In vitro and in vivo antileishmanial activities of a Brazilian green propolis extract

The in vitro antileishmanial activity of Brazilian green propolis hydroalcoholic extract (BPE) were carried out on Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis against both promastigote (doses ranging from 1 to 750 mu g mL(-1)) and amastigote (10, 100, and 250 mu g mL(-1)) assays in comparison with the positive (amphotericin B) and negative (dimethyl sulfoxide at 1% in physiologic solution) control groups. BPE displayed in vitro antileishmanial activities against promastigote forms of the parasite (p<0.05). However, it was inactive against its amastigote ones. In the in vitro cytotoxicity assay against Vero cells, BPE showed no cytotoxicity in the maximum doses tested. The high-performance liquid chromatography analysis allowed the identification of caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, aromadendrine-4`-methyl-ether, 3-prenyl-p-coumaric acid (drupanin), and 3,5-diprenil-p-cumarico acid (artepillin C) as major compounds of BPE. In the in vivo assay, using a Balb/C lineage of Mus musculus male mice, groups of ten animals each were treated (1.5 mg kg day(-1)) with BPE orally (group 1), BPE topically (group 2), BPE orally and topically (group 3), and glucantime (group 4), using NaCl 0.9% (group 5) as the negative control group. Groups 1, 2, and 3 displayed a decrease on lesion development, after 90 days of treatment, by 78.6%, 84.3%, and 90.0%, respectively, while the glucantime-treated group showed 57.7% of decrease, all in comparison with the negative control group. It is the first time that the in vivo antileishmanial activity has been reported for Brazilian green propolis.

The role of seasonality on the inhibitory effect of Brazilian green propolis on the oxidative metabolism of neutrophils

The reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by neutrophils are involved in the pathogenesis of several diseases, for which the intake of antioxidants could benefit patients either as a prophylactic or therapeutic treatment. Propolis is among the known antioxidants, and its chemical composition may vary under the influence of seasonality, which may interfere in its biological properties. This work evaluates the role of seasonality on the production of some important compounds of propolis samples produced monthly from November 2001 through October 2002 as well as the effect of these samples on the oxidative metabolism of stimulated neutrophils, by using both luminol and lucigenin to produce chemiluminescence (CLlum and CLluc, respectively). The cytotoxicity of the most active extracts to neutrophils was also investigated. The inhibitory effect of the propolis samples varied significantly during the studied period for both assays (3.4 +/- 1.1 to 16.0 +/- 1.1 mu g/mL for CLlum and 6.2 +/- 2.0 to 30.0 +/- 5.0 mu g/mL for CLluc), which was also observed in the quantitative profile of the main analyzed compounds (aromadendrin-4`-methyl ether, artepillin C, and baccharin). This effect started to become more prominent during the fall and, among all the studied extracts, the one obtained in May displayed the highest inhibitory effect on CL production (3.4 +/- 1.1 mu g/mL for alum and 6.2 +/- 2.0 mu g/mL for CLluc). The HPLC qualitative profiles of the extracts of propolis samples were quite similar, but there was a huge variation in terms of quantitative profile. It seems that aromadendrin-4`-methyl ether and baccharin play an essential role in the antioxidant activity, while artepillin C is not very important for this effect. The extracts presenting the highest antioxidant activity were produced in May, June, and August, and they did not display cytotoxicity at 25 mu g/mL; quercetin, used as control, was not toxic to neutrophils at 8.5 mu g/mL (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the Contraction of Cutaneous Wounds in Wistar Rats Treated with Brazilian Green Propolis Gel

In this work the effects of topic use of Brazilian green propolis gel in the contraction of wounds performed in rat`s skin was evaluated. In ten female Wistar rats were done four wounds in dorsal region. Two wounds in each rat were treated daily with Brazilian green propolis gel during 10 days. The wounds were photographed daily, and the images were analyzed with ImageJ software, in order to measure wound areas and evaluate wound contraction. In the graphic analysis, treated group and control group had similar behavior, and both evolved for complete closure in 10th experimentation day. The wound clots fell down before in treated wounds. Green propolis in the gel formulation at 5% in topical use had not effect in the process of wound contraction. The macroscopic visualization of the contraction of wounds, by itself, does not seem to be a good indicator of the process of tissue repair.

Are supplier selection criteria going green? Case studies of companies in Brazil

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to verify if Brazilian companies are adopting environmental requirements in the supplier selection process. Further, this paper intends to analyze whether there is a relation between the level of environmental management maturity and the inclusion of environmental criteria in the companies` selection of suppliers. Design/methodology/approach - A review of mainstream literature on environmental management, traditional criteria in the supplier selection process and the incorporation of environmental requirements in this context. The empirical study`s strategy is based on five Brazilian case studies with industrial companies. Face-to-face interviews and informal conversations are to be held, explanations made by e-mail with representatives from the purchasing, environmental management, logistics and other areas, and observation and the collection of company documents are also employed. Findings - Based on the cases, it is concluded that companies still use traditional criteria to select suppliers, such as quality and cost, and do not adopt environmental requirements in the supplier selection process in a uniform manner. Evidence found shows that the level of environmental management maturity influences the depth with which companies adopt environmental criteria when selecting suppliers. Thus, a company with more advanced environmental management adopts more formal procedures for selecting environmentally appropriate suppliers than others. Originality/value - This is the first known study to verify if Brazilian companies are adopting environmental requirements in the supplier selection process.

GREEN MANAGEMENT, CLIMATE CHANGE AND SMALL BUSINESS IN BRAZIL: IMPLICATIONS FOR TRAINING AND EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

This paper presents the results of a study on the analysis of training needs regarding environmental (green) management and climate change topics in micro and small enterprises (MSEs) in Brazil and its implications on education for sustainable development. It reports on an e-mail survey of Brazilian small enterprises, whose results indicate that they are indeed interested in environmental management and climate change topics in an education for sustainable development context. The study indicates that proposals for courses on environmental management and climate change should follow a systemic perspective and take sustainable development into account. By applying factor analysis, it was found that the topics of interest can be grouped into thematic modules, which can be useful in the design of training courses for the top management leaders of those companies.

A Practical Teaching Course in Directed Protein Evolution Using the Green Fluorescent Protein as a Model

Protein engineering is a powerful tool, which correlates protein structure with specific functions, both in applied biotechnology and in basic research. Here, we present a practical teaching course for engineering the green fluorescent protein (GFP) from Aequorea victoria by a random mutagenesis strategy using error-prone polymerase chain reaction. Screening of bacterial colonies transformed with random mutant libraries identified GFP variants with increased fluorescence yields. Mapping the three-dimensional structure of these mutants demonstrated how alterations in structural features such as the environment around the fluorophore and properties of the protein surface can influence functional properties such as the intensity of fluorescence and protein solubility.

Red, green, and blue lanthanum phosphate phosphors obtained via surfactant-control led hydrothermal synthesis

A new solution route for the obtainment of highly pure luminescent rare-earth orthophosphates in hydrothermal conditions was developed. By starting from soluble precursors (lanthanide tripolyphosphato complexes. i.e. with P(3)O(10)(5) as a complexing agent and as in orthophosphate source) and by applying surfactants in a water/toluene medium, the precipitations are confined to reverse micelle structures, thus yielding nanosized and homogeneous orthophosphates The method was employed to obtain lanthanide-activated lanthanum phosphates, which can be applied as red (LaPO(4):Eu(3+)), green (LaPO(4):Ce(3+), Tb(3+)) and blue (LaPO(4):Tm(3+)) phosphors The produced materials were analyzed by powder X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy and luminescence spectroscopy (emission, excitation, lifetimes and chromaticity coordinates) (C) 2009 Elsevier B V All rights reserved

QUADRANT-SEARCHING: A NEW TECHNIQUE TO REDUCE THE SEARCH SPACE OF THE INVERSE PROBLEM OF EIT USING BEM TO THE DIRECT PROBLEM

The image reconstruction using the EIT (Electrical Impedance Tomography) technique is a nonlinear and ill-posed inverse problem which demands a powerful direct or iterative method. A typical approach for solving the problem is to minimize an error functional using an iterative method. In this case, an initial solution close enough to the global minimum is mandatory to ensure the convergence to the correct minimum in an appropriate time interval. The aim of this paper is to present a new, simple and low cost technique (quadrant-searching) to reduce the search space and consequently to obtain an initial solution of the inverse problem of EIT. This technique calculates the error functional for four different contrast distributions placing a large prospective inclusion in the four quadrants of the domain. Comparing the four values of the error functional it is possible to get conclusions about the internal electric contrast. For this purpose, initially we performed tests to assess the accuracy of the BEM (Boundary Element Method) when applied to the direct problem of the EIT and to verify the behavior of error functional surface in the search space. Finally, numerical tests have been performed to verify the new technique.

Assessment of flow in perforating arteries during intracranial aneurysm surgery using intraoperative near-infrared indocyanine green videoangiography

OBJECTIVE: Perforating arteries are commonly involved during the surgical dissection and clipping of intracranial aneurysms. Occlusion of perforating arteries is responsible for ischemic infarction and poor outcome. The goal of this study is to describe the usefulness of near-infrared indocyanine green videoangiography (ICGA) for the intraoperative assessment of blood flow in perforating arteries that are visible in the surgical field during clipping of intracranial aneurysms. In addition, we analyzed the incidence of perforating vessels involved during the aneurysm surgery and the incidence of ischemic infarct caused by compromised small arteries. METHODS: Sixty patients with 64 aneurysms were surgically treated and prospectively included in this study. Intraoperative ICGA was performed using a surgical microscope (Carl Zeiss Co., Oberkochen, Germany) with integrated ICGA technology. The presence and involvement of perforating arteries were analyzed in the microsurgical field during surgical dissection and clip application. Assessment of vascular patency after clipping was also investigated. Only those small arteries that were not visible on preoperative digital subtraction angiography were considered for analysis. RESULTS: The ICGA was able to visualize flow in all patients in whom perforating vessels were found in the microscope field. Among 36 patients whose perforating vessels were visible on ICGA, 11 (30%) presented a close relation between the aneurysm and perforating arteries. In one (9%) of these 11 patients, ICGA showed occlusion of a P1 perforating artery after clip application, which led to immediate correction of the clip confirmed by immediate reestablishment of flow visible with ICGA without clinical consequences. Four patients (6.7%) presented with postoperative perforating artery infarct, three of whom had perforating arteries that were not visible or distant from the aneurysm. CONCLUSION: The involvement of perforating arteries during clip application for aneurysm occlusion is a usual finding. Intraoperative ICGA may provide visual information with regard to the patency of these small vessels.

Distribution of fentanyl in the placental intervillous space and in the different maternal and fetal compartments in term pregnant women

Fentanyl is used in obstetrical practice to promote analgesia and anesthesia during labor and in cesarean delivery, with rapid and short-term effects. To determine fentanyl concentrations in maternal plasma, in the placental intervillous space, and in the umbilical artery and vein in term pregnant women. Ten healthy pregnant women underwent epidural anesthesia with fentanyl plus bupivacaine and lidocaine, and fentanyl concentrations were determined in the various maternal and fetal compartments, including the placental intervillous space, which has not been previously studied in the literature. The ratios of fentanyl concentrations in the various maternal and fetal compartments revealed an 86% rate of placental fentanyl transfer. The highest fentanyl concentrations were detected in the placental intervillous space, being 2.19 times higher than in maternal plasma, 2.8 times higher than in the umbilical vein and 3.6 times higher than in the umbilical artery, with no significant differences between the umbilical vein and artery, demonstrating that there was no drug uptake by fetal tissues nor metabolism of the drug by the fetus despite the high rates of placental transfer. The present study demonstrated that the placental intervillous space acted as a site of fentanyl deposit, a fact that may be explained by two hypotheses: (1) the blood collected from the placental intervillous space is arterial and, according to some investigators, the arterial plasma concentrations of the drugs administered to patients undergoing epidural anesthesia are higher than the venous concentrations, and (2) a possible role of P-glycoprotein (P-gp).

Distribution of Bupivacaine Enantiomers and Lidocaine and Its Metabolite in the Placental Intervillous Space and in the Different Maternal and Fetal Compartments in Term Pregnant Women

The aim of this study is to determine the concentrations of lidocaine and its metabolite, monoethylglycine xylidide (MEGX), and of the enantiomers of bupivacaine in maternal and fetal compartments. Ten healthy pregnant women were submitted to epidural anesthesia. Drug concentrations were determined in the maternal vein, fetal umbilical artery and vein, and the placental intervillous space. The highest concentrations of the bupivacaine enantiomers lidocaine and of lidocaine and of its MEGX metabolite were detected in maternal plasma and in the placental intervillous space. The placental transfer was 33% for the (+)-(R)-bupivacaine enantiomer and 31% for the (-)-(S)-bupivacaine enantiomer. For lidocaine and its MEGX metabolite, respective placental transfers were 60% and 43%. Lidocaine concentration in the fetal umbilical vein was 1.46 times higher than in the fetal umbilical artery. The highest concentrations of lidocaine and its metabolite and of the enantiomers of bupivacaine were detected in the placental intervillous space. The higher lidocaine concentrations in the fetal umbilical vein than in the fetal umbilical artery suggest that there was tissue uptake of the drug or drug metabolization by the fetus.

Does rapid maxillary expansion increase nasopharyngeal space and improve nasal airway resistance?

Objective: To evaluate the effect of rapid maxillary expansion (RME) on the dimension of the nasopharyngeal space and its relation to nasal airway resistance. Methods: Twenty-five school-age children (from 7 to 10 year-old) with mouth and/or mixed breathing, with mixed dentition and uni- or bilateral posterior crossbite involving the deciduous canines and the first permanent molars, were evaluated. RME was placed and remained during 90 days. Rhinomanometry and orthodontic documentation were performed at four different times, i.e., before (T(1)), immediately after (T(2)), 90 days (T(3)) and 30 months (T(4)) after RME. Results: Differences in nasopharyngeal area and in nasal airway resistance were observed only 30 months after RME, and could be explained by facial growth, and not because of the orthodontic procedure. Conclusion: RME does not influence on nasopharyngeal area or nasal airway resistance in long-term evaluation. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Experimental selective choriocapillaris photothrombosis using a modified indocyanine green formulation

Background: This in vivo study assessed and compared the effectiveness of an aqueous indocyanine green (ICG) formulation (R-ICG) and a lipid ICG formulation (L-ICG) in occluding the rabbit choriocapillaris, and determined the singlet oxygen quantum yields and aggregation properties of both formulations in vitro. Methods: Singlet oxygen production and aggregation were compared. The eye fundus of 30 albino rabbits was irradiated 0-15 min after dye injection using an 810 nm diode laser. Fluorescein angiography and light microscopy were used to evaluate the safety and efficacy of R-ICG and L-ICG. Results: L-ICG decreased the dimerisation constant and the tendency of ICG to form aggregates, and increased the efficiency of ICG in generating singlet oxygen (R-ICG, Phi Delta= 0.120 and L-ICG, Phi Delta= 0.210). Using a 10 mg/kg dose, choriocapillaris occlusion was achieved at a light dose of 35.8 J/cm(2) with L-ICG and 71.6 J/cm(2) with R-ICG with minimal damage to the neurosensory retina. Conclusion: Restrictions to the use of ICG in aqueous solution, low singlet oxygen quantum yields and high aggregation tendency, were overcome with L-ICG. The lower laser irradiance required to obtain choriocapillaris occlusion may suggest that L-ICG is a more potent and selective photosensitiser than R-ICG.

Percutaneous Transatrial Access to the Pericardial Space for Epicardial Mapping and Ablation

Background-Puncture of the atrial appendage may provide access to the pericardial space. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of epicardial mapping and ablation through an endocardial transatrial access in a swine model. Methods and Results-An 8-F Mullins sheath was used to perforate the right (n=16) or left (n=1) atrial appendage in 17 pigs (median weight, 27.5 kg; first and third quartiles [Q1, Q3], 25.2, 30.0 kg). A 7-F ablation catheter was introduced into the pericardial space to perform epicardial mapping and deliver radiofrequency pulses on the atria. The pericardial space was entered in all 17 animals. In 15 (88%) animals, there was no hemodynamic instability (mean blood pressure monitoring, initial median, 80 mm Hg; Q1, Q3, 70, 86 mm Hg; final median, 88 mm Hg; Q1, Q3, 80, 96 mm Hg; P=0.426). In these 15, a mild hemorrhagic pericardial effusion was identified and aspirated (median, 20 mL; Q1, Q3, 15, 30 mL) during the procedure, and postmortem gross analysis revealed that the atrial perforation was closed in these animals. In 2 (12%) of the 17 animals, there was major pericardial bleeding with hemodynamic collapse. On gross examination, it was found that pericardial space was accessed through right ventricular perforation in 1 animal and the tricuspid annulus in the other. After the initial study, we used an occlusion device in 3 other animals to attempt to seal the puncture (2 at the right atrial appendage and 1 at the right ventricle). These 3 animals had no significant pericardial bleeding. Conclusions-Transatrial endovascular right atrial appendage puncture may provide a potential alternative route for pericardial access. Further studies are needed to evaluate its safety with longer and more-complex procedures before being applied in clinical settings. (Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol. 2011;4:331-336.)