Desacoplamento mitocondrial e estresse oxidativo em espermatozoides suínos resfriados

A espécie suína (Sus scropha domesticus) possui relevância nos âmbitos da pesquisa, da xenotransplantação e da produção de carnes. O resfriamento de sêmen é capaz de reduzir o metabolismo celular e possibilitar o armazenamento dos gametas, sendo auxiliar durante práticas de reprodução assistida. Contudo, os espermatozoides suínos são sensíveis ao estresse oxidativo gerado durante o processo de resfriamento. O 2,4 dinitrofenol (DNP) poderia gerar o desacoplamento mitocondrial reduzindo o estresse oxidativo e prolongando indiretamente a viabilidade e capacidade fertilizante de espermatozoides suínos resfriados pela diminuição de espécies reativas de oxigênio. O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar os efeitos do desacoplamento mitocondrial induzido pelo DNP e os efeitos desse desacoplamento sobre as de fluidez e integridade de membrana plasmática, funcionalidade de mitocôndria, motilidade espermática, além dos parâmetros de estresse oxidativo de lipoperoxidação e produção de espécies reativas de oxigênio, durante o resfriamento a 17 °C de 24 até 96 horas. Utilizou-se 22 ejaculados expostos ao diluente Betsville Thawing Solution (BTS) (controle) e ao mesmo diluente acrescido das concentrações de 0,01 µM (T1); 0,1 µM (T2); 1,0 µM (T3) e 10 µM (T4) de DNP. Através do teste de Shapiro-Wilk as variáveis que não apresentaram normalidade, tiveram suas médias comparadas pelo teste de KruskalWallis. As análises estatísticas demonstraram que o DNP não se diferiu do controle independente do tempo de armazenamento, para nenhuma das variáveis analisadas. Possivelmente, a falta de ação sobre as mitocôndrias, ou seja, a não promoção do desacoplamento mitocondrial foi o motivo principal para a falta dos efeitos do DNP. Acredita-se que a utilização do DNP em temperaturas mais elevadas por estas promoverem aumento da fluidez de membrana e/ou o aumento das concentrações de DNP poderiam gerar efeitos significativos sobre as mitocôndrias e demais variáveis analisadas. Finalmente, o DNP nas concentrações testadas não se diferiu do controle em todas as variáveis analisadas independente do tempo de armazenamento.

Preferência alimentar e identificação das principais fontes de repasto sanguíneo de fêmeas Lutzomyia (Diptera: Psychodidae) em áreas endêmicas para leishmaniose visceral na grande Natal

Leishmaniasis are endemic diseases wild spread in the New and Old World, caused by the flagelated protozoan Leishmania. In the New World, the distribution of different forms of leishmaniasis is mostly in tropical regions. In the State of Rio Grande do Norte, Northeast Brazil, 85% of the captured sand flies fauna is Lutzomyia longipalpis. The distribution of the sand fly vector in the state overlaps with the disease distribution, where the presence of sand flies is associated with presence of animals shelters. The aim of this study was to analyse the blood meal preference of sand flies vector from the genus Lutzomyia spp. in laboratory conditions, to verify the vector life cicle at different temperatures sets and to identify the main blood meal source in endemic areas for visceral leishmaniasis (VL) at peri-urban regions of Natal. Sand flies samples were collected from the municipalities of São Gonçalo do Amarante and Nísia Floresta where female sand flies were grouped for the colony maintenance in the laboratory and for the analysis of the preferred source of sand fly blood meal in natural environment. The prevalence of blood meal preference and oviposition for the females sand flies was 97% for Cavia porcellus with oviposition of 19 eggs/female; 97% for Eqqus caballus with 19 eggs/female; 98% for human blood with 14 eggs/female; 71.3% for Didelphis albiventris with 8.4 eggs/female; 73% for Gallus gallus with 14 eggs/female; 86% for Canis familiaris with 10.3 eggs/female; 81.4% for Galea spixii with 26 eggs/female; 36% for Callithrix jachus with 15 eggs/female; 42.8% for Monodelphis domestica with 0% of oviposition. Female sand flies did not take a blood meal from Felis catus. Sand flies life cycle ranged from 32-40 days, with 21-50 oviposition rates approximately. This study also showed that at 32°C the life cycle had 31 days, at 28° C it had 50 days and at 22°C it increased to 79 days. Adjusting the temperature to 35°C the eggs did not hatch, thus blocking the life cycle. A total of 1540 sand flies were captured, among them, 1.310 were male and 230 were female. Whereas 86% of the sand flies captured were Lu. longipalpis as compared to 10.5% for Lu. evandroi and, 3.2% for L. lenti and 0.3% for Lu whitmani. The ratio between female and male sandfly was approximately 6 males to 1 female. In Nísia Floresta, 50.7% of the collected females took their blood meal from armadillo, 12.8% from human. Among the female sand flies captured in São Gonçalo do Amarante, 80 of them were tested for the Leishmania KDNA infectivity where 5% of them were infected with Leishmania chagasi. Female Lutzomyia spp. showed to have an opportunistic blood meal characteristic. The behavioral parameters seem to have a higher influence in the oviposition when compared to the level of total proteins detected in the host s bloodstream. A higher Lu. longipalpis life cycle viability was observed at 28°C. The increase of temperature dropped the life cycle time, which means that the life cycle is modified by temperature range, source of blood meal and humidity. Lu longipalpis was the most specie found in the inner and peridomiciliar environment. In Nísia Floresta, armadillos were the main source of blood meal for Lutzomyia spp. At São Gonçalo do Amarante, humans were the main source of blood meal due to CDC nets placed inside their houses

Sensitization to indoor aeroallergens in children who attended the Allergy Service of the “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital of Monterrey, Mexico

Background: Indoor aeroallergens are the main cause of sensitization in children and represent a risk factor for the development of allergic diseases. Objective: Identify the major indoor aeroallergens most often sensitized to pediatric patients treated at the Allergy Service at the “Dr. José Eleuterio González” University Hospital of Monterrey Methods: We performed an observational and descriptive study where we reviewed reports of positive skin tests to the following common indoor aeroallergens: Dermatophagoides farinae (D. farinae), Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (D. pteronyssinus), Canis familiaris (C. familiaris), Felis domesticus (F. domesticus), Blattella germanica (B. germanica) and Periplaneta americana (P. americana), found in patients under 16 years with symptoms of allergy, during the period of 2011-2012. Results: We performed 439 skin tests to aeroallergens in pediatric patients. Of these, 57.6% were male and 42.4% were female. Mean age was 6.3 years. The age groups were under 3 years: 17.8%, 3-5 years: 35%, 6-12 years: 36%, and 13-16 years: 11.2%. The main diagnoses were: allergic rhinitis (71.8%), asthma (16.6%), and atopic dermatitis (4.3%). In 57.9% of the cases, they had at least one positive skin test to any aeroallergen. The rate of sensitization to speciic aeroallergens was: D. Pteronyssinus 49.0%, D. farinae 44.6%, B. germanica 13.9%, P. Americana 10.9%, F. domesticus 10.7%, and C. familiaris 5.9%. Conclusion: Indoor aeroallergen sensitization can occur early in life, although it was more frequent in the preschooler and elementary school group. Dust house mites were the most commom cause of allergic sensitization.

Primary Joint Arthroplasty Surgery: Is the Risk of Major Bleeding Higher in Elderly Patients? A Retrospective Cohort Study

Increased risk of bleeding after major orthopedic surgery (MOS) has been widely documented in general population. However, this complication has not been studied in elderly patients. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the risk of major bleeding after MOS is higher in elderly patients, compared with those operated at a younger age. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included total hip and total knee arthroplasty patients operated during 5 consecutive years. The main outcome was the occurrence of major bleeding. Patients with other causes of bleeding were excluded. Relative risks (RRs) and confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated, anda multivariate analysis was performed. Results: A total of 1048 patients were included, 56% of patients were hip arthroplasties. At the time of surgery, 553 (53%) patients were older than 70 years. Patients aged >70 years showed an increased risk of major bleeding (RR: 2.42 [95% CI: 1.54-3.81]). For hip arthroplasty, the RR of bleeding was 2.61 (95%CI: 1.50-4.53) and 2.25 (95% CI: 1.03-4.94) for knee arthroplasty. After multivariate analysis, age was found to be independently associated with higher risk of major bleeding. Conclusion: According to European Medicines Agency criteria, patients aged 70 years are at a higher risk of major bleeding after MOS, result of a higher frequency of blood transfusions in this group of patients. Standardized protocols for blood transfusion in these patients are still required.