Meristematic activity of the Endodermis and the Pericycle in the primary thickening in monocotyledons: considerations on the PTM

A proposta deste trabalho é mostrar uma nova interpretação do meristema de espessamento primário em monocotiledôneas. Anatomia dos órgãos vegetativos das seguintes espécies foi examinada: Cephalostemon riedelianus (Rapataceae), Cyperus papyrus (Cyperaceae), Lagenocarpus rigidus, L. Junciformis (Cyperaceae), Echinodorus paniculatus (Alismataceae) and Zingiberofficinale (Zingiberaceae). A atividade meristemática da endoderme foi observada nas raizes de todas as espécies, no caule de Cyperus, Cephalostemum e Lagenocarpus rigidus, e no traço foliar de Cyperus e folha de Echinodorus. Considerando a continuidade dos tecidos através da raiz, caule e folha, as autoras concluem que no caule o periciclo permanece ativo durante a vida da planta, como um gerador de tecidos vasculares. O Meristema de Espessamento Primário é o periciclo em fase meristemática, juntamente com a endoderme e suas derivadas (ou apenas o periciclo). Próximo ao ápice caulinar, esses tecidos se assemelham a um único meristema, dando origem ao córtex interno e aos tecidos vasculares.

Arterial diffuse intimal thickening associated with enzootic calcinosis of sheep

Foram feitos estudos morfométrico, imunoistoquímico e ultra-estrutural do espessamento intimal difuso (DIT) das artérias de 7 ovinos com sinais clínicos de calcinose enzoótica espontânea causada pela ingestão da planta Nierembergia veitchii. As lesões caracterizavam-se por deposição de sais de cálcio na média como placas e estrias que, com frequência faziam saliência para a luz, criando rugosidades e irregularidades da íntima. Não foram observadas calcificações na artéria pulmonar e no sistema venoso. Microscopicamente, as calcificações das artérias restringiam-se quase que exclusivamente à média. Na imunoistoquimica, foi verificada a-actina nas células da média e nas do espessamento intimal. Receptores para 1,25(OH)2D3 foram evidenciados nos núcleos das células musculares da média, da íntima e das células endoteliais. As análises morfométricas em microscopia ótica revelaram, nas artérias, DIT irregularmente distribuido sem relação com a intensidade dos processos de calcificação subjacente nem com a espessura da média remanescente. A morfometria das alterações ultra-estruturais das células musculares lisas da média e da íntima espessada, mostrou que nessas últimas foi verificado aumento de até 318% na fração volumétrica das organelas de síntese em detrimento dos elementos contráteis, quando comparados com os valores das células da média. Essas modificações indicam a transformação das células musculares lisas de um tipo contrátil para células de tipo sintético. Entre essses dois extremos foram evidenciadas diversas formas intermediárias. Foram observadas evidências histológicas e ultra-estruturais da transformação e migração de células da média através das fenestras da lâmina elástica interna, para a íntima, onde proliferam e formam o DIT. Foi concluído que o DIT é um componente constante nas lesões arterioscleróticas nas calcinoses dos ovinos induzidas pela planta N. veitchii e que as células predominantes são células musculares lisas provenientes de predecessoras da média. Foi constatado que o DIT só excepcionalmente apresenta calcificação, vascularização, presença de células espumosas e fendas de colesterol. Não foram vistas áreas de necrose. Sugere-se que o fator indutor das alterações arteriais é o 1,25(OH)2D3 contido em N. veitchii.

Effect of long-term treatment with insulin and/or acarbose on glomerular basement membrane thickening in alloxan-diabetic rats

Acarbose is a competitive inhibitor of the intestinal alpha-glycosidases, that can delay absorption of intestinal carbohydrates causing their malabsorption. In the present paper we studied the effects of insulin, acarbose and their association on glomerular basement membrane thickening in alloxan-diabetic rats. Twenty-five male and female Wistar rats, approximately 3 months old at the beginning of the experiment, were assigned randomly to each of five experimental groups: normal control rats, alloxan-diabetic control rats, alloxan-diabetic rats treated with acarbose, alloxan-diabetic rats treated with insulin, and alloxan-diabetic rats treated with insulin plus acarbose. Alloxan was administered in a single iv dose of 42 mg/kg body weight. Insulin was given subcutaneously at doses of 18 to 30 IU/kg corrected daily on the basis of glycosuria and ketonuria. Acarbose was given mixed with rat chow in a dose of 50 mg/100 g chow. Body weight, water and food intake and diuresis, as well as blood and urine glucose were determined after 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of treatment. Glomerular basement membrane (GBM) thickening was determined by electron microscopy at the same times. Clear clinical and laboratory signs of severe diabetes, with blood glucose levels above 200 mg/dl and urine glucose above 3000 mg/dl, were observed in all alloxan-diabetic control rats, in all periods of follow-up, whereas administration of insulin or acarbose reduced the blood glucose levels of treated groups. The most satisfactory control of blood and urine glucose was observed in animals treated with both insulin and acarbose. However, diarrhea was observed in diabetic rats treated with acarbose associated or not with insulin. GBM thickening was correlated with age in all groups. Beginning at six months after diabetes induction, the GBM of untreated diabetic rats was significantly thicker (mean +/- SEM, 4.446 +/- 0.45 mm) than that of normal rats (2.977 +/- 0.63 mm). Both insulin and acarbose prevented GBM thickening and their combination induced thickening similar to the age-dependent thickening observed for normal rats of the same age. We conclude that acarbose when combined with insulin may be a good option in the control of diabetes and its renal complications.

Determination of the Real Influence of the Addition of Four Thickening Agents in Creams Using Rheological Measurements

This study aimed to characterize different emulsions obtained by the addition of four thickening agents, using rheological measurements, beyond analyzing the emulsions by polarized light microscopy looking for liquid crystals on them. The addition of these four thickening agents did not modify the base emulsion rheology, only an improvement in the sensory of the formulation was verified. The polarized light microscopy showed the formation of liquid crystalline structures in all the formulations, thus, the thickening agents did not influence in this parameter too. However, the emulsions could be considered appropriated for cosmetic purposes, probably being highly physically stable. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

Effect of Various Thickening Agents on the Rheological Properties of Oil-in-Water Emulsions Containing Nonionic Emulsifier

The knowledge of rheological characteristics can indicate the emulsions properties, thus, nowadays rheology is used in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries, even to study the influence of rheological additives on them. Ten emulsions were prepared with 5% and 10% of nonionic emulsifier. Two of them were used as controls while in the others were added thickening agents. Rheological analyses were performed. The results showed that all emulsions are non-Newtonian, thixotropics and viscoelastics fluids. The thickening agents could modify the rheological characteristics of the emulsions and knowing the influence of them is easy to adopt one to reach the desirable performance. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

Effects of isoflurane on echocardiographic parameters in healthy dogs

Obejective To study the echocardiographic effects of isoflurane at an end-tidal concentration approximating 1.0 times the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) in healthy unpremedicated dogs.Study design Prospective experimental trial.Animals Sixteen mature mongrel dogs of either sex weighing 11.06 +/- 2.72 kg.Methods After performing a baseline echocardiogram in the awake animal, anesthesia was induced with increasing inspired concentrations of isoflurane via a face mask until tracheal intubation was possible. Following intubation, the end-tidal concentration was decreased to 1.4% for the rest of the anesthetic period. Serial echocardiograms were recorded at 25, 40, and 55 minutes after the end-tidal concentration was reached.Results No changes were observed in heart rate. However, significant decreases were seen in left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (Mean maximal change: 13.8%), interventricular septal thickness during systole (15.2%), interventricular septal thickening fraction (72.2%), left ventricular free wall thickening fraction (63.5%), ejection fraction (39.9%), and fractional shortening (46.7%). In addition, peak flow velocities across mitral, pulmonic, and aortic valves were significantly lower than baseline values. Decreases were also observed in end-diastolic left ventricular volume index (approximately 32.1% from the awake value), stroke index (58.2%), and cardiac index (55.3%) when compared with awake measurements.Conclusions Our results indicate that 1 x MAC isoflurane caused significant myocardial depression in healthy dogs. These changes in myocardial function need to be considered carefully when isoflurane is to be used in dogs with poor cardiovascular reserve.

Natural Polysaccharides as Active Biomaterials in Nanostructured Films for Sensing

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

Clinical and Histological Effects of the Intrathecal Administration of Methylprednisolone in Dogs

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Reduction of podocytes number in late diabetic alloxan nephropathy: prevention by glycemic control

OBJETIVO: Avaliar o número de podócitos e espessamento da membrana basal glomerular (MBG) em ratos diabéticos com e sem controle glicêmico com 6 e 12 meses da indução. MÉTODOS: 100 ratos Wistar com 200-300g compuseram 6 grupos: Normal (N6, N12 - 25 animais) Diabético (D6,D12 - 25 animais) e diabético tratado com insulina 1,8 a 3,0 U/Kg e acarbose misturada a ração (50g para cada 100g de ração) (DT6 e DT12 - 25 animais). Aloxana foi ministrada via endovenosa na dose de 42mg/Kg. Peso, ingestão hídrica e diurese de 24 horas e glicemia e glicosúria foram determinados antes da inoculação, 7 e 14 dias após e mensalmente. No 14ª dia foi iniciado o tratamento. Três grupos de animais (N6, D6 e DT6) foram sacrificados no 6° mês e três grupos (N12, D12 e DT12), no 12ª mês sendo o tecido renal processado para estudo à microscopia eletrônica. RESULTADOS: A glicemia dos animais DT6 e DT12 diferiram significativamente, dos ratos D6 e D12, e não diferiram dos grupos N6 e N12. O número de podócitos do grupo DT6 não diferiu de N6 e D6 (mediana=11); o número de podócitos de DT12 (mediana=11) diferiu de D12 (mediana=8) e não diferiu de N12 (mediana=11). O espessamento da MBG de D6 (0,18 micrômetros) foi menor que D12 (0,29 micrômetros); de DT6 (0,16 micrômetros) foi menor que D6 (0,18 micrômetros) e de DT12 (0,26 micrômetros) foi menor que D12 (0,29 micrômetros). CONCLUSÃO: O controle da hiperglicemia preveniu o espessamento da MBG na nefropatia diabética aloxânica precoce (6 meses) e tardia (12 meses), e a diminuição do número de podócitos.

Pancreas Transplantation Prevents Morphologic and Ultrastructural Changes in Pulmonary Parenchyma of Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats

Purpose. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether pancreas transplantation (PT) is a suitable method for controlling histopathologic changes in lungs of alloxan-induced diabetic rats.Methods. Sixty inbred male Lewis rats were randomly assigned to 3 experimental groups: NC, 20 nondiabetic control rats; DC, 20 untreated diabetic control rats; and PT, 20 diabetic rats that received syngeneic PT from normal donor Lewis rats. Each group was further divided into 2 subgroups of 10 rats each, which were killed after 4 and 12 weeks of follow-up. Clinical and laboratory parameters, fresh and fixed lung weights, and fixed lung volumes were recorded for all rats. Total number of alveoli, alveolar perimeter, alveolar surface area, and alveolar epithelial (AE) and endothelial capillary (EC) basal laminae thickening were randomly measured in 5 rats from each subgroup by using an image analyzer. For light microscopy, 250 alveoli were analyzed in each subgroup. For electron microscopy, 50 electron micrographs were examined for each subgroup.Results. The DC rats showed elevated blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin levels, with insulin blood levels significantly lower than the NC rats (P < .001). Fresh and fixed lung weights and fixed volumes were significantly reduced in these rats, although their proportions to body weight were increased at 12 weeks (P < .01). The total number of alveoli in diabetic rats was higher than in control rats, whereas alveolar perimeter and surface area were significantly diminished (P < .01). AE and EC basal laminae were significantly thicker in DC than in NC (P < .01). Successful PT corrected all clinical and metabolic changes in diabetic rats, with sustained normoglycemia throughout the study. Morphologic and morphometric changes observed in diabetic lungs were completely prevented in PT rats from 4 weeks after transplant.Conclusion. We conclude that PT can control morphologic and ultrastructural changes in pulmonary parenchyma, suggesting a promising perspective for preventing other chronic diabetic lesions.

Follow-up study of morphology and cardiac function in rats undergoing induction of supravalvular aortic stenosis

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Prevalence of dermatologic disorders in 15 patients with acromegaly

Acromegalia é doença crônica rara, insidiosa, decorrente da hipersecreção de hormônio do crescimento, cujos efeitos tróficos e metabólicos frequentemente incorrem em manifestações cutâneas, que podem ser precoces. Os autores avaliaram 15 pacientes portadores de acromegalia e evidenciaram alterações dermatológicas em todos, principalmente espessamento da pele, acrocórdons, cistos epidérmicos, pseudoacantose nigricante, queratoses seborreicas, nevos melanocíticos e manchas lentiginosas.

Xantelasma: relato de um caso

Os autores relatam um caso raro em paciente do sexo masculino, de 71 anos de idade, com história de surgimento de carocinho na pálpebra superior direita há nove anos, que teve aumento importante há um ano. A tomografia computadorizada evidenciou espessamento da musculatura do reto lateral e de partes moles adjacentes. O diagnóstico pela biópsia foi de xantelasma.

Hepatoprotective and anti-inflammatory effects of silibinin on experimental preeclampsia induced by 1-NAME in rats

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