Ballast water: a review of the impact on the world public health

Since the nineteenth century ships have been using ballast water (BW) for safety, stability, propulsion and maneuverability, as well as to redress loss of fuel weight and water consumption, and to maintain structural stress at acceptable levels. Ballast water has been spreading many non-native species around the globe, but little is known about the extent and potential significance of ship-mediated transfer of microorganisms. The global movements of ballast water by ships create a long-distance dispersal mechanism for human pathogens that may be important in the worldwide distribution of microorganisms, as well as for the epidemiology of waterborne diseases. Only a few studies have been carried out on this subject, most of them involving ballast water containing crustacean larvae and phytoplankton. Specialized microbiological studies on these waters are necessary to avoid a repeat of what happened in 1991, when epidemic cholera was reported in Peru and rapidly spread through Latin America and Mexico. In July of 1992, Vibrio cholerae was found in the USA and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) determined that it came from ballast water of ships whose last port of call was in South America. In Brazil, just a few studies about the subject have been performed. An exploratory study by the Brazilian National Health Surveillance Agency (Agencia Nacional de Vigilancia Sanitaria - ANVISA) found in ballast water different microorganisms, such as fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Clostridium perfringens, coliphages, Vibrio cholerae O1 and Vibrio cholerae non-O1. Until now, Brazil has been focusing only on organisms transported to its territory from other countries by ballast water, to avoid their establishment and dissemination in Brazilian areas. Studies that can assess the probability that water ballast carries pathogenic microorganisms are extremely important, as is the examination of ships that arrive in the country. Treatment of the human infections caused by BW exists but none is completely safe and efficient.

Efeitos em curto prazo da aplicação de aloxana para indução de diabetes em ratos wistar

The present study aimed to verify action of alloxan in metabolic and immune parameters after 24 and 192 hours of the injection in Wistar rats. Thus, eight rats were fasted and received monohidrated alloxan Sigma (32 mg/kg body weight) via endovenous. Glycemia and trglyceridemia analyzes were performed before and 192 hours after alloxan application. After 24 hours, alloxan application increased water intake and decreased body mass, food intake and leucocytes counting. 192 hours after alloxan application, there was a recuperation in food intake and leucocytes counting. on the other hand, in this period there was an increase of glycemia and water intake and reduction of body mass. These results indicate that some of diabetic signs caused by alloxan occur in short-term after drug administration.

Avaliação da associação midazolam/droperidol na tranqüilização de suínos

Na presente pesquisa, avaliou-se a associação midazolam/droperidol na tranqüilização de 11 suínos da raça Landrace. Foram analisadas as frequências cardíaca, respiratória, temperatura retal e hemogasimetria arterial antes e após a administração do midazolam (0,4mg/kg IM) associado ao droperidol (0,4mg/kg IM). As anotações paramétricas e análises hemogasimétricas foram realizadas a intervalos de 10 minutos, durante uma hora após a administração das drogas. Concomitantemente efetuaram-se observações clínicas a respeito da eficácia da tranqüilização. Não ocorreram alterações significativas nos parâmetros de frequência cardíaca e equilíbrio ácido-base. A frequência respiratória diminuiu significativamente, quando comparada aos valores basais. O tempo médio de ação das drogas foi de 60 minutos, com período de latência de 3 minutos. Durante a tranqüilização houve relaxamento muscular, perda dos reflexos posturais, indiferença ao meio ambiente e manutenção dos reflexos protetores. A análise dos resultados permite indicar a associação midazolam/droperidol para a tranqüilização/sedação de suínos.

Emprego do flunitrazepam na sedação de suínos

Na presente pesquisa avaliou-se o flunitrazepam, em diferentes doses, na tranqüilização de 24 suínos da raça Landrace. Os animais foram divididos em 4 grupos onde, após jejum prévio, anotou-se os parâmetros basais (M0) de frequência cardíaca, respiratória, temperatura retal e hemogasimetria arterial. Ato contínuo, administrou-se o flunitrazepam nas doses de 0,01; 0,02 e 0,03mg/kg, intramuscular (IM), aos grupos I, II e III, respectivamente. O grupo IV (controle) recebeu igual volume de solução fisiológica por via IM. Os dados paramétricos e de hemogasimetria foram coletados a intervalos de 10 minutos após a administração da droga, durante o período de uma hora. Concomitantemente efetuaram-se observações clínicas a respeito do grau de sedação proporcionado pelo flunitrazepam. Não foram verificadas alterações significativas nos parâmetros cardíacos e respiratórios. A dose de 0,03 mg/kg produziu o maior grau de sedação sem interferir significativamente com os parâmetros hemogasimétricos.

Eletrocardiografia em cães anestesiados com cetamina-s ou cetamina

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

2-DEOXYGLUCOSE-INDUCED FOOD-INTAKE BY NILE TILAPIA, OREOCHROMIS-NILOTICUS (L)

The alimentary and glycemic responses to cytoglycopenia were studied in thirty-one Nile tilapia alevins of indeterminate sex and age, measuring on average 10.67 +/- 0.82 cm. The cytoglycopenia was provoked by ip injection of 60 mg/kg 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG, N = 16). The control group (N = 15) was submitted to ip injection of 0.2 ml saline. Blood samples for glucose determination were obtained before and three hours after drug administration by cardiac puncture. Food was then offered ad libitum. One hour later the animals were sacrificed and their stomachs removed. The difference in wet weight between full and empty stomach was utilized to quantify the food intake. Median food intake was 0.3877 g for the fish treated with 2-DG and 0.107 g for the animals injected with saline. This difference was statistically significant by the Mann-Whitney test (P<0.05). The median values of blood glucose levels before drug injection were 46.19 mg/100 ml in the 2-DG-treated fish and 44.54 mg/100 ml in the control group. Three hours after drug administration, the values were 48.64 mg/100 ml in the experimental group and 56.90 mg/100 ml in the control group. The difference between the values of blood glucose before and after the drug was not significant for either group. We conclude that glucoprivation provokes food intake in fish and that the same glucoprivation was not sufficient to provoke hyperglycemia.

Comparison of different clean-up procedures for the determination of N-methylcarbamate insecticides in vegetable matrices by high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection

Several clean-up procedures which included the use of glass chromatography columns (silica gel, alumina, Florisil, silanized Celite-charcoal), Sep-Pak cartridges and standard solutions were compared for the determination of the following N-methylcarbamate (NMC) insecticides: aldicarb, carbaryl, carbofuran, methomyl and propoxur. According to recovery results of the compounds after elution in a glass column, the most efficient systems employed 4.6% deactivated alumina and a silanized Celite-charcoal (4:1) as adsorbents, using dichloromethane-methanol (99:1) and toluene-acetonitrile (75:25) mixtures, respectively, as binary eluents. The recoveries of the compounds studied varied from 84 to 120%. Comparable recoveries (75-100%) for Sep-Pak cartridges in normal phase (NH2, CN) and reversed phase (C-8) were observed. Different temperatures were tested during the concentration step in a rotary evaporator, and we verified a strong influence of this parameter on the stability of some compounds, such as carbofuran and carbaryl. Recovery studies employing the best clean up procedures were performed at the Brazilian agricultural level in potato and carrot samples; Validation methodology of the US Food and Drug Administration was adapted for the N-methylcarbamate analysis. Their recoveries ranged between 79 and 93% with coefficients of variation of 2.3-8%. (C) 1998 Elsevier B.V. B.V.

Phentolamine bioequivalence study

Objective: To assess the bioequivalence of 2 tablet formulations of phentolamine (Regitine phentolamine 40 mg tablet formulation by Novartis, Brazil, as test formulation, and Vasomax, phentolamine 40 mg tablet formulation by Schering Plough S.A., Brazil, as reference formulation). Methods: A single 40 mg oral dose of each formulation was administered to 36 male healthy volunteers. The study was conducted after screening, using an open, randomized, 2-period crossover design, a 7-day interval between doses, and wash-out period of at least 4 weeks. Plasma samples for determination of phentolarnine were obtained predose and at intervals over 720 min postdose. Plasma concentrations were quantified by reversed-phase liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) with positive ion electrospray ionization using multiple reactions monitoring (MRM) method. Precision of the method was evaluated using calibration curves and plasma quality control samples. The subjects were monitored throughout the study. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure and pulse rate measurement were taken predose and at intervals up to 720 min. Tolerance of both products was good. No serious adverse reactions were reported. The pharmacokinetic parameters calculated for both compounds included: AUC((0-720 min)), AUC((0-infinity)), C-max,C- C-max/AUC((0-720 min),) t(max), t(1/2) and k(c). Results: the maximum concentrations reached (Cmax) were compared. Regitine 40 mg formulation C-max geometric mean ratio was 108.29% (90% Cl = 98.58 - 118.96) of Vasomax 40 mg formulation. The areas under the curve (AUC((0-720 min))) were compared. Regitine 40 formulation (AUC((0-720 min)) geometric mean ratio was 102.33% (90% Cl = 97.21 - 107.72) of Vasomax 40 mg formulation. Conclusion: Since the 90% Cl for both Cmax and AUC ratio where inside the 80 to 125% interval proposed by the Food and Drug Administration, it is concluded that Regitine 40 mg tablet is bioequivalent to Vasomax for the rate and extent of absorption.

Efeitos do pentobarbital sódico e do enfluorano sobre a circulação sanguínea hepática: fluxometria eletromagnética e manometria (estudo experimental no cão)

In 18 dogs, previously anesthetized with sodium pentobarbital for the surgical preparation, catheterism and monitoring, the action of sodium pentobarbital (7.5 mg/kg) and enflurane (1.5 - 2%) in the liver circulation was studied. Measurements of the following parameters were made in four different times, before and 15, 30 and 60 min after the drug administration. By direct determination: hepatic artery flow, portal vein flow, mean pressure of the abdominal aorta, peripheral arterial pressure (mean), pressure in the caudal cava vein, portal pressure; and by indirect determination: total flow, arterial-cava gradient, portal-cava gradient, resistance in the hepatic artery territory, resistance in the territory of the portal vein, and total resistance. Based on the results, it is concluded that in the experiment's conditions: sodium pentobarbital doesn't change significantly the hepatic circulation, and enflurance produces a fall in the total hepatic flow, by reducing the portal flow, without alterations of the hepatic arterial flow. It diminishes the total hepatic resistance by diminishing the arterial resistance without alterations of the portal resistance; it diminishes the arterial-cava gradient in consequence of the reduction of the abdominal aorta pressure and of the portal pressure, but it seems that the caudal cava pressure is not altered. It also occurs a fall in the peripheral mean pressure.

Efeitos do pentobarbital sódico sobre o fluxo sanguíneo renal. Estudo experimental no cão

In six dogs, previously anesthetized with sodium pentobarbital (30 mg/kg) for surgical preparation, catheterism and monitoring, the action of sodium pentobarbital (7,5 mg/kg) on renal flow was studied. Determinations of mean arterial pressure, venous pressure, cardiac rate, arterio-cava pressure gradient and renal arterial resistance were made. Pentobarbital doesn't change significantly the renal blood flow or any of the other parameters studied, with the exception of venous pressure in the inferior caval vein where the drug produces a significant fall.