Aortic valve assessment. Anatomical study of 100 healthy human hearts

PURPOSE: To assess anatomical characteristics of the aortic valve, so that they may be useful in diagnostic situations and surgical treatment. METHODS: The study analyzed 100 healthy fixed human hearts; 84% of them obtained from males, 61% of them from Caucasian individuals. The ages of the individuals ranged from 9 to 86 years (mean 30±15.5 years). The characteristics assessed related to age, sex, and race were the following: number and height of the cusps, size of the lunulae, internal and external intercommissural distance, position of the coronary ostium in relation to the aortic valve, position of the ventricular septum in relation to the aortic valve, thickness of the cusps. RESULTS: All hearts assessed had a tricuspidal aortic valve. In regard to the height of the cusps and size of the lunula, the left coronary cusp was larger, followed by the right coronary cusp and the noncoronary cusp. The internal and external intercommissural distances had mean values of 24.6±5.7mm and 19.7±7mm, respectively. In regard to the position of the coronary ostia, in one heart two ostia emerged from the left coronary sinus, and in another, the ostium was supracommissural. The mean diameter of the aorta was 21.8±3.6mm, and there were no significant sexual or racial differences, but the diameter increased progressively with the increase in age. The thickness of the cusps did not show any significant difference in the 3 points assessed. CONCLUSION: The aortic valve annulus did not show a perfect circumference, with some variations in the measurements of the annulus, in the cusps and in the relation with the ventricular septum.

Obesidade e intervenção coronariana: devemos continuar valorizando o Índice de Massa Corpórea?

FUNDAMENTO: Para discriminar risco coronariano elevado, indicadores de obesidade central são melhores do que o Índice de Massa Corpórea (IMC), que é ainda o índice antropométrico (IA) mais utilizado para seguimento após intervenção coronariana percutânea (ICP). OBJETIVO: Reconhecer, entre os índices antropométricos (IA), os que melhor se correlacionam com ocorrência de desfechos após intervenção coronariana percutânea (ICP). MÉTODOS: Foram considerados 308 pacientes (p), idade média de 61,92±11,06 anos, 60,7% do sexo masculino, submetidos a ICP com stent. Após seis meses, pesquisaram-se os desfechos: óbito, reintervenção por ICP ou cirurgia cardíaca, exame não-invasivo alterado por isquemia ou sintomas anginosos. Os p foram divididos em: Grupo 1 (com desfechos, n=91; 29,5%) e Grupo 2 (sem desfechos, n=217; 70,45%). No sexo masculino e feminino, os IA estudados e seus respectivos pontos de corte foram: circunferência abdominal (CA) > 90/80 cm, relação cintura-quadril (RCQ) > 0,90/0,80cm, índice de conicidade (IC) >1,25/1,18 e índice de massa corpórea (IMC) >30 para ambos os sexos. RESULTADOS: Os grupos diferiram quanto à maior ocorrência de histórico familiar e infarto prévio no Grupo 2. No sexo masculino, CA > 90 cm (p=0,0498) foi, em análise multivariada, preditor independente de desfechos. IMC não foi preditor de eventos. No Grupo 1, a probabilidade de ocorrência de IMC alterada é significativamente menor do que a ocorrência dos outros IA estudados (p<0,0001). CONCLUSÃO: CA anormal comportou-se como preditor independente de ocorrência de desfechos no sexo masculino dessa população pós-ICP. IMC elevado não foi preditor de desfechos e foi o índice antropométrico menos prevalente em pacientes com eventos.

O exercício físico atenua o déficit autonômico cardíaco induzido pelo bloqueio da síntese do óxido nítrico

FUNDAMENTO: O bloqueio da síntese do óxido nítrico (NO) é caracterizado pelo aumento da atividade simpática cardíaca, e o treinamento físico promove a redução da atividade simpática. OBJETIVO: Investigamos o efeito do bloqueio da síntese do NO sobre o controle autonômico cardiovascular em ratos submetidos ao exercício aeróbio durante dez semanas. MÉTODOS: Ratos wistar foram divididos em quatro grupos: controle tratados com ração e água ad libitum durante dez semanas (RC); controle tratados com N G-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) na última semana (RCL); treinados durante dez semanas em esteira motorizada (RT); treinados por dez semanas e tratados com L-NAME na última semana (RTL). O controle autonômico cardiovascular foi investigado em todos os grupos com a utilização de duplo bloqueio com metilatropina e propranolol, e análise da variabilidade. RESULTADOS: Os grupos RCL e RTL apresentaram hipertensão. O grupo RCL apresentou taquicardia e predomínio do tônus simpático na determinação da FC após o bloqueio autonômico farmacológico. O grupo RT apresentou bradicardia e menor freqüência cardíaca (FC) intrínseca em relação aos demais. A avaliação da variabilidade da FC mostrou menores valores absolutos e normalizados na banda de baixa freqüência (BF) no grupo RCL. Por sua vez, o grupo RTL apresentou elevação na banda de BF em valores absolutos. A análise da variabilidade da PAS mostrou que os grupos RCL e RTL apresentaram maiores valores na banda de BF. CONCLUSÃO: O exercício físico prévio impediu o déficit no controle autonômico cardíaco induzido pelo tratamento com L-NAME, no entanto não impediu o aumento na variabilidade da PAS.

Pesquisadores do Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico na área de Cardiologia

FUNDAMENTO: Avaliações sistemáticas da pesquisa científica podem otimizar alocações de recursos financeiros e aumentar a produtividade em pesquisa no Brasil. OBJETIVO: O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o perfil e a produção científica de pesquisadores na área de Cardiologia, que possuem bolsas de produtividade científica em Medicina fornecida pelo Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico. MÉTODOS: O currículo Lattes de 33 pesquisadores com bolsas ativas no triênio 2006 a 2008 foram incluídos na análise. As variáveis de interesse foram: sexo, instituição, tempo de doutoramento, orientação de alunos de graduação, mestres e doutores, artigos publicados e seu impacto. RESULTADOS: Houve uma predominância do gênero masculino (74,4%) e de bolsistas na categoria 2 (57,6%). Quatro instituições foram responsáveis por 70,0% dos pesquisadores: USP (13; 39,4%), UNESP (5; 15,2%), UFRGS (4; 12,1%) e UNIFESP (3; 9,1%). No total da carreira acadêmica, os pesquisadores em Cardiologia publicaram 2.958 artigos em periódicos, sendo a média de 89 artigos por pesquisador. Desse total, 55,0% e 75,0% foram artigos indexados nas bases de dados Web of Science e Scopus, respectivamente. Os pesquisadores receberam um total de 19.648 citações na base de dados Web of Science, sendo a mediana por pesquisador de 330 citações. A média de citações por artigo foi de 13,5 citações (DP = 11,6). CONCLUSÃO: Nosso estudo mostrou que os pesquisadores na área de Cardiologia apresentam uma produção científica relevante. O conhecimento do perfil dos pesquisadores da área de Cardiologia possivelmente permitirá estratégias efetivas para incentivar a produção científica dos pesquisadores brasileiros.

Rede de infarto com supradesnivelamento de ST: sistematização em 205 casos diminui eventos clínicos na rede pública

FUNDAMENTO: A principal causa de óbitos na cidade de São Paulo (SP) é por eventos cardíacos. Em hospitais periféricos de São Paulo estima-se a mortalidade hospitalar no infarto agudo entre 15% e 20%, pelas dificuldades existentes. OBJETIVO: Descrever a mortalidade intra-hospitalar do Infarto Agudo do Miocárdio com Supradesnivelamento de ST (IAMCSST) de pacientes admitidos via ambulância ou hospitais periféricos, como resultado da organização de uma estruturada rede de treinamento. MÉTODOS: Equipes de quatro prontos-socorros (Ermelino Matarazzo, Campo Limpo, Tatuapé e Saboya) e das ambulâncias avançadas do Serviço de Atendimento Móvel de Urgência (Samu) foram treinadas para uso de tenecteplase (TNK) ou para encaminhamento para angioplastia primária. Uma central de leitura de eletrocardiogramas foi usada quando necessário. Após uso de trombolítico, um hospital terciário recebia o paciente que era submetido a cinecoronariografia imediata (trombólise sem sucesso) ou entre 6 e 24 h, caso estável. Variáveis quantitativas, qualitativas foram avaliadas em análise uni e multivariável. RESULTADOS: De janeiro 2010 a junho 2011, 205 pacientes consecutivos utilizaram a rede de atendimento, ocorrendo 87 infartos de parede anterior, 11 bloqueios de ramo esquerdo, 14 bloqueios atrioventricular total, e em 14 houve reanimação pós-parada cardiorrespiratória inicial. A mortalidade intra-hospitalar foi de 6,8% (14 casos), a maioria por choque cardiogênico, um por acidente vascular encefálico hemorrágico e um por sangramento. CONCLUSÃO: A organização em instituições públicas de uma rede de tratamento, envolvendo diagnóstico, reperfusão, transporte imediato e hospital de retaguarda resultou em melhora imediata dos resultados de IAMCSST.

Sex-Specific Equations to Estimate Maximum Oxygen Uptake in Cycle Ergometry

AbstractBackground:Aerobic fitness, assessed by measuring VO2max in maximum cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPX) or by estimating VO2max through the use of equations in exercise testing, is a predictor of mortality. However, the error resulting from this estimate in a given individual can be high, affecting clinical decisions.Objective:To determine the error of estimate of VO2max in cycle ergometry in a population attending clinical exercise testing laboratories, and to propose sex-specific equations to minimize that error.Methods:This study assessed 1715 adults (18 to 91 years, 68% men) undertaking maximum CPX in a lower limbs cycle ergometer (LLCE) with ramp protocol. The percentage error (E%) between measured VO2max and that estimated from the modified ACSM equation (Lang et al. MSSE, 1992) was calculated. Then, estimation equations were developed: 1) for all the population tested (C-GENERAL); and 2) separately by sex (C-MEN and C-WOMEN).Results:Measured VO2max was higher in men than in WOMEN: -29.4 ± 10.5 and 24.2 ± 9.2 mL.(kg.min)-1 (p < 0.01). The equations for estimating VO2max [in mL.(kg.min)-1] were: C-GENERAL = [final workload (W)/body weight (kg)] x 10.483 + 7; C-MEN = [final workload (W)/body weight (kg)] x 10.791 + 7; and C-WOMEN = [final workload (W)/body weight (kg)] x 9.820 + 7. The E% for MEN was: -3.4 ± 13.4% (modified ACSM); 1.2 ± 13.2% (C-GENERAL); and -0.9 ± 13.4% (C-MEN) (p < 0.01). For WOMEN: -14.7 ± 17.4% (modified ACSM); -6.3 ± 16.5% (C-GENERAL); and -1.7 ± 16.2% (C-WOMEN) (p < 0.01).Conclusion:The error of estimate of VO2max by use of sex-specific equations was reduced, but not eliminated, in exercise tests on LLCE.

Possible hybridization of Brazilian planorbid snails and its importance in population dynamics

This study focuses on the possibility of experimental hybridization among host snail species for Schistosoma mansoni in Brazil, with morphological characterization of the hybrids found. By using albinism as a genetic marker, intraspecific crossbreedings were performed between two strains of each species involved, in addition to interspecific crossbreedings; the only viable crossbreeding was between pigmented Biomphalaria glabrata (Paulista, PE) and albino B. tenagophila (Joinville, SC), with the formation of F1 and F2 generations. All offspring in F1 displayed black eyes and a renal ridge on the mantle, while F2 displayed dissociated morphological traits. With regard to reproduction, F1 was more efficient than F2. The experiment's results suggest post-zygotic reproductive isolation.

Prognosis of schistosomiasis mansoni patients infected with hepatitis B virus

A clinical study on the evolution of patients with schistosomiasis mansoni has been conducted since 1983 at the outpatient clinic of the Infectious and Parasitic Disease Service in the Clementino Fraga Filho University Hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, comparing prevalence of positive tests for HBsAg, anti-HBsAg, and anti-HBc among patients infected with Schistosoma mansoni coming from various regions of Brazil and with different clinical forms of the disease. A non-significant predominance of HBsAg, anti-HBsAg, and anti-HBc was detected among patients with the hepatosplenic form of schistosomiasis, who presented a more severe clinical evolution with a higher frequency of hematemesis and/or melena, in addition to the development of macronodular cirrhosis and a worse prognosis as compared to patients with the toxemic form, schistosomiasis-infection and the hepatointestinal form.

Mosquitocidal bacterial toxins: diversity, mode of action and resistance phenomena

Bacteria active against dipteran larvae (mosquitoes and black flies) include a wide variety of Bacillus thuringiensis and B. sphaericus strains, as well as isolates of Brevibacillus laterosporus and Clostridium bifermentans. All display different spectra and levels of activity correlated with the nature of the toxins, mainly produced during the sporulation process. This paper describes the structure and mode of action of the main mosquitocidal toxins, in relationship with their potential use in mosquito and/or black fly larvae control. Investigations with laboratory and field colonies of mosquitoes that have become highly resistant to the B. sphaericus Bin toxin have shown that several mechanisms of resistance are involved, some affecting the toxin/receptor binding step, others unknown.

Quantitave and qualitative interferences of pentoxifillyne on hepatic Schistosoma mansoni granulomas: effects on extracellular matrix and eosinophil population

Mast cells and eosinophils actively participate in tissue repair and are prominent components of Schistosoma mansoni granulomas. Since pentoxifillyne (PTX) is an immunomodulatory and antifibrotic substance, we aimed to characterize, by morphological techniques, the effect of this drug on fibrosis developed inside murine hepatic schistosomal granulomatous reaction, beyond the quantification of eosinophil and mast cell populations. The drug (1 mg/100 g animal weight) was administrated from 35 to 90 days post-infection, when the animals were killed. The intragranulomatous interstitial collagen network was analyzed by confocal laser scanning microscopy, the number of eosinophils and mast cells was quantified and the results were validated by t-student test. Treatment did not interfere on the granuloma evolution but caused a significant decrease in the total and involutive number of hepatic granulomas (p = 0.01 and 0.001, respectivelly), and in the intragranulomatous accumulation of eosinophils (p = 0.0001). Otherwise, the number of mast cells was not significantly altered (p = 0.9); however, it was positively correlated with the number of granulomatous structures (r = 0.955). In conclusion, PTX does not affect development and collagen deposition in S. mansoni murine granuloma, but decreases the intragranulomatous eosinophil accumulation possibly due to its immunomodulatory capability, interfering in cellular recruitment and/or differentiation.

BCG Moreau Rio de Janeiro: an oral vaccine against tuberculosis - review

The vaccine Bacillus of Calmette Guérin (BCG) was originally developed in France as an oral vaccine against tuberculosis. The oral use of this vaccine was replaced by the parenteral route in almost all countries after the Lubeck disaster. In contrast, Brazil retained the oral delivery of the vaccine until the mid-seventies when it was replaced by the intradermal route. This change in route of delivery was mainly secondary to pressure by medical practitioners based on the poor responses of oral immunized subjects to purified protein derivative (PPD) skin tests. Even after the change of route of delivery, Ataulpho de Paiva Foundation continued making the oral vaccine. Currently, BCG Moreau has been described as one of the most immunogenic and with fewer side effects than other BCGs. The genomics, proteomics and vaccine trials for oral BCG Moreau Rio de Janeiro are currently under investigation. In this review, we intend to describe the history of BCG Moreau Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

Heme and innate immunity: new insights for an old molecule

Hemolytic episodes such as sickle cell disease, malaria and ischemia-reperfusion occurrence are often associated to the statement of an inflammatory response which may develop or not to a chronic inflammatory status. Although these pathological states are triggered by distinct etiological agents, all of them are associated to high levels of free heme in circulation. In this review, we aim to focus the very recent achievements that have led to the statement of free heme as a proinflammatory molecule, which may play a central role during the onset and/or persistance of inflammation during these pathologies.

Heme and innate immunity: new insights for an old molecule

Hemolytic episodes such as sickle cell disease, malaria and ischemia-reperfusion occurrence are often associated to the statement of an inflammatory response which may develop or not to a chronic inflammatory status. Although these pathological states are triggered by distinct etiological agents, all of them are associated to high levels of free heme in circulation. In this review, we aim to focus the very recent achievements that have led to the statement of free heme as a proinflammatory molecule, which may play a central role during the onset and/or persistance of inflammation during these pathologies.

Physiological changes in Biomphalaria glabrata say, 1818 (Pulmonata: Planorbidae) caused by sub-lethal concentrations of the latex of Euphorbia splendens var. hislopii N.E.B (Euphorbiaceae)

Molluscides have been used as one of the strategies to control schistosomiasis. Many plant extracts with molluscidal effects have been tested, but the action of the latex of Euphorbia splendens var. hislopii is considered the most promising because it meets the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO). The objective of this study was to determine the lethal dose and identify the effects of the different doses of latex of E. splendens var. hislopii on the physiology of Biomphalaria glabrata submitted to treatment for 24 h. The concentrations of glucose, uric acid and total proteins in the hemolymph and of glycogen in the digestive gland and cephalopodal mass were determined. The LD50 value was 1 mg/l. The highest escape index was found to be at a concentration of 0.6 mg/l. The results showed that the latex of E. splendens var. hislopii caused a sharp reduction in the reserves of glycogen in the digestive gland and elevation of the protein content in the hemolymph of B. glabrata.