Expressão imuno-histoquímica de metaloproteína em carcinoma epidermóide de lábio inferior e língua

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico

Expressão imuno-histoquímica da e-caderina e do CD44v6 em carcinoma epidermóide de lábio inferior e língua

The objective of this study was perform, by the streptoavidin-biotin technique, an immunohistochemical analysis of the E-cadherin and CD44v6 in 15 lower lip squamous cell carcinomas and 15 of tongue, with varied histologic gradation of malignidade, in order to establish a possible relation between the expression these proteins and the anatomical localization of the lesions, metastasis, as well as with the Bryne`s histolologic grading of malignancy system. It was not observed significant statistical association between the localization of the lesions and the malignancy score, however, had a significant correlation between the histologic parameters of malignancy gradation and the total score of malignancy, being that the parameter degree of keratinization presented the highest correlation (r = 0,844). Taking in consideration the anatomical localization of the lesions, it was not significant difference between the profile of expression and the amount of immunopositive cells for Ecaderina and CD44v6. To the metastasis variable, also it was not observed significant difference between the profile of expression and the amount of immunopositive cells for evaluated proteins. However, it was observed a statistical significant difference in relation to the scores of malignancy, being that the low score presented the highest values for the profile of expression and the amount of immunopositive cells for the E-caderina and the CD44v6. It was observed a statistically significant and negative correlation between the expression profile, the amount of E-cadherin and CD44v6 immunopositive cells and the total score of malignancy. Therefore, based in the results of this study, it was concluded that the expression of the immunohistochemical markers E-caderina and CD44v6 did not constitute histological indicator of aggressiveness for the patients with lower lip and tongue squamous cell carcinomas

Expressão imuno-histoquímica das integrinas α2ß1, α3ß, e α5ß1, em carcinoma epidermóide de lábio inferior e língua

The unpredictable biologic behavior of the oral squamous cells carcinoma has determined extensive research on the evolution of such tumor. Due to the existing relation between the outer cell matrix and the tumor cells, the integrins have been used as markers in the predictive study of the cell behavior. This study aims to analyze immunohistochemically the expression of the integrin α2β1, α3β1, and α5β1 connections for the collagen, the laminin and the fibronectin respectively in 15 cases of squamous cells carcinoma from the lower lip and 15 from the tongue, with different scores of malignance grading. A predominantly diffuse, cytoplasm and granular immunological marking was observed in the majority of the analyzed cases. According to the marking intensity, integrin α2β1 appeared positive in 80% of the lip and in 93,3% of the tongue cases. The immunological reactivity of integrin α3β1 was classified as positive in 60% of both the tongue and lip cases. For this integrin, 20% and 33.3% of the tongue and lip cases, respectively, were negative. In relation to integrin α5β1 the intensity was classified as positive in 53,3% of the cases and strongly positive in 46,7% of those located in the lip. In the tongue carcinomas, the intensity was positive in 46,7% of the cases and strongly positive in 53,3%. The statistic analysis did not show any significant differences or correlation of expression between these integrins nor between the anatomical sites or between different scores of malignancy grading. The expressive immunological marking of the integrins, α2β1, α3β1, and α5β1 in the studied cases of squamous cell carcinomas leads us to think of a great participation of these proteins in oral carcinogenesis; however, our results do not allow us to correlate its expression as an indicator of variations in the biological behavior of this neoplasia

Expressão imuno-histoquímica das integrinas a2ß1, a3ß1 e a5ß1 em adenoma pleomórfico de glândula salivar menor e maior e carcinoma adenóide cístico

Pleomorphic adenoma and adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) consist benign and malignant neoplasm from salivary gland, respectively. These neoplasms share some characteristics, such as cellular origin and considerable production of extracellular matrix, however, with distinct biological behavior. The aim of the present study was to compare the expression of D2E1, D3E1 e D5E1 integrins in pleomorphic adenoma from minor and major salivary glands and ACCs. Furthermore, it was investigated possible differences in the expression of these integrins according to histological subtypes of ACC. Fourteen cases of pleomorphic adenoma from major salivary gland, fourteen cases from minor salivary gland and ten cases of ACC were selected. It was taken into consideration the presence or absence, localization and intensity of integrin immunoexpression. The cases of pleomorphic adenoma were grouped in order to compare the expression between the distinct neoplasms. It was observed a highly significant difference (p<0,0001) in relation to D2E1 integrin between the neoplasms since pleomorphic adenoma showed a pronounced immunostaining. It was not possible to perform statistical tests considering the D2E1 integrin expression; nevertheless, it could be observed a tendency of higher staining in pleomorphic adenoma. For comparative reasons the cases ACCs were divided in two groups: solid and tubular/cribriform. It was not detected significant differences in regard to D2E1 integrin; and statistical analysis could not be realized in relation to D3E1 and D5E integrin expression. However, it was also verified a tendency of absence or reduced expression in the solid subtype. It can be concluded that the reduced D2E1 integrin expression observed in CACs may be related to a lesser degree of cell differentiation in this neoplasm and the reduced D5E1 integrin expression can be associated with aggressive biological behavior. Moreover, the absence and/or reduced expression of the studied integrins in solid ACC suggests a role in pathogenesis and more aggressive biological behavior of this histological subtype

Expressão de fos após pulso de escuro no núcleo pré- geniculado do tálamo do sagui (Callithrix jacchus)

The pregeniculate nucleus (PGN) of the primate s thalamus is an agglomerate neuronal having a cap shaped located dorsomedially to the main relay visual information to the cerebral cortex, the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (GLD). Several cytoarchitectonic, neurochemical and retinal projections studies have pointed PGN as a structure homologous to intergeniculate leaflet (IGL) of rodents. The IGL receives retinal terminals and appears to be involved in the integration of photic and non-photic information relaying them, through geniculo-hypothalamic tract (TGH), to the main circadian oscillator in mammals, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus. Thus, the IGL participates in the control of the biological rhythm by modulating the activity of the SCN. Pharmacological and IGL injury studies conclude that it is critical in the processing of non-photic information which is transmitted to the SCN. Other studies have found that especially neurons immunoreactive to neuropeptide Y (NPY) respond to this type of stimulation, determined by its colocation with the FOS protein. Has not been determined if the PGN responds, expressing the FOS protein, to the non-photic stimulus nor the neurochemical nature of these cells. Thus, we apply a dark pulse in the specifics circadian phases and analyze the pattern of expression of FOS protein in PGN of the marmoset (Callithrix jacchus). We found that in all animals analyzed the FOS expression was higher in the experimental than in the control group. There was a higher expression of FOS when the dark pulse was applied during the subjective day between the groups. Still, a subregion of the PGN, known by immunoreactive to NPY, had a greater number of FOS-positive cells in relation to his other just close dorsal region. Our data corroborate the theory that the PGN and IGL are homologous structures that were anatomically modified during the evolutionary process, but kept its main neurochemical and functional characteristics. However, injury and hodological studies are still needed for a more accurate conclusion

Expressão de zif-268 durante a aquisição, evocação e extinção de uma memória aversiva

In the behavioral paradigm of discriminative avoidance task, both short and long-term memories have been extensively investigated with behavioral and pharmacological approaches. The aim of the present study was to evaluate, using the abovementioned model, the hippocampal expression of zif-268 - a calcium-dependent immediate early gene involved with synaptic plasticity process - throughout several steps of memory formation, such as acquisition, evocation and extiction. The behavioral apparatus consisted of a modified elevaated plus-maze, with their enclosed arms disposed in "L". A pre-exposure to the maze was made with the animal using all arms enclosed, for 30 minutes, followed by training and test, during 10 minutes each. The between sections interval was 24h. During training, aversive stimuli (bright light and loud noise) were actived whenever the animals entered one of the enclosed armas (aversive arm). Memory acquisiton, retention and extinction were evaluated by the percentage of the total time spent exploring the aversive arm. The parameters evaluated (time spent in the arms and total distance traveled) were estimated with an animal tracking software (Anymaze, Stoelting, USA). Learning during training was estimated by the decrease of the time spent exploring the aversive arm. One hour after the beginning of each section, animals were anaesthetized with sodium-thiopental (i.p.) and perfused with 0.9% heparinized saline solution followed by 4% paraformaldehyde. Brains were cryoprotected with 20% sucrose, separeted in three blocks and frozen. The middle block, containing the hippocampus, was sectioned at 20 micro meters in the coronal plane and the resutant sections were submitted to zif-268 immunohistochemistry. Our results show an increased expression of zif-268 in the dentate gyrus (DG) during the evocation and extinction stages. There is a distinct participation of the DG during the memory evocation, but not during its acquisition. Inaddition, all hippocampal regions (CA1, CA3 and DG) presented an increased zif-268 expression during the process of extinction.

Expressão de genes imediatos induzidos por vocalizações em sagüis-comuns (Callithrix jacchus)

Immediate-early genes (IEGs) expression has been widely used as a valuable tool to investigate brain areas activated by specific stimuli. Studies of natural vocalizations, specially in songbirds, have largely benefited from this tool. Here we used IEGs expression to investigate brain areas activated by the hearing of conspecific common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) vocalizations and/or utterance of antiphonal vocalizations. Nine adult male common marmosets were housed in sound-attenuating cages. Six animals were stimulated with playbacks of freely recorded natural long distance vocalizations (phee calls and twitters; 45 min. total duration). Three of them vocalized in response (O/V group) and three did not (O/n group). The control group (C) was composed by the remaining animals, which neither heard the playbacks nor spontaneously vocalized. After one hour of the stimulation onset (or no stimulation, in the case of the C group), animals were perfused with 0,9% phosphate-saline buffer and 4% paraformaldehyde. The tissue was coronally sectioned at 20 micro meter in a cryostat and submitted to immunohistochemistry for the IEGs egr-1 and c-fos. Marked immunoreactivity was observed in the auditory cortex of O/V and O/n subjects and in the anterior cingulate cortex, the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex of O/V subjects. In this study, brain areas activated by vocalizations of common marmosets were investigated using IEGs expression for the first time. Our results with the egr-1 gene indicate that potential plastic phenomena occur in areas related to hearing and uttering conspecific vocalizations.

Caracaterização do núcleo pré-geniculado do sagüi (Callithrix jacchus) :projeção retiniana, neuroquímica e atividade celular (expressão de FOS)

In rodents, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and the intergeniculate leaflet (IGL) are the main components of the circadian system. The SCN is considerate the site of an endogenous biological clock because can to generate rhythm and to synchronize to the environmental cues (zeitgebers) and IGL has been related as one of the main areas that modulate the action of SCN. Both receive projections of ganglion cells of retina and this projection to SCN is called retinohypothalamic tract (RHT). Moreover, the IGL is connected with SCN through of geniculohypothalamic tract (GHT). In primates (include humans) was not still demonstrated the presence of a homologous structure to the IGL. It is believed that the pregeniculate nucleus (PGN) can be the answer, but nothing it was still proven. Trying to answer that question, the objective of our study is to do a comparative analysis among PGN and IGL through of techniques immunohystochemicals, neural tracers and FOS expression after dark pulses. For this, we used as experimental model a primate of the new world, the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus). Ours results may contribute to the elucidation of this lacuna in the circadian system once that the IGL is responsible for the transmission of nonphotic information to SCN and participate in the integration between photic and nonphotic stimulus to adjust the function of the SCN. In this way to find a same structure in primates represent an important achieve in the understanding of the biological rhythms in those animals

O gato doméstico (Felis catus) responde à sinais gestuais? possíveis implicações do convívio social

The cats (Felis catus) were domesticated about 9,500 years ago due to the advent of agriculture, being used to control the pests that devastated the food harvested. These animals went through an artificial selection and over generations and millennia had their behavior and morphology changed by humans. This process of domestication by man gave rise to a special ability, the understanding of human pointing gestures, clearly noticed while we feed our pets. Our goal in this study was to assess the comprehension of pointing gestures by cats and also verify the influence that social interactions exerts on the development of this ability. We found that experimental subjects from both groups, solitary animals and social animals, were able to follow human indication in order to find hidden food. However, social interaction had no effect on cats performances. The ability tested here probably evolved during the process of domestication of this species, and social interaction seems to exert little or no influence upon its expression

Expressão de zif268 no cérebro do lagarto Tropidurus Hispidus após exploração de um ambiente enriquecido.

In the present work, we investigated behavioral changes associated with the increase in Zif268 protein expression within telencephalic areas of the tropical lizard Tropidurus hispidus that correspond to the mammalian hippocampus (HC). We used 13 male individuals of this species, collected at the Federal Agrotechnical School of Rio Grande do Norte, under SISBIO license number 19561-1. Four animals had their brains removed and were submitted to a Western blot with antibodies for the Zif268 protein. The remaining animals were separated in two different groups: a control group (n=4) and an exploration group (n=5). Animals from the exploration group were exposed to an enriched environment with many sensory cues novel to them. Control group animals stayed in the environment they were already habituated to. After 90 min from the onset of exposure to the new environment, animals from both groups were submitted to intracardiac perfusion with fixative, and the brains were removed, cryoprotected and frozen. After that, brains were sectioned at 20 μm and the sections were subjected to immunohistochemistry for the Zif268 protein. We verified that the Zif268 protein is likely conserved in the brain of T. hispidus, which showed antigenicity for the antibody anti-Zif268 made in mammals. In animals from the exploration group, we detected an increase of the Zif268 protein in the Septum, Striatum, Dorsoventricular Area and in cortical areas corresponding to the HC. This increase was proportional to the amount of environmental exploration, with maximum positive correlation in the hippocampal subareas Medial Cortex (R = 0.94 and p = 0.004) and Dorsomedial Cortex (R = 0.92 and p = 0.006). The data corroborate the notion that the reptilian hippocampus, as well as the mammalian HC, plays an important role in spatial exploration.

Efeitos do tratamento com lítio na memória aversiva, comportamentos relacionados à ansiedade e depressão e na expressão de BDNF em ratos

Lithium (Li) is the first choice to treat bipolar disorder, a psychiatric illness characterized by mood oscillations between mania and depression. However, studies have demonstrated that this drug might influence mnemonic process due to its neuroprotector, antiapoptotic and neurogenic effects. The use of Li in the treatment of cognitive deficits caused by brain injury or neurodegenerative disorders have been widely studied, and this drug shows to be effective in preventing or even alleviating the memory impairment. The effects of Li on anxiety and depression are controversial and the relationship of the effects of lithium on memory, anxiety and depression remain unknown. In this context, this study aims to: evaluate the effects of acute and chronic administration of lithium carbonate in aversive memory and anxiety, simultaneously, using the plus maze discriminative avoidance task (PMDAT); test the antidepressant effect of the drug through the forced swimming test (FS) and analyze brainderived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in structures related to memory and emotion. To evaluation of the acute effects, male Wistar rats were submitted to i.p. administration of lithium carbonate (50, 100 or 200 mg/kg) one hour before the training session (PMDAT) or lithium carbonate (50 or 100 mg/kg) one hour before the test session (FS). To evaluation of the chronic effects, the doses administered were 50 or 100 mg/kg or vehicle once a day for 21 days before the beginning of behavioral tasks (PMDAT and FS). Afterwards, the animals were euthanized and their brains removed and submitted to immunohistochemistry procedure to quantify BDNF. The animals that received acute treatment with 100 and 200 mg/kg of Li did not discriminated between the enclosed arms (aversive and non-aversive) in the training session of PMDAT, showing that these animal did not learned the task. This lack of discrimination was also observed in the test session, showing that the animals did not recall the aversive task. We also observed an increased exploration of the open arms of these same groups, indicating an anxiolytic effect. The same groups showed a reduction of locomotor activity, however, this effect does not seem to be related with the anxiolytic effect of the drug. Chronic treatment with Li did not promote alterations on learning or memory processes. Nevertheless, we observed a reduction of open arms exploration by animals treated with 50 mg/kg when compared to the other groups, showing an anxiogenic effect caused by this dose. This effect it is not related to locomotor alterations since there were no alterations in these parameters. Both acute and chronic treatment were ineffective in the FS. Chronic treatment with lithium was not able to modify BDNF expression in hippocampus, amygdala and pre-frontal cortex. These results suggest that acute administration of lithium promote impairments on learning in an aversive task, blocking the occurrence of memory consolidation and retrieval. The reduction of anxiety following acute treatment may have prevented the learning of the aversive task, as it has been found that optimum levels of anxiety are necessary for the occurrence of learning with emotional context. With continued, treatment the animals recover the ability to learn and recall the task. Indeed, they do not show differences in relation to control group, and the lack of alterations on BDNF expression corroborates this result. Possibly, the regimen of treatment used was not able to promote cognitive improvement. Li showed acute anxiolytic effect, however chronic administration 4 promoted the opposite effect. More studies are necessary to clarify the potential beneficial effect of Li on aversive memory

Aplicabilidade do Rorshach na avaliação psicológica do autismo

This study investigates the applicability of the Rorschach Method for evaluating the personality of people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).The relevance of this study is justified by the limited number of investigations published in the research literature concerning the use of psychological tests used for evaluating the personality of individuals with ASD. The Rorschach Method was chosen as an appropriate instrument considering it reveals the personality s basic structure, including characteristics of the affectivity, sensuality, inner life, mental resources, psychic energy and general characteristics and intellectual state of the individual. The general objective of this investigation consisted of verifying the applicability of the use the Rorschach Method in the evaluation of the characteristics of people's personality with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).The study also sought to identify perceptive factors of the personality structure of individuals with ASD, provide contributions of the understanding of this syndrome, seeking the establishment of possible therapeutic interventions starting from diagnostic by Rorschach Method. In addition, this investigation aims at verifying the adequacy of using the Rorschach Method as an instrument for evaluating the personality characteristics of individuals with ASD and its possible use in Brazil, starting from preliminary normative results. Participants consisted of 44 youngsters and adults, both genders with age range 14 - 39 years-old (average: 23.5 years-old) distributed in 2 groups. Group 1: composed with 22 youngsters and adults with clinical diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (communication impairments, social interaction deficits, restricted and repetitive interests and activities); Group 2: composed with 22 youngsters and adults with typical behavior. The participants were paired to gender and age, individually. The Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon tests were applied to evaluate statistical differences between the groups, considering demographic and social data. The results indicate the presence of restricted interest or difficulty in the expression of the social and affective interaction of people with ASD. However, the need of broader normative studies concerning the use of personality evaluation instruments for people with ASD is warranted. These investigations could help understand the psychic dynamism of this population, offering subsidies that can be added to the current techniques of diagnosis. The Rorschach Method is susceptible to application but it is necessary to respect the individual limitations of these people and to establish more criterions about the spectrum

Por trás das grades :reflexões sobre a experiência do ser apenado na situação de privação de liberdade

This research has resulted of investigations appeared from our work experience as psychologist in a prison of the state Rio Grande do Norte. It deals with the meeting with prisoner in the search for the rescue of the human being dignity, discovering the being that finds annulled by backwards of the prison. The current debate on the prisoners in Brazil has as focus the creation of efficient strategies in the combat to the criminal acts, not being worried in understanding the historical and social conditions in the context in which such acts develop. Our objective was to reach an understanding of the experience of the prisoner in the situation of freedom deprivation in Natal (RN) city. Its significant social relevance meets in emphasized thematic which intends to be revealing of the not-said one of these citizens. The epistemological space and the vision of adopted human being support in the humanist ideas of the Centered Approach in the Person and construct self, central nucleus of the personality theory proposal by Carl Rogers. We opt to the phenomenological method as way of access to the singularity of the experience of each one of the participants, supporting us in the strategy of the narrative as expression of the lived world. The results had pointed that the investigated experience is through suffering, that is, the way to be in the world of prisoner in the situation of freedom deprivation is felt by him/her as difficult to support. This reality is had by him/her as difficult to control, having a negative emotional repercussion for the self, leading the citizen to the alienation of his/her existential flow in these circumstances. The reflections produced in this work take us to consider that the punishment practices on behalf of a normalization of the behavior, linked to the recovery idea, do not meet to the intention of the arrests, that come demonstrating to the inefficacy of the objectives shown in the law as well as the loss of the human being dignity

Contando histórias de cuidado à infância em unidade de terapia intensiva pediátrica

The tales of children's literature, in their plots, mark existential dilemmas belonging in human‟s lives, such as death, situations of separation, loss, abandonment, fear, challenges, achievements and other elements that make them suitable material to assist children in their developmental process. Such elements, present in children‟s storybooks, are close to the experiences lived by the children in the context of hospitalization in a special manner. With that said this study focus on the understanding of the therapeutic possibilities of the tales of children's literature in the care of hospitalized children in Pediatric Intensive Care Units (UTIPED) based on the Heidegger's concept of Care and adopting the Phenomenology as the method. The UTIPED of a state public hospital located in the municipality of Natal/RN was elected as the study site and four hospitalized children aged between six and nine years, all males, presenting different clinical conditions were selected to participate in the study following age and clinical conditions as the selective criteria. The procedure of corpus construction included eight individual sessions of storytelling accompanied by the use of ludic resources. The phenomenological understanding about the therapeutic possibilities of tales was structured under three main elements: (1) the ludic axis; (2) the reflective axis; and (3) the affective axis. The appropriateness of the proposed therapy in the context of the UTIPED and the potential of the tales as a protection factor to the child was evident. The storytelling activity framed a scenario of care unusual in the context of intensive care units, establishing a symbolic space for children‟s expression. Therefore, this study indicates this therapeutic proposal for children‟s care in the UTIPED that considers their evolutionary stage, their clinical conditions at the time and especially their emotional needs during their immersion in a diverse and foreign environment which is filled with potentially harmful elements to their full development.

Relação amorosa e tentativa de suicídio na adolescência : uma questão de (des)amor

Suicide rates have been rising all over the world. In Rio Grande do Norte state, a study carried out by Dutra (1999) investigated suicide rates among youngsters and found that in 1997 alone 244 cases of suicide attempt were registered. The author took an interest in studying this phenomenon among adolescents after reviewing Dutra s study and the technical literature on suicide. In addition to that, another topic caught her attention and raised new research questions: suicide attempts motivated by love, i.e., the end of a relationship, the fantasy of being abandoned by a partner. These have made the author to question how love manifested itself among adolescents and how it could become a reason for adolescents to give up their lives. Based on the data she analyzed and the research questions she developed, her research objective was to understand how adolescents who have attempted suicide because of love-related reasons have gone through this experience. The theoretical reference for the research was the Client-centered Therapy and more specifically, the construct self , according to Carl Rogers. The methodological strategy was inspired by the existential-phenomenological strategy. It used the narrative as a research instrument, inspired by the work of Walter Benjamim (1994) which was developed into a research strategy by Schmidt (1990). Four youngsters (three male and one female) have participated in this study. They have attempted suicide for love-related reasons during dolescence, when they were 12 to 18 years old. The interviews were recorded on cassette tapes, transcribed and literalized into narratives. The understanding of the narratives was based on the meanings that emerged from the youngsters speeches, as well as from the moments that touched the author. These moments highlighted the meaning of the experience of giving up life and the experience of love-based relationship as experienced by the youngsters. The study detected, among the adolescents who were interviewed, the existence of impulsiveness related to the suicide attempt. Also, the majority of the interviewees came from unstructured family backgrounds and had lost of one of their parents or had to face their parents divorce. The suicide was attempted by these youngsters through the ingestion of medicines. The research also revealed that the youngsters had regretted attempting suicide and felt guilty about it. With regards to their self-evaluation, the author observed that the youngsters had low self-esteem, negative perceptions about themselves and distorted views of themselves. These findings helped the author to reflect on the close relationship between the construct self and the suicide attempt. She also observed that a few factors, i.e., family context, education, social and cultural values, have influenced the way the youngsters perceived themselves . The results of this research confirm the idea that we have to understand the suicide attempt as a multi-determined phenomenon. This study contributed to the analysis and reflection on the factors that contribute to suicide attempts thus providing a foundation for the development of public health programs and policies to deal with this topic