Effect of Tripanosomicide Benznidazole (Rochagan®) on the Biodistribution of Sodium Pertechnetate (Na99mTcO4) in Wistar Rats

Benznidazole, a drug with specific anti-Trypanosoma cruzi activity, is used in the treatment of Chagas’ disease. The radiopharmaceutical sodium pertechnetate (Na99mTcO4) is used to obtain diagnostic images of the stomach, thyroid, parathyroids, salivary glands, brain and in the study of esophageal reflux and blood flow. This study aimed at evaluating in vivo the influence of benznidazole treatment on the sodium pertechnetate biodistribution in Wistar rats. The percentage of radioactivity per gram (%ATI/g) of various organs (brain, heart, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, spleen, liver, muscle and blood) was determined. Comparing the treated rats with the controls, we observed that sodium pertechnetate biodistribution did not change when administered to rats treated for thirty days with benznidazole

Resposta imune à saliva de flebotomíneos (diptera: psychodidae) em indivíduos residentes em áreas urbana e periurbana no nordeste do brasil

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) has a wide geographical distribution in tropical and subtropical areas of the planet, which is a protozoan parasite of the genus Leishmania. This pathogen is transmitted to the host through the sandflies bite, with its saliva, the immune response that leads to both. In the state of Rio Grande do Norte, 85% of the sand flies captured is Lutzomyia longipalpis, but the second most abundant, Lutzomyia evandroi, it deserves emphasis because its wide distribution and eclectic behavior. The exposure of people living in endemic areas for the insect vector VL greatly increases the chances of infection. This study aimed to evaluate aspects of the epidemiological profile of VL in endemic areas of human and nonendemic in the metropolitan area of Natal, as well as verify the abundance and seasonal fluctuations of sandflies species in two counties endemic for VL. Were collected in the municipalities of Nísia Floresta, Parnamirim, São Gonçalo do Amarante and Macaíba, of which groups of females were separated for further dissection of the salivary glands and identification of species. The blood samples used were from individuals of two Natal s districts where it has never been reported cases of VL and neighborhoods of Parnamirim applicants who present cases of VL. In the municipality of Nísia Floresta, the most abundant species was L. evandroi with 38.39%, followed by L. longipalpis with 36.22%, L. walkeri 19.67% L. lenti 3.81%, L. wellcomei 1.39% and L. whitmani 0.52%. Already in Parnamirim the proportions were L. walkeri with 73.15%, L. evandroi with 10.55%, L. wellcomei 7.63%, L. longipalpis 6.37%, L. whitmani 1.46%, L. sordellii 0.52%, L. intermedia 0.21 and L. shanonni 0.1%. In both municipalities was observed higher abundance of species distributed in the initial months of the year, as February and March. The study showed that no difference in exposure to the vector of VL among individuals from endemic and non endemic area for this disease. But there are differences in exposure between individuals of L. longipalpis and L. evandroi, confirming the great powers of the first vector. It was also characterized as predominant phenotype in the population of endemic areas who had negative serologic responses to antigens of Leishmania and result in negative Montenegro skin test (DTH), indicating that much of the population hasn t been bitten by infected insects

Biologia alimentar e morfohistologia do tubo digestório do mussum, synbranchus marmoratus, bloch (osteichthyes: synbranchidae) no açude Marechal Dutra Gargalheiras , localizado no semi-árido brasileiro

Food habits and morpho-histology of the digestive tract of marbled swamp eel, Synbranchus marmoratus (Block, 1917) were investigated. The fish samples were captured during August, 2007 to July, 2008 in the Marechal Dutra reservoir, Acari, Rio Grande do Norte. The rain fall data was obtained from EMPARN. The fish captured, were measured, weighed, dissected, eviscerated and individual stomach weights were registered. The stomach contents analyses were carried out based on volumetric method, points, frequency of occurrence and applying the Index of Relative Importance. The degrees of repletion of the stomachs were determined besides the Index of Repletion relating to feeding activity variations and frequency of ingestion during the rainy and dry seasons. The rainfall varied from 0 mm a 335 mm with a mean value of 71.62 mm. Highest rainfall of 335.5 mm was registered in March, 2008 and August to December was the dry period. During the dry period the study species presented high degrees of repletion of the stomachs, with a peak value in the month of September (mean = 4.54; ± SD = 0.56). The minimum mean value of = 3.99 ± SD = 0.25 was registered in the month of May during the rainy period. The stomach contents of S. marmoratus registered show that this fish prefers animals, 78.22% of crustaceans 2.85% of mollusks, 3.25% of fish, 1.4% of insects and 13.5% of semi-digested organic matter, thus characterizing the study species as a carnivore with a preference for crustaceans. The morpho-histological aspects of the digestive tract of S. marmoratus indicate that the mouth is terminal adapted to open widely, thin lips with taste buds, small villiform teeth forming a single series on maxillas, four pairs of branchial arches with short and widely spaced branchial rays. The oesophagus is short and cylindrical with a small diameter. The oesophagus wall is thick with mucas surface and internal parallel folds. The stomach is retilinical in form, presenting cardiac, caecal and pyloric portions. The caecal portion is long and is intermediary in position between the cardiac and pyloric portions. The cardiac portion of the stomach is short and cylindrical formed of simple epithelial cylindrical mucus cells. The caecal portion is long with narrow walls, a big cavity and smaller folds which give rise to gastric glands. The phyloric portion has no glands and primary or secondary mucas folds. The morphohistological aspects of the digestive tract of S. marmoratus indicate its adaptation to a carnivorous feeding habit

Expressão imuno-histoquímica da calponina em glândula parótida de rato após obstrução do ducto excretor principal

Glandular atrophy is one of several alterations which can aflict the salivary glands, caused generally by obstructive lesions such as sialo1ithiasis, infections or compression by neoplastic processes arnong others. In this work, a morphological and immunohistochemical study was carried out in rat parotid glands, which were submitted to obstruction of the main excretory duct suffering atrophy at varied time intervals, with the aim of appraising the behavior of myoepithelial cells during the process of glandular atrophy. It was analized the immunohistochemical expression of calponin which detects myoepithelial cells in the parotids of 28 animaIs, which were divided into 7 groups, each one made up of 4 rats, afier the ductal ligature procedure, in the following time intervals: zero hour (control), 24 hours, 7, 15, 21, 30 and 60 days. Analysis of the immunohistochemicaI profile was carried through in which the calponin expression was veritied through its distribution pattem and numericaI index. All specimens exhibited positivity for calponin in myoepithelial cells which were distributed around the acini and the ductaI structures, a small number of positiveIy marked cells being detected in the controI group and in the 24-hour group when compared to subsequent ones, where it was perceived a Iarge increase in the number of positiveIy marked cens, mainly surrounding the ductiform structures which originated during the obstruction time. Upon application of statistical tests it was verified that the rise in the number the myoepithelial positive cells for calponin, when the control groups (zero hour) was compared to the 7, 15,21, 30 and 60-day groups afier obstruction, was statistica1ly significant. It was concluded then that the detected rise probably carne about due to an elevation in the rate of proliferation of the myoepitheliaI cells subsequent to the ductal obstruction, associated with a growing resistance of these cells to glandular atrophy.

Estudo imuno-histoquímico da expressão da glut-1 e mensuração do índice angiogênico (CD34) em adenomas pleomórficos, carcinomas adenóides císticos e carcinomas mucoepidermóides de glândulas salivares

The expression of glucose transporter protein 1 (GLUT-1), as well the angiogenesis has been associated to clinical behavior and aggressiveness in tumors of various origin. It is believed that the expression of this protein denotes metabolic demand of the tumor cells and, thus its influence upon the formation of new blood vessels. Pleomorphic adenoma (PA) and the adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) and mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) represent, respectively, the most commom benign and malignant tumors of salivary glands. The aim of this study was to analyze and compare the immunohistochemical expression of GLUT-1 and its correlation with angiogenesis in cases of PAs, ACCs and MECs considering their histological grades. The sample consisted of 20 PAs, 20 ACCs and 10 MECs. The cases were analyzed and classified according to their histological grades. The expression of GLUT-1 was evaluated in the parenchyma lesions, establishing the percentage of immunopositive cells, according to the following scores: 0 (no cell immunomarked), 1 (up to 25% of tumor cells immunostained), 2 (25 - 50% of tumor cells immunostained) and 3 (more than 50% of tumor cells immunostained). The angiogenic index was analyzed by counting the microvessels immunostained by anti-CD34 antibody, in 5 fields (200X). The analysis of the expression of GLUT-1 in tumor parenchyma showed statistically significant differences between benign and malignant groups (p = 0.022). The average number of microvessels in PAs was 40.4, 21.2 in ACCs and 66.5 in MECs, with significant differences between groups (p <0.001). When compared to the expression of GLUT-1 and angiogenic index as a whole, there was no significant correlation between the number of microvessels and the expression of GLUT-1 (r = 0.211, p = 0.141). In conclusion, the results of this study suggest not only that differences in biological behavior between PAs, ACCs and MECs may be associated to the expression of GLUT-1, but also that benign and malignant salivary gland present differences in the average number of microvessels, with higher levels considered more aggressive tumors. Furthermore, the number of newly formed microvessels can be independent of the metabolic demand of the tumor cells

Estudo da expressão imuno-histoquímica das MMPs -2, -7, -9 e -26 e TIMPs -1 e -2 em adenomas pleomórficos e carcinomas adenóides císticos de glândulas salivares menores

The balance between the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their tissue inhibitors (TIMPs) has been related to various physiological and pathological processes, including salivary gland morphogenesis and tumor invasion and metastasis processes. Pleomorphic adenoma (PA) and adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) respectively represent benign and malignant neoplasias of salivary glands. Although they share the same cell origin, they present distinct biological behavior. The aim of this study was to compare the immunohistochemical expression of MMPs -2, -7, -9 and -26, and of TIMPs -1 and -2, in cases of PA and ACC of minor salivary glands. Twenty cases of PA and twenty cases of ACC were assessed according to the presence, intensity and location of MMPs and TIMPs in the tumor parenchyma. Most of the PAs and ACCs presented a high expression of MMP -2, -7, -9 and -26 and of TIMP -1 and -2, predominantly located in tumor cells. There was no significant difference in the expression of MMPs -2 (p=0.359), -7 (p=0.081) and -26 (p=0.553), as well as of TIMPs -1 (p=0.657) and -2 (p=0.248), between the parenchyma of PAs and ACCs. However, MMP-9 showed a significant difference of expression between the two tumors, with the ACC showing more intense marking for this gelatinase (p=0.041). The strong expression of MMP-9 observed in the parenchyma suggests that this gelatinase may play an important role in the biological behavior of these tumors. On the other hand, although there was no significant difference between the marking of MMP -2, 7 and 26 in the studied tumors, the data, when analyzed as a whole, suggest that these proteases may take part in the process of tissue remodeling in both tumors, but do not present a direct relation with the pattern of aggressiveness of ACC. Nonetheless, matrilisins may indirectly influence the behavior of this tumor due to their capacity of activating MMP-9, strongly expressed in the parenchyma of ACC

Expressão imuno-histoquímica das integrinas a2ß1, a3ß1 e a5ß1 em adenoma pleomórfico de glândula salivar menor e maior e carcinoma adenóide cístico

Pleomorphic adenoma and adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) consist benign and malignant neoplasm from salivary gland, respectively. These neoplasms share some characteristics, such as cellular origin and considerable production of extracellular matrix, however, with distinct biological behavior. The aim of the present study was to compare the expression of D2E1, D3E1 e D5E1 integrins in pleomorphic adenoma from minor and major salivary glands and ACCs. Furthermore, it was investigated possible differences in the expression of these integrins according to histological subtypes of ACC. Fourteen cases of pleomorphic adenoma from major salivary gland, fourteen cases from minor salivary gland and ten cases of ACC were selected. It was taken into consideration the presence or absence, localization and intensity of integrin immunoexpression. The cases of pleomorphic adenoma were grouped in order to compare the expression between the distinct neoplasms. It was observed a highly significant difference (p<0,0001) in relation to D2E1 integrin between the neoplasms since pleomorphic adenoma showed a pronounced immunostaining. It was not possible to perform statistical tests considering the D2E1 integrin expression; nevertheless, it could be observed a tendency of higher staining in pleomorphic adenoma. For comparative reasons the cases ACCs were divided in two groups: solid and tubular/cribriform. It was not detected significant differences in regard to D2E1 integrin; and statistical analysis could not be realized in relation to D3E1 and D5E integrin expression. However, it was also verified a tendency of absence or reduced expression in the solid subtype. It can be concluded that the reduced D2E1 integrin expression observed in CACs may be related to a lesser degree of cell differentiation in this neoplasm and the reduced D5E1 integrin expression can be associated with aggressive biological behavior. Moreover, the absence and/or reduced expression of the studied integrins in solid ACC suggests a role in pathogenesis and more aggressive biological behavior of this histological subtype