In vivo evaluation of the genetic toxicity of Rubus niveus Thunb. (Rosaceae) extract and initial screening of its potential chemoprevention against doxorubicin-induced DNA damage

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Evaluation of DNA damage and lipoperoxidation of propofol in patients undergoing elective surgery

Inhaled anaesthetics have been studied regarding their genotoxic and mutagenic potential in vivo. Propofol differs from volatile anaesthetics because it does not show mutagenic effects and it has been reported to be an antioxidant. However, there are no studies with propofol and genotoxicity in vivo. The study aimed to evaluate the hypothesis that propofol is not genotoxic and it inhibits lipid peroxidation [malondialdehyde (MDA)] in patients undergoing propofol anaesthesia. ASA physical status I patients scheduled for elective surgery, lasting at least 90 min, were enrolled in this study. Initially, the estimated plasma concentration of propofol was targeted at 4 microg ml(-1) and then maintained at 2-4 microg ml(-1) until the end of surgery. Haemodynamic data were determined at baseline (before premedication) and in conjunction with target-controlled infusion of propofol: after tracheal intubation, 30, 60 and 90 min after anaesthesia induction and at the end of the surgery. Venous blood samples were collected at baseline, after tracheal intubation, at the end of the surgery and on the postoperative first day for evaluating DNA damage in white blood cells (WBCs), by comet assay, and MDA levels. Haemodynamic data did not differ among times. No statistically significant differences were observed for the levels of DNA damage in WBCs, nor in plasma MDA, among the four times. Propofol does not induce DNA damage in WBCs and does not alter MDA in plasma of patients.

Evaluation of the Genotoxicity of Chitosan Nanoparticles for Use in Food Packaging Films

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Transmission electron microscopy for characterization of acrosomal damage after Percoll gradient centrifugation of cryopreserved bovine spermatozoa

The objective of this study was to characterize acrosomal ultrastructure following discontinuous Percoll gradient centrifugation of cryopreserved bovine sperm. Semen was collected from six bulls of different breeds and three ejaculates per bull were evaluated. Frozen semen samples were thawed and the acrosomal region of sperm cells was evaluated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) before (n = 18) and after (n = 18) Percoll centrifugation. The evaluation of 20 sperm heads from each of the 36 samples analyzed ensured that a large number of cells were investigated. The data were subjected to analysis of variance at a level of significance of 5%. Percoll centrifugation reduced the percentage of sperm exhibiting normal acrosomes (from 61.77 to 30.24%), reduced the percentage of sperm presenting atypical acrosome reactions (from 28.38 to 4.84%) and increased the percentage of sperm exhibiting damage in the acrosome (from 6.14 to 64.26%). The percentage of sperm with typical acrosome reactions was not significantly different before (3.70%) and after (0.67%) centrifugation. TEM distinguished four different types of acrosomal status and enabled ultrastructural characterization of acrosomal injuries. The percentage of sperm exhibiting normal acrosomes decreased and damage in the acrosome was the most frequent acrosomal injury with the Percoll gradient centrifugation protocol utilized.

Imbibition damage in soybean seeds as affected by initial moisture content, cultivar and production location

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Evaluation of the thermal damages in inlet engine valves varying the grinding wheels and the cutting fluids

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Assessment of cumulative damage by using ultrasonic C-scan on carbon fiber/epoxy composites under thermal cycling

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Structural FRF acquisition via electric impedance measurement applied to damage location

Continuing development of new materials makes systems lighter and stronger permitting more complex systems to provide more functionality and flexibility that demands a more effective evaluation of their structural health. Smart material technology has become an area of increasing interest in this field. The combination of smart materials and artificial neural networks can be used as an excellent tool for pattern recognition, turning their application adequate for monitoring and fault classification of equipment and structures. In order to identify the fault, the neural network must be trained using a set of solutions to its corresponding forward Variational problem. After the training process, the net can successfully solve the inverse variational problem in the context of monitoring and fault detection because of their pattern recognition and interpolation capabilities. The use of structural frequency response function is a fundamental portion of structural dynamic analysis, and it can be extracted from measured electric impedance through the electromechanical interaction of a piezoceramic and a structure. In this paper we use the FRF obtained by a mathematical model (FEM) in order to generate the training data for the neural networks, and the identification of damage can be done by measuring electric impedance, since suitable data normalization correlates FRF and electrical impedance.

First in vivo evaluation of the mutagenic effect of Brazilian green propolis by comet assay and micronucleus test

Propolis is a hive product containing chiefly beeswax and plant-derived substances such as resin and volatile compounds. Propolis has been used in various parts of the world as an antiseptic and wound healer since ancient times, and interest in the product has recently increased. Considering the lack of data concerning the in vivo mutagenicity of green propolis, the capacity of this natural product to cause damage to the DNA was evaluated, using the alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) and micronucleus test, in the peripheral blood cells of mice. The doses tested by gavage were 1000, 1500 and 2000 mg/kg. Micronucleus and SCGE assays showed that green propolis caused an increase in the damage to DNA in the peripheral blood cells of mice. The polychromatic: normochromatic erythrocytes ratio was not statistically different from the negative control. Considering the doses and the results obtained in this study, the acute consumption of green propolis produced some mutagenic effects on the blood cells of mice. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the genotoxic and antigenotoxic potential of Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala D.C. in different cells of mice

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Evaluation of the genotoxic potential of Austroplenckia populnea (Reiss) Lundell chloroform fraction from barkwood extract in rodent cells in vivo

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Evaluation of the in vivo mutagenic potential of hydroalcoholic extracts of the northern highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L. Ericales, Ericaceae) on peripheral blood cells of Swiss mice (Mus musculus Rodentia, Muridae)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Genotoxicity Evaluation in Severe or Mild Diabetic Pregnancy in Laboratory Animals

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)