Assessment of cytotoxicity and AhR-mediated toxicity in tropical fresh water sediments under the influence of an oil refinery

Oil refinery effluents contain many chemicals at variable concentrations. Therefore, it is difficult to predict potential effects on the environment. The Atibaia River (SP, Brazil), which serves as a source of water supply for many municipalities, receives the effluents of one of the biggest oil refinery of this country. The aim of this study was to identify the (eco)toxicity of fresh water sediments under the influence of this oil refinery through neutral red (cytotoxicity) and ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) assays (AhR-mediated toxicity) in RTL-W1 cells (derived from fish liver). Once the refinery captures the waters of Jaguarí River for the development of its activities and discharges its effluents after treatment into the Atibaia River, which then flows into Piracicaba River, sediments from both river systems were also investigated. The samples showed a high cytotoxic potential, even when compared to well-known pollution sites. However, the cytotoxicity of samples collected downstream the effluent was not higher than that of sediments collected upstream, which suggested that the refinery discharges are not the main source of pollution in those areas. No EROD activity could be recorded, which could be confirmed by chemical analyses of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that revealed a high concentration of phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, and pyrene, which are not EROD inducers in RTL-W1 cells. In contrast, high concentrations of PAHs were found upstream the refinery effluent, corroborating cytotoxicity results from the neutral red assay. A decrease of PAHs was recorded from upstream to downstream the refinery effluent, probably due to dilution of compounds following water discharges. On the other hand, these discharges apparently contribute specifically to the amount of anthracene in the river, since an increase of anthracene concentrations could be recorded downstream the effluent. Since the extrapolation of results from acute toxicity to specific toxic effects with different modes of action is a complex task, complementary bioassays covering additional specific effects should be applied in future studies for better understanding of the overall ecotoxicity of those environments.

Membrane lipid profile monitored by mass spectrometry detected differences between fresh and vitrified in vitro-produced bovine embryos

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Histologic and histometric evaluation of calvarial autogenous bone graft in reconstruction of atrophyc maxilla for dental implants

The calvarial bone is highlighted as a good donor area for large reconstructions of atrophic jaw for subsequent rehabilitation with implant-supported prosthesis. The aim of this study was to observe and measure through histological and histometric evaluation, the cellular events that occur at the interface of union from onlay parietal bone graft on the maxilla of 10 patients, after a period of 6 months of incorporation. The biopsies were performed at the time of installation of osseointegrated implants. The bone contact area represented 78.75% and connective contact 21.25%. The region of connective union between the bone graft to the maxillae presented new bone formation (41.26%), marrow bone (36.06%), osteoid tissue (15.86%) and connective tissue (6.80%). All samples had good graft incorporation to the receptor bed with osteogenic activity and absence of inflammatory cells.

Fresh and commercially pasteurized orange juice: an analysis of the metabolism of flavonoid compounds

Orange juice is a rich source of flavonoids, mainly the flavanones hesperidin and narirutin, associated with health benefits in humans. The objective of this study was to analyze the uptake of flavonoids in humans after the consumption of two types of orange juice, fresh squeezed (fresh juice, FJ) and commercially extracted and pasteurized (processed juice, PJ). Preliminary measurements showed that the main flavanones in PJ were approximately three-fold higher than in FJ. This study involved healthy volunteers including 12 men and 12 women, aged 27 ± 6, with a BMI of 24 ± 3 kg/m2. Volunteers drank 11.5 mL/kg body weight of fresh orange juice, and after an interval of 30 days they drank the same quantity of pasteurized orange juice. Urine was collected from each volunteer during 24 hours following juice consumption. Urine metabolites were recovered by solid phase extraction, and measured by HPLC–ESI–MS. Analyses of the urine samples showed high concentrations of glucuronic acid and sulfate conjugates of hesperetin and naringenin. The data indicate that the concentrations of the flavanone metabolites following consumption of PJ were approximately three times higher than for FJ, thus matching the relative doses of these compounds in the juices provided to the volunteers.

Bone substitutes for peri-implant defects of postextraction implants

Placement of implants in fresh sockets is an alternative to try to reduce physiological resorption of alveolar ridge after tooth extraction. This surgery can be used to preserve the bone architecture and also accelerate the restorative procedure. However, the diastasis observed between bone and implant may influence osseointegration. So, autogenous bone graft and/or biomaterials have been used to fill this gap. Considering the importance of bone repair for treatment with implants placed immediately after tooth extraction, this study aimed to present a literature review about biomaterials surrounding immediate dental implants. The search included 56 articles published from 1969 to 2012. The results were based on data analysis and discussion. It was observed that implant fixation immediately after extraction is a reliable alternative to reduce the treatment length of prosthetic restoration. In general, the biomaterial should be used to increase bone/implant contact and enhance osseointegration.

Immunohistochemical, tomographic, and histological study on onlay bone graft remodeling. Part III: allografts

Objective In the last decades aroused the interest for bone tissue bank as an alternative to autogenous grafting, avoiding donor sites morbidity, surgical time, and costs reduction. The purpose of the study was to compare allografts (ALg) with autografts (AUg) using histology, immunochemistry, and tomographic analysis. Material and methods Fifty-six New Zealand White rabbits were submitted to surgical procedures. Twenty animals were donors and 36 were actually submitted to onlay grafting with ALg (experimental group) and AUg (control group) randomly placed bilaterally in the mandible. Six animals of each group were sacrificed at 3, 5, 7, 10, 20, and 60 postoperative days. Immunolabeling was accomplished with osteoprotegerin (OPG); receptor activator of nuclear factor-k ligand (RANKL); alkaline phosphatase (ALP); osteopontin (OPN); vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF); tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP); collagen type I (COL I); and osteocalcin (OC). Density and volume of the grafts was evaluated on tomography obtained at the surgery and sacrifice. Results The ALg and AUg exhibited similar patterns of density and volume throughout the experiments. The intra-group data showed statistical differences at days 7 and 60 in comparison with other time points (P = 0.001), in both groups. A slight graft expansion from fixation until day 20 (P = 0.532) was observed in the AUg group and then resorbed significantly at the day 60 (P = 0.015). ALg volume remained stable until day 7 and decreased at day 10 (P = 0.045). The light microscopy analysis showed more efficient incorporation of AUg onto the recipient bed if compared with the ALg group. The immunohistochemical labeling picked: at days 10 and 20 with OPG in the AUg group and at day 7 with TRAP in the ALg group (P = 0.001 and P = 0.002, respectively). Conclusions ALg and AUg were not differing in patterns of volume and density during entire experiment. Histological data exhibit more efficient AUg incorporation into recipient bed compared with the ALg group. Immunohistochemistry outcomes demonstrated similar pattern for both ALg and AUg groups, except for an increasing resorption activity in the ALg group mediated by TRAP and in the AUg group by higher OPG labeling. However, this latter observation does not seem to influence clinical outcomes.

Reconstruction of maxillary ridge atrophy caused by dentoalveolar trauma, using autogenous block bone graft harvested from chin: a case report

Background Dentoalveolar trauma, especially when involving front teeth, negatively affect the patient’s life; in particular, tooth avulsion is a complex injury that affects multiple tissues, and no treatment option offers stable long-term outcomes. The aim of this study was to report a case of reconstruction of atrophic anterior alveolar ridge after tooth loss, performed with autograft harvested from the chin, and subsequent prosthetic rehabilitation with the use of an osseointegrated implant. Case report A 23-years-old Caucasian girl, presented an atrophic alveolar bone in the area of tooth 11, as a result of tooth resorption 10 years after a tooth reimplantation procedure. Reconstruction was performed with autogenous bone harvested from the chin. After 6-months healing period to allow autograft incorporation, a dental implant was inserted. After further 6- months, a screw-retained implant supported metal-ceramic prosthesis was fabricated. Results The prosthetic rehabilitation was successful, and after a follow-up period of 5 years, the achieved result was stable.Conclusion It can be concluded that the autogenous bone graft harvested from the chin, is a safe and effective option for alveolar ridge defects reconstruction, allowing a subsequent placement of a dental implant supporting a prosthetic restoration.

Reconstruction of maxillary ridge atrophy caused by sequela of dentoalveolar trauma with autogenous bone graft harvested from mentum

Dentoalveolar traumatisms, particularly those that affect the anterior teeth, interfere adversely in the patient s life.Among them, tooth avulsion is pointed out because it is characterized as a complex injury that affects multiple tissues, andbecause there is no effective treatment available for its resolution with a stable long-term outcome.Aim/Hypothesis: The aim of the present study was to relate a clinical case of complete reconstruction of atrophy of the alveolarbone corresponding to tooth 11, lost by tooth resorption 10 years after the tooth reimplantation procedure.Material and methods: Reconstruction was performed with autogenous bone harvested from the mentum donor site. Surgicalaccess began in the receptor area with a Newman mucoperiosteal incision using a scalpel blade 15 mounted in a scalpel handlefor detachment and exposure of the receptor site. Extensive bone resorption was observed in the vestibular-palatine direction,proved by the thinness of the receptor bed. Decorticalization of the vestibular bone plate was performed. After preparing thereceptor bed, and incision was made in the mucosa in the depth of the anterior vestibular fornix, then a perpendicular muscleperiostealincision to detach and exposure the donor area. The bone graft necessary for reconstruction of the donor area wasdelimited, followed by monocortical osteotomy and the monocortical graft was removed. The next stage was to perform shapingfor passive graft accommodation and fixation by means of two bicortical screws. After fixation of the graft the sharp angles wererounded off in order to avoid possible exposure and/or fenestrations of the reconstructed area, then the receptor and donor areawere sutured. After the 6-month period to allow incorporation of the autogenous graft, an osseointegrated dental implant wasinserted. At the end of the 6-month period of waiting for osseointegration to occur, the process of fabricating the screw-retainedmetal ceramic

Particularities in the technique of calvaria graft

Calvaria grafts provide good bone quantity for the reconstruction of the atrophic maxilla, and have lower morbidity and resorption rates when compared to iliac crest. The aim of this paper is to present the technique for obtaining a graft of the skull. Initially, the depth of the osteotomy is determined by a manually conducted bur, which establishes the limits of the structures of the skull (outer table, diploe and inner table), making the removal of bone blocks easier and safer. Thus, osteotomies of the blocks are made with greater security, avoiding the complications inherent to surgical technique. The case that will be presented it is from a male patient of 65 years who refused to submit to the iliac crest graft, opting for the calvaria, despite being bald, that is a contraindication for this treatment modality. A delicate suture associated with placement of titanium mesh to maintain the conformation of the patient's skull in the region of the bone defect, created after removal of the graft, provided a good cosmetic result at the donor site. The use of titanium mesh for re-anatomization of bone defects created in the grafts is well indicated for bald patients.

Criopreservación de semen bovino de la cola del epididimo utilizando los métodos convencional y automatizado

Cryopreservation of sperm is important to preserve the germplasm from animals of genetic value, which can die unexpectedly. This study compares conventional and automated methods of cryopreservation of spermatozoa obtained from the epididymis of bulls post-mortem. Twenty-two epididymides were obtained from a commercial slaughterhouse. Spermatozoa were collected from the tail of the epididymis using the retrograde flow technique. Thus, the samples, which were diluted in 10 ml of extender without glycerol (Botubov® I, Botupharma, Botucatu, SP, Brazil), were evaluated on motility, sperm vigor, structural and functional (swelling hypoosmotic test) membrane integrity, mitochondrial activity, sperm viability and ADN fragmentation. The samples were divided into two aliquots and diluted in extender with glycerol (Botubov® II, Botupharma, Botucatu, SP, Brazil) at a concentration of 50x106 motile sperm/0.5 French straws. One sample was frozen by the conventional method (4 hours at 5°C, in a refrigerator and 20 min in nitrogen vapor) and the other by the automated method (Cryogen® Dualflex, Neovet, Uberaba, MG, Brazil). The parameters were higher in all the tests of fresh sperm samples, with the exception of the swelling hypoosmotic test, which showed no significant difference when the results were compared with sperm frozen by the conventional method. The average motility of fresh spermatozoa was 74%, and conventional and automated averages were 29 and 25%, respectively. Therefore, although cryopreservation techniques reduce sperm quality parameters, the viability of the sperm is maintained, and these methods can be used to preserve sperm.

Characterization of fresh cheese with addition of probiotics and prebiotics

Sensorial and microbiological characteristics of a Brazilian fresh cheese samples with Bifidobacterium animalis subps. lactis as well as samples with this probiotic and polydextrose, a prebiotic ingredient, were evaluated. The addition of this microorganism was studied as: (1) lyophilized probiotic added to cheese curd and (2) by using milk previously fermented by this probiotic to produce the cheese. Cheese samples were microbiologically characterized after 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days of storage at a temperature of 4 °C. The microbiological analyses conducted were quantification of total lactic acid bacteria, mesophilic microorganisms, Bif. animalis subps. lactis, coliforms at 30 °C and 45 °C. Affective sensory test was conducted for two different cheese samples (with probiotic and with probiotic and prebiotic) as well as for control one week after manufacturing date. Cheese samples provided acceptable results for coliform counts at 30 °C and 45 °C in compliance with legislation. The cheese samples produced using milk fermented by probiotic showed counts of 107 -108 CFU/g after 28 days of storage, which assures functional property for this product to be claimed.

Oral chronic graft-versus-host disease: analysis of dendritic cells subpopulations

The graft-versus-host disease is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients who have undergone hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Aiming at contributing to the understanding of the role of myeloid and plasmacytoid dendritic cells, and natural killer cells in chronic graft-versus-host disease, we examined biopsies of jugal mucosa of 26 patients with acute myeloid leukemia who had undergone allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Half of these patients developed oral chronic graft-versus-host disease. Microscopic sections were immunohistochemically stained for anti-CD1a, anti-CD123 and anti-CD56. We calculated the number of immunostained cells in the corium per square millimeter and applied the Mann-Whitney test. Results showed a statistically significant increase of myeloid dendritic cells (CD1a+; p=0,02) and natural killer cells (CD56; p=0,04) in patients with oral chronic graft-versus-host disease. CD123 immunostaining showed no statistical difference between groups. It was concluded that myeloid dendritic cells and natural killer cells participate in the development of oral chronic graft-versus-host disease.

Estabilidade físico-química de um produto de abacate acondicionado em diferentes embalagens e conservado pelo frio

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Effect of natural antimicrobials on microbiological and sensorial quality of fresh-cut cantaloupe melon

The effect of different natural antimicrobials on the microbiological and sensorial quality of fresh-cut Cantaloupe melons stored up to 10 days at 5°C was examined. Pieces of melon were washed for 1 min at 5ºC in water (control), vanillin (1000 mg/L and 2000 mg/L) or cinnamic acid (148.16 mg/L and 296.32 mg/L). Other antimicrobial treatments consisted of packaging the pieces of melon with an antimicrobial pad which contained cinnamic acid (148.16 mg/L and 296.32 mg/L). After 10 days of storage, significant differences among antimicrobials treatments and water treatment were found. In water treatment, the psychrotroph load was 3.63 ± 0.09 log cfu g-1 meanwhile on all antimicrobial treatments the values ranged from 3.04 ±0.13 log cfu g-1 to 3.28±0.1 log cfu g-1. Mesophilic growth in the control treatment averaged 6.79±0.06 log cfu g-1 meanwhile on antimicrobial treatments the counts were from 5.15±0.01 log cfu g-1 to 5.30±0.03 log cfu g-1. Total coliform levels were 7.8±0.1 log cfu g-1 when melon was washed in water, followed by washing with cinnamon (296.32 mg/L) at 6.5 log cfu g-1 and for the rest of the treatments were around 5.5 log cfu g-1. The treatments did not display differences among mould and yeast growth after 10 days of storage. The sensorial quality decreased throughout storage. However, at the end of storage, the scores ranged between 6.5 and 7, above the minimum level for marketability (level 5). Sensorial panelist noted a ‘sweet’ taste when vanillin was used as sanitizer. In all antimicrobial treatments, no relation was found between a higher dose and a higher microbial reduction. So, vanillin at 1000 mg/L in water or cinnamic acid at 148.16 mg/L provided in water dip or as a pad inside the trays could be optimal natural sanitizers to substitute the use of chlorine in fresh-cut products as Cantaloupe melon.