Effects of cyclosporine on adriamycin induced nephropathy

The effect of cyclosporine on adriamycin nephropathy was studied over both short (6 weeks) and long (26 weeks) periods. In the short-term study, cyclosporine was introduced 2 weeks after nephritis induction and in the long-term study, 14 weeks after the first adriamycin injection. The animals with adriamycin nephropathy treated with cyclosporine, studied for 6 weeks, developed proteinuria with increased renal size and glomerular area. The nephrotic animals treated with cyclosporine showed less proteinuria than the nephrotic control animals. There were no differences in glomerular area, creatinine clearance or serum creatinine and kidney weight between the treated nephrotic group and the health control group. The nephrotic animals, studied for the longer period, developed intense proteinuria, decreased creatinine clearance, glomerular necrosis and sclerosis, severe tubulointerstitial nephritis, increased hydroxyproline concentration and tubulointerstitial area. No difference was observed between the nephrotic animals treated with cyclosporine and those not treated. In conclusion, Cyclosporine A reduced proteinuria, glomerular hypertrophy and kidney weight in rats with short-term nephropathy but had no effect on the established nephropathy.

Electromyographic behaviour of the gastrocnemius muscle during knee extension and flexion performed on the leg press

The gastrocnemius was analysed in 10 male volunteers during knee flexion and extension with the foot in normal, plantar flexion and dorsal flexion positions. Hewlett-Packard surface electrodes, an electromyographic signal amplifier, a computer equipped with an AID conversion plaque (Model CAD 10/26), a software specially designed to record and analyse the signals, a horizontal leg press, and electrogoniometers were used. The gastrocnemius muscle showed strong potentials at the end of knee extension and beginning of knee flexion. The muscle presented a similar activity both in the zipper and lower platforms. As to bilateral action, the right gastrocnemius presented stronger potentials on the upper platforms, whereas the potentials were bilaterally similar on the lower platforms. As for foot position, the gastrocnemius presented strong potentials when the foot was in plantar flexion. The remaining positions had no effect on the work of the muscle.

Long-term nitric oxide inhibition and chronotropic responses in rat isolated right atria

The long-term administration of nitric oxide synthesis inhibitors induces arterial hypertension accompanied by left ventricular hypertrophy and myocardial ischemic lesions. Because the enhancement of sympathetic drive has been implicated in these phenomena, the current study was performed to determine the potency of β-adrenoceptor agonists and muscarinic agonists on the spontaneous rate of isolated right atria from rats given long-term treatment with the nitric oxide inhibitor N(ω)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME). Atrial lesions induced by long-term treatment with L-NAME were also evaluated. Long-term L-NAME treatment caused a time-dependent, significant (P<0.05) increase in tail-cuff pressure compared with control animals. Our results showed that the potency of isoproterenol, norepinephrine, carbachol, and pilocarpine in isolated right atria from rats given long-term treatment with L-NAME for 7, 15, 30, and 60 days was not affected as compared with control animals. Addition of L-NAME in vitro (100 μmol/L) affected neither basal rate nor chronotropic response for isoproterenol and norepinephrine in rat heart. Stereological analysis of the right atria at 15 and 30 days revealed a significant increase on amount of fibrous tissues in L-NAME- treated groups (27±2.3% and 28±1.3% for 15 and 30 days, respectively; P<0.05) as compared with the control group (22±1.1%). Our results indicate that nitric oxide does not to interfere with β-adrenoceptor-mediated and muscarinic receptor-mediated chronotropic responses.

Antropometria de atletas culturistas em relacao a referencia populacional

Body builders have as their training goals the maximum muscle hypertrophy with minimum adiposity. However, the scarcity of specific standards implies often in framing wrongly those athletes either as overweight (by their BMI) or energy malnourished (by their fat stores). The objective of this study was to compare the body composition of body builders with population standards. Thirty-six adults, 26 male (27.2 ± 7.2 years) and 10 female (30 ± 6.1 years) nationwide competitive body builders, were assessed considering weight, height, body mass index, adiposity, arm and leg circumferences and skinfolds. The data were referred either as percentile or standard deviations (Z score) of population standards. Body weight and height were among the closest values from the populational mean whereas upper arm muscle circumference (for men) and body adiposity (for women) were the farterest. By using fat parameters as indicators of their protein-energy status, the undernourishment was found in 88.5% of men and 100.0% of women. Thus, it seems that body builders deserve their own anthropometric standards to avoid nutritional status misplacements.

Morphology of testis and epididymis in an ethanol-drinking rat strain (UChA and UChB)

The objective of the present study was to analyze the prospective alterations of the testis and epididymis in a defined strain of alcoholic rats in order to contribute to our understanding of the effects of chronic alcoholism on reproduction. The testis and epididymis of the animals were submitted to morphological analysis by macroscopy, light microscopy and electron microscopy and to morphometric analysis. The UCh rats showed atrophy of the epithelium and reduction of testis and epididymis weight, liver hypertrophy and fat infiltration and alterations of the hypothalamus-pituitary axis. Ethanol induces changes in the weight and in the epithelium of the testis and epididymis and in the hypothalamus-pituitary axis of the UCh rats.

Variation in mandible shape in Thrichomys apereoides (Mammalia: Rodentia): Geometric analysis of a complex morphological structure

The model of development and evolution of complex morphological structures conceived by Atchley and Hall in 1991 (Biol. Rev. 66:101-157), which establishes that changes at the macroscopic, morphogenetic level can be statistically detected as variation in skeletal units at distinct scales, was applied in combination with the formalism of geometric morphometrics to study variation in mandible shape among populations of the rodent species Thrichomys apereoides. The thin-plate spline technique produced geometric descriptors of shape derived from anatomical landmarks in the mandible, which we used with graphical and inferential approaches to partition the contribution of global and localized components to the observed differentiation in mandible shape. A major pattern of morphological differentiation in T. apereoides is attributable to localized components of shape at smaller geometric scales associated with specific morphogenetic units of the mandible. On the other hand, a clinal trend of variation is associated primarily with localized components of shape at larger geometric scales. Morphogenetic mechanisms assumed to be operating to produce the observed differentiation in the specific units of the mandible include mesenchymal condensation differentiation, muscle hypertrophy, and tooth growth. Perspectives for the application of models of morphological evolution and geometric morphometrics to morphologically based systematic biology are considered.

Subcutaneous and testicular metastasis from prostatic adenocarcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation

The pathological finding of testicular metastasis in cases of disseminated prostatic adenocarcinoma is rare, but was more frequently reported in the past, when bilateral castration was performed more often. The existence of skin and subcutaneous metastasis adds a worse prognosis, because generally it is sign of advanced disease with an average survival time of less than one year. The synchronous occurrence of such metastasis has not been described previously, neither their association to neuroendocrine differentiation. The presence of such differentiation of prostatic adenocarcinoma represents a very unfavorable prognostic factor, as suggested in recent literature. Herein, we discuss the case of a 53 year old man, who presented with macroscopic hematuria and frequency associated to several painless subcutaneous nodules in left axilla and shoulder, as well as in the lower abdominal wall. The right testis was painful, endured and on rectal examination, the prostate was diffusely enlarged. Serum PSA was elevated, reaching 1760 ng/ml and prostatic biopsy disclosed a Gleason 10 prostatic adenocarcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation. The same pathological pattern was detected in the right testis and in all subcutaneous nodules, documented by positive staining of chromogranin, a marker of neuroendocrine cells. He was submitted to a prostate tunnelization and maximal androgen blockade plus adjuvant chemotherapy, nevertheless, he died 5 months latter.

Morphology of the ventral lobe of the prostate and seminal vesicles in an ethanol-drinking strain of rats (UChA and UChB)

Chronic alcoholism alters reproduction and therefore may be responsible for alterations of prostate and seminal vesicles, which are the subject of this analysis in UCh ethanol-drinking rats. The prostate and seminal vesicles of 20 animals were submitted to macroscopic, light microscopy, electron microscopy and morphometric analysis. The UCh rats showed atrophy of the epithelium and reduction of the weight of the prostate and seminal vesicle, liver hypertrophy and fat infiltration and alterations of the hypothalamus-pituitary axis. Ethanol induces changes in the weight and in the epithelium of prostate and seminal vesicles and hypothalamus-pituitary axis of UCh rats.

Morphological aspects of rabbit masseter muscle after cervical sympathectomy

The objective of this paper was to study the effect of sympathetic innervation on morphological and histochemical aspects of skeletal muscle tissue. Rabbit masseter muscle was studied using histochemical and immunohistochemical methods for periods of up to 18 months post-sympathectomy. The morphological and enzymatic characteristics of control masseter muscles were similar on both the left and right sides. The main features were muscle fibres with a mosaic pattern and a predominance of type IIa fibres, followed by type I. Type IIb fibres showed very low frequency. Sympathectomized animals showed varying degrees of metabolic and morphological alterations, especially 18 months after sympathectomy. The first five groups showed a higher frequency of type I fibres, whilst the oldest group showed a higher frequency of type lib fibres. In the oldest group, a significant variation in fibre diameter was observed. Many fibres showed small diameter, atrophy, hypertrophy, splitting, and necrosis. Areas with fibrosis were observed. Thus cervical sympathectomy induced morphological alterations in the masseter muscles. These alterations were, in part, similar to both denervation and myopathy. These findings indicate that sympathetic innervation contributes to the maintenance of the morphological and metabolic features of masseter muscle fibres.

A comparison of nasopharyngeal endoscopy and lateral cephalometric radiography in the diagnosis of nasopharyngeal airway obstruction

Two auxiliary methods of diagnosing nasopharyngeal airway obstruction were compared. Cephalometric radiography and nasopharyngeal videoendoscopy were evaluated for efficacy in terms of reproducibility and validity. Thirty orthodontic patients (7 to 12 years of age) seeking otorhinolaryngologic treatment for mouth breathing, or mouth and nose breathing, had nasopharyngeal endoscopy and radiographic examinations performed on the same day. Two otorhinolaryngologists analyzed the results. Nasopharyngeal endoscopy was more reliable in identifying all the obstructive nasopharyngeal processes. Endoscopy obtained kappa index scores of almost perfect agreement for diagnosis of posterior nasal septum deviation, of substantial agreement for anterior nasal septum deviation and lower turbinate hypertrophy, and of moderate agreement for middle turbinate hypertrophy. Lateral cephalometric radiography obtained scores of perfect agreement for imaging hypertrophy of the middle turbinate, of almost perfect agreement for imaging hypertrophy of the posterior portion of the inferior turbinate, and of substantial agreement for imaging hypertrophy of the inferior turbinate. Radiographic diagnoses of hypertrophy of the middle and lower turbinates exhibited high sensitivity and low specificity when compared with diagnoses by nasopharyngeal endoscopy.

Collagen fibers in human prostatic lesions: histochemistry and anisotropies

The present study focuses on establishing patterns of collagen fibers distribution in prostatic nodular hyperplasia and adenocarcinomas, in comparison with the normal tissue. Sections of prostatic transurethral resection were subjected to Gömöri's method for collagen fibers and reticulin and analyzed under ordinary and polarized light microscopy. Controls and hyperplastic regions present collagen fibers with variable thickness that run in different directions, establishing a tridimensional network. These fibers exhibit birefringence and dichroism thus demonstrating their fibrillar integrity. On the other hand, increased variability in collagen fiber distribution and anisotropical properties occur in adenocarcinomas evaluated in accordance with the Gleason's score. In some of their areas, a well-defined collagen network delimitates the base of transformed epithelial cells whereas in other areas the collagen fibers are disorganized and do not establish a boundary between the epithelial structures and the stroma. In these areas, collagen is found in the stroma. It was also observed that adenocarcinoma tumor cells rest on a scaffold of thin and dendritic collagen fibers. Collagen fibers of the prostatic stroma of the adenocarcinomas may show a modification in arrangement and fibrillar compactness. In prostatic nodular hyperplasia, there is no change in collagen molecular integrity, since collagen affinity for silver and collagen birefringence are similar to controls. In adenocarcinoma with high dedifferentiation degree, thin and branched strongly argyrophilic and birefringent collagen fibers are detected in regions of cell proliferation. In the adjacent stroma, hyaline plaques are indicative of matrix degradation or remodellation.

Intraepithelial alterations in the Guinea pig lateral prostate at different ages after estradiol treatment

The prostate is an accessory gland of the mammal reproductive system with great volume and high functional importance. Many works infer that, in addition to the androgenic ones, the estrogen can be associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostatic cancer, but no conclusive evidence exists on the role of estrogen in normal prostatic and neoplastic tissue. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of chronic administration of estradiol benzoate on the lateral prostate of guinea pigs in the pre-pubescent, pubescent, post-pubescent and adult phases, with emphasis on the modifications provoked by this hormone on the glandular epithelium. The analyses of the estradiol-treated and control groups were investigated using histological procedures and transmission electron microscopy. The histopathological analysis of the lateral prostate in the treated group revealed areas where epithelial dysplasia was observed, assuming at some places a pattern of epithelial stratification characteristic of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia. After ultrastructural analysis, the following were observed: enlargement of the internal membranes, heterogeneity in the cellular types, hypertrophy of the basal cells and apparent decrease of cytoplasmic organelles in some cells of the prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia. Still, a loss of cellular polarity was observed, along with nuclei of various forms, sizes and heights - as well as irregular chromatin distribution patterns. Such alterations were found mainly in pubescent, post-pubescent and adult animals subject to the chronic administration of estradiol. These findings reinforce the already existent data in understanding the role of estrogen in the etiology of prostatic diseases.

A administração precoce de hormônio de crescimento resulta em efeitos deletérios na remodelação ventricular após o infarto agudo do miocárdio

Objective: To assess the effect of growth hormone (GH) on myocardial remodeling in infarcted rats. Methods: This study comprised 24 Wistar rats divided into 3 groups as follows: 1) AMI-GH group - comprising 8 rats that underwent infarction and were treated with GH; 2) AMI group - comprising 8 rats that underwent infarction and received only the diluent of the GH solution; and 3) control group (C group) - comprising 8 rats that underwent simulated infarction. After 30 days, the animals underwent functional study through echocardiography, and the changes in myocardial contractility of the isolated left ventricular (LV) papillary muscle were studied. Results: The echocardiography identified an increase in the diastolic (C=7.32±0.49; AMI=8.50±0.73; AMI-GH=9.34±0.73; P<0.05) and systolic (C=3.38±0.47, AMI=5.16±1.24; AMI-GH=5.96±1.54; P<0.05) diameters (mm) in the LV of the infarcted animals. The AMI-GH group animals had a lower ejection fraction (%) (C=0.9±0.03; AMI=0.76±0.12; AMI-GH=0.72± 0.14; P<0.05 for C vs AMI-GH) compared with those in controls. The study of the isolated left ventricular papillary muscle showed that the AMI-GH group had changes (C=1.50±0.59; AMI= 1.28±0.38; AMI-GH=1.98±0.41; P<0.05 for C vs AMI-GH) only in the tension at rest (TR - g/mm2) and in the time delta for a 50% decrease in the tension developed (TR50, ms) after stimulation with calcium (C=23.75±9.16; AMI=-16.56±14.82; AMI-GH=-4.69±8.39; P<0.05 for C vs AMI-GH) and in the delta of tension developed (TD, g/mm2) after stimulation with isoproterenol (C=0.99±0.17; AMI=0.54±0.62; AMI-GH=0.08±0.75; P<0.05 for C vs AMI-GH) compared with those in control animals. Conclusion: The early administration of GH in the experimental infarction model in rats may result in adverse effects on the process of ventricular remodeling.

Pediatras e os distúrbios respiratórios do sono na criança

OBJECTIVES. assessment of opinions and practices of pediatricians concerning sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in children. Methods. randomly 516 pediatricians were selected in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. A survey mailed to them included questions regarding: their professional profile, knowledge about SDB in childhood, opinions and practices for diagnosis and treatment of these diseases. RESULTS. 112 anonymous completed surveys were returned (21.7%). The teaching of SDB during medical school and pediatric residency training was considered unsatisfactory respectively by 65.2% and 34.8% of the pediatricians. Forty-nine respondents (43.8%) rated their knowledge about SDB in children as regular, 39 (34.8%) as good and 17 (15.2%) as unsatisfactory. The most important sleep-related questions were: mouth breathing, breathing pauses, sleep amount, excessive daytime sleepiness and nocturnal wheezing. Clinical aspects regarded as the most significant for suspecting obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) were: breathing pauses, adenoid hypertrophy, mouth breathing, craniofacial anomaly and snoring. The most frequent practices for evaluation of OSAS in children were: cavum radiography with referral to an otorhinolarnygologist (25%) and nocturnal pulse oximetry (14.2%). Only 11.6% of pediatricians recommended overnight polysomnography and 4.5%, nap polysomnography. The most effective practices for SDB were considered to be: adenoidectomy and adenotonsillectomy, parents counseling, weight loss and sleep hygiene. CONCLUSIONS. there is a gap between research on SDB in childhood and pediatric practice. © 2006 Associação Médica Brasileira.

Treatment of developmental defect of upper lip with carbon dioxide laser radiation (CO2): First surgical time

With the exception of the cleft lip, developmental defects (DD) of the lip are rare. The upper lip originates from the ectomesenchyme and is formed by the merging of the nasal medial and lateral processes with the maxillary process. Disturbances during this formation period can cause DD with functional and/or esthetic repercussions. We present a case of DD of the upper lip in a patient with a history of progressive growth of the left lateral portion of the upper lip that occurred from the time of birth until the age of 22 years. Clinical examination revealed hypertrophy of the area from the left philtral columns to the left commissure of the lip, extending the portion of the surface mucosa creating a flaccid and asymptomatic tissue mass. All other buccal structures appeared to be within normal limits and without any evidence of defects or deformities. In the surgical planning we decided to carry out corrective surgery in two phases. The first phase accomplished a conservative excision of the total abnormal labial tissue mass with a CO2 laser radiation (5 W in continuous mode, bunch diameter φ = 0.6 mm with a power density of 768 W/cm2 and fluency of 0.231 J/cm2) being careful to preserve the vermilion portion of the lip. Postsurgical clinical evaluations were done every three days until the skin sutures were removed and then every seven days until two months post surgery. While the entire mass of excessive tissue could not be completely removed, the removal of the excessive mucosal tissue produced a very good outcome relative to lip function, with a good esthetic result without scarring, and good tissue mobility. The results showed that the CO2 laser is an extremely useful instrument that can provide excellent control of the surgical field and allow for healing that produces excellent functional and esthetic results. © 2005 Taylor & Francis.