Efeitos da deficiência de vitamina A na função pulmonar de crianças após infecção respiratória viral

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico

Qualidade de vida do servidor da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte em condição crônica de saúde

The study aimed to analyze the influence of chronic health conditions (CHC) on quality of life (QOL) of UFRN servers assaulted by CHC. It is a descriptive and cross-sectional study with prospective data and quantitative approach, accomplished in the ambulatory clinic of the Department of Server Assistance (DSA) of the Pro-Rectory of Human Resources, during three months. The sample was composed by accessibility, totaling 215 people, being 153 active and 62 inactive servers, in chronic health condition. The data were collected through the application of the sociodemographic characterization, health, environmental and laboral form, the Medical Outcome Study 36-Item Short Form (SF-36). The study was evaluated by the HUOL Ethics Committee (CAAE no. 0046.0.294.000.10), obtaining assent. The results were analyzed in the SPSS 15.0 program through the descriptive and inferential statistics. It was identified servants predominantly male (59,1%), under 60 years old, married or in stable union, Catholics, brown color, living in the capital and residents in own home. Regarding labor issues, there was a predominance of active servers technical-administrative with intermediate and medium level positions and small proportion of docents. Among the CHC, the non-communicable diseases - NCDs (95.8%) had a higher frequency, followed by persistent mental disorders - PMDs (18.6%) and, finally, the continuous and structural physical deficiency - CSPD (16.9 %). The QOL of servers was considered good, with a mean score of 72.5 points in the total score, with the most affected domains: physical (59.1), general health (66.2), bodily pain (66.3) and functional aspects (72.0). The mental health dimension (76.5) had a better average than the physical dimension (68.0 points). It was found that the decrease in QOL scores is significant statistically related to higher number of CHC (ρ <0.001), with no statistical significance regarding the functional situation (p = 0.259). The administrative technicians of elementary, primary, secondary levels and docents had the worst QOL scores. After the correlation analysis of CHC with the domains and dimensions of the SF-36, there was statistically significant, negative and weak correlation of the domains: functional aspect (ρ = 0.002, r = -0.207), physical aspects (ρ = 0.007; r = -0.183), vitality (ρ = 0.002, r = -0.213), social function (ρ = 0.000, r = -0.313), emotional aspects (ρ = 0.000, r = -0.293), mental health (ρ = 0.000 , r = -0.238), physical health dimension (ρ = 0.002, r = -0.210) and mental health dimension (ρ = 0.000, r = -0.298). The presence of PMD isolated or together, contributed to a lower SF-36 scores, being the domains variation of mean significant, except for bodily pain, general health and physical aspects. By correlating the categories of CHC and QOL, there was a weak correlation (r ≤ -0.376) and significant (ρ ≤ 0.011), mainly related to the NCD, PMDs and NCD + PMD, affecting the mental health, social function, emotional aspects, vitality and functional aspect domains. Front of the results, it was concludes that the servers quality of life is influenced by the CHC. Thus, it was inferred that the presence of CHC causes a negative effect on quality of life, leading the active and inactive servers to exposure their overall life activities and work over the years, due to the morbidity affected, mainly related to NCDs and PMDs. Descriptors: Quality of life. Chronic disease. Occupational Health. Nursing

Análise das mutações C282Y e H63D no gene da proteína HFE em pacientes com hiperferritinemia

Hereditary Hemochromatosis (HH) is a genetic disease caused by high iron absorption and deposition in several organs. This accumulation results in clinical disturbances such as cirrhosis, arthritis, cardiopathies, diabetes, sexual disorders and skin darkening. The H63D and C282Y mutations are well defined in the hemochromatosis etiology. The aim of this paper was that of identifying the H63D and C282Y genetical mutations in the hemochromatosis gene and the frequency assessment of these mutations in the HFE protein gene in patients with hyperferritin which are sent to the DNA Center laboratory in Natal, state of Rio Grande do Norte. This paper also evaluates the HH H63D and C282Y gene mutations genotype correlation with the serum ferritin concentration, glucose, alanine aminotransferasis, aspartato aminotransferasis, gama glutamil transferasis and with the clinical complications and also the interrelation with life habits including alcoholism and iron overload. The biochemical dosages and molecule analyses are done respectively by the enzymatic method and PCR with enzymatic restriction. Out of the 183 patients investigated, 51,4% showed no mutation and 48,6% showed some type of mutation: 5,0% were C282Y heterozygous mutation; 1,1%, C282Y homozygous mutation; 31%, H63D heterozygous mutation; 8,7%, H63D homozygous mutation; and 3,3%, heterozygous for the mutation in both genes. As to gender, we observed a greater percentage of cases with molecular alteration in men in relation to women in the two evaluated mutations. The individuals with negative results showed clinical and lab signs which indicate hemochromatosis that other genes could be involved in the iron metabolism. Due to the high prevalence of hemochromatosis and taking into account that hemochromatosis is considered a public health matter, its gravity being preventable and the loss treatment toxicity, the early genetic diagnosis is indicated, especially in patients with high ferritin, and this way it avoids serious clinical manifestations and increases patients' life expectation. Our findings show the importance of doing such genetic studies in individuals suspected of hereditary hemochromatosis due to the high incidence of such a hereditary disease in our region

Gritos de silêncio: na voz dos familiares cuidadores de portadores da doença de Alzheimer

This work is an investigation related to issues of those who take home care of people who suffer from Alzheimer disease (AD). Thus, it is justified by the need to acknowledge how these relatives perform this task and in which ways they do this. The study has is analytical and qualitative methodology with the use of a thematic oral history approach. The subjects of the research were nine relatives of those who suffer from AD that participate in the home care group in the Candelária neighborhood in the city of Natal in Rio Grande do Norte-Brazil. The data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire and interview that was booked in advance and had full support from the care takers. After information collection, three thematic axles were defined. After this procedure, three analisys subcategories were also defined. The first thematic axle emphasizes the so called movement of rite of passage, when the relative becomes a care taker of a person with AD. The second category deals with the care takers strategies, either related to their own behalf or on their relative. It is possible to infer that amongst other forms of help, the care taker needs to rely on a support network, such as health services, groups composed by multiprofessionals that enable better articulation between family and collaborators. The dimension related to faith and spirituality was also observed and pointed out as an important aspect in the emotional support process for these relatives. In the third axle the perspectives of struggle, conquests of the right to health and life quality of those who suffer from AD as well as their relatives was observed. These also deal with dreams and hope

O processo de cuidar em Unidade de Terapia Intensiva

The environment of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is commonly referred to as a place where caring is inextricably linked to high technology. The care in ICU often changes the patient into a taxpayer being left apart from its complexity and sometimes seen through a reductionist perspective. Thus, studies circa the care process are needed oriented from a historical ransom, raising the prospect of a more centralized human care. Hence, this study aimed to analyze the care process in a nursing intensive care unit from the perspective of the professional, family and patients. The study is characterized from a qualitative, descriptive and exploratory methodological approach. The actors were participating nursing professionals, patients and family members of an intensive care unit of Mossoró / RN. Data were collected in the period of May-June 2011, through interviews and observation of activities performed by nursing professionals, and their records in the chart. Data analysis was divided into topics and subtopics representing the phases and shapes that formed the collection. The analysis and discussion of the interviews were based on Bardin's proposal, when we created categories from a process of sorting and grouping criteria adequately defined. The observation of nursing records intended to observe the emphasis which is described in those notes as well as their consistency with practice of FCN and resolution 358/2009. The analysis showed that the nursing staff also performs work focused on mechanized activities and technical-bureaucratic institution that seem to override the needs of patients. In an overview, the care provided by professionals occurs either fragmented or insipient, however there is a service that involves other aspects beyond technical-curative practice, considering that major attention is given to the family and patient, focused on the concern of Nursing guiding their actions in not only the performance of procedures. However, the process of humanizing not always ends with an engagement between professional and patient, which mischaracterizes the true meaning of human care. The records also showed a tendency to focus on caring in a positivist line, where, in most cases, the factors of the disease and the obligation to meet the productivity have overshadowed other relevant aspects to a holistic understanding of caring. Regarding FCN Resolution No. 358/2009, which guides a systematization of nursing care, it is confirmed a technical view, a fragmented and superficial view of the patient, as well as a weakness of care, caused by ignorance and unpreparedness of the entire team. The perspective of caring demonstrates a reality with dialectic between what is proposed in a humane nursing and what happens in this performance space. Besides, it was shown a daily full of important considerations that arise in professional practice, in their views and also those people who were participants in the process

Da negatividade a positividade: possível trânsito de saberes, práticas e representações sociais sobre o estigma da hanseníase

Leprosy is a chronic infectious-contagious disease, caused by Mycobacterium leprae, manifested by dermatological and neurological signs and symptoms and has great disabling power. It was marked by a strong stigma throughout its history, since its bearers represented a threat, target of fear and social contempt. Currently, leprosy has treatment and cure, and the need to separate the diseased from family and social environment is no more necessary. However, patients still suffer prejudice and discrimination. This study aimed to understand the social representations of leprosy that interfere modifying mental health of the patient with leprosy in relation to stigma and prejudice. This is a descriptive and exploratory study, with qualitative approach, which involved 22 users of the Special Care Clinic in Infectious Diseases at the Hospital Giselda Trigueiro, located in Natal / RN. They were in use of multidrug therapy in the period of data collection, were of both sexes, aged between 16 and 80 years of age and classified as paucibacillary or multibacillary. The study was approved by the UFRN Ethics in Research Committee. Data collection was performed by filling the questionnaire identification and then for conducting the semi-structured interview, which was recorded. After the end of data collection, there was the construction of tables and graphs, using the Microsoft Excel Start 2010 for proper characterization of the research subjects; and for the treatment of the data obtained from the interviews, was used the Content Analysis and based on the Theory of Social Representations. The subjects studied were mostly male (64%), married or in a stable relationship (68%), concentrated in the age group 50-60 years (36%) and 28-38 years (23%), had at most elementary education (65%) and were low-income (59%). Of the total respondents, 64% were classified as multibacillary, with predominantly dimorfous form, and 50% had disability grade I or II, with different periods of diagnosis. The reports originate two categories: 1. The negative meanings of illness and leprosy; and 2. The positive meanings of illness in leprosy, which were subsequently subdivided into subcategories. Thus, it was found that in the group studied, the social representation of leprosy experiences a moment of transition, as regards the understanding of the disease and its way of experiencing the disease process. Such representation is anchored in the quality of information on the disease of its bearers and aimed at an attempt to face the illness of leprosy as a "normal process". It was found in this study that the transition is due to the work of combating stigma and consequences of leprosy, which is able to gradually transform reality, both regarding the team work of reference, and in relation to a broader character, of actions of health education, which favors overcoming of psychosocial disabilities

A doença de criar passarinhos: a lírica humanizadora de João Cabral de Melo Neto

João Cabral de Melo Neto n a jamais aimé les vers sentimentaux et prolixes venus de la tradition romantique. C est pour ça que son uvre a un discours objectif, rigoureusement elaboré e elle comporte certaines influences concretistes ça explique pourquoi l auteur est connu comme l ingénieur de la langage. En verité, le poète même dissait qu il était un homme froid et rationnel. La critique a assidument analysé la matière logique et le rigeuer formel de l uvre de Cabral de Melo. Pourtant, dans ce travail nous analysons les poèmes dont le sentiments humaines sont la mtière principal de l élaboration de l experiènce esthétique. La poèsie de João Cabral n est pas simple verbalisme formel, ni un uvre sens vie, car les objects concrètes et la langage objectif n empêchent pas qui le sujet décrit avec émotion les scènes presents dans les poèmes. Nous travaillons avec la hypothèse de que le poète a une attitude trop humaine quand il parle de l experience culturel et de l experience de la vie dans le Nord-est brésilien. Les unités témathiques de ce travail, pourtant, montrent la représentation du Nord-est dans la poèsie de João Cabral et examinent aussi le sentiment qu il sent par la memoire culturel de sa région. Parmi les aspects qui composent sa lyrique humaine nous citons la personification constant de les paysages du Nord-est le poète ne veux pas faire une décrition tophographique de la région parce que les places ont un valeuer sentimentel pour lui; au moyen d un discours erotique, Cabral represente les desirs et les intints humaines de sa terre; ensuite, il semble que le poète est enchanté et enveloppé avec certains elemets culturels de sa région, come l hamac, la littérature oral et la musique régional; la preoccupation avec la population explorée et la denonciation de la condition miserable dans le Nord-est brésilien confirment aussi la humanité présent dans son uvre; finalment, la récordation de l enfance et la nostalgie du temps passé sont, pour le poète, un possibilité qui peut aider dans la formation humaine de la population

Ánálise da capacidade funcional e da distribuição regional da ventilação pulmonar em pacientes com doença de chagas

INTRODUCTION: Cardiac and pulmonary manifestations of the Chagas disease (CD) affect between 20-30% of the infected subjects. The chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy (CCC) has some peculiarities such as arrhythmias and, especially heart failure (HF) and is potentially lethal due to left ventricular dysfunction. How respiratory disorders, patients get progressive loss of functional capacity, which contributes to a poor quality of life related to disease. Measurements of lung volume by the movement of the chest wall surface are an alternative evaluation of lung function and kinematics of complex thoracoabdominal for these patients. OBJECTIVE: evaluate the kinematics of the thoracoabdominal complex through the regional pulmonary volumes and to correlate with functional evaluation of the cardiorrespiratory system in patients with Chagas disease at rest. MATERIALS AND METHODS: a cross-section study with 42 subjects had been divided in 3 groups, 15 composed for patients with CCC, 12 patients with HF of different etiologies and 15 healthful presented control group. An optoelectronic plethysmography (POE), Minnesota questionnaire, six minute walk test, spirometer and manovacuometer was used. RESULTS: It was observed in the 6MWT where group CRL presented greater distance 464,93±44,63m versus Group HF with 399,58± 32,1m (p=0,005) and group CCC 404±68,24m (p=0,015), both the groups presented difference statistics with regard to Group CRL. In the manovacuometer 54,59±19,98; of the group CCC and 42,11±13,52 of group IC found group CRL presented 81,31±15,25 of the predicted versus, presenting in relation to group CRL. In the POE it observed a major contribution in abdominal compartment in patients with IC if compared like CCC and control groups. On the basis of the questionnaire of quality of life of Minessota, verified a low one groups CCC and IC 43,2±15,2 and 44,4±13,1, respectively (p<0,05) when compared with the control group (19,6±17,31). CONCLUSION: it seems that the patients with CCC possess same functional and respiratory characteristics, observed for the POE, 6MWT, manovacuometer and spirometer to the patients of group HF, being able to consider similar interventions for this complementary group as therapeutical of this neglected disease

Doença periodontal e angina pectoris estável: um estudo caso-controle

The search which it aim was to analyze the Periodontal Disease as a risk factor for the development of the Stable Angina Pectoris. For that, 120 patients (52 blokes and 68 wenches ), ages ranging from 40 to 65 years old, and attended to the Hemodinamic´s Sector of the Natal Hospital Center, showing the historic of Angina Pectoris to accomplishment of cinecoronariografhy. Before the accomplishment of this exam, the patients were submitted to interview, to investigate the possible risk factors for the Cardiovascular diseases , and it was followed of clinical periodontal examination to evaluate the presence of Periodontal Disease. After the cinecoronariography, the patients who presented diagnosis of important arterial obstruction (above 70%) were enrolled to the case grup. However the individuals with arteries free of obstruction, or obstrution below 30%, were considered without historic of Cardiovascular disease and therefore enrolled for the control grup. The groups were paired by the variables age and gender. From the analysis of the results, a did not observed statisticment the significant association between the presence of the Periodontal Disease, probing depth, periodontal attachment level, severity and extension index of the Periodontal Disease, besides the visible plaque index (VPI) an gingival bleeding index (GBI) regarding to the existence of Stable Angina Pectoris. Nevertheless , it was identified statisticment the significant association between the sistemic arterial hypertension , seric level of total cholesterol, LDL, HDL and triglycerides, showing all of them, classic risk factors appointed by the literature. Therefore, it was conclued that Periodontal Disease did not represent association with the StableAngina Pectoris at least among the studied population

Caracterização do processo de trabalho do cirurgiãodentista na estratégia de saúde da família do município de Parnamirim-RN

Family Health Strategy (FHS), founded in 1994 has appeared to play a strategic role in the SUS construction and consolidation. It has reaffirmed its Principles and Guidelines and has elected family as core of attention. The principle that has guided the work concerns the quality of the relationship between professional and family. Thus, the FHS has the family as a subject of health-disease process, and relations with its own characteristics and can be partners in building their health and improvement of quality of life of its members and the entire community. This study aims to characterize the surgeon-dentist (SD) working process in the family health strategy, from the knowledge of the SD integration with other team members; organization of services; development of shares, changes perceived by SDs, as well as knowing the surgeon-dentist profile who is part of this strategy. The collecting tool used was a semi-structured questionnaire, in which participated 30 professionals. As for profile, most professionals were women, completed the graduation in public university and did not have any training to work by joining the FHS. Almost all have other public or private working ties. They often carry out activities with students, and occasionally do home visits. In relation to team work, in activities such as home visits, school health, community activities, among others, they sometimes seek the cooperation of other members. The way of accessing for users in the most part has occurred through the schedule. The most frequently activities made to the Centro Especialidades Odontológicas (CEO), are in Endodontics and Prosthesis. The majority of them participate in team meetings, but they do not have frequency set to happen. As for the planning and programming of activities to be conducted, most said that individually develops them. Concerning the performance of their duties, most reported being satisfied, but that improvements could happen. Besides, they reported improvements in dental care following the inclusion of SD in the FHS in various aspects, such as access, organization, humanization, care and oral disease prevention. The professionals had poor integration with other team members, in addition to have a profile to more individualistic work, a fact seized by way of development and planning of actions. They work the actions in individual and curative way, in detriment promotion and collective ones. They work humanization, definition of territory and adscript population. Thus, it is concluded that the working process developed by SDs, includes the part which is advocated by FHS. This points out to a greater undertaking of this process aiming to detect the weakness met in order to reach the potential that the FHS represents in organization of basic attention

Avaliação da saúde bucal na atenção básica: a perspectiva do usuário

Nowadays, the basic attention in health works according to the Health Family Program (HFP), which is responsible for the organization of the health services with view to provide an appropriate attendance to the needs of the population. Its expansion is expressive in whole country and, the oral health, included in this process, has been seen as a possibility of change the health practices centered in the disease. In face of this perspective, the proposal of study is to discover possible changes in the health care model of oral health in a district, made possible through the perception, evaluation and degree of satisfaction of the user s health service. To reach such objectives, the district of Macaíba in the State of Rio Grande do Norte, was chosen for operational subjects, such as time of implantation of HFP and great covering of this program. The current research used interviews structured with objectives and subjectives questions and questionnaires of socioeconomic characterization addressed to two hundred and seventy (270) individuals (ninety users of an Urban PSF, ninety of a Rural PSF and ninety of an unit non PSF). The analysis of the data was accomplished through the software SPSS/99, that made possible a statistical and analytic appreciation. The HFP units and non HFP units has shown to sort the common odontology problems of the community, and this didn't establish a direct relationship with the general satisfaction. On the other hands, the programmed consultation is related with lager satisfaction of the users. The access form to the odontology treatment of the Units, the satisfaction with the attendance rendered by the dentist and the equip, enough dentists for the community and the social class of the user were decisive for the general satisfaction with the service of oral health. On the other hand, variables as age and education, resolution of the problem and physical conditions of the unit didn't influence the general satisfaction. In spite of the progresses in the implantation of the oral health in ESF, preventive activities, visits at home, access and social participation still reproduce the traditional model of attendance, showing a primary change process

Relação entre a doença periodontal e doença cardiovascular: há uma preocupação por parte dos que fazem clínica médica e odontológica na cidade de Natal?

The relationship between periodontal and cardiovascular diseases is a reality in the current days. The knowledge about the role of periodontal disease as a risk factor to cardiovascular disease from dentistry and physicians is very important to try to eliminate this risk factor. The aim of this work was to investigate, using a questionary, if physicians and dentistry are aware about this relationship and if they think that it is important. These forms were distributed in 4 groups: cardiologists (n=90), physicians from other specialist (POS) (n=110), periodontists (n=35) and dentistry from other specialist (DOE) (n=85). We had a loss off 32,4% of the total sample due to a lack of response of some professionals. Our results showed that all cardiologists, all dentists and 68,2% of POE said that they had gotten information about the relationship between periodontal and cardiovascular disease, and just 6 POS don t believe that this relationship can occur. When questioned if, even when a periodontal disease is diagnosed, there is a habit to treat or orient the patient for treatment, 29,5% of cardiologists answered no, 25,5% of POE also answered that they did not orient and only 1 DOE answered that he did not treat nor orient. All periodontists said that treat their patients when periodontal disease was identify. The physicians seem not to find important the relationship that exist between periodontal and cardiovascular diseases and the dentistry have shown a good knowledge about this subject. Maybe, if physicians and dentistry work together, the incidence of cardiovascular disease decreases

Estudo clínico e níveis de ansiedade em uma série de casos de líquen plano oral

Oral Lichen Planus (OLP) is a relatively common, cronic inflammatory disease. Its etiopathogenesis is no completely understood and several factors have proposed in attempt to explain the appearance, variety of clinical manifestations and periods of exacerbation and remission of the symptons of the lesions. The objective of the present study was to assess the presence of local factors, systemic diseases and levels of anxiety in patients with OLP, investigating their association with the clinical characteristics of the lesions. The sample consisted of 37 patients with histopathologically confirmed OLP that were submitted to a clinical exam to evaluate the presence of smoking habits, consumption of alcoholic beverages, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The existence of skin lesions, as well as the time course, clinical form, symptomatology, number and location of the oral lesions were also registered. The trait anxiety was measured by Spielberger s Stai-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and to associate the variables we used the chi-square or Fisher s exact test. It was observed that females were the most affected (75%) and the mean age of the patients was 53,3 years. Most cases were non-smoker (97,3%) and none was drinker. Diabetes mellitus and hypertension were present in 10,8% e 16,2% of the sample, respectively and only one patient was HCV-seropositive (2,7%). Moderate levels of anxiety were seen in most cases (78,4%) and 21,6% had elevated levels. The oral lesions persisted in 95% of the cases for a period of 6 months to 13 years. The erosive form was the most prevalent (57,1%) and symptons were reported by 45,7% of the patients. Multiple lesions were frequent (60%), affecting mainly the buccal mucosa, followed by gums e tongue. There was no significant association of the presence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension and levels of anxiety with the clinical form or symptomatology of the oral lesions (p>0,005), despite a trend in patients with hypertension to have erosive lesions. It was concluded that, in the sample studied, moderate levels of anxiety were commonly observed, and the HCV infection apparently is not related to the onset of the OLP. In this study, the presence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension and levels of anxiety seem not to be associated with the clinical characteristics of the lesions of OLP

Resposta celular Th1 /Th2 na doença periodontal experimental, em ratos: um estudo imuno-histoquímico

Host response plays a major role in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease. Mediators such as inflammatory cytokines which are secreted during the immune response to bacterial challenges have ambiguous functions that may or may not lead to protection of the attacked tissue. In this context, experimental evidence suggests that T-helper 1 (Th-1) and T-helper 2 (Th-2) mediated responses are potentially important during the disease process. The aims of this study therefore were to further clarify the role played by Th2 cells during different time points of the active phase of periodontal disease, as well as, to investigate whether there was any evidence of a Th1 response in the periodontal disease microenvironment. Experimental periodontitis was induced in 30 Wistar male rats by placing cotton ligatures around the mandibular first molars. The rats were then randomly divided into two groups. Group1 (G1=15) and Group 2 (G2=15). In G1 the ligatures were maintained for 2 days, whereas in G2 the ligatures were left for 15 days, a time point that corresponds to the advanced stage of periodontal disease The contra-lateral teeth served as controls (no ligatures). Immunohistochemical investigation for the presence in gingival tissue of Th2 specific transcription factor (GATA3) and the subunit of the IFN-γ receptor was carried out after the disease induction period. Light microscopy analysis revealed a decrease in the expression of GATA-3 as bone loss progressed. On the other hand, although IFN-γ R1 was detected at an early stage of the active phase of disease its expression remained unaltered during the remaining period of the study. These results indicate that the Th2 response have a protective role during the pathogenesis of periodontal disease and that the progression of the periodontal disease is related with the unbalance of the responses Th1/Th2

Administração repetida de baixas doses de reserpina: um possível modelo para o estudo de déficits cognitivos e motores associados à Doença de Parkinson

Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative brain disorders and is characterized primarily by a progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons nigroestriatais. The main symptoms of this disease are motor alterations (bradykinesia, rigidity, tremor at rest), which can be highly disabling in advanced stages of the condition. However, there are symptomatic manifestations other than motor impairment, such as changes in cognition, mood and sensory systems. Animal models that attempt to mimic clinical features of PD have been used to understand the behavioral and neural mechanisms underlying neurophysiological disturbance of this disease. However, most models promote an intense and immediate motor impairment, consistent with advanced stages of the disease, invalidating these studies for the evaluation of its progressive nature. The administration of reserpine (a monoamine depletor) in rodents has been considered an animal model for studying PD. Recently we found that reserpine (in doses lower than those usually employed to produce the motor symptoms) promotes a memory deficit in an aversive discrimination task, without changing the motor activity. It was suggested that the administration of this drug in low doses can be useful for the study of memory deficits found in PD. Corroborating this data, in another study, acute subcutaneous administration of reserpine, while preserving motor function, led to changes in emotional context-related (but not neutral) memory tasks. The goal of this research was to study the cognitive and motor deficits in rats repeatedly treated with low doses of reserpine, as a possible model that simulates the progressive nature of the PD. For this purpose, 5-month-old male Wistar rats were submitted to a repeated treatment with vehicle or different doses of reserpine on alternate days. Cognitive and motor parameters and possible changes in neuronal function were evaluated during treatment. The main findings were: repeated administration of 0.1 mg / kg of reserpine in rats is able to induce the gradual appearance of motor signs compatible with progressive features found in patients with PD; an increase in striatal levels of oxidative stress and changes in the concentrations of glutamate in the striatum were observed five days after the end of treatment; in animals repeatedly-treated with 0. 1 mg/kg, cognitive deficits were observed only after the onset of motor symptoms, but not prior to the onset of these symptoms; 0.2 mg / kg reserpine repeated treatment has jeopardized the cognitive assessment due to the presence of severe motor deficits. Thus, we suggest that the protocol of treatment with reserpine used in this work is a viable alternative for studies of the progressive appearance of parkinsonian signs in rats, especially concerning motor symptoms. As for the cognitive symptoms, we suggest that more studies are needed, possibly using other behavioral models, and / or changing the treatment regimen