EFEITOS DA INFUSAO CONTINUA DO PROPOFOL SOBRE A FUNCAO RENAL DO CAO. ESTUDO COMPARATIVO COM O PENTOBARBITAL SODICO

Little research has been done with propofol in relation to renal function. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the continuous infusion of propofol on renal function in dogs. Sixteen dogs, previously anesthetized with pentobarbital sodium (30 mg.kg-1) for surgical preparation, catheterism and monitoring, were studied. The dogs were mechanically ventilated with air and received alcuronium (0.2 mg.kg-1 in bolus and 0.06 mg.kg-1 - maintenance). The following parameters were studied: heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), central venous pressure (CVP), aortic blood flow (A(o)BF - by electromagnetic flowmeter installed in the ascending aortic), aortic vascular resistance index (A(o)VRI), renal plasma flow (ERPF - by para-aminohipurate clearance), glomerular filtration rate (GFR - by creatinine clearance), effective renal blood flow (ERBF = ERPF/1 - hematocrit), urinary volume (UV), renal vascular resistance (RVR = MAP.80/ERBF.10-3), urinary sodium excretion (UE(Na)), fractionated sodium excretion (FE(Na)), osmolar clearance (C(osm)) and free water clearance (C(H2O)). These parameters were studied at 15 (M1), 30 (M2), 45 (M3) and 60 (M4) min after beginning pentobarbital sodium infusion (5 mg.kg-1.h-1). The dogs were allocated into two groups of eight animals each: G1 (control-pentobarbital sodium) and G2 (propofol). In G1, pentobarbital was given at the four times studied. G2 dogs received the same treatment as G1 dogs at M1 and M2; infusion of pentobarbital was substituted by propofol (3 mg.kg-1 bolus, followed by 12 mg.kg-1.h-1 continuous infusion) at M3 and M4. Profile Analysis was used to analyze the results statistically. In G1 (pentobarbital), there was a significant increase in RVR (M1 < M4) and a decrease in ERPF and ERBF (M1 > M4). In G2 (propofol) there was only a significant increase in A(o)BF (M1 < M2 = M3). In comparison among groups, these was a significant alteration of FE(Na) at M3 (pentobarbital > propofol). It was observed that the continuous infusion of propofol in dogs, at the given doses, did not alter the basic variables of renal function and hemodynamics studied. We concluded that propofol can be one of the drugs of choice to provide base anesthesia in studies of renal function in dogs.

ESTUDO DA UMIDIFICACAO E DO AQUECIMENTO DOS GASES INSPIRADOS DURANTE A VENTILACAO MECANICA NO CAO

The authors studied the effect of temperature and humidity of inhaled gases on the respiratory tract of dogs submitted to mechanic ventilation. According to these two variables, fourty dogs were divided in five groups: -G1: 22-26°C and 17-20 mg H2O.l-1; G2: 27-31°C and 23-27 mg H2O.l-1; G3: 32-36°C and 30-36 mg H2O.l-1; G4: 37-41°C and 40-49 mg H2O.l-1; G5: 42-46°C and 59-65 mg H2O.l-1. The following parameters were evaluated: medial arterial pressure, cardiac frequency, venous pressure of inferior cava (CVP), endotracheal pressure, arterial pH, PaO2, PaCO2, rectal temperature, and the histology of the tracheobronchial tree. In the groups G1 and G5, the endotracheal pressure and CVP presented a slight raise. In the groups G1, G2 and G3, there was no histological modification or progressive hypothermia. The group G5 presented metabolic acidosis and great histological alteration; in this group the rectal temperature remained stable. The group G4 presented great histological alteration and hypothermia. In conclusion, the temperature and humidity of inhaled gases should not be higher than 36°C and 36 mm H2O.l-1, respectively. However, the stability of body temperature only is achieved when the temperature of the inhaled air is 42°C or higher.

A new application of humic substances: Activation of supports for invertase immobilization

Invertase was immobilized on aminopropyl silica (APTS-SiO2) activated with humic substances (APTS-SiO2-HS) and on aminopropyl silica activated with glutaraldehyde (APTS-SiO2-GA). The resulting activity of both systems was compared. Humic substances (HS) used for the activation of the silica were extracted from soil of Cananéia, São Paulo State, Brazil, according to the procedure recommended by the International Humic Substances Society. Activity was determined by measuring the rate of formation of reduced sugars using the reaction with dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS). The amount of HS bound on the APTS-SiO2 was equal to 50 mg. The maximum amount of invertase immobilized on APTS-SiO2-HS was 15200 U/g while in the system APTS-SiO2-GA it was 13400 U/g. The experimental enzymatic activity was 3700 and 3300 U/g, for the systems APTS-SiO2-HS and APTS-SiO2-GA, respectively. Considering the increased amount and activity of immobilized enzyme compared with the glutaraldehyde method, it was concluded that this technique opens a new perspective in the preparation of supports for enzyme immobilization employing humic substances. © Springer-Verlag 2000.

Transposon display supports transpositional activity of P elements in species of the saltans group of Drosophila

Mobilization of two P element subfamilies (canonical and O-type) from Drosophila sturtevanti and D. saltans was evaluated for copy number and transposition activity using the transposon display (TD) technique. Pairwise distances between strains regarding the insertion polymorphism profile were estimated. Amplification of the P element based on copy number estimates was highly variable among the strains (D. sturtevanti, canonical 20.11, O-type 9.00; D. saltans, canonical 16.4, O-type 12.60 insertions, on average). The larger values obtained by TD compared to our previous data by Southern blotting support the higher sensitivity of TD over Southern analysis for estimating transposable element copy numbers. The higher numbers of the canonical P element and the greater divergence in its distribution within the genome of D. sturtevanti (24.8%) compared to the O-type (16.7%), as well as the greater divergence in the distribution of the canonical P element, between the D. sturtevanti (24.8%) and the D. saltans (18.3%) strains, suggest that the canonical element occupies more sites within the D. sturtevanti genome, most probably due to recent transposition activity. These data corroborate the hypothesis that the O-type is the oldest subfamily of P elements in the saltans group and suggest that the canonical P element is or has been transpositionally active until more recently in D. sturtevanti. © Indian Academy of Sciences.

Detection of classical 17p11.2 deletions, an atypical deletion and RAI1 alterations in patients with features suggestive of Smith-Magenis syndrome

Smith-Magenis syndrome (SMS) is a complex disorder whose clinical features include mild to severe intellectual disability with speech delay, growth failure, brachycephaly, flat midface, short broad hands, and behavioral problems. SMS is typically caused by a large deletion on 17p11.2 that encompasses multiple genes including the retinoic acid induced 1, RAI1, gene or a mutation in the RAI1 gene. Here we have evaluated 30 patients with suspected SMS and identified SMS-associated classical 17p11.2 deletions in six patients, an atypical deletion of ∼139 kb that partially deletes the RAI1 gene in one patient, and RAI1 gene nonsynonymous alterations of unknown significance in two unrelated patients. The RAI1 mutant proteins showed no significant alterations in molecular weight, subcellular localization and transcriptional activity. Clinical features of patients with or without 17p11.2 deletions and mutations involving the RAI1 gene were compared to identify phenotypes that may be useful in diagnosing patients with SMS. © 2012 Macmillan Publishers Limited All rights reserved.

Characterization of a tannase from Emericela nidulans immobilized on ionic and covalent supports for propyl gallate synthesis

The extracellular tannase from Emericela nidulans was immobilized on different ionic and covalent supports. The derivatives obtained using DEAE-Sepharose and Q-Sepharose were thermally stable from 60 to 75 °C, with a half life (t50) >24 h at 80 °C at pH 5. 0. The glyoxyl-agarose and amino-glyoxyl derivatives showed a thermal stability which was lower than that observed for ionic supports. However, when the stability to pH was considered, the derivatives obtained from covalent supports were more stable than those obtained from ionic supports. DEAE-Sepharose and Q-Sepharose derivatives as well as the free enzyme were stable in 30 and 50 % (v/v) 1-propanol. The CNBr-agarose derivative catalyzed complete tannic acid hydrolysis, whereas the Q-Sepharose derivative catalyzed the transesterification reaction to produce propyl gallate (88 % recovery), which is an important antioxidant. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

A hydrogel scaffold that maintains viability and supports differentiation of dental pulp stem cells

Objectives: The clinical translation of stem cell-based Regenerative Endodontics demands further development of suitable injectable scaffolds. Puramatrix™ is a defined, self-assembling peptide hydrogel which instantaneously polymerizes under normal physiological conditions. Here, we assessed the compatibility of Puramatrix™ with dental pulp stem cell (DPSC) growth and differentiation. Methods: DPSC cells were grown in 0.05-0.25% Puramatrix™. Cell viability was measured colorimetrically using the WST-1 assay. Cell morphology was observed in 3D modeling using confocal microscopy. In addition, we used the human tooth slice model with Puramatrix™ to verify DPSC differentiation into odontoblast-like cells, as measured by expression of DSPP and DMP-1. Results: DPSC survived and proliferated in Puramatrix™ for at least three weeks in culture. Confocal microscopy revealed that cells seeded in Puramatrix™ presented morphological features of healthy cells, and some cells exhibited cytoplasmic elongations. Notably, after 21 days in tooth slices containing Puramatrix™, DPSC cells expressed DMP-1 and DSPP, putative markers of odontoblastic differentiation. Significance: Collectively, these data suggest that self-assembling peptide hydrogels might be useful injectable scaffolds for stem cell-based Regenerative Endodontics. © 2012 Academy of Dental Materials.

Serum Metalloproteinases 2 and 9 as Predictors of Gait Status, Pressure Ulcer and Mortality after Hip Fracture

Introduction: The aim of this study is to evaluate the serum activity of metalloproteinases (MMPs) -2 and -9 as predictors of pressure ulcer (PU), gait status and mortality 6 months after hip fracture. Methods: Eighty-seven patients over the age of 65 admitted to the orthopedic unit from January to December 2010 with hip fracture were prospectively evaluated. Upon admission, patient demographic information, including age, gender and concomitant diseases, was recorded. Blood samples were taken for analysis of MMP -2 and -9 activity by gel zymography and for biochemical examination within the first 72 hours of the patient's admission, after clinical stabilization. The fracture pattern (neck, trochanteric or subtrochanteric), time from admission to surgery, surgery duration and length of hospital stay were also recorded. Results: Two patients were excluded due to the presence of pathological fractures (related to cancer), and three patients were excluded due to the presence of PU before admission. Eighty-two patients, with a mean age of 80.4 ± 7.3 years, were included in the analysis. Among these patients, 75.6% were female, 59.8% had PU, and 13.4% died 6 months after hip fracture. All patients underwent hip fracture repair. In a univariate analysis, there were no differences in serum MMP activity between hip fracture patients with or without PU. In addition, the multiple logistic regression analysis models, which were adjusted by age, gender, length of hospital stay and C-reactive protein, showed that the pro-MMP-9 complexed with neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin form (130 kDa) was associated with gait status recovery 6 months after hip fracture. Conclusions: In conclusion, serum pro-MMP-9 is a predictor of gait status recovery 6 months after hip fracture. © 2013 Gumieiro et al.

Platelet lysate 3D scaffold supports mesenchymal stem cell chondrogenesis: An improved approach in cartilage tissue engineering

Articular lesions are still a major challenge in orthopedics because of cartilage's poor healing properties. A major improvement in therapeutics was the development of autologous chondrocytes implantation (ACI), a biotechnology-derived technique that delivers healthy autologous chondrocytes after in vitro expansion. To obtain cartilage-like tissue, 3D scaffolds are essential to maintain chondrocyte differentiated status. Currently, bioactive 3D scaffolds are promising as they can deliver growth factors, cytokines, and hormones to the cells, giving them a boost to attach, proliferate, induce protein synthesis, and differentiate. Using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) differentiated into chondrocytes, one can avoid cartilage harvesting. Thus, we investigated the potential use of a platelet-lysate-based 3D bioactive scaffold to support chondrogenic differentiation and maintenance of MSCs. The MSCs from adult rabbit bone marrow (n=5) were cultivated and characterized using three antibodies by flow cytometry. MSCs (1×105) were than encapsulated inside 60μl of a rabbit platelet-lysate clot scaffold and maintained in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium Nutrient Mixture F-12 supplemented with chondrogenic inductors. After 21 days, the MSCs-seeded scaffolds were processed for histological analysis and stained with toluidine blue. This scaffold was able to maintain round-shaped cells, typical chondrocyte metachromatic extracellular matrix deposition, and isogenous group formation. Cells accumulated inside lacunae and cytoplasm lipid droplets were other observed typical chondrocyte features. In conclusion, the usage of a platelet-lysate bioactive scaffold, associated with a suitable chondrogenic culture medium, supports MSCs chondrogenesis. As such, it offers an alternative tool for cartilage engineering research and ACI. © 2013 Informa UK Ltd.

Caracterização de propriedades de vidros polarizados do sistema P2O5 – B2O3 – CaO – TiO2

Pós-graduação em Ciência dos Materiais - FEIS

Adsorção de íons Cu(II) sobre superfícies de sílicas gel modificadas com 4-amino-2-mercaptopirimidina e com 2-mercaptopirimidina

Pós-graduação em Ciência dos Materiais - FEIS

New molecular evidence supports the species status of Kaempfer's Woodpecker (Aves, Picidae)

ABSTRACT: Kaempfer's Woodpecker (Celeus obrieni) is the only species of the genus Celeus endemic to Brazil. The description of this taxon as a subspecies of the Rufous-headed Woodpecker (Celeus spectabilis) was based on a single specimen. While C. obrieni and C. spectabilis are now considered separate species based on morphological and limited molecular evidence, no study has critically tested the reciprocal monophyly and degree of evolutionary independence between these taxa with several specimens. Herein, fragments of the mitochondrial and nuclear DNA of three recently-collected specimens of C. obrieni were analyzed to evaluate the degree of evolutionary differentiation of this taxon with respect to C. spectabilis. The results confirm the reciprocal monophyly between the specimens of C. obrieni and C. spectabilis. The genetic divergence values for the two taxa also support their classification as independent species, given that they are greater than the values recorded among other closely-related but separate species of the same genus. Estimates of the divergence time between C. obrieni and C. spectabilis indicate that cladogenesis occurred in the mid-Pleistocene, during a period of major climatic fluctuations and landscape change, consistent with the hypothesis of a corridor of open bamboo dominated forests and woodland stretching.

The NINJA-2 project: detecting and characterizing gravitational waveforms modelled using numerical binary black hole simulations

The Numerical INJection Analysis (NINJA) project is a collaborative effort between members of the numerical relativity and gravitational-wave (GW) astrophysics communities. The purpose of NINJA is to study the ability to detect GWs emitted from merging binary black holes (BBH) and recover their parameters with next-generation GW observatories. We report here on the results of the second NINJA project, NINJA-2, which employs 60 complete BBH hybrid waveforms consisting of a numerical portion modelling the late inspiral, merger, and ringdown stitched to a post-Newtonian portion modelling the early inspiral. In a 'blind injection challenge' similar to that conducted in recent Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) and Virgo science runs, we added seven hybrid waveforms to two months of data recoloured to predictions of Advanced LIGO (aLIGO) and Advanced Virgo (AdV) sensitivity curves during their first observing runs. The resulting data was analysed by GW detection algorithms and 6 of the waveforms were recovered with false alarm rates smaller than 1 in a thousand years. Parameter-estimation algorithms were run on each of these waveforms to explore the ability to constrain the masses, component angular momenta and sky position of these waveforms. We find that the strong degeneracy between the mass ratio and the BHs' angular momenta will make it difficult to precisely estimate these parameters with aLIGO and AdV. We also perform a large-scale Monte Carlo study to assess the ability to recover each of the 60 hybrid waveforms with early aLIGO and AdV sensitivity curves. Our results predict that early aLIGO and AdV will have a volume-weighted average sensitive distance of 300 Mpc (1 Gpc) for 10M circle dot + 10M circle dot (50M circle dot + 50M circle dot) BBH coalescences. We demonstrate that neglecting the component angular momenta in the waveform models used in matched-filtering will result in a reduction in sensitivity for systems with large component angular momenta. This reduction is estimated to be up to similar to 15% for 50M circle dot + 50M circle dot BBH coalescences with almost maximal angular momenta aligned with the orbit when using early aLIGO and AdV sensitivity curves.

Microsatellite analysis supports clonal propagation and reduced divergence of Trypanosoma vivax from asymptomatic to fatally infected livestock in South America compared to West Africa

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)