Morphological features and vascularization study of caprine cyclic corpus luteum

Corpus luteum is a temporary endocrine gland that regulates either the estrous cycle and pregnancy. It presents extreme dependency on the adequate blood supply. This work aims to evaluate goat corpus luteum (CL) vascular density (VD) over the estrous cycle. For that purpose, 20 females were submitted to estrus synchronization/ovulation treatment using a medroxyprogesterone intra-vaginal sponge as well as intramuscular (IM) application of cloprostenol and equine chorionic gonadotrophine (eCG). After sponge removal, estrus was identified at about 72hs. Once treatment was over, female goats were then subdivided into 4 groups (n=5 each) and slaughtered on days 2, 12, 16 and 22 after ovulation (p.o). Ovaries were collected, withdrawn and weighted. CL and ovaries had size and area recorded. Blood samples were collected and the plasma progesterone (P4) was measured through RIA commercial kits. The VD was 24.42±6.66, 36.26±5.61, 8.59±2.2 and 3.97±1.12 vessels/mm² for days 2, 12, 16 and 22 p.o, respectively. Progesterone plasma concentrations were 0.49±0.08, 2.63±0.66, 0.61±0.14 and 0.22±0.04ng/ml for days 2, 12, 16 e 22 p.o, respectively. Studied parameters were affected by the estrous cycle phase. Values greater than 12 p.o were observed. In the present work we observed that ovulation occurred predominantly in the right ovary (70% of the animals), which in turn presented bigger measures than the contra lateral one. There is a meaningful relationship between the weight and size of the ovary and these of CL (r=0.87, r=0.70, respectively, p<0.05). It is possible to conclude that morphology of goat's ovaries and plasma progesterone concentration changed according to estrous cycle stages. We propose these parameters can be used as indicators of CL functional activity.

Influência do grau de bipartição escrotal sobre parâmetros reprodutivos de caprinos

Avaliou-se a influência do grau de bipartição escrotal sobre os parâmetros reprodutivos em caprinos. Foram utilizados 30 animais, distribuídos em três grupos: Grupo I, animais que apresentavam escroto sem bipartição (n =10); Grupo II, animais com bipartição escrotal até 50% do comprimento dos testículos (n=10); e Grupo III, caprinos com bipartição escrotal acima de 50% do comprimento testicular (n=10). Os parâmetros avaliados foram peso corporal, perímetro escrotal, comprimento testicular, características físicas e morfológicas do sêmen, concentração plasmática de testosterona e libido dos animais, comparando caprinos com escroto bipartido e não bipartido. Os animais que apresentavam bipartição escrotal expressaram maior peso corporal e comprimento testicular, quando comparados com os animais do grupo sem escroto bipartido, sendo que estes apresentaram maior número de células espermáticas defeituosas. Conclui-se que a bipartição escrotal influencia positivamente alguns parâmetros biométricos bem como a qualidade do sêmen em caprinos.

Sistematização da origem, da distribuição e dos territórios da artéria cerebral caudal na superfície do encéfalo em gatos

Foram estudados 26 encéfalos de gatos, adultos, sem diferenciação de sexo, sem raça definida, corados com látex e fixados por solução aquosa de formaldeído. As artérias cerebrais caudais, direita e esquerda, apresentaram-se únicas em 96,1 e 88,4% dos casos, respectivamente. Em 69,2% dos casos no antímero direito e 80,8% no esquerdo, a artéria cerebral caudal originou-se pela anastomose entre o ramo caudal da artéria carótida interna, com maior contribuição, e o ramo terminal da artéria basilar. Em 88,4% dos casos no antímero direito e em 84,6% no esquerdo, a artéria cerebral caudal originou a artéria tectal rostral e um ramo caudal. O ramo caudal bifurcou-se e vascularizou os colículos rostrais e caudais dos corpos quadrigêmeos e em alguns casos contribuiu na formação do plexo coroide do terceiro ventrículo. A artéria tectal rostral seguiu ventralmente ao lobo piriforme e durante seu trajeto liberou ramos para o hipocampo e, no antímero esquerdo, supriu a superfície dorsal do tálamo, contribuindo para a formação do plexo coroide do terceiro ventrículo.

Grupo Poéticas Digitais: projetos desluz e amoreiras

O Grupo Poéticas Digitais foi criado em 2002, no Departamento de Artes Plásticas da ECA-USP, com a intenção de gerar um núcleo multidisciplinar, promovendo o desenvolvimento de projetos experimentais e a reflexão sobre o impacto das novas tecnologias no campo das artes. O Grupo é um desdobramento do projeto wAwRwT, iniciado em 1995 por Gilbertto Prado e tem como participantes professores, artistas, pesquisadores e estudantes. O objetivo deste texto é apresentar algumas experimentações recentes de projetos poéticos como Desluz, de 2009/2010, e Amoreiras, de 2010.

The effects of the experimental onfection from a focus of transmissopn of Schistosoma mansoni in a population of Biomphalaria tenagophila (D'Orbigny, 1835) in the region of "Vale do Ribeira de Iguape", Brazil

Com objetivo de observar os efeitos da infecção parasitária na biologia de B. tenagophila, foram realizadas infecções experimentais em populações de campo e laboratório, ambas procedentes de Itariri, Vale do Ribeira, Brasil. Cada molusco recebeu 10 miracídios de Schistosoma mansoni (linhagem SJ), sendo observado durante o desenvolvimento dos parasitos. As variáveis biológicas foram comparadas segundo os critérios "grupo" e "fase de infecção". Os principais danos decorrentes do parasitismo se manifestaram na reprodução, na longevidade e em lesões na concha dos moluscos na fase patente. Foi encontrada uma taxa de infecção de 58,8 por cento. O estudo microanatômico da glândula digestiva e do ovoteste do molusco revelou a presença de formas larvárias em evolução e cercárias. Concluiu-se que os efeitos da infecção parasitária, sobre as duas populações, foram moderados, uma vez que os danos não impediram a reprodução e a eliminação de cercárias que se manteve por um longo período, apesar da baixa sobrevivência dos moluscos parasitados

Mortes maternas: revisão do fator de correção para os dados oficiais

O objetivo foi comparar as mortes maternas existentes no Sistema de Informações sobre Mortalidade (SIM/MS) com as do "Estudo da mortalidade de mulheres em idade fértil" e estimar novos fatores de correção. Analisaram-se 7.332 declarações de óbito feminino (DO) de dez a 49 anos, de residentes nas capitais brasileiras, no 1o semestre de 2002. Realizou-se pareamento dos conjuntos de DO (as originalmente preenchidas pelos médicos e aquelas obtidas com o resgate de dados) com as DO do SIM/MS. A subenumeração das mortes por causas maternas, no SIM/MS, foi de 21,4 por cento e, das mortes maternas, 16 por cento . Os novos fatores de ajuste para as mortes maternas nas regiões brasileiras foram: 0,93 (Norte), 1,17 (Nordeste), 1,28 (Sudeste), 1,10 (Sul) e 1,47 (Centro-oeste); para o pa's, foi igual a 1,19. Os Comitês de Morte Materna investigam os óbitos femininos em idade fértil, mas, ainda, restam imprecisões que podem inviabilizar condutas preventivas eficientes

Women's satisfaction with childbirth's experience in different models of care: a descriptive study

Com o objetivo de comparar a satisfação das mulheres com a experiência do parto em três modelos assistenciais, foi realizada pesquisa descritiva, com abordagem quantitativa, em dois hospitais públicos de São Paulo, um promovendo o modelo "Típico" e o outro com um centro de parto intra-hospitalar (modelo "CPNIH") e um peri-hospitalar (modelo "CPNPH"). A amostra foi constituída por 90 puérperas, 30 de cada modelo. A comparação entre os resultados referentes à satisfação das mulheres com o atendimento prestado pelos profissionais de saúde, com a qualidade da assistência e os motivos de satisfação e insatisfação, com a indicação ou recomendação dos serviços recebidos, com a sensação de segurança no processo e com as sugestões de melhorias, mostrou que o modelo CPHPH foi o melhor avaliado, vindo em seguida o CPNIH e por último o Típico. Conclui-se que o modelo peri-hospitalar de assistência ao parto deveria receber maior apoio do SUS, por se constituir em serviço em que as mulheres se mostram satisfeitas com a atenção recebida

Changes in Glucose and Glutamine Lymphocyte Metabolisms Induced by Type I Interferon alpha

In lymphocytes (LY), the well-documented antiproliferative effects of IFN-alpha are associated with inhibition of protein synthesis, decreased amino acid incorporation, and cell cycle arrest. However, the effects of this cytokine on the metabolism of glucose and glutamine in these cells have not been well investigated. Thus, mesenteric and spleen LY of male Wistar rats were cultured in the presence or absence of IFN-alpha, and the changes on glucose and glutamine metabolisms were investigated. The reduced proliferation of mesenteric LY was accompanied by a reduction in glucose total consumption (35%), aerobic glucose metabolism (55%), maximal activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (49%), citrate synthase activity (34%), total glutamine consumption (30%), aerobic glutamine consumption (20.3%) and glutaminase activity (56%). In LY isolated from spleen, IFN alpha also reduced the proliferation and impaired metabolism. These data demonstrate that in LY, the antiproliferative effects of IFN alpha are associated with a reduction in glucose and glutamine metabolisms.

Spectral Region Optimization for Raman-Based Optical Biopsy of Inflammatory Lesions

Objective: The biochemical alterations between inflammatory fibrous hyperplasia (IFH) and normal tissues of buccal mucosa were probed by using the FT-Raman spectroscopy technique. The aim was to find the minimal set of Raman bands that would furnish the best discrimination. Background: Raman-based optical biopsy is a widely recognized potential technique for noninvasive real-time diagnosis. However, few studies had been devoted to the discrimination of very common subtle or early pathologic states as inflammatory processes that are always present on, for example, cancer lesion borders. Methods: Seventy spectra of IFH from 14 patients were compared with 30 spectra of normal tissues from six patients. The statistical analysis was performed with principal components analysis and soft independent modeling class analogy cross-validated, leave-one-out methods. Results: Bands close to 574, 1,100, 1,250 to 1,350, and 1,500 cm(-1) (mainly amino acids and collagen bands) showed the main intragroup variations that are due to the acanthosis process in the IFH epithelium. The 1,200 (C-C aromatic/DNA), 1,350 (CH(2) bending/collagen 1), and 1,730 cm(-1) (collagen III) regions presented the main intergroup variations. This finding was interpreted as originating in an extracellular matrix-degeneration process occurring in the inflammatory tissues. The statistical analysis results indicated that the best discrimination capability (sensitivity of 95% and specificity of 100%) was found by using the 530-580 cm(-1) spectral region. Conclusions: The existence of this narrow spectral window enabling normal and inflammatory diagnosis also had useful implications for an in vivo dispersive Raman setup for clinical applications.

Responsiveness to exercise training in juvenile dermatomyositis: a twin case study

Background: Patients with juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) often present strong exercise intolerance and muscle weakness. However, the role of exercise training in this disease has not been investigated. Purpose: this longitudinal case study reports on the effects of exercise training on a 7-year-old patient with JDM and on her unaffected monozygotic twin sister, who served as a control. Methods: Both the patient who was diagnosed with JDM as well as her healthy twin underwent a 16-week exercise training program comprising aerobic and strengthening exercises. We assessed one repetition-maximum (1-RM) leg-press and bench-press strength, balance, mobility and muscle function, blood markers of inflammation and muscle enzymes, aerobic conditioning, and disease activity scores. As a result, the healthy child had an overall greater absolute strength, muscle function and aerobic conditioning compared to her JDM twin pair at baseline and after the trial. However, the twins presented comparable relative improvements in 1-RM bench press, 1-RM leg press, VO(2peak), and time-to-exhaustion. The healthy child had greater relative increments in low-back strength and handgrip, whereas the child with JDM presented a higher relative increase in ventilatory anaerobic threshold parameters and functional tests. Quality of life, inflammation, muscle damage and disease activity scores remained unchanged. Results and Conclusion: this was the first report to describe the training response of a patient with non-active JDM following an exercise training regimen. The child with JDM exhibited improved strength, muscle function and aerobic conditioning without presenting an exacerbation of the disease.

Development, implementation, and assessment of a distance module in endocrine physiology

Rangel EM, Mendes IA, Carnio EC, Marchi Alves LM, Godoy S, Crispim JA. Development, implementation, and assessment of a distance module in endocrine physiology. Adv Physiol Educ 34: 70-74, 2010; doi: 10.1152/advan.00070.2009.-This study aimed to develop, implement, and assess a distance module in endocrine physiology in TelEduc for undergraduate nursing students from a public university in Brazil, with a sample size of 44 students. Stage 1 consisted of the development of the module, through the process of creating a distance course by means of the Web. Stage 2 was the planning of the module's practical functioning, and stage 3 was the planning of student evaluations. In the experts' assessment, the module complied with pedagogical and technical requirements most of the time. In the practical functioning stage, 10 h were dedicated for on-site activities and 10 h for distance activities. Most students (93.2%) were women between 19 and 23 yr of age (75%). The internet was the most used means to remain updated for 23 students (59.0%), and 30 students (68.2%) accessed it from the teaching institution. A personal computer was used by 23 students (56.1%), and most of them (58.1%) learned to use it alone. Access to a forum was more dispersed (variation coefficient: 86.80%) than access to chat (variation coefficient: 65.14%). Average participation was 30 students in forums and 22 students in the chat. Students' final grades in the module averaged 8.5 (SD: 1.2). TelEduc was shown to be efficient in supporting the teaching- learning process of endocrine physiology.

Modification of composition of a nanoemulsion with different cholesteryl ester molecular species: Effects on stability, peroxidation, and cell uptake

Purpose: Use of lipid nanoemulsions as carriers of drugs for therapeutic or diagnostic purposes has been increasingly studied. Here, it was tested whether modifications of core particle constitution could affect the characteristics and biologic properties of lipid nanoemulsions. Methods: Three nanoemulsions were prepared using cholesteryl oleate, cholesteryl stearate, or cholesteryl linoleate as main core constituents. Particle size, stability, pH, peroxidation of the nanoemulsions, and cell survival and uptake by different cell lines were evaluated. Results: It was shown that cholesteryl stearate nanoemulsions had the greatest particle size and all three nanoemulsions were stable during the 237-day observation period. The pH of the three nanoemulsion preparations tended to decrease over time, but the decrease in pH of cholesteryl stearate was smaller than that of cholesteryl oleate and cholesteryl linoleate. Lipoperoxidation was greater in cholesteryl linoleate than in cholesteryl oleate and cholesteryl stearate. After four hours' incubation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) with nanoemulsions, peroxidation was minimal in the presence of cholesteryl oleate and more pronounced with cholesteryl linoleate and cholesteryl stearate. In contrast, macrophage incubates showed the highest peroxidation rates with cholesteryl oleate. Cholesteryl linoleate induced the highest cell peroxidation rates, except in macrophages. Uptake of cholesteryl oleate nanoemulsion by HUVEC and fibroblasts was greater than that of cholesteryl linoleate and cholesteryl stearate. Uptake of the three nanoemulsions by monocytes was equal. Uptake of cholesteryl oleate and cholesteryl linoleate by macrophages was negligible, but macrophage uptake of cholesteryl stearate was higher. In H292 tumor cells, cholesteryl oleate showed the highest uptakes. HUVEC showed higher survival rates when incubated with cholesteryl stearate and smaller survival with cholesteryl linoleate. H292 survival was greater with cholesteryl stearate. Conclusion: Although all three nanoemulsion types were stable for a long period, considerable differences were observed in size, oxidation status, and cell survival and nanoemulsion uptake in all tested cell lines. Those differences may be helpful in protocol planning and interpretation of data from experiments with lipid nanoemulsions.

Characterization of Dengue Virus Type 2: New Insights on the 2010 Brazilian Epidemic

Dengue viruses (DENV) serotypes 1, 2, and 3 have been causing yearly outbreaks in Brazil. In this study, we report the reintroduction of DENV2 in the coast of Sao Paulo State. Partial envelope viral genes were sequenced from eighteen patients with dengue fever during the 2010 epidemic. Phylogenetic analysis showed this strain belongs to the American/Asian genotype and was closely related to the virus that circulated in Rio de Janeiro in 2007 and 2008. The phylogeny also showed no clustering by clinical presentation, suggesting that the disease severity could not be explained by distinct variants or genotypes. The time of the most recent common ancestor of American/Asian genotype and the Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro (SP/RJ) monophyletic cluster was estimated to be around 40 and 10 years, respectively. Since this virus was first identified in Brazil in 2007, we suggest that it was already circulating in the country before causing the first documented outbreak. This is the first description of the 2010 outbreak in the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and should contribute to efforts to control and monitor the spread of DENVs in endemic areas.

Rhinovirus C and Respiratory Exacerbations in Children with Cystic Fibrosis

To investigate a possible role for human rhinovirus C in respiratory exacerbations of children with cystic fibrosis, we conducted microbiologic testing on respiratory specimens from 103 such patients in Sao Paulo, Brazil, during 2006-2007. A significant association was found between the presence of human rhinovirus C and respiratory exacerbations.