Anxiolytic effect of Rubus brasilensis in rats and mice

The aim of the present work was to investigate if infuse and ethanolic extracts (aqueous, butanolic and wax fractions) of Rubus brasiliensis Martius (Rosaceae) induce anxiolytic effect. The extracts were administered to male Wistar rats and Swiss mice per oral route, at 50, 100 and 150 mg/kg, 30 min before the behavioral evaluation in the elevated plus maze (EPM). Both infuse and wax ethanolic fraction at the dosage 150 mg/kg, vo, increased the number and the percentage of open arm entries of rats and mice. The aqueous and butanolic fractions, obtained from ethanolic extract, failed to induce anxiolytic effect. The treatment of mice with flumazenil (Ro 15-1788), 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 mg/kg, i.p., 15-min before the administration of infuse or wax fraction, 150 mg/kg, vo, blocked the infuse or wax fraction-induced anxiolytic effect. The LD50 for the wax fraction was 1000 mg/kg. In conclusion, the infuse and wax ethanolic fraction of R. brasiliensis present anxiolytic effect in rats and mice. In addition, it is suggested that the anxiolytic effect may be attributed at least to one liposoluble principle with low acute toxicity which may be acting as an agonist on GABA(A)-benzodiazepine receptor complex. (C) 1998 Elsevier B.V. Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transcriptional changes associated with recurrent airway obstruction in affected and unaffected horses

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Spermatozoa ultrastructure in Sciaenidae and Polynemidae (Teleostei : Perciformes) with some consideration on Percoidei spermatozoa ultrastructure

Spermatozoa ultrastructure was studied in five marines (Paralonchurus brasiliensis, Larimus breviceps, Cynoscion striatus, Micropogonias furnieri, Menticirrhus americanus, Umbrina coroides, Stellifer rastrifer), and one freshwater (Plagioscion squamosissimus) species of Sciaenidae and one species of Polynemidae (Polydactylus virginicus). The investigation revealed that, in all species, spermatozoa display a round head, a nucleus containing highly condensed, filamentous chromatin clusters, no acrosome, a short midpiece with a short cytoplasmic channel, and a flagellum showing the classic axoneme structure (9 + 2) and short irregular lateral fins. In Sciaenidae, the spermatozoa are type II, the flagellar axis is parallel to the nucleus, the lateral nuclear fossa is double arched, the centriolar complex is outside the nuclear fossa, the proximal centriole is anterior and perpendicular to the distal centriole, and no more than ten spherical (marine species) or elongate (freshwater species) mitochondria are observed. Polynemidae spermatozoa are of the intermediate type with the flagellar axis eccentric to the hemi-arc-shaped nucleus, and exhibit no nuclear fossa, the centriolar complex close to the upper nuclear end, the proximal centriole lateral and oblique to the distal centriole, and one large ring-shaped mitocondrion. The data available show that no characteristic is exclusively found in the spermatozoa of members of the Sciaenidae family when compared to other Percoidei with type II spermatozoa. However, three characteristics were exclusively found in Polynemidae: (1) the hemi-arched nucleus; the positioning of the centrioles; and (2) the ring-shaped mitocondrion. The interrelationships between Sciaenidae and Polynemidae as well as between these two families and other Percoidei are herein discussed. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Unique Derived Features in Spermiogenesis and Sperm Morphology Supporting a Close Relationship between the Species of Hollandichthys and Rachoviscus (Characiformes: Characidae)

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

Germination of Ocotea pulchella (Nees) Mez (Lauraceae) seeds in laboratory and natural restinga environment conditions

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

The use of biodiversity as source of new chemical entities against defined molecular targets for treatment of malaria, tuberculosis, and T-cell mediated diseases: a review

The modern approach to the development of new chemical entities against complex diseases, especially the neglected endemic diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria, is based on the use of defined molecular targets. Among the advantages, this approach allows (i) the search and identification of lead compounds with defined molecular mechanisms against a defined target (e.g. enzymes from defined pathways), (ii) the analysis of a great number of compounds with a favorable cost/benefit ratio, (iii) the development even in the initial stages of compounds with selective toxicity (the fundamental principle of chemotherapy), (iv) the evaluation of plant extracts as well as of pure substances. The current use of such technology, unfortunately, is concentrated in developed countries, especially in the big pharma. This fact contributes in a significant way to hamper the development of innovative new compounds to treat neglected diseases. The large biodiversity within the territory of Brazil puts the country in a strategic position to develop the rational and sustained exploration of new metabolites of therapeutic value. The extension of the country covers a wide range of climates, soil types, and altitudes, providing a unique set of selective pressures for the adaptation of plant life in these scenarios. Chemical diversity is also driven by these forces, in an attempt to best fit the plant communities to the particular abiotic stresses, fauna, and microbes that co-exist with them. Certain areas of vegetation (Amazonian Forest, Atlantic Forest, Araucaria Forest, Cerrado-Brazilian Savanna, and Caatinga) are rich in species and types of environments to be used to search for natural compounds active against tuberculosis, malaria, and chronic-degenerative diseases. The present review describes some strategies to search for natural compounds, whose choice can be based on ethnobotanical and chemotaxonomical studies, and screen for their ability to bind to immobilized drug targets and to inhibit their activities. Molecular cloning, gene knockout, protein expression and purification, N-terminal sequencing, and mass spectrometry are the methods of choice to provide homogeneous drug targets for immobilization by optimized chemical reactions. Plant extract preparations, fractionation of promising plant extracts, propagation protocols and definition of in planta studies to maximize product yield of plant species producing active compounds have to be performed to provide a continuing supply of bioactive materials. Chemical characterization of natural compounds, determination of mode of action by kinetics and other spectroscopic methods (MS, X-ray, NMR), as well as in vitro and in vivo biological assays, chemical derivatization, and structure-activity relationships have to be carried out to provide a thorough knowledge on which to base the search for natural compounds or their derivatives with biological activity.

Evidence of higher photosynthetic plasticity in the early successional Guazuma ulmifolia Lam. compared to the late successional Hymenaea courbaril L. grown in contrasting light environments

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

Interaction between Advanced Glycation End Products Formation and Vascular Responses in Femoral and Coronary Arteries from Exercised Diabetic Rats

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

Growth and mortality of Cichla spp. (Perciformes, Cichlidae) introduced in Volta Grande Reservoir (Grande River) and in a small artificial lake in Southeastern Brazil

Os parâmetros de crescimento e mortalidade foram estimados indiretamente pelas distribuições das frequências de comprimento para espécies de Cichla spp. introduzidas em um lago em Leme (SP) e no reservatório de Volta Grande (SP-MG). em Leme, Cichla kelberi apresentou maior frequência nas classes de comprimentos inferiores, maior taxa instantânea de mortalidade natural e menor número de coortes do que C. kelberi e C. piquiti em Volta Grande. Os valores de performance de crescimento obtidos para as espécies foram próximos, corroborando a validade dos parâmetros estimados de crescimento e de mortalidade. A pressão em crescer rapidamente, devido à predação, aumenta quanto menor e menos diverso for o ambiente. O gênero Cichla adapta-se bem nos locais em que é introduzido, entretanto essa adaptação mostra-se fortemente ajustada a cada ambiente em particular, determinando com isso grande plasticidade e capacidade de estabelecimento.

Occurrence and behavior of butyltins in intertidal and shallow subtidal surface sediments of an estuarine beach under different sampling conditions

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

Macromolecular properties of cepacian in water and in dimethylsulfoxide

Cepacian is the exopolysaccharide produced by the majority of the so far investigated clinical strains of the Burkholderia cepacia complex. This is a group of nine closely related bacterial species that might cause serious lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients, in some cases leading to death. In this paper the aggregation ability and the conformational properties of cepacian chain were investigated to understand its role in biofilm formation. Viscosity and atomic force microscopy studies in water and in mixed (dimethylsulfoxide/water) solvent indicated the formation of double stranded molecular structures in aqueous solutions. Inter-residue short distances along cepacian chain were investigated by NOE NMR, which showed that two side chains of cepacian were not conformation ally free due to strong interactions with the polymer backbone. These interactions were attributed to hydrogen bonding and contributed to structure rigidity. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In vitro exposure to fullerene C60 influences redox state and lipid peroxidation in brain and gills from Cyprinus carpio (Cyprinidae)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Mites associated to Xylopia aromatica (Lam.) Mart. (Annonaceae) in urban and rural fragments of semidecidual forest

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

Coloring ionic trapping states in WO3 and Nb2O5 electrochromic materials

Complex electro-optical analysis is a very useful approach to separate different kinetic processes that occur during ionic insertion reactions in electrochromic oxide materials. In this paper, we use this type of combined technique to investigate ionic and optical changes in different oxide host systems, i.e., in two oxide hosts, specifically WO3 and Nb2O5. A comparison of their electro-optical responses revealed the presence of an ionic trapping contribution to the kinetics of the coloring sites, which was named here as coloring ionic trapping state. As expected, this coloring trapping process is slower in Nb2O5 since the reduction potential of Nb2O5 is more negative (more energy is needed for a higher degree of coloration). A phenomenological solid-state model that encompasses homogeneous charge transfer and valence trapping was proposed to explain the coloring ionic trapping process. Basically the model is able to explain how ionic dynamics at low frequency region, i.e., the slower kinetic step, controls the coloring kinetics, i.e., how it is capable to regulate the coloring rates.Optical transient analyses demonstrated the possibility of the presence of more than one coloring ionic trap, indicating the complexity of the processes involved in coloration phenomenon in metal oxide host systems. (C) 2008 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Mechanisms behind blue, green, and red photoluminescence emissions in CaWO4 and CaMoO4 powders

A combined experimental and theoretical study was conducted to analyze the photoluminescence (PL) properties of ordered and disordered CaWO4 (CW) and CaMoO4 (CM) powders. Two mechanisms were found to be responsible for photoluminescence emission in CW and CM powders. The first one, in the disordered powders, was caused by oxygen complex vacancies [MO3 center dot V-O(x)], [MO3 center dot V-O(center dot)] and [MO3 center dot V-O(center dot center dot)], where M=W or Mo, which leads to additional levels in the band gap. The second mechanism, in ordered powders, was caused by an intrinsic slight distortion of the [WO4] or [MoO4] tetrahedral in the short range. (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.