflect the total damage in the DNA helix. For that, toxicological assays, such as the comet assay, have never been tested in CHF, aiming to assess global DNA damage in different tissues. This technique is broadly used in toxicological studies and is considered to be consistent, sensitive and highly reproductive.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B8">8</xref> </p>
      <p>The comet assay directly measures the extent of DNA damage, constituted by single and double DNA strand breaks.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B9">9</xref> This method allows its measurement in blood and all tissues of interest, expanding the analysis of local damage, and its correlation with physiological and functional parameters.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B10">10</xref> In heart failure, it is still not clear how the inability of the failing heart can affect different structures beyond the cardiovascular system, especially on DNA damage. Since in CHF there is a scenario of systemic oxidative damage as a function of the chronicity of the syndrome, the objective of this study was to evaluate DNA damage in different tissues, such as left ventricle, lungs and skeletal muscles (diaphragm, gastrocnemius and soleus) in rats affected by the condition.</p>
    </sec>
    <sec sec-type="methods">
      <title>Methods</title>
      <sec>
        <title>Animals</title>
        <p>There was a selection of 12 male Wistar rats (100 days old, from 300 to 330 g) from the Animal Breeding Unit of <italic>Universidade Federal de Ci&#234;ncias da Sa&#250;de de Porto Alegre</italic> (UFCSPA, Brazil). The animals were housed in groups of three animals per cage, which received food and water <italic>ad libitum</italic> in an specific room maintained at 22&#176;C under a 12:12-hour light-dark cycle.</p>
        <p>The handling of the animals obeyed Law No. 11.794 of 10/08/2008, Law No. 6.899 of 07/15/2009, and Resolution N&#186;. 879 of 02/15/2008 (CFMV), as well as other provisions applicable to the use of animals for research. The experiment complied with resolutions of the National Council on Animal Experimentation, the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources, National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C., 1996), as well as of the Ethical Principles in Animal Experimentation of the National Animal Experimentation Control Council (CONCEA). This study was approved by CEUA/UFCSPA, under protocol number 114/13.</p>
      </sec>
      <sec>
        <title>Induction of Myocardial Infarction (MI)</title>
        <p>The animals were anesthetized with xylazine (12 mg/kg ip) and ketamine (90 mg/kg ip), intubated and artificially ventilated. The ligation of the left coronary artery was performed. Sham operations were performed as described elsewhere.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B11">11</xref> After the surgeries, the animals received one injection of cetoprophane (5.4 mg/kg ip) every 6 hours - completing 48 hours - and penicillin (70,000 units/ml ip). The surgeries were performed by one surgeon. Post-surgery mortality rate was 15%. After MI induction, 6 weeks of recovery were designated, which was necessary for the animals to develop CHF. In order to document the animals that developed heart failure, we used different variables to characterize this syndrome, such as the presence of left atrial trombi, thoracic effusions, pulmonary congestion, left and right ventricular hypertrophy to body weight.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B12">12</xref></p>
      </sec>
      <sec>
        <title>Heart Failure Condition</title>
        <p>Those animals that presented left ventricular-end diastolic pressure (LVEDP) higher than 15.0 mmHg, as well as increased right ventricle weight to body weight ratio (&gt; 0.8 mg/g) and the presence of pulmonary congestion were considered positive to CHF.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B12">12</xref>-<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B14">14</xref></p>
      </sec>
      <sec>
        <title>Hemodynamic Evaluation</title>
        <p>After the sixth week, the animals were anesthetized with xylazine (12 mg/kg i.p.) and ketamine (90 mg/kg i.p.). A polyethylene catheter (PE-50) was placed into the right carotid artery. Arterial pressure was recorded and the catheter was positioned into the left ventricle to perform ventricular pressure recording. Data were registered by a pressure transducer (strain-gauge, Narco Biosystem Miniature Pulse Transducer RP-155, Houston, Texas, USA), coupled to a pressure amplifier. Pressure analogical signals were digitalized by a data acquisiton system (CODAS-Data Acquisition System, Akron, Ohio, USA) with a sampling rate of 2,000 Hz. These data were used to determine diastolic blood pressure (DBP), systolic blood pressure (SBP), mean blood pressure (MBP), heart rate (HR), left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP), LVEDP and left ventricular maximum positive and negative dP/dt (+dP/dtmax, -dP/dtmax), as previously described.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B15">15</xref> Animals that presented LVEDP higher than 15 mmHg in hemodynamic evaluation were considered with left ventricular dysfunction.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B13">13</xref></p>
      </sec>
      <sec>
        <title>Tissue Collection</title>
        <p>The animals were euthanized through intravenous infusion overdose of the anesthetic pentobarbital (80 mg/kg i.p.).<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B16">16</xref> After that, the lungs, the diaphragm, the right gastrocnemius, the right soleus and the heart were removed. The left ventricle was separated from the right one for the comet assay. All samples were stored at -80&#176;C for posterior analysis.</p>
      </sec>
      <sec>
        <title>Determination of Infarct Size, Cardiac Hypertrophy and Pulmonary and Hepatic Congestion</title>
        <p>The hearts were removed and weighted, without blood within the chamber and without atria. The size of the infarct area was determined by planimetry.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B17">17</xref> To evaluate cardiac hypertrophy, organ mass was expressed as a proportion of body mass (tissue mass/body mass - mg/g).<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B18">18</xref> Animals with right ventricle hypertrophy (i.e. right ventricle mass-to-body weight ratio &gt; 0.80 mg/g) were considered as rats that developed heart failure.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B12">12</xref> To determine pulmonary and hepatic congestion, the lungs and liver of each animal were removed, weighted and dehydrated (80&#176;C) for 48 hours, and then weighted again to evaluate water percentage.</p>
      </sec>
      <sec>
        <title>Single Cell Gel Electrophoresis (SCGE)</title>
        <p>Single Cell Gel Electrophoresis (SCGE) was performed in alkaline conditions (pH &gt; 13.0).<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B19">19</xref> All procedures were performed avoiding any direct incidence of light. For the assay, a cell suspension of the tissue (left ventricle, lungs, diaphragm, right gastrocnemius and right soleus) was primarily carried out in PBS buffer (pH = 7.40) with standard and gentle manual homogenization. This step required the observation of the density of cells that would be used in each slide. Neubauer&#8217;s chamber was used to count approximately 7.3 x 10<sup>5</sup> cells/slide.</p>
        <p>The suspension of cells (40 <italic>&#181;</italic>l) was added to agarose of low melting point (90 <italic>&#181;</italic>l). After gently mixed, this material was carefully superimposed over a slide previously covered with a thin agarose gel layer with a coverslip, and kept in a humid chamber at 4&#176;C for 10 minutes, in order to further secure the suspension of tissue cells in the gel. Then, the coverslip was carefully removed and the slide was conditioned in a vertical cuvette containing lysis solution for at least 1 hour at 4&#176;C.</p>
        <p>The following step consisted in the unfolding of the cells, for 30 minutes in an alkaline buffer (pH &gt; 10.0). Thereafter, it was followed by the process of electrophoresis, where lysed cells contained in the agarose gel were subjected to a voltage of 25 mV and 300 mA for 15 minutes in alkaline buffer solution (pH &gt; 10.0). Then the plate was neutralized, stained with silver nitrate, rinsed and kept at room temperature to dry for later analysis. The slides of each animal were made in duplicate and a positive control of DNA damage with hydrogen peroxide (30 <italic>&#181;</italic>l/slide). The analysis was conducted under an optical microscope with a 20x increase by quantifying the size of the comet&#8217;s tail in 50 to 100 cells, according to the lengths, diameters, radii and dimensions of individual comets. Percentages of tail DNA, tail moment and Olive tail moment were used as damage quantification parameters.</p>
      </sec>
      <sec>
        <title>Quantification of DNA Damage</title>
        <p>All the parameters presented in the results session regarding SCGE were calculated by the software CASP (CASP Labs&#174;, Poland).<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B20">20</xref> The percentage of DNA in the tail, tail moment and Olive tail moment formulas are available for consultation in the supplementary data. Tail moment is characterized as the product of tail length and the percentage of DNA in the tail. The Olive tail moment, which is another parameter for DNA damage, comprises the product of the distance (relative to the x-axis) between the center of gravity of the head with the center of gravity of the tail of the comet and the percentage of tail DNA.</p>
      </sec>
      <sec>
        <title>Sample Size and Statistical Analysis</title>
        <p>For a minimum difference of 23 arbitrary units of tail moment of &#177; 4 SD, it was possible to determine minimum statistical difference of two groups with three animals each.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B21">21</xref> In our investigation, we decided to use six animals in each group. Data are presented in mean &#177; SD. The normality test of Shapiro-Wilk was used to assess variables distribution. For comparisons between groups, an unpaired Student&#8217;s t test and a two-way analysis of variance were performed among different tissues with a Tukey&#8217;s post hoc test. A significance of 5%was considered. Statistical analysis was carried out by using SigmaPlot, version 12.0 for Windows, and graphics were created by GraphPad Prism, version 5.0 for Windows.</p>
      </sec>
    </sec>
    <sec sec-type="results">
      <title>Results</title>
      <sec>
        <title>Morphological Parameters</title>
        <p>The animals showed no difference regarding neither initial nor final body mass. Animals submitted to MI showed mean infarction area of 36%. It was possible to observe higher ratio of myocardial mass, right ventricle and left ventricle-to-body mass compared to sham group, indicating cardiac remodeling in both ventricles. Regarding the congestion in the lungs and liver, higher rates of the former were only observed in the CHF group (<xref ref-type="table" rid="t1">Table 1</xref>).</p>
        <table-wrap id="t1">
          <label>Table 1</label>
          <caption>
            <title>Body mass, morphometric cardiac characteristics, infarcted area and pulmonary and hepatic congestion of sham-operated rats and rats with left ventricular dysfunction</title>
          </caption>
          <table frame="hsides" rules="groups">
            <colgroup>
              <col width="33%"/>
              <col width="33%"/>
              <col width="33%"/>
            </colgroup>
            <thead>
              <tr>
                <th align="left">Variables</th>
                <th align="center">Sham</th>
                <th align="center">CHF</th>
              </tr>
            </thead>
            <tbody>
              <tr>
                <td align="left">Initial Body Mass (g)</td>
                <td align="center">330.25 &#177; 17.24</td>
                <td align="center">328.29 &#177; 18.12</td>
              </tr>
              <tr>
                <td align="left">Final Body Mass (g)</td>
                <td align="center">400.50 &#177; 29.61</td>
                <td align="center">356.38 &#177; 32.23</td>
              </tr>
              <tr>
                <td align="left">Infarcted Area (%)</td>
                <td align="center">---</td>
                <td align="center">36.39 &#177; 8.11</td>
              </tr>
              <tr>
                <td align="left">MM/BM (mg/g)</td>
                <td align="center">2.56 &#177; 0.08</td>
                <td align="center">3.29 &#177; 0.46<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN2">*</xref></td>
              </tr>
              <tr>
                <td align="left">LV/BM (mg/g)</td>
                <td align="center">1.88 &#177; 0.21</td>
                <td align="center">2.36 &#177; 0.47<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN2">*</xref></td>
              </tr>
              <tr>
                <td align="left">RV/BM (mg/g)</td>
                <td align="center">0.58 &#177; 0.12</td>
                <td align="center">1.40 &#177; 1.01<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN2">*</xref></td>
              </tr>
              <tr>
                <td align="left">Pulmonary Congestion (%)</td>
                <td align="center">65.67 &#177; 9.34</td>
                <td align="center">87.31 &#177; 3.36<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN2">*</xref></td>
              </tr>
              <tr>
                <td align="left">Hepatic Congestion (%)</td>
                <td align="center">70.46 &#177; 1.05</td>
                <td align="center">71.43 &#177; 1.07</td>
              </tr>
            </tbody>
          </table>
          <table-wrap-foot>
            <fn id="TFN1">
              <p>Values are presented in mean &#177; SD; n = 6 for all groups. Sham, sham-operated rats; CHF: Chronic heart failure rats; MM/BM: Myocardial mass-to-body mass ratio; LV/BM: left ventricle mass-to-body mass ratio; RV/BM: right ventricle mass-to-body mass ratio.</p>
            </fn>
            <fn id="TFN2">
              <label>*</label>
              <p>p &lt; 0.05 compared to the Sham group.</p>
            </fn>
          </table-wrap-foot>
        </table-wrap>
      </sec>
      <sec>
        <title>Hemodynamic Parameters</title>
        <p>When compared to the sham group, lower mean blood pressure was observed in the CHF group. SBP and DBP, as well as HR showed no difference in relation to the control group (<xref ref-type="table" rid="t2">Table 2</xref>). Regarding ventricular pressure variables, LVSP and higher LVEDP was observed in the CHF group, when compared to the sham one (<xref ref-type="table" rid="t2">Table 2</xref>).</p>
        <table-wrap id="t2">
          <label>Table 2</label>
          <caption>
            <title>Mean, diastolic and systolic blood pressure, left ventricle end diastolic pressure, left ventricle systolic pressure and left ventricular maximum/minimum change over time of sham-operated rats and rats with left ventricular dysfunction</title>
          </caption>
          <table frame="hsides" rules="groups">
            <colgroup>
              <col width="33%"/>
              <col width="33%"/>
              <col width="33%"/>
            </colgroup>
            <thead>
              <tr>
                <th align="left">Variables</th>
                <th align="center">Sham</th>
                <th align="center">CHF</th>
              </tr>
            </thead>
            <tbody>
              <tr>
                <td align="left">MBP (mmHg)</td>
                <td align="center">93.01 &#177; 14.70</td>
                <td align="center">76.78 &#177; 5.83<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN4">*</xref></td>
              </tr>
              <tr>
                <td align="left">DBP (mmHg)</td>
                <td align="center">73.54 &#177; 16.28</td>
                <td align="center">67.54 &#177; 7.15</td>
              </tr>
              <tr>
                <td align="left">SBP (mmHg)</td>
                <td align="center">99.75 &#177; 20.91</td>
                <td align="center">85.93 &#177; 5.51</td>
              </tr>
              <tr>
                <td align="left">Heart Rate (bpm)</td>
                <td align="center">253.56 &#177; 70.84</td>
                <td align="center">245.19 &#177; 57.69</td>
              </tr>
              <tr>
                <td align="left">LVEDP (mmHg)</td>
                <td align="center">5.40 &#177; 2.26</td>
                <td align="center">32.55 &#177; 5.32<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN4">*</xref></td>
              </tr>
              <tr>
                <td align="left">LVSP (mmHg)</td>
                <td align="center">104.24 &#177; 6.03</td>
                <td align="center">89.15 &#177; 3.15<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN4">*</xref></td>
              </tr>
              <tr>
                <td align="left">+ dP/dt<sub>max</sub> (mmHg/s)</td>
                <td align="center">6,264.33 &#177; 1,566.47</td>
                <td align="center">4,281.63 &#177; 708.75<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN4">*</xref></td>
              </tr>
              <tr>
                <td align="left">- dP/dt<sub>max</sub> (mmHg/s)</td>
                <td align="center">5,209.63 &#177; 1,274.09</td>
                <td align="center">2,823.80 &#177; 540.65<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN4">*</xref></td>
              </tr>
            </tbody>
          </table>
          <table-wrap-foot>
            <fn id="TFN3">
              <p>Values are presented in mean &#177; SD; n = 6 for all groups. Sham, sham-operated rats; CHF: Chronic heart failure rats; MBP: Mean blood pressure; DBP: diastolic blood pressure; SBP: systolic blood pressure; LVEDP: left ventricular end-diastolic pressure; LVSP: left ventricular systolic pressure; +dP/dt<sub>max</sub>: Maximal positive derivative of ventricular pressure; -dP/dt<sub>max</sub>: maximal negative derivative of ventricular pressure.</p>
            </fn>
            <fn id="TFN4">
              <label>*</label>
              <p>p &lt; 0.05 compared to the Sham group.</p>
            </fn>
          </table-wrap-foot>
        </table-wrap>
        <p>The maximal positive derivative of ventricular pressure (+dP/dt<sub>max</sub>) showed alterations in the CHF group, presenting lower values, as well as maximal negative derivative of ventricular pressure (-dP/dt<sub>max</sub>), which showed lower values when compared to the control group (<xref ref-type="table" rid="t2">Table 2</xref>).</p>
      </sec>
      <sec>
        <title>DNA Damage Parameters</title>
        <p>Higher values of DNA damage were observed in all variables (% tail DNA, tail moment and Olive tail moment) in the CHF group, in all analyzed tissues (<xref ref-type="table" rid="t3">Table 3</xref>). DNA damage can be observed in the formation and frequency of comets in left ventricle, pulmonary, diaphragmatic, gastrocnemius and soleus cells (<xref ref-type="fig" rid="f1">Figure 1</xref>).</p>
        <table-wrap id="t3">
          <label>Table 3</label>
          <caption>
            <title>DNA quantification in different tissues of sham-operated animals and rats with chronic heart failure</title>
          </caption>
          <table frame="hsides" rules="groups">
            <colgroup>
              <col width="14%"/>
              <col width="14%"/>
              <col width="14%"/>
              <col width="14%"/>
              <col width="14%"/>
              <col width="14%"/>
              <col width="14%"/>
            </colgroup>
            <thead>
              <tr>
                <th align="left">&#160;</th>
                <th align="left" style="border-bottom-width:thin;border-bottom-style:solid">&#160;</th>
                <th align="center" style="border-bottom-width:thin;border-bottom-style:solid">Sham</th>
                <th align="center" style="border-bottom-width:thin;border-bottom-style:solid">&#160;</th>
                <th align="center" style="border-bottom-width:thin;border-bottom-style:solid">&#160;</th>
                <th align="center" style="border-bottom-width:thin;border-bottom-style:solid">CHF</th>
                <th align="center" style="border-bottom-width:thin;border-bottom-style:solid">&#160;</th>
              </tr>
              <tr>
                <th align="left">&#160;</th>
                <th align="center">% Tail DNA</th>
                <th align="center">Tail Moment</th>
                <th align="center">Olive Tail Moment</th>
                <th align="center">% Tail DNA</th>
                <th align="center">Tail Moment</th>
                <th align="center">Olive Tail Moment</th>
              </tr>
            </thead>
            <tbody>
              <tr>
                <td align="left">Left Ventricle</td>
                <td align="center">7.65 &#177; 3.35</td>
                <td align="center">0.77 &#177; 0.44</td>
                <td align="center">1.37 &#177; 0.59</td>
                <td align="center">33.29 &#177; 7.70<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN6">*</xref></td>
                <td align="center">10.51 &#177; 3.31<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN6">*</xref></td>
                <td align="center">7.04 &#177; 1.71<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN6">*</xref></td>
              </tr>
              <tr>
                <td align="left">Lungs</td>
                <td align="center">17.86 &#177; 3.93</td>
                <td align="center">6.76 &#177; 2.59</td>
                <td align="center">7.31 &#177; 2.15</td>
                <td align="center">36.20 &#177; 5.17<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN6">*</xref></td>
                <td align="center">23.30 &#177; 7.25<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN6">*</xref></td>
                <td align="center">19.10 &#177; 4.65<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN6">*</xref></td>
              </tr>
              <tr>
                <td align="left">Diaphragm</td>
                <td align="center">6.86 &#177; 2.63</td>
                <td align="center">1.40 &#177; 0.93</td>
                <td align="center">1.82 &#177; 0.79</td>
                <td align="center">41.23 &#177; 13.86<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN6">*</xref></td>
                <td align="center">14.06 &#177; 6.51<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN6">*</xref></td>
                <td align="center">9.82 &#177; 3.03<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN6">*</xref></td>
              </tr>
              <tr>
                <td align="left">Gastrocnemius</td>
                <td align="center">7.63 &#177; 4.66</td>
                <td align="center">1.04 &#177; 0.88</td>
                <td align="center">1.43 &#177; 0.70</td>
                <td align="center">28.07 &#177; 15.53<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN6">*</xref></td>
                <td align="center">8.69 &#177; 5.14<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN6">*</xref></td>
                <td align="center">6.17 &#177; 3.53<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN6">*</xref></td>
              </tr>
              <tr>
                <td align="left">Soleus</td>
                <td align="center">11.54 &#177; 2.46</td>
                <td align="center">1.53 &#177; 0.96</td>
                <td align="center">1.84 &#177; 0.76</td>
                <td align="center">55.79 &#177; 11.53<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN6">*</xref></td>
                <td align="center">20.90 &#177; 5.32<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN6">*</xref></td>
                <td align="center">12.83 &#177; 3.68<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN6">*</xref></td>
              </tr>
            </tbody>
          </table>
          <table-wrap-foot>
            <fn id="TFN5">
              <p>Values are presented in mean &#177; SD; n = 6 for all groups. Sham, sham-operated rats; CHF: Chronic heart failure rats.</p>
            </fn>
            <fn id="TFN6">
              <label>*</label>
              <p>= p &lt; 0.01 versus Sham in relation to the variable and its corresponding tissue.</p>
            </fn>
          </table-wrap-foot>
        </table-wrap>
        <p>
          <fig id="f1">
            <label>Figure 1</label>
            <caption>
              <title>Image of cells submitted to SCGE (comet assay) of left ventricle, lungs, diaphragm, gastrocnemius and soleus of Sham-operated and rats with CHF. Panel A: Isolated cells of the respective tissue of Sham-operated rat. Panel B: Isolated cells of the respective tissue of rat with MI-induced CHF. Slides stained with silver nitrate. The image shows no formation of comets in Panel A, but in Panel B the image shows the formation of comets with distinct tails. The length of the tail represents the single strand and double strand breaks of nuclear DNA (magnification of 20x, scale bar of 20 &#956;m).</title>
            </caption>
            <graphic xlink:href="1678-4170-abc-114-02-0234-80198-gf01.tif"/></fig>
        </p>
        <p>Despite DNA damage being remarkably higher in CHF rats in all tissues when compared to other tissues in the same pathologic condition, it was observed higher damage in soleus compared to gastrocnemius and left ventricle in CHF group. The difference between tissue DNA damage in sham-operated animals and CHF ones can be observed in <xref ref-type="fig" rid="f2">Figure 2</xref>.</p>
        <p>
          <fig id="f2">
            <label>Figure 2</label>
            <caption>
              <title>DNA damage in different tissues, according to % tail DNA, induced by CHF. Quantification of DNA damage in isolated cells of left ventricle, lungs, diaphragm, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles in Sham-operated rats and rats with CHF. Sham (n = 6), CHF (n = 6). Two-way ANOVA, with post-hoc test of Tukey. * p &lt; 0.05 vs. Soleus.</title>
            </caption>
            <graphic xlink:href="1678-4170-abc-114-02-0234-80198-gf02.tif"/></fig>
        </p>
      </sec>
    </sec>
    <sec sec-type="discussion">
      <title>Discussion</title>
      <p>Although there are some investigations using the comet assay in CHF, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report the total extent of DNA damage in different tissues in an experimental model of CHF. The major finding of this investigation is the reproducibility and applicability of SCGE in the MI experimental model. Animals with CHF demonstrated higher extent of DNA damage than the control group in heart, lungs, diaphragm and skeletal muscles. This finding supports the main hypothesis that CHF affects the stability of DNA not locally, but systemically.</p>
      <p>Since CHF is a complex syndrome, it is essential to investigate the extent of damage that the hypoperfusion may promote. We showed an <italic>in vivo</italic> model of CHF whose damage was ranging from two- to six-fold higher than in the absence of heart failure. The animals of this study demonstrated traditional alterations observable in the ligation of the left coronary artery model of heart failure in rats.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B22">22</xref>,<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B23">23</xref> Mean LVEDP above 30 mmHg was observed, which characterizes ventricular dysfunction.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B14">14</xref> Also, traditional hemodynamic alterations were observed in animals with CHF, such as lower LVSP, and maximum positive and negative derivatives of ventricular pressure. Morphological parameters also showed meaningful alterations in left and right ventricle hypertrophy, as well as pulmonary congestion. All these parameters (hemodynamic and morphological) characterize the presence of CHF.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B12">12</xref>,<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B24">24</xref>,<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B25">25</xref></p>
      <p>The SCGE method performed in alkaline conditions allows the evaluation of global DNA damage. The damage observed in the comets is formed by single and double strand breaks that are unattached from the chromatin, in DNA fragments.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B10">10</xref> The evaluation of 8-OHdG in patients with CHF has been recently proposed. The 8-OHdG is an oxidized purine base, one of the most frequent oxidative products of DNA.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B26">26</xref> Most of the lesions in DNA may be manifested in single and double strand breaks, not only in oxidative by-products. Reactive oxygen species may damage DNA and form oxidative bases, such as 8-OHdG, 5-hydroxyuracil, 2-hydroxyadenine and 4,6-diamino-5-formamidopyridine.</p>
      <p>Some caveats should be made before comparing results measured by nuclear DNA damage, as in our study, to results obtained in concentrations of oxidized purine base. The DNA damage measured by the comet assay reflects the overall damage, other than the 8-OHdG measurement that cannot assert the same.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B27">27</xref></p>
      <p>A recent meta-analysis demonstrated that eight studies evaluated the oxidative DNA damage to the specific DNA lesion of 8-OHdG. All investigations demonstrated higher concentrations of 8-OHdG in CHF patients.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B28">28</xref> The rationale for higher concentrations of DNA oxidative products indicates that the higher extent of genotoxic damage is highly contributed to the oxidation of mitochondrial DNA.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B29">29</xref> Cardiac myocytes present the highest content of mitochondria, which could indicate higher formation of ROS and contribute significantly to mitochondrial dysfunction. This study did not quantify the concentration of 8-OHdG, however we considered DNA damage that is widely used in order to evaluate DNA strand breaks. The study by Jaenisch et al.,<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B30">30</xref> also developed by our laboratory, used the same method of assessing DNA damage (alkaline version of the comet assay) in animals with CHF submitted to respiratory muscle training. Regarding the extent of DNA damage of Sham rats compared to rats with CHF, the percentage of DNA in the comet tail was relatively similar to the results obtained in the investigation on diaphragm cells.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B30">30</xref></p>
      <p>One interesting finding of this study was higher DNA damage in soleus cells than in left ventricle ones, which supports the fact that, after MI, the ventricle functionally and morphologically adapts and the peripheral muscle suffers histological and biochemical alterations.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B31">31</xref>,<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B32">32</xref> The acute phase of MI is characterized by the necrosis of cardiac myocytes, which expands the area of necrosis of the left ventricle in the following hours, affecting adjacent structures.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B33">33</xref> In this phase of MI, the extent of DNA damage is probably higher than in any other tissue, as can be observed in pro-inflammatory cytokines and autophagic mediators.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B34">34</xref>,<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B35">35</xref></p>
      <p>Since cardiomyocytes have a renewal rate of approximately 1% in young people, and about 0.45% in elderly,<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B36">36</xref> this fact reinforce our findings regarding the difference of DNA damage among the tissues of CHF rats. The left ventricle shows high adaptability to modify its geometry, and ability to repair major oxidative products of DNA. It has been demonstrated that the main problem of CHF is not the central alterations in the heart, but it also affects, indirectly, all other organs.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B37">37</xref> The complexity of the CHF scenario, such as cardiac remodeling, changes in ventilatory mechanics and hemodynamics, and systemic pro-inflammatory state leads to the formation of free radicals of different ways. This critical dysfunctional status establishes an oxidative stress condition in different organs and systems.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B38">38</xref>,<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B39">39</xref></p>
      <p>We hypothesized that skeletal muscle cells would have higher DNA damage in CHF.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B40">40</xref>,<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B41">41</xref> For this reason, we chose to analyze two different skeletal muscles (soleus and gastrocnemius muscles) by their different fiber type proportions in rats with CHF. The skeletal muscle in CHF is highly affected by the hypoperfusion which augments the oxidative damage within, especially in the mitochondria.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B42">42</xref> Since the skeletal muscle is target of oxidative damage, it was expected to have higher damage observed in our findings. In CHF, the antioxidant defense system in skeletal muscles might be constantly decreased over time.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B43">43</xref> The oxidative damage observed in the soleus muscle is very likely to be explained by its morphological characteristic (e.g. higher number of capillaries per fiber, predominance of type I fibers, greater activity of aerobic metabolism).<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B44">44</xref>,<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B45">45</xref> On the other hand, the gastrocnemius muscle presents morphology of mixed characteristics with a more balanced percentage distribution in relation to the type of fibers; therefore, less dependence of aerobic metabolism. For this reason, we imagine that it presented less DNA damage than the soleus muscle.</p>
      <p>Antioxidant machinery changes over time in the cell cycle (e.g.: myogenic proliferation and differentiation) demonstrating to have more expression of antioxidant enzymes activity in myoblasts than in myotubes, thus increasing the probability of mortality under oxidative stress.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B5">5</xref> This phenomenon is interesting, since the disuse of skeletal muscles due to exercise intolerance is common in patients with CHF, in addition to being related to diminished antioxidant-stimulating trigger signaling of muscle contraction.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B46">46</xref> Compared to the left ventricle, the soleus muscle does not have the same ability for adaptation, which may explain why the DNA damage was higher.</p>
      <sec>
        <title>Limitations</title>
        <p>This work shows few limitations, such as the absence of DNA damage evaluation in other tissues (liver, encephalic structures and other skeletal muscles). Another limitation that may enrich our findings is the measurement of mutagenesis. Evaluating the mutagenesis of the CHF, along with the SCGE, might lead to a more robust scenario of DNA damage and its lack of repair of DNA lesions. Our design aims to evaluate the longitudinal damage that the experimental model of CHF might lead to and its differences regarding tissues; thus, the ability of DNA to repair its lesions could not be carried out.</p>
      </sec>
    </sec>
    <sec sec-type="conclusions">
      <title>Conclusion</title>
      <p>Our results show DNA damage using SCGE in the CHF experimental model by MI. The left ventricle dysfunction clearly affects the cardiac tissue, lungs, diaphragm, gastrocnemius and soleus and was associated with the extent of DNA damage, affecting the soleus muscle more than the left ventricle and the gastrocnemius. The comet assay was proven to be a reliable tool for quantifying DNA damage in different tissues of animals with CHF and the soleus muscle was shown to be more affected by the heart failure than the left ventricle and the gastrocnemius.</p>
    </sec>
  </body>
  <back>
    <fn-group>
      <fn fn-type="supported-by">
        <p>
          <bold>Sources of Funding</bold>
        </p>
        <p>This study was funded by Capes, CNPq, UFCSPA.</p>
      </fn>
      <fn fn-type="other">
        <p>
          <bold>Study Association</bold>
        </p>
        <p>This article is part of the thesis of master submitted by Giuseppe Potrick Stefani, from Universidade Federal de Ci&#234;ncias da Sa&#250;de de Porto Alegre.</p>
      </fn>
      <fn fn-type="other">
        <p>
          <bold>Ethics approval and consent to participate</bold>
        </p>
        <p>This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the CEUA/UFCSPA under the protocol number 114/13. All the procedures in this study were in accordance with the 1975 Helsinki Declaration, updated in 2013.</p>
      </fn>
    </fn-group>
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    <front-stub>
      <article-categories>
        <subj-group subj-group-type="heading">
          <subject>Artigo Original</subject>
        </subj-group>
      </article-categories>
      <title-group>
        <article-title>Quantifica&#231;&#227;o de Dano em DNA em Diferentes Tecidos em Ratos com Insufici&#234;ncia Card&#237;aca</article-title>
      </title-group>
      <contrib-group>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid">0000-0001-5492-4530</contrib-id>
          <name>
            <surname>Stefani</surname>
            <given-names>Giuseppe Potrick</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff3">1</xref>
          <xref ref-type="corresp" rid="c2"/>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Nunes</surname>
            <given-names>Ramiro Barcos</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff3">1</xref>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Rossato</surname>
            <given-names>Douglas Dalcin</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff4">2</xref>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Hentschke</surname>
            <given-names>Vitor Scotta</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff3">1</xref>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Domenico</surname>
            <given-names>Marlise Di</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff3">1</xref>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid">0000-0001-9907-7689</contrib-id>
          <name>
            <surname>Lago</surname>
            <given-names>Pedro Dal</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff3">1</xref>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Rhoden</surname>
            <given-names>Cl&#225;udia Ramos</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff3">1</xref>
        </contrib>
      </contrib-group>
      <aff id="aff3">
        <label>1</label>
        <institution content-type="original">Universidade Federal de Ci&#234;ncias da Sa&#250;de de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS - Brasil</institution>
      </aff>
      <aff id="aff4">
        <label>2</label>
        <institution content-type="original">Centro Universit&#225;rio Franciscano, Santa Maria, RS - Brasil</institution>
      </aff>
      <author-notes>
        <corresp id="c2"><bold>Correspond&#234;ncia: Giuseppe Potrick Stefani,</bold> Universidade Federal de Ci&#234;ncias da Sa&#250;de de Porto Alegre - Sarmento Leite street, 245. CEP 90050-170, Porto Alegre, RS - Brasil. Email: <email>gpotrick@gmail.com</email></corresp>
        <fn fn-type="com">
          <p>
            <bold>Contribui&#231;&#227;o dos autores</bold>
          </p>
          <p>Concep&#231;&#227;o e desenho da pesquisa, Obten&#231;&#227;o de dados, An&#225;lise e interpreta&#231;&#227;o dos dados, Reda&#231;&#227;o do manuscrito e Revis&#227;o cr&#237;tica do manuscrito quanto ao conte&#250;do intelectual importante: Stefani GP, Nunes RB, Rossato DD, Hentschke VS, Di Domenico M, Dal Lago P, Rhoden CR; An&#225;lise estat&#237;stica: Stefani GP, Nunes RB, Rossato DD, Hentschke VS, Dal Lago P, Rhoden CR.</p>
        </fn>
        <fn fn-type="conflict">
          <p>
            <bold>Potencial conflito de interesses</bold>
          </p>
          <p>Declaro n&#227;o haver conflito de interesses pertinentes.</p>
        </fn>
      </author-notes>
      <abstract>
        <title>Resumo</title>
        <sec>
          <title>Fundamento:</title>
          <p>A insufici&#234;ncia card&#237;aca cr&#244;nica (ICC) &#233; uma s&#237;ndrome complexa que compreende altera&#231;&#245;es estruturais e funcionais no cora&#231;&#227;o, mantendo demanda sangu&#237;nea adequada a todos os tecidos. Poucas investiga&#231;&#245;es procuraram avaliar o dano oxidativo ao DNA na ICC.</p>
        </sec>
        <sec>
          <title>Objetivo:</title>
          <p>Quantificar o dano ao DNA utilizando o ensaio cometa no ventr&#237;culo esquerdo (VE), pulm&#245;es, diafragma, gastrocn&#234;mio e s&#243;leo em ratos com ICC.</p>
        </sec>
        <sec>
          <title>M&#233;todos:</title>
          <p>Doze ratos Wistar machos (300 a 330 g) foram selecionados para o estudo: placebo (n = 6) e ICC (n = 6). Os animais foram submetidos a infarto do mioc&#225;rdio atrav&#233;s de ligadura da art&#233;ria coron&#225;ria esquerda. Ap&#243;s seis semanas, os animais foram sacrificados. Foi realizada uma suspens&#227;o celular dos tecidos. O ensaio cometa foi realizado para avaliar as quebras de fita simples e dupla no DNA. N&#237;vel de signific&#226;ncia (p) &lt; 0,05.</p>
        </sec>
        <sec>
          <title>Resultados:</title>
          <p>O grupo ICC apresentou maiores valores de press&#227;o diast&#243;lica final do ventr&#237;culo esquerdo (PDFVE), congest&#227;o pulmonar, hipertrofia card&#237;aca e menores valores de derivados m&#225;ximos positivos e negativos da press&#227;o do VE, press&#227;o sist&#243;lica do VE (p &lt; 0,05). O grupo ICC apresentou maior dano ao DNA (% de DNA da cauda, momento da cauda e momento da cauda de Olive) em compara&#231;&#227;o ao placebo (p &lt; 0,001). O tecido com maior dano foi o s&#243;leo, comparado ao VE e ao gastrocn&#234;mio no grupo ICC (p &lt; 0,05).</p>
        </sec>
        <sec>
          <title>Conclus&#227;o:</title>
          <p>Nossos resultados indicam que a ICC afeta todos os tecidos, de maneira central e perif&#233;rica, sendo mais afetada no m&#250;sculo esquel&#233;tico (s&#243;leo) e est&#225; positivamente correlacionada com a disfun&#231;&#227;o do VE.</p>
        </sec>
      </abstract>
      <kwd-group xml:lang="pt">
        <title>Palavras-chave:</title>
        <kwd>Insufici&#234;ncia Card&#237;aca</kwd>
        <kwd>Ratos</kwd>
        <kwd>Ratos Endog&#226;micos</kwd>
        <kwd>Distribui&#231;&#227;o Tecidual</kwd>
        <kwd>Dano ao DNA</kwd>
        <kwd>Ensaio Cometa</kwd>
      </kwd-group>
    </front-stub>
    <body>
      <sec sec-type="intro">
        <title>Introdu&#231;&#227;o</title>
        <p>A insufici&#234;ncia card&#237;aca &#233; uma s&#237;ndrome complexa que caracteriza anomalias estruturais e funcionais do cora&#231;&#227;o na manuten&#231;&#227;o da demanda sangu&#237;nea adequada. A insufici&#234;ncia card&#237;aca cr&#244;nica (ICC) afeta aproximadamente 1 a 2% da popula&#231;&#227;o de pa&#237;ses desenvolvidos e sua preval&#234;ncia aumenta pelo menos 10% em adultos idosos.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B1">1</xref> Uma das causas mais comuns de insufici&#234;ncia card&#237;aca &#233; o infarto do mioc&#225;rdio (IM), que induz a remodela&#231;&#227;o card&#237;aca patol&#243;gica.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B2">2</xref></p>
        <p>Essa s&#237;ndrome n&#227;o afeta apenas o cora&#231;&#227;o, mas tamb&#233;m outros &#243;rg&#227;os, como pulm&#245;es e m&#250;sculos esquel&#233;ticos.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B3">3</xref> A ICC &#233; caracterizada por altera&#231;&#245;es na mec&#226;nica ventilat&#243;ria que prejudicam a capta&#231;&#227;o e o suprimento de oxig&#234;nio aos sistemas. A hipoperfus&#227;o, que &#233; sustentada por uma disfun&#231;&#227;o ventricular em um ciclo vicioso, induz estresse oxidativo na maioria dos tecidos.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B4">4</xref> O estresse oxidativo &#233; um estado em que a c&#233;lula est&#225; em desequil&#237;brio oxidativo, formando esp&#233;cies mais reativas que sua capacidade neutralizadora.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B5">5</xref> Foi proposto em outro estudo que biomarcadores do estresse oxidativo, como a concentra&#231;&#227;o de malondialde&#237;do e &#225;cido &#250;rico, poderiam esclarecer a extens&#227;o do dano oxidativo e orientar o tratamento em pacientes com ICC.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B6">6</xref></p>
        <p>Como as esp&#233;cies reativas de oxig&#234;nio (ERO) podem danificar diferentes biomol&#233;culas, como lip&#237;dios, prote&#237;nas e DNA, os danos nos &#225;cidos nucl&#233;icos n&#227;o foram consistentemente investigados na ICC. Um biomarcador que j&#225; foi alvo de investiga&#231;&#227;o &#233; a concentra&#231;&#227;o de 8-hidroxi-2'-desoxiguanosina (8-OHdG).<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B7">7</xref> No entanto, sua medi&#231;&#227;o reflete o dano oxidativo em um tipo de les&#227;o de DNA, que n&#227;o reflete o dano total na h&#233;lice do DNA. Para isso, ensaios toxicol&#243;gicos, como o cometa, nunca foram testados na ICC, com o objetivo de avaliar o dano global ao DNA em diferentes tecidos. Essa t&#233;cnica &#233; amplamente utilizada em estudos toxicol&#243;gicos e &#233; considerada consistente, sens&#237;vel e altamente reproduz&#237;vel.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B8">8</xref></p>
        <p>O ensaio do cometa mede diretamente a extens&#227;o do dano ao DNA, constitu&#237;do por quebras de fita simples e dupla do DNA.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B9">9</xref> Esse m&#233;todo permite sua medida no sangue e em todos os tecidos de interesse, expandindo a an&#225;lise de danos locais e sua correla&#231;&#227;o com par&#226;metros fisiol&#243;gicos e funcionais.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B10">10</xref> Na insufici&#234;ncia card&#237;aca, ainda n&#227;o est&#225; claro como a incapacidade da insufici&#234;ncia card&#237;aca pode afetar diferentes estruturas al&#233;m do sistema cardiovascular, principalmente no dano ao DNA. Como na ICC existe um cen&#225;rio de dano oxidativo sist&#234;mico em fun&#231;&#227;o da cronicidade da s&#237;ndrome, o objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o dano ao DNA em diferentes tecidos, como o ventr&#237;culo esquerdo, os pulm&#245;es e os m&#250;sculos esquel&#233;ticos (diafragma, gastrocn&#234;mio e s&#243;leo) em ratos afetados pela doen&#231;a.</p>
      </sec>
      <sec sec-type="methods">
        <title>M&#233;todos</title>
        <sec>
          <title>Animais</title>
          <p>Foram selecionados 12 ratos machos Wistar (100 dias de idade, de 300 a 330 g) da Unidade de Melhoramento Animal da Universidade Federal de Ci&#234;ncias da Sa&#250;de de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA, Brasil). Os animais foram alojados em grupos de tr&#234;s animais por gaiola, que receberam comida e &#225;gua <italic>ad libitum</italic> em uma sala espec&#237;fica mantida a 22&#176;C sob um ciclo claro e escuro de 12:12 horas.</p>
          <p>O manejo dos animais obedeceu &#224; Lei n&#186; 11.794, de 08/08/2008, Lei n&#186; 6.899, de 15/07/2009, e &#224; Resolu&#231;&#227;o n&#186; 879, de 15/02/2008 (CFMV), al&#233;m de outras disposi&#231;&#245;es aplic&#225;veis ao uso de animais para pesquisa. O experimento cumpriu as resolu&#231;&#245;es do Conselho Nacional de Experimenta&#231;&#227;o Animal, o Guia para o Cuidado e Uso de Animais de Laborat&#243;rio (Instituto de Recursos Animais de Laborat&#243;rio, Academia Nacional de Ci&#234;ncias, Washington, D.C., 1996), bem como dos Princ&#237;pios &#201;ticos em Experimenta&#231;&#227;o Animal do Conselho Nacional de Controle de Experimenta&#231;&#227;o Animal (CONCEA). Este estudo foi aprovado por CEUA/UFCSPA, sob o n&#250;mero de protocolo 114/13.</p>
        </sec>
        <sec>
          <title>Indu&#231;&#227;o de Infarto do Mioc&#225;rdio (IM)</title>
          <p>Os animais foram anestesiados com xilazina (12 mg/kg ip) e cetamina (90 mg/kg ip), intubados e ventilados artificialmente. Foi realizada a ligadura da art&#233;ria coron&#225;ria esquerda. As opera&#231;&#245;es placebo foram realizadas conforme descrito em outro estudo.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B11">11</xref> Ap&#243;s as cirurgias, os animais receberam uma inje&#231;&#227;o de cetoprofano (5,4 mg/kg ip) a cada 6 horas - completando 48 horas - e penicilina (70.000 unidades/ml ip). As cirurgias foram realizadas por um cirurgi&#227;o. A taxa de mortalidade p&#243;s-operat&#243;ria foi de 15%. Ap&#243;s a indu&#231;&#227;o do IM, foram designadas 6 semanas de recupera&#231;&#227;o, necess&#225;rias para os animais desenvolverem ICC. Foram utilizadas diferentes vari&#225;veis para caracterizar e documentar a insufici&#234;ncia card&#237;aca desenvolvida por esses animais, como presen&#231;a de trombos atriais esquerdos, derrames tor&#225;cicos, congest&#227;o pulmonar, hipertrofia ventricular esquerda e direita do peso corporal.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B12">12</xref></p>
        </sec>
        <sec>
          <title>Insufici&#234;ncia Card&#237;aca</title>
          <p>Os animais que apresentaram press&#227;o diast&#243;lica final do ventr&#237;culo esquerdo (PDFVE) maior que 15,0 mmHg, aumento da raz&#227;o peso ventricular direito/peso corporal (&gt; 0,8 mg/g) e presen&#231;a de congest&#227;o pulmonar foram considerados positivos para ICC.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B12">12</xref>-<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B14">14</xref></p>
        </sec>
        <sec>
          <title>Avalia&#231;&#227;o Hemodin&#226;mica</title>
          <p>Ap&#243;s a sexta semana, os animais foram anestesiados com xilazina (12 mg/kg i.p.) e cetamina (90 mg/kg i.p.). Um cateter de polietileno (PE-50) foi colocado na art&#233;ria car&#243;tida direita. A press&#227;o arterial foi registrada e o cateter foi posicionado no ventr&#237;culo esquerdo para realizar o registro da press&#227;o ventricular. Os dados foram registrados por um transdutor de press&#227;o (strain gauge, Narco Biosystem Miniature Pulse Transducer RP-155, Houston, Texas, EUA), acoplado a um amplificador de press&#227;o. Os sinais anal&#243;gicos de press&#227;o foram digitalizados por um sistema de aquisi&#231;&#227;o de dados (CODAS-Data Acquisition System, Akron, Ohio, EUA) com uma taxa de amostragem de 2.000 Hz. Esses dados foram utilizados para determinar a press&#227;o arterial diast&#243;lica (PAD), a press&#227;o arterial sist&#243;lica (PAS), a press&#227;o arterial m&#233;dia (PAM), a frequ&#234;ncia card&#237;aca (FC), a press&#227;o sist&#243;lica do ventr&#237;culo esquerdo (PSVE), a PDFVE e a dP/dt m&#225;xima positiva e negativa do ventr&#237;culo esquerdo (+ dP/dt<sub>max</sub>, -dP/dt<sub>max</sub>), conforme descrito anteriormente. Os animais que apresentaram PDFVE superior a 15 mmHg na avalia&#231;&#227;o hemodin&#226;mica foram considerados com disfun&#231;&#227;o ventricular esquerda.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B13">13</xref></p>
        </sec>
        <sec>
          <title>Coleta de Tecidos</title>
          <p>Os animais foram sacrificados por overdose de infus&#227;o intravenosa do pentobarbital anest&#233;sico (80 mg/kg i.p.).<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B16">16</xref> Depois disso, foram removidos os pulm&#245;es, o diafragma, o gastrocn&#234;mio direito, o s&#243;leo direito e o cora&#231;&#227;o. O ventr&#237;culo esquerdo foi separado do ventr&#237;culo direito para o ensaio cometa. Todas as amostras foram armazenadas a -80&#176;C para an&#225;lise posterior.</p>
        </sec>
        <sec>
          <title>Determina&#231;&#227;o de tamanho do infarto, hipertrofia card&#237;aca e congest&#227;o pulmonar e hep&#225;tica</title>
          <p>Os cora&#231;&#245;es foram removidos e pesados, sem sangue dentro da c&#226;mara e sem &#225;trios. O tamanho da &#225;rea de infarto foi determinado por planimetria.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B17">17</xref> Para avaliar a hipertrofia card&#237;aca, a massa de &#243;rg&#227;os foi expressa como uma propor&#231;&#227;o da massa corporal (massa de tecido/massa corporal - mg/g).<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B18">18</xref> Foram considerados ratos que desenvolveram insufici&#234;ncia card&#237;aca os animais com hipertrofia ventricular direita (ou seja, rela&#231;&#227;o massa corporal/peso do ventr&#237;culo direito &gt; 0,80 mg/g).<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B12">12</xref> Para determinar a congest&#227;o pulmonar e hep&#225;tica, os pulm&#245;es e o f&#237;gado de cada animal foram removidos, pesados e desidratados (80&#176;C) por 48 horas e depois pesados novamente para avaliar a porcentagem de &#225;gua.</p>
        </sec>
        <sec>
          <title>Eletroforese em gel de c&#233;lula &#250;nica (SCGE)</title>
          <p>A eletroforese em gel de c&#233;lula &#250;nica (SCGE) foi realizada em condi&#231;&#245;es alcalinas (pH &gt; 13,0).<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B19">19</xref> Todos os procedimentos foram realizados evitando qualquer incid&#234;ncia direta de luz. Para o ensaio, uma suspens&#227;o celular do tecido (ventr&#237;culo esquerdo, pulm&#245;es, diafragma, gastrocn&#234;mio direito e s&#243;leo direito) foi realizada em tamp&#227;o PBS (pH = 7,40) com homogeneiza&#231;&#227;o manual padr&#227;o e suave. Essa etapa exigiu a observa&#231;&#227;o da densidade das c&#233;lulas que seriam usadas em cada l&#226;mina. A c&#226;mara de Neubauer foi usada para contar aproximadamente 7,3 x 10<sup>5</sup> c&#233;lulas/l&#226;mina.</p>
          <p>A suspens&#227;o de c&#233;lulas (40 <italic>&#181;</italic>l) foi adicionada &#224; agarose de baixo ponto de fus&#227;o (90 <italic>&#181;</italic>l). Ap&#243;s ser misturado delicadamente, esse material foi cuidadosamente depositado sobre uma l&#226;mina previamente coberta com uma fina camada de gel de agarose com uma lamela, e mantido em uma c&#226;mara &#250;mida a 4&#176;C por 10 minutos, a fim de garantir ainda mais a suspens&#227;o das c&#233;lulas teciduais no gel. Em seguida, a lamela foi cuidadosamente removida e a l&#226;mina foi condicionada em uma cubeta vertical contendo solu&#231;&#227;o de lise por pelo menos 1 hora a 4&#176;C.</p>
          <p>O passo seguinte consistiu no desdobramento das c&#233;lulas por 30 minutos em um tamp&#227;o alcalino (pH &gt; 10,0). Posteriormente, foi iniciado o processo de eletroforese, onde as c&#233;lulas lisadas contidas no gel de agarose foram submetidas a uma voltagem de 25 mV e 300 mA por 15 minutos em solu&#231;&#227;o tamp&#227;o alcalina (pH &gt; 10,0). Em seguida, a placa foi neutralizada, corada com nitrato de prata, lavada e mantida em temperatura ambiente para secagem e an&#225;lise posterior. As l&#226;minas de cada animal foram feitas em duplicado e um controle positivo de danos ao DNA com per&#243;xido de hidrog&#234;nio (30 <italic>&#181;</italic>l/l&#226;mina). A an&#225;lise foi realizada sob um microsc&#243;pio &#243;ptico com um aumento de 20x, quantificando o tamanho da cauda do cometa em 50 a 100 c&#233;lulas, de acordo com os comprimentos, di&#226;metros, raios e dimens&#245;es de cometas individuais. Porcentagens de DNA da cauda, momento da cauda e momento da cauda de Olive foram utilizadas como par&#226;metros de quantifica&#231;&#227;o de danos.</p>
        </sec>
        <sec>
          <title>Quantifica&#231;&#227;o de danos no DNA</title>
          <p>Todos os par&#226;metros apresentados na sess&#227;o de resultados referentes ao SCGE foram calculados pelo software CASP (CASP Labs&#174;, Pol&#244;nia).<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B20">20</xref> A porcentagem de DNA na f&#243;rmula da cauda, momento da cauda e momento da cauda de Olive est&#225; dispon&#237;vel para consulta nos dados complementares. O momento da cauda &#233; caracterizado como o produto do comprimento da cauda e a porcentagem de DNA na cauda. O momento da cauda de Olive, que &#233; outro par&#226;metro para dano ao DNA, compreende o produto da dist&#226;ncia (relativa ao eixo x) entre o centro de gravidade da cabe&#231;a e o centro de gravidade da cauda do cometa e a porcentagem de DNA da cauda.</p>
        </sec>
        <sec>
          <title>Tamanho da amostra e an&#225;lise estat&#237;stica</title>
          <p>Para uma diferen&#231;a m&#237;nima de 23 unidades arbitr&#225;rias de momento da cauda de &#177; 4 DP, foi poss&#237;vel determinar a diferen&#231;a estat&#237;stica m&#237;nima de dois grupos com tr&#234;s animais cada.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B21">21</xref> Em nossa investiga&#231;&#227;o, decidimos usar seis animais em cada grupo. Os dados s&#227;o apresentados em m&#233;dia &#177; DP. O teste de normalidade de Shapiro-Wilk foi utilizado para avaliar a distribui&#231;&#227;o das vari&#225;veis. Para compara&#231;&#245;es entre os grupos, um teste <italic>t</italic> de Student n&#227;o pareado e uma an&#225;lise de vari&#226;ncia bidirecional foram realizados entre os diferentes tecidos com um teste post hoc de Tukey. Foi considerada uma signific&#226;ncia de 5%. A an&#225;lise estat&#237;stica foi realizada usando o SigmaPlot, vers&#227;o 12.0 para Windows, e os gr&#225;ficos foram criados pelo GraphPad Prism, vers&#227;o 5.0 para Windows.</p>
        </sec>
      </sec>
      <sec sec-type="results">
        <title>Resultados</title>
        <sec>
          <title>Par&#226;metros Morfol&#243;gicos</title>
          <p>Os animais n&#227;o apresentaram diferen&#231;a em rela&#231;&#227;o &#224; massa corporal inicial nem &#224; final. Aqueles submetidos a IM apresentaram &#225;rea m&#233;dia de infarto de 36%. Foi poss&#237;vel observar maior propor&#231;&#227;o de massa mioc&#225;rdica, massa ventricular direita e esquerda/corpo em rela&#231;&#227;o ao grupo placebo, indicando remodela&#231;&#227;o card&#237;aca em ambos os ventr&#237;culos. Em rela&#231;&#227;o &#224; congest&#227;o pulmonar e hep&#225;tica, as taxas mais elevadas da primeira foram observadas apenas no grupo ICC (<xref ref-type="table" rid="t4">Tabela 1</xref>).</p>
          <table-wrap id="t4">
            <label>Tabela 1</label>
            <caption>
              <title>Massa corporal, caracter&#237;sticas morfom&#233;tricas card&#237;acas, &#225;rea infartada e congest&#227;o pulmonar e hep&#225;tica de ratos de cirurgia placebo e ratos com disfun&#231;&#227;o ventricular esquerda</title>
            </caption>
            <table frame="hsides" rules="groups">
              <colgroup>
                <col width="33%"/>
                <col width="33%"/>
                <col width="33%"/>
              </colgroup>
              <thead>
                <tr>
                  <th align="left">Vari&#225;veis</th>
                  <th align="center">Placebo</th>
                  <th align="center">ICC</th>
                </tr>
              </thead>
              <tbody>
                <tr>
                  <td align="left">Massa Corporal Inicial (g)</td>
                  <td align="center">330,25 &#177; 17,24</td>
                  <td align="center">328,29 &#177; 18,12</td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                  <td align="left">Massa Corporal Final (g)</td>
                  <td align="center">400,50 &#177; 29,61</td>
                  <td align="center">356,38 &#177; 32,23</td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                  <td align="left">&#193;rea Infartada (%)</td>
                  <td align="center">---</td>
                  <td align="center">36,39 &#177; 8,11</td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                  <td align="left">MM/BM (mg/g)</td>
                  <td align="center">2,56 &#177; 0,08</td>
                  <td align="center">3,29 &#177; 0,46<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN8">*</xref></td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                  <td align="left">LV/BM (mg/g)</td>
                  <td align="center">1,88 &#177; 0,21</td>
                  <td align="center">2,36 &#177; 0,47<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN8">*</xref></td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                  <td align="left">RV/BM (mg/g)</td>
                  <td align="center">0,58 &#177; 0,12</td>
                  <td align="center">1,40 &#177; 1,01<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN8">*</xref></td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                  <td align="left">Congest&#227;o Pulmonar (%)</td>
                  <td align="center">65,67 &#177; 9,34</td>
                  <td align="center">87,31 &#177; 3,36<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN8">*</xref></td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                  <td align="left">Congest&#227;o hep&#225;tica (%)</td>
                  <td align="center">70,46 &#177; 1,05</td>
                  <td align="center">71,43 &#177; 1,07</td>
                </tr>
              </tbody>
            </table>
            <table-wrap-foot>
              <fn id="TFN7">
                <p>Os valores s&#227;o apresentados em m&#233;dia &#177; DP; n = 6 para todos os grupos. Placebo: ratos de cirurgia placebo; ICC: ratos com insufici&#234;ncia card&#237;aca cr&#244;nica; MM/MC: Rela&#231;&#227;o massa mioc&#225;rdica/massa corporal; VE/MC: rela&#231;&#227;o massa ventricular esquerda/massa corporal; VD/MC: rela&#231;&#227;o massa ventricular direita/massa corporal.</p>
              </fn>
              <fn id="TFN8">
                <label>*</label>
                <p>P &lt; 0,05 comparado ao grupo placebo.</p>
              </fn>
            </table-wrap-foot>
          </table-wrap>
        </sec>
        <sec>
          <title>Par&#226;metros Hemodin&#226;micos</title>
          <p>Foi observada menor press&#227;o arterial m&#233;dia no grupo ICC em compara&#231;&#227;o ao grupo placebo. A PAS e a PAD, bem como a FC, n&#227;o apresentaram diferen&#231;a em rela&#231;&#227;o ao grupo controle (<xref ref-type="table" rid="t5">Tabela 2</xref>). Em rela&#231;&#227;o &#224;s vari&#225;veis de press&#227;o ventricular, observou-se PSVE e PDFVE maior no grupo ICC, quando comparado ao grupo placebo (<xref ref-type="table" rid="t5">Tabela 2</xref>).</p>
          <table-wrap id="t5">
            <label>Tabela 2</label>
            <caption>
              <title>Press&#227;o arterial m&#233;dia, diast&#243;lica e sist&#243;lica, press&#227;o diast&#243;lica final do ventr&#237;culo esquerdo, press&#227;o sist&#243;lica do ventr&#237;culo esquerdo e altera&#231;&#227;o m&#225;xima/m&#237;nima do ventr&#237;culo esquerdo ao longo do tempo de ratos de cirurgia placebo e ratos com disfun&#231;&#227;o ventricular esquerda</title>
            </caption>
            <table frame="hsides" rules="groups">
              <colgroup>
                <col width="33%"/>
                <col width="33%"/>
                <col width="33%"/>
              </colgroup>
              <thead>
                <tr>
                  <th align="left">Vari&#225;veis</th>
                  <th align="center">Placebo</th>
                  <th align="center">ICC</th>
                </tr>
              </thead>
              <tbody>
                <tr>
                  <td align="left">PAM (mmHg)</td>
                  <td align="center">93,01 &#177; 14,70</td>
                  <td align="center">76,78 &#177; 5,83*</td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                  <td align="left">PAD (mmHg)</td>
                  <td align="center">73,54 &#177; 16,28</td>
                  <td align="center">67,54 &#177; 7,15</td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                  <td align="left">PAS (mmHg)</td>
                  <td align="center">99,75 &#177; 20,91</td>
                  <td align="center">85,93 &#177; 5,51</td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                  <td align="left">Frequ&#234;ncia card&#237;aca (bpm)</td>
                  <td align="center">253,56 &#177; 70,84</td>
                  <td align="center">245,19 &#177; 57,69</td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                  <td align="left">PDFVE (mmHg)</td>
                  <td align="center">5,40 &#177; 2,26</td>
                  <td align="center">32,55 &#177; 5,32*</td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                  <td align="left">PSVE (mmHg)</td>
                  <td align="center">104,24 &#177; 6,03</td>
                  <td align="center">89,15 &#177; 3,15*</td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                  <td align="left">+ dP/dt<sub>max</sub> (mmHg/s)</td>
                  <td align="center">6.264,33 &#177; 1.566,47</td>
                  <td align="center">4.281,63 &#177; 708,75*</td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                  <td align="left">- dP/dt<sub>max</sub> (mmHg/s)</td>
                  <td align="center">5.209,63 &#177; 1.274,09</td>
                  <td align="center">2.823,80 &#177; 540,65*</td>
                </tr>
              </tbody>
            </table>
            <table-wrap-foot>
              <fn id="TFN9">
                <p>Os valores s&#227;o apresentados em m&#233;dia &#177; DP; n = 6 para todos os grupos. Placebo: ratos de cirurgia placebo; ICC: ratos com insufici&#234;ncia card&#237;aca cr&#244;nica; PAM: press&#227;o arterial m&#233;dia; PAD: press&#227;o arterial diast&#243;lica; PAS: press&#227;o arterial sist&#243;lica; PDFVE: press&#227;o diast&#243;lica final do ventr&#237;culo esquerdo; PSVE: press&#227;o sist&#243;lica do ventr&#237;culo esquerdo; +dP/dt<sub>max</sub>: derivada positiva m&#225;xima da press&#227;o ventricular; -dP/dt<sub>max</sub>: derivada negatica m&#225;xima da press&#227;o ventricular.</p>
              </fn>
              <fn id="TFN10">
                <label>*</label>
                <p>P &lt; 0,05 comparado ao grupo placebo.</p>
              </fn>
            </table-wrap-foot>
          </table-wrap>
          <p>A derivada positiva m&#225;xima da press&#227;o ventricular (+dP/dtm&#225;x) apresentou altera&#231;&#245;es no grupo ICC, apresentando valores mais baixos, assim como a derivada negativa m&#225;xima da press&#227;o ventricular (-dP/dtm&#225;x), que apresentou valores mais baixos quando comparados ao grupo controle (<xref ref-type="table" rid="t5">Tabela 2</xref>).</p>
        </sec>
        <sec>
          <title>Par&#226;metros de dano ao DNA</title>
          <p>Valores mais elevados de dano ao DNA foram observados em todas as vari&#225;veis (% de DNA da cauda, momento da cauda e momento da cauda de Olive) no grupo ICC, em todos os tecidos analisados (<xref ref-type="table" rid="t6">Tabela 3</xref>). O dano ao DNA pode ser observado na forma&#231;&#227;o e frequ&#234;ncia de cometas nas c&#233;lulas do ventr&#237;culo esquerdo, do pulm&#227;o, do diafragma, do gastrocn&#234;mio e do s&#243;leo (<xref ref-type="fig" rid="f3">Figura 1</xref>).</p>
          <table-wrap id="t6">
            <label>Tabela 3</label>
            <caption>
              <title>Quantifica&#231;&#227;o do DNA em diferentes tecidos de animais e ratos de cirurgia placebo e ratos com insufici&#234;ncia card&#237;aca cr&#244;nica</title>
            </caption>
            <table frame="hsides" rules="groups">
              <colgroup>
                <col width="14%"/>
                <col width="14%"/>
                <col width="14%"/>
                <col width="14%"/>
                <col width="14%"/>
                <col width="14%"/>
                <col width="14%"/>
              </colgroup>
              <thead>
                <tr>
                  <th align="center">&#160;</th>
                  <th align="left" style="border-bottom-width:thin;border-bottom-style:solid">&#160;</th>
                  <th align="center" style="border-bottom-width:thin;border-bottom-style:solid">Placebo</th>
                  <th align="center" style="border-bottom-width:thin;border-bottom-style:solid">&#160;</th>
                  <th align="center" style="border-bottom-width:thin;border-bottom-style:solid">&#160;</th>
                  <th align="center" style="border-bottom-width:thin;border-bottom-style:solid">ICC</th>
                  <th align="center" style="border-bottom-width:thin;border-bottom-style:solid">&#160;</th>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                  <th align="center">&#160;</th>
                  <th align="left">% Cauda DNA</th>
                  <th align="center">Momento da Cauda</th>
                  <th align="center">Momento da Cauda de Olive</th>
                  <th align="center">% Cauda DNA</th>
                  <th align="center">Momento da Cauda</th>
                  <th align="center">Momento da Cauda de Olive</th>
                </tr>
              </thead>
              <tbody>
                <tr>
                  <td align="left">Ventr&#237;culo esquerdo</td>
                  <td align="center">7,65 &#177; 3,35</td>
                  <td align="center">0,77 &#177; 0,44</td>
                  <td align="center">1,37 &#177; 0,59</td>
                  <td align="center">33,29 &#177; 7,70<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN12">*</xref></td>
                  <td align="center">10,51 &#177; 3,31<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN12">*</xref></td>
                  <td align="center">7,04 &#177; 1,71<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN12">*</xref></td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                  <td align="left">Pulm&#245;es</td>
                  <td align="center">17,86 &#177; 3,93</td>
                  <td align="center">6,76 &#177; 2,59</td>
                  <td align="center">7,31 &#177; 2,15</td>
                  <td align="center">36,20 &#177; 5,17<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN12">*</xref></td>
                  <td align="center">23,30 &#177; 7,25<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN12">*</xref></td>
                  <td align="center">19,10 &#177; 4,65<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN12">*</xref></td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                  <td align="left">Diafragma</td>
                  <td align="center">6,86 &#177; 2,63</td>
                  <td align="center">1,40 &#177; 0,93</td>
                  <td align="center">1,82 &#177; 0,79</td>
                  <td align="center">41,23 &#177; 13,86<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN12">*</xref></td>
                  <td align="center">14,06 &#177; 6,51<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN12">*</xref></td>
                  <td align="center">9,82 &#177; 3,03<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN12">*</xref></td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                  <td align="left">Gastrocn&#234;mio</td>
                  <td align="center">7,63 &#177; 4,66</td>
                  <td align="center">1,04 &#177; 0,88</td>
                  <td align="center">1,43 &#177; 0,70</td>
                  <td align="center">28,07 &#177; 15,53<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN12">*</xref></td>
                  <td align="center">8,69 &#177; 5,14<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN12">*</xref></td>
                  <td align="center">6,17 &#177; 3,53<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN12">*</xref></td>
                </tr>
                <tr>
                  <td align="left">S&#243;leo</td>
                  <td align="center">11,54 &#177; 2,46</td>
                  <td align="center">1,53 &#177; 0,96</td>
                  <td align="center">1,84 &#177; 0,76</td>
                  <td align="center">55,79 &#177; 11,53<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN12">*</xref></td>
                  <td align="center">20,90 &#177; 5,32<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN12">*</xref></td>
                  <td align="center">12,83 &#177; 3,68<xref ref-type="table-fn" rid="TFN12">*</xref></td>
                </tr>
              </tbody>
            </table>
            <table-wrap-foot>
              <fn id="TFN11">
                <p>Os valores s&#227;o apresentados em m&#233;dia &#177; DP; n = 6 para todos os grupos. Placebo, Ratos de cirurgia placebo; ICC: Ratos com insufici&#234;ncia card&#237;aca cr&#244;nica.</p>
              </fn>
              <fn id="TFN12">
                <label>*</label>
                <p> = p &lt; 0,01 versus placebo em rela&#231;&#227;o &#224; vari&#225;vel e seu tecido correspondente.</p>
              </fn>
            </table-wrap-foot>
          </table-wrap>
          <p>
            <fig id="f3">
              <label>Figura 1</label>
              <caption>
                <title>Imagem das c&#233;lulas submetidas &#224; SCGE (ensaio cometa) do ventr&#237;culo esquerdo, pulm&#245;es, diafragma, gastrocn&#234;mio e s&#243;leo de ratos de cirurgia placebo e ratos com ICC. Painel A: C&#233;lulas isoladas do respectivo tecido de rato de cirurgia de placebo. Painel B: C&#233;lulas isoladas do respectivo tecido de rato com ICC induzido por IM. L&#226;minas manchadas com nitrato de prata. A imagem n&#227;o mostra forma&#231;&#227;o de cometas no Painel A, mas no Painel B a imagem mostra a forma&#231;&#227;o de cometas com caudas distintas. O comprimento da cauda representa as quebras de fita simples e dupla de DNA nuclear (amplia&#231;&#227;o de 20x, barra de escala de 20 &#956;m).</title>
              </caption>
              <graphic xlink:href="1678-4170-abc-114-02-0234-80198-gf01-pt.tif"/></fig>
          </p>
          <p>Apesar de o dano no DNA ser notavelmente maior em ratos com ICC em todos os tecidos, quando comparado a outros tecidos na mesma condi&#231;&#227;o patol&#243;gica, observou-se maior dano no s&#243;leo em rela&#231;&#227;o ao gastrocn&#234;mio e ao ventr&#237;culo esquerdo no grupo com ICC. A diferen&#231;a entre o dano tecidual ao DNA em animais placebo e os de ICC pode ser observada na <xref ref-type="fig" rid="f4">Figura 2</xref>.</p>
          <p>
            <fig id="f4">
              <label>Figura 2</label>
              <caption>
                <title>Danos ao DNA em diferentes tecidos, de acordo com% de DNA da cauda, induzido por ICC. Quantifica&#231;&#227;o do dano ao DNA em c&#233;lulas isoladas dos m&#250;sculos do ventr&#237;culo esquerdo, pulm&#245;es, diafragma, gastrocn&#234;mio e s&#243;leo em ratos de cirurgia placebo e ratos com ICC. Placebo (n = 6), ICC (n = 6). ANOVA de duas vias, com teste post-hoc de Tukey. * p &lt; 0,05 vs. S&#243;leo.</title>
              </caption>
              <graphic xlink:href="1678-4170-abc-114-02-0234-80198-gf02-pt.tif"/></fig>
          </p>
        </sec>
      </sec>
      <sec sec-type="discussion">
        <title>Discuss&#227;o</title>
        <p>Embora existam algumas investiga&#231;&#245;es usando o ensaio cometa na ICC, at&#233; onde sabemos, este &#233; o primeiro estudo a relatar a extens&#227;o total do dano ao DNA em diferentes tecidos em um modelo experimental de ICC. O principal achado dessa investiga&#231;&#227;o &#233; a reprodutibilidade e aplicabilidade da SCGE no modelo experimental de IM. Animais com ICC demonstraram maior extens&#227;o de dano ao DNA do que o grupo controle no cora&#231;&#227;o, pulm&#245;es, diafragma e m&#250;sculos esquel&#233;ticos. Esse achado apoia a principal hip&#243;tese de que a ICC afeta a estabilidade do DNA, n&#227;o localmente, mas sistemicamente.</p>
        <p>Considerando que a ICC &#233; uma s&#237;ndrome complexa, &#233; essencial investigar a extens&#227;o dos danos que a hipoperfus&#227;o pode promover. Foi apresentado um modelo <italic>in vivo</italic> de ICC cujo dano era de duas a seis vezes maior do que na aus&#234;ncia de insufici&#234;ncia card&#237;aca. Os animais deste estudo demonstraram altera&#231;&#245;es tradicionais observ&#225;veis na ligadura do modelo de insufici&#234;ncia card&#237;aca da art&#233;ria coron&#225;ria esquerda em ratos.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B22">22</xref>,<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B23">23</xref> Observou-se PDFVE m&#233;dia acima de 30 mmHg, caracterizando disfun&#231;&#227;o ventricular.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B14">14</xref> Al&#233;m disso, altera&#231;&#245;es hemodin&#226;micas tradicionais foram observadas em animais com ICC, como menor PSVE e derivados m&#225;ximos positivos e negativos da press&#227;o ventricular. Os par&#226;metros morfol&#243;gicos tamb&#233;m mostraram altera&#231;&#245;es significativas na hipertrofia ventricular esquerda e direita, bem como congest&#227;o pulmonar. Todos esses par&#226;metros (hemodin&#226;micos e morfol&#243;gicos) caracterizam a presen&#231;a de ICC.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B12">12</xref>,<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B24">24</xref>,<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B25">25</xref></p>
        <p>O m&#233;todo SCGE, realizado em condi&#231;&#245;es alcalinas, permite avaliar os danos no DNA global. O dano observado nos cometas &#233; formado por rupturas de fita simples e dupla n&#227;o acopladas &#224; cromatina, em fragmentos de DNA.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B10">10</xref> A avalia&#231;&#227;o do 8-OHdG em pacientes com ICC foi recentemente proposta. O 8-OHdG &#233; uma base de purina oxidada, um dos produtos oxidativos mais frequentes do DNA.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B26">26</xref> A maioria das les&#245;es no DNA pode se manifestar em quebras de fita simples e dupla, e n&#227;o apenas em subprodutos oxidativos. As esp&#233;cies reativas de oxig&#234;nio podem danificar o DNA e formar bases oxidativas, como a 8-OHdG, a 5-hidroxiuracil, a 2-hidroxiadenina e a 4,6-diamino-5-formamidopiridina.</p>
        <p>Algumas advert&#234;ncias devem ser feitas antes de comparar os resultados medidos por danos no DNA nuclear, como em nosso estudo, aos resultados obtidos nas concentra&#231;&#245;es de base de purina oxidada. O dano ao DNA medido pelo ensaio do cometa reflete o dano geral, exceto a medi&#231;&#227;o de 8-OHdG que n&#227;o pode afirmar o mesmo.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B27">27</xref></p>
        <p>Uma metan&#225;lise recente demonstrou que oito estudos avaliaram o dano oxidativo do DNA &#224; les&#227;o espec&#237;fica do 8-OHdG no DNA. Todas as investiga&#231;&#245;es demonstraram maiores concentra&#231;&#245;es de 8-OHdG em pacientes com ICC.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B28">28</xref> A justificativa para concentra&#231;&#245;es mais altas de produtos oxidantes de DNA indica que a maior extens&#227;o de dano genot&#243;xico contribui grandemente para a oxida&#231;&#227;o do DNA mitocondrial.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B29">29</xref> Os mi&#243;citos card&#237;acos apresentam o maior conte&#250;do de mitoc&#244;ndrias, o que pode indicar maior forma&#231;&#227;o de ERO e contribuir significativamente para a disfun&#231;&#227;o mitocondrial. Embora este estudo n&#227;o tenha quantificado a concentra&#231;&#227;o de 8-OHdG, consideramos os danos ao DNA mais amplamente utilizados para avaliar a quebra das cadeias de DNA. O estudo de Jaenisch et al. <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B30">30</xref> tamb&#233;m desenvolvido por nosso laborat&#243;rio, utilizou o mesmo m&#233;todo de avalia&#231;&#227;o de danos ao DNA (vers&#227;o alcalina do ensaio cometa) em animais com ICC submetidos a treinamento muscular respirat&#243;rio. Em rela&#231;&#227;o &#224; extens&#227;o do dano ao DNA de ratos placebo em compara&#231;&#227;o com ratos com ICC, a porcentagem de DNA na cauda do cometa foi relativamente semelhante aos resultados obtidos na investiga&#231;&#227;o em c&#233;lulas do diafragma.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B30">30</xref></p>
        <p>Um achado interessante deste estudo foi o maior dano ao DNA nas c&#233;lulas do s&#243;leo do que nas do ventr&#237;culo esquerdo, o que corrobora o fato de que, ap&#243;s IM, o ventr&#237;culo se adapta funcional e morfologicamente e o m&#250;sculo perif&#233;rico sofre altera&#231;&#245;es histol&#243;gicas e bioqu&#237;micas.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B31">31</xref>,<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B32">32</xref> A fase aguda do IM &#233; caracterizada pela necrose dos mi&#243;citos card&#237;acos, que expande a &#225;rea de necrose do ventr&#237;culo esquerdo nas horas seguintes, afetando estruturas adjacentes.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B33">33</xref> Nesta fase do IM, a extens&#227;o do dano ao DNA &#233; provavelmente maior do que em qualquer outro tecido, como pode ser observado em citocinas pr&#243;-inflamat&#243;rias e mediadores autof&#225;gicos.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B34">34</xref>,<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B35">35</xref></p>
        <p>O fato de os cardiomi&#243;citos apresentarem uma taxa de renova&#231;&#227;o de aproximadamente 1% em jovens e cerca de 0,45% em idosos<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B36">36</xref> refor&#231;a nossos achados sobre a diferen&#231;a de dano ao DNA entre os tecidos de ratos com ICC. O ventr&#237;culo esquerdo mostra alta adaptabilidade para modificar sua geometria e capacidade de reparar os principais produtos oxidativos do DNA. Demonstrou-se que o principal problema da ICC n&#227;o s&#227;o as altera&#231;&#245;es centrais do cora&#231;&#227;o, mas sim que esta tamb&#233;m afeta, indiretamente, todos os outros &#243;rg&#227;os.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B37">37</xref> A complexidade do cen&#225;rio da ICC, como remodela&#231;&#227;o card&#237;aca, altera&#231;&#245;es na mec&#226;nica ventilat&#243;ria e hemodin&#226;mica e estado pr&#243;-inflamat&#243;rio sist&#234;mico, leva &#224; forma&#231;&#227;o de radicais livres de diferentes formas. Esse estado disfuncional cr&#237;tico estabelece uma condi&#231;&#227;o de estresse oxidativo em diferentes &#243;rg&#227;os e sistemas.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B38">38</xref>,<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B39">39</xref></p>
        <p>Nossa hip&#243;tese foi de que as c&#233;lulas musculares esquel&#233;ticas teriam maior dano ao DNA em ICC.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B40">40</xref>,<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B41">41</xref> Por esse motivo, optamos por analisar dois m&#250;sculos esquel&#233;ticos diferentes (m&#250;sculos s&#243;leo e gastrocn&#234;mio) por suas diferentes propor&#231;&#245;es de tipo de fibra em ratos com ICC. O m&#250;sculo esquel&#233;tico da ICC &#233; altamente afetado pela hipoperfus&#227;o que aumenta o dano oxidativo interno, principalmente nas mitoc&#244;ndrias.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B42">42</xref> Como o m&#250;sculo esquel&#233;tico &#233; alvo de dano oxidativo, era esperado que houvesse maior dano observado em nossos achados. Na ICC, o sistema de defesa antioxidante nos m&#250;sculos esquel&#233;ticos pode diminuir constantemente ao longo do tempo.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B43">43</xref> &#201; prov&#225;vel que o dano oxidativo observado no m&#250;sculo s&#243;leo seja explicado por sua caracter&#237;stica morfol&#243;gica (por exemplo, maior n&#250;mero de capilares por fibra, predomin&#226;ncia de fibras tipo I, maior atividade do metabolismo aer&#243;bico).<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B44">44</xref>,<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B45">45</xref> Por outro lado, o m&#250;sculo gastrocn&#234;mio apresenta morfologia de caracter&#237;sticas mistas, com uma distribui&#231;&#227;o percentual mais equilibrada em rela&#231;&#227;o ao tipo de fibras e portanto menor depend&#234;ncia do metabolismo aer&#243;bico. Por esse motivo, imaginamos que apresentasse menos danos ao DNA que o m&#250;sculo s&#243;leo.</p>
        <p>A maquinaria antioxidante muda ao longo do tempo no ciclo celular (por exemplo: prolifera&#231;&#227;o e diferencia&#231;&#227;o miog&#234;nica), demonstrando maior express&#227;o da atividade de enzimas antioxidantes em mioblastos do que em miotubos, aumentando assim a probabilidade de mortalidade sob estresse oxidativo.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B5">5</xref> Esse fen&#244;meno &#233; interessante, uma vez que o desuso dos m&#250;sculos esquel&#233;ticos devido &#224; intoler&#226;ncia ao exerc&#237;cio &#233; comum em pacientes com ICC, al&#233;m de estar relacionado &#224; diminui&#231;&#227;o da sinaliza&#231;&#227;o do gatilho antioxidante-estimulante da contra&#231;&#227;o muscular.<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B46">46</xref></p>
        <p>O m&#250;sculo s&#243;leo n&#227;o possui a mesma capacidade de adapta&#231;&#227;o que o ventr&#237;culo esquerdo, o que pode explicar por que o dano no DNA foi maior.</p>
        <sec>
          <title>Limita&#231;&#245;es</title>
          <p>Este trabalho mostra poucas limita&#231;&#245;es, como a aus&#234;ncia de avalia&#231;&#227;o de danos ao DNA em outros tecidos (f&#237;gado, estruturas encef&#225;licas e outros m&#250;sculos esquel&#233;ticos). Outra limita&#231;&#227;o que pode enriquecer nossos achados &#233; a mensura&#231;&#227;o da mutag&#234;nese. A avalia&#231;&#227;o da mutag&#234;nese da ICC, juntamente com a SCGE, pode levar a um cen&#225;rio mais robusto de dano ao DNA e &#224; falta de reparo dessas les&#245;es. Nosso projeto tem como objetivo avaliar os danos longitudinais que o modelo experimental de ICC pode levar e suas diferen&#231;as em rela&#231;&#227;o aos tecidos; portanto, a capacidade do DNA de reparar suas les&#245;es n&#227;o p&#244;de ser levada a diante.</p>
        </sec>
      </sec>
      <sec sec-type="conclusions">
        <title>Conclus&#227;o</title>
        <p>Nossos resultados mostram danos ao DNA usando SCGE no modelo experimental de ICC por IM. A disfun&#231;&#227;o do ventr&#237;culo esquerdo afeta claramente o tecido card&#237;aco, pulm&#245;es, diafragma, gastrocn&#234;mio e s&#243;leo e foi associada &#224; extens&#227;o do dano ao DNA, afetando mais o m&#250;sculo s&#243;leo do que o ventr&#237;culo esquerdo e o gastrocn&#234;mio. O teste do cometa demonstrou ser uma ferramenta confi&#225;vel para quantificar danos ao DNA em diferentes tecidos de animais com ICC e o m&#250;sculo s&#243;leo demonstrou ser mais afetado pela insufici&#234;ncia card&#237;aca do que o ventr&#237;culo esquerdo e o gastrocn&#234;mio.</p>
      </sec>
    </body>
    <back>
      <fn-group>
        <fn fn-type="supported-by">
          <p>
            <bold>Fontes de financiamento</bold>
          </p>
          <p>O presente estudo foi financiado pela Capes, CNPq, UFCSPA.</p>
        </fn>
        <fn fn-type="other">
          <p>
            <bold>Vincula&#231;&#227;o acad&#234;mica</bold>
          </p>
          <p>Este artigo &#233; parte de disserta&#231;&#227;o de Mestrado de Giuseppe Potrick Stefani pela Universidade Federal de Ci&#234;ncias da Sa&#250;de de Porto Alegre.</p>
        </fn>
        <fn fn-type="other">
          <p>
            <bold>Aprova&#231;&#227;o &#233;tica e consentimento informado</bold>
          </p>
          <p>Este estudo foi aprovado pelo Comit&#234; de &#201;tica do CEUA/ UFCSPA sob o n&#250;mero de protocolo 114/13. Todos os procedimentos envolvidos nesse estudo est&#227;o de acordo com a Declara&#231;&#227;o de Helsinki de 1975, atualizada em 2013.</p>
        </fn>
      </fn-group>
    </back>
  </sub-article>
</article>
