Uma metodologia para a análise do desempenho sustentável dos postos de revenda de combustível na cidade de Natal/RN, com o uso de data envelopment analysis-DEA

The increasing use of fossil fuels in line with cities demographic explosion carries out to huge environmental impact in society. For mitigate these social impacts, regulatory requirements have positively influenced the environmental consciousness of society, as well as, the strategic behavior of businesses. Along with this environmental awareness, the regulatory organs have conquered and formulated new laws to control potentially polluting activities, mostly in the gas stations sector. Seeking for increasing market competitiveness, this sector needs to quickly respond to internal and external pressures, adapting to the new standards required in a strategic way to get the Green Badge . Gas stations have incorporated new strategies to attract and retain new customers whom present increasingly social demand. In the social dimension, these projects help the local economy by generating jobs and income distribution. In this survey, the present research aims to align the social, economic and environmental dimensions to set the sustainable performance indicators at Gas Stations sector in the city of Natal/RN. The Sustainable Balanced Scorecard (SBSC) framework was create with a set of indicators for mapping the production process of gas stations. This mapping aimed at identifying operational inefficiencies through multidimensional indicators. To carry out this research, was developed a system for evaluating the sustainability performance with application of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) through a quantitative method approach to detect system s efficiency level. In order to understand the systemic complexity, sub organizational processes were analyzed by the technique Network Data Envelopment Analysis (NDEA) figuring their micro activities to identify and diagnose the real causes of overall inefficiency. The sample size comprised 33 Gas stations and the conceptual model included 15 indicators distributed in the three dimensions of sustainability: social, environmental and economic. These three dimensions were measured by means of classical models DEA-CCR input oriented. To unify performance score of individual dimensions, was designed a unique grouping index based upon two means: arithmetic and weighted. After this, another analysis was performed to measure the four perspectives of SBSC: learning and growth, internal processes, customers, and financial, unifying, by averaging the performance scores. NDEA results showed that no company was assessed with excellence in sustainability performance. Some NDEA higher efficiency Gas Stations proved to be inefficient under certain perspectives of SBSC. In the sequence, a comparative sustainable performance and assessment analyzes among the gas station was done, enabling entrepreneurs evaluate their performance in the market competitors. Diagnoses were also obtained to support the decision making of entrepreneurs in improving the management of organizational resources and promote guidelines the regulators. Finally, the average index of sustainable performance was 69.42%, representing the efforts of the environmental suitability of the Gas station. This results point out a significant awareness of this segment, but it still needs further action to enhance sustainability in the long term

Atividade antiplasmódica e toxicológica de plantas medicinais usadas popularmente no Brasil : uma abordagem etnobotânica

Malaria is a disease of global distribution, recognized by governments around the world as a serious public health problem, affecting more than 109 countries and territories and endangering more than 3.3 billion people. The economic costs of this disease are also relevant: the African continent itself has malaria-related costs of about $ 12 billion annually. Nowadays, in addition to chloroquine, Plasmodium falciparum is resistant to many drugs used in the treatment of malaria, such as amodiaquine, mefloquine, quinine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine; resistance of Plasmodium vivax to treatments, although less studied, is also reported. Nature, in general, is responsible for the production of most known organic substances, and the plant kingdom is responsible for the most of the chemical diversity known and reported in the literature. Most medicinal plants commercialized in Brazil, however, are of exotic origin, which makes the search for endemic medicinal plants, besides a patent necessity, a fascinating subject of academic research and development. This study aimed to: (i) verify the antimalarial activity of ethanolic and hydroalcoholic extracts of Boerhavia paniculata Rich. And acetonic extract of Clethra scabra Pers. in Swiss albino mice infected by Plasmodium berghei NK65, (ii) observe possible combined effects between the course of infection by P. berghei NK65 and administration of these extracts in Swiss albino mice, and (iii) conduct a preliminary study of the acute toxicity of these extracts in Swiss albino mice. All extracts notable pharmacological activities - with parasite infections inhibitions ranging from 22% to 54%.These characteristics suggest that the activities are relevant, although comparatively lower than the activity displayed by the positive control group (always above 90%). The general framework of survival analysis demonstrates an overall reduction in survival times for all groups. Necroscopy has not pointed no change in color, shape, size and/or consistency in the evaluated organs - the only exception was the livers of rats submitted to treatment to hydroalcoholic extracts: these organs have been presented in a slightly congestive aspect with mass increasing roughly 28% higher than the other two groups and a p-value of 0.0365. The 250 mg/Kg ethanolic group has been pointed out by the Dunn s post test, as the only class with simultaneous inequalities (p<0.05) between positive and negative control groups. The extracts, notably ethanol extract, have, in fact, a vestigial antimalarial activity, although well below from the ones perceived to chloroquine-treated groups; nevertheless, the survival times of the animals fed with the extracts do not rise by presence of such therapy. Both the toxicopharmacological studies of the synergism between the clinical course of malaria and administration of extracts and the isolated evaluation of toxicity allow us to affirm the absence of toxicity of the extracts at the level of CNS and ANS, as well as their non-influence on food and water consumption patterns, until dosages of 500 mg/Kg. Necroscopic analysis leads us to deduct a possible hepatotoxic effect of hydroalcoholic extract at dosages of 500 mg/Kg, and an innocuous tissue activity of the ethanol extract, in the same dosage. We propose a continuation of the studies of these extracts, with protocol modifications capable of addressing more clearly and objectively their pharmacological and toxicological aspects

Tartarugas marinhas da Bacia Potiguar/RN: diagnóstico, biologia alimentar e ameaças

This work aimed to study the diversity and distribution of marine sea turtles stranded in Potiguar Basin, Rio Grande do Norte, as well as aspects related to feeding behavior associated with human impacts. The study was conducted through the analysis of data from stranded animals, recorded in a daily monitoring in an area bounded on the north by the municipality of Aquiraz, in the state of Ceará, and the east by the municipality of Caicara do Norte, in the state of Rio Grande do Norte. Stranded dead animals were necropsied and for the analysis of the diet of animals, esophagus, stomach and intestines were fixed in 10% formalin and after that, the stomach contents were sorted and stored in 70% alcohol. Representative fragments of these organs were removed for making histological slides, with a view to histological characterization of the digestive tract. 2.046 occurrences of turtles were recorded during the period from 01/01/2010 to 31/12/2012. The Chelonia mydas species showed the highest number of records and it was observed in 66.81 % (N = 1,367) of cases; followed by Eretmochelys imbricata with 4.45 % (N = 91) and by Lepidochelys olivacea with 1.22% (N = 25). The Caretta caretta and Dermochelys coriacea species were, respectively, 0.93 % (N = 19) and 0.05 % (N = 1) records of strandings. In 26.54 % of cases, it was not possible to identify the species. Regarding the spatial distribution, the stretch A was the one that had the highest number of strandings and a larger number of records were registered in the warm months of the year. The dietary analysis showed that C. mydas fed preferentially on algae; C. caretta had a diet with a predominance of the item "coral´s fragments" and E. imbricata species showed preference for an animal origin material. Related to this anthropic interaction, 57.14 % (n = 76) of animals that died at the rehabilitation s base, showed cause of death due to complications from ingesting debris. According to the data presented, the Potiguar Basin presents itself as an area with important diversity and distribution of marine sea turtle as well is characterized as a feeding and nidification area for these species

Caracterização biométrica e acúmulo de nutrientes em porta-enxertos de caramboleira cultivada em solução nutritiva

O conhecimento sobre o crescimento e o acúmulo de nutrientes em hipobiotos de caramboleira permite melhor eficiência da adubação na produção de hipobiotos (porta-enxertos). Objetivou-se determinar o crescimento e o acúmulo de nutrientes em hipobiotos de caramboleira cultivada em solução nutritiva. O experimento constituiu de cinco tratamentos, referentes aos tempos de coleta 25; 50; 75; 100 e 125 dias após o transplantio, dispostos em delineamento inteiramente casualizado em seis repetições. As plantas utilizadas foram obtidas de sementes de frutos de caramboleira 'Malásia', cultivadas em vasos com solução nutritiva. Nos diferentes órgãos dos hipobiotos (folhas, caule e raízes), avaliou-se o crescimento e o acúmulo de nutrientes e os índices nutricionais, a cada 25 dias. O ponto de enxertia (6 mm) foi atingido aos 110 dias após o transplantio. A ordem decrescente dos nutrientes acumulados em cada hipobioto produzido é de (em mg por planta): N = 634; K = 368; Ca = 152; Mg = 106; S = 98; P = 88 (em µg por planta) de: Fe = 2.963; Mn = 2.165; B = 722; Zn =780, e Cu = 96. O acúmulo médio de nutrientes é maior nas folhas > caule = raízes. O período de maior exigência de nutrientes pelos hipobiotos é compreendido entre 25-75 dias após o transplantio. As diferentes taxas de acumulação líquida dos nutrientes, nas diferentes partes da caramboleira, nem sempre acompanham a taxa de acumulação de nutrientes do respectivo órgão.

Biodistribuição de samário -153- EDTMP em ratos TRATADOS com docetaxel

A dor óssea decorrente das metástases é um sintoma comum nos tumores avançados de mama e próstata. Nenhuma opção terapêutica isolada é completamente eficaz, e uma série de modalidades costuma ser empregada, entre eles a terapia com radiofármacos, como o samário153-etilenodiaminatetrametileno fosfonato (EDTMP-153Sm). O docetaxel, um taxano com ação sobre tumores avançados de mama e próstata, tem-se apresentado como uma nova opção de tratamento quimioterápico. Muitos pacientes fazem uso simultâneo de EDTMP-153Sm e docetaxel. Este estudo procurou avaliar a influência do docetaxel na biodisponibilidade de EDTMP-153Sm em ratos Wistar, aleatoriamente alocados em 2 grupos de 6 animais cada. O grupo DS (docetaxel/samário) recebeu docetaxel (15 mg/kg) intraperitoneal em dois ciclos com 11 dias de intervalo. Os ratos do grupo S (samário/controle) não foram tratados com docetaxel. Nove dias após a quimioterapia, todos os animais receberam 0.1ml de EDTMP-153Sm via plexo orbital (25μCi). Após 2 horas, os animais foram mortos, e realizaram-se análises de amostras de cérebro, tireóide, pulmão, coração, estômago, cólon, fígado, rim e fêmures. O percentual de radioatividade por grama (%ATI/g) de tecido de cada biópsia foi determinado em contador gama automático (Wizard-1470, Perkin-Elmer, Finland). No 9º dia após 2º ciclo de docetaxel, os ratos tiveram perda de peso significante, passando de 353.66± 22.8g (controle/pré-tratamento) para 314,50±22,09g (p<0.5). Os %ATI/g nos órgãos dos ratos tratados com EDTMP- 153Sm e docetaxel tiveram redução significante nos fêmures direito e esquerdo, rim, fígado e pulmão, quando comparados aos animais não tratados com docetaxel. Em conclusão, a combinação de docetaxel com EDTMP-153Sm foi associada à menor concentração do radiofármaco em órgãos alvo. Futuras investigações sobre o impacto do docetaxel na biodisponibilidade do EDTMP- 153Sm poderão complementar estes achados. Deve-se ressaltar o caráter multidisciplinar deste estudo, que contou com a participação ativa e com a troca constante de conhecimentos entre profissionais das áreas de Medicina Nuclear, Cirurgia, Oncologia, Biologia e Estatística

Biodistribuição do pertecnetato de sódio após desvio gástrico em Y de Roux (técnica de capella)

O desvio gástrico em Y de Roux é a técnica cirúrgica mais utilizada no tratamento da obesidade mórbida. Esta operação reduz o volume do estômago e o comprimento do intestino delgado, gerando alterações estruturais e metabólicas que podem influenciar no resultado de exames cintilográficos de pacientes operados. Com o objetivo de avaliar a biodistribuição pós-operatória do pertecnetato de sódio (Na99mTc) em órgãos de ratos Wistar submetidos à técnica do bypass (desvio) gástrico em Y de Roux (BGYR), foram utilizados 12 ratos distribuídos aleatoriamente em grupo tratado (n=6), submetido à cirurgia do BGYR e o grupo controle (C; n=6). No 15º dia de pós-operatório foi administrado 0,1 mL via plexo orbital de Na99mTc aos animais dos dois grupos, com atividade radioativa média de 0,66MBq. Após 30 minutos, os ratos foram mortos e retirados fragmentos de tireóide, coração, pulmão, fígado, estômago, rim e fêmur. As amostras foram lavadas com solução salina 0,9%, pesadas e submetidas ao Contador Gama 1470, WizardTM Perkin-Elmer-Finlândia para determinação do percentual de atividade radioativa total por grama (%ATI/g) de cada órgão. Empregou-se o teste t de Student para análise estatística, considerando-se significantes as diferenças das médias quando p<0,05. Redução significante na média de %ATI/g foi observada no fígado, estômago e fêmur dos animais submetidos à cirurgia de BGYR comparada ao grupo controle (p<0,05). Nos demais órgãos não houve diferença estatisticamente significativa entre os grupos. Em conclusão, a cirurgia BGYR em ratos modificou a biodistribuição do Na99mTc em alguns órgãos, podendo ter implicações clínicas na interpretação de exames cintilográficos. Este estudo xi teve um caráter multidisciplinar com a participação de pesquisadores das áreas de Cirurgia Experimental, Farmácia, Radiobiologia, Medicina Nuclear e Estatística

Avaliação do efeito de um adoçante comercial com sucralose na marcação de constituintes sanguíneos com tecnécio-99m, na morfologia das hemácias e na biodisponibilidade dos radiofármacos pertecnetato de sódio e ácido dietilenotriaminopentacético-tecnécio-99m em ratos Wistar.

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico

Efeito de extratos vegetais na parasitemia do Trypanosoma cruzi e na biodistribuição do pertecnetato de sódio (Na99mTcO4)

Artemisia vulgaris (AV) is an antihelmintic and antimalarial drug; Aloe vera(babosa) acts as antidiabetic, laxative and anti-inflammatory; Benznidazole (BZ) is a trypanocidal of Trypanosoma cruzi (TC). Technetium-99m (99mTc) has been used in nuclear medicine to obtain diagnostic images. This study evaluated the plant effects in TC parasitemia and in the biodistribution of 99mTc in mice. Twenty mice were infected by TC. At the peak of parasitemia, 5 mice received babosa; 5 received AV and 5 received BZ. The parasitemia was determined in 0, 2, 4 and 6 h of drugs administration. Five infected mice without drugs, 5 mice without TC and the group treated with AV, received 99mTc. The radioactivity was calculated. Infected mice that received babosa reduced significantly (p<0.05) the parasitemia. The percentage of activity (%ATI) decreased significantly in the AV group. These results indicate that babosa possibly is an anti-TC drug and AV reduces the %ATI probably due to its biological effects

Análise da efetividade do transplante renal na qualidade de vida dos receptores no estado do Rio Grande do Norte

This study was developed with the aim of analyzing the effectiveness of renal transplantation on quality of life of kidney recipients in the Rio Grande do Norte State. This is a descriptive study with longitudinal design, panel type with quantitative approach to data analysis. The Quality of Life (QoL) of chronic disease kidney patients before and after kidney transplantation was assessed by the WHOQOL-bref, The population consisted of patients in pre and post-renal transplantation, the sample had 63 patients older than 18 years. The study was conducted after approval by the Research Ethics Committee of the Onofre Lopes University Hospital, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, No. CAAE 0008.0.294.000-10. Data collection was performed at a referral center for renal transplantation in Rio Grande do Norte, from May 2010 to May 2013. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and presented in tables and graphs. For statistical analyzes, Microsoft Excel XP and SPSS 15.0 software were used. The tests used were simple variance (ANOVA), t-test, Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon test to compare means, and Spearman correlations. P values <0.05 were considered significant. The demographic data showed a predominance of people between 18 and 45 years (68.2%) with a mean age of 39.9 years (SD 12.2), male (63.5%), married (58.7%), with children (51.0%). Regarding the education level was observed that 49.2% of participants had completed primary school, and most did not engage in any work activity (90.4%) during the study period. Hemodialysis was the predominant renal replacement therapy (96.8%) and the average waiting time for execution of transplantation was 1.9 years (SD 1.9). Comparison of QoL before and after transplantation showed significant differences in all areas analyzed, demonstrating that kidney transplantation had a positive impact on QoL in chronic renal patients undergoing kidney transplantation. Sociodemographic factors did not influence the quality of life in this group of patients, indicating that transplantation was the main factor to explain the improvement in quality of life. Thus, the alternative hypothesis of the study was accept, that there is a significant difference in quality of life before and after kidney transplant. It is expected that the results of this study may contribute to the development of strategies to encourage organ donation and kidney transplantation process

Estudo genético-clínico de mucopolissariodoses no estado do Ceará

As mucopolissacaridoses (MPS) são doenças genéticas raras decorrente da deficiência de enzimas lisossomais envolvidas no catabolismo de glicosaminoglicanos, resultando em um amplo espectro de manifestações clínicas, progressivas e multissistêmicas, exigindo tratamento por uma equipe multidisciplinar. Embora o Nordeste brasileiro seja uma região com grande taxa de consangüinidade e um efeito fundador envolvendo MPS, não há estudos caracterizando os pacientes dessa região. Nosso objetivo foi determinar o perfil epidemiológico, clínico e genético de casos não publicados com MPS provenientes do Ceará, identificando as diferenças entre outros estudos com MPS e possíveis problemas a serem enfrentados para a realização do diagnóstico precoce. O estudo foi seccional, descritivo, com amostra de pacientes com MPS em acompanhamento no Hospital Infantil Albert Sabin e Hospital Geral Cesar Cals no período de 2006-2013. Os dados foram obtidos a partir da avaliação clínica, revisão de prontuários médicos e entrevista com os pacientes e/ou familiares realizadas pelo investigador principal. Cinquenta e três pacientes foram incluídos no estudo (36 do sexo masculino), sendo 6 MPS I, 17 MPS II, 7 MPS III (3 MPSIII-A, 3 MPS III-B, 1 MPS III-C), 7 MPS IV-A, 16 de MPS VI. O óbito ocorreu em 16 casos (3 MPS I, MPS II 6, 1 MPS IIIA , IIIB 1MPS , 1 MPS IV , 4 MPS VI). A amostra foi composta principalmente por crianças. Houve elevada taxa de consangüinidade e recorrência familiar. Os tipos mais comuns foram MPS II e MPS VI. Exceto para macrossomia em MPS II, os dados de nascimento indicam que não houve risco para desenvolvimento de viii complicações perinatais. Os sintomas iniciaram em crianças com menos de 2 anos. As manifestações clínicas foram heterogêneas exceto para atraso no desenvolvimento neurológico em MPS III e manifestações esqueléticas em MPS IV. As principais características clínicas foram macrocefalia, baixa estatura, alterações odontológicas, respiratórias, cardíacas, hepatoesplenomegalia, hérnia umbilical, rigidez articular e anormalidades esqueléticas. A terapia de reposição enzimática foi instituída em 26 casos (4 MPS I, 10 MPS II, 12 MPS VI). Os problemas sócio-econômicos das famílias, o amplo espectro de sintomas e a gravidade da doença foram causas das dificuldades em realizar a avaliação periódica pela equipe multidisciplinar, além de exames complementares de maior custo para determinar as complicações da doença. Este foi o maior estudo transversal sobre MPS no Nordeste do Brasil. Em contraste com a maior incidência de MPS I na maioria das populações ocidentais, houve maior incidência de MPS II e VI. As alterações respiratórias foram um dos principais contribuintes para a mortalidade precoce, exceto nos casos de MPS I, em que a cardiomiopatia foi prevalente. A menor expectativa de vida ocorreu em MPS I. O envolvimento cognitivo foi comum em casos graves e o maior número de órgãos envolvidos representou maior risco de morrer. Para o diagnóstico precoce, deve-se buscar indivíduos afetados em famílias em que há parentes com MPS, além do maior reconhecimento de sinais e sintomas de MPS por profissionais de saúde

Biodistribuição do pertecnetato de sódio após cirurgia do Switch Duodenal

The biliopancretic diversion with duodenal switch is one of the mixing techniques used in the treatment of morbid obesity. The duodenal switch reduces the stomach capacity and leaves only 50-100 cm of small intestine for nutrition and absorption. The surgery produces hormonal, structural and biochemical changes, which can influence on the result of scintigraphic examinations in operated patients. With the objective of evaluate the postoperative biodistribution of sodium pertechnetate (Na99mTcO4) in brain, thyroid, heart, lung, liver, spleen, kidney, stomach, duodenum, pancreas, small intestine, bladder, muscle and bone of Wistar rats. The rats were randomly allocated into 3 groups of 7 rats each: the duodenal switch group (DS), the control group (C) and the sham group (S). They were operated under anesthesia and aseptic technique. In the tenth postoperative day, 0.1mL of sodium pertechnetate was injected via orbital plexus. After 30 min the animals were killed with overdose of anesthetic and samples of liver, spleen, pancreas, stomach, duodenum, small intestine, thyroid, lung, heart, kidney, bladder, muscle, bone and brain were harvested, washed with saline and weighed. The detention of radioactivity was made using the automatic Gamma Counter Wizard, PerkinElmer and the percentage of activity per gram of tissue (%ATI/g) was calculated. There was no early or late mortality in either rats groups. The values of percent radioactivity per gram of tissue (%ATI/g), showed no significant difference in liver, stomach, small bowel, duodenum, kidney, heart, bladder, bone and brain, when compared the DS rats with sham and controls rats. A postoperative significant increase in mean %ATI/g levels was observed in spleen, pancreas and muscle in group DS rats, as compared to group S and C rats (p<0.05). In the lung there was an increase and in thyroid a decrease in mean %ATI/g of DS rats, when compared to sham rats (p>0.05). In conclusion, the biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch in rats modified the biodistribution of sodium pertechnetate in thyroid, lung, pancreas, spleen and muscle. The study had the participation of the departments and laboratories researches, as Nucleus of Experimental Surgery, Department of Surgery, Laboratory of Radiobiology, Department of Pathology and Service of Nuclear Medicine, certifying the character of a multidisciplinary research

Biodistribuição do pertecnetato de sódio (Na99mTcO4) em ratos submetidos à ressecção extensa de intestino delgado

Massive resection of the small intestine results in short bowel syndrome with anti-absorptive effect and repercussions on the metabolism. Morphologic and functional evaluation may be necessary in order to control wrapped organs. Scintigraphy an examination with little invading and no biologic damage can be used. The purpose were to assess the biodistribution of sodium pertecnetate in organs of rats subjected to massive resection of the small intestine, the intestinal adaptation of the remnant intestinal mucosa and weight curve evaluation in the postoperative period. Twenty-one Wistar rats were randomly allocated into three groups (n = 7). The operated group named short bowel (SB) after anesthetized was subjected to massive resection of the small intestine; the control group (C), and sham group (SHAM). On the 30th postoperative day, 0.l mL of sodium pertechnetate was injected into the venous orbital plexus. After 30 minutes, the rats were killed with an overdose of anesthetic, and fragments of the liver, spleen, pancreas, stomach, duodenum, small intestine, thyroid, lung, heart, kidney, bladder, muscle, femur and brain were harvested. The percentage of radioactivity per gram of tissue (%ATI/g) was determined using Gama Counter WizardTM 1470, PerkinElmer to all samples. Biopsies of 3 cm remaining jejunum were removed to histological analyses. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the Tukey test for multiple comparisons were used, considering p<0.05 as significant. The study had the participation of some departments and laboratories, as Nucleus of Experimental Surgery, Department of Surgery, Laboratory of Radiobiology, Department of Pathology and Service of Nuclear Medicine, certifying the character of a multidisciplinary research. The results were no significant differences in %ATI/g of the sodium pertechnetate in the organs of the groups studied (p>0.05). An increase in the weight of the SB rats was observed after the second postoperative week. The jejunal mucosal thickness of the SB rats was significantly greater than that of C and sham rats (p<0.05. The biodistribution of sodium pertechnetate was not affected by massive intestinal resection in rats. An adaptive response by the intestinal mucosa probably contributed to the reversion of weight loss and the biodistribution of sodium pertechnetate was not affected by the surgery

Análise das mutações C282Y e H63D no gene da proteína HFE em pacientes com hiperferritinemia

Hereditary Hemochromatosis (HH) is a genetic disease caused by high iron absorption and deposition in several organs. This accumulation results in clinical disturbances such as cirrhosis, arthritis, cardiopathies, diabetes, sexual disorders and skin darkening. The H63D and C282Y mutations are well defined in the hemochromatosis etiology. The aim of this paper was that of identifying the H63D and C282Y genetical mutations in the hemochromatosis gene and the frequency assessment of these mutations in the HFE protein gene in patients with hyperferritin which are sent to the DNA Center laboratory in Natal, state of Rio Grande do Norte. This paper also evaluates the HH H63D and C282Y gene mutations genotype correlation with the serum ferritin concentration, glucose, alanine aminotransferasis, aspartato aminotransferasis, gama glutamil transferasis and with the clinical complications and also the interrelation with life habits including alcoholism and iron overload. The biochemical dosages and molecule analyses are done respectively by the enzymatic method and PCR with enzymatic restriction. Out of the 183 patients investigated, 51,4% showed no mutation and 48,6% showed some type of mutation: 5,0% were C282Y heterozygous mutation; 1,1%, C282Y homozygous mutation; 31%, H63D heterozygous mutation; 8,7%, H63D homozygous mutation; and 3,3%, heterozygous for the mutation in both genes. As to gender, we observed a greater percentage of cases with molecular alteration in men in relation to women in the two evaluated mutations. The individuals with negative results showed clinical and lab signs which indicate hemochromatosis that other genes could be involved in the iron metabolism. Due to the high prevalence of hemochromatosis and taking into account that hemochromatosis is considered a public health matter, its gravity being preventable and the loss treatment toxicity, the early genetic diagnosis is indicated, especially in patients with high ferritin, and this way it avoids serious clinical manifestations and increases patients' life expectation. Our findings show the importance of doing such genetic studies in individuals suspected of hereditary hemochromatosis due to the high incidence of such a hereditary disease in our region

Otimização de solução extrativa e desenvolvimento tecnológico de produto seco por aspersão de Psidium guajava L.

The increasing in the consumption of plant medicine by parts of the population generated a bigger need for studies. Drug substitutions, changes and adulterations at the production techniques are common places at plant-originated drugs trade, leading governmental departments of drug control round the world to adopt many analytical practices to medicinal plants. However, agronomic and technological issues cause characteristics and chemical composition variation at the drug, problem to be solved by the subject researchers. The present work aims to obtain a spray dried extract from a extractive solution obtained from Psidium guajava L. leaves based in book references that stress the intermediate dosage forms advantages. It also tries to validate useful methodologies for the quality control for both raw material and its derivates. Using eight sets of the spray dried extract (with Eudragit®, Aerosil ® e Avicel PH101 ® as drying adjuvants), the study proposes analytical methods using techniques commonly performed to plant medicines and its intermediate forms. As results, a viable spray-dried extract was obtained from a standartized extract solution. Among the studied adjuvants, the combination Aerosil ® with Eudragit ® showed the drying outcome, rheology, humidity and tannin content values that best fitted the demands of the Brazilian Pharmacopaea

Controle de qualidade físico-químico e biodisponibilidade relativa em ratos de suspensões orais de naproxeno sódico obtidas de farmácias de manipulação na cidade do Natal RN

Compounded medicines have been reported by the ANVISA due to decreased of the therapeutic response or toxicity of these formulations. The aim of this work was to investigate the physicochemical quality control among naproxen sodium oral suspensions 25 mg/mL obtained from six compounding pharmacies (A, B, C, D, E and F) and the manufactured suspension (R). In the quality control test, the tests of pH, content, homogeneity, volume and physical and organoleptic characteristics were performed according to the Brazilian Pharmacopoeia. The analytical method for determination of naproxen in suspensions was validate. This method showed excellent precision, accuracy, linearity and specificity. In the content test the suspensions B, C and E showed lower value and the F suspension showed a high value of the content. The products C and E were disapproved in the description of the physical and organoleptic characteristics test. In the pH test, three suspensions were outside specifications (C, E and F). Only the products R, A and D showed satisfactory results in these tests and therefore they were approved for relative bioavailability test. The R, A and D suspensions were orally administered to Wistar rats and the blood samples were taken at time intervals of 10, 20, 40, 60 min, 3, 4, 6, 24 and 48 h. The plasma samples were immediately stored at 80 ºC until analysis of HPLC. The bioanalytical method validation showed specificity, linearity (R2 0.9987), precision, accuracy, good recovery and stability. The chromatographic conditions were: flow rate of 1.2 mL.min-1 with a mobile phase of acetonitrile : sodium phosphate buffer pH 4.0 (50:50, v/v) at 280 nm, using a C18 column. The confidence interval of 90% for the Cmax and AUCt ratio was within the range of 80 - 125% proposed by the FDA. Only one suspension, obtained from the compounding pharmacy D, was considered bioequivalent to the rate of absorption under the conditions proposed by this study. Thus, the results indicate the need for strict supervision from the relevant authorities to ensure the patient safety and the quality of compounded drugs by pharmacies