Bioaccumulation of tributyltin by blue crabs

This study evaluated the bioaccumulation of tributyltin (TBT) by the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus). Animals were fed with contaminated food containing 30 µg g-1 of TBT expressed as Sn. The analytes were determined in the gills, hepatopancreas and muscle. Acid digestion was used in the total Sn determination, and a solid-phase extraction technique was used for the selective determination of TBT. Limits of detection of 44.6 and 4.46 ng g-1 were found for HG-ICP OES (hydride generation-inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy) and ICP-MS (ICP-mass spectrometry), respectively. The results for non-contaminated animals were below 50 ng g-1, while the animals subjected to the contaminated food showed higher tissue concentrations of Sn (until 6229 ng g-1) and TBT (until 3357 ng g-1) related to the number of exposure days. According to the results, Sn is bioaccumulated by the blue crab in higher concentrations in the hepatopancreas. For most of these animals, the results suggest that Sn is bioaccumulated as TBT.

Utilização da distância total percorrida no teste específico de hoff como preditor da velocidade de limiar anaeróbio no futebol

OBJECTIVE: To verify the use of maximal running distance performed on Hoff test to predict the anaerobic threshold speed (sAnT). METHODS: Ten young soccer players (age of 17 ± 1 years and body mass of 64.3 ± 2.1 kg) were subjects of the study. The subjects performed 12-min test, lactate minimum test to estimate the anaerobic threshold speed and a field test called Hoff. The purpose of Hoff test was to cover the maximum distance during a period of 10min moving a soccer ball through the track by dribbling. RESULTS: The distance covered during 12-min was 2673.2 ± 64.7 m, the sAnT was 11.6 ± 0.3 km.h-1 and distance covered during test Hoff test was 1458.7 ± 49.6 m. The distance covered during Hoff test was not significantly correlated with sAnT (r = -0.20; P > 0.05) and distance covered during 12-min test (r = -0.15; P > 0.05). The sAnT did not differ of speed correspondent 90% at 12-min speed and they were statistically correlated (r = 0.65). CONCLUSION: Thus, we concluded that maximal distance covered during Hoff test cannot provides a valid prediction of the anaerobic threshold speed.

Consumo e digestibilidade de dietas contendo fontes energéticas associadas ao farelo de girassol ou ureia em novilhos confinados

Objetivou-se avaliar o consumo e a digestibilidade total e parcial de dietas utilizando milho, casca de soja e polpa cítrica associados ao farelo de girassol ou ureia em novilhos confinados. Foram utilizados quatro novilhos ½ Aberdeen Angus vs. ½ Nelore, providos de cânulas no rúmen e duodeno, com 18 meses de idade e 360 kg de peso médio inicial. As dietas foram constituídas por duas fontes energéticas (milho grão e polpa cítrica) associadas a duas fontes nitrogenadas (ureia e farelo de girassol), totalizando quatro tratamentos, numa proporção volumoso:concentrado de 40:60. O delineamento utilizado foi o quadrado latino com quatro tratamentos e quatro períodos de 21 dias cada. O consumo médio diário de matéria seca foi influenciado (p < 0,05) entre as dietas, e o maior valor foi atribuído à dieta milho e farelo de girassol. A digestibilidade aparente de todos os componentes, exceto da proteína bruta, foi maior (p < 0,05) para as dietas com polpa cítrica. Não houve efeito (p > 0,05) entre as dietas para as digestibilidades ruminal e intestinal. A utilização de coprodutos na alimentação animal não prejudicou a digestibilidade das dietas, sendo indicados como ingredientes de elevado potencial de utilização em dietas para bovinos de corte.

Avaliação do potencial pozolânico da cinza de lodo de águas residuárias por meio de técnicas instrumentais

Pós-graduação em Engenharia Civil - FEIS

Caracterização, criopreservação e diferenciação in vitro de células tronco, derivadas de amniótica e gelatina de Wharton canina, visando a formação de um banco de células tronco

Pós-graduação em Biotecnologia Animal - FMVZ

A espectroscopia de reflectância no infravermelho próximo pode predizer consumo, digestibilidade e balanço do nitrogênio de dietas alto concentrado de ovinos

Pós-graduação em Zootecnia - FCAV

Análise comparativa de diferentes metodologias para cultivo de células-tronco mesenquimais derivadas de tecido muscular

Pós-graduação em Biociências - FCLAS

Uso da levedura Yea-Sacc8417, monensina sódica e sua associação em dietas para tourinhos Nelore, alimentados com elevada proporção de concentrado

Pós-graduação em Zootecnia - FCAV

Uso de células-tronco para o tratamento de tendinite em eqüinos

Brazil has the fourth largest horse herd in the world, this is due the recognition and appreciation that the different equestrian games are having within the country. Injuries of the tendon, especially in the digital flexor tendon, are the main cause of athletic life reduction among horses. The treatment of tendinitis in horses seeks full recovery of the damage tissue reestablishing the function previously lost, however conventional treatments have proven to be ineffective when considered the quality of the scar tissue and the rate of recurrence. Due to this, the use of adult stem cells to the treatment of musculoskeletal injuries of horses has been studied for some time. This method of treatment consists of aspiration of bone marrow or removal of subcutaneous fat tissue and implantation of these cells in the injured tissue. After obtaining the bone marrow the implantation can be performed with total bone marrow, with the mononuclear fraction of MSC or with cells cultured in vitro. From the fat tissue is used the stromal vascular fraction obtained by collagenase digestion, followed or not by cell culture. According to some studies, cell therapy with material obtained from bone marrow or adipose tissue has shown to be viable, given that these materials are abundant in repair components such as mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), growth factors and other components of the collagen matrix. Several studies using both types of cells have shown great potential and promising clinical results. However, knowledge of the biology and characterization of these cells remain largely unknown, and therefore is needed great care and caution when using stem cells for the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders in horses

Prevalência da excreção e caracterização molecular do poliomavírus humano JC em amostras de urina de pacientes com aids sem leucoencefalopatia multifocal pro-gressiva

The human poliomavirus is the etiologic agente of Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a disease characterized by focal lesions not expansives of the central nervous system that develops in imunocompromissed patients, specially people with aids. The main aim of the study was to evalute the prevalence of the JCV excretion in urine samples of patients with aids, without PML, to compare two JCV DNA detection techniques through of two diferents genomic regions and to evaluate the genotypic characterization of the positive samples. A total of 75 samples were colected in the Instituto de Infectologia Emílio Ribas, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, between may and november, 2009. To detect the JC virus it was made the DNA extraction and then the polimerase chain reaction (PCR). Firstly a fragment of 215 bp was amplified, which corresponds to the codifying gene of the strutural protein of de JC vírus capsid VP1. All the samples were later submitted to another PCR that uses a pair of primers complementaries to the early region of the JCV (T antigen) amplifying a fragment of 173 bp. Followed by the digestion of the amplified product with the restriction enzime BamH1, resulting in two smaller fragments (120 bp and 53 bp). The JC vírus was detected in 53 samples, for both techniques (70,7% for VP1 PCR, and the restriction enzime BamH1), 34/46 were men (73,9%) and 19/29 were women (65,5%). The JCV excretion was higher in individuals that were over 46 years old. Regarding the seven genotypes described in the literature, the ones that were more prevalent among the JC positive patients were 3B and 3A with 10 samples each (21,0%), the 2B with 9 samples (19,0%) and genotype 6, with six samples (13,0%). As in the brown patients as the white ones, the most prevalent genotype was 3B. In the present study it was observed a high prevalence of JCV DNA (70,7%) and the genotype 3 (43,0%)... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Diversidade gênica no gênero Astyanax (Teleostei : Characidae) através da análise de PCR-RFLP de DNA mitocondrial

O gênero Astyanax é um dos mais abundantes e diversificados da família Characidae (subfamília Tetragonopterinae), com mais de 100 espécies nominais, estando amplamente distribuído na bacia do Alto rio Paraná. Esse gênero é caracterizado pela similaridade quanto à forma do corpo, além da alta variabilidade citogenética intra e interpopulações, sendo comum a ocorrência de espécies crípticas ou complexos de espécies. Devido à escassez de dados sobre genética molecular referentes a esse gênero, e a dificuldade na identificação taxonômica, fazse necessário um estudo utilizando marcadores moleculares que visem desenvolver métodos rápidos e eficientes para caracterização de espécies de Astyanax com base em análises de DNA. Em vista dessa necessidade, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a eficiência da técnica de PCR-RFLP do gene mitocondrial Citocromo b na identificação e caracterização da variabilidade genética de cinco espécies do gênero Astyanax que ocorrem na bacia do Alto rio Paraná. O mtDNA das espécies alvo foi totalmente amplificado, num total de cerca de 1140 pares de bases (pb). As análises foram obtidas através dos haplótipos gerados com a digestão por três enzimas de restrição que clivam estes genes, sendo estas ALUI, BAMHI, e HPAII. Foram analisadas 2 populações de Astyanax paranae, A. altiparanae, A. fasciatus, A. bockmanni, e uma população de A. biotae, com amostragens variando entre 5 e 10 indivíduos de cada população. Como grupo externo foram analisadas duas populações de Astyanax ribeirae da bacia hidrográfica do rio Ribeira de Iguape. Ao final do trabalho foi possível a identificação de 4 das 6 espécies analisadas, sendo que as espécies mais divergentes são A. altiparanae e A. ribeirae, as espécies A. paranae + A. bockmanni e A. fasciatus + A. ribeirae são as mais fortemente relacionadas...(Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo)

Marcadores de superfície de Células-tronco: estudo de reação cruzada inter-espécies

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are adult multipotent cells with fibroblastoid morphology and adherent to plastic. Furthermore, they can be obtained from different sources. Besides bone marrow, these cells are taken from umbilical cord blood, umbilical vein, saphenous vein, peripheral blood, arteries, liver and fetal pancreas, placenta, dental pulp and adipose tissue. MSCs derived from adipose tissue are important because of the abundant number of cells that can be obtained from this tissue, easy access and little discomfort to the patient. This study compared two techniques for obtaining MSCs from adipose tissue: mechanical dissociation (MD) and enzymatic digestion (ED). We also analyzed the inter-species cross-reactions using commercial monoclonal antibodies directed against surface antigens of stem cells from different species: mouse, horse, rabbit, monkey and human. We found that MD technique is favorable in relation to ED within 15 days of culture, and ED is more efficient in the first days of culture. The data also showed that MD causes less damage to cellular DNA. About inter-species cross-reactions, the monoclonal antibody A69 directed against stem cells from rabbits, which can be used in veterinary medicine, particularly in research involving horses

Diabetes mellitus e esteatose hepática em ratos: efeitos de um protocolo de treinamento aeróbio

The present study aimed to analyze the effects of exercise performed at aerobic/anaerobic transition on non-alcoholic hepatic steatosis (NAHS) markers in diabetic rats. Adult (60 days) male Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups: sedentary control (SC), trained control (TC), sedentary diabetic (i.v. alloxan injection) (SD) and trained diabetic (TD). At the beginning of the experiment, all the animals were submitted to maximal lactate steady state test (MLSS) in order to identify the aerobic/anaerobic metabolic transition during swimming exercise. The trained groups were submitted to swimming, supporting overloads (% of body weight – b.w.) equivalent to MLSS intensity, 1h/day, 5 days/week, during 8 weeks. We analyzed: serum ALT, AST, albumin, glucose and free fat acids (FFA), body weight and total lipid concentrations in the liver. The diabetic groups showed higher (ANOVA two-way, p<0.05) serum glucose (SD=200% and TD= 150%) and weight loss (SD= 15.0% and TD= 8.5%) compared to controls and the SD showed higher glucose concentration and weight loss when compared to TD. The work load (% b.w.) equivalent to the MLSS was lower in TD (4.7%) than in TC (5.6%) group. The NAHS markers (U/L) did not show... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Avaliação da auto-suficiência energética de reatores anaeróbios no tratamento de esgoto sanitário e de água preta

The purpose of this project is to verify whether anaerobic reactors applied to sewage treatment are energetically self-sufficient. This evaluation can be made by balancing the methane produced through the anaerobic transformation stages (hydrolysis, acidogenesis, acetogenesis and methanogenesis) and the reactor energy consumption requirements. The original project included methanogenic activity tests, which could not be performed due to setbacks in the installation of an analytical instrument. Scientific articles about bench- and full-scale anaerobic reactors were investigated instead. An average substrate-to-methane conversion efficiency of 58,2±18,6% was found for the bench-scale reactors and higher efficiencies (89,2%) were found for the cases which had higher Organic Loading Rates (OLRs) values. The average energy output was 0,013 kWh/Lsewage, value unable to meet the energy needs for the reactor operation, considering equipments normally used such as temperature controller. This balance can become positive if few hypotheses are made, for example (i) to eliminate the use of temperature controller (ii) to alter the operation pattern from continuous to intermittent. Based on energy balance assessment of eight bench-scale reactors, it was observed that the implementation of a system for biogas utilization is not energetically feasible. However, interesting results were found for a full-scale sewage treatment plant, ETE Ouro Verde – Foz do Iguaçu, PR, Brazil. Even though its substrate-tomethane conversion efficiency was about 10% only, the energy balance was quite positive, with energy consumption of 68 kWh/month and energy production of 660 kWh/month. This analysis leads us to conclude that energy recovery from full-scale sewage treatment plants should be practiced by other plants

Atividade in vivo de parasporina extraída de B. thuringiensis sobre o câncer colorretal murino (CT‐26)

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), is an environmental Gram-positive spore-forming bacterium that produces crystalline parasporal protein (Cry) during sporulation. The inclusions often exhibit strong and specific insecticidal activity, making Bt an agent for agricultural controlling insects pest, mites, protozoa and nematodes. Recent studies reported that some of these Crys do not show cytotoxicity against insects but they are capable to kill some human and animal cancer cells. These proteins were denominated parasporins (PS). However, antitumor activity of Bt parasporin on the development of murine colorectal cancer (CT-26), are not well studies and these are no reports on the in vivo effect of these proteins. Thus, the present study evaluated the in vitro and in vivo anti-tumoral activity of Bt parasporin against the murine colorectal cancer line CT-26. Therefore, Balb/c mice were s.c. inoculated with CT-26 cells and weekly treated with parasporin (i.p.) pre-activated by enzymatic digestion with trypsin or proteinase K. Our results have shown, for the first time, that despite the anti-tumor activity in vitro, parasporin crystals couldn’t combat tumor growth in vivo. Instead, this protein was highly toxic, affecting the liver and spleen, with possible effect on other organs, decreasing the survival of treated animals. The results indicate the need for studies to better detoxification or manipulation of parasporin for therapeutic use and new studies for analysis of toxicological effects of repetitive exposure of farmers to this toxin