Mutagenicity and antimutagenicity of six Brazilian Byrsonima species assessed by the Ames test

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

Myrcia bella Leaf Extract Presents Hypoglycemic Activity via PI3k/Akt Insulin Signaling Pathway

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

Compreendendo o impacto das diretrizes propostas pela Política Nacional de Práticas Integrativas e complementares em serviços de homeopatia do Sistema Único de Saúde

Pós-graduação em Saúde Coletiva - FMB

Reproductive toxicology and clastogenic evaluation in mice of a phytotherapeutic formulation obtained from Cinchona calisaya Weddel (Rubiaceae) used in Brazilian folk medicine as female fertility stimulant

Ethnopharmacological relevance: In Brazil, a phytotherapeutic preparation produced from a standardized tincture of Cinchona calisaya Weddel such that each mL of product contains 400 mu g of quinine, known in Portuguese as Agua Inglesa (R) (English water), is indicated by the manufacturer as a tonic, appetite stimulant, and digestive. However, this preparation has long been used in folk medicine as a female fertility stimulant. Despite its widespread use in folk medicine to stimulate female fertility, no study has been undertaken to assess the potential teratogenic and genotoxic effects of this phytotherapeutic preparation. The aim of the present study was to investigate possible toxic reproductive effects in mice caused by exposure to Agua Inglesa (R), either before mating or during the pre- and post-embryo implantation periods. The genotoxic potential was evaluated using the micronucleus assay.Material, Methods, and Results: Virgin female mice, with at least one estrous cycle evidenced by vaginal cytology, were divided into five groups of 15 individuals each (Group I - control, Group II - treated with ethanol solution at 16%, Groups III, IV and V treated with phytotherapeutic preparation at 1.5 mL/kg/day, 3.0 mL/kg/day and 4.5 mL/kg/day, respectively). After the first 28 days of treatment, females were caged individually with adult fertile males. Pregnant females continued to receive treatment for seven days (preimplantation period). Body weight was recorded weekly during treatment. Signs of toxicity (weight loss, food intake, piloerection, apathy, prostration, diarrhea, seizures, behavioral changes, and locomotion) were also observed. The females were sacrificed on the 15th day of pregnancy, uterine horns were evaluated for implantation, and the placental index was recorded. In the micronucleus test, 2000 polychromatic erythrocytes (PCE) per animal, obtained from bone marrow, were scored. Results The results showed that exposure of the females during the pre- and post-implantation periods did not significantly alter the reproductive capacity (p < 0.05); however, in higher dose (three times human dose)reduction of fetal weight was observed. There was no difference between the control and phytotherapeutic preparation (p > 0.05) in terms of the average number of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes.Conclusions: Although folk medicine suggests that the Agua Inglesa (R) preparation is useful as a female fertility stimulant, no such effect was confirmed in mice. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

ARFI elastography as a complementary diagnostic method for mammary neoplasia in female dogs - preliminary results

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

Antifungal Activity of Decyl Gallate against Several Species of Pathogenic Fungi

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

Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester: Consequences of Its Hydrophobicity in the Oxidative Functions and Cytokine Release by Leukocytes

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Flavones from Erythrina falcata are modulators of fear memory

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

Collaboration of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of thyroid gland carcinoma in a dog - case report

The sonographic evaluation of thyroid glands in veterinary medicine presents challenges due to the complexity of the anatomical region, professional experience and type of ultrasonography equipment. The technique is considered a versatile diagnostic method that is noninvasive and has a low cost indicated in different clinical situations. Thyroid carcinoma is a malignant tumor that is often invasive and frequently metastatic to regional lymph nodes and lungs. The prognostic indicators for survival after surgery include tumor size, histological type, mobility and presence or absence of metastasis. The objective of the present report is to demonstrate the importance of ultrasound as a complementary method in the evaluation of thyroid carcinoma in dogs. At the Dr. Halim Atique Veterinary Hospital, an eight-year-old male Pit Bull was examined due to a history of firm painless swelling, approximately six inches in diameter, in the ventral cervical region, for about two months. The sonogram showed a nodular area, with defined and regular margins, and heterogeneous hypoechoic parenchyma, with areas of cavitation and swelling of the thyroid. Histopathology of the nodule was consistent with carcinoma. After thyreoidectomy and hormone replacemet, the patient is in good clinical condition.

A integração da medicina complementar e alternativa em sistemas de saúde convencionais

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is becoming increasingly popular, and despite of the growing demand for these practices, physicians and CAM-providers work separately and there is no sufficient effort in the promotion of an integrative health care. Questions like differences of concepts and language, lack of scientific evidence through randomized clinical trials, no regulation of CAM-providers, products and services, besides the lack of government policies in this scope, turn the process of integration difficult and threaten the quality of delivery of health care. Through the integrative review method, the purpose of this paper is to discuss the issues involved in the integration process of complementary and alternative medicine into the conventional health care systems (guided by principles of biomedicine), addressing benefits and risks, obstacles to integration and models of integration in the discussion topicsl

Aplicação da acupuntura em animais silvestres

This study will focus on one part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), acupuncture - utilized as therapy method for pathologies treatment in humans and animals - , as well as its main techniques. Acupuncture is one branch of TCM, originated from theoretical and empirical knowledge accumulated by popular medicine. Currently, researches performed in humans and animals have shown the effectiveness of this method as an assistance or alternative in illnesses treatment. Besides that, professionals are not merely looking for orthodox medicine knowledge, but also specializations and improvement over the complementary therapies area. There are diverse studies and researches which were and are being done in veterinary, relating the effectiveness of acupuncture in small and large animals. In comparison, in the wild animals’ area the numbers of studies is smaller. However, it is expected that this number increases over the fact that some of these animals’ species are entering the pet market and also because of the possibility of using these methods for treatment and prevention of diseases on zoo animals or other animals kept in captivity

SPECT (Single photon emission tomography): Gama câmara, reconstrução tomográfica e características funcional

The SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography) systems are part of a medical image acquisition technology which has been outstanding, because the resultant images are functional images complementary to those that give anatomic information, such as X-Ray CT, presenting a high diagnostic value. These equipments acquire, in a non-invasive way, images from the interior of the human body through tomographic mapping of radioactive material administered to the patient. The SPECT systems are based on the Gamma Camera detection system, and one of them being set on a rotational gantry is enough to obtain the necessary data for a tomographic image. The images obtained from the SPECT system consist in a group of flat images that describe the radioactive distribution on the patient. The trans-axial cuts are obtained from the tomographic reconstruction techniques. There are analytic and iterative methods to obtain the tomographic reconstruction. The analytic methods are based on the Fourier Cut Theorem (FCT), while the iterative methods search for numeric solutions to solve the equations from the projections. Within the analytic methods, the filtered backprojection (FBP) method maybe is the simplest of all the tomographic reconstruction techniques. This paper's goal is to present the operation of the SPECT system, the Gamma Camera detection system, some tomographic reconstruction techniques and the requisites for the implementation of this system in a Nuclear Medicine service

Acupuntura veterinária em pequenos animais

Acupuncture is one of the oldest forms of treatment, which is based in the grounds of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Despite the ancient history, it’s not completely widespread in Brazil, neither so comprehensive in veterinary medicine as used in humans. The technique of inserting needles into acupuncture points, can also be stimulated by heat, electrical stimulation or implants of metal, is mainly focused on neuromuscular disorders in small animals. The difficulty of comprehension of language and the lack of cientific bases restricted the possible applications of acupuncture. This work will address some of the clinical situations this complementary treatment can act, such as neurological, cardiorespiratory, reproductive, gastrointestinal, immunological, and postoperative intensive care

Impact of the medicine Hydroxyurea on reproduction and development, using Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)